Chapter 3: Chapter 2-2
The next morning comes and Holley Vivienne gets up from a sleepless night, his eyes heavy with bags from his tiredness; he gets up from his massive white-sheet bed and drags his feet out to the hall, having a few quick blinks as he strolls down. He reaches the middle of the hallway where the grand staircase and the statue was. He walks down the hall like a drunken stupor, making him drop down on his knees and knocking down the statue of Cyril; he quickly snaps out of his daze and catches the statue before it falls and breaks, "Got you!". Panting as he lifts the statue back to its place and cleaning it off, he hurriedly backs away and clenches both of his hands together.
"I'm sorry, Your grace!"
"I'm sorry for being clumsy!"
Holley continues down the staircase — his eyes still drippy — he reaches the ground floor and rubs his eyes because of the light reflecting from the tiles. When he opens his eyes again, a glint appears on the side of his eye, he slowly turns his head to see the entrance of the dining room. The memory of the nightmare comes back crawling in his mind again; He envisions the fire from the kitchen slowly inching towards him; His eyes now stands wide open, reflecting what he saw: The dark fire that made his skin burn, the melted faces' screams that made his ears bleed, and the black figure of the bloody woman who ripped his wings.
Unable to go in, he instead goes running to the backrooms, barging outside of the house and into the back garden. He pants breathlessly, and his heart beating uncontrollably; His legs now feel like noodles, and his arms weighing down the door. He tries to calm himself and control his heartbeat, he turns his back against the door and lifts his nose to the sky as he keeps panting. He rests for a minute still trembling, until he hears a few birds going through the garden singing.
Amazed by the birds' beautiful chirps, he goes for a stroll to their garden full of exotic plants and flowers: large sunflowers that gave him a shade under the sunlight; there were yellow carrots and cabbages planted in large garden beds, and red apples dangling down on a large yellow-leafed tree in the middle of the garden — the beauty of the plants and trees, placed his heart at ease. The sunlight coming through the gaps of the tree made the day bright; the swaying leaves of the branches and plants made it soothing, and the beautiful songs the birds sing made Holley relax as he lay down underneath the large yellow tree.
The garden made him feel safe; the memory of the nightmare slowly vanishes from his mind and replace with the beauty of flowers and long daydreams. He plays with the fallen leaves, and chases Sunfrogs around the ponds, caressing their bright yellow antennas when he captures one; he catches butterflies around the garden and dips his feet in the near river. After his play and drying his wet feet, he sees his mother waiting for him in the middle of the garden, holding a pink watering can and a small shovel that floated beside her. He runs up to her embrace and tells her about his time in the garden; Anna chuckles at every detail he gave her. As Anna hands him the watering can, it drops to the ground after holding it with both hands.
"Be careful, it's full of water," said Anna giggling at the sight of Holley trying to lift the watering can.
Holley takes some quick stops while carrying the heavy watering can to the garden beds; he takes a breath after he places the can down beside the bed where the yellow cabbages were planted; He sits down on a small grass mound and wipes his sweat with his arm; Anna walks to the garden and thanks Holley for carrying the can. Holley lays his head on the mound and tries to rest, but his eye catches his mother lifting the can and watering the plants with her halo: she was using her halo to levitate the watering can with ease and water the plants while whistling. To Holley's surprise, he jumps up and runs to his mother.
"Why couldn't you just lift it in the first place?" asks Holley with a glint in his eyes as he crosses his arms and pouts until his nose turned red.
"You needed the exercise dear," said Anna, placing her hand beside her mouth as she giggles, then continues to water the cabbages.
"Having a divinity must be so great mother; if I had one, I could do things more easily, and I don't have to take the stairs all the time"
"Oh, you still need to use your energy to use a divinity dear, that's why I asked you to carry the watering can, a lot of my energy was spent working back at the sewing manor. And besides, you needed the exercise, don't want your bones to stay small forever, although I wouldn't mind because I would miss pinching your cute cheekbones," chuckled Anna, squeezing Holley's soft left cheek.
"Stop it, mother, it tickles!" giggled Holley as his cheek squiggles from her mother's hand.
"Hehe, okay, but remember dear, don't get attached to things like that. Soon, when you are older, you will be given a divinity — whatever type it be — you will find some things much easier to do, but in exchange, you will have to work hard to improve, and it takes a lot of time"
"Will I have the same divinity as you, mother?"
"Maybe, but we never know until we see. Believe in our god's decision dear"
"I hope God gives me a divinity like yours! So, I could be like you, mother!" said Holley, jumping and throwing up his arms to the air.
Anna laughs at Holley's cheerful gesture, rubbing his hair as she gives him a wide smile that made her teeth sparkle, "Oh, thank you for the compliment dear, but I hope God gives you a divinity that is most suited for you. Now, let us tend to the garden"
"Okay, mother," said Holley, grabbing a shovel to dig out the weeds.
They both tend the garden from morning to noon: Anna watering the plants and flowers, while Holley digs out the weeds and harvest the fully-grown fruits from the trees. Anna flies up to the sky to also water the giant sunflowers of the garden, while Holley stayed down below, trying to summon his wings but to no result; after Anna finishes watering, she goes back down to the ground to see Holley struggling hilariously to unsheathe his wings — even took off his shirt to try to force his wings to pop, and even shouting them to come out, which made Anna laugh. Anna walks towards the tired-out Holley sitting on the ground against a rock; Anna grabs his shirt laying on the ground as she passes through. She goes behind Holley to sit on the rock and puts the shirt back on him, wiping off the remaining dirt.
"Don't try too hard dear, you might hurt your throat," said Anna.
"I know…I just wanted to fly with you, that's all," said Holley, looking down on the ground.
"I know dear, but you have to be patient, there is a time for everything, even your wings. You are still 8 years old; your wings are still tiny to come out"
Anna pulls a hairbrush from her halo and starts to comb Holley's messy hair, while he sat looking down on the ground. Holley wanted to fly with his mother, but his wings were still small to summon. He sits down praying for the time to come where his wings would grow enough to fly, but he knows it would take a lot of time. But he wonders, why the nightmare showed his wings fully grown; it was blank white and had an unusual pattern, but he was too occupied at the time to fully remember. He sits quietly while Anna combs his hair back to its normal fringe state, "There's my handsome boy," said Anna grinning as she puts the comb back inside her halo.
"About the dream, you had last night, dear," said Anna, "What was it about? Did something bad happen?"
Holley replies with cold silence and keeps looking down on the green grass, while Anna waits for an answer, but her heart told her to avoid questioning the nightmare further.
"If you don't want to talk about it, I- "
"It was about you," said Holley hesitantly, "I dreamt that you were gone, and was replaced… by something else, something…horrid"
His mind flashes the image of the dream once again, his eyes now starting to fill up while he tries to resist. His heart beginning to beat faster and faster; His hands slowly tremble, unable to even clench. But Anna places her arms around his neck and hugs him tightly, "I am right here Holley, and I am not going anywhere"
"But I saw you covered in b- "
"Shh, I am right here Holley, and I'm a little covered in dirt," said Anna trying to joke, "You're a kid Holley, you shouldn't be thinking about this dream, it is best to forget it. But remember, I will always be here for you, and I'm not going anywhere. Do you understand, dear?"
"Yes…Mother," said Holley faintly, "But was it really just a dream?"
"Of course. Just…a dream, there is nothing to worry about, dear," said Anna somewhat vaguely.
"Okay…Was my father…like this?" asks Holley attempting to bring up his father.
Surprised by his question; Anna did not know how to answer. She thought hard and struggles to speak, stuttering even a simple word.
"…I- "
"Hello there, you two"
A voice comes up from behind them: a man's voice. Both Anna and Holley turn around to look behind them, and see a slightly wrinkled man with short half-white hair, wearing a white cleric suit and a gold collar. Holley jumps and goes to the man, hugging him.
"Grandpa Regi! You're here!" said Holley in excitement as he continues to jump in joy.
Anna gets up and walks towards them, having a quick giggle as she saw Reginald rubbing Holley's hair, "Good morning, Reginald," said Anna.
"Good morning to you as well, Anna," said Reginald, still rubbing Holley's hair and answering his questions about what it's like being an Archangel, "Oh, I almost forgot!"
Reginald pulls his hand away from Holley's hair and inserts his hand inside his suit, scrummaging for something to pull out.
"Aha!" shouted Reginald, pulling out a small gift-wrapped box from his suit pocket and showing it to Holley.
"What is it?" asks Holley curiously.
"You'll see, Holley," said Reginald, "I had it made just for you, although I didn't get paintings of you and your mother"
Holley unwraps the package and sees a silver locket, with a gem on the tip of the circle. Holley quickly puts it on and it fit him perfectly as it hangs from his neck and to his chest.
"Thank you, Grandpa Regi!" said Holley giving him a wide smile and a tight hug again.
"Your welcome, my dear boy," said Reginald smiling from Holley's satisfaction of the gift.
"Holley dear, why don't you go back inside the house and grab some paintings to place in the locket," said Anna softly.
Holley turns around and nods at Anna; he turns back to Reginald and gives him a quick smile, "I'll be right back in a moment Grandpa Regi"
Holley rushes inside the house and goes upstairs to find photos that would fit in the locket, he goes to his room and rummages through his chest to find any photographs. Meanwhile, Reginald and Anna were staying in the garden as they look at Holley as he runs inside the house, "He grows up so fast," said Reginald.
"I know, time just flies by fast," said Anna, putting aside the watering can on a rock.
"Well, I didn't come here just to give Holley a locket, Anna," said Reginald, "I came here because there are things you need to hear"
"Okay, I'm listening"
Holley was still in his room, still searching for a painting of him and his mother; he searches the cupboards, the wardrobes, and the chest where he kept most of his belongings. He continues to search for a minute until he finally finds two tiny enamel paintings in the chest: two clear portrayed paintings of him and Anna; the paintings that were drawn during Cyrimast, the supposed day where their god created them. He places both paintings into the locket; Holley on the left socket, and Anna on the right. He gazes at the paintings with a smile on his face, he clenches it and holds it close to his chest. But before going back downstairs, he overhears some voices coming from an open window in his room. He walks towards it to see who it is; he looks down and it was just Anna and his Grandpa Reginald talking about something.
"So, the inspection is now been put to a close?" asks Anna in her relief.
"Yes, the Seraphim ended their investigation about Holley, along with the Guardian Crusade," said Reginald also in his relief, "The Divinians involved in Guardian will be sent back home from Terra in the next Twilight Eclipse, and Holley will finally be left alone by the Seraphim's deacons"
Holley was nothing but surprised by the words he heard from Reginald. Was the Seraphim really inspecting him? And if so, what for? He continues to listen to their conversation, lowering his head as to not let them spot his forehead.
"Also, Reginald, have you found out why the investigation started in the first place?" asks Anna with a stern look.
"Well, they said that it was somewhat suspicious, that you came back in Divinia after a few months with a baby boy without any contact with your family beforehand"
"Do you believe them?"
"No, I don't. I believe there is something more than just mere suspicion. Do you want me to keep investigating?"
"No, their investigation about Holley is over, that's all that matters," said Anna, "And besides, I don't want to keep you from your duties as an Archangel no longer, Regi"
"If that is what you want, then I will put it all aside," said Reginald.
"And…thank you… for what you have done Regi, I will be forever in your debt," said Anna holding Reginald's hand with both of hers.
Reginald places his other hand on top of Anna's, "It is my pleasure, Anna. Whatever you and the boy need, I will be here to fulfill it. Besides, it's the least I could do for you and your parents,"
Holley turns around and walks away from the window, confused and bewildered about what they just said, "What do they mean by inspection?" he thought, holding the locket as he gazes at the pictures; his face was a bit heavy by what he heard, and his heart was now beating slower than usual; he wondered what they all mean, and if it connects to his dream.
But he decides to ignore and forget. He then walks back to his mother and grandpa; they continued to bond together in the mansion that was surrounded by a vast forest and their beautiful garden: They made delicious fruit and vegetable dishes, and ate them for lunch and dinner; after that, Reginald teaches Holley how to spar with a wooden sword and made Holley win every single time they did; and then, Anna reads a bedtime story for Holley as he falls asleep at the end of their fun day.
The dream, now lay forgotten by Holley; replacing the terrible memory into the happy moments with his family, and all that now made him dream no nightmares and only soothing moments of sunshine and butterflies. Days pass like mere seconds, and now the day came where it was Holley's time for him to meet the rest of his family.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone