Chapter 77: Mother’s Unequivocal Love
Does this creature deserve the punishment?
Yes.
But, do I, does Alora, want punishment...
"..."
I took a deep breath and weakly swung my hands up and down alongside Hilda's, "Smile! It might be over!"
"Okay." So, Hilda smiled.
An ugly smile.
A painful smile.
But a smile nonetheless.
Why did she smile?
Because there was hope; hope that she'd no longer have to witness this broken creature's form, hope that she'd no longer have to endure this torture of watching me crawl back into the room with shattered limbs.
So, of course she'd smile!
"Hey! That smile is so ugly!" Smugly smiling, I puffed my cheeks and 'looked down' at her with a smirk.
"My smile is ugly?! You-!" Claiming my cheeks for herself, Hilda moulded my face playfully as she drew herself closer.
Before I could react, her perfect face and silky-smooth skin glistened tantalisingly inches away from me. The brush of her warm breath tickled my face as her lips curled up, revealing flashes of pearly teeth.
"Your smile is uglier." She pulled my lips up, forcefully curling them into a smile. And, I have to say...
"Natwurwy. Yaww way pwettier." My words came out muffled, but clear enough for her to comprehend their meaning.
A brief moment of silence lingered in the air after my response.
But then we both burst out laughing.
We giggled, we smiled; we curled up and almost choked from cramps in our abdomens.
It was joyful; it was fun.
Alas, our time quickly ran out.
The aurora was setting, and Hilda had to leave.
Sweeping my messy hair aside, Hilda dug her limbs beneath my useless legs and picked me up again. I didn't waste the chance to, ahem, exploit her... cushiony assets.
Carrying me to the bathroom, she repeated our usual routine;
Brush my teeth, bathe me, and change me into the frilly, long-sleeve white shirt and dark pants.
After completing this routine, Hilda brought me to the bed and tucked me in.
Standing over me, she received my expectant, glistening eyes-
"Ugh. Okay..."
-then bent over and pecked my forehead, "Goodnight, little dummy."
"Mhm, goodnight!"
Waving me goodnight, Hilda swiftly exited the bedroom; she had to get back home before nightfall after all.
...Anyways.
Time to sleep.
Click.
Piercing Curses knocked her out.
---
The aurora fell over the horizon, dousing the world in a blanket of darkness.
Yet, from somewhere far above, faint light drifted downwards, clearing the world of the infectious, parasitic night.
At that moment, within the bedroom of a resting little girl, a mind-numbing scene was taking place.
There was no light.
Only darkness.
True darkness.
...The darkness of the Sunless Skies.
Where it should not exist, within this horrifying Domain of Light; where it should not reside, within this monstrous creature's bedroom;
It encroached.
It suffocated the life out of the room.
But then-
CRACK!
A shattering noise ruptured the atmosphere, sending the world within the room tumbling into chaos.
They descended.
Three Upside-Down Crosses.
Shifting, pure-white eyes sleepily ran their gaze across the room. They lazily locked onto the Sunless Skies, and-
And then-
Then...
The sleeping girl shot awake.
Her body lifted itself with the aid of Curses as she sat up.
The room returned to silence.
No true darkness;
No Upside-Down Crosses;
Only her.
Only a silent creature.
For it had heard.
It had heard the voices;
Not the countless voices, but the voices.
The horrifying voices, the voices that spoke of a terrifying truth.
It had dreamt a dream.
A nightmarish dream.
A dream drowning in the horrors of the truth.
And now, it had awakened.
It quietly recounted the memories within its mind—the fading memories of utter horror.
Moments passed.
Then minutes.
Finally, the creature silently lay back down and shut its eyes; the memories had fizzled away, and they slipped from its grasp once again.
The moment the creature knocked itself asleep-
Squelch.
Three pairs of white eyes plopped open in the darkness, squelching and oozing with sluggish movement.
Slowly, gradually, intermittently, they blinked; repeatedly, countlessly, whilst keeping their vision locked onto the sleeping girl.
And, there they remained;
For minutes;
For hours;
Till, in the distant horizon, a flash of light flitted across the world.
Squelch.
The white eyes;
The Sunless Skies;
It all retreated.
Thus, silence returned to the room.
Dreary, grim silence; silence etched with the horrors of the night, the endless night of this Dark World.
But then the little girl stirred awake from her long, ailing slumber. And, alas, the silence was destined to end, for the countless voices had begun hounding her once again.
-----
It's today.
I spared the plate of food no thought as I devoured even the most dreaded of peas. I didn't even notice that I ate them until afterwards, that's how focused I was.
And, how couldn't I be?
Today is my day; today is Esme's day.
We will be climbing the Heirarchy to the Second Step-
Or, in my case, I'll be Descending to the Second Step, Esme, on the other hand, will be Ascending; she'll grow prettier, purer...
Hehe.
Whereas this creature will grow dirtier, more stained by the flood of Curses; both Esme's new Curses and my new Curses will crush me from the inside out.
But I should be able to-
No, I have to be able to handle it.
If I don't handle it, if I fail, then Esme's demise will be inevitable; for Esme, I must prevail.
"Your face doesn't look good. Are you feeling down?" Hilda's palm landed on my forehead as she checked my temperature.
"I'm okay. Just thinking about today."
Sighing, Hilda retracted her hand and stepped back. She was clueless as to what today's events would entail. I've only drip-fed her the bare minimum, enough to understand that what is happening today is monumental, but not what will happen.
Today's Ascension and Descent will occur in a private ceremony consisting of me, Esme, and my mother.
I haven't met Esme in almost six months now, so I'm looking forward to that as well.
Perhaps today is a truly Blessed day; I receive the opportunity to grace these accursed eyes with Esme's phenomenal figure, and I have the chance to aid in her Ascension into an Ascended of the Second Step.
It couldn't be a better day, so why would I ever feel down?
"I actually feel good. Today is going to be a good day!" Pushing a smile onto my lips, I faced Hilda with joyfully curled eyes.
In return, I received Hilda's sorrowful, melancholic gaze as she shifted her head up and down in an understanding manner.
But it's true!
"Today will be amazing! Trust me!"
"Fine~ Fine~ I trust you little dummy, how could I not? This life of mine is yours, after all." Her lips curled with a teasing grin at the end.
"H, hey! Don't say embarrassing things out loud like that..." I hurriedly fanned my face to cool down my certainly flushed cheeks.
"Huh? What's embarrassing? Don't you remember when I knelt and dedicated myself to you?"
Hilda tapped her chin with a smirk, "What did I say again? Wasn't it something along the lines of-"
"Okay! Okay! I get it..." Pouting, I swivelled my head away expectantly. I threw a miniature tantrum precisely because I knew what would come next is-
Pomf~
-a face full of Hilda's magnificent, cushiony breasts in my face.
"Heh. You don't have to pretend to be angry for a hug. You can order me for one, because I belong-"
My hand shot up and covered her mouth. I even risked circulating Curses into my left arm just so that I could shut her mouth a split-second quicker.
"Mmf~!" She mumbled through my hand, purposefully exuding her breath into my palms.
Damn this pervert...
Removing my palm, I sighed and relaxed into her body. Our teasing session was already over; we had our boundaries set, and neither of us would cross them without a clear signal, so I wasn't too worried.
"Feel better?" So she asked with both hands wrapped around my head, keeping me tight and secure in her hug.
"Yeah, thank you." I mumbled into her chest.
---
Before long, our time together was up.
Gazing dazedly into the waves of pillowy, chest-nut coloured hair, I eventually relented my locked gaze and shifted it towards my mother's oceanic, warm eyes.
She looked at me, and I looked back.
Exchanging glances, mother was the first to break the silence hanging between us.
"Sweet Alora, my dear daughter, are you willing to sacrifice for your sister?" Moving her hand onto my scalp, she overwhelmed me with a melting sense of peace as I-
"...Yes, mother."
I tried my best to keep my words clear, but the flood of peace crashing through my system was too much to bear. After 9 years, I still can't handle it.
It's too much.
Too peaceful.
Too nice...
"Shall we go then?" Sliding her hand down my face, her slender, long fingers caressed my body as she arrived at my left hand and interlaced our fingers.
"Y, yes, mother..." My voice hitched from the euphoric waves of peace.
It feels so good~
"Good girl, you are so Perfect, my sweet, sweet Alora. Right?" Tightening her grip on my fingers, mother's eloquent voice dripped from her saccharine smile; it was sweet, toothy, and drenched with the overpowering, unstoppable blades of peace.
"R, right!"
I hurriedly nodded in fear of disappointing her; in fear of losing this touch of lovely peace.
"Now then, sweetie..."
Lowering her head to my level, mother's eyes grew frosty, frigid; they were cloaked in ice. Yet, ironically enough, I could feel it encased within the ice; her love. I could feel, smell, practically taste, the love hidden in the depths of her eyes.
She unequivocally loved me.
"...shall we go?"
Taking a deep breath, the life within my eyes fizzled out.
"Yes, mother. Let's go."
I was ready.