Ella: (Yes… this is where it all began.)
The flashback resumes.
After the incident, Nox is confined to his bed. Ella stays by his side, keeping him company. When he finally opens his eyes a few minutes later, the little girl immediately springs into action.
"Grandpa! Grandpa! Are you okay?!"
Still dazed, Nox looks at the child, his thoughts tangled.
(Ella? Wait… I'm in my bed… Oh, right. So it's already starting.)
After a moment, he forces a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry, my dear. It was just the shock. Nothing serious."
Yet inside, anxiety gnaws at him.
(I didn't think the episodes would start this early. For her sake… there's only one thing left to do.)
"Ella," he began, "I was wondering… do you have many friends?"
Surprised, the little girl tilted her head.
"Friends? What for? You're more than enough for me, Grandpa."
Nox gently shook his head.
"Listen carefully, Ella. Very carefully. I'd like you to start taking magic classes."
"Magic classes?" she repeated, tilting her head the other way. "What good would that do? I already learn faster than the people teaching them."
A cold sweat ran down Nox's temple.
"That's true," he admitted. "But the real reason I want you to go… is so you can make friends."
"But Grandpa!" she sighed loudly. "I told you, I only need you!"
"I know, I know… but you need to be around children your own age. And… please understand that this is important to me."
She put her hands on her hips, pouting.
"Fine! We'll do it your way, Grandpa!"
Nox smiled tenderly and opened his arms.
"Come here, little witch. Give your old grandpa a big hug."
"I don't want to!" she huffed, still sulking.
But when she saw his loving gaze and open arms, she rushed into them.
"Well, since I'm very kind, I'll do it anyway!"
Nox hugged her close, gently stroking her hair.
"You really act like a three-year-old, Ella…"
Through the window, their silhouettes could be seen embracing—an image straight out of a fairy tale.
The next morning, the scene was very different.
Ella was clinging desperately to a lamppost in the street, while Nox tried to pry her off under the curious stares of passersby.
"Ella, let go of the pole!"
"Never! I'm not going!"
"You promised me yesterday!"
"Yesterday was yesterday! Today I want to play!"
"You're not a baby anymore!"
"Yes I am! I'm still a child!"
After several exhausting minutes, Nox finally stepped back, panting.
"Fine. I see now. I'm using the wrong technique."
He approached an elderly woman walking by with a cane.
"Excuse me, madam. May I borrow your cane for just a moment?"
Confused, the woman agreed. Ella, still clinging to the pole, eyed him suspiciously. Before she could react, Nox lightly—but decisively—tapped her on the top of the head, then returned the cane.
"Ow! That hurts!" Ella cried, releasing her grip.
Nox seized the opportunity, grabbing her hand and dragging her along.
"Grandpa! Let go! You're not a nice old man at all!"
"It's your fault I had to resort to this," he replied.
When they arrived in front of the magic school, he finally let her go.
"Alright. Have fun. See you this afternoon."
(muttering to himself) "I'm too old for this kind of stunt…"
As he walked away, Ella suddenly turned around and shouted:
"Grandpa! I love you!"
The old man smiled without turning back.
"I love you too."
Left alone before the classroom, Ella sighed.
(I bet I'm going to be bored to death…)
Yet once inside, her boredom slowly turned into curiosity. As the hours passed, she began to enjoy herself.
That evening, she found Nox writing.
"Good evening, Ella! So, how was it?"
"Maybe it wasn't so bad after all," she replied, sitting beside him.
"You see? You should listen to your grandpa more often."
She watched him for a moment.
"Is it the same book as last time?"
"Always."
"You're really boring, Grandpa."
"That's probably a trait common to old people," he joked.
"Maybe one day, I'll read your book," she said with a smile.
"That would make me happy."
Days turned into weeks, then months. Ella grew accustomed to the other children, learned the basics of magic, and grew up.
A year passed.
Ella no longer resembled the restless little girl she once was. She stopped running around all the time and even began managing the bookstore. Watching this transformation, Nox exclaimed one day:
"Oh gods of the Divine Kingdom, you've answered my prayers! You've finally granted wisdom to this hurricane!"
"What are you talking about, Grandpa?" Ella asked while sweeping the floor.
"Nothing… it's just strange to see you grow up. Could you put the books and potions back on the table?"
"I'll take care of it."
With a simple gesture, magic circles appeared, and the objects moved by telekinesis. Nox watched her with a tight feeling in his chest.
"You don't go to magic classes anymore, do you?"
"No. I've already surpassed the instructor's level. And besides… Anne and Lorie moved away."
"They were your best friends…"
"Yes. But that's just how it is."
Nox sighed.
"On second thought, I think I preferred the old Ella. Tell me… would you like to join a better school? Like the Royal Academy?"
"No!"
"Why not?"
"You're getting older, Grandpa. I need to stay and take care of you."
"You're too young for that."
"Then I'm also too young for the Academy."
"Stop talking like an adult. You know, I—"
Suddenly, a searing pain struck Nox's chest. He collapsed to the floor, teeth clenched in agony. Ella rushed to him, screaming in terror.
"Grandpa! Grandpa! What's happening?!"
On the ground, Nox struggled to stay conscious.
(No… not again. My heart… even with the medicine… I have to get up. If I don't, Ella—)
Darkness claimed him.
When he awoke several hours later in his bed, Ella was there, asleep at his feet. She hadn't moved all night.
(Poor child… she's far too young to bear this burden. I never wanted her to suffer.)
Another stab of pain made him grimace.
"Grandpa? You're sick, aren't you? Answer me…"
"Ella? You weren't sleeping?"
"No. I never fell asleep. Because I love you, Grandpa."
She tried to smile, but it quickly faded into deep sadness.
"I don't want to lose you. I'll do anything to heal you."
With a broken voice, Nox told her the truth.
"Ella… it's hard to hear, but I can't be cured."
"Then… that means…"
"I think you already know."
Ella slowly lifted her head. She forced a smile—fragile, yet resolute.
"If you can't be healed, then I'll make sure you never feel pain again. From today on, I'll take care of everything. You just rest."
She stood abruptly, driven by desperate energy.
"It's almost dawn. I need to get started!"
"You stayed by my side all day and all night?" Nox asked in disbelief.
"Of course! It's the least I can do!" she shouted before running out.
Nox was left alone in the silence of his room.
(I always knew it… She built her entire world around me. That's why I hid my illness for so long. I wanted to spare her this pain.)
The days that followed were a sad charade. Ella, only eleven, carried responsibilities far too heavy for her frail shoulders. Nox felt the end approaching. He forced himself to finish his book, and once he wrote the final word, he handed it to Ella. He could barely move now; his heart raced with the slightest effort.
"Read it, Ella. Read it quickly… and tell me what you think."
"But Grandpa, you know I hate reading…"
"Stop pretending," he said gently. "I know you're mature enough to understand what's happening. I'm dying…"
"Stop it!" she interrupted. "I'll read it."
She didn't want to face the truth. She sat down and read. When she finished, she returned to Nox's bedside.
"You're done?" he whispered.
"Yes."
"So?"
"It was beautiful…"
She stared at the ceiling for a long moment, then looked at him with her childlike eyes.
"Do you really think such a hero exists? A hero who always gives people what they desire… and is enough to bring back their smile?"
"Yes," Nox replied. "His existence is necessary."
"For me, you already are," she murmured. "The Spirit of the Hero… just like the title of your book."
Nox let out a weak, almost sarcastic laugh and gently patted her head.
"How I pity you, my poor little witch… You've suffered so much. But one day, your hero will come. The one who will free you from your loneliness."
Ella snuggled against him, swinging her legs like the little girl she still was deep down.
It was their last moment together.
That night, Nox passed away.
A few days later, a carriage bearing the crest of the Royal Academy stopped in front of the bookstore. Ella's talent had reached the ears of the scholars. At twelve years old, she left as a scholarship student.
End of the flashback.
Ella smiled sadly, alone in her room at the Academy. She held a book close to her chest. On its cover were the words:
"The Spirit of the Hero."
With her back to the window, she whispered:
"So, Grandpa… will your hero be able to save me from the ghosts that haunt me here?"
END OF THE CHAPTER
NEXT CHAPTER: Royal Academy – Act I: This Sucks.