『 ???, Nothran? — Everi, ?? h ?? 』
Kaelle had been teleported, as planned, not far from her grandfather's house. In tears, she ran to the door and pounded on it with all her might, screaming:
"Grandpa! Grandpa!! Grandpa, we have to save Mom and the boys!" she cried, still sobbing.
The door opened a few seconds later. Kaelle's grandfather appeared: he had medium-length white hair, a face marked by a few battle scars, a short beard, a mustache, thick eyebrows, and blue eyes like Noémie's. He wore blue jeans and a white shirt with green, blue, and red plaid patterns.
"Kaelle? Is that you? What happened, sweetheart? And what are you doing here? Come in, please," her grandfather said, opening the door wide to let her in.
"No, Grandpa, we don't have time for that! Mom and the boys need you!" she cried in tears.
The grandfather looked intrigued, but he gestured again for Kaelle to come in.
"Come in, Kaelle, and explain the situation. I don't understand what's going on," he said.
Her grandfather's house was small and built of wood, but large enough to house a few people. The whole family could sleep there when they gathered. There was a small kitchen area, quite traditional: a wooden counter, a small sink connected to a barrel filled with water from the river not far from the house, as well as a few cooking utensils.
There was also the grandfather's bedroom, its door left ajar. You could glimpse a double bed and a recent family photo sitting on a nightstand. Then came the living room, where a radio sat on a small bookshelf holding a few books. There was an armchair and a two-seater couch. Spread out on the floor was the pelt of a beast that provided warmth.
Kaelle walked in and sat down on the living room couch. Her grandfather fetched her a glass of water, handed it to her, and sat down beside her.
"What's wrong, sweetheart? Tell me everything," her grandfather asked in a calm voice.
Kaelle took a few sips, set the glass on the rug, and said:
"We were attacked by three assassins. The capital of Nothran is burning, my father is probably dead, and Mom and the boys are still facing those three people! I woke up maybe ten minutes ago. The portal Mom created must have been damaged during my trip here; I landed a few minutes' walk from the house. The last time I checked the time, it was with Mom: 2:17 PM. We were watching a replay of what was happening in Nishtar, the capital," she said in a broken, trembling voice.
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She couldn't stop crying.
He took his granddaughter in his arms. Kaelle rested her head on her grandfather's shoulder and kept crying. The old man fell into deep thought:
An attack on Nishtar? A war? But by whom? I probably would have received intel from the WOJ if there had been any tensions. Maybe a civil war that spiraled out of control? It doesn't matter. My daughter was attacked, and that's strange. Especially knowing her: she inherited my strength. The fact that she lost seems suspicious. And yet, it seems to me she avoided using magic in the house. Unless she was forced to use it. Some demons have a highly developed sense of smell when it comes to mana, even more so when it comes to Evekius magic. However, she knows the camouflage barrier must be renewed every day... Unless, again, she could no longer use it.
He gently patted his granddaughter's back before questioning her about the final moments before her teleportation.
"Tell me, sweetheart, why are you here alone? Couldn't Noémie come with you? Why couldn't the boys come with you?" the old man asked.
"I-I had Uyan in my arms. He was squirming everywhere and broke free. As I tried to catch him, I stumbled into the portal headfirst. I was sucked right in, and then I ended up here."
The old man scratched his head and asked:
"Kaelle, did my daughter seem to be in trouble?"
He stared his granddaughter straight in the eyes.
"I... I couldn't say, Grandpa..." she replied, not daring to look him in the eye.
The old man started chewing on his thumbnail, anxious.
"Really?" he asked.
"I... Mom was in a somewhat tricky situation, yes. That's why Uyan broke free from my arms: to help Mom and the others! We have to go help them, Grandpa!" she begged again.
Her grandfather lowered his eyes and murmured:
"My girl... What time is it?"
Kaelle looked at her watch, but it was broken.
"M-My watch broke when I landed here. What time is it, Grandpa?"
Her grandfather pulled slightly on his right shirt sleeve, revealing a silver watch crackling with faint bursts of light.
Kaelle brought both hands to her mouth before bursting into tears.
"My girl, if those men showed up around 2:25 PM, and supposedly you took the portal here around 2:40 PM, adding the fifteen-minute trip due to the potential damage the portal suffered—not to mention the few minutes you were dazed—that brings us, as the watch shows, to 3:23 PM. We are in Suuran, my girl. Even if I teleported via portal, it would take me at least five minutes. Not to mention I can't just teleport like that, without preparation or anything... I am eighty-five years old, and on the other side are enemies who are a tough match for Noémie..."
He lowered his eyes to the floor again. He placed his hands on his knees and rubbed them in circles, before letting two small tears escape.
"My poor Noémie... My poor grandchildren... How could I save you?"
Indeed, it seemed impossible for the children's grandfather to rescue Noémie. Moreover, it was even truer now, following the brutal death of the four children's young mother. It was simply impossible.
"Oooh, Noémie..." the old man said, looking up at the sky, tears pouring down his face.
"I am so sorry, Noémie. I am so sorry, Itoî, Vars, and Uyan..."