CHAPTER 420: A SCOLDING FATHER

Rayma~

The air around us hummed with unresolved tension, a cosmic storm brewing in the spaces between words. My children—Sun, Shadow, and Selena—faced me, their forms radiating the essences I had bestowed upon them so long ago. Sun’s brilliance cast long, golden rays through the canopy, illuminating every leaf in vivid detail, while Shadow’s presence absorbed the light, creating pockets of inky void that seemed to whisper secrets to the wind. Selena shimmered between them, her crystalline body refracting the light into a kaleidoscope of colors that danced across the faces of our gathered kin.

The ethereal spirits—my grandsons—hovered nearby, each embodying their elemental domains. Tiger, with his golden-brown hair tousled by a gentle breeze and his green eyes steady as ancient oaks, stood like a sentinel, his muscular frame rooted to the earth. Fox’s red hair flickered like flames in the wind, his grin sharp and mischievous, ready to ignite the moment with his outspoken wit. Bubble floated lightly, her form surrounded by iridescent spheres that popped and reformed in playful rhythm, her giggles a light counterpoint to the drama. Eagle circled above briefly before landing, his winds tousling everyone’s hair in dramatic gusts that carried the scent of distant storms. Jacob paced in his wolf form, his fur rippling like silver moonlight, a low whine escaping his throat as if echoing the pack’s ancient howls.

Natalie, my beloved granddaughter, the Celestial Princess turned Queen, clutched Zane’s hand, her eyes wide with a mix of awe and heartache. Zane, the Lycan King, growled softly, his alpha presence a coiled spring of protective fury. Sebastian leaned against a tree, his vampire charm masking a deeper intrigue, a wry smile playing on his lips as if this were just another court scandal. While his mate Cassandra held his hand watching silently as the drama unfolded.

The accusations had flown like arrows in the night—Selena’s voice still echoed in my mind, sharp and emotional, laying all blame at Shadow’s feet. But I could no longer stand by in silence. My neutrality had always been my guiding star, neither good nor bad, but the fulcrum of balance. It was time to illuminate the shadows of our past.

"Selena," I began, my voice resonating through the clearing like the deep hum of creation itself, causing the ground to vibrate subtly and the leaves to shiver. I turned to her, my form shifting slightly—now a blend of warm sunlight and cool darkness, embodying the everything-in-between that I was. "My dear daughter, you are wrong to heap all the blame on Shadow alone. The roots of this discord run deeper, tangled in the soil of your shared childhood, when you three were but fledglings of the cosmos, innocent sparks in the void."

Selena’s crystalline eyes widened, her form flickering with surprise, rainbows fracturing across her surface like shattered dreams. "Father? What do you mean? Shadow’s actions—his darkness—it’s been the source of so much pain!"

I held up a hand, my presence expanding to envelop them all, drawing them into the memory as if we were reliving it. "Listen, all of you. When you were children, Shadow was always the shy one, the quiet observer. He would linger in the corners of our ethereal realm, his form a soft veil of twilight, watching with those void-like eyes that held worlds of unspoken thoughts. He wasn’t withdrawn out of malice, but out of a gentle introspection, a need to process the vastness around him before stepping into the light."

Shadow shifted uncomfortably, his tendrils coiling tighter, but he said nothing, his enigmatic silence speaking volumes.

Sun flared slightly, his booming voice tempered with a hint of defensiveness. "Father, I was just... being myself. Bright, outgoing—it’s in my nature!"

"Exactly," I replied, my tone laced with a father’s gentle rebuke, emotional undercurrents pulling at my words like tides. "You were extroverted, Sun, a radiant force that drew everyone in with your warmth and energy. But that very brightness often overshadowed your brother. Selena, you always chose to play with Sun—chasing solar flares across the stars, weaving light patterns that sparkled like your mother’s essence. You two laughed and danced in the eternal day, leaving Shadow to his solitude."

Selena’s glow dimmed, her voice trembling with dawning realization. "But... he never joined us. He just... stared, so quietly. We thought he preferred it that way."

I shook my head, the motion sending ripples through the air, stirring Eagle’s winds into a soft, dramatic whirl that rustled cloaks and fur alike. "No, my child. You and Sun could have tried harder to bring him out of his shell. Instead of assuming, you could have reached into the shadows, invited him to share in the games. But Sun... you bullied him, didn’t you? Teasing him for his quietness, calling him ’the void boy’ who sucked the fun out of everything. Your words were like solar flares—scorching, leaving burns that festered in the dark."

Sun’s radiance flickered, guilt etching lines of dimness across his form. "I... I was young, Father. It was just sibling rivalry. I didn’t mean—"

"Didn’t mean to make him feel left out?" I interjected, my voice rising with thrilling intensity, the clearing pulsing with the emotional weight of unearthed truths. Fox let out a sharp laugh, flames crackling at his fingertips. "Ha! Sibling rivalry? Sounds like cosmic bullying to me. Pass the fire-roasted marshmallows—this is getting good!"

Bubble giggled, bubbles exploding in a cascade around him. "Oh, Fox, you’re such a spark! But Father’s right—it’s all bubbly sad how they fizzled apart."

Eagle chuckled softly, his winds swirling in agreement. "The air remembers those taunts, carried on breezes long forgotten. Tragic winds indeed."

Tiger grunted, his deep voice rumbling like shifting earth. "Words wound deeper than claws. Earth feels the imbalance."

Jacob whined, pacing closer, his wolf eyes locking onto Sun with a piercing stare.

Selena stepped forward, her crystalline hands clasping together, tears forming like dew on her edges. "Father, I... I always took Sun’s side because... Shadow was so introverted; he could barely explain himself. His words came out in whispers, tangled in darkness. We thought he was being difficult on purpose."

I nodded solemnly, my heart aching with the thrill of revelation and the pain of what could have been. "And in his frustration, with no outlet but the shadows, he became rebellious. Lashing out to be seen, to be heard. His darkness wasn’t born of evil, but of neglect—of feeling like the odd one out in a family that should have celebrated his uniqueness."

Natalie gasped, her hand tightening on Zane’s. "Oh, grandfather... that’s heartbreaking. Like echoes of our own family struggles."

Zane growled low, his eyes flashing with empathy. "Thrilling history, but it explains so much. The roots of war in playground taunts."

Sebastian smirked, crossing his arms. "Vampire courts have nothing on this. Eternal grudges from childhood games? Deliciously dramatic." Cassandra slapped his shoulder.

I pivoted, addressing them all, my voice swelling to a captivating crescendo, the ground trembling faintly as if the cosmos itself leaned in to listen. "All these fights—the wars that scarred realms, plunged worlds into eternal day or night, ruined countless lives—could have been avoided. If only you had been nicer to each other. If you had understood that you were all unique in different ways: Sun’s brightness to illuminate and inspire, Shadow’s darkness to provide rest and mystery, Selena’s clarity to reflect truth and harmony. You are pieces of me and Moon—neutral, balanced. But instead, division bred vengeance, and now it poisons everything."

The clearing fell into a hushed thrill, emotions swirling like a storm about to break. Selena’s form quivered, her rainbows fading to pale hues. Sun dimmed further, his glow a subdued ember. Shadow remained still, but I sensed the vulnerability cracking through his enigmatic shell, tendrils retracting slightly as if in quiet admission.

I took a deep breath, the air shimmering with dramatic anticipation. "And now, back to the issue of my grandchildren—the entanglements that draw them into this cycle."

Selena lifted her head, her voice steadying with hope. "Yes, Father. As I said before, Sun’s descendants are untouched, mine have only defended against Shadow, and he... he has no children. No lineage to perpetuate the darkness."

I met her gaze, my own eyes—a swirl of light and void—filled with a profound sadness that made the very stars seem to weep. "You are wrong, Selena. Shadow does have children."

A collective gasp rippled through the group, the sound like a cosmic inhale. Natalie’s eyes widened in shock, Zane’s growl turning to a stunned rumble. Sebastian’s smirk vanished, replaced by genuine intrigue. The spirits froze: Fox’s flames sputtered, Bubble’s spheres popped in rapid succession, Eagle’s winds stilled abruptly, Tiger’s stance shifted as if the earth itself recoiled, and Jacob’s whine cut off mid-note.

Everyone turned slowly, their gazes locking onto Shadow. His form darkened further, tendrils lashing out defensively before coiling back, his void-like eyes narrowing but betraying a flicker of raw emotion—fear, perhaps, or regret.

Selena’s voice emerged shaky, slow, laced with disbelief and a thrilling undercurrent of betrayal. Her crystalline body trembled, refracting the light in fractured, emotional patterns that created erratic shadows across the clearing. "Shadow... is this true?"

The question hung in the air like a suspended star, the cosmos holding its breath once more, the Chapter of this revelation teetering on the edge of shattering truths.