Inception: Rise of the Heir
After the murder of Hepzibah Smith, Tom Riddle disappeared for ten long years. He sank deeper into the Dark Arts & pursued knowledge that others could only dream of, consorting with the darkest members of wizarding society. With his eyes set on North America, he has no idea that the magic he so desperately seeks will shape his life & his inevitable future for years to come. TomxOC
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing except for my o/c's and my own storyline.
The fireplace continued to roar beside them as Lyra explained her condition to him, reliving the events that had led her back home-although she had carefully decided to leave out certain details that seemed unnecessary to explain. Their encounter with Madam Celestin and her relationship with St. Germain seemed somewhat unimportant to the larger picture and the less he knew about her associations, the better.
"When we realized the book's clasp and the insignia from my vision were one in the same, I thought I would finally get some answers to all of this..." Lyra stared into the fire emptily. "I thought that if you could read it, you might be able to tell me something...anything…"
Sani rubbed his chin roughly and took a sip of his drink as her eyes looked towards him anxiously.
"Well?"
His silence made her uneasy as she re-crossed her legs, her fingers tapping against the arm of the chair impatiently. "Perhaps I was wrong. Maybe it was a mistake to trust him with this-"
"Forgive my silence...I'm still trying to wrap my head around everything you've told me-"
Tom, sensing Lyra's hesitation reached for the wand inside his pocket and grasped it carefully, unsure of what to expect. "Lyra needs your help. Can you give it or not?"
Sani gave him a dirty look and spoke gruffly, his voice condescending and angry. "Of course I'll help her. I didn't raise her all these years to simply abandon her in her time of need, regardless of what she's done."
"You know if MACUSA found out that you helped me, you'd likely suffer the same consequences that I would if they ever realized I was the one responsible for all of this?" Lyra spoke softly. "I won't hold it against you if you can't. It's a big risk to take-"
"Nonsense. It was more of a risk for me to take two children under my wing when I had no previous parenting experience at all-besides you can hardly be held accountable if what you describe to me is true. I know you would not have done such things willingly."
"Partially true, I can't control the things I do when I lose myself. But I've still done terrible things out of necessity..." She held her tongue and remained silent at his statement, reminded of the lives of those she had taken for her own gain, unable to admit to him that he was wrong in his assumption, knowing he would find her logic twisted and abhorrent. "If he only knew the things I've done...I know he'd refuse me, maybe even turn me into MACUSA himself and that's a risk I can't take."
There was only one person who could ever understand the lengths and measures that she had taken and he remained silent at her side, not a word against her falling from his lips-for his discretion, she would be eternally grateful.
"Lyra when you experience these...blackouts...can you remember anything at all?" The old man said, his voice dark and hesitant.
"No." She said quietly. "The world fades away...and all I can remember is the blackness that swallows me whole before I-" She stopped herself from finishing the sentence and her mouth pulled back into a tight grimace. "-wake up."
"-and what is your business in all of this..." Sani said as he looked darkly towards Tom.
"He's one of the only reasons I've made it this far without it consuming me entirely…" She waved her hand and waited as the potion flew into her outstretched palm from the other room, placing it down before her on the table. "Tom's helped me more than you could imagine, he brewed me a potion that kept it at bay for awhile…"
"You did this?" The wizard eyed him carefully, his demeanor less cold than it had been before, but still unfriendly.
"Yes." Tom said quietly. "Although it's potency has started to falter...even if I were to make another batch, I doubt it would make a difference." He frowned as he followed her gaze into the fire, watching the fire's reflection dance against her face.
"You've seen it then?" Sani asked him quickly, his eyes narrowing.
"Yes." He murmured, his voice unwavering as he stole another glance at Lyra's face.
"Tell him Tom." She asked calmly, refusing to look anywhere but at the fire before her. "I hardly think I could describe it from memory, out of disgust I've tried to push it as far from my mind as I could..." She waved her hand quickly and watched as the potion floated from out of sight, back into the dark hallway towards her bedroom.
He hesitated for a moment, knowing that his description would elevate her discomfort, but he also understood its need. Tom slowly began to describe what he had seen, trying to recall every gruesome detail. "The transformation unlike anything I've ever encountered before, monstrous to behold. Her enchantment turns her into something unnatural, a creature not quite living or dead, skin rotted and corpse-like, with large cavities and pustules that encompass a body I know to no longer be hers. Whatever flesh the beast has left, hangs off it's frame like dry crackled leather, accompanied by a stench that one could only experience from unearthing something already dead. It fingers more like claws, crusted with what I can only assume to be blood-"
He heard a choked sound come from Lyra's direction as she took the glass of fire whiskey before her and drank deeply. He paused for a moment and continued slowly.
"-and it's face as putrid as the rest...the decaying flesh of it's cheeks stretched over a skull, with teeth as black as coal, hidden behind shredded lips, flayed and torn. Hair as white as snow, stringy and aged, caked with filth...and eyes as black as obsidian, peering out from behind that face like two hollow holes."
Sani tried to stifle his revulsion at Tom's description as he placed his hand over his mouth and looked over towards Lyra, her hand cradling her miserable face. "You saw all this and yet you continued to keep company with her."
"I would not leave her...if that's what you're asking." Tom replied coolly as he leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs. "The creature in question is not Lyra, but something else, something that has somehow attached itself to her, of that I'm sure."
"I quite agree." The old man said as he reached for his drink quickly, pouring it eagerly down his throat. "Whatever it is that plagues you is something dark indeed. Something not of this world, but rather trapped in between. From what you've described to me, there are several things that spring to mind."
He looked over towards a small stack of books and waved his hand, a text flying off from within the pile and landing gently before him. "There are some sorts of magic that are not widely discussed in this country due to cultural differences..."
"What do you mean?" She asked curiously, picking her head up from her hands.
"You know as well as I do that people from my community like to keep to themselves. You either are taught your version of magic at Ilvermorny-or you learn the magic and traditions of your culture or tribe-" Sani flipped the book open, scouring the pages for what he needed. "-like I did, and my father before me...so on and so on."
Tom wrinkled his forehead and turned towards Lyra. "I don't understand."
"I told you before that not everyone goes to Ilvermorny to learn. Sani grew up and learned magic the way his ancestors did-"
Sani let out a gruff chuckle and continued to look through the book. "MACUSA does not make efforts to understand magic that is not their own. The magic taught to the wider population is that of European descent-elaborate magic produced by a fancy wooden twig. They look down upon the traditions of the native people who had lived here for centuries before them, they always have. My ancestral magic might not be as flashy, but it is powerful nonetheless, steeped in tradition and I certainly don't need a wand to harness it."
He shook his head in disapproval and flipped through a few more pages. "-If there can be one thing I'm proud of that I taught you Lyra, it's to not depend on something so easily broken…"
"That explains her aptitude for wandless magic..."
"MACUSA disregards the stories of the natives as legends, myths-old wives tales, clung to by those who were too stubborn to practice new world beliefs-" He let out a bitter laugh as he continued.
"-you'd think that by now they would have realized that these legends and alleged accounts were in fact, true-why else would they need a whole department to break curses and confiscate dangerous artifacts from unsuspecting no-maj's?" He motioned towards Lyra. "These spells were not left by your ancestors but mine-" He continued on angrily "-they speak in fearful whispers about Wendigo's and Hidebehinds but ridicule the rest of our lore. All hypocrites."
"-and now you'll understand why Sani prefers to live alone in the desert." Lyra murmured, shakin her head dismissively. "If you hate MACUSA so much, why did you work for them?" She asked quietly. "I've never heard you speak this way before...not like this."
"I only worked with them when I needed to, food does not put itself on the table…" He replied gruffly, "...and afterwards I thought it best to not speak ill of the education and magic your mother wanted you to have-she did not think the way they did-she was different, which is why I valued our friendship so much."
Tom looked towards them and remained silent, watching him flip through the book hurriedly. His focus shifted when suddenly, without warning, a distinct sound caught his ear; a singular voice, talking to itself at first, it's feelings and emotions bombarding his mind as it continued. "Strange…"
He looked around the room slowly, wondering as to where it could be coming from, distracted by the whispers. He stood quietly and followed the sounds, the thoughts bombarding his mind as he walked closer to the wall behind him. A small insect flew around his head as he swatted it away in annoyance, looking around him for where it could be coming from.
"These whispers…"
"Aha!" Sani said excitedly and slapped the page, turning it around for Lyra to see. She looked down towards the page and read it quietly, furrowing her brow in confusion.
"Ghost Sickness, what is that? I've never heard-"
"You wouldn't have."
"I hardly see how it's any different from a possession of sorts…" She read the page carefully, shaking her head in frustration. "I've already tried spells...rituals... potions…none of it worked."
"A possession by a ghost is not the same thing as the sickness brought on by a Chindi."
"Chindi?" Lyra said in confusion, unfamiliar with the word.
"Yes. It doesn't surprise me that you have not heard of that term either. It is a legend that exists only in my native culture...once again, ignored largely by the wizarding community."
"I don't see why it would be ignored if such a thing exists. Perhaps maybe-"
"-Sometimes people would prefer to pretend that the existence of certain evils don't exist to ease their troubled minds. MACUSA likes to dismiss things they cannot explain or understand...magic like this is very old, extremely uncommon and to cure such a thing is not so easy."
"How does something such as a 'Chindi' come to exist?" She asked quietly, her voice fraught with skepticism. "If it's as uncommon as you say then perhaps MACUSA is correct in their assumption that-"
"-Disregarding old magic, whether proven to be true or not, is ignorant and dangerous Lyra. You of all people should know this." He said gruffly, his wrinkled hands rubbing his chin in thought. "It's been a long time since I've heard the story, the smaller details might evade me but I'll try my best to explain. There are abundant legends of spirits in my culture but none that are so deeply rooted in deprivation as that of the Chindi , an evil entity rumoured to have been created by a dark wizard to prevent their death, binding them to the earth in an unnatural and tethered way."
Tom turned his head away from the wall and listened carefully as the conversation behind him continued.
"Death is unpreventable." Lyra exclaimed in exasperation, seemingly irritated with where the story was headed. "Everyone with half a lick of common sense knows that…"
Tom frowned at her dismissive answer and felt himself grow disgusted with their conversation. Alike as they were, she did not share his ideas on immortality and death and it disappointed him. "It is what sets you apart from others…their weakness will be your legacy."
"Not everyone looks at death as you do." The old man grimaced and shook his head. "There are those who would willingly rip their souls apart from their bodies rather than pass into the next life."
"The only life we have is the one that we're currently living. If you were more intelligent you'd understand why conquering death is so important." Tom thought to himself smugly as a quiet silence filled the room. He waited for her to ask the question he already knew the answer to and felt frustrated by her silence on the matter. "...is she not curious at all as to how it can be done?"
"How does one rip their soul from their body?" He said quietly, an air of impatience behind his voice as he glanced towards the fire, he didn't want to take any chance of the old man skirting around the subject in order to avoid discomfort and he wished to see her reaction to the answer.
"You should know what would rip the soul apart" Sani said gruffly, taking another sip of firewhiskey, eyeing Tom distastefully as if the question he had asked was one he would have rather not answered.
Although the room was comfortably heated from the fire before them, Lyra felt her heart grow numb, the gooseflesh on her arm raising. "Murder."
"How many?" She asked quietly as she rubbed her skin, trying to ease her discomfort. "I wonder at this point how many times I've ripped my own apart."
"You ask the number as if taking one life wasn't enough." He reprimanded her and cleared his throat. "Taking a life once is all that it would require to make a Chindi... and it would have to be premeditated."
"Why is that?" Tom asked softly, ignoring the voice that spilled into his head once more, its thoughts invading his mind angry and frightened at all once.
"-they know."
"-must act quickly."
"-it should never have gone this far."
"-death."
"-it must be done."
Sani's gruff voice ripped him from his mind, pulling him away from the voice that echoed off inside his head.
"The soul must be whole in order to create a Chindi. It must not be shattered or split by previous atrocities, it must be the first, which is precisely what makes it so vile. After it's creation, it will linger inside the body, permanently severed from its host, lingering like a shadow upon the wall, waiting to emerge after death to find it's new host."
Tom stared hungrily at Lyra as she digested the information, if the idea of murdering someone for personal gain bothered her, she did not show it, he already knew she had done so on multiple occasions and he had enjoyed watching it. Her face simply stated straight ahead, expressionless and hollow, as if not to allow Sani to see through her guise.
Disappointed at the way a Chindi had to be made and knowing it was already too late for him to explore the concept himself having already split his soul several times, he tried to shift his attention back to the almost inaudible whispers that lurked around him.
"How does a Chindi find it's new host…?" Lyra asked carefully, her voice barely a whisper.
"The spirit would be filled with inconceivable amounts of malevolent energy upon its creator's death and would emerge forth almost immediately, lingering around the corpse's body or their possessions."
"Why would it remain by the corpse…?"
"In hopes that someone may speak its name. Only after it's name has been uttered can it truly wreak the havoc it was meant to create. Without a name, a Chindi would be powerless, forever trapped in between worlds."
"Seems a ridiculous risk for someone to take. How does one prevent conjuring such a spirit?" She said, trying to mask her annoyance, her eyebrows furrowing at the concept.
"Besides forgetting their name altogether, the possessions and corpse alike must be burned." He picked up the book and waved it at them, shaking his head. "As I said, a book such as this should not exist."
Sani sighed and took a sip of his drink, as if contemplating what to say next. "You should understand that a Chindi is not just a malevolent spirit, it is a parasite-latching itself to whatever body it can to somehow reconnect its former self to the world it was forced to depart. It feeds off its host, creating sickness and ruin and even death in some cases if its host is not strong enough to withstand it's occupancy."
Lyra stared into the fire once more, trying to sort through the thoughts that raced through her mind. "Could what he's saying be possible? If so, where would I have even come into contact with something like this…"
"I know this is a vast amount of information for you to digest Lyra, but I think if what you both described to me is correct, there can be no doubt that what we're dealing with here is something far worse than you could possibly imagine."
The small voice inside Tom's head started to rise once more and he could sense fear, anger and doubt and he once more turned around to discover the source when a strange thought crossed his mind and quickly reached into his pocket, touching the handle of his wand. Keeping his mind focused on the three of them and their conversation, he closed his eyes carefully and spoke the words he needed aloud inside his mind.
"Muffliato."
All at once the strange voice had ceased to barrage him and he was once more left alone with his own thoughts and musings. Tom narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the wall before turning back around and reclaiming his seat next to Lyra, neither of them had seemed to acknowledge the voices in the room or his behavior. "Strange…"
"So if a Chindi-or whatever you call it-is the cause of my condition, how do I get rid of it?"
Sani rubbed his eyes and shook his head. "I'm afraid that's not the only thing wrong with you Lyra. A Chindi would explain some of your sickness but not all of it, no."
"What else then?" Lyra asked sharply as she leaned forward in her seat, her fingers grasping the edges of the chair.
"The spell seemed to have worked...but I don't think tonight is the night to discuss this any further." Tom thought to himself as continued to ponder the voice he had heard around them. Hearing voices was typically not normal even in the magical world and there was only one possible explanation as to why he could hear strange thoughts when no one else could.
"I think perhaps that might be enough for one night Lyra." He spoke softly, placing his hand upon her shoulder.
"I'll decide what's enough." She said sharply, ignoring his hand upon her shoulder.
Sani, noticing her trembling hands turn white against the arms of the chair let out a soft sigh and shook his head. "I'm afraid Tom is right, my child. I still need time to look over a few more books, to collect my thoughts...it is far too much for me to do in one night.."
Lyra stood up from her chair in anger. "There is no time for relaxation or rest, give me the book, I'll do it myself."
Tom watched the old man shake his head in frustration as Lyra reached for the book before him, his eye's focusing suddenly on the small piece of jewelry around her wrist.
"That bracelet...where did you get it?"
Lyra scoffed at him quickly as grabbed the book, wrapping her hands around it tightly. "It was my mother's. I've had it forever, you know that."
Sani gave her a strange look as he muttered softly under his breath.
Tom watched the exchange before him and quickly followed her into the dark hallway, murmuring softly. "Lyra, I think you need to spend some more time with Sani...alone. There are things I need to attend to on my own and I feel that your time should be spent with him, rather than sulking about in your room, reading passages you don't understand."
"I didn't ask you opinion-" She spat at him, trying to step around his tall frame.
"But I'm giving it to you regardless. You haven't seen each other in quite some time, I think your mind would be more at ease if you were to have a few moments to yourselves to talk about other subjects, let the subject of your ailment rest for now. You've had a long day."
Lyra felt the rage rise up through her body, his interjection unappreciated. She slowly felt the flames of her temper extinguish as she turned around to steal a glance at the old wizard who sat by himself, alone and silent on the couch.
"This is not how I intended for this to go." She thought to herself. "As anxious and overwhelmed as I feel...I can only imagine what must be running through his mind."
"The amount of information that was exchanged tonight was overwhelming." Tom whispered. "You need to be patient. Not all your answers will be found at once."
Of this he knew to be true. It had taken him considerable time to collect the information he had needed to create his first horcrux and he was still searching the world to further ensure his immortality and power. Nothing could be easily attained overnight. On the other hand, he understood her frustration...how it felt when it seemed the answer to the question was dangling within reach.
She stiffly nodded and felt his hand remove the book from her own, guiding her back towards her seat and placing the book before Sani once more. As Lyra settled herself into the chair, she felt his hand leave her back and turned her head sharply towards him, suddenly nervous to be alone with the aged wizard.
"The hour is late and I'm sure there's more that both of you need to talk about than ghosts and sickness, I'll be retiring to my room if you don't mind."
Lyra opened her mouth to reply, but heard Sani's gruff voice interrupt her.
"Thank you, yes. There are quite a few matters I'd like to discuss with Lyra alone and I'm sure you need your rest as well."
Tom nodded politely and turned around, giving Lyra a reassuring look before quickly disappearing down the black hallway. She felt a strange tug at her heart as she stared into the darkness, before a raspy voice disrupted her thoughts.
"Lyra...much has changed since we last saw one another."
Her head turned towards him and she shook her head sadly. "I would have come sooner if I could have, but the sickness-"
"I'm not talking about your ailment Lyra."
"I'm unsure of what you mean."
"You yourself have changed...and not for the best I fear."
"What makes you think that." She said in annoyance as she leaned forward to grab the glass of firewhiskey, trailing her finger along the rim absentmindedly. His change of demeanor had caught her off guard and her patience was starting to wane once more.
"There are things about you that are different...unsettling." His voice seemed hesitant, as if he was trying to choose his words carefully.
"Time can change a person and the business of breaking curses has its dangers." Lyra scoffed as she raised her hand to her mismatched eyes. "You of all people should know this."
"It is not your appearance that I fear, it is what lurks beneath that alarms me."
She remained silent and chewed thoughtfully on her lip as she retorted. "Without change, one cannot grow."
"I fear your growth is more stunted than perhaps you would like to acknowledge."
Sani's sudden remark had caught her off guard and she felt herself grow defensive. "Stunted?"
Trying to disguise her anger, she stuttered on her words and felt her free hand clench up into a ball at her side. "I have accomplished more than others could ever dream of-"
"Not everything revolves around educational prowess Lyra. There is a darkness around you that was never there before-I can feel it...it is an aura that frightens me and your taste in company is concerning to me as well-"
"You're referring to Tom I assume." She snorted and sipped her firewhiskey once more.
"You dismiss my apprehension, but there is something wicked about him. Something I can't put my finger on, but it is most certainly there."
"Wicked?" She spat incredulously. "He's been nothing but polite and courteous to you. I don't understand why you have decided to hold him in such ill regard, but I won't listen to it..." She felt a blush rise up in her cheeks as she felt her thoughts stray to him. "...Tom is the only person I've ever met that has accepted me for who I am and he has helped me despite myself-"
"-Lyra I've always hoped that one day you would find someone that you could connect with, a person to confide in...but I feel I must strongly advise you against this-this-" He stuttered angrily. "I'm unsure of what to even call it."
"I'm not a child anymore." She angrily cut him off, a red flush rising in her cheeks. "I will decide what's best for me, not you, not anyone. You say you've always wished for me to be happy and accepted by someone and then in the same breath you desire for it to be taken away."
Sani sadly sighed and rubbed his forehead. "If only you were still a child. It was so much easier back then, you used to see reason. I used to be able to talk to you."
"It was easier to influence me, you mean." Lyra said blankly. "But you don't have to worry yourself for much longer, Tom is leaving soon and the burden of worrying about my questionable behavior will most likely be lifted sooner than later if I can't find a solution."
"What do you mean by that?" Sani asked her sharply.
"I think you know exactly what that means." Lyra said grimly.
"Do not talk in such a manner. Not to me." He raised his voice towards her, pointing a small chubby, gnarled finger in her direction. "You know as well as I do that would go to any lengths to help you. It is why you are here is it not? I will not have you condemned to a life in prison or chained up like some sort of animal-"
"If there is no solution to be found before I lose myself completely, I have no intentions of letting MACUSA have their way with me, you can be assured. I will find a suitable end for myself, on my terms."
"It won't come to that." He stiffly shook his head. "There are more answers to be found, We just need time-"
"Time is unfortunately not on my side." She smiled sadly.
Sani hesitated before speaking. "Lyra, you must know when I voice my concerns over the direction you have taken in life and your...inclinations...it is not done with malice, but with a well placed concern. I never once tried to change you as a child-you know that-all I have done I did to try to make you happy...you were so sad and withdrawn when I took you in, isolated from the world. It broke my heart. You know how much I respected your mother but she was woefully ignorant when it came to children and what they needed. I told her long ago that you needed stability, that you should be with others your age, but...you knew how stubborn she could be. I told her you needed guidance, that you needed more to teach you about the world than just books-"
Lyra snorted skeptically as she took a sip of fire-whiskey as he continued. "Books were there for me when others were not."
"Books were all you had because your mother could not bear the thought of being parted from you, nor could she bear the idea of letting go of her career. I know how much your mother's passing devastated you, but you must understand that the world has more to offer you than just words pressed upon old sheets of parchment-"
"I've learned more than my fair share of what the world holds and how society works. Forgive me if I've grown disillusioned by it." Lyra waved her hand at him dismissively.
"You are wise beyond your years Lyra and quite possibly the most extraordinary witch I have ever known, but when I took you in I had hope to instill certain qualities that would help you in life, morals that would help guide you make the right decisions."
"Morals?" She laughed. "And where were morals and good faith when I was cursed to live this half life? Would they have prevented any of this? I think not." She stared off violently into the fire. "It was my intelligence and knowledge that allowed me to persevere throughout this entire ordeal. Morals had nothing to do with it, my decisions-"
"And would you openly admit to me the decisions that you made to ensure your survival?" Sani looked at her and let out a false laugh.
Lyra remained silent at his question.
"No I thought not. You can't fool me Lyra, I know you too well."
"I did what I had to survive...to retain my sense of self, you have no idea-"
"I have an inkling." He interrupted her. "You see I am old and the stories are not as fresh to me as they once were, but I know that even the most powerful practitioners of magic might not survive as long as you had with a Chindi sharing their body. Most would have already succumbed to its parasitic nature and perished by now...but you. You're still alive."
"I'm alive because I am willing to do what others would not. You speak as if I should be ashamed of what I have done to survive. If I possessed the morals that you are so keen to stress upon me, then perhaps I would have succumbed to the sickness. Instead I persevered, I bought myself time."
"I am glad you are alive, but I am afraid. Afraid that you've already lost too much of your own soul to ever recover."
"Alright then, if what I've done is so terrible then explain to me what would become of the Chindi if I had died? Surely it would look to find a new host? I did what I had to do to protect others from this, I tried to find a way to contain or expel whatever this was inside me so it could not hurt anyone else."
Sani remained silent at her remarks and she continued.
"These qualities you try to impress upon me are the chains that bind us, that keep witches and wizards from uncovering our true potential. There is so much more to learn than what we were taught in school...mother understood that. I realized a long time ago that life was a fight and if you wanted to make the most out of it you needed to rip through the standards others have set in place and carve your own path..."
"You do a disservice to her memory by twisting her intentions for you. Your mother was many things and she made mistakes, but she was never cruel. Your words frighten me Lyra. You're not the same quiet, reserved girl that left this house years ago. There is a coldness and a cruelty to you that was never there before. I didn't want to believe him, but I fear Cassian was right when he spoke of his concerns-"
"Cassian is an idiot. Too arrogant and thoughtless for his own good. He relies too heavily on cushioned words and his looks to get what he wants-"
"It may be true, Cassian is greatly flawed but his feelings towards you are genuine. You shouldn't be so harsh towards him."
"He has been a thorn in my side ever since we were children. He never understood or respected my interests."
"And you never understood his." The old wizard retorted quietly. "Unrequited love is a painful thing to experience Lyra. If you were to understand the gravity of it, perhaps you would act kinder towards him."
"From what I've observed, you don't ridicule and betray the people you claim to love."
Sani sighed and rubbed his brow. "Do you know why I brought Cassian to live with us?"
Lyra remained silent and looked towards the fire, its embers starting to dim. At her silence he continued once more, his voice softer and kinder than it had been earlier.
"You were so quiet, so detached from the world around you, I thought having another your age in the house would offer you some solace. I thought perhaps you would grow up together and fill the voids your parents each left with their untimely deaths, become the family that you were both robbed of."
"Nothing could ever replace what was taken from me." She said softly. "I realized that a long time ago. But I also knew that it happened for a reason and I have taught myself to grow past it-"
"-You let your mother's death shape your entire existence. And with every passing year I have seen that hole that she left in your heart grow bigger. Instead of healing yourself, you have let your grief consume you. Your emptiness, your solitude-"
"I've made my own happiness-"
"No. What you've found is not happiness. Happiness cannot be found within volumes of dark magic, or created by discovering and inventing new hexes and spells. You have found distractions, you have found fascination-an obsession that has consumed your restless mind. And when all of these things have dried up and your mind starts to fail you as it does with age, the void you have left in your heart will still remain."
She remained silent as she stared into the dying fire, her mind racing with thoughts of anger, of violence and regret for having come at all. "I did not come here to be reprimanded like a child." She thought to herself angrily. "But I must bite my tongue if I'm to expect his help...I have no choice."
Sani sighed and shook his head at her lack of words and stood up from the couch slowly, coughing as he made his way past the hearth and to her side. He placed his old wrinkled hand gently on her shoulder and squeezed it calmly.
"I just want you to be happy Lyra. It is all I've ever wanted for you...it's not too late. When all of this is over, I know you'll find your way."
She felt her hand raise slightly off her lap to meet his, but hesitated. The thoughts running through her mind would not allow her to show such emotion and she sat there, avoiding his gaze until he released her and made his way towards the dark hallway.
"It's late and tomorrow is a new day, I'll start early in the morning and try to uncover as much as I can. We'll get to the bottom of this soon enough."
She nodded stiffly, her mind still refusing to let her mouth respond, the words thick upon her tongue.
"Lyra I want you to know, no matter what you've done in the past, you're still my daughter. Nothing could ever take away all the love that I have in my heart for you. Remember that."
Bowing her head down towards her lap, she listened as his weak footsteps echoed through the dark hallway until they disappeared behind the door, leaving her alone to face the deafening silence of the room.
It has been SUCH a long time. I know. I had a bit of writer's block and my own personal life to deal with and I really just couldn't write for a while. The story is definitely not dead, I just can't update it every week like I used to be able to, life's been CRAZY. A lot to unpack in this chapter and I have been writing it and rewriting it for a long time and I felt like it was finally good enough to post.
First off thank you for all the reviews while I was gone, it is greatly appreciated! Now time to unpack this Chapter.
Dove into some Native American folklore with the Chindi, once again, not happy with what JK Rowling did with Native American culture in the wizarding world so I still tried to incorporate it a tad more in the story. Hopefully Sani has more answers for Lyra. Tom's hearing a strange voice...hmm..wonder what that could mean?
It took me a long time to really have Lyra have a one on one talk with someone who she considers to be "family". Gives us a little more insight into her personal feelings and her upbringing.
Hopefully will be able to update soon! Thank you to everyone who's still hanging on there! I appreciate all of you! Don't forger to review, follow and add to favs!