Legacy Of Altherion

A mouth-watering aroma tickled Logan’s nose, stirring his stomach to voice it’s desires.

‘She’s making breakfast in the afternoon?’

Logan rolled out of bed, his body feeling stiff and achy.

He walked downstairs, glancing at the perfectly placed pictures on the white wall. The gold coloured frames displayed his parents, his aunt and uncle, and a mischievous looking boy in the middle of each one. He smiled and hurried down into the kitchen.

"Good morning dear" aunt Chloe said.

"Morning?" he said.

"How long have I been asleep?"

"It doesn’t matter. You needed the rest.” she said. “I bet you’re quite hungry too, come, breakfast is ready.”

Logan took a seat at the table without hesitation.

Aunt Chloe sat opposite him and watched him eat. She sipped her tea, smiling at the various facial expressions he made with each bite. Her actions were not uncommon. She always watched him eat, then waited for him to rate her food. It became somewhat of a game between his aunt and mother, to see which one received the highest ratings for various dishes.

Once Logan had his fill, his aunt chased him out of the kitchen. She suggested in a rather firm tone, that he take a shower.

Before he left for his shower, he paused and glanced at his aunt. She cleared the table in a robotic manner, seemingly oblivious to him still being there. He found her behaviour rather strange as she did not ask for a rating. Under normal circumstances, despite the occasion, she always asked. He decided to address it after he cleaned up, to give her more time to gather her thoughts.

Midday, Logan paced in his room. His aunt and uncle did everything in their power to avoid the discussion.

Unsettling thoughts plagued his mind. He refused to make assumptions, he just couldn’t. If he were to draw conclusions based on his own experience... Unable to bare the wait any longer, he stormed the living room.

"Tell me what's going on! I've rested enough and allowed you to collect your thoughts. Now please, tell me where my parents are." he said.

His aunt and uncle gazed at each other with pained expressions.

"Logan we were going to tell you, we were just waiting for the right time but... I guess there is no right time." uncle Bill said.

"Please, take a seat." aunt Chloe said in a soft voice pointing to the couch, barely getting the words out.

Logan shook his head.

"I can't, please just tell me what's going on." he said.

His aunt sighed. "A few weeks ago, a violent storm hit Kingsford, do you remember?"

"No, I don't recall anything of the sort.”

Aunt Chloe glanced at her husband, he returned her look of utter shock.

"Wait, what are you talking about? What storm?"

"It came out of nowhere and devastated the city, many people lost their lives." his uncle said.

Logan’s eyes widened.

"What are you saying?" he said.

"Before the storm descended, the three of you were on Elizabeth Mountain.” his aunt said.

"What were we doing on Liz Mountain?"

"You were about to start your lectures, so your dad wanted the family to spend some time together before you became too busy. He decided to take you guys out on a relaxing drive followed by dinner, but the weather changed abruptly." she said. "Your mom messaged me, as you left.”

"I don't remember any of this." he said, staring out of the window hoping to find some recollection.

"What happened then?" he said, turning back to them.

Aunt Chloe glanced at her husband, she took a deep breath following his nod.

"Your dad managed to leave before the storm fully descended, but about half way down the mountain…" she said, her voice went faint and shaky, then disappeared.

Completely overwhelmed and choking on her own voice, she could not continue. Uncle Bill grasped her hand and took over.

"The car went over the side of the mountain... It rolled all the way to the bottom." he said in a quivering voice.

Strength left Logan’s legs. The sound of his beating heart consumed him - Thump-Thump!

His lungs constricted, expelling air with each beat – Thump-Thump! He glanced around the room disoriented, unable to comprehend anything they said, until he glanced at his uncle and read his lips.

They...Didn’t...Make it – Thump-Thump! He collapsed onto his hands and knees.

His eyes burned as tears exploded onto the carpet. The loving faces of his parents and the wonderful experiences they shared flashed in his mind. He will never get to see them again. He will never feel the warmth of their loving embrace, or hear the sound of their voices again. When those realisations pierced Logan’s heart, he cried out with the loudest and loneliest scream one would ever want to hear. His aunt and uncle rushed to his side and embraced him. They tightened their embrace as the haunting sounds of wailing resounded around the room.

A week passed since Logan learned about the tragic death of his parents. His aunt and uncle gave him some space to mourn, deciding not to question him about his disappearance.

Logan sat in his room on an old wooden chair looking out into the street.

"I remember when your mom used to rock you to sleep in that, you would just stare at her for hours before finally giving in." aunt Chloe said, standing in the doorway.

Logan glanced at her with a smile, then turned back towards the window.

He sighed. "It must’ve been incredibly difficult for you, these past few weeks."

"Yes, we still have a hard time accepting it. I often wake up believing it to be a bad dream, as cliché as that sounds.” she said.

"No, I know what you mean, I feel the same way." he said. "Is that why you left the house untouched?"

"Yes…but we were hoping for a miracle too, that you would return to us. So for that reason, we didn't want you to come home to an empty house.”

"I understand, I'm glad you made that decision. I would've had a meltdown if I had returned to an empty house.”

"I don't want to push you if your not ready, but…" she said.

"But what?" he said, turning towards her.

Aunt Chloe took a deep breath.

"What happened to you, where have you been all this time?"

Logan thought back to the morgue and glanced to his left.

"I don't remember.”

Aunt Chloe walked towards him and stood in front of the window facing him.

"I'm always here for you, you know that right?" she said, placing her hand on his cheek.

"Yes... I know.”

"You don't have to tell me right now, just know that I'll be here when you are ready."

Logan smiled. "I appreciate that.”

Aunt Chloe kissed him on his head then proceeded to leave the room.

"Aunt Chloe?"

"Yes dear?" she said, turning around.

"When search and rescue found the car, were they still?

"No, they were already…and there was no sign of you anywhere around the crash site. They said that based on the wreckage, it's unlikely that there had been another passenger who would have survived the crash, not unless they exited the vehicle prior to it going over the edge.”

Logan’s eyes widened at his aunts words, his body trembled.

He clenched his fist and grit his teeth. ‘Did I abandon them?’

Aunt Chloe noticed his behaviour and walked back towards him. She placed her hand on his shoulder.

"I don't know what happened during the storm, so I won't claim to have the answers. However, I can say this with certainty. You are not to blame for any of this. No matter what happens, your uncle and I will always be here for you." she said, squeezing his shoulder.

He smiled at her, placing his hand on top of hers.

"I know, and I am grateful.”

His aunt attempted to change the mood of the room by asking him about something else.

"Have you decided what you will be doing going forward?"

"You mean University?"

"Yes, Bracken has a prestigious University you know, so there is no better choice.”

"Yeah about that.”

"What, don't tell me that you'll be going back to Kingsford?"

"No, that's not it.”

"Oh, then what are you planning to do?" she said with a raised brow.

"I'm thinking about working part time for a while, just to get off my feet you know?”

"I see, do you have a place in mind?"

"Actually I do, but I want you to promise that you won't interfere or get mad."

"Logan…don't tell me." she said with a shocked expression, clutching her chest.

Logan stared at her with narrowed eyes, a tiny grin emerged from the corners of his mouth. Before he could respond to her, his aunt continued.

"I mean, I understand that you're a handsome young man, but I don't think you have the moves nor rhythm for that kind of work. Besides, it looks like it'll be exhausting picking money off the floor all night.”

Logan stared at his aunt hoping to find some cracks in her expression, but as always, she was solid as a rock. He thought back to a few occasions where his mother and aunt teamed up and joked around, teasing him to the point of it being harassment. Despite

how ridiculous their statements were, they never cracked under the pressure of his stares to make them admit that they were joking, or to make them laugh.

‘She hasn't changed one bit.’

"Well, regardless. I will allow you to come to my place of work, just don't embarrass me, please.”

His aunt grinned.

"What is the name of the place?"

"Eleven-Noon.”

"The Bar?" she said with a raised brow.

"Yes, that's the one.”

His aunt opened her mouth to respond, however, she decided not to say anything. She just sighed and nodded.