861. Frost And The Blue Dahlia

861. Frost And The Blue Dahlia

Reality shifted to breathtaking field of blue dahlias and star-shaped flowers. The gust of petals that had snatched Frost from Jury’s hands gracefully sat her down beneath a broad, blue-leafed tree.

Her back pressed against the strangely soft bark. Blue petals gently snowed onto her as she wondered where she was. Her senses were overloaded with wonder. From the floral scent to the beauty of the cliffside view, and the moon that just barely remained above the horizon – It brought Frost a level of peace that caused her aches to numb.

She sat there, devouring the tranquil world with eyes that mirrored its beauty.

The Blue Dahlia’s State of Mind is crystal clear. Isn’t this the mountaintop Cer said she used to moon-gaze with her mom? I thought her State of Mind would’ve been a lot more disturbing, like the Red Giants or the Blood Moons.

Frost had the ability to enter people’s State of Mind. This wasn’t anything new. In fact, it was how she was able to Corrupt people in the first place. It was in one’s State of Mind where their ambitions, shadows, and even Ego would be painted clearly for her to pick apart.

The Red Giant she Corrupted into the Silence of the Stars’ State of Mind was a mountain of bodies. It reflected her desire to become the sole star in the sky no matter the cost, even if they did not shine like a true star. They would bring any other source of light down so that only she could shine the brightest.

But there was nothing like that here. Nothing sinister or malevolent.

It was no more than a place that the Blue Dahlia cherished.

Frost’s hands instinctively tried to catch a falling petal. The tree she rested on was a blue cherry blossom tree now that she had a closer look. Her crumpled hand could only twitch when she tried to touch them.

Suddenly, a presence approached from behind. Long strands of black hair collapsed over her as someone placed a petal into the palm of her hand.

“My name is Lethe.”

The soothing, melodic voice of a woman announced. Frost was instantly greeted by a pair of sky-blue eyes as she looked up, seeing the face of a woman who closely resembled the triplets.

Frost was about to speak, but the woman opened her mouth. She smiled before a word left her lips, as if waiting for Frost to speak. It was an awkward exchange, and it made the Blue Dahlia softly laugh.

There was a hint of relief in that laugh, like she did not expect Frost to hold her tongue.

“Lethe, like the River.” The Blue Dahlia – Lethe – announced before gracefully pulling away to reveal her form beneath the pink skies.

She was utterly mesmerizing. What she wore was an ordinary white gown. Nothing more, nothing less. Her hair was fashioned exactly like Cer’s and it reached as far as her waist. The constant ocean breeze kept it floating to one side permanently, giving her an ethereal, ghostly quality.

Lethe was exactly how Frost pictured an older Cer to look like. The only things that were missing were her ears, tail, suit and personality. Frost’s mouth opened but no words formed. Her mind short circuited upon this realization, and Lethe immediately noticed this, causing her to giggle again.

“I’m happy you think so too. Certus reminds me of myself as well. She was a needy girl that didn’t receive the love she needed. My middle child Beryl was never the given the chance to properly look at her own mother’s face. Then, there was Ceres. The child I mistook for Certus.”

Ceres. Hearing Res’ real name sounded wrong. Frost’s face didn’t change, nor could she make such a face revealing her bewilderment, but Lethe read her with ease.

“Cer(tus) and Cer(es) are separated by such few letters. But the first letters of her name were scrubbed from my mind, leaving behind the name of my last child.”

“Res.” Frost whispered.

Lethe sensed the emotion caught in Frost’s voice. The tone that she used to utter Res’ name delighted Lethe, but also caused a sense of tangible regret to swallow the woman.

“Yes, Res… You must be fond of her to speak so adoringly of my child. I never had the chance to ask Certus when I made my wish, so I must ask you.”

Lethe stared out into the horizon; her eyes fixated on the setting moon. She paused for what felt like a minute. During that time Frost had to wonder what was going through her mind. How did she feel knowing that her own daughters loved Frost like a parent? What did that make her think as their mother?

Finally, the question came.

“You’ve been watching over them, haven’t you?”

“For a while now.” Frost answered, unafraid of what Lethe thought or might say.

“How are they?”

“Good. Much better than when we first met. It’s funny… those three and your son… and that Iscario were the first people I met coming into this world.”

“An Otherworlder. Ah. No wonder your mannerisms are different~” Lethe laughed. “I shouldn’t be laughing when you’re like this, but it’s not like I have a lot of time. I suppose there is a way to extend my life. Whether that choice is available for me or not…”

The woman brought her eyes to Frost and gazed at herself in the reflection.

“Miss Amalgam. I brought you so I could reminisce one last time and catch up on what I’ve missed. It’s been 30 years before I knew it. Our time came and went by so fast. I don’t deserve to make it last longer than it needs to.”

Lethe went on to explain why she ultimately did what she did to her daughters. As it turned out, it was never Res who was the true object of desire. It was always Cer, but the mix-up had caused them to swap places. Furthermore, it caused Ber to live in exile on the lake as ‘Res’ rather than the person she wanted to be.

Cer was her firstborn. Her daughters carried the same blood no matter what order they arrived in, but Cer’s existence was the only one known to their father – Typhoon; a man who, according to Lethe, was infatuated with the powers of the Rivers.

“Cer would have ended up like Raoul. Having to drink from a River from such a young age. Our children have the blood of a Child of Adam and a Seer of Evelyn. Withstanding the strain was just a matter of time. Nothing would’ve emerged from their bodies. Not like the creatures who drank from the Rivers and birthed new creatures like the Dragons. Do you know what it means to be a ‘Vessel’?”

“Not exactly, but it’s another name I’ve been given. It’s about the Light, right?”

Lethe shook her head.

“Moreso about the Rivers. It’s about whether an individual can withstand a power without breaking or giving birth to a new being. I saw those creatures roaming around Grandis. People could not contain what was bestowed upon them. Sadly, they burst open, giving rise to monsters. The Rivers work in the same way. Something’s in the water. Maybe the power is a parasite? Heh. Not really. It’s just how it works. No one will know.”

Lethe kicked the air playfully, giggling as her eyes drifted down to the flowers.

“Aside from maybe Galia. And probably you with the way the Nexus responded to your trauma. Miss Amalgam, is it alright if I keep talking?”

“I’m listening.”

She imparted everything she knew to Frost knowing that her time was limited. From how Cer would have been taken by Typhoon to drink from multiple Rivers; far more than Raoul had. How her attempt to erase Cer’s conceptual presence resulted in her also losing her precious memories of Cer.

The abuse her daughters had to endure, the abandonment of Raoul who watched their family deteriorate before his eyes… the Cer who could only know the love of her mother once a year, the Ber who had been exiled from the warmth of her only parent and to abandon who she was, and the Res who lived in guilt and fear of what laid beyond their nest.

Lethe wore eyes that did not see herself as alive anymore. Yet despite this, those eyes shone brighter than any other eyes she had ever seen. She was so full of life that Frost could not believe that this person…

“I’m already dead.” Lethe confirmed Frost’s suspicions. “It’d be unnatural to stick around for too long. I’ve been buried twice. I want them to go on their own paths and forget about me if possible. But Cer…”

Lethe reached down and plucked a flower.

“… how is that child still able to love me despite everything I’ve done?”

She removed the petals one by one. Frost raised her voice and said:

“Cer never did hate you. The way I remember it, she knew what you were going through. Still, that doesn’t excuse what you did. I also can’t find it in my heart to call you a good mother.”