Hunter 3: The Letter

Hunter 3: The Letter

I swallowed hard as a wave of emotions passed through me, but I pulled myself together and took the envelope my grandfather handed me. I’m at a loss for words as I hold the envelope. My heart was racing as I continued to process what I had discovered.

I am no ordinary? Then why do my parents want me to have an ordinary life?

As I was thinking about why they wanted me to have an ordinary life, I heard my grandfather’s voice again: “I know you’re wondering why your parents want you to live a normal life, but you’ll only understand them once you open that envelope, my dear granddaughter.”

Feeling my tears start to fall, I turn to look at him. “In my dream… even though I can’t remember the woman’s face and her voice, I am certain that it was… m-mom,” my voice trembled as tears streamed down my cheeks.

My heart aches for a variety of reasons. But, most of all, the dream I had about my mother that I can’t even remember! In that dream, only my emotions seemed vivid, and I longed to remember my mother’s face.

But I just can’t, and I don’t know why it had to disappear as soon as I opened my eyes. Grandpa began explaining, though, as if he noticed my reaction. “The moon goddess bestowed great power upon your mother, but it eventually became a burden. That explains why, despite her death, she was still able to appear in your dreams. It was her and your father’s final will.”

I gaze into his eyes and start to become emotional. “So why did I only recall it now?” Tears continued to fall from my eyes as I questioned, “When I know for myself that I had been dreaming of her since her death…”

“That’s because everything that has been withheld from you for a long time is finally ready for you to unveil. The moment has come for you to answer the call of your destiny,” I heard him say.

Grandpa’s words continued to sink in while I stared somewhere blankly. I feel like I am a ticking time bomb, full of contradictory feelings that might blow at any second. But I forced myself to calm down before I felt Grandpa’s hand patting me lightly on my head.

“I see that you’re still finding it difficult to process everything, but keep in mind that what you think you know is just the beginning. I hope you’ll be able to handle them once you know everything. And whichever road you take, I and the Cadwell family will be always right here to support you.”

His passionate words brought me to tears, prompting me to hug my grandfather, who made certain that I had the life I deserved. A grandfather who treats his grandchildren with the same fondness. Someone with whom we are truly fortunate.

“Read that letter, my dear granddaughter. Now is the moment; it has been waiting for you.”

I brush my tears away and nod my head. I gaze into his eyes with a determined face this time, saying, “I am honestly scared about what I am about to find out. Yet I assure you, I will triumph over this and choose the route that I am confident is best for my family and me.” I said, leaving his office with an envelope in hand.

I therefore decided to open the letter in my room within this mansion. As soon as I reached my room, I became more anxious and just gazed at the envelope I was holding. Even with trembling and icy hands, I open it.

I discovered another envelope inside, although this one was smaller in size and there was something written on the lower, left side. It was my mother’s handwriting and it’s something I’ll never forget. I ran my fingertips over it, feeling a plethora of feelings.

“To our princess, my dearest daughter.”

I opened the letter with trembling, icy hands and took a deep breath. My heart was unwittingly thumping so quickly, making it difficult to breathe. Taking a deep breath again, I began reading the letter.

To our

precious daughter,

     Since you are reading this letter right now, you must have finally recalled the dream I prepared for you. However, first and foremost, Mommy and Daddy wanted to apologize for leaving you alone. We wished we could have spent every moment with you, but our circumstances prevented us from doing so. Your father and I already anticipated a horrible outcome due to those chasing us.

     That is why, despite the fact that it was extremely difficult, we decided to keep the truth from you and wanted you to have an ordinary life. Nonetheless, we aspired to provide you with that type of life, even though we knew it wouldn’t last. We had no regrets about having you live that way and concealing everything from you, but we knew you’d have to discover everything one day.

     Nobody can avoid their destiny, and you, princess, are no exception. Thus, all you need to do is uncover the truths that have been withheld from you; we have already prepared everything ahead of time. This is the main reason I wrote this letter. Find out the world of the nightwalkers and the place where you actually belong, just as I told you in your dream.

     You must believe in them since you are one of them. I know it seems weird, and it is wrong of me to tell you to trust them and force you to study about them when I never even gave you any information about them to begin with. But circumstances have forced me to wait until the perfect time when I and your father believe you’re ready.

     Prepare yourself to deal with whatever fate has prepared for you. I need you to believe in them and the only way you can deal with everything is if you believe in yourself. After that, you’re ready to speak with someone—my old friend—who is willing to share with you a portion of who you are. Indeed, I am not the one providing you with all the information you wish for.

     I can’t just take the risk of telling you everything in this letter. You should thus seek out Elina Forsythe, an old friend of mine. She resides in Primrose City, nestled in the heart of the Forest of Eastwick. She will tell you some of the information you need to know, allowing you to make your own decision.

     But no matter what road you take, know that your loved ones will always be there for you. A path that will either continue or end your ordinary life. But I don’t want you to be afraid because your fate will take you into the life you never imagined but always desired. A life you’ll want to live forever.

     I am aware of how overwhelmed and perplexed you feel right now. Nevertheless, you must go one step at a time to accept and comprehend everything. Always remember that your father and I will always be there to guide you through any decisions you make. Furthermore, even though we are no longer with you, our memories will always be in your heart.

     Everything is prepared, and the truth is only waiting for you. Both your father and I wish for you to always make the decision that you feel is best for you. May you always be blessed and guided by the moon goddess.

Love,

Mommy & Daddy

I just burst into tears after reading my mother’s letter. As I continue to cry, I gently move towards my bed and lie down. I feel overwhelmed and puzzled at the same time since it seems like so much happened in a single day.

But tiredness caused my sleepy and puffy eyelids to slowly close, and in a matter of seconds, I fell asleep while sobbing. But before I could fall asleep, I felt a chilly breeze blow against my back, followed by a warm hug from behind: hearing a familiar voice afterward.

  

“Sleep, my little treasure.”

***

I awoke dreaming of my parents and the memories of my eighteenth birthday, when they gave me a locket necklace. I check my locket around my neck, then take it off and look at our photo inside. This is a gold locket necklace with glittering diamond embellishments.

The locket is just the right size, which is why I can wear it without feeling uncomfortable. It simply reaches the center of my chest and is the perfect length as well. I opened it to see our photos; mine was on the left, and my parents’ was on the right.

I gaze at their cheerful expressions and mutter, “I can’t comprehend the difficulty you both went through just to provide me a normal life and keep me safe,” I am talking to them as though they are just in front of me, “And you always give me the most adorable smile without knowing what’s going on behind.”

My eyes were puffy from sobbing too much, but they sharpened as I remembered what I had discovered while reading the letter. I am convinced their death was caused by more than an ordinary car accident. Now that I am already aware that someone was chasing after us. 

“Mom… dad…” I wanted to cry, but I had no tears left. Rather, I felt a variety of feelings, but this time I was able to manage them and prevent them from overwhelming me.

I grumbled and firmly closed my eyes before hastily standing up to enter the bathroom. I walked to the faucet and opened it to wash my face, attempting to get rid of my puffy eyes. I did it several times, but I eventually quit since I realized I couldn’t get rid of it.

Looking in the mirror, I checked my eyes and said, “At least my fluffy eyes lessened a bit.” Even though it was still evident that I cried a lot, I chose to ignore it. I know Grandpa already knew I sobbed so hard that it turned my eyes like these.

I groaned before returning to grandpa’s office. It’s already seven o’clock, but I know he’s still in his office, most likely waiting for me. While walking, I began to think about what type of hunter my family may be out of the blue.

I don’t want to think negatively or allow my mind to go wild in the worst-case scenario, which is why I’m headed towards where my grandfather was. Beyond finding out what sort of hunter they were, there were other things I wanted to know from him.

‘I simply hope he’ll tell me despite the rules.’

I notice no maids are wandering around as I take a glance around. To think that it is still too early. As a result, while strolling alone, I can’t help but imagine the worst-case scenario again. Scenarios that might be real or fake.

When I at last arrived in Grandpa’s office, I groaned and shook my head. He allowed me in after I knocked first and heard his voice. As I walked in, I was greeted by his kind yet worried smile. He appears to be anticipating me as well.

Without blinking, I meet his eyes directly and say, “I’ll get right to the point, Grandpa. I want to know what you know about me.” I said stubbornly.

I know my mother warned me about straining myself to learn everything at once, yet here I am, confronting my grandfather. I’m not sure why mom wanted me to see her old friend when Grandpa obviously knows something, perhaps even everything.

“Didn’t your mother tell you to find an old acquaintance first?” He reminded me, and I wasn’t even shocked to hear that. Maybe my mother told him something, and I was curious to find out.

“Yes, she did. Yet I’d like to hear something from you as well,” I said, determined yet frightened.

Everything still seems unreal, but I must face it.  

***