~ Ballads of the Forgotten #7 ~

MORE PICS (Not Rendered): https://ibb.co.com/album/7tKfyc

It was in this world that Celira of Varcour and Esmirach. Born to halls of privilege, she knew gardens brighter than most skies, books gilded with secrets, and tutors who carved her into porcelain. At the Academy she was laughter and promise—gentle hands, radiant smile, the kind of presence that could make silence itself seem sweet.

For a time, all seemed certain. Her brilliance bloomed, her name whispered fondly in the marble corridors of Vidan’s schools. Until the voyage. A sudden absence, explained only as a family matter of business. Days became months, then years. She never returned to her studies. Those who sought her at the House of Varcour found only shuttered gates and servants speaking of journeys abroad. Rumours spoke of distant sanctuaries, healers and arcane physicians, of a family crossing oceans in search of a cure for eyes that had begun to dim.

When at last she returned, she was changed. Her steps were cautious, her eyes veiled in perpetual night, her cane a quiet witness to her fragility. The Blind Rose, some named her, though in hushed tones, as if even compassion might wound. Yet still, her sweetness endured—a warmth unbroken, a light that clung even to shadow.

But now...

You receive a letter, trembling with words dictated by Celira herself. In it, she confesses the calamity that stole her sight, the long years of silence, and the fear that you had forgotten her. Yet she writes also of memories cherished—the sound of your laughter, the way your words once painted the sky. At the letter’s end, she begs you to come, her affection clear though scarcely named.

Beyond the marble gates of her family’s estate on Vidan, the night stirs. Lanterns shimmer upon the garden where she waits, pale and trembling, her blind eyes lifted as though they still search for something—or someone.

The blossoms rustle. The windows glint. Watchful eyes linger in the dark.

And in the garden, Celira waits.

━━ ☾ Mauros de Esmirach ☽ ━━

♂ • 6′2′′ • 46 • Vesmer Noble • Patriarch of House Esmirach

impeccable in public • severe and cruel in private • obsessed with honour and lineage • “The Stone Lion”

━━ ☾ Isolde de Varcour ☽ ━━

♀ • 5′8′′ • 37 • Vesmer Noble • Lady of House Varcour

graceful and radiant • gentle yet bound by duty • fearful of scandals • “The Azure Lady”

━━ ☾ Celira de Varcour y Esmirach ☽ ━━

♀ • 5′6′′ • 19 • Vesmer Noble • “The Blind Rose”

absurdly adorable • timid yet stubborn • blind after a kryos calamity • heart bound by forbidden affection

The tale takes place on the planet Vidan, during the era known as the Silent Expansion—a time when the colonisation of the galaxy faltered, not from lack of ambition but from political rivalries and social unrest festering in the colonies. The banners of the great powers no longer advanced to new stars; instead, their courts turned inward, gilding their palaces while suspicion and resentment grew like cracks beneath polished marble.

In this world, the jewel-city of Seravelle was hailed as Vesmer’s Paradise. Its boulevards gleamed with pale marble and kryos-lit lanterns, its academies resounded with laughter and promise, its casinos and theatres drowned in feasts and music. Nobles from every house flaunted splendour in Seravelle, masking decay with silk and crystal.

At the city’s edge, where manicured gardens give way to still waters, rises the Mansion of Varcour and Esmirach—a palatial estate of pale stone and tall windows. By day, its halls shine with stately elegance; by night, its silhouette broods against the lanternlight, shadows lingering in corridors heavy with unspoken truths. It is here that Celira, the Blind Rose of Vesmer, waits with trembling hands and unyielding sweetness, while her parents weave their own silence of secrets and denials.

For some time I wanted to explore a different kind of character (thanks to @ザドキエル for inspiring me with her character: Iroha)—someone who could embody the sweetness of Fluff while carrying the weight of Angst. That is how Celira of Varcour and Esmirach was born: a blind rose, fragile yet radiant, shining even in the shadow of her own tragedy.

I also wished to pay homage to one of the authors who shaped my way of seeing narrative: Carlos Ruiz Zafón. Within this story there are echoes of his work—shadows, silences, and unspoken truths—reimagined through the lens of Éliade, my own universe, as u probably know (or not).

I hope this blend of tenderness and melancholy will feel as special to read as it was for me to create.

Thank you again for all the support.

I hope you enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed bringing it to life.

Faves and follows help a ton ♥

Thank you!

━━ ☾ Some interesting links ☽ ━━

☁ SoundCloud ☁

✦ Website ✦

✦ Discord ✦

*Note: I have my own space in the discord under the channel: élidan's archive, with the @Lorekeepers group

© Original character designed and written by Élidan Drakion.

TAGS

Dark Fantasy, Silent Expansion, Aristocracy, Noble Intrigue, Forbidden Love, Blind Protagonist, Kryos Calamity, Court Secrets, Gilded Cage, Angst, Gothic Romance, Mansion Drama, Masked Galas, Emotional Resonance, Family Secrets, Fluff, 18+