Leona’s world stopped. She felt like breaking down just from these words, but she forced herself to calm down and continued reading.
’Haha. I honestly don’t even know why I’m writing this. I’m not planning to give it to you, not really. I just have so many things I want to say to you, but I know I can’t say it.’
She wrote like it was a pity.
’So I’ll write as if you’re listening. As if you’re reading this, right now, with my own eyes watching you.
’And of course, there are so many things I want to say to you, Leona. If I listed them all, this letter would turn into a book.
She wrote in a mischievous manner.
’But I only have so much ink left, so let focus on the thing I want to tell you most. And that is...’
’...You are the Spirit of the Forest.’
Leona gasped. Her hand flew to her mouth. Tears already welling in her eyes, but she continued.
’You may think you’re sneaky. You may think you’re hiding from . But I’m your mother, Leona. I know everything about you. No matter how much you try to hide, you’ll never hide from .’
’I know you’ve been helping everyone. Doing deeds without taking credit. I don’t have proof—I never caught you in the act—but I know my daughter. I know how she would act.’
’And all those acts of kindness, all that quiet, selfless work? That’s my baby Leona.’
Leona’s strength was leaving her and she even found it hard to hold up the letter.
’You were always like that, even as a child. Always wanting to help others. Always putting everyone else before yourself. I rember when you told , with such fierce determination, that when you beca Matriarch, you would do everything in your power to help your people.’
’And you have. You’ve kept that promise.’
Leona’s tears were falling now, splashing onto the aged paper.
’I also know that the way you’re acting now isn’t the real you. You’re being forced into a position you don’t want to be in. You’re being controlled—probably by that bastard you married.’
’I don’t know how, or why, or what hold he has over you. And I’m sorry, Leona. I’m so sorry I couldn’t figure it out. I failed you in that. I couldn’t save you from whatever is binding you.’
Leona shook her head, sobbing. "No, Mother. No. You didn’t fail !"
’But even though you’re acting cold, even though you push everyone away, I know you’re still in there. My real daughter, my kind-hearted, gentle girl, is still inside. And one day, she’ll break free. I don’t know when, but it will happen.’
’And when that day cos, I want to hug you. I want to tell you that I always loved you. No matter how cold you acted toward , no matter how much you pushed away, I never blad you. I never doubted you. I always knew that you loved your mother, and that you would never treat the way you did unless sothing was terribly wrong.’
’So don’t feel bad, Leona. Don’t carry that guilt. Your mother knows. She always knows.’
’I trust you. I believe in you. And I I’m proud of you.’
’I’m so, so proud of my daughter.’
Leona was openly sobbing now, her whole body shaking, the letter trembling in her hands. Luca held her tighter, his arms a warm anchor in the storm of her emotions.
’I have to go now. You may not know this, but I’m leaving for a eting. A eting to plan how we’re going to summon a Hero to save us all.’
’I know you banned from going. I know you ordered to stay. But I’m your mother, Leona. No matter if you’re the Matriarch or a simple villager, I will always be your mother. And mothers don’t listen to their children when their children are being foolish.’
Luca could almost see the teasing smile on her face as she wrote it.
’So I’m going. And I have a feeling, a deep, certain feeling that whoever cos will change everything. He will brighten this village. He will save us all.’
’Until then, hold on, Leona. Hold on.’
’I may not be there when the Hero cos. I may be in the heavens above. But I will always be by your side. I will always be watching over you.’
’And I will also be in the Hero. In whoever we summon. He will carry a piece of with him. He will protect you when I cannot.’
’So don’t worry, my darling. It will be all right. Everything will be all right.’
’I love you, Leona. Forever. And ever.
’Your loving mother.’
At the bottom of the letter, there were small patches of wetness—teardrops, long dried, left behind by the woman who had written this letter a while ago. She had cried while writing it.
But her tears were nothing compared to Leona’s.
"Mother!" The scream tore from her throat, raw and desperate. "Mother, I-I miss you! I miss you so much! Co back! Please co back!"
She clutched the letter to her chest, rocking back and forth, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Co back to ! Hug ! Kiss ! Love like you used to! Please, please co back!’
’I-I want act cold to you anymore! I won’t ignore, so please just call by my na one more ti!"
She had carried this weight for so long—the belief that she had disappointed her mother, that her mother had died thinking she was a villain, that the woman who raised her had gone to her grave with a broken heart.
But it wasn’t true. It had never been true.
Her mother had seen through everything. Had loved her through everything. Had believed in her when she couldn’t believe in herself.
The relief was overwhelming. The joy was devastating. And the grief of realising that her mother truly was gone was too much for her too handle.
Leona wept like she hadn’t wept in decades—great, heaving sobs that shook her entire body, that poured out forty years of guilt and grief and longing.
She wept for the mother she had lost, for the years they had been apart, for all the hugs she had never given and all the words she had never said.
And through it all, Luca held her.
He didn’t speak. He didn’t try to calm her. He just held her, letting her cry, grieve, and finally release the pain she had been carrying for so long.
Her mother had known. Her mother had loved her. Her mother had never stopped believing in her.
And sowhere, watching from the heavens, her mother was smiling.
—
But just as Luca held the sobbing Leona, his head snapped around. His eyes narrowed, focused on sothing in the darkness beyond the clearing.
A figure erged from behind a bush.
Nyx.
But this was not the playful, teasing Nyx who wrote threatening letters and made inappropriate comnts.
Instead, her eyes were extrely cold, filled with dangerous intent, and she gripped a sharp dagger tightly in her hand, ready to cut down whoever had caused harm.
Just monts ago, Nyx had been walking through the forest, proudly wearing her new earmuffs that kept the night’s chill away from her sensitive ears.
But then, suddenly, she heard a loud, heart-wrenching cry echo through the trees:
"Mother! Mother!"
Even though it had been a very long ti since she last heard her sister cry like that, Nyx recognized the voice instantly.
It was Leona.
She was absolutely shocked—her sister was one of the strongest elves she knew, far stronger than herself in many ways, and she would never cry out in such raw pain unless sothing terrible had happened.
Nyx’s mind imdiately went to the worst-case scenario: soone had attacked or taken advantage of Leona, making her break down like this.
Without a second thought, Nyx went into full killer mode. She drew her dagger and raced toward the sound, prepared to slice apart anyone who dared make her sister cry.
But the mont she burst out of the bushes and saw the scene before her, Nyx froze in utter confusion.
There was Luca, lovingly holding Leona in his arms while she bawled her heart out against his chest.
Leona hadn’t noticed Nyx’s arrival yet, still lost in her emotional release.
Nyx opened her mouth, ready to ask what was wrong and who she needed to kill. But before she could speak, Luca looked up at her. He smiled calmly and shook his head slowly.
Nyx understood.
She then looked at her sister—her strong, stubborn, impossible sister and felt sothing crack in her own chest.
Leona was crying. Really crying. Not the cold, controlled tears of a Matriarch who had to maintain her composure, but the raw, ssy, beautiful tears of a woman who was finally letting herself feel.
Nyx smiled. A small, soft smile that no one else would ever see.
She looked at Luca, nodded once, and slipped back into the darkness without a word.
’Take care of her.’ That nod said. ’I trust you.’
Luca watched her go, then turned his attention back to Leona.
Luca knew that if Leona kept crying this loudly, she might alert the entire village. So he gently turned her around so she was facing him, then pulled her onto his lap.
He wrapped his arms around her tightly, pressing her face into his chest and muffling her sobs against his shirt.
Leona didn’t resist. She lted into the embrace, now in a much more comfortable and loving position. Her cries continued, but they were quieter now, softened against Luca’s warm body.
The night remained quiet around them, the stars twinkling overhead as Luca protected this rare, vulnerable mont for the strong Matriarch who had carried too much for far too long.
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