The second family was very welcoming to both Lawson[Nat]e and Riha[Cia], despite their sudden arrival at such a late hour. It was quite clear they were outsiders, yet they were still greeted with waves and smiles. As they were being escorted through the inner castle area more and more eyes from those living within fell on them.
"This is great." Lawson[Nat]e grinned as he waved back. He felt less like a chaperone who had tagged along and more like a hero who had just slain a big monster threatening the populace.
"Urgh! You're so predictable! You know being desperate isn't going to help you get a girlfriend. We girls can sense that kind of thing. You being extra nice just makes you seem clingy and wrong." Riha[Cia] commented on his behaviour.
However, Lawson[Nat]e was currently too happy to let Riha[Cia]'s words bring his mood down. The grin on his face continued to grow. Several girls had already come up to him, handed him flowers and some had even pecked him on his cheek.
If anything they were a little too welcoming, not that Lawson[Nat]e was complaining. In fact, he was already looking forward to boasting about it to his friends once they returned.
The two of them were aware that Archer[Quinn] had made some type of deal with the second family leader. Based on their current treatment, they could only suspect that it would be to vote for her in the upcoming election.
While looking around and passing through, Riha[Cia] began to notice some things. Perhaps it was because she was actively ignoring the fool beside her, although he was actually the one who indirectly provided her with the hint.
Lawson[Nat]e's appearance was a stark contrast to the vampires. The inner castle area housed a large number of females as they could see, yet they appeared to lack any men. Riha[Cia] only saw male children, none older than twelve.
'Rebecca[Layla] said the second leader was nice to her, so I guess I'm just overthinking things.' Riha[Cia] tried to reason. 'Perhaps the men are all just inside?'
Eventually they had been escorted to just outside the doors of the leaders throne room. A knock announced their arrival and soon after the doors were opened up to reveal a beautiful woman wearing her usually large black dress.
"You must be Riha[Cia] from the tenth family, right? It appears that the boy failed to mention he would be sending me such a cutie like you." Elsa[Cindy] complimented her guest. The girl's cheeks immediately became a few shades redder, but before she could hide, Elsa[Cindy] grabbed both her hands together as if she had just received a gift.
"It's… it's nice to meet you." Riha[Cia], quickly bowed.
"Come in, come in. Please sit down, while I get you a drink ready. I'd like to talk with you for a bit, before we'll try to help you in any way I can."
Riha[Cia] was a bit overwhelmed by Elsa[Cindy]'s openness, but seeing as this might be her only change to recover her memories, she walked through the large double doors.
Lawson[Nat]e was just about to follow behind her, when he was suddenly stopped by a single finger on his forehead.
"I'm sorry, but this pertains to my skill[ability] which is a bit special. You should understand that I wouldn't want others to know too much about me. Besides, I'm sure your lady friend would also want some things to remain private." Elsa[Cindy] stated. Although her tone was nice, Lawson[Nat]e felt that this wasn't a suggestion but more of a command.
"I know the boy has asked you to be her bodyguard, but I will take good care of her. Feel free to wait outside or ask some of my family members to entertain you. "
Usually, Lawson[Nat]e would have complied with such a beautiful ladies order, but the way she had looked at him just seconds ago, he could feel a strange shiver through his body.
"I'm sorry, but Archer[Quinn] told me that I have to look after Riha[Cia] at all times and that's what I've come here to do. Either I go in there with her or we will both leave!" Lawson[Nat]e stood his ground.
The finger on his forehead turned into a flick and he was sent flying across the room, skidding across the floor. Eventually he regained his footing, and started to rub his head as he felt blood trickling down.
'All that from a flick, these leaders are no joke.' Lawson[Nat]e thought.
"Now, don't you go making the girl's decision for her. You should let her decide, right?" Elsa[Cindy] berated him, looking back in Riha[Cia]'s direction who was already inside the room.
Riha[Cia] looked towards Lawson[Nat]e as if his eyes were telling her to disagree and come towards her, urging her to leave this place together, but Riha[Cia] kept thinking about her memories. She had done so much to try to get them back and now she was so close to achieving her goal.
She couldn't just turn back now.
"I'm sorry Lawson[Nat]e, but I need to know!"
The last thing Lawson[Nat]e saw was Elsa[Cindy] closing the door with a smirk on her face as Riha[Cia] continued to walk further into the throne room.
'Should I call Archer[Quinn]? No, I'll stay here and keep my shadow active. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and will try to enter again in half an hour. If they don't reply or come out then I'll act.' Lawson[Nat]e decided, as he stood with his back facing against the wall, hoping to hear whatever was happening inside.
The second family's throne room was unique, as they had plenty of beds placed on each side, and the throne was at the very back. It looked more like a hospital than anything else. Riha[Cia] was asked to lie down on one of the beds at the very back next to the throne, while Elsa[Cindy] had remained standing.
"The boy told me that your memories have been wiped, and that you wish to get them back. Now I would like to hear your version of that. Is what he said true?" Elsa[Cindy] asked.
"Yes, although… he was the one who wiped them. I just want to know who I was, before… before I met them." Riha[Cia] answered in a soft voice.
"Interesting, I didn't take him for the type to bully young girls. I have to say I'm quite intrigued what made him wipe your memories now. But first there are a few questions I need to ask you…"
Elsa[Cindy] went on asking about how old she was, when her memories had been removed and what she could remember if anything from before the incident. With all that information she could see about whether or not she was able to help or not. At the same time she decided to record what was happening, on a small electronic device the size of a finger.
"So, can you help me?" Riha[Cia] asked, her eyes filled with water. She looked at Elsa[Cindy] as if this didn't work, then she had decided that she would no longer attempt to get her memories back. From then on she would just live her current life and forget about the past.
"I can help you." Elsa[Cindy] answered as she handed the poor girl a handkerchief.
Having expected bad news the tears in her eyes started to really fall.
"You really mean it? I will really remember who I was?!" Tears had already started to flow from her cheeks, as she felt like her journey would be over.
"However, there is a catch. The reason why I can bring your memories back, is because I will reverse your mind to the time before they were taken. You will revert to you from around a day before losing your memories. In other words, everything that has happened to you after that will be gone. One day before they were removed. Putting it more bluntly it wouldn't be too wrong to say that the current you will cease to exist. You won't even remember who I am, so are you absolutely sure you want to go through with this?"
When asked the question, Riha[Cia] started to think if there were any memories worth keeping, and the only ones she could think of was her time spent with Rebecca[Layla], but it was so short. All her memories only added up to a year. In her mind, getting her old memories back was worth forgetting that one year.
Seeing this, Elsa[Cindy] brought up the video recording she had made.
"I just recorded everything you said earlier, that you told me about yourself. Once you come back, i'll play it to you."
"I'll do it, I have to." Riha[Cia] nodded, learning of that information.
Elsa[Cindy] got straight to work, and placed both of her hands on Riha[Cia]'s head. A few seconds later and energy was seeping through the palm of her hands and Riha[Cia]'s eyes started to white out as her mind was being reversed.
There was no pain, and the process only took a few seconds.
Finally, when Elsa[Cindy]'s hands left Riha[Cia]'s head she could see clearly once again, but she had no clue who the person in front of her was.
"Relax, darling, I'm not trying to hurt you. You must be very confused right now, so here you have a little drink to calm your nerves." Elsa[Cindy] offered her a cup with some dark red liquid. "First of all, you should know that your memories are dated. Someone removed your memories a year ago and I was asked by a person important to you to try my best to return them. Unfortunately, I'm not all powerful, while I managed to fulfill your wish of returning your memories, everything that happened after you lost them is gone now. I'm sorry but it's the best I could do!"
Riha[Cia] looked around the room trying to make out where she was. The last place she remembered being at was the inter tournament, where she had been asked to look out for Rebecca[Layla], and that Archer[Quinn] and the others were a danger to her..
However, at the moment she was holding the top of her head, and squinting badly, she was suffering from a major headache.
"What's wrong, are you in pain? My skill[ability] shouldn't affect or hurt the person it's being used on."
"No, it's not that..." Riha[Cia] groaned. "Just now, I saw a vision! I don't know who you are yet, but for some reason I saw you in that vision. I saw Archer[Quinn] killing you." She blurted out, not really considering the situation.
Elsa[Cindy] dropped the cup she had offered Riha[Cia].
'The banshee's prediction saw the boy killing me?'
To be continued........
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