Chapter 20 - The Curtain falls

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Chapter 20

The Curtain falls

Marianne opened her eyes and looked at Vasques.

He had folded his hands further and looked at her.

"Welcome back to the present."

Marianne tried to grasp what she had just seen.

"Who are you?" she stammered, staring at Vasques.

"He's my father," said a voice behind her.

Marianne spun around.

In the doorway stood Lysander.

With wide eyes she looked first at Lysander, then at Vasques and then at Lysander again.

"That's not possible!" 

Lysander went up to Vasques and stood beside him.

"Hello son," he said.

"Father." Lysander laid a hand on his shoulder.

"How is that possible, you're not a vampire, Lysander." Marianne was stunned.

"It's a bit complicated. He was my father before he became a vampire," Lysander explained. "I became something else."

"Just like me." Sedalia entered the room.

Marianne was now staring at Sedalia. That was too much to grasp everything.

"What ... are you?"

"Sedalia sat down at the end of the bed and took her hand.

"Close your eyes." 

Marianne hesitated at first, but then she did.

Suddenly she was standing in a meadow.

Sedalia stood in front of her and smiled. 

She took a step back and spread her arms.

Flames enveloped her from one second to the next, forming a being that lifted her up behind her.

A phoenix!!

Marianne sensed something behind her and turned around.

Lysander stood in front of her and raised his arms.

A dark cloud surrounded him and then formed into a being.

A wyvern rised behind him.

Marianne opened her eyes again, jumped up and looked at all three.

"Lysander and I are light and darkness." Sedalia smiled.

"Fate has brought us together. We have been appointed by powerful creatures as their avatars." Lysander crossed his arms.

"In a time of chaos, we have ensured order." Sedalia squeezed Lysander's hand.

"Why all this?" she stammered.

"Your blood is extraordinary, it has betrayed you," Vasques said.

"I don't understand." Marianne was even more confused.

"They're all not after the scroll," Sedalia said.

"I... What else?" Marianne shook her head.

"They're after you," Lysander said now in a serious voice. "And now we know why."

"Behind me? I mean..... why, I am an orphan!"

"You are not an orphan, Aranasera. You have a father." Vasues looked at her gravely.

"Who?" Marianne looked at all 3.

"General Denerias...."