Page 76 of Semper

"When did you find me?" The words slipped out of my mouth before I even had a chance to think, my mind spinning too fast to catch up.When did they find me? How long had they been watching me, knowing who I was, waiting?

Beatrice's gaze softened, though there was no hesitation in her answer. "I found you when you were fifteen." Her voice was calm, a matter of fact as if she were recounting somethingroutine. "Alexander was told about you when you were seventeen."

I quickly did the mental math, trying to make sense of it. That would’ve made him... "Twenty-seven, twenty-eight?" I said, my voice small, barely audible. The realization sank in—he hadn’t known about me for as long as I thought he did, which meant he moved quicker than I could have ever imagined bringing me home.

Beatrice nodded, confirming my thoughts. Esther chimed in, her voice soft, almost admiring. "He accepted you right away."

Adelita’s voice followed, the first trace of vulnerability slipping into her tone. "He rearranged everything for you," she said, as if the words held more meaning than I could grasp.

Then her gaze softened further, a glimmer of something deeper flashing in her eyes. "He has made me proud many times over the years... but I admit, when I learned you'd be brought back here, Lolita, I was terrified." Her voice wavered, but only slightly, as if revealing this truth pained her more than she let on. "I thought you deserved the life you'd built for yourself. I know what it’s like to have that snatched away."

She paused, her eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my heart ache. "I... panicked," she confessed, her voice lower, softer. "I shouldn’t have. I can see now—you belong here. The Isle chose you, just like it chose my son. And I couldn’t be prouder of the man he’s become."

There was a long silence after that, the weight of her words pressing down on me.The Isle chose you.

Adelita’s eyes darkened, her voice dropping to a whisper. "But it’sDiabolusthat worried me."

The shift in the room was palpable, the name ringing with a weight that couldn’t be ignored. She was talking about her own son—the role he had taken, the power he wielded asDiabolus.

I had always known that the title came with a darkness but hearing her speak of it like this made it feel all the more real. I sat there, the walls of the parlor closing in around me as I tried to process everything. My family. My past. Alexander.Diabolus. The twisted web I was caught in was tightening around me, and there was no way to untangle myself from it.

“This is, um... a lot,” I said, my voice shaky despite my best efforts to keep it steady. I felt like I was swimming in information, and the weight of everything they'd just told me was pulling me under.

Beatrice smiled gently, as if she’d expected this reaction. “Yeah, I imagine it is. But you’ve only proven you were the Isle’s choice by handling everything the way you have and accepting our faith, even the darkest parts of it.”

I wouldn’t necessarily say that I hadacceptedit, not really.

I wasn’t going to point that out. Instead, I took a small sip of water, putting the glass down carefully before the emotions that were tangled inside me could slip through. Everything felt so tightly wound within me that it physically hurt, a pressure building in my chest, but I couldn’t let it show. Not now.

“Is there a bathroom I can use?” I asked, my voice tight.

Esther immediately stood; her smile warm but concerned. “Of course. Come with me.”

I followed her out of the room, my feet feeling heavy with each step.

The air in the hallway felt thicker, quieter than the tension I’d left behind. The dark wood and rich decor felt suffocating as we walked in silence down the hall, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that my entire world had just been turned upside down.

Esther slowed to a stop just outside a door. “It’s right here,” she said softly, gesturing toward the bathroom.

“Thanks,” I muttered, moving toward the door. I needed a minute to breathe, to think, to feel something other than the numbness spreading through me.

But before I could enter, Esther’s hand gently rested on my arm, stopping me. Her touch was firm, but there was an unexpected warmth in it.

“Hey,” she said quietly, her voice grounding. “I know this is a lot.” She looked at me, her eyes filled with understanding, as though she knew exactly how overwhelmed I felt. “But my aunt was right, and I’ve said it before. You’ve already proven you’re stronger than you think. You’re here now, and you belong here.” She gave my arm a gentle squeeze. “You’ve survived so much already, Lolita.” Her voice was steady, as if she believed every word she said, and that was why it was so hard for me not to believe her too. I looked at her, trying to form words, trying to make sense of everything. “Blood matters here,” Esther continued, her eyes locking onto mine. “Legacy matters. And you’ve always been part of this, even if you didn’t know it.”

I didn’t know how to respond. Legacy. Blood. They kept talking about it as if it were a gift when even as I came to accept that I’d never leave this Isle, it felt like a slowly restricting chain.

Esther’s voice softened as she shifted, sensing the real fear swirling inside me. “Look,” she said gently, “I know you’re scared. I know the idea of Alexander beingDiabolusis… a lot. I know he’s a lot. It’s something even our mother fears. He may carry the weight of the Isle, but he’s chosen you, Lolita. You’re meant to be his balance.”

Her words hit me harder than I expected, cutting through the chaos in my mind. Alexanderhadchosen me. Despite everything, the darkness, the secrets—he had chosen me, just as I had been pulled toward him. I looked down, swallowing the lump in my throat. “And what if I can’t be his balance?” I asked quietly.

Esther gave me a soft, reassuring smile, her hand still on my arm. “You already are.” She stepped back. “I’ll come check on you if you’re not back in a few minutes, alright?”

I nodded and slipped into the bathroom, locking the door behind me with a quiet click. The room was silent, but the pressure in my chest felt deafening. I turned the sink on, letting the sound of rushing water fill the space. My hands gripped the cool porcelain basin tightly, my knuckles turning white.

The room seemed to tilt for a moment, everything spinning out of control. I could feel the weight of my reflection behind me, like it was watching, waiting, judging.

I couldn’t face it.