CHAPTER 243: CHAPTER 243: BUTTERFLY MARK

Helena, Victor... Kael and Ember.

How can Ivy forget any of them?

They were the light of her life. The hope that helped her to survive the grueling apocalypse.

Ivy’s heart trembled with gratitude and guilt at the thought of her eldest brother, Kael.

In her past life, after the Ravencroft family threw her away, Silas’s subordinate took her in. They tended to her and provided her with food even though she was a burden.

Later, they all died too, and she was the only survivor. Using her sharp sense, Ivy learned to attack on the basis of her hearing skills. Thanks to Silas’s subordinate, she had at least learned to fight and survive.

They made sure to prepare her for the future, where they might not be present at all.

Soon she met her best friend and her group. They were a mercenary group, and they carried her along because of her best friend. It could be said that after her parents and Silas’s friends, if she was grateful to anyone, then... it was her own best friends.

However, during one of the fights, Ivy was teleported to a faraway place and accidentally triggered her power.

Worse still, she triggered her power in front of a group of unstable individuals. After many twists and turns, Ivy ended up in a Talon Base.

Her life there was a hell... maybe even worse, however. Every single day was a struggle.

Bleak life with no hope for survival. And during those dark moments... someone rescued her.

Her family. Nightbanes. But they had sacrificed someone for Ivy. Kael.

Ivy didn’t know what Kale might have felt at that time.

However, she only remembered his distinct voice: "Live a great life, sister. And I wanted to let you know... I loved you. Sadly, we don’t have much time left, but I want to tell you... I have looked forward to your arrival ever since I learned about your existence."

’Big brother... in this life, we will meet again and have a lot of time to spend! Just wait! I will make it up to you and the Nightbane family!’ Ivy thought, her eyes flashed with determination.

"Let’s go inside!" Felix’s voice, laced with excitement, broke Ivy’s daze, and she smiled, wiping her tears away. "Yes!"

However, before leaving, she didn’t forget to hold Silas’s hand and tug at him, motioning him to follow her.

If the Nightbane family was precious to her, then so was Silas.

Ivy stepped inside with Felix, her arrival catching the attention of Kael, Helena, and Victor, who were deep in conversation.

The moment they saw a young woman with cascading pink hair who resembled Helena 30%, they all froze.

Ivy nervously clenched her fist and stared at them with an expectant gaze, waiting for their reaction.

1 minute.

2 minutes.

5 minutes.

Even when Ivy waited for a long while... they didn’t react, as if someone had turned on the freeze button.

Before she could panic, though, Silas’s warm hand held her freezing hand, and the warmth seeping from his fist bolstered her courage.

"She is... our little sister." Felix introduced in a voice laced with nervousness and excitement, his breathing turned rapid, while his eyes were shining like a bright moon in a dark night.

Helena snapped out of her daze and stood up. Under Ivy’s expectant gaze, she walked up to Ivy with steady steps, but if one looked closely, they would notice a crack in her steps in between

"You... child... what is your name?" Helena’s voice was filled with raw pain and excitement.

"Ivy," Ivy answered, recalling the same question she had heard in her previous life when she first met Helena.

Later, she got to know that one of Helena’s greatest regrets was not being able to name her child.

"Ivy... what a beautiful name," Helena muttered, meanwhile Victor stood up and reached near the daughter and mother pair; his eyes had turned misty, yet he held back from crying.

He couldn’t cry while his wife was on the verge of breaking down.

"What’s the proof?" A stern voice broke the warm environment, drawing all the attention.

It was none other than Kael.

Kael’s tone was calm, but his eyes were sharp, searching Ivy’s face for any sign of deceit.

But if someone looked closer, they would realize just how tense he was.

Felix flinched. "Big brother, what do you mean? Look at her! She looks just like Mom! And she even has pink hair."

But Kael didn’t move. His fist clenched as if he was holding back the urge to do something.

"Looks can lie, Felix. Many people would do anything to gain entry into this house."

Ivy hardly had any contact with Kael in her previous life. He died, leaving behind only one sentence to her.

But she understood his thought process... he had been deceived a lot of times, to the point that he even questioned the real one.

However...

Ivy grinned and answered, "Big brother, I can’t do a DNA test, since it will only match to 5%. But I do have a butterfly-shaped birthmark just above my belly; why don’t I let Mom... I mean, Helena, see, check it?"

The Nightbane family was stunned. Till now, they were able to distinguish between fake and real because of this birthmark. Other than them, no one knows about the birthmark.

Helena froze, her trembling hand covering her mouth.

"A butterfly..." she whispered, her voice cracking. "Victor... that’s the same birthmark our daughter had when she was born."

Victor’s eyes widened as he turned toward Ivy, disbelief and hope clashing in his gaze.

Kael’s expression finally changed. His eyes, sharp moments ago, flickered with uncertainty and something deeper...hope.

Hope that this might be true... that the sister he had longed for years was truly standing before him.

Ivy bit her lower lip and looked at Helena with a shy, tearful smile. "May I... show you?"

Helena could only nod, unable to speak. Her entire body trembled as if she were afraid this moment might disappear if she blinked.