Cypher canceled his spell as soon as those words fell from her lips and rushed over to hug her. Only minutes ago he had thought that he couldn’t care less about his birth mother. But now that she was standing before him, a lifetime’s worth of emotions rushed forward and he embraced her at long last.
His feelings of grief over Molly, the conflict he had felt about hurting Alex, the years of abuse at the hands of the Galvan family, all of it rushed to the forefront of his mind. Like the shattering of a great dam, they all rushed out at once and consumed him. His tears were endless, and for a long while, he simply sobbed into his mother’s chest while she gently caressed the back of his head.
“There, there, my sweet boy everything is going to be alright now. I know you must have a mountain of questions for me and I wish that I could answer them all but there are things you need to know and I haven’t much time to speak of all of them,” said Serenade as she held her son tightly in her arms.
Cypher looked up at her, his face streaked with emotion. With great effort, he pulled himself away and wiped the ethereal tears from his eyes. He was still shuddering every few moments and he nodded his head as Serenade guided him over to one of the blue-hued couches and sat down with him.
“There are many things I regret in my life my son, but abandoning you all those years ago is the hardest of them all to bear,” she began, reaching out to brush his shaggy black bangs out of his eyes.
“I wish I could have taken you with me, but there are forces at work in this great world of ours that seek to destroy the peace we have long fought to preserve. I had to do my best to protect you.”
Cypher only gazed at her with a look of longing, “How are you here? Where is my father? Where are you for that matter? We can meet and you can tell me all about what’s going on in person!” he said, placing his hand over hers as it rested upon his cheek.
Serenade simply looked at him with pain in her eyes, “I cannot tell you where I am, that information is far too dangerous for you to learn of right now. Besides, I’m afraid I do not even know the answer to that question myself. This brings me to how I’m here with you now. In truth, I’m not really here, not completely. This version of me that you see now is,” she paused to gather her thoughts and continued, “-an echo of the past. I have many abilities and this spell I’m using is one of them.
“It allows me to speak to you from the night I leave you with my sister and her husband Galex. I am myself, not some phantom or illusion, but I am only how I was all those years ago from your perspective. I know nothing of what my future self has been doing all this time, nor where I am currently. I can only hope that I am still alive somewhere in the world. But we haven’t the time to discuss the finer points of this spell of mine.”
Cypher was amazed at the power his mother possessed. To be able to speak to him from the past was something he could never have imagined in his wildest dreams. Serenade smiled bitterly at him and continued, “I wish I could say that your father was here with me, but there is no doubt in my mind that he perished at the hands of our enemies only hours ago from my point of view.”
“As I said, a dark force is growing in power at this very moment and while their goals are unclear to me, this much is certain: They wish to threaten the peace of this world. On the night that I leave you with the Galvans, your father, myself, and our teammate embarked on a mission that ultimately ended in tragedy.”
Cypher lowered his head and clenched his transparent fists tightly and if he had been made of flesh and bone, he surely would have drawn blood from the force he was using. “Who are they? Tell me their names and we will hunt them down and do away with them once and for all!”
Serenade shook her head and stood up to pace around the couch, Cypher’s gaze never leaving her face as she moved, “You mustn’t do that, my son. Their power is far beyond what you’re currently capable of. Facing them now would only end in your demise. I am aware of everything that has befallen you since the day I left you with my sister, Tyrina. The orb you touched not only activated the other end of my temporal spell but also allowed me to see your memories and experiences.
“You have endured so much because of your father and me. We do not expect you to forgive us for that, and nothing I can say can ever make up for the ways in which you’ve suffered… But if you have any fondness for me and your father I beg of you to forgive us. As much as I hate how things have unfolded understand that it was necessary…
“The group that is currently searching for you is known as the Order of Eternal Night. They have plagued this world for thousands of years and now after remaining dormant for so long they’re starting to move again. During the First Age, three thousand years ago, there was a great battle that enveloped the entire planet. It was known as the Ark war and the Order of Eternal Night was behind it all.
“There are many mysteries about that time that still remain and much of the history was either lost or forgotten. There are those who still exist who know the truth of the matter, but where these people are and who they may be is shrouded in just as much mystery. In any event, the Order was defeated by the Seven Guardians, Conductors of unmatched might rumored to have been in the seventh rank. However, they gave their lives to end the fighting once and for all.”
Cypher was unable to even comprehend the power that those Guardians must have had at their disposal and he shuddered as he tried to imagine the evil that warranted the use of such incredible force. His mind went back to the story that Velruud had told him on his first day and he saw those legendary beings in a new light.
“All you really need to know is that your father and I along with some of our other allies unearthed the secret of the Order’s return. They are gathering their power and bolstering their forces. They’re close to a breakthrough as far as we can tell and it is only a matter of time before they unleash chaos upon the world once again. However, your father and our allies have discovered a way to put a stop to them once and for all but it won’t be easy. That is why he sacrificed himself for us, and also why I had to leave you behind.”
Cypher stared helplessly at the floor and stood to face his mother, “I know that I’m still learning, but I will become strong enough to help fight these monsters. They killed my father and the woman who raised me, as well as forced the two of us apart. For that, they have to pay! Let me help! What can I do?” he said, the fires of determination burning in his eyes.
Serenade smiled at him and took his hand, “Indeed… Molly raised you quite well and gave you all the love I wish I could have given you and more. You were, in that respect, quite blessed. As for how you can help, I only ask that you focus on building your power.
“A day will come in the future when your strength will be needed above all others. However, for now, the best thing you can do is avoid the Order at all costs. Do not let them get their hands on you. Whatever it takes you must stay safe, do you understand?”
Cypher nodded but looked to the floor frustrated.
“I don’t have much time left, my spell will soon end. I know you will become strong, I have seen it myself. Perhaps even stronger than your father one day. It is for that very reason that I chose to leave you with my sister. I had hoped that your life would have been an easy one but I see that her pain prevented that outcome. That said, there is something I can do to help you.”
Cypher looked confused and after a few seconds, Serenade continued, “This chest I am leaving with you contains more than just my temporal spell, it also contains the key to your inheritance. Despite all of our power, your father and I failed you as parents and there is much you still must learn about your past.
“As absent from your life as we were, we did not leave you empty-handed. Just at the foot of these Elthanor mountains, in the very heart of Dellorim, you will find a place known as Seven City. That is where we chose to place our home and where you were born. Beneath a hawthorn tree, with blue flowers blooming all around it, you will find our secret abode. Your inheritance lies within and only you will be able to enter and claim that which is rightfully yours.”
Serenade sighed and stumbled to the side clutching her head. Cypher quickly moved to catch her and as she fell into his arms, she looked up at him and smiled once more. “My time has run out… We may have failed you, but never doubt for an instant that we loved you with all our hearts. I am proud of the young man you have become and I hope that you are able to find your own path to power in this crazy world of ours.
“When you become strong enough, seek me out and we will continue our conversation. There is so much more I wish to tell you but I do not wish to meddle more than I have with time. Be safe my love, and remember that we are always with you…”
Serenade’s image flickered and slowly faded away, blue sparkles of energy dissipating into the walls of his Athenaeum. The leftover energy flowed into the walls and enhanced their structure. Cypher felt his reserves of mental energy double as that power continued to spread through his mind. After that energy settled into place, the blue hue that had filled the room faded away and once again, Cypher was left alone with his grief.
