Eli snapped out of his dazed state. "But you died in the 20s! The stories I heard about you are nothing but accounts of your good deeds." He said, suspicion lacing his voice. Stolas silently observed Mary, his mind racing. If Eli's words were true, then why was she here? Wouldn't she be at Heaven instead?
The Shattered Queen offered Eli a sad smile as she cupped his face gently. "The stories were true." She said softly, her touch warm against his skin. "The only reason I'm here is because of a curse." She leaned back on the couch, pouring tea for Stolas, Eli, and herself. "You see, the past was dark." She continued, stirring her tea.
Suddenly, the room around them shattered, and they found themselves standing on the streets of London. Stolas tensed in alarm, and Eli blinked, slightly startled. Shady figures wandered the streets, their faces obscured by the darkness. When one of them walked toward them, Eli instinctively prepared to defend himself, but the figure passed right through him, leaving Eli confused.
"An illusion." Stolas murmured, sipping his tea with a raised eyebrow. "You have my respect, Clark." His tone was genuine, filled with admiration. Few could manipulate illusions to such a degree, and even fewer could handle them without getting lost within their own creations.
Mary chuckled softly. "Why, thank you, Stolas. Not many praise me for it." She said, while Eli returned to his seat beside Stolas, still unsettled by how lifelike everything had felt.
"Anyways." She continued, her expression turning wistful. "There were many cultists running amok during my time, and I happened to be their target." A distant scream echoed from an alley, and the past version of Mary was seen running from it, pursued by a man wearing a red mask.
"I survived the cultists." Mary went on, watching as the past version of herself struggled against the man's jagged knife. The scene unfolded before Stolas and Eli's eyes: past Mary pushed the knife into the man's chest, causing him to collapse.
"But not the curse." She finished, her smile tinged with sadness. The man, gasping for breath, wheezed something Mary couldn't understand before he died. Past Mary clutched her chest in agony, as if something vital had been ripped from her.
The vision faded, and the room returned to normal. "Before I knew it, I died just days after that." She added in a tone of quiet amusement, the memory of waking up in Hell still fresh in her mind.
"I then roamed Hell, searching for answers." Mary continued, sipping her tea thoughtfully.
Stolas raised an eyebrow. "So, you went and... kidnapped lower royal demons?" His voice was laced with curiosity.
Eli, now thoroughly confused, deadpanned at his supposed great-great-great-grandmother.
"Kidnapped is a strong word, Stolas." Mary replied with a sly smile. "But they were being rude, so I re-educated them, shall we say?" She shrugged casually. After all, all she had done was ask about her condition, and none had been helpful. Some demons even tried to take advantage of her, so she justified her actions.
Stolas chuckled softly. "Okay, I see now. You've earned my trust, Mary Sanguis Clark. But really, how do you know about Eli?" He gestured toward the stoic boy, who was still watching Mary closely, her small smile never wavering.
Mary's gaze softened as she looked at Eli. "Well, it turns out that the curse was meant to erase my soul so that, when I died, I would cease to exist. But there was a slight hiccup." She smiled fondly. "The man botched the incantation when he choked on his blood, causing my soul to split in two."
Stolas's eyes widened in realization. "If the incantation was botched..." He began, the pieces of the puzzle clicking together.
Mary raised an eyebrow. "By the look on your face, Prince, I can tell you've figured it out." She turned to Eli, who was still processing the information. Confusion clouded his eyes, and he looked to Stolas for an explanation.
Mary's eyes turned warm as she gazed at Eli. "I left my husband to care for our children. I was devastated, unable to see my children grow up. But then, after decades of grief, my little miracle was born." She paused, lost in the memory. "And suddenly, I found myself teleported to the Overworld, right in front of a baby."
Stolas snapped his fingers, his expression suddenly clearing. "That explains your disappearance all these years." He said, piecing everything together.
Mary nodded, a small chuckle escaping her lips. "Yes. I was so confused when I saw a baby in front of me. But then, I felt it..." She smiled, and a deep warmth seemed to radiate from her, the same warmth that Eli felt deep in his soul. "Half of my soul was with him."
Eli's eyes widened as he felt the connection more deeply now, the sensation of her presence within him growing stronger. Mary chuckled knowingly. "Do you feel that, Eli? That's our connection. Our feelings are intertwined. Whatever I feel, you feel too—lust, pain, sadness, anger, joy..." She trailed off, watching him carefully.
Eli stared at her in shock, his hand instinctively clutching his chest, as if trying to hold onto the emotions swirling within him. Mary smiled softly, understanding his reaction. "I was the first to hold you. The one who kept you warm, the one who—"
Eli interrupted, his voice thick with emotion. "Kept me protected and safe... isn't it, Great-Grandmother?" His tears fell slowly, staining his face as the weight of her words hit him all at once.
Mary sighed, kneeling in front of him and gently wiping away his tears. "The one who kept you protected and safe." She repeated. "And I always wanted you to be happy, to know that I exist. That's why I allowed your foster mother to take you." She pressed her forehead gently to his.
Stolas dabbed at his eyes with a handkerchief, sniffling before realizing something important. "Wait." He exclaimed, suddenly remembering. "That doesn't explain why Eli can use high-tier magic."
Mary shifted, transforming into a glowing orb and floating inside Eli's shirt, poking her head out of the collar. "Stolas, half of my soul is still my soul. The stronger I become, the stronger Eli becomes too—though he'll need some training to perfect it." She snuggled into his clothes, clearly comfortable with the arrangement.
"Oh, and now that Eli knows of my existence, I won't be leaving his side any time soon," she added with a teasing smile before closing her eyes, as if ready to sleep.
Eli sat in silence, contemplating her words, the gravity of the situation settling over him like a heavy cloak. His life is gonna get awkward isn't it...
A/N: Oh mah god! Things are starting to get more complicated, what's gonna happen next? Find out next time on Eli's Helluva Adventure. Hehehe :)
Thanks for not judging me I guess. I too wish I could write longer chapters but the amount of time that is needed for me to write is crazy, not to mentioned on how many stuff I have to take care of this year. Yeah, I'm sorry, though I can probably stretch it to 2,000 words in if I try.
My creativity is very low currently. And thanks for supporting this little fic, I appreciate it and gives me the motivation to keep it alive till who knows how long.