Saga of Atlantis

"Grace," I mumbled as I looked at her.

"...What are you doing here, Eden?" she asked, walking closer towards me.

"It's been a while, Grace," I said, hopping down to the terrace floor, my unbinding white hair following suit.

"...You didn't answer my question? What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk with you, so here I am," I said casually.

"And how do you know I would be here?" She asked with a smile, though her stance remained defensive.

"Just a guess. You always liked to be on top, so I thought maybe I could find you here," I said, moving a little closer towards her.

Her smile twitched a little at my words. Wait, my words didn't sound right, did they?

"Anyway, what do you want to talk about?"

Ahh, right, I didn't think about that. I just came here without much thought, knowing I would find her here.

She always liked to be alone, and as the classes for today had ended, like always, she would come here just to be alone until Sophia came to take her home.

"Ahmm, right. Where are you living right now?" I asked, the first thing that came to my mind.

"Me?" she asked, looking at me suspiciously as I nodded.

"At my aunt's house," she replied, still seeming suspicious about me.

"You were always close with her." I replied with a little chuckle.

"I am"

She replied, observing me. After that, she remained silent without saying any words.

I looked at her awkwardly, as she wasn't saying anything but just looking at me intensely.

"Do you still like climbing the tree?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation going.

"No."

"You also liked to eat that weird-flavored ice cream."

"Now, I don't."

"You like to plant trees, don't you? You had quite a collection of that."

"I burned them all."

"Are you trying to pick a fight with me?" I asked, norrowing my eyes.

"If that's all you have to say, then I will take my leave." She replied as she started to walk away.

'What do I do now?' I thought as I looked at her departing back.

Taking a deep breath I said,

"I am sorry, Grace."

As if she didn't hear my words, she ignored me as she continued to walk away.

'Ahh, fuck it', I thought, sighing a little. She is keeping herself in check, not letting her emotions win over her rationality.

She is too much on guard against me because of what happened between us, and I don't want that. I need her to open up.

'Looks like I have to use it', I thought, sighing again, because I know if I do this once, there is no turning back.

With a deep breath, I activated my other bloodline, which belongs to the major antagonist of the second game.

Her bloodline made her one of the most feared people because she could take out the innermost desires and emotions of any mortal in this world.

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Bloodline: Aphrodite's bloodline

Origin: Descendant of the Goddess of Love

Powers:

Heartstring Harmonics: Innate ability to perceive and influence emotions within a defined radius.

Emotion Sculpting: Precision control over the intensity and direction of emotional states.

Divine Allure: Channel the essence of Aphrodite to radiate an irresistible charm, captivating those within the sphere of influence.

Love's Embrace: Create an enchanting aura that fosters feelings of love, passion, and connection in targeted individuals.

Eternal Bond: Forge a deep emotional connection with others, fostering loyalty and empathy.

Aphrodite's Gaze: See the emotional currents and connections between individuals, providing insights into relationships and dynamics.

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Activating my abilities, {Heartstring Harmonics} and {Divine Allure},

"I am sorry, Grace," I said once again. My voice was not loud, but it was enough for her to hear.

She halted her steps as I influenced her emotions, breaking the wall she had put up against me.

"What are you sorry for, Eden?" She asked as she walked back, her eyes hazy without much clarity.

"Are..you sorry..for.. l-leaving me alone when I needed you most or are you.. sorry for.. brutally rejecting me?"

She asked, her lips trembling, her voice hoarse.

"No, no, Eden, I was never alone," she replied, shaking her head. "I always had my aunt with me; the one who was alone was you."

"You were the one who rejected every help and every assistance that me and my aunt tried to provide to you..."

As she talked, I felt her emotions.

Her sadness, betrayal, rage, anger, denial—everything became clear to me.

"I am sorry for leaving you alone."

"No, no, Eden, I was never alone," she replied, shaking her head. "I always had my aunt with me; the one who was alone was you."

"You were the one who rejected every help and every assistance that me and my aunt tried to provide to you..."

She said this, pointing her trembling finger at my chest.

"You were the one who wanted Angelina more than anyone..... or anything...."

With a little laugh, she continued,

"Even now, you haven't changed a little, Eden. You would still jump headfirst into danger just to save her...."

"I would do the same for you," I said, trying my best to keep my emotions in check.

Her emotions were also influencing my mind because all I knew about what happened between us was from Eden's perspective, and knowing how much it hurt her wasn't a good feeling.

"How could I be comparable to her for you, Eden?" She replied with a forced smile while tightly clenching her hands, "I am not the one whom you desired to be with."

"Grace, I–"

"Why don't you understand this?" she said, looking into my eyes. "She is a jinx, a wretched banshee, an accursed person who destroys anything close to her."

"Listen Grace–"

"You listen, Eden!, and listen carefully. The thing that I regretted the most was that I tried to find the love that my mother gave me in you."

"Even after doing everything, you still chose her."

Hanging her head low, she continued, "That crushed my pride, Eden."

"I know you hate me and Angeli–"

"She means nothing to me, Eden," she interrupted. "You are the one whom I hate."

Almost immediately, her mind got filled with endless rage—the kind that was so evident that I didn't need to read her emotions to understand it. It was the rage that made her the villainess of the first game.

"And as for Angelina," she said, raising her head, her dark red eyes hollow without emotion, "she is going to pay for what she did."

"Grace!"

I shouted, jerking her by grabbing her shoulders.

"Do not do anything that will harm you, please," I requested, knowing what she would end up with if she let her rage consume her.

"You... are... still... taking her... side... even now..."

She said it in a shaky, quiet voice.

"Listen, Grace—"

"SHE KILLED MY MOTHER, EDEN!"

She shouted, removing my hands from her shoulders.

"And you didn't even bother to attend her funeral. You weren't there when I needed you the most."

Saying so, she started to move towards the door.

"Listen to me, Grace!"

I exclaimed, grabbing her hand.

*Creak.*

The door of the terrace creaked open as I tried to stop her.

The intruder had blonde hair, untied and waving with the wind, while her dark brown eyes observed us with intensity.

"Aunt," Grace mumbled with teary eyes while jerking my hand away.

Coming out of my daze, I awkwardly took a step back and immediately stopped my bloodline ability.

As my bloodline ability stopped its effect, the haziness in Grace's eyes cleared as she gained control over her emotions.

Without saying a word or even giving me a single glance, she dashed out of the terrace, leaving me alone with Sophia.

"Ammm, "Hello, big sis," I said, waving my hand.

"What did you do to her, Eden?" she asked, walking closer.

"Nothing," I replied, taking a step back.

"Then why was she crying?" she asked, practically dashing towards me.

"Because she was happy to see me again," I replied casually.

Crack.. Crack

But just as I replied, a wind blade passed beside my left cheek, breaking the terrace wall behind me.

"You missed the mark, big sis," I said as I stopped moving, letting her come close to me.

"No, Eden, I didn't miss," she replied, craning her neck as she stood in front of me. "Our relation came in between."

We both looked at each other, the tension palpable. For a while, we stayed like this until she said,

"You broke her heart once, Eden. Don't even think I will let you do it again."

"I was stupid for doing that," I replied, forcing a smile.

"From now on, mind your own business."

"I can't, big sis. I have to make sure she is safe and doesn't do anything stupid."

"I am there for that. She doesn't need you now."

Saying so, she left me alone.

That's why I was against using Aphrodite's bloodline; if I let emotions cloud my rationality, it would be a problem for me just like now.

I should not use it again.

...maybe I should when it's important, but not always.

"I want to go home." Sighing, I mumbled.