CHAPTER 143: TAG, YOU’RE DAD

Coleen blinked lots of times, her mind a wild, disorganized mess as she tilted her head, as if trying to remember some distant, hazy memories.

"I met Madam Eleanor, but you see, I don’t remember her having any children at all. I was too young and didn’t pay too much attention."

Eirin’s forehead creased, a deep, painful line of confusion and worry. Coleen, realizing what she had just said, her mind now fully awake, immediately shook both of her hands, trying to distract Eirin, trying to soften the painful blow she had just delivered.

"B-But you see, I have a bad memory, Ei—a terrible memory. I can’t even remember what I ate yesterday. Maybe Link or Trix remembers. Oh! I know! There’s a book with the information on faculty members of Senerra Academy. Maybe your grandmother’s family was written there, too. You can also search about the history of the academy, and see if there are any mentions of your parents or your family name."

Eirin’s face brightened, a joyous light that filled the room. "You’re right! I’ll search there," she said, also remembering that she still has to search about Nirvana and someone named Nævi, two other mysteries that were somehow connected to her new life.

"I’ll go with you—"

Coleen’s stomach began rumbling, a loud, embarrassing sound that filled the room, causing her to complain with a comical pout, while Eirin laughed, a soft sound. They decided to meet after Coleen ate, and Eirin went to give her letters to Miss Welkins.

Miss Welkins assured Eirin that her recipient will immediately receive her letters, and Eirin’s heart swelled with a gentle warmth. Before Eirin could leave, she glanced back at Miss Welkins, wanting to ask about her grandmother, about her past, about the painful secrets.

"What is it?"

Miss Welkins asked, her voice gentle and soft, caring light in her kind, brown eyes. Eirin, her heart a confused mess, shook her head as she went out of the room. She couldn’t bear troubling Miss Welkins with her personal questions, and so she decided to find Link instead, a wise, dependable friend who might be able to shed some light on this new mystery.

Eirin walked in the hallway, her body a small, tired thing, and it reminded her of how she ran through the halls earlier with Shade chasing after her, a memory that made her face start blushing in a new, sweet embarrassment. The halls, usually so loud and chaotic, were now a quiet thing, a silent, intimate witness to her journey.

A new voice, a small, innocent sound, came from right behind her. Eirin turned around after feeling someone’s hand on her buttocks, a small, confused touch that made her flinch. But before she could swat the hand away, a small, angry, and protective motion, she froze after seeing a small child behind her.

The child, a small, beautiful girl with bright, innocent eyes, giggled.

"Caught you," the little girl said.

Eirin held the young girl’s hand, a soft, small thing in her palm. The girl, a beautiful girl with bright, innocent eyes and a small, button nose, giggled as she ran away, her little body a joyful blur of motion. Her fiery-red hair, a vibrant splash of color against the green, fluttered with the wind, leaving Eirin baffled and frozen from where she was standing.

"You’re it! Now you have to chase me!"

The girl said, her voice a beautiful song that was filled with childish glee. Her emerald green eyes sparkled, a bright, stunning light that was full of mischief, leaving Eirin baffled and frozen from where she was standing.

The overwhelming embarrassment of her earlier run-in with Shade had not yet faded, and now she was faced with another chaotic, spontaneous event. Her mind was a complete, disorganized mess, her thoughts a tangled web of confusion.

"You have to chase after me, big sister! Come on, run!"

Eirin blinked lots of times, her mind a wild, disorganized mess, before a small, helpless smile touched her lips. There was no way she could say no to those big, pleading eyes. She did what the young girl said. She started to run after her, her feet a fast, hurried rhythm against the ground. She could hear the young girl’s giggles, a light, musical sound that was filled with happiness, causing her to smile as she continued running.

The aching emptiness she had felt earlier, the worry for Shade, the confusion about her parents, all of it faded away for a single moment. All that mattered was the chase, the joy of the present, the innocent, simple game.

"You can’t catch me!"

The girl screamed, a joyful challenge that echoed in the vast space. The smile on Eirin’s face grew as she liked the challenge the little girl gave her. She poured her energy into her feet, her body a blur of motion as she tried to close the gap between them. She was almost there, her hand just inches away from her fiery-red hair, but before she could reach her, someone else got there and caught her first.

"Got you."

A low, smooth voice said, a deep, melodic sound that sent a familiar shiver down Eirin’s spine.

Eirin’s eyes landed on the man in front of her. Her body, which had been a messy blur of motion just a second ago, now froze, her muscles a tight, tense knot of shock.

"Oh? You’re still here," Eirin said, her voice a disbelieving whisper, about Shade Cromwell, who’s now carrying the little girl in his arms.

The girl, a small, laughing thing in his powerful embrace, was a beautiful contrast to Shade’s cold, detached exterior.

Shade’s eyes, a dark, intense light, landed on Eirin, a new amusement in their depths. "Hello to you, too, Miss Luxfield. I decided to stick around for now—the others are still preparing—but you see, I have a feeling there are some dramatic moments that will unfold here."

The way he acted so formal, so casual, and so unbothered, left Eirin baffled. It was as if their chase earlier had never even happened She only got back to reality after hearing the little girl laughing, a sound so full of joy that it broke through her shocked silence.

"I see, you two have met. It seems you have a fan, Luxfield."

Eirin tilted her head, a confused mess. "Do you know this child? She seems to have a personal connection with you," she asked, a soft, hesitant whisper, referring to the child in Shade’s arms.

The young girl giggled as she hugged Shade, her arms a small, tight grip around his neck.

"Daddy!"

Hearing that word immediately made Eirin’s eyes go wide. Her mouth hung open in a silent scream as she stared at Shade in disbelief, her gaze wild, searching light on his face, trying to find a hint of a lie, a hint of a joke.

"You have a child? Wait, aren’t you like seventeen?"

The questions, a series of panicked, disorganized gasps, spilled from her lips. Eirin’s eyes widened even more as she stared back at the young girl who looks like she was already six years old, a small, innocent thing. Her head started calculating.

If Shade is seventeen right now, and the little girl is six or five, then he would have been... Eirin covered her mouth in surprise, a disbelieving look on her face.

"You’re a teenage dad? That’s... that’s just insane!"

Shade, his dark eyes sparkling with beautiful amusement, immediately flicked her forehead, a gentle, playful motion. The small, sharp sting of his finger was a startling sensation that brought her back to reality. Eirin cowered in pain, rubbing her forehead, while the little girl laughed.

"Stop believing everything you hear. This brat calls everyone her daddy. She’s just a troublemaker."

Shade’s voice, though firm, was filled with gentle affection

The little girl’s appearance somewhat resembles someone Eirin’s been seeing for a while, but she couldn’t pinpoint who it was.

"Would you play with me again, big sister?" The little girl said as she turned Eirin, trying to lure her with those big emerald pleading eyes, a weapon of childish persuasion. "My name is Ruby."

The little girl got off Shade after introducing herself. "I would like to play with big sister and big brother today," she said, her voice a small, confident, and adorable thing. She held Eirin and Shade’s hands, her small, soft fingers a warm, gentle grip, and pulled them towards the garden where there were more children playing around.

The garden, a vast, beautiful place of green grass and colorful flowers, was a perfect, sunlit arena for their games.

"Ruby! Where did you go?"

One child, a small boy with a worried, flustered look on his face, rushed to Ruby, as if he had been searching for her for a while. He looked at Eirin and back to Ruby again, confusion filled his eyes.

"I found us more players," Ruby giggled. "This is Shade, my older brother, and Eirin, his girlfriend."

Eirin’s forehead creased. The blood, a hot wave of embarrassment, rushed to her cheeks, making her feel like they were on fire. She wondered where the little girl got all that information, and how she knew Eirin’s name.

The children, with an excited cheer, flocked around Eirin, not giving her time to explain that she wasn’t Shade Cromwell’s girlfriend. They were all excited to play with her that she couldn’t help but look at Shade, her eyes pleading, begging him to help her out, to clear this embarrassing misunderstanding.

"I can’t seem to understand what you want to say, Luxfield," Shade said while smiling from ear to ear.