Chapter 80: Zoel's Nightmare
While everyone was disturbed by the battle Morana got near Zoel, she didn't know how to start talking with him in order to make her presence more noticeable.
"Zoel…"
No reaction
"Zoel…"
Again there was no reaction, but this time Morana was no longer patient and just as she was about to take some drastic measures, something drew Zoel's attention.
One of the enemies managed to slip past Amalia and others and was launching a surprise attack on Zoel.
The next second everything happened so quickly that no one managed to react.
Blood was everywhere.
Zoel looked at the tall figure in front of him as he finally came back to his senses.
"M...mum…"
Stuttered Zoel as he felt the warm blood on his hands, he couldn't take his eyes off of his mother who now stood in front of him as the attacker's sword pierced right through her stomach.
Amalia didn't look at Zoel as she wrapped her whip around the attacker's neck and disconnected his head from the body.
Seeing his mothers' situation Zoel wanted to get close to her, and help her, but just as he took a step forward Amalia's next words rooted him to the ground.
"Stay back. Don't come any closer."
While mother and son were having their moment Morana was also observing everything from up close.
She could understand why this moment became Zoel's nightmare. His fear was guilt.
Guilt that his father was lost, guilt for the loss of his sister, and guilt towards her mother who was left alone to fight.
Fortunately right as Amalia was unable to continue fighting, their reinforcement showed up and rescued them.
For the whole year, Morana observed what happened after the incident. How Leonie wasn't found, how they searched for her, how Amalia's injury caused her to be unable to bear any more children in the future, How Zoel turned from the sunny boy became cold and expressionless.
As time went by other powers tried many ways to deal with the duo, but despite everything, Amalia stood tall and continued to shoulder everything by herself.
In the passing year, Morana tried everything to get Zoel's attention, but it was like she was a ghost.
No matter what she did she was unable to even touch objects around herself.
Until one day, out of frustration, she knocked a vase from the table, getting Zoel's attention.
Finally, she figured out a way to influence the world around herself and maybe, just maybe she could make himself visible.
For the next 3 months, Morana's daily activities consisted of observing the mother and son duo, as she continued to scare the hell out of the mansion's workers.
Soon, ghost rumors started spreading all over the place.
Finally, after constant experiments, Morana managed to make herself visible, but only for a short while, for the next few days, she was able to extend this time by appearing in front of Zoel.
She figured that the more Zoel noticed her existence the stronger her bond became. On the contrary to what others might have done in her stand she didn't start to reason with him.
Instead, she waited, waited till she became more in control of the situation, and finally got him all alone in the garden.
The moment Zoel saw her he instantly became guarded, but for some reason, he didn't feel threatened by Morana. It was like a natural feeling that she wouldn't harm him.
"Who are you?" He asked and couldn't help feeling familiar.
But he didn't get any explanation.
The next second Morana slowly started advancing towards him but instead of explaining what he got was a heavy punch in his jaw.
Zoel couldn't help feeling baffled, even when the young boy punched him, he didn't feel any hostility.
"W...Wha"
"Seems like you're not sober yet." Said Morana, interrupting his question while punching him in the guts.
"Awake yet my dear brother."
Her words instantly managed to get a reaction from Zoel as disbelief was written all over his face once again.
"Seems like not yet." This time Morana kicked him right in the face, throwing him to the right side of the garden, as he hit a couple of trees on the way.
For the next 30 minutes, this situation continued as Zoel was thrown from one side of the garden to another and repeat.
Just as his handsome face became swollen, and he was all black and blue, Morana noticed a moment of clarity in them and finally stopped her attacks.
"Finally sober I see."
But this time Zoel was the one that didn't answer, Morana didn't mind this at all as she took out some popcorn and sat in the shade of a tree.
After a couple of minutes of silence, Zoel couldn't hold back his curiosity.
"How long have you known?" He asked.
"Why does it matter?" She asked back.
"Why didn't you say anything?"
This time she just stayed quiet, and he also didn't know what to say, what right did he have to say anything.
"We need to get moving." Said Morana, Zole just looked at her.
"We are in your mental prison, you need to get over this trauma so that we can go after the next person."
"I don't know how." He answered.
He didn't say everything but Morana understood, he didn't know how to get over his guilt or how to make everything better.
"Are you an idiot? You don't know how? Don't give me that half-assed bullsh*t and stop acting like a spoiled brat, will you? If you don't know how then you will find out, by making an effort. Not by creating this pity party, and holing yourself up in your own mind, but by getting the fu*k out in the real world.
What are you guilty about? Your dad? He isn't here.
Your mum? She is not here either.
Me? All you're doing by being here is be a pain in the A** for me.
So, will you fuc*ing get over yourself already?"
Her words were like sharp blades cutting through his heart one deeper than the other.
Zoel couldn't help smiling in self-mocking. And at that point, everything was once again covered in bright light leaving behind only Morana's last words.
"Fu*k nor again"
***
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