Chapter 201 - Alerathla

Kadyn gawked at the bird as she changed her shap. In just a matter of a few seconds the bird turned into a beautiful girl. She had long white hair, and her green eyes were captivating. Her fair skin and that innocent face was enough to entrance any man. Her burst full and her figure slim. 

She adjusted the hem of her white dress and smiled towards everyone politely.

"Holy…"

"Language, Kadyn," Sylvia glared at him. Though he swallowed the remaining word, he was still shocked. He had never thought that small bird was capable of transforming into such a charming lady. Those beguiling rosy lips were dangerous. Very dangerous. His heart thumped in his chest furiously.

"Control," said Eddena with a teasing grin. "Even I can hear your heartbeat. That red face is quite cute, nephew and that drool at the corner of your mouth. You are just a step away from becoming a full-pledged pervert. Jump at her and you have achieved your target."

Kadyn coughed embarrassedly and looked away from that charming and cute face. Damn, it was hard to look away. When he couldn't take any longer he tried to peek from the corner of his eyes. 'So beautiful!'

He was done for.

"Such a beautiful girl," Sylvia smiled as she said with her soft voice. 

"No, you are more beautiful…" she blushed, but that dazzling smile told otherwise.

Slyvia laughed and asked, "What is your name?" 

"Alerathla," replied the girl. Her voice was husky. Though Kadyn had heard the voice many times before, it was the first time her voice felt so sweet. 'Damn, these hormones.'

"Good, I will call you Alera," said Sylvia. "You can call me Aunt Sylvia, or just aunt would do."

"Ok, Au—aunt Sylvia," her face flushed. With just one look one could tell that she wasn't accustomed to such behavior. Nonetheless, her every frown and blush was killer. For a certain someone, at least.

'So beautiful.' Kadyn continued to stare at her. Enchanting. Almost as beautiful as that girl named Aleera he met in Avibria city. 'Pah pah… I need to get my mind out of gutter. Stop thinking about her.'

"Good, child," said Sylvia.

Kadyn also calmed himself and looked at his parents, asking, "You didn't ask me about the shop and how did we end up in the Ceston Empire?"

"We did," Darius smiled. "Not just to you."

"Wha…"

"Oh, ignore him," Sylvia said. "You have the inheritance of someone. You are guaranteed to become as strong as the owner of that inheritance if you follow that path. However,"—she stared at her son—"remember, depending on shortcuts might let you achieve something, but if you want to achieve more than 'something', you have to find your own path."

"Should I depend on the shop or.. not?" he asked. His face was confused.

"You can depend, but don't become dependent on it. That's what I mean. There is a long way ahead of you. Of course, if you have any intention to walk that path," Sylvia said. 

Kadyn was completely baffled by what she had said, because he had no idea what she had said. Should he depend on the shop or not? He shook his head.

Then he looked at his mother and asked, "Father is a vampire, and he is from Nightshade. Where are you from, mother?"

"Like your father's parents, mine were also killed," Sylvia said. Her face was expressionless. It didn't look like she was talking about her parents, at all. Instead, about someone completely unrelated to her. Kadyn always thought that his mother was an emotional person. This was something new. "I have already avenged them by killing the murderer. It was the least and most I could do for them as their child."

Kadyn didn't probe any further. It seemed Sylvia didn't want to linger on this topic. Though he was curious about what had happened, he suppressed the urge to ask another question. Some things better left unsaid.

Then Sylvia and Darius exchanged glances. Both appeared somewhat hesitant about something. Kadyn noticed the hesitation on their faces. "What happened?" he asked.

Darius looked at him and then towards Elora. "We are leaving."

"Leaving?" Kadyn frowned. "To where?"

Darius took a deep breath, Sylvia nodded, he went on, "We are leaving Pengolla."

"What does that mean?" Kadyn's eyes widening in shock, looking at his father and mother, flabbergasted.

"Calm down." Sylvia grasped his hand, speaking, "Listen to your father first."

Kadyn stared at Sylvia and Darius and nodded.

"There are some things that we need to do in life, son," said Darius, gazing at Kadyn and Elora, fondly. "We need to free those who trusted everything to us. The people. Dear and honorable people. They trusted us once… but we failed them. Not many people get another chance in life. Not like us. We can't waste it, and we can't let them down again. Never again. Furthermore, we have already reached the limit of this world. We can't become any stronger here."

"I don't understand what you are talking about—"

"Look, it's hard to explain. The more I explain the more confused you will become," said Darius. He thought briefly and said, "Why don't you come with us?"

"What?" Kadyn said, confused, staring at his parents.

"You can come with us," said Darius. "I can take two people with me to the higher world, and Sylvia can do the same. You and Elora and Eddena and Alera. All of you can go to the higher world together with us. How about this?"

"No, I can't do that," Kadyn, however, shook his head. "Though I may be stupid sometimes; I may not be a good person. But I certainly am not an unfaithful person who leaves his friends behind. My friends. What would happen to all those people? Those people who left everything behind to follow me.

"Though, previously, they followed me because of the benefits I could bring them. But as the time passed, I could see the change in them. They are not just employees. They are family. Should I leave them just like that? Never."