Yarra's Adventure Notes-Chapter 153 - 15 Goodbye, Annie_1

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"I’ve been dead for a long time, haven’t I?" Annie said in a low voice, her face full of reluctance. "I’ve been dead for many years, actually, I’m very clear about that."

Catherine didn’t speak, just gently pushing Annie back and forth on the swing.

"Actually, I can see it all," Annie looked up at the sky, "In my world, the city is just like it always was every night, filled with familiar faces. But when it’s daytime, the city returns to ruins, nothing left but the remains. So, I know, just like the city at night, I’m just an illusion, just a ghost. I’ve died, haven’t I?"

"Yes, you’ve been dead," Pannis softly responded from the front of the swing. "For a very, very long time."

"I see," Annie gave a bitter smile. "How long has it been?"

"About seven hundred years." Catherine’s hands shook as she pushed the swing, her voice also trembling slightly.

"Oh, seven hundred years," Annie sighed softly. "Has it really been that long?"

"You didn’t know?" Pannis asked. "Then how have you been coping these years?"

"Whenever those evil men in armor came, I would hide. The rest of my time was spent sleeping at home because my grandmother used to say my parents would come back, and I was worried they would not be able to find me when they did." A few transparent teardrops welled up in the corners of Annie’s eyes. "So, my parents are dead too, aren’t they? They lied to me in the end. They promised that as long as I behaved, they would come back. But I was really good, and they still didn’t come home—they’re liars, all liars."

"They’re not liars," Catherine stopped the swing and gently hugged Annie from the back. "They were thinking of you up until their last moments. But they couldn’t come back because they passed away before you."

"Really?" Annie’s pale eyes widened. "How could they..."

"It is true," Pannis interjected. "There was an accident at their place of work, and everyone died. That happened when your father came back to visit you. When he hurried back to save your mother, neither of them made it out."

"So, they died then..." Annie covered her face with her hands. "They were really always thinking about me?"

"I am Bell, a Gold Rank mage of Naren Kingdom National Alchemy Association," a voice of a middle-aged man echoed from behind Annie. Not believing her ears, Annie turned around to see the image of a frail, pale middle-aged mage floating mid-air.

"Daddy," Annie jumped off the swing, stretching her arms out towards the mage’s image, but unsurprisingly, she fell through the image onto the ground. Sitting on the ground with her mouth agape, Annie was spellbound, staring at the mage as he repeated the pre-recorded message. She had lost all sense to get back up.

"These are Bell’s last words." The image may have lasted for a few minutes, but it was bound to disappear. Once Bell’s image faded away, Catherine helped Annie up, holding up the Memory Crystal pendant, barely audible, "We found out about this just recently. Bell gave us this pendant to find you."

"Is Daddy here?" Annie’s hands trembled, and her excitement almost made her lose hold of her form. She attempted to take the pendant, but her hands passed right through Catherine’s arm. Staring blankly at her own hazy hands, Annie suddenly fell to her knees and let out a heartrending cry.

"Even after seven hundred years, she’s still just a child," Catherine watched the helpless crying little girl, seemingly seeing her own reflection. The same helplessness, the same pretence of strength at the sudden death of her parents. Empathizing, Catherine knelt in front of Annie, wiped the tears off her face and took her hands away from her face, "It’s good that you can hear from them again after seven hundred years and see their images. It was an unexpected gift, wasn’t it?"

"Yes," Annie nodded vigorously, wiping her tears off onto her sleeves. "Mommy once said she liked strong children. I’m the strongest."

"Your mother missed you as well." Pannis pulled out Susanna’s diary from his bag and handed it over, "This is her diary. She mentioned you frequently, starting from when you were just a child."

"Really?" Annie accepted, the diary clasped in her hands like a precious gem, as if hugging her mother.

Catherine gave a smile, placing the pendant around Annie’s neck herself and kissed her cheek, "See, it’s beautiful."

"Thank you, sis." Annie gave a teary smile, "I will treasure it."

"Good girl." Catherine patted Annie’s head, "This whole time, has your grandmother not been with you?"

"My grandma is dead too," Annie shook her head, sadness creeping into her voice again, "Not long after Dad left that year, maybe five or six months later, those bad guys in iron clothes came and besieged the city. Many aunts and uncles I knew died one after another. Grandma, she was elderly; after being frightened like that, she died too. Before she died, she told me to hide in the house and not to run around. So I hid in the house. A few days later, one night it was chaos outside; fires were everywhere. I was starving, but I still hid in the cellar. I guess it wasn’t too bad - as I was hiding, I fell asleep, and I didn’t feel hungry anymore. When I woke up, everything was as you see it now."

"Blessings of Denia." Lina crossed her hands on her chest and prayed in a low voice, "This child died of hunger, a punishment only the wicked should suffer. Why did it befall such an innocent child? Please, God, punish these evil people."

"Look, it’s morning." Annie lifted her head and looked at the fully-lit sky, "Big brothers and sisters, I’m going to bed. Thanks for bringing me the news about Mom and Dad. You guys are so kind, you don’t dislike me even after I’ve become like this, and you even hug me and pat my head. Thank you. You are the best people in the world, including that sister hiding behind the sister in white."

"Aaaaaaaa, I was discovered!" Dora screamed and hid herself more securely, mumbling, "You can’t see me, you can’t see me."

"Annie, wait," Catherine reached out and stopped the little banshee running into the distance, "Your mom and dad are gone now, do you plan to continue waiting for them at home?"

"I don’t know either." The little banshee tilted her head in thought and then shook her head, "Let’s wait a while longer. Maybe Mom and Dad will become like me and suddenly come back." As she said this, the little banshee became happy again, seemingly imagining the scene of her parents suddenly coming back, and she ran further and further away with a smile on her face.

"Whew, what a poor child." Vivian had been standing quietly on the side, surprisingly not in a trance, but rather observing the little banshee all night. She finally breathed a sigh of relief and spoke sadly, "Whether human or undead, the anticipation of parents coming home - every child has it."

"Big sister can finally put one matter to rest," Lina patted Pannis’s shoulder admiringly: "Good job, Pannis."

"Settle one matter? Don’t kid me," Pannis motioned towards Catherine: "Look over there. Does she look like she’s settled anything?" freeweɓnovel.cøm

Catherine didn’t seem to hear their conversation, she frowned disfranchisedly, looking worriedly in the direction the little banshee had disappeared to.

"Big Sis must be going crazy!" Lina stuck out her tongue, "Is she being worried about the little girl again? Heck, she’s been living alone way longer than we have."

"I don’t know you." Noticing Catherine had regained composure and was glaring at her with a stern expression, Pannis wisely high-tailed out of there: "Alright, let’s pack up and continue our journey. Remember our goal, the tempting treasure!"

Apparently, the word "treasure" was more effective than any language. Hearing the word "treasure", Catherine instantly forgot about giving Lina a lecture and, with newfound enthusiasm, called out, "Yes, yes, let’s hurry up. Dora, Annie has left now, how long are you going to keep hiding? It’s time to go!"

"Is it safe now?" Dora poked her head out from behind a piece of rubble, surveyed around cautiously. After making sure that there were no traces of undead, she came out patting her chest: "Finally made it. I thought I was going to be scared to death last night."

"What a pity, indeed," Catherine glared at Dora, "If you keep dallying about, beware that you might have to spend the night here again. Let’s hurry up and leave."

"Yes, Senior Sister," Dora responded with a solute of a mercenary and ran quickly towards the previous campsite, fearful that if she was a step too slow, she’d spend another night in this detested, ruined city.

Seasoned adventurers and mercenaries packed swiftly, especially when they had decided to keep it simple the night before. It took less than ten minutes to wrap everything up when everyone returned to the previously abandoned building used as a temporary campsite. They loaded and secured their things on the hidden carriage outside the ruins. Only then did the three girls in the adventure team turn around together and bid farewell to the ruined city which had left a deep impression on them. Of course, they were also saying goodbye to the little banshee wandering around the ruins.

"Pannis, do you think she can eventually meet her parents?" Catherine asked wistfully.

"In everyone’s life, we all hope for miracles more or less," Pannis smiled, "But there are no miracles in real life. Miracles will never happen."

Catherine smiled bitterly, "I understand that, but I still hope she can see Bell and Susanna again."

"Let’s regard it as a beautiful illusion then." Dora climbed into the driver’s seat and happily said, "Finally, we can leave this damnable place. I never want to come back here again, and never want to encounter ghosts again."

"I think you’re going to be disappointed." Pannis shrugged, "Don’t believe me? Look back to the right."

"Are you an idiot?" Dora glanced at Pannis, "It’s day time now, do you think you can scare me? What can there be when I look ...ahhhhhhhhh, how come you are back?!"

"Big brothers and sisters," the little banshee somehow had already stationed herself beside the carriage, blinking her large eyes innocently at Dora’s horror. She watched for a moment before asking, "I thought, if Mom and Dad don’t come to find me, I could go look for them, right? You must know where they are, right? Can you bring me to them?"

"It’s our honor," Catherine, with a look of relief, gave the little banshee a sincere smile and reached her hand out, "We will take you there. Welcome aboard, child."