A Distant Past [4]

Vanitas had known all this time.

The moment he finished reading the diary, he knew Charlotte was aware that he wasn't the real Vanitas.

No, she had known something was about to happen, even before he took over.

After all, the previous Vanitas had hurt her with his words and actions.

Naturally, Charlotte would come to harbor disdain towards him.

However, Charlotte had never acted that way towards him at all.

Not even once.

Because Charlotte was a natural actress.

From all the subtle hints, he had come to a bunch of different conjectures.

"Stop saying my name!"

"Charlotte."

So, for the past few days, Chae Eun–woo tested her, purposely making it obvious that he wasn't the real Vanitas.

He wanted to know her motives.

Would she kill him?

He could've ran. He wanted to run.

But somewhere deep inside his heart told him that he would come to regret that decision.

"You're right, I'm not Vanitas."

"Then stop pretending to be him!" Charlotte screamed, her figure glowing radiantly.

There was no point in pretending to be someone he wasn't, when she had already known since the beginning.

But in the first place, Vanitas had never planned on pretending at all.

No matter how much one pretended, they could never flawlessly escape the perception of one's family.

"Your Father is dead because of Vanitas, right?" Vanitas stepped forward, the moonlight illuminating his figure.

"...Shut up."

Charlotte had been deluding herself this whole time. No, to be precise, she couldn't accept it.

That the only Family member she had an intimate relationship with was dead.

"Everything is his fault, isn't it?"

"...What do you know?" Charlotte whispered under her breath.

"You hate him. But you couldn't do anything because you're afraid of him."

"You don't know anything about this family!" She screamed, glaring at Vanitas.

Boom—!

At that moment, the myriad of colors congested and an unforeseen force pushed Vanitas, who tried stepping close, back.

"You're right, I don't. But I do know how hard it's been for you," Vanitas's gaze softened, but it only irked Charlotte more.

"Shut up!"

"Charlotte, listen to—"

"You don't know. You don't know what I've been through! ….Everyday, I have to act like everything is okay!"

Vanitas met her gaze, listening to her intently. Charlotte gritted her teeth and continued.

"You treated me like garbage. I only wanted to be there for you, yet you killed Father!"

"..."

Of course, due to his practices regarding dark magic, their Father, whom Vanitas resented and was within close vicinity, fell ill, eventually leading to his death.

In–game, it was a debuff effect.

But now that this world was reality, it was a curse.

"Why!? Why!? Even now, you're tormenting me! I hate you—! Why can't you just disappear peacefully!?" Charlotte spat venomously.

"..."

Vanitas was speechless. It was the first time someone resented him this much, even though he wasn't actually the person in question.

"I can't do that. I'm not Vanitas."

"I don't care—!"

Boom—!

At that moment, the colorful wisps surrounded Charlotte's hand. Vanitas tried to open his mouth, but Charlotte started her incantations.

"Flames of wrath, gather and ignite—"

"Charlotte!"

"—Burn forth with might—Fireball!"

Flames erupted out of Charlotte's palms. The Fireball seared close to him, but Vanitas side–stepped, dodging the onrush of the fireball.

Immediately, Charlotte followed up with another attack as she chanted, "—Earth Grasp!"

From the ground, rocky tendrils shot up, aiming to trap his legs.

Vanitas reacted instinctively using Silent Dominion, summoning a barrier of water that materialized around him, deflecting the tendrils before they could seize him.

Charlotte's frustration deepened. Her eyes ablaze with an intense fury that seemed to choke Vanitas.

"Give me my life back!" Charlotte exclaimed.

"I can't do that either. It's not possible."

"Then do what you can only do left, kill yourself!"

"Listen to m—"

"Shut up—!"

Swoosh—!

Vanitas kicked the ground, blitzing close to Charlotte. 

However, Charlotte had already finished her incantation, swiftly casting another Ember Strike before his magic could reach her.

Seeing it coming, Vanitas turned to the side, completely avoiding her attack, "Charlotte, I don't want to hurt you."

"You already did! All these years, you've hurt me so much!"

The colorful wisps wrapped around Charlotte's hand.

She didn't have the talent for Zephyr magic, but with her stigmata, a spirit related to the essence allowed her access to Zephyr for a fixed minute.

Wind coalesced around Charlotte's figure, causing Vanitas to be pushed back slightly. 

"Tsk."

The room was a disaster. Everything became a mess as papers scattered along with the wind.

"Charlotte!" He yelled, but his voice was swallowed by the raging wind.

Her gaze was steely, as if every bit of pain from her past was pouring out through the wind.

She raised her hand forward, trembling, as her body showed signs of exhaustion.

Vanitas gritted his teeth, pushing through the raging wind. 

He stepped forward, trying to close the gap without provoking another strike.

But Charlotte's hand glowed with a fierce light as she began chanting again.

"Winds of wrath, heed my call—"

"Enough, Charlotte! You're going to hurt yourself!" He shouted, his voice barely audible amidst the chaos.

"—And strike with fury upon my foe—Wind Spear!"

A spear of wind materialized in front of her. With a flick of her wrist, she sent it spiraling toward Vanitas.

He reacted instinctively, calling forth a barrier with Silent Dominion. A wall of earth materialized just in time to deflect the spear.

Boom—!

The spear shattered against the barrier, dissipating into a gust that sent papers and broken shards flying.

Vanitas narrowed his eyes as he pushed through the gust.

"Charlotte, listen to me! This isn't what you want!"

But her face was set. To her, he was still the monster who had destroyed everything she held dear.

The wisps around her started flickering as its glow faded slightly.

Yet Charlotte forced herself to stand tall, drawing every last bit of power left in her, her breaths coming in ragged gasps.

"You won't find salvation in killing me. Let me help you!"

"Shut up…. Just…. shut up…!" She rasped, her voice trembling as she prepared another spell.

But her hands faltered as her knees buckled under her own weight. 

"Ukh!"

The glow from her spirits dimmed and the colors of the wisps were slowly fading.

"Charlotte!"

The whirlwind of magic slowly dissipated.

Charlotte swayed as her body gave way to the strain.

Swoosh—!

Vanitas moved swiftly, catching her as she fell. His arms steadied around her exhausted frame.

It was over.

For now.

***

Utter darkness.

Charlotte felt like she was drowning in an endless sea.

Each time she tried swimming back up made her feel more and more suffocated.

'Why me?'

'I don't want to live like this anymore.'

'Someone, please, help me.'

Flip—

".....!"

The sound of pages continuously flipping woke Charlotte from her slumber.

The room was dim, bathed in faint moonlight spilling in between the gaps of the curtains.

Her mind drifted to the chaos from earlier.

The shattered furniture, papers strewn all over, the scorched walls, and debris scattered across the floor.

".....?"

But now, the room was pristine.

Everything was in place. Not a single trace of the fight remained.

It felt unsettling, as though the earlier battle had been nothing but a figment of her imagination.

".....!"

Charlotte's breath hitched as her gaze darted around, seemingly on edge.

Flip—

The flipping sound continued, and Charlotte turned towards the source.

"You….."

Seated in a chair by the window was a man.

His legs crossed casually, a book resting in his lap as he read under the pale light.

His jet-black hair gleamed faintly in the moonlight, and his piercing amethyst eyes glanced at the pages casually.

And that face.

It was a face she despised with all her heart.

The face of Vanitas Astrea, her older Brother.

Her fists clenched tightly as memories of the fight flashed in her mind.

"Why…..?" She whispered.

Vanitas's gaze didn't waver from the book, but he responded calmly.

"Have you calmed down now?"

Charlotte's anger flared. "What did you do?"

"Fixed the room," Vanitas spoke in a matter of fact tone.

She sat up, her body sore from exhaustion. "What? Why? You're supposed to be—"

He finally closed the book with a soft thud, his eyes meeting hers for the first time.

"I told you before. I don't want to hurt you." 

His voice was low, almost soothing, but to Charlotte, it was grating.

"Then…. what are you?"

"I'm not Vanitas Astrea, but I'm also not what you think I am."

"Liar….."

"Maybe," he replied. "But what would lying accomplish now? If I was a dark mage, I wouldn't have kept you alive."

"..."

Charlotte looked down, only to find her dress clean and spotless. 

Her fingers instinctively touched her arms.

"..."

Her wounds were gone.

Even the soreness in her muscles had dulled to nothing but a faint ache.

"How…. What did you do to me?"

Vanitas leaned back in the chair, resting the book on the windowsill.

"I healed you."

The simplicity of his response made her grip the blanket tighter.

Her teeth clenched. "You expect me to believe that? After everything you've done? After everything he's done!?"

Vanitas tilted his head slightly, studying her with a calm expression.

"I don't expect you to believe anything, Charlotte. But you're alive, and that should be enough."

Charlotte's nails dug into the fabric. "Don't patronize me! I didn't ask for your help!"

"No," Vanitas said softly. "But you needed it."

"..."

The words hit her like a blow to the chest.

Her eyes flicked toward the window. She couldn't bear to meet his gaze.

The moonlight framed his silhouette, making him appear almost serene.

Yet she could feel the tension in the air, pressing down on her like a heavy weight.

"You're a monster," she whispered.

Vanitas didn't flinch.

"Maybe I am. But I'm not 'that' monster."

Her head snapped back toward him. "Then what are you? If you're not my Brother, if you're not a demon, what are you?"

Vanitas's gaze shifted to the floor for a moment, as though searching for the answer himself.

"I don't know."

"..."

The admission caught her off guard.

Her brows furrowed as she stared at him, waiting for him to continue.

Vanitas moved slowly, as though he didn't want to startle her.

He walked to the window as his figure framed by the pale moonlight.

"I woke up in this body not long ago. I don't know how, or why. But I do know one thing."

He turned to face her. Charlotte could see her reflection within his amethyst eyes.

Those eyes that she had never inherited from her Mother.

"I'm not here to hurt you. I never was."

"I..."

Charlotte's lips parted, but no words came out.

She wanted to lash out, to accuse him of lying, but something in his voice stopped her.

It wasn't the cold, commanding tone she had grown used to over the years.

It was…. different.

"What do you want, then?"

"To make things right."

Charlotte laughed bitterly. "Make things right? You think you can fix this family after everything he's done?"

Step—

Vanitas took a step forward, but stopped when she flinched.

"I can't undo the past," he admitted. "But I can try to rebuild what's left."

Her hands trembled as she clutched the blanket tighter.

"You can't rebuild something that's already broken," she said, her voice cracking.

Vanitas crouched slightly, bringing himself to her eye level.

"Maybe not," he said softly. "But I can try. For you, and for me."

"..."

Her breath hitched, and she looked away.

"I don't need you to do anything for me," she muttered.

"I think you do," Vanitas said gently. "But you're too proud to admit it."

Her head snapped back toward him. "You don't know anything about me!"

"I know enough," he replied. "I know you're strong, but even strong people need someone to lean on."

Charlotte's vision blurred with tears, and she hated herself for it.

She hated him for making her feel this way.

"Why…." she whispered, her voice breaking. "Why are you saying these things now?"

"Because I need you," Vanitas said. "And whether you like it or not, you need me too."

Drip.

Her tears fell freely now, and she made no effort to stop them.

For the first time in years, she felt something other than anger and hatred.

It was terrifying.

But it was also…. freeing.

Vanitas reached out, his hand hovering near hers.

"I'm not asking you to forgive me," he said. "I'm asking you to let me try."

After all, what was there to apologize for?

Charlotte stared at his hand, her heart pounding in her chest.

After a long, agonizing moment, she reached out and placed her hand in his.

"I don't trust you," she said, her voice shaky.

"I know," Vanitas replied.

"But I'll give you a chance," she said, her grip tightening slightly. "Just one."

Vanitas nodded his head. 

"One is all I need."