The Butterfly Effect

The flowers changed the longer they followed the trail—instead of all being in bloom, some of them were dying. It wasn’t quite as unnerving as it did bring a sense of mourning. Their casual pace turned more into a reflective one as more of the flowers died.

Eventually they reached the spot they’d been led to; a field full of these dying flowers, though nothing else in sight.

Lydia slowly pulled out the bottle of phoenix ashes, took off the lid and empty its contents. Whether the ashes swirled in the wind or by some other means, once they were all out the four of them were able to witness the phoenix’s rebirth.

None of them dared to break the silence and the phoenix didn’t say anything either. It cawed, circled around the entire field, then landed in the center of it. Its newborn flame burned the spot, but the fire didn’t spread any further. They stepped up to the spot and found a scroll there, untouched despite being so close to the phoenix.

Carefully, Lydia pulled it out and opened it. “I’ll read it,” she offered. “I… have a feeling I already know what it’s going to say anyway. It’s time you’ve all gotten the answers you’ve been waiting for.”

She took a deep breath and gave it a quick scan before actually reading it out loud. “‘Usiu, like all the other angels, was created by Orestis. She was one of the several who were then gifted to Vriuh. At first, she served only one purpose: to guide those that had died and allow them to move on. As more mortals joined Vriuh, there became another group of people she guided: the living who had lost someone dear and could not move on from the loss.

‘The dead remain outside of Hell’s Gates, unable to enjoy the blessings of the afterlife Vriuh assured them. When they clung to the fragments of their former, living self, they only caused themselves more suffering. The same happened if the living clung to the dead… though many are unaware of the fact. Usiu herself came outside the gates to help the dead. Those that lived were a bit more difficult to find—she had to rely on other things that could help them overcome their loss, unable to visit them herself…

‘One of them rests with you now, as the clasp the bearer so desperately clings to.’”

She let them all see it so that they would believe her next words. “That’s it. But it’s… not the end of the things I have to tell you.” Some flowers in the distance disappeared. She tried to just bring all her attention to the boys, hoping that they’d all do the same for her. “I’m using that clasp that I got from Usiu’s temple right now. I’m actually in my room at the Stone estate and, well… none of this is real.”

“Why do you need something from Usiu..?” Tim asked, clearly uncertain if he even wanted the answer.

She sighed as she looked between the twins. “Because you’re both supposed to be dead.” She needed to say it all now, before she faltered and lost the opportunity to say it at all. “It’s really Tavin’s third birthday. I lost both of you shortly after you were born eleven years ago. I guess I… must never have been as fine with it as I convinced myself I was, if we were able to do this. And I probably owe you a bunch of different apologies for it. Because of this, because of me… from the sounds of it, you’ve been in the middle somewhere for eleven years…”

“It can’t be that bad if we’ve spent this long unaware of it, right?” Henry said with a shrug.

“You’re a lot more casual about this than I thought you’d be,” she remarked. “I figured you’d be mad at me or at least confused…”

Tim smiled. “Think of it this way: you both got to spend some time together with us. We were able to do the things we never would’ve otherwise. Even if this isn’t real… it doesn’t mean that this never happened.”

Henry nodded. “It isn’t really the happiest thing to think about, but this isn't going to be the last time we see each other, either. Sooner or later, we’re going to be together with Vriuh. You’ve just got to promise to not waste a single moment until then—there’s only so much time someone can live.”

Despite her fears and doubts before, Lydia managed a smile too. “I will.” She gestured them all closer, pulling them in for a group hug. The world was fading. She wasn’t sure if she was hoping to distract herself or the boys from the fact, though.

The last thing she heard was Tavin’s mumble. “Don’t you have somewhere else to be?”

…

With those words ringing in her mind, she tossed off the blankets. The clasp had broken but she didn’t care. The sun was setting but, if she was quick enough, she could make it to the castle before it got too dark. She got ready as fast as she could and darted out of her room.

“Oh, Envi. Are… you done..?”

“Not now, Witless, I need to go!” She pushed past him and made no intention of stopping to explain herself. That is, until she realized his help might be needed. “Has the escort from the castle ever left?”

Lewis gave it a moment of thought, then shook his head. “I don’t think so. If he did, then Imre sent him right back again. I doubt everything’s still ready, though…”

“It’s the new guy. He might as well be waiting to run away from the end of the world.”

“So did it go well, or..?”

She gave him a small smile. “I’ll tell you what happened tomorrow morning. But right now, there’s someone waiting for me that I’ve got to get to as soon as possible.”

He nodded and let her leave.

If Andrew, Diana, or Elena were aware that Lydia had left her room, they didn’t draw attention to it. She wasn’t sure if she ignored them or if they weren’t there, only acknowledging who she needed to. The cold didn’t bother her, either, even though she was still in the middle of putting on her coat when she found the escort.

He didn’t notice her until she tried to mount one of the horses. “Oh, Lady Lydia! King Imre wants me to bring you to the castle. He didn’t want you on your own—”

“Then you’re going to have to keep up with me.”

His look of confusion must’ve soon changed when she nudged the horse into a gradual run. She honestly didn’t care if he was behind her. It really didn’t do anything in the end, except allow someone to pretend like nothing bad could happen.

He did follow her, after a bit of a delayed reaction. At least he was there to put the horse away when they got to the castle, since she had no intentions of doing it herself.

The only part of her surroundings that she paid attention to was the setting sun—it was her time limit, a race against it to see which could reach its destination faster. She didn’t slow down when she got to Lelishara, since there was little to watch out for; everyone would’ve already done what they needed to here. Only at the castle gates did she slow to a stop, clumsily dismounting and ignoring whatever looks the servants gave her.

“Dimas!” she called before she was really even close to him. He jumped but she didn’t give him a chance to say anything. “Is Tavin still in the garden?”

“He and Imre both,” he replied slowly. “Or at least they were when I checked on them. If they’re not then they’re in Tavin’s room.” He paused. “How did you know that’s where they were when you only just now got here?”

“I had some help.” She was already walking away. “Thanks!”

She went to the garden and was glad to see they were both there. “Sorry I’m late.” Noticing Imre’s expression, she added, “We can talk about it later. But I did come, like I said I would.”

“Cutting it a little close there, don’t you think?” he mumbled back.

Tavin slid down from his place beside his father and came up to her. She couldn’t help but share his smile, kneeling down to give him a hug.

“I knew you’d come!” he said.

“Thank you,” Lydia breathed. She didn’t know if he understood or even heard what she said; it didn’t matter. “I’m gonna keep my promise to them, too. Let’s make the most of this while we still have the chance…” She pulled away so she could see him. “What do you want to do? We might not be able to get to it today, but we’ve got all the time in the world…”