I deserved to see the pride in his eyes and to acknowledge all the sacrifices that were made to reach this very moment. Did my heart still hurt? Yes. Did I still feel betrayed? Definitely. However, I'd be a fool and maybe a bit ungrateful not to acknowledge that every step I'd taken since that fateful day of my invitation had contributed to crafting me into a being of power and love, as well as a spy who stood a standing chance in the field of uncertainty.
As I waited for the hologram to ignite, I allowed the single sentence of advice to nestle deep within my brain.
Trust no one...
The spark of an image shot out from the middle of the room, a few short steps from where I stood still and ready. My head was lifted up slightly while my expression was guarded. My hands tingled with nerves, shaking slightly as my palms grew sweaty. My heart raced and my mouth suddenly felt dry as ever, but I didn't dare move.
You will not cower, Silver. You will face this like you’ve faced every other obstacle.
The self-talk was supported by the slight burn of the ring on my finger, and my eyes lowered to the very piece of jewelry that glimmered in support. Lia had my back, and I could overcome this.
"Silver."
My eyes lifted at the familiar thick voice; the parental sound that, when I was younger, would make me squeal like a child and race towards the man who was my light at the end of the tunnel.
This time, I fought the urge to fall into the call of old habits, my eyes locking onto the very man in question as they took in his appearance once more.
He stood at 6'5" with broad shoulders but a slim frame. His hair was silver like mine, long and gelled back to remain in place. He wore a suit of gold with red trimming. There was a cape on his shoulders, one of white with hints of turquoise symbols, like the one I'd carried on my shoulders when I'd risen from the dead and used the scythe to make my way to the mission site before it was too late, leaving me to wonder if that was another gift trait or some sort of magical artifact.
He wore gold-rimmed glasses, which was intriguing when his glowing appearance gave off the sight of perfection, like his pale, flawless skin, and striking turquoise eyes that matched mine. The glasses gave a familiarity to his look and could have been the reason why he wore them to begin with.
To make him look like less of a stranger and more like the man I remembered from many years ago.
He carried a staff with him, one that oozed magic far more powerful than I'd ever felt from a witch or wizard, and I noticed the hovering crown over his head, one that seemed to only reveal itself now as I continued to take in his appearance.
His lips fought to smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. It was that smile he used to give me during those times of pain in the hospital, especially when I'd emphasized how he'd beat this disease.
The smile of fear, of not knowing which way this conversation would turn.
I wasn't sure how to respond. Should I call him by his name or acknowledge the title I'd always given him? With one last inhale, I let it out and decided to go with my gut.
Like I always have.
"Father." My voice was stern, and yet silently poured out a speck of agony.
He couldn't hide the sadness that flooded his expression or the confliction that swarmed his eyes while his brows furrowed together. I wondered if he was relieved ever so slightly by me still acknowledging him as my father.
"Before we get down to business...I owe you an apology," he whispered. "One specifically for all the pain I've caused you."
So many questions flooded my mind, wishes and wonders I'd carried through the remaining years since losing him that fateful day. This was my chance to confront him. To get the answers I sought all those years.
Yet all I could say was one single word.
"Why?" My voice trembled as I fought to keep it together. Father, on the other hand, needed to blink his eyes to stop the tears that fought desperately to overflow from his eyes and down his cheeks.
Instead of giving me a direct answer, Father took a deep breath and looked up to the sky. I followed his lead, and the world began to change; visuals of a past that wasn't mine surfaced on the ceiling walls.
"When I was born to this world, I had a purpose, like all humans do. However, I was never given the privilege of being solely human. As I grew, I knew I was a wizard, but then I discovered I was more than that. Something greater. Wiser. More unique than anyone around me. It took my own set of trials as I grew older and the shift around us in the world that was suddenly open to the supernatural for me to find my true path and what that would entail," he explained as scenes from his past continued to flash before my eyes.
Moments from when he was a child to when he grew older, until an image of him meeting a younger woman who looked strikingly like my mother stilled for the both of us to view.
"When I met Melrose, I thought...just maybe I'd be able to leave my destiny behind. That I could live like any other with the desires of having a family and raising children of my own. I knew the risks involved, and when we had Scarlett, I realized that I couldn't run around my destiny as I originally thought. Melrose had no idea, and I couldn't dare tell her the truth for I felt it would shatter her. When she wanted another child...I was hesitant because I already knew what destiny Scarlett would endure. The hardships of loss and how she'd have to rebuild herself to become the woman she is now. I tried many times to say I wasn't ready, to say we had more time to wait and that we could have children in the future, but Melrose was so insistent on having just one more so Scarlett wouldn't grow up alone for a period of time. With a sibling, at least once you two grew, you'd have one another in times we were invested in our work or businesses. It made sense, and I couldn't keep denying her the gift of creating life. So, I agreed."
The image swiftly changed to a picture I'd never seen before. Father was holding a baby with silver hair and big blue eyes, and there was little Scarlett, staring at her in wonder and excitement.
"When I first held you, I cried. Your mother didn't understand why I was so emotional about holding my second child, but she didn't see what I saw. She didn't know what I knew. With a simple touch, I could see that your life would be far harder than Scarlett’s. That there were so many holes created for you to trip and fall in and that made my heart shatter in agony because I knew without a doubt that you wouldn't even get close to the path I wished for you. For the destiny your mother and I prayed for you to enjoy. That was when I started my research, in hopes of sealing off the numerous holes set out for you to fall into."
The scene changed once more and there was the lab, little me drawing and singing while Dad was working with Aria.
"S.S.S. was created for a number of reasons, but the main one was that I knew there would come a time when we'd have to do more. Supernaturals who demonstrated far greater intelligence and talent were being found dead. Some were through experiments that had gone horribly wrong, while others were murdered before they could flourish. Scarlett wasn't as big of a risk, but that was because I'd informed her of what she was, who she was going to be. I thought she'd take it the wrong way, especially since she was so young, but instead, she understood. I had every intention of doing the same with you, Silver. Giving you the opportunity to learn who you really were. I was so tired of seeing you bullied by your peers during the day and witnessing the sadness in your tired eyes after hours of experiments at night. Every shift I'd have to erase your memory, not because I didn't trust you, but because I couldn't let Melrose find out what I was doing behind the scenes. I'm sure she tried to investigate in her own way, but I made it impossible for her to discover the truth. If she found out, not only would she take the two of you away from me, she could easily walk into one of the many traps set for our family."