A Memoir's Kiss

Chapter 38

Ashlyn's POV

Two days after my encounter with Adrian. Dusk is at this moment conquering the day. I finish my mother's papers. I'd obtain more statistics in her papers. It took me two and a half-day to finish the book. Well, I blame my speed reading comprehension that's why I completed reading my mom's papyrus.

Here's another detail about the mind behind the cursed thing with my predecessors. It looks like another person siding with the warlock. But as his foe, not an ally. A foe, he was a rivalry of the warlock. The warlock and he didn't like each other for the reason they didn't have the same thoughts. About why do they, sorcerer/sorceress, always be the people who need to help those normal peoples. The tension around those two often gets into something.

He is also a warlock. However, on his side of the story. This warlock was known to be a sorcerer from a small village. Where my ancestors lived and where the damn warlock who agreed with the demon lord is. He helped many townspeople with his magic. Leo Cirillo is his name. In my ancestors' early years that he was a snake that stayed tamed for the warlock he betrayed. To perfidy the male witch that curses my mother's family. Leo didn't deny he has also hatred towards one person out of all the members of my mother's ancestors. And it was the fourth son of the family, Orion. Leo was angry at Orion because he was opposed. Orion was against Leo's love for his older brother, the first son, Emil. His older brother and Leo had a secret relationship away from our ancestors. Orion was an overprotective younger sibling towards Emil. The eldest son was known for having the weakest body out of six children of their family.

Orion withstands every affection Leo made for his brother. Orion pitted him but he didn't want to get carried away. His brother was weak. Orion didn't want his brother to get hurt by some people or guy. It wasn't only Orion who was against Leo for Emil. The whole family didn't accept Leo for he was a guy who has no background. An anonymous guy who helps others. Mother's ancestors didn't care if their first son will love someone who has the same gender as he is. Emil's happiness was their priority. They often think that what if Emil gets hurt by Leo. A powerful warlock in their eyes that is stronger than their weak first son. What if Leo does something to their sibling/son? They didn't take chances or risks or gamble to identify Leo. To have time to recognize him as someone who can be worthy of Emil's love. Their theories had already influenced them to not trust Leo. It was frequently in their thoughts. Our ancestors were both scared and terrified that Leo may do something dangerous. Time after time they imagine that something will happen to Emil because of Leo. Their perceptions blinded them.

Who would have thought in that early years? Their most frightful torment came to their first son. He fell from a serious ailment. Leo heard the news about it. At that time, he was in another town helping a person who needed someone who can use healing magic. As Leo heard the message from his assistant. That he instructed to keep an eye on Emil if something happens to him. He didn't hesitate to rush back to their village where he was. When he came back to heal him with his power. Emil's family stop him. Saying he was no help. Leo couldn't tolerate their ignorance. He made his way to enter Emil's house. Walking to his room. Leo before had sneaked into his house to spend time together with Emil. Seeing his lover breathless in his death bed. On his side where his mother and sisters are crying. Leo knew when he saw him, Emil, had already left. Leave his family. Leave him. Leave the world.

Leo cried and cried until he walked out of his lover's house. My ancestors are in rage for the reason that it was Leo's fault. Though they also couldn't spot why did they blame him. When he walks outside from Emil's house. He was welcomed with Emil's family with a torch and spading forks in their hands. Our ancestors are that furious causing themselves to blame an innocent person who just loved their relative. Their hearts couldn't take the pain leading them to fault Leo. His lover's family beat him until his own body got limp. Leo's body was in deep pain not because of the wounds Emil's family gave or the big burn mark that was given at the side of his face. His pain was from the death of his only lover.

His apprentice came at the right moment before the family of his lover decided to beat him more severely. Because of that, his rage grew along with his wrath. Leo approach a warlock who was irritated at my ancestors. They made a deal. Leo offered the idea of cursing the family. That the warlock concur. Leo came to that warlock because that warlock has dark sorcery, not like him. He had light healing magic that could resist making curses. Light magic isn't powerful in making imprecations. Only warlocks who had to learn witchcraft and demonology rituals have the power to make unbreakable curses. Leo came to that dark warlock for also that reason. Because of his hasty decision, Leo was fully blinded like how my ancestors were blinded to how to protect Emil and how they were impulsive. Leo did not know that the warlock had made a trade with the demon lord. Leo only suggested that why not curse the family. But it was too late. The warlock must pay a life for a life. His life and another's life. He just found out that the warlock killed a member from our early generation family. And it was Orion, the warlock killed Orion. The warlock had an idea if he sacrifices the one Leo hated from the family he would make Leo feel delighted in what he had done. Unintentionally, that wasn't what Leo wishes for.

After both deaths, after our ancestors' curse was revealed, Leo Cirillo took his own life. Burying it in his lover's grave. He only wanted as his last wish is to see Emil's soul even if he will burn into hell. Leo has many reasons to end his life. One of them is his guilt. Before Leo took his life he admitted what he did to my ancestors. My ancestors were also on the wrong case. They beat, they wronged and did many horrible things at Leo. They wanted to apologize to Leo but when they found out Leo made a deal with a dark warlock and curse the whole family. Forgiveness became a concept of them that they couldn't decide whether to let everything go or not. Thus they couldn't bring themselves to forgive themselves also. In the end, Leo and my ancestors didn't reconcile even after years had passed. Because who would they conciliate when all people who were present at that event are already dead?

It has been a hundred years or more. And I believe I can speak to sir Leo's apprentice if she is still alive. I want to fall for my assumption that she is still alive. Sorcerers/Sorceress, Witches/Warlocks, Magicians/Wizardess tend to have long lives even if they are only apprentices or henchmen. Like miss Lydia, she is one of the vassals of people who uses magic. Sir Leo Carillo's pupil, Lydia Carillo. A teen from the streets took by sir Leo to take care of. Lydia was grateful to sir Leo. In my mother's words, miss Lydia saw sir Leo as a father of her own. Sir Leo was truly a father figure to miss Lydia. Not just Leo but also Emil. When sir Leo took his life, miss Lydia didn't leave the village. Perhaps, because her two father's grave is in that village. Following that was my ancestors leaving the neighboring continent for the Lune continent. I never expected it also that our origin is from the other continent. Fairchild continent, Lenoir empire.

Apart from that, I came back to dad's underground place. Now, that I know how to unlock her journal. Currently speaking I am holding my mother's diary. In her text, the only key is her kiss. I have her blood within me so my kiss can also be a key, right? Agh, what's the point of asking myself? Here we go again. I flipped the book to reveal its front. Slowly I place my rim at its fore. A flash of light opened the journal itself. The pages violently flicking from one page to another. I am confused as I notice all the pages have no sign of ink. This is uncommon. Although my mother is known to have been full of surprises. This is nothing to her. It stopped into an also blank chapter. But to my surprise words appeared.

Mia, you have grown beautifully. It may not be too late but happy 11th year of living. You may look like a spitting image of me. However, you have a unique aroma making you, you. It is a pity, my child, I didn't even have a glimpse of you nor touched you. Despite that, you will always be my beloved. Even if now I am far away from you. Far than I would have never thought I'll come to. Remember always, always, dear, that your mother loves you more than her life. I love you.

You are unclear about what is happening now. I know and I understand your situation. I'll start with how I discover my curse. Back then we were still in our hometown. Though our ancestors leave at Emil's death. Some of our relatives including us stayed. I was two when my transformation takes place. I was young that's why I don't exactly remember the full details. Yet there was a blurry memory that I saw myself when I was two becoming a beast. A beast who has violet fur, blue eyes, sharp fangs, and a body like a monstrous being. My curse to become a monster gets me weak for no reason. It was part of the curse. My curse is active during the blue moon. Me turning as a monster had many shortest and longest length of day as it takes over me. Until I met your father the curse is still active. My other relatives have died leaving only my father and me. None of us have died in a painful way or in a suicide way. Papa, your grandfather, has a curse to never feel pain. Whether he was hurt or cut himself unintentionally. He will never sense the pain. Papa remarried when we leave our hometown. Having myself an older brother who I got to see as my younger brother. It was a wish Hunter granted. My new mother was bubbly yet dangerous. Mama is not a killer or a murderer. She was called to be a master of poisoning. Knowing types of deadly herbs, plants that silently kill, and flowers murderous to their beautiful appearance. She taught me how to make poisons and antidotes. At a young age before, I made my variety of poison. My skill of making poisons and potions helped my brother with his organization when we got older. We lived happily even knowing our family's curse. They have freely accepted us. I thought that will never last. But I shouldn't have thought that only to make my beliefs come true. Papa and mama got through an accident causing their lives taken at the same time. Hunter and I decided to live our lives separately. He was against that idea back then. He said he lost his parents, our parents, he doesn't want to lose the only family he has. Hunter didn't want to lose me. Still, I was persistent; he begged. Anyhow he agreed in the end, he said to write letters every so often. To visit him. To spend time with him. To stay as his older sister to support him like a true sibling. Your uncle may not be a relative by blood. Family is still family. Not by blood but by the bond of love that was formed into one's heart.

As I said, I lived far from my brother. I changed everything about me. My name, my surname; Adamos, mama's surnames. Papa and I wanted to forget our surname to forget that we had our curses, even if it's temporary. Also, my status, all that's needs to be changed so that people will not dig into my past. I don't want them to disturb my family's spirits.

Mia, I will not reveal any more things now. I'll cut off the chase. Honey, I want you to go back to my hometown. If I unravel many more. You, yourself, can't handle the pain. You have been handling the pain for nine reincarnations until now. Yes, I know about your curse, dear. I am not a living person anymore. My soul is somewhere far. In where I am, I have discovered what sufferings you come through. It is also where I reunite with your ancestors, our family, papa, mama, and mom-my real mother. I'm sorry, I should have fought with my curse. I should have stayed alive. Consequently, you can have someone who is an ally of yours. If I had fought with death. You can have a mother who is beside you. As a mother, I was the first to let go of that responsibility. My daughter had and have drowned to the sufferings I didn't wish that will never take place. I apologize, I was not there. When you chose to go with the flow of every hurting you manage to endure, I wasn't there, I'm sorry. When the times you stayed silent waking up seeing yourself back to the past. I'm sorry, I wasn't there. My daughter, Mia, you are bound to the curse of a circle of reincarnation. I wished that you didn't suffer walking at. I will forever be sorry that your mother of yours was not there.

In my last breath, I shuttered my soul. Taking a piece of it. Then, placing it in my old diary I didn't have time to write on. Before I was only a soul who was guarding you and following Hunter. The idea of destroying my spirit came to me when Hunter obtained it. This diary was from my old house. Hunter took it with him while he was taking all my belongings from my old home.

I'm telling you to go to the neighboring country. Because I know, I know, you'll get even more hurt when you know the truth about my death, my husband, your father, everything. Everything can fall at its end like what happened many times. Mia Ashlyn, I don't want you to be reckless when the truth will be known. I want you to leave that place. Please, child, please. I didn't have the chance to protect you. All I'm asking is please obey me.

Obey my words, dear.

A forceful wind blew my hair revealing my face. Tears from my eyes were escaping. Lips that are shaking. A loud thud is heard in my body as I instantly collapse to the ground. Holding my mother's journal. Once again I cried. I may not know what she was like. Yet deep down, I recognize her words as my mother. Before the fact that I am still at papa Hunter's pub. I immediately summon myself back to the De Alegro residents to continue my cries. I have been crying lately because of her belongings. Her words I couldn't hear but only to read it. Her phrases comforted me. Mother's words that I was dying to see even if I can't hear them.

"Mother... I'll carry out what you want me to do." I sniff.