Chapter 314: Chapter 314: Miserable Chapter 314 – Miserable Shadeva couldn’t help but find herself quite... pathetic. She had told herself that if her siblings no longer loved her because she had lost the shadow within her, then she would just cut them off and continue her life. That was what she said. But... ’It’s... it’s so hard... I can’t...’ she thought, her eyes trembling as tears threatened to fall, but she did her absolute best to not allow them that final dignity. She simply couldn’t abandon her siblings. They were her first family, and she was the one who practically raised them. She knew them like the back of her hand—or so she thought. She had been the one to reassure them when they trembled with fear before the unfamiliar universe, she was the one bleeding for them, the one who put everything aside just to nurture them and even help them train their unique skills. She saw them grow, she saw them mature, she saw them become people who could stand by themselves. And oh... She had been so deeply proud of them at that time. It was like a single mother who raised her child despite all the hardships, working multiple low-paid jobs just to make sure he could sleep with a full stomach, and one day, that same child grows and becomes someone worthy—someone who comes back and gives her everything she dreamed of as a young woman full of hope and fight... and more. And then she realizes that all her sacrifices... weren’t in vain. That type of feeling... that type of contentment... that was what Shadeva felt back then. So can you imagine the pain when they imprisoned her? It was a kind of pain Shadeva wouldn’t wish even on her greatest enemy. She remembered the night she was ready to end her life, the nights she cried until she was dry of tears, the nights she questioned endlessly—why her? What did she do wrong? All those nights... all that suffering. ’And still... I didn’t hate any of you. And still, I missed you so much that I prayed to anything that you’d be safe... and that I’d see you again.’ She laughed. It was a laugh so bitter, so self-loathing, so utterly and dreadfully miserable that even Lucie’s heart might shiver hearing it. "Ah... truly, why am I like this?" she asked her siblings, who stood there, looking at her with pained and disappointed eyes. Her heart shook even more. "Why? Why can’t I hate you? Why am I still here, hoping you won’t discard me for what I am now, even though it should be the opposite? Tell me, why am I so pathetic? Plea—!" Her voice cracked at the end as she couldn’t even finish the sentence. Her eyes shimmered, and tears started to well up in them. This time, she had no strength nor will to hide them. She just stared at them, her body trembling like a leaf caught in turbulent wind, her heart thundering erratically like a war drum in a stormy night, and the light of her eyes dimmed significantly... as if everything had become darkness. She... she didn’t know she still cared this much. She thought she had moved on. But clearly... that wasn’t the case. The siblings were equally lost in pain. They had spoken all those words in anger, in disappointment, in grief. They hadn’t thought before speaking—they just wanted to scream their sorrow, and they did it by lashing out at the one person who didn’t deserve it. Yes, it’s not like they didn’t know it was Shadeva. Her aura, her power—they may have changed. But her eyes hadn’t. The way she looked at them, with love and affection even when harsh words spilled from her mouth, was unmistakable. It was her. They knew. But they were hurt. They... felt unfairly judged. First Noah had come and imprisoned them. Then two young cubs they could’ve erased with a flick dared to lecture them about life. Then Noah again, treating them like filth... They couldn’t take it. They were Originals. They were used to being glorified, revered. And after all that had happened—when all they wanted was to save their sister—they were the ones treated like villains? They felt indignant. Bitter. Ashamed. Did everyone think they liked being chained? Did they think they enjoyed being locked away? Did they think they didn’t love Shadeva? Who the hell did they think they were? These questions made them irritable. Made them angry. And as we all know, the most dangerous words are spoken in anger...because when the fire dies, the regret settles. And here they were, surrounded by the ash of that fire, realizing they had poured all their pain and resentment on their sister—the one who had only come seeking understanding, seeking answers, seeking... love. Shame crept into their hearts like a cold flood, and they could no longer bear to meet the shattered gaze of Shadeva. They felt... unworthy. Shadeva looked at them with a tired, heartbreak-laced gaze, then slowly nodded. "If I knew... I wouldn’t have come." She muttered under her breath, soft and regretful, before disappearing from the underground prison, leaving her siblings alone, once again. A tense, sorrowful silence settled over the prison. No one spoke, because no one knew what to say. They had acted like monsters to the very person they were supposed to apologize to, and for what? For wounded pride. What a pitiful, wretched thing. Pride? What’s its worth if it costs you your family? What? Can it be eaten? Can it protect you? Can it hold you at night when all you want is forgiveness? What is pride worth? Nothing. But living beings are pathetically, pitifully prideful. Wound their ego just a little and they will bare their fangs, lash out at everyone around them, just so they won’t feel like the only one hurting. Generally, the ones who act like that... are the ones with the most fragile confidence. Just like the Originals. After being humiliated by Noah, they wanted someone—anyone—to humiliate in return. And they chose their own sister... because deep down, in the most honest, cowardly parts of themselves, they knew Shadeva would never hate them. And so... they dared. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦 And unfortunately... they were right. Shadeva... couldn’t hate them. Because what kind of mother could ever hate her own children? A good one wouldn’t. And Shadeva... Shadeva is a good one. But... is it worth the pain? Ah... how utterly miserable. —End of Chapter 314—