Amelie’s face lit up when she saw Carlos’ name flash across the screen. Without a moment’s hesitation, she answered.
"Carlos?" she said, her eyes brightening as though she could already see him.
"Hey, Mimi," Carlos greeted, his tone carrying a softness reserved only for her. He leaned back in the wooden chair near the window of his room, as the moonlight casting faint shadows across his face. "How are you doing?"
"I’m fine. You?"
"I’m doing alright," he replied. A small pause lingered before he added quickly, "Grandma’s doing fine too, before you ask." His fingers drummed absently against the armrest, a restless rhythm betraying the calm in his voice.
Amelie smiled knowingly. "Why did you call? Don’t tell me you’re already missing us." Her words were teasing, but her heart secretly hoped it was true.
"I do miss you all," Carlos admitted after a short silence. His voice dropped, carrying the weight of something unsaid. "And... it’s happening again. They want me to lead." He let out a humorless laugh. "But I have no intention of teaching anyone anything. Sometimes I just wish I’d been born into a normal family."
The smile slowly faded from Amelie’s face. A worry clouded her eyes as she listened. She could feel he was frustrated and exhausted by all of this.
"Mimi," he murmured, "you know how my parents died... because of all this witchcraft and magic. I can’t stand being tied to it. The farther I am from it, the more at peace I feel." His words laced with a complaint he could no longer hold back.
"Yet, you somehow got tied to it," Amelie said softly.
"Yes," Carlos admitted. "The visions started first, which I never wanted or asked for. They said it was a blessing from heaven, but to me it feels more like a chain. After that, I was expected to learn, to study, to wield what was given." His fingers clenched around the armrest. "But all of this... suffocates me. Makes me feel as though I can’t breathe." He hesitated, then asked with sudden uncertainty, "I’m not boring you, am I? With all these unnecessary talks?"
"No, you aren’t," Amelie said quickly. "I’m glad you called, Carlos. You can speak as much as you need. I’ll listen."
On the other end, she heard him release a heavy sigh, long and weary. "I want to run away, Mimi. If it weren’t for Grandmother... if it weren’t for her frail health, I would have gone long ago. She’s the only reason I’m still here. But one day, I’ll find a place far from this, a place where I can live in peace." His voice broke into a murmur, as though the words themselves were too fragile to bear.
Amelie’s heart ached for him. She recalled the moment his grandmother had quietly confessed that her time was running short.
’Carlos, your grandmother doesn’t want you bound to this life any more than you do.’
Instead, she spoke gently. "You’re always welcome here, Carlos. Whenever you want, for however long you need. I understand what it means to long for a simple moment of peace."
"Thank you, Mimi," he whispered, sincerity softening his voice. A small pause followed before he asked, "Where’s Gabriel?"
"He’s not in the room," Amelie replied. She shifted slightly, glancing around the palace chamber where she sat. "We’re in the palace. Brother Dominick is getting married the day after tomorrow."
"Oh," Carlos said with a faint chuckle, tinged with regret. "I almost forgot. The King’s invitation did reach us, but... I had to politely decline. With Grandmother’s health waning, I couldn’t leave her side. Hopefully, the King didn’t take it to heart."
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