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A heartbreaking reality… all because you wanted children who would carry on the legacy you built with the man you loved.
“If that’s the case… why does she despise me and not Odes—” In the process of asking the question, it suddenly clicks. “Oh… fuck.”
He arches an eyebrow at my cursing but understands my sudden shock as my eyes widen with realization.
“You’re not… implying…” I’m not sure I can finish the statement.
My gift…
“No one can confirm or deny,” he admits. “We’ve inquired with every knowledgeable being in these realms.”
“Why have you never inquired in Nephilim or Malevolence?” I ask. “Gifts or our magic energies, in general, are said to be blessings from the fae who wished to give a sense of empowerment to children who are born with grand destinies. Obviously, as time has gone on and the mundane population has expanded exponentially, it doesn’t get rid of the fact that the fae are the ultimate rulers of light and dark arts. Wouldn’t they know anything? Or even an antidote?”
“We wouldn’t be able to discover that,” Dad admits.
“Why not? Couldn’t we have done a family trip to Nephilim? I mean, they’re the nicer, more reasonable fae between the two worlds, though it doesn’t make them any less lethal to interact with.”
“A child can’t simply enter Nephilim or Malevolence without proper protection. You’ll learn that when you receive your emblem,” he reveals. “Unless in the company of royalty, the very world itself would rid you of your life force before a fae of low ranks discovers your dead body. It’s why so many students and young adults in general are killed easily when entering Nephilim or Malevolence without a professor’s protection.”
“I didn’t know that,” I admit. “But… can’t I just give it back?”
“Can’t give back what isn’t stolen,” he whispers with a genuine smile.
“I’m confused.” I don’t hesitate to reveal my earnest uncertainty. “If my gift was involved, then I ‘borrowed’ it as a baby and just need to give it back now as an adult.”
“Again, your gift didn’t play a role in this, Ophelia,” Dad assures me.
“Then what did?”
“What they don’t tell you about Nephalem and fertility is that the chances of you being stripped of your gilded rank are fifty percent,” he elaborates with a knowledgeable gaze. “When Odessa was born, it was confirmed your mother still had her abilities.”
Then it hits.
“Fucking hell,” I whisper and quickly cover my mouth. “Um… you didn’t hear that.”
Dad tries not to smirk, but I see the tiny uplift in the corners of his lips.
I’m the fifty percent that came out unexpectedly and sealed the deal of my mom losing her Gilded Merger abilities and rank in the world.
“But… I don’t understand. You knew about us being twins before our birth, yes?”
Dad just stares at me.
“Oh…” Now, it makes perfect sense. “You thought you were only having Odessa…” I try to ignore the sinking feeling that thrums through me.
“They say babies with immense shadow capabilities enjoy hiding their presence in the womb to secure their solidarity as they grow during the pregnancy,” Dad reveals. “Now, when it comes to twins, the baby doesn’t recognize to reveal itself until they sense the absence of their twin counterpart. It triggers the break of the barrier, and the remaining baby becomes prominent and noticeable as it triggers the contractions that lead to the second birth.”
“You learn something new every day,” I conclude and finally get it.
Why my mother hates me.
“I was the hidden, unplanned, power-stealing fifty percent,” I summarize. “You guys should have put me up for adoption.”
“Ophelia.”
“What? I’m serious. Wouldn’t she have been happier? Every day for the last twenty years, she’s been reminded of a hidden dark arts baby in her womb that hid away, borrowed her magic, and stole her chance of remaining a Nephalem just by her existence. No wonder why she hates me. I bet she was hoping Odessa went to N.M.U. and unlocked her gift that counters mine. Or maybe it’ll be the same. Then she’d get her rank back. In fact, she’d get her life back instead of sitting at home, being a housewife, and watching everyone but her delve into the world of magic she probably misses dearly.”
I should feel bad for her now that I knew the truth, but then again, treating me the way she did for all these years without the truth was just as agonizingly painful for me. My livelihood and childhood years are what forced me to become this shell of a person because I couldn’t trust having people in my life long enough before they despise me.
