232 Pieces of the puzzle
Everyone was shocked when Chief Amaris drop the staggering information, especially Brom, this is the first time he heard about him as the catalyst of the dark and mischievous road, and the only thing that he can do is stood in silence, looking at his mother.
“I am sorry, Brom, I think it was the time that you need to know about this.” her sobbing while staring into the view at the window was poetic.
She doesn’t want to see her son’s face. The memory was still fresh like it was yesterday. She was looking at the mysterious light, running towards it, and saw the unconscious Brom on the ground, while a dark matter formed in front of him, the dark matter then exploded into pieces and the small dark orbs goes everywhere into the sky like a comet.
She finally turns around and sees Brom. “We take you back home. You have a fever that day, and when you are finally conscious, you forgot everything that happened to you. I don’t want you to have trauma. That’s why I’ve been keeping it to myself.”
He finally regained his weird self, shrugging his shoulder, and said, “It wasn’t really a trauma if you never remember anything.” He even goes to her and gave her a warm embrace. “Don’t worry, Mother, I am alright.”
One thing they finally knew about Brom. Even though he was one of the weirdest people around, he loves his mother very much so. Anne got teary eyes, remembering her own adoptive mother, Martha, she wipe her tears and felt a hand on her back. It was Vale who then kissed her head and engulfed her with his body.
After Chief Amaris finally calmed, Justice gave her a follow-up question, “Are you sure these two cases were related? I mean, we never know the date of Anne’s arrival and Brom creating the dark and mischievous road at the same time.”
“I can confirm it, I asked the pair, which are Anne’s adoptive parents.” Said, chief Amaris.
Anne was in shock, she never knew about this. “Wait, you have met my parents?”
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“Yes, after I know about your existence, I make a journey to your village and spoke with your parents, they told me about how they found you at the crystal river, a moment after they saw a bright light on the crystal river and black meteors on the sky.” She told them everything, while Anne was getting emotional all of a sudden. Chief Amaris approached her and hold her shoulder. “I am sorry, dear. I need to keep it a secret.”
“It’s alright, I was just… getting sentimental. I never saw their… last moment.” Her tears ran down from her eyes, she was heartbroken just from hearing about her parents. Vale gave her a hug and tried to soothe her.
“I don’t know if this could give you some closure, when I met them, the only thing that they have been talking about was your achievement, Anne.” Said chief Amaris to her, giving Anne a smile on her face even though tears still running.
They took the time to wind up and discuss the best way to reveal more about the mystery of the connection between Anne and Brom.
“Not just these two, the witch of the mountain always connected herself with them, she always haunting Anne and also giving Brom a nightmare.” Justice gave his opinion while sipping the caftea.
“Why are you getting obsessed with her in the first place?” Asked Brom to the crown prince, “I mean, I know that you go to Viora village to hunt the witch back then, but what is the reason?”
The four of them were stunned. Somehow, Brom’s words just opened their eyes.
“Yes, good question. Why are we chasing the witch back then?” Xavier looks around the room, having the same questions as Brom.
The mother and son duo share glances with each other. For the two of them, this meant something.
“Safe to say that the four of you don’t know the reason why you’re there in the first place.” Said chief Amaris, her mind is working so hard, and she tried so hard to put the puzzle together. “Let me ask the four of you, did you remember anything about that day?”
They look at each other, and Henry reluctantly said, “Umm… About Anne, when we first met her? Our encounter with her was the most prominent, I think.”
“Oh, God! No! Do not discuss your lovesick encounter with your lover!” Chief Amaris put her hands on her face, while Anne chuckles at the silliness.
“Oh, that… Umm… No.” Said Henry again, this time he feel so silly, he goes to sit beside Anne and cowered. Ann gave him a pat on his back and put her head on his shoulder.
“So, All of you don’t know anything? Really?” Chief Amaris doesn’t give up. She stares at the other three, searching for an answer.
“Well, I remember about the pub, we were drinking and someone came to us, and told us about the witch of the mountain location.” Justice finally answered her, even though he need to think hard about it.
“Alright? So, you were in the pub to get a rest, so the four of you were chasing the witch of the mountain.” Said chief Amaris again to Justice.
He gasped and look at her, “Actually, I don’t know. I don’t know what are we doing at the pub back then.”
“Oh, come on, your majesty, there must be a reason for the four of you to go into the pub.” Even Brom getting so curious about this.
Justice looking at Brom, his eyes say it all, “I… I don’t know, all I remember was the pub door, and the four of us goes inside, take a seat, and begin to drink and chat.”
“Yes, Justice’s right. That is also my memory.” Muttering Xavier to everyone. He then turned to Vale and Henry. “And I bet that is also your memory.” The two of them nodded their head, agreeing with Xavier’s statement.
Chief Amaris took her time. She walks around the room and looks at all the people in the room. Somehow, the puzzle in her mind was half finished. “Yes, how stupid of me.”
“What, Mother?” Brom asked her, knowing full well that she know something already.
“This is not just about Brom and Anne.” She put her hand on the window sill, looking at the moonlight waning in the sky, “This is about all of you.”
“What? What do you mean?” Asked Xavier, looking gullible.
“What I mean is that the four of you are connected with Brom and Anne, all of you in this room, were being connected by the witch of the mountain!” Said chief Amaris, with a smile on her face, after putting another puzzle piece in the correct place.
