The Extra's Rise-Chapter 218: Rachel’s Sweet Sixteen (3)

Rachel’s eyes filled with tears, her lips parting in a small gasp. Her mother looked just as beautiful as she remembered—golden hair glowing, her gentle features as kind as ever.

Then, her mother turned to face her, her eyes softening, and a warm smile spread across her face. The same smile that always made everything feel better.

"Mommy!" Rachel whispered, her voice breaking with emotion.

The little girl didn’t think twice—she pushed the door open wider, slipping inside the room as quietly as she could. She hurried towards her mother, her tiny footsteps barely making a sound on the polished floor.

"Rachel..." her mother whispered, her voice like a gentle melody, almost as if she was surprised. She knelt down, her arms opening wide, and Rachel ran right into them, wrapping her small arms around her mother’s neck.

"Mommy! I missed you so much!" Rachel’s voice broke, tears now streaming down her cheeks as she buried her face in her mother’s shoulder.

Her mother hugged her tightly, her warmth enveloping Rachel, and for a moment, everything felt right again. The world outside faded away, leaving only the two of them.

"My sweet angel," her mother said softly, stroking Rachel’s hair. "I missed you too, so very much."

Rachel sniffled, holding on tighter. "When are we going on our adventure, Mommy? You promised."

Her mother hesitated, and Rachel saw her eyes flicker strangely.

No, they were glowing.

There was something in her mother’s eyes—something that made Rachel feel lost, as if she was being pulled into an abyss.

Suddenly, her mother threw her head back and laughed—a laugh that didn’t sound like the one Rachel knew. It was wild, uncontrolled, almost a scream. The sudden shift terrified her.

Her mother’s grip on her loosened, and she let go of Rachel, her hands clawing at her own hair as she shrieked. The room filled with her cries, echoing off the walls.

"M-Mommy?" Rachel stammered, her small voice barely audible against the sound of her mother’s screams. She reached out, but her mother seemed lost in her own world.

"Live... live... live..." her mother muttered under her breath, her voice cracking. The glow in her eyes flickered, fading, until her gaze finally fell back onto Rachel.

With a sudden movement, her mother grabbed her again, her hands wrapping tightly around Rachel’s small arms, almost painfully so.

"You will listen to what Mommy says, won’t you, Rachel?" her mother said, her lips curling into a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Rachel winced at the pain, but she nodded quickly. "Y-yes, Mommy," she replied, her voice trembling.

After all, her mommy would never hurt her.

Her mother’s smile widened, and she leaned forward, pressing a kiss on Rachel’s forehead. "Good girl," she whispered.

Rachel smiled, feeling a flicker of warmth, believing her mother was showing her love.

But she never saw the harsh slap coming.

The force of it made her head snap to the side, a stinging pain spreading across her cheek. Shock filled her blue eyes as tears welled up, her small body recoiling.

"Mommy..." she whispered, her voice breaking, as she looked up at her mother, unable to understand what had just happened.

Her mother’s face was twisted, a mixture of sorrow and anger, her eyes flickering with that eerie glow once again. And just as quickly, the twisted expression vanished, replaced by a hollow, empty stare.

Rachel’s heart pounded, her confusion and fear tangling into an aching knot. She couldn’t understand—this wasn’t her mommy. Not the one who promised adventures, who held her with warmth and love.

"Mommy?" she whispered again, hoping for the warmth to return, for her mommy to come back to her.

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For the next week, Rachel was left alone with her mother.

It should have been the happiest time of her life, finally spending time with her mother after so many weeks of being apart.

But instead, it was nothing short of a nightmare.

A week of hell.

Her mother’s moods shifted like the wind. One moment, she was gentle, whispering words of love, brushing Rachel’s golden hair with delicate fingers. But the very next moment, her eyes would flicker with that eerie glow, and her hand would lash out—a slap that made Rachel’s ears ring, or worse, a jolt of magic that left her trembling in pain.

Rachel cried herself to sleep most nights, curling into a small ball under her blanket, her body sore from the constant beatings. Her mother was unpredictable, and Rachel learned to fear every creak of the floorboards, every shadow that passed by her door.

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She tried to understand—tried to tell herself that her mother was just sick, that it wasn’t really her doing these things. But understanding didn’t stop the fear. It didn’t stop the hurt.

’Save me,’ Rachel thought, tears silently trailing down her cheeks as she braced herself for another blow.

But nobody came. No one knew. It was as if the world had forgotten her, and the only person left was this twisted version of her mother.

The garden where they had once played together was now nothing more than a view through the window—a world that seemed unreachable. Rachel watched the flowers sway in the breeze, her small hands pressed against the glass. She longed to be out there, running through the grass, feeling the sunlight on her skin, away from the suffocating presence that filled the room behind her.

"Rachel," her mother’s voice called, a sweetness masking the darkness beneath. Rachel flinched, her small body tensing.

"Come here, my darling," her mother said, her tone saccharine but her eyes still holding that flicker of madness.

Rachel turned, her heart pounding as she slowly stepped away from the window. She approached her mother, her feet dragging, her head lowered.

"Yes, Mommy?" she whispered, her voice barely audible, her gaze fixed on the floor.

Her mother’s fingers curled under her chin, lifting her face. "You know Mommy loves you, right?" she said, smiling in that twisted way that made Rachel’s stomach churn.

"Yes, Mommy," Rachel replied, her voice hollow, her eyes welling up with tears she dared not shed.

"Good girl," her mother said, her fingers tightening painfully under Rachel’s chin before letting go.

Rachel stumbled back, holding in her tears, her small body trembling as she fought to keep herself from breaking.

She could only hope, only wish, that somehow, someone would come and save her.

After a full week of suffering, Rachel found herself once again at the mercy of her mother. This time, her skin was being frozen, an agonizing chill creeping across her body as frost slowly spread over her delicate skin.

Rachel shivered violently, her skin cracking under the freezing touch, her lips turning blue. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, her throat dry and raw from pleading with her mother to stop.

But her words fell on deaf ears. Her mother’s eyes held no warmth, just that eerie, unnatural flicker that had haunted Rachel for days.

She had given up by now. No more cries, no more struggling—only silent tears that rolled down her cheeks.

Suddenly, the door burst open with a force that made it slam against the wall. Rachel’s eyes widened in surprise, and her head turned slightly, her vision blurry from tears.

Her father stood in the doorway, his silver hair slightly disheveled, his expression twisted in fury. His steps were heavy, filled with barely restrained rage, and his eyes locked on her mother, who stood there, unmoving, her cold fingers still outstretched toward Rachel.

The atmosphere in the room changed in an instant. The frost that had been spreading over Rachel disappeared, melting away as a rush of warmth enveloped her. Her father’s mana—a shield of warmth and protection—wrapped around her small form, pushing back the icy mana that had trapped her.

He moved quickly, reaching Rachel and lifting her into his arms, cradling her tightly against his chest. "It’s all right, Rachel. I’m here now," he whispered, his voice trembling with barely controlled anger as he turned away from his wife.

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He placed Rachel into Elena’s waiting arms, his eyes never leaving his wife’s hollow gaze. Elena clutched Rachel to her chest, her eyes wide with fear and concern.

"Take her away, Elena. Now," he ordered, his voice hard as steel.

Elena nodded quickly, turning to leave the room with Rachel. The little girl’s head rested on Elena’s shoulder, her tear-filled eyes looking back towards her parents.

"Why are you doing this?" Alastor demanded, his voice trembling with both fury and pain. "What has happened to you?"

Her mother stood still, her eyes flickering, her expression blank. She said nothing.

"You’re not the woman I married," he continued, his voice breaking slightly. "And you are no longer fit to be near Rachel."

With a wave of his hand, a surge of mana filled the room. A complex pattern began to form, glowing circles that spun around her mother, growing in intensity until they wrapped around her completely.

"Nine-Circle Spell: Eternal Prison," he intoned, his voice echoing with power.

The glowing circles sealed into place, a barrier rising around her mother, encasing her in an impenetrable prison. The light of the spell flickered before solidifying, leaving her mother standing behind a transparent wall, her cold, empty eyes staring back.

Rachel watched as the door closed behind them, her father’s voice still echoing in her ears. Her heart ached, the confusion and fear almost too much for her small mind to comprehend.

She buried her face in Elena’s shoulder, tears flowing silently.

Everything she had once known had changed, and now, all she could do was cling to whatever warmth remained.