Page 222 of A Reign of Chromes & Shadows

Olivis nearly upset a bowl of soup from a server’s hands in her shock. She steadied herself before speaking. “I have to say, I am incredibly surprised to hear you say that. I am very glad you have come around to the idea of marriage. I am happy to see you have matured and are beginning to take your father’s direction seriously.”

Across the table, Snow snorted, nearly inhaling a spoonful of soup. She fought off a coughing fit, quickly regaining her composure. Rain grinned at her, choosing to ignore his mother’s delusions as he focused on his own dish. Virginia, noticing the silent exchange between the twins, took the opportunity to discuss the wedding with Olivis; mother to mother.

Rain and his sisters settled into a comfortable silence as they enjoyed the meal, focusing on each delicious course. For Rain, the experience was especially gratifying; after a week of fending for himself. surviving on fast food and whatever scraps he could find at Grey House, the feast before him felt like pure heaven.

As they dined, Virginia shared stories about her twins, offering a glimpse into their upbringing. Candy, she explained, had always been cheeky and confident, often the source of laughter in their household. Floss, in contrast, had been timid and reserved, constantly at Candy’s side like a shadow. Virginia recounted the challenges Floss faced as his powers grew stronger, and how this shift prompted Candy to withdraw, becoming more hardened, driven by duty and a fierce desire to protect her brother.

The similarities between the Pink twins’ circumstances and their own did not escape Rain. He began to understand why Candy might resist marrying someone like him—someone whose primary power mirrored her brother’s. The idea of being tethered to another empath renowned for his struggles with control must be terrifying.

Olivis joined the conversation, recalling Rain’s own childhood. “Rain was a difficult child, very sensitive. I recall an evening when he was around Navy’s age, my husband had called for a grand celebration, with guests from all the kingdoms. It was quite an event.” She waved her hand dismissively. “I was summoned because Rain was in distress, completely beside himself, rolling on the floor like an animal. It was quite unseemly; his hands over his ears while he screamed over and over that the lightswere too loud. We had no choice but to sedate him. It was terrifying. The nanny soon realised it was the overwhelming number of visitors that triggered the episode. After that, we made sure Rain was sent away whenever we entertained guests. Of course, that was before his powers evolved, and we could no longer risk him leaving the palace.”

Rain’s expression hardened, and an uncomfortable tension settled over the table. He responded with restrained bitterness.

“Yes, it must have been very inconvenient for your social life to have a child like me. You couldn’t begin to understand the unbearable feeling of being overwhelmed by thousands of foreign emotions—all coursing through the body of a five-year-old. I wasn’t even old enough to understand the emotions I was forced to endure. Thousands, Mother. Thousands. So yes, they overwhelmed me to the point of insanity, with every sense of my own unbearably amplified to torturous levels.”

He paused, blinking away the memory, adjusting his shirt cuffs. The tension at the table was a stark reminder of the emotional cost of his abilities.

“But then, what would you know of it? Even when you knew Snow’s touch would have taken away my pain, Father still insisted his favourite child be present. He liked to show off his little weather wielder like a party trick, while his disappointingly feeble son remained locked away out of sight. Your solution was to sedate me and send me away—to further isolate me.”

Olivis grew visibly pale, her hands trembling beside her cutlery. She hadn’t anticipated such a response. In truth, she hadn’t given it much thought; she had simply intended to share one of the few moments she had been called upon to act as a parent. Those occasions were exceedingly rare; she and Rain’s father were seldom present unless it was to chastise or reprimand.

Resting her hand gently over Rain’s clenched fist, Virginia was the first to break the silence. “I am ever so sorry for all that you have had to suffer because of your power. Floss has never articulated what it is like to feel everything. I realise now he has been sparing us the heartache of knowing.”

Sniffing softly, she dabbed her eye with a napkin before returning her gaze to Rain. Her soft brown eyes held sincere empathy. “All aetherials have failed both of you. It is our duty as the parents who chose to bring you into the world to guide you and nurture your powers. None of us have been equipped to do so, and we have failed you greatly.”

For a moment, Rain was speechless. Gratitude and confusion warred within him, but gradually he found solace in her words. Until now, he had always been made to feel like a curse; an abomination among his own kind, blamed and mistreated for the very abilities he possessed. The weight of that isolation had been immense. No one had ever suggested he wasn’t solely responsible for his suffering.

Rain glanced across the table to find Snow equally captivated by Virginia. Sensing the depth of her thoughts, he reached out with his abilities and was confronted with his own intrusive thought:

So that is what it is like to have a supportive mother.

Rain’s gaze shifted to Virginia, recognising the truth in Snow’s silent reflection. Unlike their own upbringing, Virginia’s love for her children was unmistakable; she was actively striving to improve their lives from a place of genuine care.

It became clear to Rain that Taffy’s decision to offer him command of his army was not merely political but rooted in a desire to secure a better future for his family. Taffy and Virginia believed Rain might hold the key to solving the challenges facing their children and they had placed their trust in him.

With this understanding, Rain made a decisive commitment. If Candy was unwilling or unable to come to him, he would take the initiative and travel to the Pink Kingdom himself. He would meet Candy, fulfil the expectations placed upon him, and embrace the opportunity for change.

At the very least, he would help Floss; empath to empath.

Chapter 58

Stretching restlessly beneath the covers, Rain abandoned any hope of a peaceful night’s sleep. The familiar comfort of his own bed offered little relief, unable to shield him from the persistent night terrors. Tonight was proving to be the worst yet. Despite his exhaustion, sleep came quickly, only to be shattered again and again by a relentless parade of nightmares. Each time he drifted off, he was confronted with the demise of either himself or someone he loved.

A blood-red hourglass threaded through every dream; its desert-red sand tormenting him, forcing him to race against the falling grains only to fall short each time.

The backs of his eyelids were plagued by failure and death.

Two dreams in particular refused to loosen their grip on him. The first; the worst of his Snow dreams. lingered like a bruise on his mind. Perhaps it was the slow, horrifically gory demise, or perhaps it was the way her screams echoed through him as though she were truly calling out for him.

In this dream, she was tightly chained to a large pole atop a wooden platform, surrounded by a bloodthirsty crowd chanting for her death, almost salivating for her execution. The rowdy masses blocked his path, and as she pleaded for him to save her, he realised he was powerless. He had to reach her. He clawed his way through the crowd, but they grabbed at him, tugging him backward—for every step he took, they pushed him back three more.

A dark hooded figure in blood-soaked robes appeared before her as a tall hourglass materialised at her side. The figure pressed a long, sharp blade to Snow’s chest, driving it toward her heart. Her agonised screams tore through him as the crowd roared in approval.

The harder he pushed, the faster the grains bled through the hourglass and the deeper the blade sank. By the time he reached her, the hourglass sat motionless, filled. Time was up. Snow hung slumped over the blade that fully impaled her petite body, blood weeping from the wound as he clutched the sharpened edge, lost to despair while the crowd celebrated around them.

The dream featuring Jay was quicker, yet somehow even more gory.

It began pleasantly; a romantic walk through the palace gardens, both enjoying one another’s company as Rain gave Jay a tour. Jay’s doe eyes shone with love as Rain cupped his jaw, leaning in for a kiss… when a flicker of flames reflected in Jay’s irises caught his attention.