Chapter 02
Mother’s Final Gift
A faint consciousness began to return, breaking the isolation from reality. The first thing she noticed was the warmth of where she was lying.
‘…Is this the afterlife?’
Her almond-shaped vision flickered open and shut as if resisting the tiny ripples playing across her eyelids. Finally, Ebony opened her eyes.
The first thing she saw was a radiant sky.
A vast, cloudless expanse stretched above her.
A gentle breeze swayed the wild grass in a dance of serenity across a lush meadow. She was captivated, unsure of where she was.
“Are you awake?”
After a while, a beautiful woman peeked out from behind the oak tree Ebony had been leaning against.
Their eyes met, and Ebony felt a strange surge of emotion—an overwhelming tenderness she had never experienced before.
“…Mother?”
Without hesitation, she assumed the unfamiliar woman before she was her mother. The woman didn’t deny it.
The woman approached and knelt before her. Although the sunlight cast a shadow over her face, it seemed to make her features glow even more—perhaps due to the affection radiating from her eyes.
“I missed you, my dear. Have you been suffering?”
Ebony couldn’t bring herself to reply.
“I’m so sorry for leaving you behind. I was selfish, and you bore the cost of my choices. It must have been so hard for you…”
She still didn’t know how to respond. The woman’s gentle words seemed to fill the void in her heart.
“I missed you, but I never wished to see you this soon…”
The woman pulled Ebony into an embrace, burying her face in her daughter’s neck as tears began to fall. Her hands, gently patting Ebony’s back, carried a sorrowful weight.
Oddly, though her mother was crying, Ebony felt her tears welling up. She clutched her mother’s arm tightly as her emotions spilled over.
After their tears subsided, they exchanged smiles and laughed together.
“My, my, you’re so beautiful, my dear. Just like me,” the woman said, tucking Ebony’s golden hair behind her ear.
Ebony found it hard to believe—her elegant mother, Violet, was said to be the Empire’s greatest beauty. Yet here she was, likening herself to Ebony, who had always thought of herself as plain.
The two shared compliments, their warm words melting away years of estrangement.
When the atmosphere felt lighter, Ebony hesitated before asking, “Mother, I’ve always been curious.
Why did you name me Ebony?
My name means dark, but my hair is bright and golden…”
She had always wondered. As a child, she had sometimes resented her mother for giving her a name that didn’t seem to suit her, especially when it led to teasing from others.
Violet gently played with Ebony’s hair as she replied, “Because I wanted my daughter to be unshaken by others. Like ebony wood, I wanted you to be strong and steadfast.”
“…”
“I wanted you to live as Ebony Dominique, not as someone defined by your lineage or title. Just you.”
Ebony had once believed even her name was against her, unaware that it was her mother’s final gift, filled with hope and love.
Yet, instead of living up to that gift, she had locked herself in the molds others had made for her.
“Forgive me, Mother. I was foolish and lived in fear, hiding away instead of embracing who I was meant to be.”
Her mother’s warm voice interrupted her regret. “If you could go back, what would you do?”
“I’d be the person you hoped I would be. I’d become the Empire’s only Spirit Mage and carve my path.”
Violet smiled and kissed her cheek. “Then do it, my brave and beloved daughter.”
She cradled Ebony in her lap, singing a lullaby that lulled her back into a deep, peaceful sleep.
Ebony awoke with a start. The sensation was oddly familiar, but the warmth of the meadow was gone. Above her hung an ornate chandelier.
She realized she was back in her room.
Ebony rushed to the mirror, where she saw her reflection—healthy and normal, without the frailty or tear-stained face she remembered from her final days.
Touching her cheek, she thought, Was it all a dream?
But it couldn’t be. The pain of her wounds and the sorrow she had felt were far too vivid to dismiss.
Then, something caught her eye: a pendant around her neck—the same one Violet had worn in the meadow.
Her mother’s voice echoed in her mind:
“If you could go back, what would you do?”
“This is… Mother’s last gift.”
Tears welled up as she held the emerald pendant, understanding that her wish to start over had been granted.
Determined, Ebony opened her journal, confirming the date: Imperial Year 431, nearly two years before her death.
She read the most recent entry:
“Today was the family gathering. I had an allergic reaction during dinner because of the lobster dish my sister chose. The mood turned sour, and I returned home alone while everyone else stayed behind…”
The painful memories returned—being ignored and forgotten by her family. But this time, instead of sadness, she felt resolve.
“Let’s change this, Ebony,” she whispered to herself.
With her mother’s love guiding her, she resolved to make her second chance worthwhile.
Calling for her maid startled the young servant, who wasn’t used to receiving orders from Ebony.
“Help me get ready,” Ebony said firmly.
“Y-yes, My Lady. Are you going out?”
“I’m going to see the Duke.”
The maid hesitated, shocked by her boldness.
But Ebony was resolute, her voice steady as she replied, “Yes. Time doesn’t stop, so let’s not waste it.”
