NoGift

ARGENT read the letter one more time, making sure that not even a single detail was ignored.  There were already a lot of theories going on inside her head at this moment.  This 'curse' seemed to shorten the lifespan of the direct descendants of the Blackbourne bloodline.  And from what she understood from this letter, the lifespan only got shorter and shorter as generations passed.  As evidence of the part where their father said that they would have even shorter lives compared to him.  Then there was that part about the 'cure' that could only be found in the Mythos continent.

These things could explain why their father suddenly left his pregnant wife and went to some adventure instead.  After knowing that he would soon be a father, he probably felt panicked.  Afraid that the child he would soon have would die much earlier than they were supposed to.  So he desperately searched for this cure and thus his search for the three ancient artifacts.

At this point, it's probably safe to assume that the three artifacts could open the closed Mythos continent.  If their father's goal was to go to the Mythos continent, then that would explain why he first searched for the artifacts.  Because they're keys in some ways.

That would also explain why that bastard, Lucern Faust, wanted the artifacts.  Because just like the common villain that he was, he wanted access to the forbidden land.  For more power?  She's not entirely sure.  Maybe Lucern did want to plunge this world into hell and going to the Mythos continent was the very first step towards it.  Or he simply wanted to use the power he could get there for his personal ambition.  And by ambition, she meant conquering the whole world.

If that was the case.  Argent would probably feel a bit disappointed.  Because it's such a cliché.

Well, at least with this letter, it was proven that their father was not a scum man who left their mother because of his love for adventure.  He really did have a reasonable excuse why he left.

"Does this mean that we're going to d-die young?" 

Aurum's question cut off Argent's train of thoughts.  She turned to her sister sitting closely beside her.  She could see her hands trembling, the fear in her eyes palpable.  Argent forgot that despite how mature Aurum acted, how extensive her life experience might be, she was still a soon-to-be 15-year-old girl.   

Before Argent could comfort her, their mother already bent down in front of Aurum and engulfed her in her embrace.

"You're not.  Both of you will not.  I won't let that happen," Anthea softly reassured, but one could still hear the firm determination in her voice.

"Mother is right," Argent seconded, reaching out for her sister's hand and squeezing it.  "And have you forgotten?  We already have one of the ancient artifacts in our hands.  We only have to do two more steps and we can open the Mythos continent.  The most important thing?  I'm here.  And I'll make that happen."

Anthea let go of Aurum and then looked at her eldest daughter.  Argent still seemed indifferent.  But no one would doubt that she wouldn't accomplish what she just said she would do.  This was the girl who started to build her own company at the age of seven.  The one who single-handedly brought change to the world just by creating sPhones.  A girl who didn't hesitate to fight head on against the all-powerful Temple of Gaia just so she could save her.

That's her eldest daughter.  If she said that she would do something, then she would do her damnedest to follow through it.

"Sorry for being so overdramatic," Aurum said after she calmed down for a while. 

She felt embarrassed.  After she read the letter, the only thing that echoed in her mind was the fact that she and her brother might die young.  All because of some 'curse' that had been plaguing their family.  Despite her mental fortitude, she still felt scared.  Fear filled her whole body.  If her mother didn't embrace her suddenly, her Mana might have gone into riot.  And after hearing what her brother said, she completely calmed down.

Because Argent was right.  They already had one of the three artifacts.  Even now, they already had a clue to where another one was.  With her brother's brain, there's no way they wouldn't find those artifacts.  They would collect them, use them to open the Mythos continent, and then get that cure, whatever that might be.

"You're not being overdramatic.  It's just a natural reaction," Argent said.

Aurum glanced at her brother and wanted to ask; then why didn't you react the same way?  But knowing Argent, something like this probably didn't even faze her.

Anthea sat back on her seat.  "Can you tell me the details on how you managed to get the dragon king's sword?"

Argent then went on and told her mother how she did it.  From the information she got from the Xing Emperor about how a guy who looked like her stole a map of a treasure that didn't exist, then finding about the legend about the 'child of all', Aurum sending her the image of the map of the supposedly non-existent treasure, and then her finding the underwater temple and getting the artifacts.

She didn't bother to mention the things that happened in the that temple.  Specifically, the trial she had to undergo just to get the sword.  Although she could barely remember what happened, she knew if she did even try, she would definitely have that nightmare again.  And she truly didn't have the time to analyze the meaning of that nightmare.  Not with all these problems around.

After Anthea heard Argent's story, she had no doubt that the man who stole this map from the Emperor of Xing was Dorian.  But she was more concerned about this 'child of all' business.  Because from what she had gathered so far, it definitely had something to do with the Blackbourne bloodline.  Again.

"It seemed like your father really did fail in obtaining the artifacts," Anthea said.  Because if he did, then how could Argent take the sword?

"He did actually," Argent said and then told her mother what the dragon king said to her.  That her father managed to collect the three artifacts but then failed to proceed at the very last step.

Anthea gazed down at her hands and clenched both.  She couldn't help but put herself in Dorian's place.  When he thought that everything was in his reach, but at the end it still escaped him.  Dorian must have been devastated.  Because too much was at stake with his success.  Not just his life but the life and future of his child as well.

"Mother, do you think Father is still… alive?" Aurum asked hesitantly.

Anthea raised her head and said without an ounce of hesitation or doubt, "Yes."

It's something that she couldn't really explain.  But she was sure, from the bottom of her heart and the depth of her soul that, yes, Dorian was still alive.  That's why even after reading that letter, she never doubted that her husband had already encountered his demised.  Because there's just no way that he did.

He might be in a situation where he couldn't go to them.  He might even be trapped somewhere.  Knowing Dorian, he would definitely find a way to get back to them.  She was sure of that.  So the least they could do was to gather the three ancient artifacts and open the Mythos continent.

Whatever the consequence of that might be.

"What should be our next move?" Anthea asked.

Argent glanced down at the letter once again, particularly at the last part.  "I think we should go back to Albion first."