《The Red Flower - The Game》 1. The Game ¡®Society lives in an endless cycle of recurrence.¡¯ ¡®Troublesome and riotous behavior is not out of frivolity.¡¯ ¡®Everything has a reason, be it hate, love, or twisted passion. Even warm feelings can catch fire.¡¯ ¡®They are all signs of asking for help, even if the owner is unaware of them. They are signs that have gone out of control for feelings that do not accommodate the owner.¡¯ ¡®Hatred has its causes, whether from a clear, visible, or hidden reason.¡¯ ¡®Everything has a cause, every action has its result, and every hate and malice has precedents that motivate it.¡¯ ¡®There is no ¡°either good or evil.¡± They both live at the same time.¡¯ ¡®This is our reality, and this is our cycle.¡¯ ¡®Being dead may be a way¡­ to live.¡¯ ¡®After all, there are no such feelings¡­¡¯ ¡®In a dead person.¡¯ A teen boy stood silently in the crowd, dressed in all black, matching his long black hair. Nobody seemed to pay him any mind; maybe even he was not noticed by anyone, as if not existing at all. His eyes, as cold as ice, glanced behind his shoulder as if being watched.
The Red Flower Chapter. 1
¡°Many years ago, people witnessed a frightening incident¡­ they said a stranger was standing under a big tree in the middle of the forest¡­ After speaking alone, something happened, blood was all over the place¡­ and the stranger disappeared with only his clothes and blood under that tree¡­¡± ¡°They tried to cut the tree after the terrible incident, but¡­ they couldn¡¯t cut it at all. Days passed, and slowly¡­ a beautiful red flower grew next to the tree¡­¡± ¡°They found out later that the flower radiates and produces a sound like a sad tender tone hummed by someone at night, and because of that, it is widely known till this day¡­¡± ¡°Or so they said~¡± said a little girl with long light purple hair, swinging her tiny legs back and forth on the black-covered bed. The other one in the room, sitting on the black bedroom bench beside the window, slowly diverted his attention from the book he was reading to the smiling girl. Sending her an uninterested look, ¡°Oh, yeah? Isn¡¯t that some random story you made up again?¡± The girl scrunched up her face a little as if offended. ¡°Hey, this time it¡¯s a real one! There is even a book stating it in¡­¡± the girl paused, seeming lost in thought for a moment, which made the black-haired teen blink, ¡°¡®in¡¯¡­?¡± ¡°DAVANTE!¡± She gave a sudden wide smile and happily hopped down from the bed to walk to the teen as she found something interesting to tell him. Davante was still uninterested and calm while waiting for her to say whatever she had to him. ¡°Let¡¯s play a game!¡± Davante suppressed a sigh, and with a still face, he complained, ¡°Again¡­?¡± he then proceeded to go along with it as if used to the girl¡¯s shenanigans. ¡°The rules?¡± She smiled gently with red eyes that seemed to hold something unfamiliar to Davante. She held her index finger up to state the rules. ¡°Simple, don¡¯t cheat, okay?¡± . . . If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. . ¡°Alright¡­¡± Davante stopped in the middle of the path with an expressionless face, standing still and letting people pass by his left and right. ¡°Where do I go now?¡± after some time of standing and thinking, his legs slowly moved to walk leisurely and aimlessly, ¡®Oh, well¡­ let¡¯s take a walk for now.¡¯ He glanced around the busy city, kids running happily and calling for their parents to catch up, friends chatting and laughing together, and busy people walking hurriedly to a meeting or whatnot¡­ an ordinary day in any city, yet Davante felt very foreign standing in it. ¡®Nothing has changed since then¡­¡¯ He wasn¡¯t looking ahead when he suddenly bumped into someone. He calmly looked down to find a groaning teen girl with pinkish, fluffy short hair. Hesitant, he bent down a little to offer his hand to her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± She awkwardly laughed while rubbing her head as if it were a usual thing. ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s ok! I was just¡­ um!¡± she awkwardly pushed herself up to stand and hinted out, ¡°I was¡­ I was looking for someone to help me with something¡­?¡± . . ¡°I¡¯m so sorry again! Sorry for dragging you with me out of nowhere! It¡¯s just- it¡¯s kind of dangerous to go there alone, and no one was¡ª¡± ¡°No problem, I was on my way there anyway.¡± Davante stretched his hand toward the medium-sized green handbag in the girl¡¯s hands. ¡°Want me to carry this for you?¡± The cheery girl blushed a little with a troubled smile. ¡°Oh no, no! It¡¯s not even heavy, so don¡¯t worry!¡± she carried on with an apologetic smile, walking alongside Davante as if he wasn¡¯t a total stranger. ¡°It¡¯s already enough you¡¯re walking me to the academy! If only my brother could come and get his stuff by himself¡­ can¡¯t be helped, students can¡¯t leave the academy unless on holidays¡­¡± she stopped herself from complaining and looked to her side to the taller boy dressed in all black walking beside her, ¡°Do you also have someone you know there? Or perhaps, are you a new student?¡± Still looking ahead at the long road with a poker face, Davante answered after a moment of silence, ¡°A game¡­¡± he was hoping the girl wouldn¡¯t ask what game he was talking about, simply because it just didn¡¯t make any sense, he was just going along with Emmie¡¯s whims. He tried to change the direction of their conversation when he noticed her confused look his way and was about to ask him to explain further. Even though he wasn¡¯t by any means a talkative person, let alone starting up a conversation with anyone, he decided to try this once. ¡°By the way¡­¡± he contemplated shortly, ¡°TDF Academy, was it? What does it stand for?¡± it was just to change the topic, but it¡¯s not like he wasn¡¯t a little bit puzzled and curious about the name. The girl, fortunately, forgot about his answer earlier and went along to answer his question with a friendly smile. ¡°Ah, it means ¡®The Dark Flower¡¯! It refers to a strange flower under a big tree in the forest inside the campus¡­ rumors say that one of the headmaster¡¯s family members was influenced by that flower. I don¡¯t get why they¡¯d choose such a name for the academy, and my brother was wary of studying there at first because of it, hehe¡± she laughed to herself at the silly memory of her scared brother, unaware of her escort who fell silent and didn¡¯t give any input to the matter. ¡®So¡­ Emmie was right¡­?¡¯ despite being shocked, his face didn¡¯t move one bit, and just walked silently while looking down and thinking. ¡°Ah! There it is! The huge gate! TDF Academy!¡± He was slightly startled when the girl cheered suddenly beside him to announce their arrival at the academy. Looking up, he was faced with a massive black gate and guards standing around it. He suddenly needed to fix his red scarf around his neck; the wind got a bit chilly for a moment. . . . . ¡°Where did he go this time?¡± a white-gloved hand calmly reached for the half-filled glass with a suspicious red liquid, raising it up slowly to have short sips and savor the taste, waiting for the answer from the girl, Emmie. ¡°Said he wants to have a walk in the city,¡± came the clear answer from the smiley Emmie, shrugging her shoulders playfully. ¡°It¡¯s been years since he stepped out of the castle. Why suddenly?¡± asked the man with light silver-blue hair, casually swirling his drink with his hand. ¡°Who knows? No one can understand that boy after all~¡± When the clock bell rang loud over the silent spacious room, Emmie turned around and opened the luxurious black door, tossing a final playful smile to the man sitting by the long window on a fancy chair. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll have to go now. See you later, Albern.¡± ¡°Have fun with your game, Emmie.¡± She stiffened at Albern¡¯s words and his knowing smile just seconds before closing the door. She stood with her back to the closed door and looked down with a serious expression; her smile washed away. . . . . ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to show you around the academy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± the girl was still looking at him; Davante decided to add on, ¡°You can go to your brother.¡± She hummed and contemplated for a moment; she seemed unsure if it was the right thing to leave the guy alone and go, but she didn¡¯t want to insist and annoy him, so¡­ ¡°Okie~ Thank you again! Bye, bye!¡± Davante looked at the girl waving cheerfully at him before disappearing to some building inside the campus. He noticed a tiny thing slowly descending to the ground and looked up at the sky. ¡®Snow¡­¡¯ he was looking at the snow lifelessly before he saw a rather suspicious gate from the corner of his eyes to his left and turned to look at it properly. He slowly walked to the open gate through the bushes and stood just before entering. ¡®So this is the forest?¡¯ He slowly walked into the shady forest; he didn¡¯t know his way; he was just walking in a straight line and hoping to be in the right direction. It wasn¡¯t long before he caught sight of a big tree in the middle of a clearing; it was like the forest¡¯s center. It was so noticeable how different that tree was compared to the others that he was sure it was The Tree. He pushed himself between the trees and bushes and walked to the tree to stand under its shade. He looked up at it in silence. ¡®First mission accomplished¡­ now I should just go back¡­¡¯ He slightly widened his eyes at the sudden flood of memories running into his head all at once. A memory of a familiar woman covering her mouth and stepping back in fear, urging someone to hurry and leave the place. Another memory of his tiny hand reaching lightly to someone in the dark, asking them if they were lonely sitting alone in that small place. Or a memory of a man telling him gently that it was time to return home. Familiar, this place was familiar to him; Davante thought. ¡®I know¡­ this place¡­¡¯ Stoic face looked down at the red flower in complete silence. ¡®Was she scheming something¡­?¡¯ he recalled Emmie¡¯s smile while telling him the game, just as simple as she said it was. He decided to stop thinking and turned around to leave. ¡®Anyway, I¡¯ve done the job. Time to leave.¡¯ He didn¡¯t notice the flower behind radiating just the moment he turned around, so he was startled when a hand grabbed his leg out of nowhere to stop him from leaving. He wasn¡¯t ready for what he saw when he turned to look behind him, back to where the flower was. A corpse, or was it a monster? He wasn¡¯t sure; it was crawling in a pool of blood on the ground while still holding him in place by the grip. He wasn¡¯t even sure if he suddenly fell asleep and started dreaming because everything was black around him; the forest and trees were no longer there. It was too dark to look at whatever was holding his leg. He was frozen in place, even more so when the monster spoke. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting¡­¡± The monster-like person moved abruptly and grabbed multiple parts of his body just to get to his face; the bloody monster grabbed his head with two hands and opened its mouth wide enough to bite his whole head. ¡®What¡­¡¯ . . . . Emmie put her cold hand on the closed book, silently sitting on the bedroom bench by the window in the dark room. The night¡¯s gentle breeze forced itself into the room and swayed her long hair as she gently patted the book, the same book a particular teen was reading this morning. She mumbled to no one in the room. ¡°Enjoy¡­¡±
The End of CH. 1 2. Lets Start The Game: Version.3 Innocent wondering eyes silently looked at the other pair of eyes peeking from the slightly open iron door. The child with black hair and ice-blue eyes obediently stayed still as told. Blink¡ª The child sat in the same spot and room, no longer looking at the peeking eyes through the door. Tiny, shivering hands clutching his what used to be neat, clean, and now messy black hair. There was not one sound coming from the boy. Just sitting there in the darkroom that was once brightly lit. Blink¡ª The kid with slightly longer hair stood up from his usual spot in the darkroom and walked silently to the slightly opened door. His eyes were down, and his body was stiff. Blink¡ª The teen with long black hair peeked through the same open door at the peeking eyes. He stared calmly with his ice-blue eyes before slowly pushing the door shut at the ever-curious ones behind. ¡®There is nothing to look at anymore.¡¯
The Red Flower Chapter. 2
It was one of the rules of the Academy; none was allowed to enter the spooky forest without permission, especially at night. However, some might dare to sneak in without much trouble, and it rarely ever happens, if not at all. Given the rumors about the tree and the flower, nobody was willing to risk being haunted or getting caught and punished by the principal just because of a reckless curiosity. ¡°Remind me again, why are we walking out at this hour?¡± asked one of the two sneaking guys, looking with bored eyes at the time displayed on his phone screen, which showed 02:14 am. He suppressed a sigh for the 10th time in the past 20 minutes only. ¡°Y''know, everyone kept talking about that flower. I¡¯ve never gone there, and we were close to the forest, so why not see it now?¡± the other sneaking guy asked back nonchalantly, striding closer to his friend. ¡°Go alone then. Unlike you, someone here wants to get some sleep,¡± complained the guy with bored eyes and a grumpy face as he closed his phone screen, taking away the only light source in that dim forest. He put his phone in his pocket and leisurely walked further into that dark place along with his friend. ¡°Huh? You never sleep early!¡± complained back the other, his voice very clear in the dead silent area. A moment of complete silence floated between the two as they walked. The curious one slowly moved closer to the grumpy one while glancing around them with wide eyes and asked carefully, ¡°Hey¡­ isn¡¯t it too dark in here¡­?¡± The other guy didn¡¯t react much and teased his friend, ¡°Oh, yeah? Is that why you¡¯re touching my hand?¡± ¡°Wha- A-Accidentally!¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. Accidentally holding my hand now?¡± the unconcerned guy looked like he finally found something fun to do, though his poker face didn¡¯t move except for a little smirk he gave to his obviously scared friend. His friend fell for his provocations and didn¡¯t pay attention to their surroundings, unaware of what was lying on the ground. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t se¡ª ELOISSSS!!!!¡± ¡°HUH?!! LET GO, YOU JERK!!!¡± The sudden jump from the frightened one to the other, Elois, was about to cause them both to stumble and fall to the ground if it wasn¡¯t for Elois catching his chaotic friend and balancing both of them. He tried to pull himself out of the trembling solid hug of his friend but found difficulty doing so. He was about to yell again when his friend finally decided to let go, only to grab Elois¡¯s shoulders firmly and stare wide-eyed at him. ¡°S-Something! There''s something scary on the ground!!¡± Elois looked at his frightened friend¡¯s face in the dark and snapped back, ¡°Your face is scary.¡± it was then that he took notice of the situation around them; he turned his head left and right and questioned, ¡°Come to think of it, where the hell is that flower? It shouldn''t be this dark right around here.¡± His friend flinched and started to franticly look around for the flower, still holding onto Elois¡¯ shoulders. ¡°W-What?? Wait, it¡¯s here? Where is it??¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I want to know, stupid,¡± Elois sighed and grumpily yet calmly fished out his phone from his pocket again. ¡°I''ll use my phone then¡­¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± They both froze, equally puzzled and shocked when the flashlight fell to the ground to show someone lying there, dressed in all black in the dark. . . . . ¡°Thank you, sis! Sorry again for the trouble¡­¡± said a teen with fluffy pinkish hair and green eyes, taking the bag from his sister. ¡°No problem, well now I have to go, bye Johnie~¡± she gently smiled at her apologetic brother before turning to the building¡¯s exit door, ready to leave the academy. The teen frowned. ¡°Wait! You¡¯re going out alone at this hour?¡± He worriedly added, ¡°Did you come here alone?¡± The girl paused, recalling the kind and handsome stranger she met this morning. Grinning playfully at her worrywart brother, ¡°Nope! Someone nice accompanied me! He was on his way here as well.¡± The brother, John, stared helplessly at his innocent sister. ¡°Oh¡­ don¡¯t go off with some random guys...¡± She smiled more, giving her brother the peace sign. ¡°Don''t worry. He was too kind to me! Maybe I should find him and ask him for help again, ehehe!¡± she gave her brother one last smile before turning again and walking to the gate. ¡°Anyway! I''m going now! Goodnight!¡± John softly sighed while looking at her retreating figure, still worried for his sister but unable to stop her. ¡°Fine, be careful¡­¡± he turned back to his room inside the dorms. The girl hopped down the stairs, humming playfully and unbothered. She stopped when suddenly a tall, dark figure stood in front of her out of nowhere. She looked at the man¡¯s pale face, light purple hair and red eyes. She was silently questioning if his eyes were glowing or just because of the lanterns lighting in the night. She thought they were beautiful, not noticing the gentle smile he oddly gave her. ¡°Hey, ma¡¯am~ would you do me a favor?¡± . . ¡°Ah, Ah~¡± Davante heard a familiar, distant voice, but it felt so long since the last time he heard it. He distantly looked at the colorless scribbled-like figure of himself in the dark. It was looking at him with wide eyes, just as usual, talking to him despite not having a mouth visible. ¡°Something terrible is about to happen.¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Said the figure with a hint of amusement in its voice. ¡°Will you stay there and do nothing¡­ Again~?¡± Was it mocking him again, or was it scolding him? He wasn¡¯t sure. ¡®Something bad¡­?¡¯ He slowly felt himself drifting back to reality and out of his dream. He wasn¡¯t even sure when did he fall asleep. Everything was blurry, but he could hear someone talking¡­ or perhaps more than one person. ¡°Hey, is he alive?¡± ¡°Why would we bring him with us if he was dead then? Have some common sense.¡± ¡°No, but see, he didn¡¯t move at all¡­¡± ¡°Dude, he is unconscious.¡± Those were really unfamiliar voices, he concluded. He assumed they were talking about him. He forced his eyes open despite the overwhelming feeling of being too tired and weak to do so much as wake up at the moment. ¡°Oh, he is awake!¡± ¡°Hey, you¡¯re too close.¡± He was met with a young man with very long dark reddish-brown hair, sharp yet droopy ocean-blue eyes, and another guy with a unique hair color that goes gradually from light red to blond from up to down and tiffany eyes. He remained still on the bed with a stoic face as he took notice of how the long-haired man was literally sitting on him and pushing his face too close for his comfort; the guy gave a broad smile as if he found his face quite amusing. ¡°Hey, look! His face is so kitty-kitty~¡± He came even closer as if he wasn¡¯t close enough to the poor teen, who widened his eyes at the sudden proximity and finally took in the situation. He vaguely heard the other guy trying to warn his friend to mind the distance, but that didn¡¯t stop the black-haired teen from moving all too suddenly and sending a perfect punch to the brown-haired guy, sending him down to the floor beside the bed. With a shocked groan, the guy held his swollen cheek and looked up wide-eyed. Davante didn¡¯t wait and jumped quickly to grab the nearest object he could get his hands on and stood on the unfamiliar bed, his shadow looming over the two guys with his newly acquired weapon; a table lamp. Staring viciously at them, he asked, ¡°Who are you two? Answer me.¡± Silence filled the room for a second; the brown-haired still looked quite stunned, and his friend looked perplexed yet amused at the whole scene. The orange-haired guy mumbled, ¡°A lamp as a weapon¡­¡± The brown-haired, still on the floor and looking up at the teen, pulled himself a little away from the bed. ¡°No, wait, why is he staring only at me...?¡± Davante ignored their commentaries and glared at a particular guy. Finally, the orange guy decided to step in and answer him; he sighed, ¡°Kid, we found you unconscious under the tree. We thought we could be kind enough and bring you with us. It¡¯s no big deal, but be grateful.¡± The teen¡¯s face changed to somewhat calm and slightly puzzled. ¡°And I carried you on my back all the way here~¡± boasted the brown-haired guy with a proud smile and swollen cheek; the teen went back to glaring at him. He then stood up and smiled smugly, pointing his thumb at himself. ¡°By the way, I¡¯m Javi Cavalon~¡± ¡°Elois Feldstain.¡± Davante silently stared at the two guys who had just introduced themselves to him. He finally felt the weight of the lamp in his hands as the situation became awkward and he no longer felt cornered or in danger. Both sides stared at each other in silence. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Davante wasn¡¯t sure what they expected from him, but he wasn¡¯t willing to start a friendship with any of them. ¡°¡­Okay?¡± ¡°Just sayin'',¡± they both said in unison as if expecting this kind of reaction from him. He silently let go of the lamp in his hand, then stepped down from the bed and went straight to the door, reaching for the doorknob. ¡°Thank you. Sorry for the trouble. Goodbye.¡± ¡°Sorry, but you can¡¯t leave. Not until we know who you are,¡± said Javi, who came to Davante¡¯s right side, casually keeping his palm against the door, preventing the teen from opening it. He ignored the fact that they flash-stepped the distance within seconds and reached him at the door to effortlessly stop him from leaving when he was far from them. ¡°You were under That tree after all,¡± said Elois, who leaned back against the door on Davante¡¯s other side. ¡°Plus, I don¡¯t think you are a student here. Also, the red flower was nowhere when we found you, so you need to be questioned,¡± said Javi with a friendly, calm smile, bending down a little to look at the teen who had his face down and silent, unmoving. ¡®Why¡­ do I have a bad feeling about this¡­?¡¯ Davante missed the lamp at that moment, regretting letting go of his only weapon. . . ¡°So¡­¡± Davante patiently waited for the smoking man in front of him to start his questioning. The Assistant Headmaster, with his dark-blue hair showing one side of his forehead and a scar over his left eye and brow, looked tired and wanted to be done with the whole matter as fast as possible. He blew the smoke from his cigarette and fixed his sharp dark blue eyes on the teen sitting in front of him. Davante remained silent with his indifferent and expressionless face, aware of the two guys standing behind the black sofa he was sitting on ¡®¡­ I¡¯m not in court or something, right?¡¯ ¡°What were you doing in the forest?¡± came the first question. ¡°Nothing.¡± was the only answer he had for them, as honest as that. Davante looked quite serious for someone to be kidding anyone. The man was speechless for a moment, taking another inhale of the cigarette in his hand. He warned, ¡°Please be honest. I won¡¯t tolerate some silly lies.¡± ¡°I am telling the truth. All I remember was that I looked at the tree, then I was about to leave, but I can¡¯t remember what happened after.¡± he didn¡¯t expect them to believe him anyway, but he was more than okay with sitting there and repeating the whole answer all day if they wanted. All three people remained silent for seconds before one of them finally spoke. Elois leaned a bit toward him behind the sofa and asked calmly, his voice doubtful yet curious, ¡°Then what about the red flower?¡± ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t remember anything other than what I said.¡± The Assistant narrowed his eyes a little at the teen. ¡°How did you get here in the first place? Clearly, you''re not a student of this academy.¡± ¡°A girl asked me to escort her to help her bring over her brother¡¯s stuff. The guards allowed me to come with her since they know her very well¡­¡± The man sighed and rubbed his face tiredly with his hand. ¡°Ah, Juli¡­¡± Davante blinked, silently questioning if the smiley and cheerful girl was known for being a troublemaker; she did seem a little carefree and ignorant, but not to the point of rebelling against the academy¡¯s rules, he thought. ¡°Oh! The pinkish siblings?¡± ¡®Pinkish siblings¡­¡¯ Davante and Elois were silently impressed by the brown-haired naming skills. ¡°Yeah, she comes to see her brother once every week. That¡¯s why everyone trusts her. But to bring a stranger here without prior notice is¡­ Anyway¡ª¡± the man sighed, shifting from leaning on his desk a little to putting out his cigarette. He tiredly said while brushing back his hair, ¡°You can¡¯t leave. You¡¯ll stay here until we know everything and find the red flower.¡± ¡®¡­¡­¡­HUH?¡¯ he was perplexed how the situation escalated and ended up like this; he remained silent and unmoving, however. ¡°Elois, Javi, you can leave now.¡± The two friends immediately moved away from the sofa, feeling no longer involved in the matter and free to return to their usual routines. ¡°Yeaa~s, let¡¯s skip the next class, Elois!¡± ¡°I''d like to, but not with you.¡± ¡°Ouch, that hurts.¡± Their banter immediately disappeared once the door was closed behind his back. Davante had his head down, waiting for the man to do whatever he needed to do as the Assistant and be done with. He didn¡¯t care anymore, not like he cared to begin with, but he was at least hoping to leave the academy by the end of the day. The office was heavily silent for a long moment before the sound of flipping papers filled it. ¡°Your name?¡± ¡°¡­Dante¡­¡± he lied. The man raised his face a bit to stare at the teen, who still had his head down, his long black hair covering most of his face from the observing eyes of the man. ¡°Your full name?¡± He remained quiet; he hoped the man would let it go even though he knew well enough that those were routine procedures that needed to be done naturally and must be fulfilled. There was no escape. He still wished for a way out, in any case. ¡°Do you have any relatives in this academy?¡± ¡°No¡± he wasn¡¯t sure why the man decided not to ask anymore for his full name, but he didn¡¯t feel relieved. The man obviously didn¡¯t buy his lie from earlier. ¡°Your parents'' names?¡± Again, he didn¡¯t know what to answer. He was internally panicking even though he didn¡¯t look like it at all on the outside. He slightly flinched when he heard the man¡¯s shoes hitting the floor while quickly coming closer in his direction. ¡°You¡­ please be honest with me¡­ are you¡­¡­¡­. Davante¡­?¡± the man¡¯s voice wavered a little but didn¡¯t care about it as he uncertainly reached his hand to the other. Davante wasn¡¯t sure what the man would do with that hand, but he flinched in his place and was ready to defend himself, though he paused at the exact moment the man stopped in his tracks. Davante avoided looking at him and turned his head to the side, still keeping his hand up a little to prevent the man from coming any closer. He mumbled, ¡°Stay away¡­¡± he reluctantly added, ¡°Please¡­¡± The man widened his glistening eyes as if barely holding back his tears. ¡°It''s¡­ you¡­¡± voice shaking. ¡°You''re¡­ alive¡­ you''re here¡­¡± he paused and wore a small smile as if pitying the teen for a moment. ¡°You really¡­ don¡¯t know how to lie, huh? ''Dante''?¡± Davante turned his face away to the side, awkward. He was always told he sucks at lying so badly. And with a relieved smile, the man hesitantly asked, ¡°How¡­ have you been?¡± ¡°Alvis¡­¡± Davante¡¯s eyes became colder for a moment before staring up at the man. ¡°Are you seriously happy to see me?¡± Alvis froze with his tiny smile for a moment before he pulled himself together and sighed, ashamed; he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°Just so you know, he is here¡­¡± ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°At least allow me to help you just a little this time¡­ Davante.¡± Alvis looked at the confused teen with hopeful eyes. Davante realized what the other meant and looked to the side with his stoic face; he waited before answering with a cold tone, ¡°Don''t do anything for me, Alvis¡­ just¡­¡± he paused, hesitating, he then continued, ¡°Forget about everything.¡± . . ¡°Waah~ been so long since I''ve tasted some fresh blood, haha!¡± said the guy with short purple hair, grinning and stretching happily and walking into the dark garden with a refreshed smile. ¡°Belvedere!¡± He turned to the person calling him rather coldly; he found a tiny girl with the same shade of purple hair as his. The girl glared fiercely at him. ¡°Where were you?¡± ¡°Yooo~ Emmie!¡± he happily called back and strode to the girl and bent down a little once he stood in front of her. ¡°Heard from Albern about your game and decided to join! I''m so bored, y''know~¡± He noticed how the girl stiffened and clenched her tiny fists silently; he smirked and stood straight, walking past her with ease. ¡°Let¡¯s have some fun together,¡± his own eyes turned cold while looking from the corner of his eyes. ¡°My dear sister~¡± . . ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Javi, standing beside his grumpy friend while leaning on the wall and typing on his phone. ¡°Requesting a new ID card. Alvis told me to prepare one for that kid. He''ll be studying here starting next week.¡± Elois paused his hand that was busy writing the resume for the new teen and glanced up at the reflective black glass; he curiously took notice of a pinkish-haired student who was walking hurriedly with a troubled look with the phone to his ear. He was moving frantically among the crowd of students in the brightly lit hall. ¡°What do you mean, mom?¡± Elois narrowed his eyes at the reflection of the fluffy-haired teen, feeling the need to listen to the teen¡¯s conversation with his mother more intently. He was, however, distracted when Javi beside him started talking to him again. ¡°Hey, Alvis says, "finally, you¡¯ve got a roommate now" Aww~ our lonely boy won¡¯t be lonely anymore~¡± ¡°HUH?!¡± Meanwhile, two teen boys of the same age came in opposite directions to walk past one another. None of them paid attention to the other. ¡°Juli hasn¡¯t come home since yesterday?¡± whispered the pinkish-haired boy while walking anxiously. The black-haired boy continued walking in the other direction, unaware of how similar the boy he had just passed by was to the girl he met on his way to the academy. Walking with his usual cold and stoic face, Davante recalled his dream of the scribbled figure and his warning. ¡°Something terrible is about to happen.¡± His face stiffened the tiniest bit. ¡®What was that about¡­?¡¯ he lightly shook his head. ¡®Maybe it¡­ is just a dream this time¡­ nothing more,¡¯ he kept wandering while trying to sound convincing to himself. ¡®Nothing¡­ just a dream¡­¡¯ . . . . A pair of eyes stared unapologetically at the fragile and little body of the fluffy-haired girl sitting limply on a bed, who was oddly lifeless with her pupils up. The area around her neck and the white cloth covering her mouth was blood-soaked. With a friendly tone, the man playfully apologized. ¡°My apologies for the mess he made, young lady.¡±
The End of CH. 2 3. First Encounter ¡®It''s common in life¡­¡¯ ¡®People can throw away things so easily¡­¡¯ ¡®Things they don''t need anymore¡­¡¯ "To you, I''m one of those things¡­" ¡®That was what I thought back then¡­¡¯ ¡®As I grew up, it wasn''t just a mere thought anymore¡­¡¯ ¡®The truth has always been there for me¡­¡¯ ¡®To everyone, I''m unwanted.¡¯ The little boy stood beside the luxurious gate of the black castle, with innocent, longing ice-blue eyes looking at the distancing blonde¡¯s back. His tiny pale hand raised a bit toward the retreating figure; the need to call for the blond man to come back to his side filled his being. However, the boy remained still in the too-quiet and lonely place. Despite the beautiful scenery of the trees and golden sun rays gently showering the area, the boy couldn¡¯t help but feel alarmed, easily fallen prey to the spider web.
The Red Flower Chapter. 3
¡®It''s her again¡ª!¡¯ Panting, gasping, and running footsteps were all heard loud in the silent dim forest at night. It was too dark to see anything, yet ¡®He¡¯ could see her by her very detectable long white hair and tattered, dirty white dress. Cold, ¡®His¡¯ body felt the chilly night more than any time before, ¡®He¡¯ questioned if it was always this cold at night, but ¡®He¡¯ didn¡¯t care at that moment. ¡®He¡¯ kept running after her, occasionally extending ¡®His¡¯ hand in an attempt to hold her back, showing the classy sleeve of an aristocratic noble to be in his view. All that filled ¡®His¡¯ mind was telling and wishing for the girl to wait while ¡®His¡¯ eyes followed her figure running too close to a tree. ¡®Faster, faster!¡¯ ¡®He¡¯ hoped desperately that ¡®He¡¯ could catch her this time, even if it was terrifying for ¡®Him¡¯, even if it felt like ¡®He¡¯ was running to death, ¡®He¡¯ needed to catch her. The view shifted to a bloody scene all so suddenly. Blood was scattered around the tree, and ruined-noble clothes were bathed in the thick red liquid on the grass. And all too suddenly, Emmie¡¯s voice rang in his ears as he witnessed the bloody scene with his own two eyes, not ¡®His¡¯ eyes. ¡°The stranger disappeared with only his clothes and blood left under that tree.¡± He snapped his heavy-lidded eyes open at the sound of his loud gasp; it took him seconds to realize whose panting was in the dark. He was starting to take in his surroundings in the dim room, staring at the not-so-familiar ceiling. Davante took some time to even his breathing. Again, he woke up from a nightmare with a cold sweat. He clutched the blanket so tightly to his rising and falling chest as he recalled the dream again, ¡®¡­a dream¡­?¡¯ Once he¡¯d calmed down a bit, he forced his exhausted body to sit up on the bed. ¡®I''ve been having dreams of someone else as of lately¡­ they¡­ feel so real¡­ so familiar¡­¡¯ ¡°Can''t sleep?¡± He was a bit startled by the calm voice in the quiet room, sounding almost cautious. He turned a little to his left to find his roommate, Elois, sitting on his own bed with his laptop on his lap and looking at him with faint concern shown in his unbothered eyes. Davante noticed he hadn¡¯t answered the other yet. ¡°Yes¡­ and you?¡± Elois removed the earphones slowly from his ears. ¡°It''s not my habit to sleep early,¡± he closed the laptop and put it along with his phone and other stuff on the bedside table, then shoved the blanket to the side to stand up and leave the comfort of his warm bed. Stretching leisurely, he noted, ¡°Your ID card is done, by the way.¡± Davante turned to his bedside table, and true to his roommate¡¯s words, he found the tiny simple card on it. He silently took the card and observed his picture along with¡­ his fake name that was given by a certain Alvis. ¡®Dante Gabrielli¡­¡¯ ¡°Don''t lose it¡ª¡± Both stopped at the sound of a loud growl filling the air between the two. The two roommates remained silent and unmoving for several seconds to comprehend what had just happened. Davante turned his face to the side in an attempt to hide his slight embarrassment from the other. Elois didn''t laugh, just walked around silently wearing his boots and short jacket, taking his phone and wallet and stuffing them in his pockets. With a suppressed huff, he stated, ¡°Yeah, you haven''t had anything to eat since yesterday. I''ll bring you food. Wait here.¡± just as he was about to grab the doorknob, the other spook calmly, which made him stop midway. ¡°What if I run away?¡± The sharp-eyed roommate slowly turned a little to look back coldly at the black-haired teen from the corner of his eyes, and with a cold tone, he challenged, ¡°Go on and try.¡± ¡°You¡­ don''t look like you''d do anything to harm me, though¡­¡± it was Davante¡¯s way of telling the other that he didn¡¯t look threatening, not one bit just now. It wasn¡¯t sarcasm, but that was enough for him to know about the other¡¯s personality. Elois turned around to fully face the other and curiously asked, ¡°Yeah? And why are you so sure?¡± Davante showed the tiniest smile given to the other for the first time since he came to the academy; he calmly answered, ¡°I can get a quick glimpse of what kind of person you are at first glance¡­¡± Tiffany-eyes stared at the teen for a short while, silently observing the other and seeming deep in thought. Turning back to the door and opening it, he warned the other as he closed the door calmly behind him, ¡°Don''t you dare leave this room.¡± As the door clicked close and he was left alone, Davante slowly brought his knees to his chest and looked down in silence. ¡®If I want to¡­ I can run from this place now but¡­ where to?¡¯ his cold ice-blue eyes seemed numb for a moment. ¡®To the castle¡­?¡¯ he slowly raised his head to look at the closed door. ¡®Do I really¡­ want to go back there¡­?¡¯ ¡°Kaven is here¡­¡± He didn¡¯t quite feel the ID card in his numbing hands as he recalled Alvis¡¯ warning on the first day for him in the academy. He silently stood up and slowly walked to the door. He moved his hand very slowly to finally hold the cold, round doorknob. ¡®I''m¡­ unwelcomed here¡­¡¯ . . The beeping sound echoed in the dark, empty hallway. Elois took the small bag of food from the vending machine and stared at it absently as he recalled the scene a moment ago, back to his new roommate. ¡°I can get a quick glimpse of what kind of person you are at first glance¡­¡± ¡°Dante, huh¡­?¡± he walked away from the vending machine after a while of standing in the middle of the hallway at midnight. He was walking in complete silence along the corridors and turns with little light lighting the place that he got startled a bit by the unexpected figure standing in front of their shared room. He thought his roommate was trying to run away for a second there. Still, he quickly recognized the person when he got a closer look in the dim hallway; the moonlight coming from the long window at the end of the corridor helped to reveal the smiling man with sharp eyes. Elois stood within a distance and questioned, ¡°Ivailo?¡± ¡°Ah, Elois,¡± greeted the eunry-colored wavy-haired person with a formal smile. ¡°Still awake, I see.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Elois eyed the other and carefully asked, ¡°Need something¡­?¡± Ivailo moved from his place in front of their shared room and walked to Elois at a relaxed pace, waving one of his bandaged hands lightly. ¡°No, just the same, patrolling.¡± ¡°Oh, good work, then¡­¡± Elois followed every move of the smiling man, who came closer and gave a light pat on his shoulder and whispered just enough for him to hear in the quiet corridor. ¡°Have a good night¡¯s sleep.¡± Elois still followed the other''s retreating back with his eyes until it disappeared through the dark hallway; he then turned to enter the room once he made sure he was finally alone, unaware of the person hiding in the shadows who had seen and heard the whole interaction between the two, standing straight till his ears caught the sound of a closing door before leaving the place. Elois won''t lie; he got worried for his roommate for a moment there. He worried if anything had happened by any chance, but all he found was his sleeping roommate. He stared at the teen, who looked too deep in sleep. ¡°Hey¡­ whom do you think I brought the food for?¡± he sighed as he quietly left the plastic bag with the food on the bedside table and covered the other properly with the thick white blanket. ¡°Well, at least you''re finally sleeping peacefully for once¡­¡± He observed the other some more before yawning and turning to his own bed. ¡®Time to sleep.¡¯ . . . At 7:00 am¡ª The door swung open all so suddenly, disturbing the two roommates who both went to bed late at night. Standing at the door is a very bright Javi, smiling so brightly with his loosely tied long hair and casual outfit. ¡°Good morning, young boys~¡± Elois stirred and pulled his head with short tousled hair from under the covers to stare darkly at the source of the disturbance. Javi stood by the door laughing, unbothered by his friend¡¯s glare. ¡°Get out,¡± came the grumble from Elois. Javi invited himself to the room and walked cheerfully to his friend, who still stared daggers at him. ¡°Wake up already. It¡¯s the weekend, you know. It¡¯s time to¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up and get lost!¡± ¡°Not happening~¡± ¡°Javi!!¡± ¡°Elois~¡± ¡°Please. Be. Quiet.¡± Both friends immediately stopped their bickering at the low yet threatening request of the new roommate, who hadn¡¯t yet given up on his precious sleep with closed eyes. After some time of silence, Elois dove back under his blanket. ¡°Good night.¡± ¡°Oh, okay¡­¡± Javi blinked, blankly standing between the beds of the two sleeping roommates. He snapped back after seconds and strode closer to his friend to pull the covers from him. ¡°HEY! What ¡®Good night¡¯?! It¡¯s morning already! Don''t you close your eyes, dude¡ª Alvis said to show Dante around the place! WAKE U¡ª!¡± Before they knew it, both their heads collided with much force when Elois suddenly decided to comply and wake up at the mention of Alvis. The two friends took a moment to register what happened before the blonde glared at his friend accusingly; he threateningly asked, ¡°How dare you¡ª¡± ¡°Could you wake up already?¡± Sighing, Javi decided to stop joking around with his grumpy friend at the moment, still feeling his forehead throbbing. Elois didn¡¯t take time to stand up and drag himself groggily to the bathroom; he mumbled sleepily, ¡°Wake him up¡­ gonna brush my teeth.¡± ¡°Huh? Wai¡ª¡± The door slammed at Javi¡¯s troubled face before he could say anything. Rubbing his neck, he sighed, ¡°How am I supposed to¡­¡± slowly, he dared to glance at the teen, only to find him glaring back at him. ¡°Oh, you''re awake¡­¡­¡± he stared at the dark-haired teen with long bangs fallen over his face with a clear glare aimed at him, ¡°um¡­¡± A few minutes later¡ª The door to the bathroom opened; Elois came back into the room while rubbing his messy hair, less sleepy. ¡°Hey Javi, why don''t you show¡­ him¡­¡­¡­¡± he tried to take in the scene that welcomed him; Javi blew little air at the scissors to get rid of any remaining hairs, and with a satisfied smile, he looked at Elois. Blinking, Elois was flabbergasted. ¡°You guys¡­ I left you alone for like¡­ only 5 minutes¡­¡± Smiling brightly, Javi took hold of the black office chair and turned it around, showing a quite disturbed and traumatized Davante with freshly cut hair that reached his mid-neck. ¡°Doesn''t he look better now?! He doesn''t look scary anymore, right?!¡± Elois took a good look at his roommate, who was slightly trembling in silence with wide eyes looking at the floor. Indeed, he looked better, Elois thought. But the fact that the teen was tied to the chair by the bed sheets and forced to stay still to be played with by a literal stranger¡­ Elois couldn¡¯t really applaud his friend¡¯s work even if he wanted to. ¡°He looks¡­ traumatized¡­¡± ¡°Ah, he''s just shy¡ª¡± ¡°Can I please kill you?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± the confident self-proclaimed hair stylist lost his confidence in mere seconds with an apologetic smile. ¡°Shy, you say¡­¡± Elois couldn¡¯t blame the teen for wanting to kill his chaotic friend; he could even share the same sentiment sometimes. And for the second time that morning, the whole room fell silent at the youngest¡¯s words. . . The day went on with the three of them shopping and trying different shops one after another, and Javi was visibly happy choosing a random collection of outfits for their new young friend. ¡°This looks good! This one too!! Oh my gOD, THIS ONE IS SUPER CU¡ª¡± he tried to force the coat with the cat-eared hat on the silently upset Davante, but as expected, the teen struggled and fought back. ¡°Cut it- Cut it out, will you?!¡± ¡°Aww~ c¡¯mon~¡± He tried to push the taller man away from him, and he was having a hard time, obviously, so Elois decided to save the poor kid from his idiot, active friend as he walked toward the two and lightly pushed Javi away from the kid. ¡°Stop tormenting him.¡± Davante was thankful for his sane roommate and felt he had just gotten out of a real-life struggle; huffing a little bit with slightly messy hair, he glared at the long-haired guy, who obediently stopped with a comfortable smile and calmed down. ¡°Guys, what are you doing?¡± The three of them turned to look at the approaching guy, beige-short hair combed to a side and wide-round dark khaki eyes staring at them questionably and curiously. ¡°Oh Edmund, wanna join us?¡± Javi asked nonchalantly, easily inviting another stranger to the group without asking his two companions first. Elois looked used to it yet not really welcoming the arrival of the new stranger named Edmund; the orange-haired¡¯s face remained stoic and stayed silent nevertheless, Davante noted as he silently observed. Davante did not miss how Edmund eyed him strangely for a short moment once he noticed the group¡¯s new member. ¡°Ah, right! This is Elois¡¯ roommate whom I told you about, Dante~¡± Javi smiled at the youngest in a friendly way before he pointed at Edmund. ¡°This¡¯s Edmund, my roommate and my cousin.¡± Davante silently exchanged looks with the said Edmund; he wasn''t sure what to do when he could see that the other didn''t look pleased to see him for some reason. Edmund eyed him some more before he smiled brightly as if nothing had happened. ¡°Nice to meet you! Seems like my cousin¡¯s been causing you trouble. That¡¯s the only thing he¡¯s good at, so just ignore him.¡± ¡°I''m hurt¡­¡± and so the cousins started with their banters. Davante looked down and still questioned, ¡®Just now¡­ what was that look in his eyes¡­?¡¯ They went on bickering and blabbering about video games and some other stuff that neither Elois nor Davante were interested in, so they chose to walk silently along with the loud cousins. They then settled in a restaurant to have their breakfast as they felt their tummies growling all the way in the mall. The two cousins sat beside each other with all their food, and on the other side of the table sat Elois and his new roommate. Taking lazy bites from his meal and sips from his coffee, Elois observed his roommate silently as the other calmly sipped on his orange juice. Davante noticed him staring for a long time before finally asking, ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°Aren''t you eating? You didn''t even eat the food from last night¡­ clearly orange juice isn''t enough to¡­¡± he trailed off, sure that the other got the message. Davante looked back down at the empty space of the table in front of him and kept silent for a moment, face as expressionless as usual. He plainly answered, ¡°I¡¯ve no appetite in the morning¡­¡± Elois rested his cheek on his palm, stroking his cup of coffee with his thumb while side-eying his stoic roommate. Silence filled the air between the two; they forgot about the other two roommates in front of them for a moment. ¡°Hey guys, listen to this,¡± started Edmund, wearing a curious expression as he gained the group¡¯s attention. ¡°I heard that twin sister Juli has been missing for 2 days now. Her family thinks she''s somewhere still in the Academy since the guards haven¡¯t seen her out,¡± Edmund then turned to Davante, resting both arms on the table and leaning a bit toward the teen with an innocent smile. ¡°I heard you came here with her, am I right?" Davante stared back in silence; there was something behind that smile, clearly. His face remained ice-stoic despite feeling cornered and wronged. Before anyone could say anything, however, Elois intervened. ¡°I also heard, based on her brother, that she was about to leave at the same time Dante was still passed out in my room. So, it doesn''t have anything to do with him. Case closed.¡± he sipped his coffee as the whole table fell into awkward silence with everyone¡¯s attention on him. ¡°What Elois means is, stop playing the detective here and eat your food in peace,¡± Javi supported as he took a bite of his food. Edmund glared at his unbothered cousin, offended. ¡°I wasn''t playing anything! I was only trying to start a conversation with our new friend!¡± Davante glanced at his roommate, who kept drinking his coffee in silence and ignoring the usual banters of the cousins in front of him. He noted that despite looking calm, Elois seemed tense as he ignored everyone at the table, it was too subtle, but Davante noticed nonetheless. He silently went back to drinking his almost-finished orange juice. . . ¡°Where to now?¡± asked Javi. They finished their breakfast and decided to finally have a good tour around the academy for the youngest in the group. As they were walking down the huge stairs, they were met with the academy''s principal, with blond hair neatly combed back, pale skin, and ice-blue eyes. ¡°Oh, that''s Kaven, the headmaster!¡± Javi said loud enough for the person to hear him from the other side of the huge round hall. Just as Davante tried for a moment to change direction and avoid the man, the said headmaster noticed them from afar and decided to walk toward them with a trained smile. ¡°Hello, kids. How are you doing? It''s not usual to see Elois early in the morning on a weekend day,¡± he chuckled at the grumpy one in the group. ¡°We''re showing the new student around, that''s why,¡± Elois stated casually, not noticing his roommate tensing beside him, feeling like hiding behind Elois. ¡°Ah right, Dante Gabrielli? Alvis talked to me about¡­ you¡­¡± the smile was gone for a moment, eyes observing, then turning cold all too suddenly. Davante kept avoiding looking the man in the eye. ¡°What? You like him?¡± ¡°What¡­¡± the blonde smiled awkwardly at Javi''s sudden and weird question, which Davante was thankful for even if it was stupid. ¡°Wha- What are you saying?!¡± As Javi and his cousin bickered yet again, with Kaven in between them, Davante took the chance immediately and stepped a bit closer to his bored roommate and asked, ¡°Um¡­ the restroom?¡± Elois was confused, but one look at the teen¡¯s face made him answer immediately, keeping his questions for later. He pointed to the side to calmly guide the younger one. ¡°Right there, at the end of the corridor¡ª¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± The black haired didn''t waste any second and started walking fast in the said direction, hoping the washroom would be empty. To his luck, it was indeed empty. He stood right in front of one of the mirrors, silently standing with his back bent a bit, resting his palms on the black countertop. He turned the faucet on and gently brought the cold water to his face. He turned it off and closed his eyes as water droplets fell from his face to the sink, breathing calmly. ¡®He must have recognized me immediately¡­how he looked at me¡­ I should have run away while I had the chance last night¡­¡¯ he stared coldly at the sink. ¡®But anyway¡­ he could kick me out any time if he wanted to¡­¡¯ he straightened his back a bit. ¡°Found you!¡± He froze in place, not even a blink, despite feeling like his heart stopped for a moment when someone appeared beside him too abruptly out of nowhere. Stiffly, he turned his head to the left to see a smiling Juli. He immediately noticed the state of the girl beside him, messy hair, eye-bags, hysterical-like eyes, and an ¡®X¡¯ mark over her lips drawn by what he assumed was a sharp weapon, ¡°Ju¡­ li¡­?¡± The girl wearing only a baggy white shirt and a face mask pulled down to her chin, widened her eyes creepily and took a step forward even closer than she already was. ¡°I knew this girl was going to be useful somehow! AHAHA!¡± Davante widened his eyes and flinched away from the girl, alarmed. ¡°Belvedere¡­¡± ¡°Aww~ You still remember me. I''m touched~¡± Davante grimaced at the overly fake-sugary display the man was showing with the innocent girl¡¯s body. ¡°What have you done to her¡­?¡± he glanced at the door; Belvedere in Juli¡¯s body was standing in his way, preventing him from running away. He was cornered, and nothing was behind him other than the countertop. ¡°Now, let''s see why is Emmie hiding you from us~¡± Belvedere strode excitedly and closer to the other, extending the soft little hands of the girl to the teen¡¯s head, who immediately stiffened and had no time to react. All too suddenly and painfully, Belvedere dug the fingertips into the teen¡¯s head, and blood gushed out like a fountain. He screamed so hard and felt blood coming out of his eyes, and the fingers dug even deeper. Painful, he had never felt this pain before. Unable to hold back his cries, he shrieked and cried even louder than ever in his entire life, but he wasn¡¯t able to thrash or move like he was just meant to stand there and take the torture for as long as Belvedere liked. Belvedere narrowed his cold eyes, smirking satisfyingly at the scene and what was about to come. ¡°Are you in there, Yeolard?¡± A firm, gentle voice was heard at that moment ¡°STOP.¡± With a gasp, the pain stopped, the blood was gone, and, most importantly, the tiny body with Belvedere in control of it was gone. No sign of them or anything at all. Davante was alone in the empty restroom. He tried to calm his breathing quickly, bringing his weak and slender fingers to his head to check for any wounds or blood; none was found. ¡®Was I imagining things¡­? Whose voice was that?¡¯ he looked around him as he turned slowly, noticing how the place was the same, but something felt different than a moment ago. ¡°Something¡¯s strange¡­ the place¡­ is darker¡­?¡± He froze as he came face to face with his reflection in the long mirror. A monster. There, on the other side, stood a monster, looking back at Davante in the same posture.
The End of CH. 3 4. Lost ¡®Eyes down¡­¡¯ ¡®Broken shards of glass¡­¡¯ ¡®Their screams and cries filled the room¡­¡¯ ¡®They were all scared¡­ as if looking at a monster¡­¡¯ ¡®And I simply stood there¡­ still as a stone¡­¡¯ ¡®I still don¡¯t know¡­ at that time¡­¡¯ ¡®Was I simply unbothered by them¡­¡¯ ¡®¡­or was I scared of acknowledging what kind of monster they were looking at?¡¯ A distant memory that rushed back to the surface in his mind. A scene memorized as if it had happened just yesterday, looking at the very tiny body of a black-haired boy, standing still with his little back facing the shattered window of the classroom. All eyes were on one boy. He could imagine what they truly looked at that day; he could imagine a disgusting disturbing-looking monster playing as the child¡¯s shadow, jutting out from below his tiny feet to hug its little owner from the back with its long, sickly arms.
The Red Flower Chapter. 4
Davante slowly and hesitantly brought his hand to the cold surface of the mirror, eyeing the pointy and slender fingers of the monster reflected before him. Then he observed the full view in front of him; the monster with black sclera and ice-blue irises glowing faintly looked like a mix between a horrifying-smiling deer and a black skeleton with long horns attached to its head. The monster had the same hair just as his own, albeit a bit longer upon a closer look. It all looked too disturbing to look at in the dimly lit restroom. He barely found his voice to utter anything to question the ridiculous situation unfolding in front of him, ¡°Wha¡­ what is¡­¡± He stared, too shocked to do or say anything; with his mouth slightly hanging open, he stood frozen in place as the memories of a forcibly forgotten day surged their way into his mind unwelcomed. A flashback to when he was a kid in kindergarten, children and even teachers stared at him with so much fear in their eyes. The atmosphere was unbearable as everyone feared him, crying and calling him a monster over and over again as he stood in front of the shattered window behind him, staring at them with confused, innocent eyes that only looked cold and scary to everyone else in the room, as he looked down at the floor with eyes that looked they had given up. He remembered how he felt lost and hopeless at that moment, looking at the glass shards scattered around him. His own little feet didn¡¯t look innocent to him, and he felt they were right; even though he didn¡¯t know what they could look at that he couldn¡¯t, he felt they had every right to fear him. Speechless, he didn¡¯t utter a breath despite the insults and cries aimed at him. Despite accepting the depressing fact in his mind, his brain forced another memory of a gentle and warm smile from a blond man looking down at him as he bent to carry his son¡¯s little body up, repeating the same words to the silent boy and forcing them into the tiny ear to be delivered and stitched deep into his brain to understand and believe. ¡°You''re not a monster¡­ Davante.¡± It was laughable to Davante, yet he couldn¡¯t laugh. The sheer contrast between the same man from then and now was indeed sadly amusing yet painful and questioning. How could he believe the gentle words of a man who shifted suddenly with no prior signs to force Davante into hearing all kinds of vile insults stabbing at him every time the man looked at him? He couldn¡¯t and wouldn¡¯t make himself believe the empty words of a man long gone and replaced with someone ready to prove at any second that Davante is indeed a monster. He found himself muttering in the dead silent washroom, ¡°¡­ Dis¡­ gusting¡­¡± He forced his legs to move and turn around, decided to no longer look at a truth he had long known; a disgusting monster. But despite accepting that fact years ago and growing numb to it, he pointedly forced himself not to think of how the monster in the mirror would move the same way he did, would reflect every movement he made. He lastly forced himself to believe that he was delirious. ¡®I must be imagining things¡­¡¯ Heading toward the door while fixing his slightly messy hair, he expected to see the same round hall filled with students and teachers walking and chatting just about anything and everything, where he last left his slightly concerned roommate and the others¡­ The surroundings made him question just how long he had been away and hiding in the restroom; he assumed it was around 5 or 10 minutes ago. But he wondered if the whole world ended in those 10 minutes he was away from everyone, and if it was true, how couldn¡¯t he feel or hear anything at all if an explosion occurred nearby? Was he so hung up on Belvedere¡¯s appearance and the whole mess that he couldn¡¯t hear anything outside? Or were the walls and doors of the academy so heavy that all sounds were muted? Nothing made sense to him as he took in the quite ruined place he came into. Thick, dry branches and roots pierced through the ground and the roof of the once was a fancy place. No lights were found, only dark red hues pushing through the dark and ruined area; he couldn¡¯t really call it a light from how suffocating it looked to him. He questioned what it was outside that the redness came from, but his attention was on the only person standing in the middle of the empty and ruined hall. What surprised, or somewhat spooked Davante, was that the man standing was none other than the one in his nightmares, looking almost like his twin, except for their attires and eyes; they were very obviously different. He wore the same rich noble clothes, all black, that matched his long black hair. ¡®The place¡­ and that¡­ guy¡­¡¯ he stared at the guy, hesitant to call out to him. ¡®He only shows up in my nightmares¡­ am I really dreaming now? Did I pass out in the bathroom¡­?¡¯ he gulped and stood still as the noble stranger finally glanced at him and silently started walking elegantly to the entrance. He only stood in his place and followed with his eyes where the other was heading. He found himself yet again observing how really similar they looked. ¡®If it weren¡¯t for his red eyes and slightly pointy ears¡­ one would say we¡¯re the same person¡­¡¯ The said person stopped at the open entrance, put his white-gloved hand on the wall beside him, and turned his head to stare at Davante from the corner of his eyes. Davante almost jumped in his place under his stare. Though he was scared and lost, he plainly stared back at the guy with a stoic face. He expected the guy to, what? To attack him, kill him, maybe? To eat him alive? Some wild images ran through Davante¡¯s head, but nothing; nothing happened, which confused him even more. He couldn¡¯t really understand how he felt toward the familiar stranger; he couldn¡¯t put his hand on the feeling and express it in words. It was just uncomfortable around him. The confusing thing was that it wasn¡¯t uncomfortable in a ¡°bad person¡± kind of way. If he could try hard to express it in words, it was painfully suffocating to look at him. As the person brought unknown sadness to his heart, which was strange, they clearly hadn¡¯t met before as far as he remembered, but perhaps the content of the nightmares he had of the stranger was the reason. As if assured Davante was looking at him, the guy looked back outside the entrance and proceeded to walk out. Davante blinked and questioned before moving slowly toward the exit and behind the stranger. ¡®Is he¡­ telling me to follow him?¡¯ This seemed the case; the guy kept on walking and didn¡¯t stop at the sound of the footsteps behind him, assured that Davante was still following him within a distance. The first thing that attracted Davante¡¯s attention was the black sky with red clouds. He slightly widened his eyes as he looked up in silence while his legs followed the stranger. He slowly took in his surroundings, dry branches and sand; there was nothing else, a deserted and dead place. He felt a slight sting on the back of his left hand from one of the sharp branches, and he silently stared at the reddening scratch as he kept walking behind the noble. He halted suddenly when he found himself too close to the noble¡¯s back, who stopped without uttering a word for some reason. He peeked over the noble¡¯s shoulder to get what he wanted from him this time. His eyes fell on the footprints on the ground. ¡°umm¡­¡± he turned his face to finally ask the stranger, but found himself alone in the place as if the noble wasn¡¯t there from the start. Calmly looking in all directions and finding no sign of the stranger, he mumbled to himself, ¡°Where did he go¡­?¡± Nonetheless, he suppressed a sigh and stared back at the footprints ¡®He wants me to follow these¡­?¡¯ He stared some more and, hesitantly, followed the footprints. Stepping above each print, he ducked down a bit to avoid one of the huge branches. He raised his head to look ahead and widened his eyes at the horrible sight in front of him. He wasn¡¯t expecting anything good from following the footprints, but he also didn¡¯t expect this. He stared with slightly wide eyes at a big tree with no leaves and was dry, just like the many around him, observing and taking every detail in front of him. A body, more like a skeleton, trapped against the tree by long, thorny, and thin branches tightly tying the skeleton against the tree along with many skulls hanging in all directions by the tree. Only one complete skeleton was there, with noble clothes. He noticed how two thorny branches were pierced through its heart and skull. His eyes focused on the clothes. ¡®Just now¡­ he was wearing the same clothes¡­¡¯ he recalled the guy¡¯s clothes moments ago as he stared at the ones in front of him. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Oddly enough, Emmie¡¯s words came to his mind again. ¡°A stranger was standing under that tree.¡± ¡°Something happened. Blood was all over the place¡­¡± ¡®He is¡­ that stranger¡­?¡¯ He lowered his head, looking down with pained eyes. The suffocating sadness washed over him yet again despite not knowing anything of the said accident of the stranger. Was the noble from his nightmares indeed the same stranger of the infamous story? He felt he was correct; something in him was confirmed even if no proof was evident to him yet. But then he questioned, what was the noble trying to tell him? What did the noble want from him that made him not only show up every night in his sleep but also show him his corpse? ¡°YOU!!¡± His body was pulled back by a grasping hand on his shoulder, he was startled but forced himself to stay calm as it was a human¡¯s voice who called out to him just then, yet he gasped when he was met with another monster looking pretty much disturbing and creepy and the closest thing he could describe it as was a smiling red clown? He switched to fight-or-flight mode and quickly punched the monster with all the force he could muster with his tiny fist compared to the monster¡¯s size. Only, his ears caught the groan of a human being, a familiar voice at that. He stilled and took a moment to understand the situation; he calmed down once he caught sight of orange and stared blankly at his glaring roommate. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± questioned Elois, with threatening sharp eyes and slightly swollen skin by the side of his lips. ¡°Ah¡­¡± was his only response to the obviously angry roommate. ¡°¡®Ah¡¯?¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Really?¡± Elois smiled with wide eyes glaring dangerously at the quite confused teen; he slowly narrowed the distance between them and leaned closer to Davante¡¯s slightly troubled face as if he felt the need to let his young roommate have a closer look at his face to let him know just how really, really pissed off he was at the moment. ¡°Do you have any fucking idea how long I¡¯ve been looking for you?¡± he asked with an aggressively calm tone, the smile was still evident, but his eyes clearly were not smiling. ¡°¡­¡­10 minutes?¡± Davante answered, more like questioned. He knew he had nothing to defend himself from his usually calm roommate. He also knew how stupid he sounded given the time of day; it was clear to him from their surroundings that it was night, and the black and red sky was long gone as if it had never happened. He noted they were strangely in the forest. Elois grew angrier, if possible, yet the smile remained all the same. ¡°Oh, Ya think?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry?¡± he tried his luck to be forgiven and let go. As if finding something odd, Elois wiped his smile and decided to calm down. He took notice of how strangely confused his roommate was. Closing his eyes, rubbing his throbbing cheek gently with his finger. ¡°Were you sleepwalking or something?¡± he questioned with a hint of concern in his tone. Davante questioned that himself. Everything was like a dream, yet it felt so real. He lowered his eyes to look at the one thing that could confirm it for him. The scratch on the back of his left hand was there with his dried blood. It could be proof, but still not proof enough. He could have sleepwalked into the forest just as Elois assumed and accidentally got scratched by one of the branches in there. So, he stared in long silence, forgetting about Elois, who was still waiting for an answer. Elois joined his roommate and stared at what the other was staring so intently at. He questioned if the scratch was so important to the teen, like it held all the answers to the world. He questioned where he got that scratch from but quickly assumed it was from any sharp branch somewhere in the forest. He decided to focus on the most important thing at that moment. Grabbing his roommate¡¯s skinny wrist before turning around and walking to the exit of the dim forest, ¡°You look tired. Let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°um¡ª¡± ¡°Can¡¯t let you get lost a second time.¡± that was enough to shut down any attempt from the teen to be let go from his firm yet careful grip. He kept on walking and dragging the silent teen with him, looking ahead and unaware of his roommate, who turned his head to take one long look at the big tree behind them. ¡®¡­ it¡­ wasn''t a dream¡­¡¯ . . ¡°Aww, man, do you know how worried he was? Poor Elois,¡± asked Javi, as he dramatically brought a piece of steak to his mouth. He kept on complaining after chewing and gulping each bite, feigning concern for his friend, who just kept on sipping his coffee. ¡°He nearly yelled at everyone in the academy, asking them if they spotted you somewhere. You should¡¯ve seen his face.¡± His cousin joined him as he leaned on the table, laughing playfully as he recalled the scene of their grumpy friend frantically searching the whole place and almost threatening each student he had asked, ¡°How many times did he search the toilet again?¡± ¡°10 times, he even looked inside the bin and under the sinks,¡± Javi answered without missing a beat as if waiting for someone to finally ask to retell the whole humorous story. ¡°What, really?! We should¡¯ve taken a video or something!¡± Edmund stopped laughing to immediately fix his expression and posture to look dramatically worried. ¡°Oh boy. He was really scared to death of losing you, you know?~¡± Javi put his fingers on his forehead and closed his eyes to force a tear out staying at the corner of his eye. ¡°He was waiting all these years for a roommate, and just when he got you, he couldn¡¯t let go knowing he would be lonely again~¡± Davante remained still beside his glaring roommate, looking to the side as he felt the dark aura coming from his left. He awkwardly smiled a little to himself, silently stating what a miracle it was for the cousins to still be alive. ¡®Isn¡¯t this bad¡­?¡¯ ¡°Oh, but then Elois disappeared as well. We ran around like losers calling out for him, then decided to go sleep anyway. No one dares to lay a single finger on our grumpy friend, after all, right?¡± Davante stilled for a second, taking in what Edmund had announced playfully to further torment their friend. He looked to the side with a stoic yet questioning face. ¡®Right¡­ he was the only one who found me in the end¡­¡¯ he kept staring at his roommate in deep thought until the other noticed and looked back at him with his cup of coffee still in hand. Elois was about to ask the teen, but the cousins weren¡¯t done yet. ¡°It¡¯s possible he went to hide somewhere to cry alone, y¡¯know, living without a roommate sure is unbearable~¡± Javi took another bite without looking at Elois, who stared daggers at both bastards who wouldn¡¯t stop their silly mockery. Davante flinched a little at the crack sound coming from Elois¡¯ cup in his hand; he found it worrisome how the guy was still silent. ¡°Have you seen him cry before?¡± Edmund asked, curious for a moment as he looked at his cousin. ¡°No? Bet he¡¯d look hilarious though¡­ but just to make sure, you¡¯re going to protect me from a certain someone tonight, right, Edmund?¡± Javi asked with no apparent fear shown on his face, feeling no need to explain to his cousin who that ¡®someone¡¯ was. ¡°Oh no dear, a life without a roommate who snores loudly each night would be great, I assure you~¡± Edmund smiled sweetly at Javi, who only plainly corrected with, ¡°But I don''t snore¡­¡± in response. Meanwhile, Davante was still looking at the broken cup and muttered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± and that was how Elois ignored the other two and joined his roommate in the comfortable silence between them. . . Alvis looked intently at the papers in his hand as he listened to the other¡¯s detailed report. ¡°Juli is still in the academy. She¡¯s targeting Davante for some reason. Yesterday I found her going inside the restroom right after he went in. After some time, I also went in and found her passed out on the floor with blood on her hands. But Davante was nowhere to be found. There was also that night when Davante was left alone in the room waiting for Elois to bring him food, I found her walking toward their shared room, but Ivailo stopped her and told her something that made her retreat back somewhere. Fortunately, nothing happened to Davante.¡± Stated Neron, an expressionless young man with greyish-purple hair styled perfectly to the side, covering his left eye and revealing his right sharp black eye. Alvis frowned and raised his head to look at the young man, ¡°Ivailo? What does he have with Juli?¡± ¡°I''ve no idea,¡± answered Neron, no hint of any hidden truth to his tone. Alvis seemed to trust Neron¡¯s answer even if the guy showed no particular expressions as he answered; he sighed and slumped his shoulders down, the tension from earlier at the mention of Ivailo gone, ¡°¡­and how is Davante now? Elois found him in the end, yeah?¡± Alvis asked tiredly, holding back from crumpling the bunch of papers in his hands out of frustration and fatigue. ¡°Yes, he is doing good, but one thing is that Elois found him in the forest for some reason.¡± ¡®The forest, again¡­?¡¯ the 42-year-old man wore a tired expression as he questioned just what it was in the forest that the 16-year-old teen liked so much. ¡°¡­¡­. All right, inform me if anything else happens. Thank you,¡± he said tiredly as he tapped the papers on the table and pushed them into the beige file in his office. ¡°Do you need me to keep an eye on Ivailo as well?¡± ¡°¡­¡± the man contemplated for a moment, the offer was great, and he felt that the young man was the perfect pick for the task. However, he also cared for the purple-head guy as he had too many tasks to take all at the same time; even if he was competent and diligent, he was still a human at the end of the day. ¡°I''ll ask someone else for that. You just look after Davante for the time being. Sorry for troubling you again.¡± ¡°It''s no problem, do excuse me then.¡± Neron silently turned and left the office right after showing proper courtesy to Alvis like a well-behaved member of a high-class family. Alvis leaned back on the chair, closing his eyes as he brushed his hair back with his hand; he sighed and mumbled, ¡°Just what¡¯s happening with you, Davante¡­¡± ¡°Oh, mind if I ask you about this Davante?¡± Alvis froze, barely holding back from jumping in his place at the sudden voice of a certain blonde he knew. He slowly opened his eyes and came face to face with no one but his friend, the smiling principal ¡°uh¡­ good morning to you too, Kaven¡­¡± he knew what that friendly smile of his friend meant; it was anything but good. ¡°So? Care to explain how my son got into my Academy?¡± Kaven asked gently as he smiled very sweetly at the stiff assistant. Alvis was very sure he heard a weak click from the door just now behind Kaven¡¯s back; he didn¡¯t want to think of the possibility that his friend actually locked the door to prevent him from running away. He ignored it and decided to face him properly, only to look to the side and mumble a complaint, ¡°¡­you also accepted Ivailo in when I insisted not to¡­¡± ¡°What are you, a kid? I''m the headmaster here, y''know.¡± the smile was gone for a moment there as he looked at his assistant with a face that asked, ¡®Are you for real now?¡¯ It didn¡¯t take a minute to return his smile back, but this time it wasn¡¯t friendly; it looked cold to Alvis. ¡°Well? Will you explain to me, my dear friend?¡± . . . . The silver-haired man brought his white-gloved hand to gently rub his forehead under his bangs with his fingers; he let it stay in there for a short moment, eyes closed as he felt the coldness in his hand even with the gloves on. Sitting in complete silence by the long and wide window in the vast room with no light but from the moon. ¡°Albern~¡± He didn¡¯t bother to sigh or react at the cheery disturbance of a certain Belvedere. ¡°Wah~ that blood looks yummy~¡± stated Belvedere as he eyed the half-filled glass sitting untouched by the silver-haired¡¯s side on the table. Albern, still closing his eyes and leaning his head elegantly on his fingers, coldly ordered the other, ¡°Spit it out and leave.¡± ¡°Someone''s in a bad mood~¡± Belvedere provoked before immediately shifting the topic. ¡°Big news!!¡± he threw his hands in the air, feeling satisfied as the other finally reacted and slowly moved his hand to hold the glass filled with blood. Belvedere smirked playfully before declaring out loud, ¡°We were right. Davante is the one who holds Yeolard¡¯s soul!¡± ¡°Oh? And Emmie?¡± Albern looked the tiniest bit amused as he slowly twirled the glass elegantly in his hand, looking down at the blood with a relaxed smile. The cheery vampire suddenly wiped his wide smile away and looked to the side as he answered, looking unbothered and uninterested at the mention of his sister. ¡°Well, still keeping an eye on her beloved Davante, or Yeolard? Though both are the same now,¡± he went back to smiling as he shifted the topic back to what he witnessed, as it was more interesting to him than his own sibling. ¡°Anyway, listen to this! When Yeolard helped Davante escape to the other world, no one should have been able to see him. But there was that kid called Elois, and he was able to see him! And what¡¯s more, he easily pulled him back to the real world! Now, aren¡¯t you curious just like me?!¡± Belvedere smiled even more once he caught sight of the amused cold smile from Albern, who looked at the moon with his chin resting on the back of his hand and holding the glass with the other. ¡°Then¡­ maybe I shall pay them a visit soon.¡± Behind the door stood a buff man with arms crossed in front of his chest as he carefully listened to everything from the two vampires inside the room. He silently and stealthily moved away from the room and deeper into the long unlit corridor. . . ¡°¡­Elois,¡± Davante called out for his roommate after a long silence. He noticed how the sound of tapping on the keyboard stopped immediately at his call, and no answer came from the other; he assumed that was Elois¡¯ way of telling him he was listening. He looked to the side to observe the other¡¯s expression; even if the room was unlit, he could decipher the other¡¯s face in the dark, even if little. ¡°¡­. Edmund said¡­ you went missing too¡­ yesterday¡­¡± Davante brought back the topic hesitantly. He wasn¡¯t one to ask questions unless very necessary, even less with strangers or people he had just met. But he could not keep the question to himself this time, and he felt his roommate had noticed that already. Elois continued clicking on his laptop as he answered, looking as unbothered as usual, ¡°That¡¯s what Edmund and Javi said, even though they were beside me the whole time. I searched for you for hours, then suddenly spotted you at the entrance, I followed you to the forest as fast as I could, and you know the rest.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Davante looked back at the white blanket of his bed, resting his chin on his knees. He wanted to ask some more, but Elois¡¯ answer made him feel like there was nothing to ask about anymore. There was silence again; this time, Elois decided to break it. ¡°Hey,¡± Davante looked at him from the corner of his eyes. He noticed something from the other¡¯s face this time. He observed how Elois calmly closed the laptop on his lap and had a distant look in his eyes. Elois stared down at the laptop, thinking carefully before finally speaking. ¡°I also¡­ lost my memory under that tree.¡±
The End of CH. 4 5. Our Secret Hideout ¡°I''m leaving now. If you need anything, you know which class I''m in.¡± said the orange-haired roommate as he stood by the door and cast one last look to his sleepy roommate, who was still sitting on his bed swaying left and right a little, trying to stay awake after another long night of nightmares. Elois remained at the door some more before deciding to go with one last instruction, ¡°And try not to get lost again.¡± Davante was left alone with the click of the door closing behind his roommate. Looking sluggishly at the door as he repeated the word. ¡°¡­class¡­¡± feeling the word foreign in his tongue, ¡°I''m really¡­ going back to school¡­ after all this time¡­¡± He looked down in thought as he recalled the one time he went to a place called a class, but it ended up his first and last time. ¡®Why is it this time¡­ I feel like¡­ am walking into a cobweb?¡¯
The Red Flower Chapter. 5
A sigh was heard in the quiet office with no one other than the man standing in front of the window with a cigarette in hand. Alvis stared down at his own two feet, deep in thought of his last talk with his childhood friend, who is also the principal and his boss. ¡°I told you, didn''t I? That freak is no longer my son, yet you welcomed him into MY Academy without my permission?¡± said the boss as he slammed both palms on his assistant¡¯s office. The assistant ignored his trembling fists, staying firmly in his seat and facing the other, ¡°Frea¡ª! I don''t know what he''s done, but I''m sure he doesn''t deserve to be called that way! No matter what, he''s still your son!¡± The blonde scoffed, looking down at his assistant as if he heard something utterly ridiculous, ¡°What has he done? He simply killed my wife!¡± Alvis clamped his lips shut at the mention of the man¡¯s wife, looking wide-eyed at the man for a moment with complete silence before forcing his voice to come out. The assistant voiced out firmly, looking angered and determined. However, what came out of his mouth wasn¡¯t what he wanted to say. ¡°Fine. If you don¡¯t care for your son, then I will! Just know I''m quitting our friendship and this place once you decide to kick him out!¡± He sighed the smoke out again before gritting his teeth, holding back on crushing the cigarette in his hand as he mumbled to no one but himself. ¡°I''m such a coward¡­¡± . . ¡®Class 3-B¡­¡¯ standing by the class was Davante, the new student. Looking up at the fancy red signboard by the door, then looking back down at the small paper prepared by his responsible roommate, he deduced he was at the correct location. Stepping into the busy classroom while looking down at the paper, ¡®Seat E8¡­?¡¯ ¡°Hi! The new student?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± he was silently startled by the sudden appearance of an unfamiliar blonde student who oddly looked a bit too energetic in Davante¡¯s eyes. The student offered a friendly smile as he introduced himself to the stoic student, ¡°I''m Jack Harris, the class president. Nice to meet you!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Staring down at the extended hand for a moment before accepting the handshake reluctantly, ¡°¡­Da-Dante¡­¡± right, he almost forgot his fake name for a second there. As if he had brushed off the hesitance shown on his new classmate¡¯s face, Jack turned around, looking at Davante by the shoulder with his friendly smile as he walked forward. ¡°If you need anything, don''t hesitate to ask me. And if you''re looking for your seat, it''s over here.¡± Davante hardly paid attention to what Jack was saying as he followed silently behind and glanced from the side of his eyes around him at the other students who were looking in his direction as if he was an alien of some sort, which wasn¡¯t a new treatment to him, ¡®How many of them here were present in the accident that day¡­?¡¯ he looked at the back of the energetic classmate, ¡®It seems he wasn''t there¡­¡¯ ¡°Ah, the teacher''s here.¡± As the class¡¯s president declared, everyone moved to their seats with some light and low grunts and complaints. Davante was pulled back a little to be guided to his seat by Jack, who offered a smile before sitting down on his chair beside Davante¡¯s. After several minutes of silence with the old teacher organizing his papers and preparing them for the class, the old man fixed his glasses as he announced with a frown, ¡°I''m sure you already know we''ve got a new student in our class starting today, try to get along with him.¡± And that was it for the introduction about the arrival of the new student as the teacher immediately went ahead to start the day¡¯s lesson. As the class listened to the teacher¡¯s long explanation, Davante was thankful that no more stares were directed at him like he was some weird being as he sat beside the big window in the vast class. He wasn¡¯t sure if there was a reason for making his seat be in the last row in the corner beside the window, but he wasn¡¯t complaining; he had always liked to sit beside the windows for some reason he wasn¡¯t sure of. The sun¡¯s lighting gives him a specific type of soothing warmth he couldn¡¯t describe well. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. He just sat in silence, relaxing under the warm sunlight through the window glass, not bothering to listen to the teacher since he wasn¡¯t into learning or studying in this academy to begin with; he found it pointless to make any effort when his stay was only temporary. He was, however, pulled out from his bubble by a pair of eyes staring at him. Staring back at the student in front of him, causing the boy to avoid his eyes and turn around immediately. It was obvious the boy was nervous from the look of his raised and stiff shoulders, or maybe fear? Davante voted for the former. He soon noticed the unique color of the boy¡¯s fluffy hair, ¡®¡­pinkish hair? Juli¡¯s brother...?¡¯ At that moment, he remembered the last time he met Juli and all the disturbing things that had happened the previous day. He remembered Elois telling him that he had also lost his memories under the tree. Looking at the boy¡¯s back with a stoic face, he felt sorry for the boy as he recalled his sister¡¯s condition from yesterday. ¡®His sister¡­ I''m still not sure if that was just a dream¡­¡¯ He questioned the events once again, ¡®The rest wasn''t a dream, I''m sure. So it only makes sense what happened in the toilet with Juli¡­ wasn''t a dream either, so she''s no longer¡­¡¯ Recalling who had started the mess and what had been said and done within minutes in the restroom, ¡®Belvedere¡­ what''s the point of taking control of Juli? What did he mean by saying Emmie is trying to hide me from them¡­? Who is Yeolard? Was he the person who uttered ¡®stop¡¯ when Belvedere tried to kill me in the toilet? Was he that stranger in the foreign world¡­? What''s that monster that was in the mirror? Is it really¡­ me?¡¯ His head was a mess, with no answers to confirm anything to him; not like he could ask anyone about it. Then he was pulled back to what Elois told him the last night. ¡°I don''t remember what happened, and I''ve no more to tell you. I just felt like sharing this fact with you. It''s better to ignore whatever you may have seen in the forest.¡± ¡®It just¡­ doesn''t feel right to ignore it¡­¡¯ thought Davante as he recalled Elois¡¯ cold expression as he told him to be ignorant and go on with his life; he would so like to do that if only he could. His gut feeling wouldn¡¯t let him rest, however. He calmly looked back at the sneaking pair of eyes again. This time, the boy flinched at the look from Davante¡¯s icy eyes and turned around, more nervous than before. Davante caught an apology uttered by the boy, barely heard, but he just ignored it and looked out the window and back into his own bubble. It took a whole hour for his first class to finish, Davante remained in place even when the teacher left, and the students were left free to rest for 15 minutes; some were talking and laughing together, some were in their own world, and some were staring at him again, simply staring. And there it was, the same eyes glancing nervously at him. This time he made sure to stare back till he got a proper reaction. And as expected, the eyes tried to escape again, avoiding his eyes. He waited patiently and silently as the boy turned back and forth; it was almost comical to look at the expressive boy; he would look determined, then deflate back in one second before regaining his courage again, then back cowering, and so on. The boy finally turned to face him and stood up so fast it made Davante startle a bit in place. ¡°Nice to meet you! My name¡¯s John!¡± the boy announced, more like yelling unintentionally from all the nervousness he was going through; the boy didn¡¯t wait for an answer before he went straight to the topic, ¡°M-May I ask you something?¡± ¡°Sure¡­¡± The boy nervously fiddled with his fingers, looking down at them while forcing the awaiting question out, ¡°Y-You, you know a girl named Juli, right?¡± he asked. Yet again, he didn¡¯t wait for the answer as if it was a fact everyone was sure of by now that Davante was acquainted with the girl. ¡°D-Do¡­ do you know what happened to her the night you came here¡­?¡± ¡°No, we parted ways the moment we arrived here¡­ sorry.¡± He chose to skip the details of the latest events and answer what was asked only. No one would believe him, and nothing good would come from telling anyone the tales of a vampire controlling this poor guy¡¯s sister. The boy smiled nervously, waving both hands, ¡°Oh, no! It''s all right, sorry for bothering you and um- thank you¡­¡± ¡®Why does he look relieved¡­?¡¯ he questioned silently as the boy in front of him suddenly looked like he felt a huge weight had been lifted by the answer, as if Davante¡¯s response assured him to some degree. Back to fiddling with his fingers, the boy awkwardly smiled as he asked once more, ¡°Er- Is it okay if we hang out aft¡ª¡± ¡°Sorry to interrupt¡ª Dante?¡± Both students turned at the voice of the smiling class president, Jack. ¡°The headmaster''s asking for you. He¡¯s waiting in his office now.¡± He turned all quiet and detached from his surroundings, unaware of John¡¯s disappointed face, who looked down and mumbled, ¡°O-oh¡­ next time, then¡­¡± ¡®Any father would easily recognize his son, I think¡­¡¯ Davante only nodded, gathered his stuff, and walked out of the class when in truth, his mind wasn¡¯t functioning much as he walked absent-mindedly. He wasn¡¯t even sure where he was going; he wasn¡¯t yet familiar with the academy. Once he realized this, he stopped his legs and found himself by the windows in an empty hallway. Staring at the ground for several minutes in silence with the sound of birds chirping outside, he silently admitted, ¡®I¡­ don¡¯t want to see him¡­¡¯ His father''s last words from years ago still felt all too fresh in his ears, echoing every time he remembered the wide, dark smile directed at him. ¡°You¡­ You''ve done it now!¡± He repeated in his head, ¡®I don''t¡­ want to¡­¡¯ ¡°Listen, Davante. Avoid meeting Kaven at all costs. Just try to hide your identity for now.¡± Recalling Alvis¡¯ warning from the first day in the academy, he slowly turned around and went in the opposite direction of his way to what he supposed was his father¡¯s office, ¡®This is pointless¡­ still¡­¡¯ His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed a short corridor to his right leading to a dusty and old door. Walking slowly towards the corridor, he eyed the ground as it was as dusty as the door, as if no one had stepped into the place for years. It was so out of place that he couldn¡¯t help but stare at it until the door opened slightly by itself with a low creaking sound. He assumed it was the air, yet he felt it was inviting him inside. And he didn¡¯t know why, but he felt like something was calling for him to open the door and go in. He took a step forward, and the door proceeded to open by itself to reveal a small empty, clean room with nothing but an old book lying below a tiny window from the roof. He stared at the ancient yet clean book before walking towards it and picking it up. Opening the cover, he found a small old sticky note inside, ¡®Yeolard Verick, 7th July-1326¡­¡¯ He stared at the name for too long. He didn''t notice the door was closing slowly behind him until he heard a sudden slam. He turned to look at the closed door, unaware of who stood behind it on the other side. ¡°You¡­ Gobermouch!¡± cursed the blonde man as he gritted his teeth with his hand trembling as it was left hanging midway to the locked door. He blinked. Davante walked to the door to try to open it, but it wouldn''t budge, ¡°¡­so I''m stuck now¡­¡± he held back a sigh. He was suddenly shocked at what he was seeing, ¡®My hand- my vision¡­¡¯ staring at his now thin and pointy fingers, remembering the skeleton-deer-like monster from the previous day before turning to look at the only window above only to find a dark sky, a familiar kind of sky. Staring at the red light reflecting down on him, ¡®Yeolard¡­ black sky¡­ red clouds¡­ it''s happening again¡­¡¯ Looking down at the book in his hands, ¡®¡­is Yeolard behind all this¡­?¡¯ . . ¡°Elois? Leaving already? We¡¯re not done with our lectures yet, though? which is perfectly fine by me, but it¡¯s rare for someone who¡¯s kinda a nerd.¡± said the long brown-haired young man as he followed behind his friend out of the class. ¡°Got a message from Alvis, asking me to find Dante as soon as possible. He¡¯s been looking for him for some time now, that''s why. Bet he got lost again.¡± Elois grumpily answered as he checked his phone for any new messages from Alvis, a bag hanging loosely over his shoulder, trying to walk faster as if it were an urgent matter; that confused Javi. ¡°Hmm¡­ did something happen?¡± Javi asked as he looked out the windows; his playful demeanor calmed down a bit. He would look serious if not for the bag hanging by his forehead, making him look ridiculous, in Elois¡¯ opinion. Elois glanced at Javi before looking forward and pacing faster toward the door of the teen¡¯s classroom, ¡°No idea. I will find him and go back¡ª¡± Opening the sliding door, both young men were bewildered by the empty class, ¡°Are all the students lost today?¡± Elois asked, looking totally offended by the empty classroom. ¡°I think they''re having PE now¡­¡± Seeing how pissed his friend was, Javi turned around and sauntered away from the grumpy friend with a light-hearted smile, ¡°I¡¯ll go and look for him~¡± Standing alone in the classroom, Elois stared at his phone again, grumpily typing to Alvis. The door abruptly slammed closed behind him, making him jump and almost let go of his phone, turning immediately to yell at his teasing friend, ¡°Seriously, Javi?! It''s not the time for your pranks¡ª¡­?¡± except, it wasn¡¯t Javi. There was no one; he blinked dumbly, ¡°¡­.Javi?¡± It happened in less than a second; he widened his eyes, looking at what was lying below his feet, ¡®The windows¡ª?! And the door''s above?!!¡¯ looking up to find the closed door of the classroom like it wasn¡¯t behind him a second ago. It felt like the world was flipped out of nowhere. Elois blinked, speechless; he looked down at his legs, finding them hanging in the air. ¡°Wha¡ª¡± and before he knew it, down he fell from the suddenly opened window. He silently panicked as he tried to register the fact that he was falling from a flipped building down to who knows where in the academy. With wide eyes and furrowed eyebrows, he closed his lips firmly while thinking loud about what exactly was happening, ¡®How the heck am I falling??!! GRAVITY ERROR?!¡¯ And he felt a quick movement in the next second coming down from above to match his eyesight level. And there it was, a creepy huge, all-muscled man with sharp eyes and weird spiky black hair, grinning widely at him with open arms. ¡°Hey buddy, missed me?¡± Elois stared wide-eyed as he was still taking in that he was falling to the ground beneath them, but that didn¡¯t matter now; who the heck was that dude? This was the only thing Elois could think of now. The man¡¯s shadow loomed over him. ¡°The name¡¯s Karl Alastair. Nice to see you again~¡±
The End of CH. 5 6. Shackles of the Past ¡®I once found a girl in the dark¡­¡¯ ¡®She looked frightened¡­¡¯ ¡®Others didn''t pay the least bit of attention to her¡­¡¯ ¡®But strangely¡­¡¯ The tiny innocent boy stood obediently and silently between his parents, fixed his icy eyes on a particular spot, eyeing the trembling hands of a girl whose face remained unclear in his hazy memories. ¡®I couldn''t feel sorry for her.¡¯
The Red Flower Chapter. 6
Elois didn¡¯t get the time to register when he was swiftly pushed by the gloved hand of the muscled stranger, speeding his fall to the ground and going through the trees of one of the many gardens in the academy. He fell on the grass with a groan; several small broken branches were lying above and below him. Ignoring the pain all over his body, he slowly pushed his body up with his trembling hands and flinched when he heard the close voice of the man from behind. Karl stood from a distance with a languid smirk, looking playful even with his sharp, frowning eyes. Picking on his pointy ear with his pinky finger as he casually asked, ¡°Let''s start with this one first. Do you remember me?¡± Elois turned his head around with a scowl toward the buff man as he answered in frustration, ignoring the leaves falling from above his upper body, ¡°How many times are you gonna ask the same thing?! Do I look like I remember you at all?!¡± Karl rested his hands on his hips, looking slightly annoyed, ¡°Nothing? So you don''t remember the time I saved you?¡± That only angered Elois even more, ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I don''t think this is proof enough, though¡­¡± Karl mumbled as he turned his head in thought. He then shrugged and looked back at the other with a wide smirk showing his sharp canines. ¡°Alright, c''mon!¡± stretching his right hand out to the side, a huge sword appeared out of nowhere. He grabbed the sword so easily with one hand and gestured with his other hand for the other to come closer, ¡°Entertain me, will ya?!¡± ¡°Wha¡ª!?¡± Elois only had 2 seconds to react fast when a strong blowing air charged toward him; he reflexively dodged fast and jumped to the side enough distance away from the attack. He didn''t have time to understand what was even happening anymore before facing another incoming attack. He found Karl charging toward him with the giant sword. ¡°Fight me, kid! We''re playing a game now!!¡± ¡°Then¡ª¡± he jumped the highest he could manage with his legs stuck to his chest to avoid getting cut by the big weapon, then stepped on the man¡¯s broad back to help him jump and quickly kicked the closest tree and jumped to stand safely on a distant branch, looking down at the man, ¡°Find someone else to play with¡ª!!¡± however he didn¡¯t have a break when he quickly dodged another attack from below, jumping away from the cut and falling branch to step on another, he started running and jumping from one tree to the other as the man from below continuously attacked with his sword. And when he was about to jump to another tree, he found himself flipped over. He went up fast to the sky, the same thing that happened to him in the classroom. He stiffly stayed quiet, frowning up at the sky as he silently cried in his head, ¡®Am I¡ª Am I flying to the sky this time?!¡¯ Karl came into his view again, smirking down at him, ¡°Hi, AGAIN!¡± He wasn¡¯t given any second to think as he received a heavy hit to his gut by the pommel of the other¡¯s sword, sending him fast back down to the ground. But before he was met with the grass again, he was kicked on his side and flew to the other side of the garden. Laying still for a second before trying to push his beaten body up, ¡°¡­mng-¡± he couldn¡¯t feel his hands, however, and fell with his face down on the grass. Giving up and laying in silence as he basked in the short moment of peace he was given, ¡®Damn¡­ I¡¯m beat¡­¡¯ But it didn¡¯t last long when a sudden shout came not far from him, ¡°Up you go!¡± ¡°No¡ª¡± He widened his eyes as he knew his body wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the torture anymore, and in the next second, he was sent up high again. He silently looked in a daze at the distant man down below him. Unmoving even as he saw the odd movement of the other¡¯s hand as it pointed down and slowly lowered. ¡°Down you go~¡± He expected it, but it didn¡¯t lessen the pain even a bit as he was thrown straight into a giant stiff branch and collided hard with his middle, ¡°GAH¡ª!¡± He stared face down at his limp hands dangling in the air, too beat and tired to struggle or move anymore, ¡®Is that beast even a human¡­? Isn''t it strange that I''m still alive¡­?¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t wanna fight, huh?¡± said Karl as he cut the branch effortlessly, making the younger fall down again on the grass with a thud; walking to the young man leisurely to stand by the limp body. Karl looked down with his usual frown and his hand on his hip, ¡°So, no chance of pushing you to your limits? Although I can''t smell anything odd from your blood¡­ that''s still not proof enough¡­¡± he squatted down and took a closer look at Elois, who managed to crack one eye open and look back at his attacker. ¡°Shall I look into your memories, then? I don''t really wanna do this, y''know. But it needs to be done, so let''s get to it fast and be done with it, yeah? Forgive me, kid.¡± Karl offered an apologetic look, the playfulness from before nowhere to be found, as he grabbed a fistful of Elois'' hair from the back of his head to pull him up closer to his face, forcing Elois to meet his red glowing eyes. It felt like a switch was clicked in his head. Everything came like a wild flood from the rock bottom of his mind. Like a movie playing right before his own eyes, as if it happened only yesterday. It was all too much for Elois, the fear from that day, the panic, the coldness, everything coming back in full force, making him unable to breathe. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Help me, okay? You love your mother, right?! Then, help me!¡± ¡°You said you''d help me no matter what!!¡± A beautiful woman with messy hair and wide eyes stared at him, barely holding back her tears as she was in fear of something he wasn¡¯t sure of. ¡°You know, Elois? People are so cruel.¡± ¡°Lu¡­ L-Lucas¡­¡± ¡°I''m looking forward to that day, then~¡± The picture of a man wearing a lab coat and round sunglasses, with messy black hair tied messily to rest on the shoulder and a cold smile that meant anything but good, coming closer and closer to him in what looked like a surgery room in his eyes. ¡°Lucas¡­¡­ Luca-Lucas¡ª¡± He didn¡¯t want to see anymore; he didn¡¯t want to be aware of anything. He wanted an escape; he tried to forget and escape the rushing memories. He felt cornered, he felt cold, he felt weak, he felt¡ª ¡°NO!!¡± he snatched his hand out of Karl¡¯s grip and then hurriedly crawled away from the other, his whole body trembling. He clutched his head with both hands as he cried out loud, ¡°Stop sTOP STOP STOP STOP STOP!!¡± ¡°Dammit¡­ so what that shit said to Albern was true¡­¡± Karl¡¯s frown deepened as he looked at the serious situation unfolding before him. Slightly raising his hand, summoning his big weapon again as he muttered to himself, ¡°I have to get rid of you fast¡ª¡± ¡°ENOUGH!!!¡± An explosion filled the place out of nowhere at the scream coming from none other than Elois. Javi, who was walking peacefully in a hallway among other students, flinched as everyone else and stopped abruptly at the sudden sound of an explosion not too far from his location. Everyone looked out the window, following the direction to the source of the sound, ¡°An explosion¡­?¡± he stared at the smoke for a while, furrowing his eyebrows in worry. . . Davante was left to do nothing but read the book as he was locked in the empty room and had nothing else to do. He deduced that it was supposed to be a book of Yeolard¡¯s diaries or a way of connection disguised as mere diaries. He started reading the first page with his calm eyes. ¡ªDear Davante Fixsen¡­ I know this is not entirely convincing coming from a complete stranger, but I hope you would believe one thing first: I am not your enemy and never will be. I am only trying to help you with the game we were both unknowingly forced into. The room you are in now has been hidden and protected by a barrier for years; consider it a shelter for both of us for this short moment. I needed to reserve this book for you and only you. However, I can''t promise to keep you safe in this room for long, for you now have the book in your hands. She will find and chase you no matter what; you need to be alert. Please, be careful from the eye watching you everywhere. There is little time; I''ll break the barrier soon. Run as far as possible, far away from her. I shall end the page with one last thing. "Never Lose the Book"¡ª Just as he read the last line of the page, a faint sound came from the door as it opened behind him. He turned to look at it silently. He was utterly lost and had no chance of understanding a thing with that kind of introduction that started with a vague warning. Yet he felt like it wasn¡¯t anything ridiculous to ignore it simply. -Run as far as possible- As he contemplated what to do next, he sensed a careful movement of something- someone behind him. He turned to find a girl with very long white hair and eyes wide open, nearly popping out of their sockets. She looked like she hurried to the room and was out of breath. She stayed in her weirdly ducked position with both hands and legs on the floor, raised her head, and eyed him before eyeing the book in his hands. -Far away from her- He stayed still as she slowly stood up, revealing her tattered old white dress. They stared for a short, silent, and heavy moment. On instinct, he ran out of the room with the book hugged tight in his hands before she leaped toward him with her thin hands reaching for the book. He didn''t have time to decide where to go; he was met with the same hallway he was in before getting into the room, but looking deserted and destroyed, with huge branches pierced through the roofs and floors everywhere. He ran to whichever side and dodged each branch in the way as he felt her following close behind him, ¡®Was I always this fast? My body feels much lighter¡­¡¯ he glanced behind to find the girl chasing him on all fours like a wild animal. At that moment, he really thought of her as a monster rather than a human. She suddenly jumped so close, and he instantly decided to jump out of the windows while still facing her way. He was taken aback by how high he jumped and found himself flying up in the air. And in no time, she jumped so close to him with her hand extended once more for the book. . . Karl groaned and coughed as he rested his forehead on one of the trees around him. With much difficulty, he tried to push himself up with one hand and one leg as he had lost his limbs a moment ago and was dripping blood everywhere, ¡°Shit¡ª¡± He gradually grew back his limbs and part of his head, ¡°I should''ve come sooner¡­¡± ¡°You wanted to play, yeah?¡± Karl froze at the sudden voice and creepy appearance of a half-monster poking its head behind the same tree with a wide grin. He quickly jumped away from the half-monster Elois and readied himself to fight, immediately bringing out his weapon. The grinning Elois with black eyes asked while raising his scissor-like hand in Karl¡¯s direction, ¡°Rock Paper¡ª¡± he paused as he enjoyed the confused look on his enemy¡¯s face. He excitedly screamed, ¡°Scissors!¡± he closed his hand with a snap like a scissor. Karl was so confused that he overlooked the large red crystal on each side of him, shaped like a big scissor. ¡°Shi¡ª¡± Karl widened his eyes and tried to jump away from the attack, but it was late as he was quickly cut in half. His body flew in two opposite directions; his upper body fell to the ground with a thud, and he could hear his limbs falling to the ground not far from him. The monster strolled with its wide toothy grin while snapping its hand like a scissor, ¡°You lose~¡± Karl huffed a sigh of relief as he rested his cheek on the sand beneath him, ¡®My heart is safe, fortunately¡ª but this is way too bad¡­¡¯ he looked up to find Elois walking slowly toward him, or more like staggering. Just a few meters from each other, Elois fell to the ground, and all the creepy fog around them disappeared. Karl observed him silently; when it seemed like Elois was not going to move anytime soon, he waited for his body to regenerate again and stood up tiredly with a huff, ¡°Phew, thank you for passing out, kid¡­¡± he dragged his feet toward the passed out Elois and raised his sword again, looking at the kid with sympathy displayed on his face, ¡°Sorry you got dragged into this mess¡­ time to get rid of you now¡­¡± Just before he got to kill Elois and finish him for once, a sudden laser beam sliced off his two arms and sent them flying far away from him along with his weapon. ¡°Heh,¡± Karl lowered his hands after a moment of silence, throwing a relieved grin to the unconscious Elois with eyes closed as he started disappearing with the smoke, ¡°And you''re saved once again. Later, kid!¡± And Elois was left alone, beaten and defenseless on the ground. Soon, a tall boy wearing a black hoodie that hid half his face walked toward the unconscious young man and sat on one knee on the ground. With a weapon like a rifle gun tied by his arm, the boy moved his other hand to check Elois¡¯ pulse, sighing as he looked at the tears on the guy¡¯s eyelashes. ¡°Still alive¡­¡± . . Davante bounced from the ground with his foot and lost balance in the air, looking down at his feet as he got far from the ground in slow motion, ¡®Is something wrong with the gravity here?¡¯ He glanced behind him, looking at the mess of all the long trees and branches, ¡®Did I manage to get away from her?¡¯ just as he thought so, he was suddenly aware of a presence in front of him and turned his head back forward, barely dodging her reaching hand and hugging the book to his chest as his body descended to the ground. He slid to a stop as she was getting ready to jump again at him¡ª ¡®Why is she after the diaries?¡¯ He stood for a moment when she decided to stand not too far from him, shoulders raised from all the tension. She stared at him with her eyes wide as usual, showing more wrinkles on her forehead as she looked wary of him. He finally could take a clear look at her, pointy ears and body too thin and bones jut out. Hair long enough to slide on the ground. ¡°Hm?¡± he blinked. ¡®Wait¡ªYou¡­ You''re¡ª¡¯ And at that moment, he recalled a memory that was forgotten long ago. He was the one to jump toward her this time and towered over her smaller frame. She suddenly cowered and tried to step away from him, sweating heavily when he got too close, and bony wings slowly came out from his back looking like a web, circling her as if locking her along with him in his own cage, and his horns got longer and larger. With his eyes slightly glowing in the dark, he darkly mumbled, ¡°You¡ª I had to kill you¡­ I have to kill you.¡± She gasped loudly, teeth gritted and trembling. Then she shrieked so loud that it felt like the whole place was shaking around them. In a blink of an eye¡ª everything went back to normal. Davante eyed the place around him to find himself back to normal, no more dark sky with red clouds, no monster hands, and no sight of the girl. He was back to reality, with the diaries still in hand. ¡®It felt like¡­ my whole memory was within my reach, but fled away the second she started screaming¡­¡¯ He looked around him to process where he had ended up; obviously, he was still in the academy. But when he was more aware of his surroundings now that his head was clear, he noticed the ruined garden before him, as if a giant rocket had fallen, causing a massive hole in the ground. ¡°What¡­ happened here?¡±
The End of CH. 6 7. The Cowards Done Hiding ¡°I¡­¡± A man with blood dripping from his hands and face weakly tried to stand from his spot on the floor and away from the pool of blood underneath him, resting one hand on the table by his side but unable to do much with how bad his hands were trembling as he looked to the child sitting silently on the sofa on the other side of the room. ¡°I''m sorry¡­¡± Attempting to reach his trembling bloody hand to the small child, who only stared back with his knees hugged to his chest. ¡°I-I didn''t mean to¡ª¡± Slipping and tripping weakly from all the blood coming out of the cold body on the wooden floor. ¡°Davante¡­¡±
The Red Flower Chapter. 7
Eyes fluttered open after so long of silent darkness in his deep sleep. Elois squinted his eyes weakly, adjusting to the flickering lights from the buildings outside at night. He blinked multiple times before it occurred to him that he was in a dimly lit hospital room, with only the lights from the window as the light source. He stared silently at the plain ceiling for a while, feeling the cold of the room and the humming silence. He slowly pushed himself up to sit on the white bed, looking at the tall buildings through the big window for a moment before shifting his eyes to his cold hands lying limp on his lap above the blanket. The bandages on his right arm immediately refreshed his mind, yet he remained silent and still. He felt numb everywhere. He stared unfocused at his hands; even his mind felt numb, he thought. The sound of the winter air outside the room and the distant noise from the busy academy at night didn¡¯t help with the numbness he felt as it worsened with each second. ¡°Oh, you''re finally awake!¡± Elois jolted slightly in surprise as he hadn¡¯t noticed he wasn¡¯t the only one in the room. He quickly glanced in a direction to see who it was, finding a smiling guy sitting backward on a chair not far from him but not close. Elois¡¯ expressionless face turned back to his hands. A guy with the same hair color as his, dark blue eye, and an eye patch covering his right eye. The guy smiled kindly at Elois, who looked too numb and tired to feel or say anything. ¡°So, how are you feeling now?¡± Elois remained stiffly silent as he gripped the blanket in his hands, trying to stop them from trembling. After a moment of silence, his head turned slightly to the window at his left as he murmured an answer, ¡°¡­''m good.¡± The guy closed his eye with a gentle smile, ¡°Good to know! You looked so beaten up that I got worried for a moment there, but I know it is nothing you can''t handle. You really are strong, after all. You still didn''t deserve any of it, of course.¡± Elois didn''t say anything in return or even look up at the guy. The silence between the two only grew heavier with each passing second. However, he felt the need to answer as he felt the other¡¯s eye kept staring at him in silence with an awaiting smile. ¡°¡­Thank you¡­for¡­umm¡­¡± The guy smiled sincerely even if the other wasn¡¯t looking at him at all, ¡°It''s only normal to take care of you! We''re¡ª¡± a pause, he noticed the other tensed for a second there, so he smiled almost apologetically and lowered his head a bit. He quickly changed the topic while pushing the chair a bit closer to the bed with his legs, ¡°I suppose you''re still tired? The doctor said you could leave once you wake up since your injuries don''t seem too serious anyway, which is strange but good, I think? You can still spend the night here and rest a bit, of course¡­¡± After a minute or so, Elois mumbled an answer with his head still hanging low, ¡°I¡­ I''m fine. I¡¯ll go back to the dorms¡­¡± without waiting for an answer, he immediately pushed himself from the bed and was about to walk to the door when the other stood hesitantly from his seat in a hurry but refrained from getting any closer as he remained by the chair. ¡°Are you sure? Shall I walk you back to your room?¡± Elois hesitated for a second before holding the handle, his back facing the other, ¡°No¡ª Sorry, goodbye.¡± And he left the guy alone in the room; the silence only grew heavier as the guy stood still for a long minute before he deflated with a sigh. Rubbing the back of his head as he looked to the floor disappointed, ¡°And he ran away¡­¡± . . Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Javi walked around near the area where he assumed the explosion had occurred. Turning left and right in search of the exact location, ¡°The explosion was somewhere around here if I''m not mistaken¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, it was Elois.¡± Javi halted suddenly at the mention of Elois coming from someone on the balcony above him. He looked up with a frown, trying to understand that one sentence, ¡®Elois? Did something happen to Elois?¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s not bother with that now. Have you found Davante yet?¡± the voice¡¯s owner calmly asked someone, though no one answered. Javi assumed that the person was on a phone call. ¡®Davante? I''ve heard this name before¡­ I think.¡¯ deep in thought, Javi then frowned at the following words the man had said after. ¡°So he¡¯s Elois¡¯ roommate? Then let¡¯s keep an eye on Elois as well.¡± ¡®Davante¡­? Elois¡¯ roommate¡­?¡¯ Javi thought carefully before he widened his eyes in recognition, ¡°Could he be¡ª¡± he whispered without thinking. Swiftly, the guy jumped from the balcony to the ground where Javi stood a second ago, as Javi immediately hid behind the wall at the end of the short corridor between two buildings as fast as the guy¡¯s jump. Thinking it was too quiet, Javi tried to peek at the other side but found the guy still standing quietly with his broad back in his direction. A guy with his hair reaching his shoulders, black from the top, then gradually changing to red at the ends, wearing earrings that looked suspicious to Javi and a cap on his head. He kept staring at the stranger before hiding again when the oddly-silent guy slowly turned around. The guy walked calmly until he stopped at the corner at the end of the corridor, at the same place Javi was standing a moment ago, except it was empty. In silence, the guy kept staring in a specific direction with his sharp crimson eyes for a long while. . . Davante stood in place, observing the ruined garden before him, lost and confused. ¡®What exactly happened here¡­? Or maybe it''s been this way before¡­?¡¯ He quickly ignored that and focused on the Diary in his hands, ¡®The diary¡­ or not really a diary¡­¡¯ recalling what happened not too long ago with the strange girl. ¡®Yeolard was definitely trying to tell me something through this book¡­ it felt like he was directly talking to me¡­¡¯ deciding to keep the book, he calmly pushed it into his bag hanging on his right shoulder, ¡®That girl seemed so keen to snatch it away from me for some reason. I was so sure I''d remember her from my past, but it''s all gone now¡­ I have to read it all¡­¡¯ ¡°YOU THERE!¡± He was startled at the sudden rough and urgent call from behind; he only felt more alert when he caught the sound of heavy boots running toward him at full speed. He turned fast and was met with the academy guards, all pointing their flashlights at him like he was some criminal caught in the spotlight. One of them asked accusingly, ¡°What''re you doing here?!¡± He was cornered for some unknown reason, but this wasn''t new activity in his life, so he forced himself to stay calm and open his mouth to answer as he slightly squinted his eyes and tried to block the flashlights with his hand, ¡°I''m lost¡­¡± They didn''t look too convinced at that; one of them ordered, ¡°Show us your ID!¡± Another one stepped forward, ¡°No need, he''s the new student. We were told to take you to the headmaster as soon as we found you. Come with us.¡± He tensed at the mention of his father, turning his head slowly to the side. ¡®I got to¡­ somehow¡ª¡¯ ¡°Dante?¡± ¡°Sir Alvis?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Davante happened to look in the same direction where the assistant showed up. The assistant looked like he was running and only came closer to ensure it was the same teen he was looking for; he seemed to be taken aback by the guards there as he halted midway from approaching the teen. There was a short moment of awkward silence as he and Davante looked back at each other with troubled faces only they could see on the other. Alvis composed himself quickly and put his hands on Davante¡¯s shoulders, standing behind the teen and gently yet hurriedly turning him around, giving their backs to the guards. He managed to control his face and look strict as he turned his head and ordered them, ¡°I''ll handle him from here on. You guys make sure nobody roams around the area!¡± They only nodded obediently, even as their faces looked confused about the whole situation, ¡°Yes, sir.¡± He carefully pushed the teen, hurrying away from the guards, far enough from all ears to eavesdrop. Brushing his hair back with his hand as he sighed with a slight frown, ¡°Kid¡­¡± Alvis slowly bent down a little and pushed his face close to the silently troubled teen, looking at him with narrowed, tired eyes, ¡°I was looking for you all day. Where were you? How did you even end up surrounded by the guards?¡± Davante felt guilty for causing trouble once again as he mumbled an answer, ¡°umm¡­ My father called for me, and I just¡­ uh¡­¡± All the fatigue and poor mood were gone at the look of the troubled teen in front of him and what he heard just now, ¡°Ah, right¡­ about Kaven¡­¡± Alvis relaxed as he straightened up his back, smiling gently at the teen who silently and patiently waited, ¡°I will tell him everything¡­ about the accident 10 years ago.¡± Icy eyes widened slightly, ¡°Wha¡­¡± ¡°Oh, hi there!¡± Both Davante and Alvis turned to the voice, which belonged to no other than Javi, standing from a distance with his arms crossed in front of his chest. ¡°If you''ve already found Dante, you could''ve informed us or something, man! Elois and I were looking for him, you know.¡± he huffed, looking annoyingly at Alvis with crooked eyebrows as he walked to join the two. ¡°Sorry, kiddo. I just found him not too long.¡± Alvis smiled apologetically at Javi, who casually brushed it off, looking to the side. ¡°Right, sooo¡­¡± he eyed the guards from afar, investigating and searching around the area where the explosion had occurred, ¡°What happened? What''s with that pit over there?¡± ¡°That''s what I''d like to know¡­¡± Alvis said with a sigh as he looked at the guards, then turned back to the two students with a convincing smile, ¡°Why don''t you boys go rest for today?¡± ¡°So we have to stay out of this?¡± Javi smirked knowingly as he suppressed a scoff, ¡°Yeah, sure, Good night.¡± he turned and started strolling away, ¡°Let''s go, Dante.¡± Davante followed obediently, passing by the smiling man when he whispered, only for Alvis to hear, ¡°You don''t have to talk to my father.¡± He didn''t turn to look at the other''s reaction or wait for his answer. He walked to Javi, who had stopped to wait for him. They walked the whole way silently to the dorms, with Javi walking ahead of Davante, who was silent and stared down in thought. ¡°You okay?¡± Davante looked up at Javi, confused. ¡°Yeah¡­ why?¡± Face forward, Javi kept on walking straight with his hands in his pockets as he calmly answered without his usual teasing smile, ¡°Just, you look tired.¡± Davante noticed how Javi''s face darkened for a second at the approaching of an unfamiliar guy wearing a cap and walking casually opposite their direction in the dimly lit hallway. He felt the tense air between Javi and the guy even though they weren''t talking or close by distance. ¡°A- huh?¡± Javi suddenly grabbed Davante by the arm, ¡°This way''s faster." he said before turning to another hallway to their left. Davante went along with him even as he questioned, ignoring the distancing steps from the stranger a second ago, ¡°Isn¡¯t your room the other way?¡± ¡°I''m walking my tired friend to his room. I¡¯m being considerate here~¡± Javi raised his chin proudly, back to his usual self, Davante noticed. ¡°I''m fine¡­¡± ¡°I''m still coming with you~¡± ¡°¡­Okay¡­ thanks¡­ you can let go now.¡± And his arm wasn¡¯t let go until he was safely delivered back to his room. . . ¡°So, nothing new about the explosion yet?¡± Kaven asked as he signed another paper, sighing at the number of the remaining reports lying before him in his office. ¡°We''ll need to investigate more¡­¡± came the answer from Alvis, sitting on the sofa in front of his boss¡¯s office, avoiding looking at the other even if Kaven wasn¡¯t free enough to raise his head and look at him. A heavy silence hung between the busy boss and the tense assistant. The only sound of the ticking clock was heard for a long while. ¡°We have to talk¡­¡± Alvis finally announced, ignoring how nauseous he felt and the ache in his stomach. He was thankful for he was able to control his face at least. ¡°About?¡± Kaven still couldn¡¯t bother to raise his head and look at his assistant as he had just finished signing another paper. ¡°Ebele''s death¡­¡± Kaven widened his eyes. Both men stared at each other. The room became dead silent and heavy, and the ticking clock became even louder. Alvis looked straight into Kaven''s eyes with a composed face, turning his hand resting on the office beside him into a fist to stop his cold and numb fingers from trembling. ¡°I was the one who killed your wife.¡±
The End of CH. 7 8. Alvis Iriart
The Red Flower Chapter. 8
Alvis Iriart. A simple boy who had lots of friends but only a few he could trust. That was me, in short. I went to decent schools and easily made friends. I had good grades in most subjects. I took courses to learn fighting skills and fencing sport; I wanted to learn how to defend myself and anyone else if needed, just in case. Details? I came from an average family, neither rich nor poor; just a typical family with ordinary parents and two kids, me and my twin brother Alvin. I was born healthy, but Alvin had a weak body and heart. I was energetic and outgoing but relatively calm; Alvin was always calm, smiley, and kind to everyone. I''ve always been there for him when he needed me and took care of him when our parents were busy with their jobs and stuff, and he also was there to listen to me whenever I needed someone to talk to. I got married after graduating from university. After a month, our parents died in a car accident. It was hard at first; Alvin and I were shocked by the news, but we were able to take care of each other. I told my wife I could never go anywhere without Alvin, so we all lived in one simple house. Soon after, I managed to get into a Pharmaceutical company, Anfinrud Company. More details? I have a childhood friend whose name is Kaven, who is the closest to me. We''ve been friends since kindergarten and still are. He was clumsy, kind, and bubbly. He often complained about silly stuff but never about serious problems. He rarely ever talks to me about what truly bothers him. He came from a wealthy family but wasn''t one of those spoiled rich kids; he was humble and easy to talk to. Kaven got married after some time and had a kid, Davante. I wasn''t in good condition then, so I didn''t get to see his son, but Kaven was so happy he couldn''t stop talking about how adorable his son was over the phone. As for me, I became a father of two kids; the older one Elois, and the younger one, Owin. And as time passed, I became a professional Pharmaceutical Scientist at Anfinrud Company. Why did I particularly choose this job? I wanted to help my brother with his illness so he could finally move freely on his own. Our boss was indeed an admirable man; his name was Xenos. He was good friends with the boss of Cavalon Company; we collaborated with them on some projects and were successful. I also developed a good friendship with Xenos back then; we sometimes hung out outside the company. I was doing great. I was getting so close to my goal. I was so close to finally helping my brother¡­ But also so close to all my miseries. Xenos changed. Cold, quiet, and just downright inhumane. He didn''t allow anyone to leave the company and asked the employees to gather perfect ''samples'' to test a new ''drug'' on them. By samples, he meant humans, more specifically children. He prohibited anyone from even examining the drug and just testing it on the kids immediately. Then I found out that he''d cut out all ties with Cavalon Company, which was the closest to our company. I heard that Cavalon Company also changed during that time; we became enemies of each other... As much as I needed the job to help Alvin, everything was clearly wrong, and I couldn''t take it anymore. I decided to speak with Xenos first, even though I knew he was never the same person, a totally different one from the friend I knew. I never knew a smile could look as cruel and heartless as his. I knew for sure he was someone else. The boss and friend I used to know was no longer there¡­ I needed to quit; I needed to go back to my family as soon as possible. But I felt helpless¡­everyone seemed like robots around me, following and doing their missions with no protests or questions¡­ He threatened to kill my family and ruin my whole life if I tried to run away or go against him. I was sure he brainwashed everyone in the company, and they all became as cold as him. I felt like I''m the only one alive. One night, I secretly examined the drug he was very obsessed with. At least I had to smell it, but I was shocked when it smelled like¡­ blood. I wanted to examine more, but¡­ ¡°W-What you gonna do? Are we sick? Are you gonna help us?? H-Hey, doctor, please answer¡ª P-Please sto¡ª N-No¡ª!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°He''s dead.¡± ¡°What about the other one?¡± ¡°He made it, just as I expected.¡± ¡°Good. He could be useful for the next mission¡ª¡± ¡°No, this one is different. We need him for a special mission as ordered by Mr. Xenos.¡± As I was hiding under one of the lab tables, I heard everything the two doctors said as they experimented on two kids, killing one of them as if it was nothing. I couldn¡¯t believe it. I had to get out of there, even if I had to fight the whole company. But the day I decided to leave¡­ there was no one in the company¡­ as if it suddenly became an abandoned place¡­ I knew something was off, but¡­ I took my chance. I went straight to the police and informed them of everything to save the kids. Strangely, they were very calm and smiled at me, telling me they would deal with it and that I did not need to worry anymore. So, I just¡­ went straight back home to my family. Life went on quietly for a while, so I quickly found a job and tried to pursue my goal. But then my wife got so desperate for another better job; that she needed to help me support the family. I told her it was fine the way it was, but she wasn''t satisfied for some reason. She soon found a job, which she refused to tell me anything about. But then she started acting differently and lied to me whenever I asked her about her new job. Day by day, she distanced herself from me and gave me more lies. I didn''t want to pressure her, so I chose to wait until she felt ready to tell me everything. One day, I thought I caught sight of my wife outside at night with an unfamiliar employee from Anfinrud, both wearing the same uniform; I quickly convinced myself that it was impossible, as she specializes in a completely different field from medicine. I completely forgot about it soon after. I became aware of the way she started to keep an eye on me, strangely studying me as if planning something. I tried so hard to think that everything was okay¡­ I warned the younger son just in case; I told him to talk to me if he noticed or heard anything odd from his mother and to take care of his older brother. Elois, the older son, loved his mother so much that he ignored my presence most of the time¡­ I couldn''t just tell him to stop trusting his mother or be careful around her; he would hate me for that, or worse, he could ask Ashley if anything was happening between her and me. I didn''t want to pressure my brother, given his health. So, I didn''t tell him anything about her. I thought it wasn''t anything really serious; Ashely wouldn''t do anything to harm any of us seriously. She wasn''t that kind of woman. And so I was finally so close to my goal again. I remember the day I went to my new work to examine and test the medicine one last time to free my brother from his illness finally. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. I remember how excited I was when I ran back home. That day¡­ ¡°Everyone!... Ashley? Kids? Alvin? You awake¡­?¡± The house was dim and empty of my wife and my two kids, yet I quickly brushed it off as they were probably out somewhere enjoying their time instead of waiting for me to return home. And so I hurried to my brother''s room with the biggest grin on my face. Ignoring all the signs in the air. ¡°Hey¡ª¡­¡± I could never forget the sight¡­ I could never forget how numb and cold my whole body felt¡­ The clock¡¯s ticking in the silent room haunted me till this day¡­ He was dead. It was clear that someone had given him a poisonous pill along with his food instead of his usual one. And the only person besides me who took care of my brother was¡­ my wife. And for months¡­ my kids never returned home. Nevertheless, I forced myself to move and try my best to find them. I figured the first thing to do was find Ashley''s new job, so I asked the employees at her previous job. They asked for my civil card to prove that I am truly her husband; that I have the right to know where she transferred to. ¡°umm, Sir?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I''m sorry, but¡­ Nothing in the system shows you''re married or have any kids. The woman you''re talking about is married to another man, and they have kids. Which means you have no connection with her. I¡¯m afraid I can''t help you or answer any of your questions. Please understand.¡± They refused to tell me anything about her. They were so close to calling the police to deal with me, so I had to quit trying. I was sure it was some error in the system because¡­ how? But it turned out there was nothing wrong with the system, and it proved to work just fine. I was utterly shocked and just so lost. I even thought that maybe I was dreaming. Something was definitely wrong. I couldn''t do anything for a while, only staying at home, repeatedly thinking about what was happening in my life. I kept thinking of the man she was married to¡­ I had to know in some way¡­ But then, one day¡­ I received a delivery to me: a box and a small letter. ¡ªDear Alvis, I warned you, didn''t I? ~ - Baldrick Alastair ¡ª Inside the box were the matching coats of my two kids, along with the necklace I gave Ashley on her birthday¡­ and a¡­ knife on top... I was sure they were gone¡­ I was just so na?ve and stupid that I lost all my family. Days, weeks, maybe even months, I locked myself in my room and just¡­ asked myself over and over again¡­Why did Xenos change so suddenly? Was Ashley working for Anfinrud and hiding everything from me? Why did she kill Alvin? Who the heck is Baldrick, and what did he mean in that letter? Xenos¡¯s last words to me came once again to my mind. ¡°You''ll regret everything, Alvis.¡± Does Baldrick work for Xenos, too? Is he Ashley''s husband? Or¡­ maybe Baldrick IS Xenos himself? Ding Dong¡ª That sound, the sound of the doorbell¡­ it was the start of everything going horribly wrong¡­ And I had no idea what I was getting myself into; by heading to the door and opening it to find a familiar beautiful woman and a tiny visitor standing by her side. ¡°You are Kaven''s¡­¡± ¡°Ah, yes! Sorry for coming without any prior notice¡­¡± ¡°No, it''s fine¡­ haha¡­ ah¡­¡± I remember how powerful his eyes felt to me; an eye that felt like it could see right through people, even though they were of a tiny child¡­ very tiny¡­ and¡­ cute, indeed. ¡°You''re Davante, right? Hello ~¡± And too quiet, or more like¡­ lifeless? ¡°umm¡­ do you have a moment? Please, i-it''s urgent¡­¡± I should have refused her¡­ I had a feeling, but I still welcomed her into my house and sat to listen to her nonsense. ¡°I know this is so sudden, but¡­ can you please look after Davante for a while?¡± ¡°???¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°uhmm¡­ Did something happen?¡± ¡°K-Kaven has been acting strange lately¡­he gets mad whenever he sees Davante, s-so I just want Davante to stay away from home in a safe place until Kaven is back to normal¡­¡± ¡®How is that even possible? When he cried over how cute the tiny little boy is¡­¡¯ ¡°How about I talk to Kaven first? I''m sure he''s¡ª¡± ¡°Please, understand! He can''t even stay calm just by hearing his son¡¯s name! You can''t talk to him!¡± ¡°I think I have the right to know everything from both sides. I can''t just take your son without knowing the full situation here.¡± ¡°But I just told you every¡ª¡± ¡°As far as I know, Kaven was so ridiculously happy over Davante and couldn''t stop talking about him to everyone.¡± She stilled, then quickly tried to refute me, ¡°And he isn''t like that anymore! You two haven''t been hanging out or even talking at all, so you don''t¡ª¡± ¡°Enough. Leave.¡± . . ¡®She clearly was trying to hide something from me¡­¡¯ Just as I was about to think it was over, I found her bag forgotten on the sofa in front of me. It felt like it was mocking me, waving casually at me with a smirk while saying I failed at getting rid of its owner. ¡°Seriously¡­?¡± Option 1: Call Kaven. Imagine how a person calls his friend after a long time of no word to casually say, ¡°Hey, I know it''s been so long, but can you come to take your wife''s bag from my place, please?¡± Option 2: Go to their house. Imagine going to your friend¡¯s house, totally not suspicious, to give him his wife¡¯s bag, ¡°Y-Your wife''s bag¡­ haha¡­¡± Option 3: Call her to come and take it. Imagine again calling the person you just kicked out to tell them to come back, only to give that person the hope of another chance, ¡°Ah, thanks, so about Davante¡ª¡± ¡°NO WAY¡­ if possible, I don''t want to see her again¡­¡± Option 2 it was then. So I went to their house, thankful to Kaven for not moving out to a new place since the last time we talked. The house that used to give me bubbly and light vibes gave me nothing but a headache that day as I stood in front of the gate, getting ready to ring the bell, face my friend, and accept the awkwardness to unfold. But the gate was left open, and I briefly enjoyed the idea of going to sneak in and simply leaving the bag by the door inside and hurrying out. ¡°Y-You must really hate me now, right?¡± But it wasn¡¯t okay to ignore the weak voice that came from inside the house. The front door was also left slightly open, and I quickly caught Ebele¡¯s crying voice as I was about to put the bag down and leave. But I couldn¡¯t ignore the apparent signs once again. I¡¯ve learned my lesson the hard way. So I held the bag in hand and cautiously stepped into the house¡­ ¡°But I-I don''t know what to do anymore!¡± I couldn¡¯t ignore how scared she sounded¡­ I couldn¡¯t ignore¡­ I couldn¡¯t ignore it as I walked and walked until the end of the entryway¡­ Time stopped when I laid my eyes on what was about to happen before me. The little child was sitting silently, hugging his tiny knees, and looking at his mother¡­ who had a sharp knife in her hands and an inch away from her throat¡­ I didn''t have time to think. All I thought of was to stop her immediately. She screamed and cried. I couldn''t understand anything she said. Part of me knew it was no use in preventing her. But even so¡­ I wanted to save her, to save¡­ the son. She scratched my left eye with the knife, yet I ignored the burning pain¡­ I tripped¡­ And she, in her madness, climbed over me to stop me from ruining her plans¡­ Reflexively, I closed my eyes and defended myself from the knife¡­ But¡­ the moment I opened my eyes¡­ She was looking down at me with her tearful crimson eyes¡­ the time stopped again as I registered where the knife ended up to¡­ And she slowly, very slowly fell to the floor¡­ I couldn¡¯t feel my body. My ears were ringing, my fingers freezing cold when I was sweating heavily¡­ I came to my knees to look at my friend¡¯s wife, who was alive just seconds ago¡­ ¡°Ebele? Ebele¡­? Y-You¡­ No¡ª This¡­¡± Davante¡­ I forgot that her child was watching¡­ The child had seen everything¡­ The child had just witnessed his mother killed¡­ The child¡­ ¡°I¡­ I''m sorry¡­ I-I didn''t mean to¡ª Davante¡­¡± But his deep, cold eyes didn¡¯t look like those of a child at that moment, or perhaps¡­ I was just paranoid at that moment¡­ I was scared. So, I just¡­ ran away. I tried to forget everything, tried to convince myself that everything was just a horrible nightmare. But it was impossible¡­ I couldn''t sleep at all. What was I so scared of? Going to jail? Losing everything? What was ''everything''? I thought I''d already lost everything, even before that accident. ¡®I might as well die¡¯ I thought. And then, one day, Kaven showed up at my door, all dressed up and good¡­ asked me to work in his Academy¡­ As if nothing had happened to his wife¡­ And I just went along with him. I was scared to tell him the truth and to be all by myself¡­ yet, I wanted to know where Davante was. What happened to him? After some time of cowering, I tried to ask Kaven about his son, and he said he''d really appreciate it if I''d never mention Davante''s name again. And I''ve really shut my mouth. Because if I asked any further, he would question me¡­ and I am a coward, I couldn''t tell the truth, couldn''t confess my crime¡­ I foolishly wanted to think Davante was somewhere safe, so I didn¡¯t have to say anything. It¡¯s¡­ fine¡­ everything''s fine¡­ Selfish. Coward. Disgusting. Sick. I''ve never hated someone as much as I hated myself. I couldn''t sleep or eat or look at myself in the mirror¡­ no matter how much I wanted to believe it, I knew¡­ I had a strong feeling that Davante needed to be saved as soon as possible¡­ yet I did nothing. After a while, I found my kids. The older one was found under the big tree in the forest, while the younger just came out of nowhere and entered my office with a broad smile one day as if nothing terrible had happened¡­ I discovered later that the older one, Elois, had lost his memory. All he remembered was his name¡­ and his old friend. The younger, Owin, refused to tell me what exactly happened to them, saying with a smile that I wasn''t ready to know anything yet¡­ I was relieved I had them back in my life, but¡­ even that didn''t cover up the regret and guilt eating me alive every single day¡­ how was I supposed to be happy when I knew I ruined Davante''s life? And then¡­ out of nowhere¡­ I found him in front of me... brought by my eldest son and his friend. The moment our eyes met again¡­ I made up my mind. I have to correct everything. I have to tell Kaven everything. Even if I''d really lose everything this time¡­ out of all the things I''ve been through, the most painful thing to me was being regretful. I can''t live like that any longer. So, I did it. I confessed my crime. I was waiting for Kaven to loathe me, for him to curse at me and throw me to prison for the rest of my life. And so, Davante would soon finally have his father back. And I would see him smile for the first time ever. But¡­ that smile¡­ those eyes¡­ I remember I''ve seen them somewhere before¡­ what Kaven said next¡­ made me question myself¡­ ¡°So, am I supposed to shed some tears over your touching faked story, Alvis Iriart?¡± ¡®Do I¡­ know this person¡­?¡¯ . . And suddenly came a forgotten memory to the assistant¡¯s mind¡­ A flash from the past of Xenos casually whispering to him with his laidback smile, ¡°Gonna take a look at an abandoned lab underground. Wanna come?¡± A second flash of Ebele when she looked down at him with the knife ready to stab him in her panic and despair moment as she accused, ¡°No!! You''ll ruin everything!! You''re not supposed to be here NOW!!¡± Alvis flinched and snapped his eyes wide open, slowly straightening his back and raising his forehead from his hand as the flashes replayed in his mind again and again. After a long silence, the assistant slowly stood from his bed, walking hurriedly to the door.
The End of CH. 8 9. The Main Player Is___ ¡°Don''t touch me!¡± The child stopped immediately; he put a distance from his trembling mother, who looked at him with wide eyes in fear. The child silently stared, respecting his mother¡¯s wish to stay away. ¡°I know...¡± The mother took a step back. ¡°I really know... I know it''s not your fault...¡± She covered her mouth to stifle her cries. ¡°I really don''t hate you... Please believe me... I love you, Davante...¡± She hiccupped, ¡°but I know you are... he... He is looking!! I know he can look at me from your eyes!!!¡± She started trembling more. ¡°A son like you¡­ I don''t need someone like you!!¡±
The Red Flower Chapter. 9
¡°May I ask...¡± Davante sighed, blinking sleepily. ¡°Why did you drag me to your room in the middle of the night?¡± He looked at the man who was strangely facing the door. Narrowing his eyes suspiciously when he heard a click, ¡®...Did he just lock the door?¡¯ Alvis took a deep breath before turning back to Davante, who stood still in the middle of the dark room; moonlight pushed through the window to slightly light the room at night. ¡°I''m sorry, but we need to talk. Right now.¡± Alvis sighed and walked to grab a desk chair, turning it around to invite the teen, ¡°I have a feeling you''ll fall asleep if you sit on the bed, so¡­ sit down, please.¡± Davante stared blankly but was too sleep-deprived to ask questions, so he did as told without much protest. Once he sat down comfortably and hugged his knees, he faced Alvis, who sat stiffly on the bed with his head down, ¡°So?¡± And the man didn¡¯t hold back as he burst out immediately at the other¡¯s demand, ¡°THAT person... is he really your father? Kaven Fixsen? How can this and that be the same person?! I DON''T know that guy!! Not my friend! His doppelganger or whatever, but I REFUSE TO SAY HE IS KAVEN FIXSEN!!¡± ¡°...I think it''s my fault¡­¡± Davante answered uncertainly as he looked to the floor. Alvis sighed and looked tiredly at the boy, changing his position to face the teen properly, ¡°Is this about how he blamed you for your mother''s death?¡± Davante remained silent for a while before talking again. ¡°Maybe even before her death... he was indeed the only one who tried to treat me like any other child, but then I think he started to believe that I am truly abnormal¡­" ¡°I assure you, he actually loved you, and he wasn''t just trying to treat you like any normal kid, Davante,¡± Alvis sighed again and ruffled his hair messily. ¡°But now... no matter what I say, he insists that you are the one who killed his wife... no matter how I look at it, it just doesn''t make sense to me! How much he hates you for something he doesn''t even know, and he''s blaming a CHILD! Not to mention that... creepy smile...¡± Davante blinked; he widened his eyes slightly, ¡°¡­did you really tell him everything?¡± Alvis looked pointedly at the other as if the question offended him. ¡°What? You didn''t believe me when I said so?¡± ¡°Honestly¡­I didn''t..." He paused, expecting the offended ¡®Hey¡¯ from the other as he looked down to continue, ¡°But I didn''t care to be honest...¡± Alvis frowned and demanded, ¡°Why didn''t you want me to talk to him?¡± Davante averted his eyes and kept looking down as he contemplated something. ¡°Davante... did you... Did you know that he wouldn''t believe me? Even if I told him everything? Did you know he would still hate you?¡± Alvis pressed on, demanding for the first time to receive answers from the reserved teen. Davante looked coldly at the floor that seemed equally cold and still as a memory flashed in his mind, ¡°He looked so joyous...¡± ¡°What...?¡± Alvis furrowed his eyebrows, seemingly confused and taken aback. ¡°He seemed very excited to get rid of me... that day when you ran away...¡± the teen calmly said, looking at nothing as he remembered the look on his father that day, a grin too wide that looked too sinister and foreign on his delicate features, getting closer to his face as his father grabbed his cheeks and widened his eyes like a lunatic, ¡°He smiled at me... as if he was waiting for me to do something terrible all along...¡± He kept looking at the floor, unaware of the look of horror from the assistant the more he listened, ¡°He detests me... I knew there was no way for him to change even if he knew the truth... I didn''t want to say anything¡­ I thought I''d stay quiet until you decide to tell him yourself, or that was the case at first¡­¡± he took some time to collect his thoughts. ¡°That day, when he came back home... I didn''t expect him to accuse me straightway¡­ I got scared. I tried to explain everything to him...¡± Alvis looked down, unable to look at the teen whom he had betrayed, even though Davante wasn¡¯t looking at him and didn¡¯t seem to care, but the truth was out and clear to his face; he ran away and helped push the blame on the child and the trauma he had to go through, ¡°That''s totally normal for a child to be scared in that situation¡­¡± ¡°I wasn''t scared of what happened to my mother.¡± Alvis again looked back at Davante in shock. ¡°You must have felt something strange from me, too, right?¡± Davante rested his head back on the chair with closed eyes, ¡°It''s true, I''m not normal... what everyone says about me, it''s true¡­¡± ¡°No, I don''t think you are¡ª¡± ¡°I knew things were going to end like that. I knew she was going to kill herself, and for you to try to stop her.¡± he paused before he said in a calmer tone, ¡°I just... knew.¡± Alvis stared silently and was hesitant about what to say next, ¡°So... if you weren''t scared of what happened... then...¡± ¡°His smile...¡± recalling the crazy smile again and again in his head, it felt like he was reliving the moment as he physically felt the coldness he felt from then, ¡°That was the first time I got scared of someone¡­ I didn''t know my father as you did, but maybe you''re right¡­¡± Davante relaxed his cold cheek lazily on the back of his hand as he reminisced the time when his father used to give him too much attention and play with him even though his child was incapable of showing any reactions like any other toddler, ¡°Perhaps something happened to him... though I don''t know how or when.¡± It hurt to ask, but Alvis had to because the teen he was looking at looked like a broken mess, and the only way to survive was to suppress his deep inner fears, and the only way for him to let it out was if someone asked and he needed to answer, ¡°Are you still scared?¡± Davante didn''t answer immediately, ¡°I don''t know...¡± He stared at Alvis for a while. Alvis averted his eyes and hesitantly asked the other, dreading the obvious answer, ¡°Do you hate me... for running away...?¡± Silence... Alvis chuckled dejectedly, voice shaking a bit, ¡°Obviously...¡± ¡°Maybe at first,¡± Davante answered calmly later; Alvis looked back at him with glistening eyes in the dark, ¡°I wasn''t in my right mind in that room, so I blamed you for what I went through¡­ I hated you... Or rather, I think at that moment, I just hated everyone...¡± Noticing the distant look in the teen¡¯s icy eyes, Alvis couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°¡®That room¡¯...?¡± Davante paused, mouth open as he froze for a moment before swinging the chair back and forth, causing multiple loud creaks to fill the silent room, ¡°But then, I decided I should forget about you. I thought I would never see you again anyway.¡± ¡®Ah, the wrong question, alright...¡¯ Alvis thought and kept quiet, waiting for the other as it looked like there was more. He was just happy the teen was talking more than usual now. ¡°When we met again... I guess what annoyed me was that you didn''t want to save me, you just wanted to save yourself...¡± he paused, then looked at Alvis, who stared wide-eyed back at him at the new knowledge he was receiving, ¡°Still, when I realized that we know nothing about each other... I just... I think it''s unfair of me to be angry at you or hate you for that matter... you didn''t deserve to be treated so coldly as I did the first day and force you to feel guilty¡­ I''m sorry.¡± Alvis was speechless. ¡°So... no. I don''t hate you¡­ Alvis,¡± Davante tilted his head a bit to the side and offered a small smile, ¡°And you''re not a murderer for what happened to my mother. She wanted to commit suicide, and you tried to save her, that''s all.¡± Alvis gulped and held back the tears about falling down his cheeks at any moment, lowering his head. ¡°I''m... wow...¡± at a loss of how to express his relief, he raised his head back as he smiled at Davante, a lighthearted smile, ¡°I suddenly feel so much lighter..." Davante averted his eyes away from the man¡¯s genuine smile as he felt overwhelmed for some reason; he wasn¡¯t sure why. ¡°...good to know.¡± ¡°Ah, then...¡± the man quickly regained his composure and felt more comfortable voicing his questions, ¡°Was it true what your mother said about Kaven back then?¡± Davante stared at the ceiling as he leaned back on the chair, ¡°Not really. Yes, she definitely sensed something from my father. She started to get scared whenever he was around, but that wasn''t why she wanted to leave me with you. I think there''s more to the matter than that,¡± he blinked as he added, ¡°She said she loves me, she wanted me to believe her, so I did... because if she truly hated me, I am sure it would have been easier for her to kill me or throw me somewhere and run away.¡± Smiling uncomfortably, ¡°Don''t... talk like it''s normal for her to do so...¡± Davante looked back to the floor as he recalled something else, ¡°She was scared of me. I don''t really know why... but I only remember her saying¡­ ''Baldrick is watching me from your eyes.''¡± Alvis jumped up from the bed suddenly with wide eyes; he almost looked scared and alarmed himself. Davante looked slightly up at the seething man, forcing his body to stay calm. ¡°Alvis...?¡± Shakin, Alvis almost growled as he asked and looked visibly raged, ¡°Do you know who Baldrick is?¡± Davante blinked, confused, quietly expecting to be accused of something he wasn¡¯t aware of and was getting ready for it as he honestly and calmly answered, ¡°No... I''ve only heard his name from my mother.¡± Alvis stared into Davante''s eyes, fists still slightly trembling and clenched. ¡°...are you okay?¡± Davante stared at the other cautiously. Alvis slowly brought himself to calm down, shaking his head lightly. ¡°Yeah... sorry, it''s nothing...¡± rubbing the back of his neck as he looked to the side with a long sigh, ¡°You must be tired... sorry for forcing this conversation on you, but I... we needed it, both of us,¡± he looked back at Davante with a gentle smile, "I¡­¡± reaching his hand to the other, pausing a short moment before proceeding, patting the teen¡¯s silky black hair as he fondly announced, ¡°I will still look after you, Davante.¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Davante remained silent as he kept looking down, unsure what to say or feel. Alvis seemed to understand, however, as he put some distance between them and calmly pulled out his phone to check something before pushing it into his pocket and moving to the door. ¡°Alright, so! I don''t think it''s safe for you to go back alone now, so I asked someone I trust to send you back to your room.¡± Alvis said with an excited smile as he unlocked the door. Davante stood up and trailed behind, ¡°There is no need...¡± He stopped when Alvis opened the door to reveal a guy with an eye patch covering his right eye. The guy noticed Davante and smiled brightly, making the teen want to step away from him. ¡°Oh, you''re done? Hello!¡± the guy waved happily at him with his phone in his other hand. Davante didn¡¯t bother to wave back, looking at the two big balls of bright energy grinning happily and innocently in his direction. Alvis gave him a thumbs up as he confidently said, ¡°Don''t worry, you can trust him!¡± Davante stared back at the guy a little more before he pushed through between them and walked out of the room, ignoring how small he felt with their longer and bigger build, ¡°Alright, good night then.¡± ¡°Ah, wait¡ª¡± Alvis called out to the retreating teen as he wasn¡¯t finished with the introduction yet. The guy immediately set to follow Davante, whispering to Alvis as he passed by with a smile, ¡°Elois got his memories back.¡± Alvis stilled in place at the doorway with wide eyes, but before he could ask, the other was already running after Davante, and he was left alone with the unexpected news, ¡°What¡­ you can''t just leave after¡­ huh¡­? Huh¡­?¡± . . ¡°Well then, here we are, Dante!¡± the eye-patched guy said, smiling wide at Davante as he gestured with both hands to the door, standing in front of Davante''s and Elois''s shared room. Davante wasn¡¯t sure if his eyes were playing tricks on him, but he could see sparkling light coming from the bright person in front of him, ¡°Thanks...¡± The guy innocently pointed his finger to himself while rubbing his other hand on the back of his head, ¡°Ah, right! I haven''t introduced myself yet- Owin!¡± Davante only stared intently at Owin, inspecting with his eyes and forgetting to answer the other. Staring at the color of his very short hair and his visible eye, his face, and features in general, ¡®His hair''s very much like Elois''... and the eyes same as Alvis''¡­¡¯ imagining all three faces together in his mind, ¡®...they all have something similar...¡¯ he blinked as it clicked to him, ¡®Oh... I see¡­¡¯ Owin smiled confusedly at the other, not bothering the staring much before he kindly asked the teen, who seemed to be thinking of something as he looked down, ¡°Is Elois taking good care of you?¡± ¡°Hm? Ah¡­¡± Davante turned to face Owin, pulled back from his thoughts, ¡°Yes, I think?¡± ¡®Almost like a mother¡­¡¯ he secretly added, recalling how his roommate always took the role of taking care of his sleep schedule and making sure to remind him to eat his meals, going as far as threatening him with his sharp eyes as he emphasized on eating the meals he brings for him every day. ¡°Sorry to ask this of you, but¡­ please take care of him, too.¡± Said Owin in an almost hushed tone as he smiled calmly with his eye closed, not noticing the unreadable look the teen had as he hadn¡¯t said anything and just stared. The grin came back instantly, and Owin turned around to wave at Davante while skipping away in the hallway, ¡°Sleep tight!¡± Davante silently looked at Owin¡¯s retreating figure before turning to the door and quietly opening it. Once inside, Davante noticed Elois asleep on his own bed. ¡®Oh, he''s back¡­¡¯ He walked to his bed and was about to lie down but stopped when he noticed the bandages on his roommate''s right arm. He carefully inspected the injuries with his eyes, then looked at Elois''s sleeping face. ¡®Where did all these wounds come from...? He looks so worn out...¡¯ He slowly lay down in bed and brought the covers around him to dive into the comfort and warmth of the bed. He was tired; he wanted to sleep, but he only stared at the balcony window facing him from a distance and thought of what Alvis had told him. ¡°I don''t know that person!¡± ¡®That''s right... my father has changed at some point... I''ve always thought that was because he gave up on me and believed I wasn''t a normal child...¡¯ Staying still and blinking sleepily in thought. ¡®If I wasn''t the cause of his change... then what was...?¡¯ He recalled what he learned from Juli on their way to the Academy together. ¡°Rumors say that the principal had someone from his family who was influenced by that flower¡­¡± ¡®Was that ''someone'' me? Or my mother...?¡¯ An image of his father suddenly came to his mind. Young Kaven was standing and warmly smiling down at him, holding his hands out to carry Davante in his arms. ¡°Davante, time to go home~¡± ¡®Ah... that day... we went to the forest for the first time to look at the red flower... my father was so enthusiastic... It was... that time when I noticed that girl there, alone... She was alone and scared¡­ where exactly... did I see her? Somewhere¡­ dark and¡­¡¯ ¡®¡­and¡­¡¯ Then suddenly, the image got distorted somehow, and it was hard to see clearly; something dark and long, smiling creepy faces¡­ all reaching their long hands and fingers out and behind his oblivious father. Gasp¡ª Davante snapped his eyes open. He was met with the ceiling of his shared room with Elois. He tried to breathe calmly; he noticed he was covered in sweat, and the room wasn''t dark anymore. He didn¡¯t have to look at the balcony to his side to know what time it was, ¡®Morning already...¡¯ Getting up in a sitting position as he wiped his sweaty face with the back of his hand, ¡®When did I even sleep? So that was a dream...?¡¯ Still panting, wiping the back of his neck as he recalled the dream, or was it really a dream, he doubted. He noticed then that he was alone in the room; Elois''s bed was empty. ¡®Ah¡­ so he went to class¡­¡¯ he turned to look at his bag beside his bed, resting on the small bedside table with the diary poking out a bit, ¡°Then¡­ this is my chance¡­¡± . . ¡°Huh? What happened?¡± Elois put his bag on the desk in front of him and sat on his seat beside Javi, who eyed his injuries and looked stunned, ¡°What? It''s not the first time I¡¯ve gotten in a fight with someone, right?¡± he pulled his earphones and connected them to his phone, ready to isolate himself from everyone in the class with a piece of good music. ¡°Are you telling me that someone managed to lay a finger on you? Why do I find that so hard to believe?¡± Javi stared intently at his friend, who ignored him and put the earphones on. Javi sighed and rested his chin on his palm. ¡°Yeah, okay, I''ll believe you even though I don''t.¡± Elois glanced at Javi from the side of his eye and returned to his music. Both remained just like that until the teacher arrived with a bunch of papers and books; as usual, he threw all his things on the desk with a huff. The grumpy teacher raised his head to look at the students awaiting the day¡¯s lecture, ¡°Okay, guys! We have a new student today, so welcome him properly,¡± he turned his head to the door. ¡°Come introduce yourself, and make it quick, please.¡± Javi slowly raised his chin from his palm and tried to hide the shocked look on his face but failed miserably; Elois on his right noticed his reaction once the new student with black and red hair casually walked into the classroom. ¡°I''m Ellmer Reinhart. Very nice to meet you all.¡± the new student, Ellmer, said with a kind smile. Some students nodded, and some remained silent, looking bored already. Then, Ellmer pointedly glanced in their direction; it was quick, and maybe no one noticed, but Elois did. He also noticed how Javi tensed when Ellmer¡¯s crimson eyes fell on them. Elois furrowed his eyebrows at his friend and whispered to him, ¡°You know him?¡± Javi kept his gaze on the new student, who took his time walking to his seat and casually starting light conversations with some students. He tried to ignore the other¡¯s presence as he grumbled an answer, ¡°¡­not really¡­¡± Elois raised an eyebrow at his friend. He then shrugged and tried to focus on the lecture as he removed one earphone. ¡°More importantly,¡± Elois paused his hand, letting Javi know that he was listening. ¡°Is Dante in his class now?¡± Elois let the earphone rest hanging by his left shoulder as he indifferently answered, ¡°Maybe, he was still asleep when I left.¡± Javi instantly pushed his face close and loudly whispered, causing the other to flinch away from him with a frown, ¡°You didn''t wake him up? You just left him sleeping alone in the room?! DID YOU AT LEAST LOCK THE DOOR?!¡± ¡°You talk like I did something terrible. What¡¯s with you today?!¡± Javi seemed to think for a moment, contemplating something. He then moved to gather his notes and everything from his desk, standing abruptly and pulling the other by the elbow to stand up with him, ¡°We need to go.¡± ¡°Huh? Where to?¡± ¡°Just come!¡± ¡°Hey! Wait¡ª¡± ¡°These two again¡­¡± grumbled the instructor as he frowned with his face to the board, listening to the usual source of disturbance in the class as loud steps moved to the door and slammed after. Thankful for the quietness and peace after as he proceeded with the lesson, uncaring. Elois walked hurriedly as he was still being pulled by the tight grip of the other¡¯s hand, ¡°Hey! Seriously, what''s wrong?!¡± Javi let go and stopped when they were far away from the class, and took a look around him to make sure the place was empty, ¡°Listen, yesterday I heard Ellmer talking about you and your roommate,¡± ¡°What?¡± Elois furrowed his eyebrows, but Javi wasn¡¯t done yet, ¡°He told someone to keep an eye on you both, and he also¡­¡± turning around to face his friend, ¡°He mentioned your roommate''s name¡­ ¡®Davante¡¯¡­¡± Elois remained quiet at first; slowly, the look on his face changed, and his hand fell back to his side. An image of a boy with black hair facing away from him and a pot of flowers in his hands, with the pot looking big compared to his small and fragile frame, walking calmly in a beautiful small garden. It was a peaceful memory, yet haunting. ¡°Hey Elois, isn''t Davante the one you talked about before? Your friend from 7 years ago! You said that Dante reminds you of him, so¡­ maybe he IS Davante?¡± Javi waited for the other to react. But Elois looked at nothing; his eyes seemed empty and distant. ¡°Anyway! We should go and make sure he''s safe! Maybe the other person who talked to Ellmer is on his way to go do something to your roommate as we''re talking now!¡± ¡°I think¡ª He will be safe¡­ now that I''m away from him¡­¡± Javi turned quiet, and a long moment of silence fell on them, staring with a raised pointy eyebrow at his friend as if he had just said the stupidest thing Javi had ever heard, ¡°HUH?¡± He sighed and shook his head, grabbing the other''s shoulders to look him in the eye. ¡°LISTEN HERE, ELOIS! I DON''T KNOW WHAT''S WRONG WITH YOUR SMART HEAD TODAY, BUT THE TARGET HERE IS DAVANTE! THEY WANT TO KEEP AN EYE ON YOU JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE HIS ROOMMATE, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND!¡± Elois widened his eyes blankly, ¡°Huh- The target is him? But¡­ why?¡± Javi looked like he wanted so much to tear out his hair; he got closer to the other''s face in frustration, ¡°WHO KNOWS!! ARE YOU DONE ASKING?!!¡± ¡°Ah yeah, sorry¡­¡± ¡°Oh, finally!¡± Javi let go of the other and immediately ran into the hallway; Elois blinked and followed behind. . . Davante sat on his bed with the diary in his hands. He slowly opened the book to the first page, but to his surprise, it was empty. He slightly widened his eyes at the blank page. ¡®These were the two pages I read yesterday¡­ how are they empty now?¡¯ He looked at the other pages; none was empty like the pages he had read yesterday. ¡®So, only the first two¡­ Does he¡­ have control over his diary?¡¯ he quickly shrugged it off, ¡°Let''s see¡­¡± And he started reading the rest from where he had stopped the previous day. ¡ª¡ªI was forced into an unknown, invisible game. I do not know precisely when or in what way, and I also do not know if it was the reason why the nobles wanted me dead at the earliest opportunity. No one noticed the changes around our world; my mother alone and I were aware of things. I started to have the same dream repeatedly for a long while. Every time I would find myself standing in a place with nothing but mirrors all around me. Whenever I would look at any reflection in all mirrors, I would see someone unfamiliar, whom I would call my twin if not for the icy-blue eyes. He looked calm, cold, and assertive. The silence then would abruptly break by random shrieks and cries, along with empty threats. When I look behind the source of the voices, I find a very furious yet frightened woman. She looked explicitly furious at me yet frightened by the person in the mirrors. She tried over and over again to kill me, but the person in the mirrors stopped her every single time by simply looking directly into her eyes; no matter how long or loud she cried, he would look completely unfazed. As if mocking her in the coldest way possible. Not long after, I came to the realization. The person in the mirrors was none other than the third game player. Davante. The only player who would defeat her and the only player whom she fears the most. I had decided to become your ally. And for you to become the third player, I had to die to make way for you. Our real enemy is her, and the game is but a way to cage her for as long as it can. Never let your guard down, especially when she is so close to you now. ¡ª¡ª ¡®Third¡­ player? Me? So, does that mean¡­ Yeolard was the second player?¡¯ Davante was even more confused; he stared down at the words, ¡®Is this about Emmie''s game¡­?¡¯ he lowered the diary and rested it on his lap. ¡®But her game¡­¡¯ He recalled the game conditions stated by none other than the playful Emmie. ¡°Go see the red flower and come back. If you really managed to come back, I lose; if not, you lose. Simple, right?¡± Davante widened his eyes slightly at the memory. ¡®Did she know I was going to be stuck in here because of that flower?¡¯ he lowered his head a little, ¡®No¡­ Is the game really that simple? What are the real conditions¡­?¡¯ He recalled the skeleton pinned against the big tree, then the dream he had of his father moments ago. ¡®He said he had to die¡­ so that really was his skeleton tied to the big tree¡­ Is the red flower the evil here, or the¡­ tree?¡¯ He slowly brought his hand up and brushed his hair around the side of his forehead lightly with his fingers, eyes very wide open, feeling shards of glass connecting back in his head. It was getting close, very close to something, yet he felt like something was breaking down in his head, ¡®The¡­ tree¡­ something¡­ there was something¡­ I¡­¡¯ A knock on the door was what startled him and stopped him from diving deeper into his disturbing thoughts. He looked toward the door that kept getting knocked at from the other side, even without a response. He heard another knock, and he hurriedly shoved the diary under his bed and stood up. He walked to the door and opened it cautiously. . . Elois and Javi finally arrived at the dorms and went straight to the corridor where the room was in. Javi ran and shoved the door open immediately while shouting the fake name of their friend, but he was met with an empty room. ¡°You think he went to class?¡± Javi asked the other, both panting from running so fast from one building to another. Elois looked to his roommate¡¯s bed, noticing the bag beside it on the floor, ¡°His bag is still here¡­¡± Javi walked to the bathroom. ¡°Maybe in the bathroom? Dante! You in there?!¡± Silence. Elois walked to the door and tried to open it a little, and it opened. ¡°If he were in there, we would''ve definitely heard some curses at us by now,¡± Javi said with a serious look. Elois side-eyed him. ¡°You provoked him enough to know that, huh?¡± ¡°Try and open it more.¡± Javi pointed at the door, urging the other to open the door completely. Elois gave him a look. ¡°You do it, then.¡± ¡°Just do it.¡± ¡°Afraid of his punch?¡± ¡°I''ll punch you.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± Elois slowly pushed the door more and revealed the empty bathroom. ¡°See?¡± Javi raised his head proudly; he quickly frowned, ¡°Actually, wait¡ª this is bad¡­¡± ¡°Hey¡­ ¡° Elois called for the other¡¯s attention as he walked to the balcony. Javi stopped his rambling and looked at his friend, who stared at the balcony with a frown, ¡°Hm?¡± The balcony window was open. Both of them stared at it in worry. ¡°Uh¡­ I don''t¡­ think he jumped¡­¡± said a worried Javi, ¡°¡­or did he?¡± . . Emmie sat on the half-round sofa in the room with only the sunlight lighting it, facing down as she hugged her knees in silence. She sighed. ¡°Belvedere will cause even bigger troubles if I go to the academy¡­¡± tightening her clasped hands together, she lightly called out, ¡°Davante¡­¡± She raised her head to the long window when she noticed a movement, startled when she witnessed the sight of a huge man in an odd position looking as if he came flying straight to crash inside the room only to collide pathetically against the weak window. ¡°Karl?!¡± she jumped in place at the familiar figure, ready to get up and help the other, when suddenly the shape of the man turned into a thin scattering of smoke and sneaked from the windowsills and easily into the room. The smoke gathered to take the form of a tall human being again, but this time a woman. The smiling woman with weirdly long spiky dark blue hair waved unapologetically to the other in the room as she casually walked to the other half of the round sofa, ¡°Pardon the intrusion!¡± Emmie sighed as she calmed down, ¡°um, it''s fine, not like it''s the first time or anything. But are you okay? Your power''s weak¡­¡± The woman flopped down on the sofa with her long legs stretched forward, ¡°Yeah, didn''t expect him to be that tough.¡± Confused, ¡°Who¡­?¡± Karl looked down at the floor with an easy smile, ¡°Elois Iriart,¡± her sharp crimson eyes looked unsure before adding, ¡°Or should I call him Elois Feldstain now? Baldrick played a new card¡­ he managed to get a hold of this boy whom I met when he was a kid, and now it''s registered everywhere that he is the son of ''Lucas Feldstain.¡¯¡± Emmie looked down as she pondered, ¡°He had never done that to any of his victims before¡­¡± ¡°Exactly, I think he smelled my blood on that boy, guess that made him interested or something,¡± Karl looked up to the window as she recalled her first encounter with the said kid, smiling gently at the memory, ¡°The kid was about to die in front of me, so I gave him a little of my blood, it''s not like he would turn into a vampire anyway, you know how different our blood is,¡± shrug, ¡°Most importantly, apparently this boy is now in the same position as Davante in the game,¡± Karl looked at Emmie calmly, who looked back with a worried look, ¡°Davante is not the only player. Elois entered the game now, but he is completely under Baldrick''s control, from what I''ve seen. I thought I could have control over him through my blood¡­ but no use.¡± Emmie looked more anxious, ¡°Wait¡­ that means¡­¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Karl looked sharply back at Emmie, ¡°He will most likely be against Davante in this cursed game.¡±
The End of CH. 9 10. Break Free From Your Lies ¡°Davante, you know? You know??¡± Asked the girl with black-short hair; she faced the little boy with wide crimson-red eyes and smiled wide as she leaned closer to him, sitting on all fours on the grass to meet his eye level. ¡°My father told me I was born for one person, and that person is my only happiness, so I should only watch that person to be happy!¡± She crawled closer to the other and smiled even more as her eyes glowed. ¡°You are my only happiness, little brother~¡±
The Red Flower Chapter. 10
¡®If I recall correctly¡­¡¯ Davante thought with his eyes closed as he tried to find out where he was by using his heightened senses. ¡®The last thing I remember was when I opened the door to see who was knocking nonstop¡­ and suddenly¡­¡¯ He recalled a boy with red hair, purple eyes, and two earrings that looked odd at first glance. ¡®A random guy punched me for some reason, and I lost consciousness.¡¯ He tried to slowly move his hands a little bit to check one more time, eyes still closed. ¡®And my hands are tied now¡­ I suppose it''s time to open my eyes. I¡¯m tired of waiting for him to do something.¡¯ Calmly, Davante opened his eyes slowly and was faced by none other than the red head guy himself. The guy was standing tall before Davante, looking down at the other with angry eyes, or hatred more than anger? The red guy tsked and scowled down at him the moment Davante met his eyes. Suddenly and with a swift movement, the guy pulled a small dagger and pressed it at Davante¡¯s neck. ¡°Don''t you dare say a word.¡± Davante only stared at the other, completely unfazed and face as stoic as always. ¡°And if I do?¡± The guy scoffed and leaned closer with a scornful smirk. ¡°Die, obviously.¡± Tilting his head slightly to the side, ¡°But I just did, didn''t I?¡± The guy''s smirk was gone in a second and got more pissed at Davante, who only stared back coldly and almost mockingly. ¡°Don''t try me, you ugly shit!¡± Davante raised his chin a little and eyed down at the dagger at his neck, ¡°Hm? You aren''t so good-looking yourself either. That makes two uglies now.¡± The guy scoffed loudly and pressed the dagger more against the other''s neck, enough to break the skin, and a bit of blood trickled down the weapon, ¡°Psh! Haven¡¯t you seen yourself in the mirror before? Maybe even a monster can''t stand its face, huh?!¡± Davante''s eyes became even colder, if possible, glaring calmly at the other as he was forced to listen to the poor insults of his kidnapper, who only looked childish and ignorant more than anything. The guy¡¯s voice gradually raised as he went on with more insults and false accusations. ¡°You deserve to be killed in the ugliest way possible! You¡¯re the reason for all the crap our bother went through!¡± Davante looked too tired even to answer back anymore. Nonetheless, he decided to play along a little bit. ¡°Funny, I don''t seem to know you or your brother to accuse me of such a thing.¡± The other looked furious and tightened his grip on the dagger. ¡°You''ve ruined so many people¡¯s lives! Don¡¯t play innocent!!¡± Davante blinked, ¡°Hmm? Weird, I don''t recall ever interacting with you or those people you talk about.¡± With gritted teeth, the guy pressed the dagger more, and the wound deepened, ¡°I SHOULD JUST KILL YOU ALREADY!!!¡± ¡°Do you know,¡± The guy suddenly froze. A cold, pale hand slowly moved to delicately press two fingers under the guy¡¯s chin, forcing him to look at the cold icy eyes of his hostage. And with a calm yet emotionless voice, Davante asked in a low tone, almost a whisper. ¡°Your neck could get cut by only three fingers?¡± The guy quickly jumped back, away from the coldest eyes he had ever seen and from Davante. ¡°Y-you¡ª!! But the rope¡ª¡± ¡°You definitely need to work more on your manners.¡± Davante calmly stood up and wiped the little blood from his neck with his hand, ignoring the sting around the reddened marks on his wrists. ¡°SHUT YOUR MOUTH!!" the guy charged towards the other, ready to kill Davante. Suddenly, a cold index finger was shoved horizontally under the guy''s nose and was stopped immediately. He dropped his dagger in reflex and grabbed his reddened nose, blinking his teary eyes as he was confused, questioning what had just happened. ¡°ouch¡­¡± ¡°Well, at least, I suppose I can thank you.¡± The guy didn¡¯t have time to register what was going on when Davante casually approached him and wiped his hand tainted with his own blood on his kidnapper¡¯s white hoodie. The guy stared down at his now bloodied clothes and tried to process, again, what had just happened. He slowly looked back at his hostage to find him waving his now clean hand at him. ¡°My hand''s all clean now.¡± The guy was speechless, disgusted, and in disbelief, barely holding his anger anymore as he trembled with a wavering smirk. ¡°You piece of shit¡ª!!¡± The door was pushed open abruptly. A guy with short black hair and purple eyes, wearing the same earring as the redhead¡¯s, ran into the room with panic on his face, stomping straight to the redhead as he yelled, ¡°Kyle! Why did you¡ª You''re really lucky I found you! We are not here to kill him, idiot!!¡± The redhead guy, Kyle, clicked his tongue in annoyance at the other, ¡°Why not?! He deserves to die! Ellmer suffered enough because of him!¡± ¡°Ellmer told you never to trust Anfinrud''s words! Davante is their target, but he is a victim!!" ¡°Then what about the records about the school''s accident?! Are you really defending this thing?!¡± ¡°KYLE!¡± Davante stood still as he listened to the two friends or brothers converse and discuss matters like he wasn¡¯t with them and listening to everything, he honestly didn¡¯t know what to say about this, but he could care less; he was tired and wanted to be out of all their nonsense already, back to his bed if possible. The room was full of shouting back and forth; nobody noticed the long and sturdy frame at the door. ¡°You''re getting a little bit too annoying, don''t you think?¡± All three stilled at the additional voice and carefully looked toward the man with the cap. Davante side-glanced at his kidnapper, who gulped and warily mumbled the man¡¯s name. He looked back to the red-eyed man, ¡®So, this is Ellmer¡­¡¯ . . ¡°It''s been hours¡­¡± Javi huffed, frustrated. He walked and kicked a small stone on the ground, sighing again as he received nothing from the friend trailing behind him. ¡°He doesn''t even have a cellphone to track him down,¡± he sighed again as he ruffled his messily-tied hair, shrugging the uniform jacket off and pulling his sleeves to his elbows as he started sweating from all the walking and running around the wide academy and under the setting sun. He stopped walking when he still heard no response from Elois. He turned his head around with a frown to find the other walking absently and looking down at the ground, seemingly lost in thought. ¡°I don''t like it.¡± Elois halted and snapped out of his daze. He looked up at Javi, who glared at him with a deep frown. Elois blinked, ¡°What?¡± ¡°You''re acting really weird today. You''re not as honest as usual, distracted, absent-minded, and just not yourself at all! What''s wrong?!" Javi crossed his arms and waited for an answer. Elois furrowed his eyebrows in annoyance, ¡°Nothing''s wrong.¡± ¡°Yeah, right, you don''t even look like you want to look for your roommate! Usually, you would be the first to run around to find him by yourself. Where did your concern run off to?¡± Elois flinched slightly and averted his eyes for a second. ¡°THAT!¡± Elois jumped, startled by the other¡¯s outburst. ¡°You look insecure and almost scared whenever I mention your roommate! What?! Did you two fight or something? I guess that''s kinda strange. He¡¯s a very quiet and civil person, doesn''t get angry!¡± Javi trailed off as he rethought, tilting his head to the side ¡°¡ªonly when provoked, I think?¡± he shrugged and looked back at his friend with a frown around on his face. Elois turned his head to the side and remained quiet. Javi uncrossed his arms and studied the other''s face with obvious concern. ¡°It''s like you''re suddenly trying to distance yourself away from him¡­ is it really that serious?¡± Elois tensed and clenched his fists by his sides. ¡°It''s¡­ It''s not him¡­ it''s me¡­¡± ¡°You¡­? You mean it''s your fault? You don''t usually find it hard to admit it and apologize to others, so what''s so different now?¡± when the other didn''t answer, he asked again, ¡°You even thought that Ellmer was after him because of you¡­ seriously what''s wrong, Elois?¡± Elois still didn¡¯t meet his eyes as he looked down to the side with a clenched jaw. Javi waited, but nothing came after that; he held a sigh. ¡°You once told me about your friend Davante, and I still think he is your roommate himself. You said he left you without saying a word, but looking at you now¡­ weren''t you the one who pushed him away?¡± Elois raised his head to finally look at the other, taken aback and confused, ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°You said you don''t remember anything except your name and your time with Davante, maybe something happened between you two, and you don''t remember¡­? You''ve always wanted to see him again, right? But now that he is back, you push him away and say he is safe without you? I don''t get it¡­¡± a pause and a short moment of silence fell on them; Javi frowned again, ¡°Wait¡­¡± Javi took a step toward his friend and looked like he had reached the answer. ¡°Are your memories back? Do you remember everything now? Is that why you''re acting this way?¡± Elois looked shaken as if he was caught in something terrible, looking down with a troubled and stifled expression and unable to answer his friend. . . ¡°He forced himself to forget everything, I think?¡± said Owin, sitting on Alvis''s office table, lightly swinging his legs back and forth as he sighed with a resigned smile. ¡°He just wanted to remember the good times in his life. His own family is related to the horrible things that happened to him, so no wonder he forgot us as well. Selective memory, or so they say?¡± This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Alvis brushed his hair back with a frown, bringing the cigarette to his lips. ¡°Okay, first, what''s with his name then? Why Feldstain?¡± Looking down, Owin thought for a while before answering his father, ¡°At first¡­ I thought maybe he was taught to call himself like that, taught that his new father is Lucas Feldstain, our kidnapper. But perhaps, he just didn''t want to remember his own family, even the name itself. Also, in his case, it''s easier to run away from yourself by creating a new identity and live the role,¡± he sighed as he recalled what happened back in the hospital room, ¡°He forced himself to believe that he had lost his memories¡­ even when I talked to him yesterday, he tried so hard to avoid me and ran away in the end without so much as to look at me.¡± ¡°¡­Lucas¡­? Then who is Baldrick¡­?¡± Alvis grimaced. ¡°I still have no idea who this Baldrick is,¡± Owin said as he looked at the wall in thought and not facing his father, who was silent for a long minute. ¡°¡­what do you mean we''re related to the horrible things that happened to him?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Owin remained silent for a while before he breathed in and closed his eye. He opened his eye again and turned his head to smile at his father. ¡°I think it''s time I tell you what happened that day.¡± . . ¡°So you only remembered the good times between you and Davante? And now that you remember everything, the bad and good, you want to push him away?¡± Javi asked and waited for the answer; he narrowed his eyes at the other, who still refused to meet his eyes. ¡°So you just want to take advantage of his current state and run away?¡± Elois widened his eyes, clenching his trembling fists as he forced an answer out. ¡°That''s not it! He left because¡ª because I¡­¡± Javi waited patiently, but yet again, he didn¡¯t receive an answer. ¡°Sorry if I''m overstepping, but aren''t you just assuming the reason he left was because of you? But you will never know until you ask him yourself, yet you take advantage of his memory loss and pretend you never knew him. You suddenly want nothing to do with him. That''s so unfair, and you know it¡ª¡± ¡°YOU DON''T GET IT!!!¡± Javi was taken aback and stopped for several seconds, waiting for the other to calm down. It was apparent how agitated his friend looked for the first time, unlike his always nondifferent and collected self. He carefully tried again. ¡°Maybe I don''t get it, you''re right, I don''t know what happened between you two¡­ but it''s not right what you''re doing now, you''re just trying to forget everything bad again and run away¡­ you''re not going to be able to live like this for the rest of your life, and you know that¡­ you''re better than this, Elois¡­¡± Elois turned his head to avoid him again and looked at the ground with an unreadable expression. Javi scratched his head awkwardly with his finger. ¡°Uh hey¡­ I don''t know the Davante you''ve met before, but I know the current Davante, maybe not very well but¡­ but I feel like he is not someone who would leave his friend for no reason or for his own safety as you think¡­¡± he awkwardly smiled as he cautiously pushed further, ¡°¡­give him a chance, yeah? Leaving things as they are will not help with anything and only make things worse for you, so try and talk to him¡­ I don''t know how. Just don''t ignore his existence, bad or good you need to know the truth.¡± Elois¡¯ stiff shoulders slowly relaxed and calmed down a little, still looking unsure. There was a long moment before he mumbled a reluctant answer, ¡°¡­I''ll try¡­¡± Javi immediately brightened and smiled wide, even if the other wasn¡¯t looking. He walked to his friend and patted his shoulder happily with a broad grin. ¡°SO! Let''s look for him now! Our friend is lost for the tenth time, so let''s go and help him?¡± Elois silently nodded, and Javi was satisfied with that. ¡°Good! Back to work, my pal!¡± And the two friends went back to work. . . ¡°Ellmer¡­ this is¡ª¡± Meanwhile, Davante remained in place as he looked at his ignorant kidnapper shrink in fear and nervousness as he desperately and quickly tried to explain to the silently approaching man. However, he didn¡¯t get to explain much when the man bent down a bit and pushed his face close to the younger brother, glaring with slightly wide eyes. ¡°You know why I came here, right?¡± Ellmer asked calmly, but it was clear from his tone that he was furious; Davante knew that much. Ellmer gritted his teeth while still staring hard at Kyle, who flinched from his brother''s red and cold eyes. ¡°What did you not understand when I said ''DO NOT KILL HIM''?¡± The room fell silent, heavy silence; it was almost suffocating. Even Davante, who had nothing to do with them and knew nothing about the eldest guy, couldn''t bring himself to utter a word. ¡°D¡­ don''t fight¡­ don''t fight¡­¡± the poor guy beside him uselessly tried to calm the situation. Ellmer calmly straightened his back with his hands in his pockets, looking by the side toward the black-haired brother, who flinched at the sudden focus on him. ¡°Kito, take Kyle and leave. I¡¯ll handle everything from here.¡± ¡°Ah, yes!¡± It was an order; no room to refuse or talk back, Davante thought. Kito silently walked to the ashamed Kyle, who wordlessly let himself be pulled out of the room with his face down, and the door closed shut soon after them. Only Davante and Ellmer remained in the small room. It was so silent for several minutes; Davante eyed the other carefully, getting ready for any sudden attack at any moment. Even though he didn¡¯t feel the danger from the guy, he still couldn¡¯t let his guard down. But the first thing the other did was sigh and walk calmly to casually lean back on the only table available on the other side of the empty room. ¡°I don''t think it would make things better if I said this, but I''m sorry for what that brat did.¡± Davante blinked; he noticed the shift of the guy¡¯s tone from a moment ago like he wasn¡¯t fuming seconds ago at his brother, the chilling tone of a fierce leader gone and replaced by a collected and thoughtful boss. Davante remained still, observing the other as best as he could, ¡°¡­what do you want from me?¡± Ellmer smiled a little; he removed his cap and put it to the side and on the table behind. ¡°Ah, I can see you don''t like to talk to someone you can barely see his face.¡± he swayed his slightly long hair a bit to fix it and looked at Davante, who looked confused at him. Ellmer smiled warmly again, eyes softening at the boy in front like he wasn¡¯t dealing with a hostage. ¡°Would it be better if I removed my weapon, too?¡± he moved his hand to the back of his neck. With a click, the choker around his neck and the necklace was removed as well, revealing a horrible scar that looked like burned skin around his neck like a birthmark looking like a choker naturally. Davante tried to remain unfazed when the scar was exposed to him, but it seemed he failed as the guy let out a chuckle, seemingly amused rather than annoyed. ¡°I don''t want to harm you, promise,¡± Ellmer said while putting the choker on the table next to his cap, not turning away from Davante. The oddly warm smile got gentler, if possible, as he gestured for the teen. ¡°I need some answers. I just want you to be honest with me. How about you relax and sit down first?¡± Davante hesitated but slowly sat down on the floor, hugging his knees with his back sticking to the wall. It felt like whatever Ellmer says is a must-do order; no matter how he said it, it¡¯s just the aura he naturally gives, Davante noted silently. ¡°Your mother''s name is Ebele, right?¡± Davante blinked, staring suspiciously at Ellmer, who was waiting for the answer. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Ellmer nodded knowingly. ¡°You have a sister, am I right?¡± Davante was taken aback by that and widened his eyes slightly. ¡°How¡­ do you know that?¡± ¡°I''ll try to explain, but you have to answer me first.¡± He was hesitant to answer everything the guy needed to know, and took a long moment of silence to think carefully about what to say. Playing the hard way wasn¡¯t his favorite way out of troubles or life riddles like this, but answering quickly would be stupid, even if he didn¡¯t really care about the outcome, because he would do his best to get out of any trouble most simply and safely possible. He wanted to sigh as he was contradicting himself now. It was just that the person in front of him gave him mixed signals like he could take the answers and be safe with him or take the answers and do the worst possible things he could think about to him later; it all depended on him. Something clicked in Davante¡¯s head at that moment. Was he undergoing a test of some sort? He questioned. ¡°I lied to the organization that I''d take the mission to kill you,¡± Ellmer suddenly said as he looked down, breaking the silence between them. ¡°I came here to see you and make sure of something.¡± ¡°What will you do after I answer all your questions?¡± Ellmer offered an assuring smile to the other, ¡°Nothing you should worry about. You still haven''t answered my question.¡± Davante frowned a little at the change of topic but decided to trust the guy for now. ¡°Yes, I had a sister¡­ but not really¡­ it''s complicated.¡± ¡°What do you mean you ¡®had?¡¯¡± ¡°She was killed¡­ 7 years ago,¡± Davante said, looking intently at Ellmer''s stiff face, giving the teen the impression of someone who effortlessly hides his genuine feelings quite well. ¡°Who killed her? And what about your mother?¡± ¡°I don''t really remember who. As for my mother¡­ she died¡­ it was an accident.¡± ¡°I see¡­ who was your sister''s father?¡± Davante was quite shocked that he couldn¡¯t hide it from the other this time as he stared wide-eyed at the suspicious person in front of him. ¡°¡­Who are you?¡± Ellmer noticed the teen¡¯s restlessness and smiled gently, almost chuckling, moving his hand calmly to tell the younger boy to calm down. ¡°I''ll explain, I promise.¡± Davante was so uncertain and kind of annoyed that he stared at the other for a while before answering and hugging his knees tighter, ¡°¡­she told me his name was Lucas, but I''ve never met him¡­¡± Ellmer nodded slowly as if trying to connect everything calmly. After a while, Ellmer asked again, ¡°Lucas¡­ Feldstain?¡± ¡°I don''t know¡­¡± Ellmer smiled, looking quite satisfied. ¡°That''s it, thank you.¡± Davante was so confused that he just nodded. Ellmer then sighed loudly and tilted his head back to look at the ceiling while smiling genuinely as if he was relieved and truly assured at Davante''s words, ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Davante stared at the young man, who was openly expressing his feelings to him. He was troubled and unable to understand what Ellmer was thinking anymore. ¡°You''re¡­ welcome?¡± Ellmer chuckled and looked back at Davante, who was staring at him and blinking as he was confused by everything; it looked rather cute to him. He slightly pushed himself away from the table and calmly walked to the teen, who stiffened at his sudden approach. ¡°I think you truly don''t know anything about your mother''s ex-husband,¡± going down in a squat, he rested his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands as he casually grinned at the teen in front of him. ¡°And it seems you don''t really like your sister?¡± ¡®Why so close?¡¯ Davante hugged his knees tighter to his chest and turned his head away from the other, who looked like he was enjoying his time for some reason. Was there really any need for him to sit so close to continue his interrogation? Was he being punished for something he said? And why was he looking playful all of a sudden? Davante held his questions back as he heard the amused chuckle from the one cornering him. ¡°I didn''t hate her¡­ but I wasn''t really comfortable with her¡­¡± he reluctantly looked back at Ellmer. ¡°Will you explain now? And did your brother really have to kidnap me like this for you to ask me about my family?¡± The other hummed as he brought one hand to his chin to thoughtfully consider the question before giving a convincing answer; all the while, he looked like he was finding the question funny. ¡°I wasn''t going to do what he did, but if I came to you out of nowhere and told you I''d like to talk in private, would you really come with me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Davante lowered his head a little. ¡®¡­he does have a point¡­¡¯ Ellmer sighed as he looked to the side and at the open window. ¡°I didn''t tell him to bring you to this abandoned place, though¡­¡± he paused and seemed to think carefully before he started again. ¡°I''ll explain¡­ I''m not sure how to start this honestly¡­ and I''m not sure you''d believe me¡­¡± . . Meanwhile, Javi and Elois were walking towards the same abandoned building. ¡°Why are you so sure he is in there, of all places?¡± Elois asked while following the other, looking at the building under construction from a distance. ¡°Just a guess, if they want to leave the academy, then they should take Kaven''s permission, which I think is something they wouldn''t want to do. And if they want to kidnap him and keep him hidden in the academy, then they have to choose a place where it''s mostly empty, and no student goes there, maybe an old building under maintenance or something. And they wouldn''t want anyone to notice, so they have to go to the building quickly, which means the building must be close to the dorms. So the only building under maintenance close to the dorms is that one. There you have it.¡± Javi explained casually while walking with fast steps, ignoring the crunching of breaking branches with every step. Elois looked genuinely amazed. ¡°You¡­ can actually think¡­¡± ¡°I''ll try to stop myself from saying something really offensive to you right now, but I''ll take it you admit that I''m smarter than you,¡± Javi huffed and stopped when they were met with several signs that said, ¡°KEEP OUT.¡± They stared for a second, ignored the signs, and walked to the door. Javi halted before the door and stepped back with an awkward smile, looking at the dark place inside. Elois stared at him silently before he offered his hand to the other. ¡°Should we hold hands again, my dear friend?¡± ¡°¡­just stay close, um yeah, don''t you dare leave me behind¡­¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Elois pushed his hands into his pockets and walked into the building, not waiting for Javi. ¡°I said don''t leave me behind, you jerk!! Wait for me!!!¡± . . ¡°¡­I just wanted to know everything about my real family.¡± Ellmer calmly said, resting his cheek on his palm as he observed the teen with a small smile. Davante blinked, confused at first, then slowly widened his eyes. ¡°You¡­¡± Ellmer side glanced at the door before he pushed himself up. ¡°I should go.¡± he straightened himself and walked to grab his cap and the choker with the necklace. He put the choker back on his neck. ¡°Someone is coming to get you now, so don''t wander around.¡± he walked calmly towards the window. ¡°¡­How can I know if you''re telling me the truth?¡± Davante reluctantly asked, staring at the back of the other, who might be his older brother he never knew. Ellmer remained still for a moment; he easily brought one leg up over the big window, his broad back facing the teen. ¡°I can prove everything to you later, but it''s up to you if you really want to know more about¡­ us.¡± he turned his head to the teen with a teasing smile. ¡°Ah, I plan on still watching you from afar.¡± Then he swiftly jumped down the window, leaving Davante alone in the empty room. Davante stared at the darkening sky as the moon took its shift for the day. He slowly turned to look at the cold floor, basking in the peaceful moment he had to himself as he felt his brain trying to collect everything and take it in calmly. Despite everything that had happened today and all the shocking knowledge he obtained unwillingly, he felt oddly calm and absentminded. ¡®The lost part of my memory¡­ just how big is it¡­?¡¯ The door slowly creaked open, and Davante raised his head to find two pairs of wide eyes peeking and staring at him. There was a moment of complete silence as the teen stared at the two friends. ¡°OH, FINALLY!!¡± Javi yelled in frustration; he pushed the door open and walked hurriedly into the room towards Davante, still on the floor, hugging his knees and looking up with confused eyes. ¡°WHAT HAPPENED?! Are yo¡ª okay¡­¡± he trailed off, noticing the cut on Davante''s neck, and frowned. ¡°That cut, who did it?¡± Davante slightly widened his eyes as he forgot about the wound in his neck; he brought his hand up to feel the cut. Thought silently whether to tell or not, but there was no need to complicate things any further for anyone, and he partially felt the need to protect Ellmer in some way; he ought to at least do this much since the guy stopped his bratty brother from further ruining the day for him. ¡°Forget about it¡­¡± he looked at Elois, then back at Javi. He lowered his head, ¡°um¡­ sorry, I think I caused you trouble again¡­¡± Javi huffed loudly and crossed his arms. ¡°We should buy you a smartphone real soon, kiddo! We were really worried! And you should be more careful, seriously! And why are you in your pajama outside in this cold weather?! You''re not even wearing shoes!¡ª¡± And Javi went on with his rants, but Davante shifted his attention to the other friend. He looked at Elois; his roommate was still standing at the door, not looking at him or Javi, quietly waiting for them to finish talking and leave the place already. Davante observed silently, he thought maybe Elois was just tired or in a bad mood, but looking at his distant eyes and stiff face, he doubted if that was all to the matter. Javi insisted on carrying him all the way to the dorms, reasoning that his bare feet could get injured in their long trip to their destination in this big academy, and so Davante caved in and accepted his fate and climbed on the other¡¯s back. Javi suggested first taking the teen to the infirmary to take care of his wound that was a bit too deep and bandaging it before setting off to the dorms. It was a light walk in the night, with Javi proudly praising himself for being a good friend to the teen, confusing the teen and causing him to question if they were friends, and the two young men froze for a second before silently resuming their walk peacefully and awkwardly. It was all peaceful in a way, a nice ending for a hectic day, Davante thought. They soon reached Davante''s and Elois''s shared room. ¡°Phew~ long day, indeed,¡± said Javi as he put Davante down. Elois was quiet the whole time. Davante looked at his roommate, who opened the door to their room and walked inside, leaving him and Javi alone in the hallway. ¡°Seriously¡­¡± Javi suddenly said, looking tired and troubled as he rubbed the back of his head. Davante looked at him, thinking he was right, assuming something was indeed wrong with the usually caring roommate. ¡°um¡­ Elois is going through a tough time now, so just¡­ you know, please understand and be patient?¡± Javi gave a small apologetic smile as he patted the teen¡¯s smaller back. ¡°Sure.¡± Javi smiled rather gently at the teen¡¯s simple answer and ruffled the other''s hair playfully. Davante flinched and closed his eyes as the long-haired man returned to his usual teasing. ¡°Sto¡ª¡± he was about to slap the hand away when the other finally let go and strode away with a wide grin. ¡°Well then! Take care, kitty!¡± Davante looked at him with a frown as he fixed his hair a bit with his hand. ¡°Will you ever stop calling me that?¡± ¡°Nope~ Goodnight!¡± Javi strolled away, going back to his room. Davante sighed; he walked to the room and was startled when he found Elois standing in front of the door, his back facing Davante. Davante slowly closed the door behind him as he felt the heavy air in the room. ¡°¡­Davante.¡± Davante slightly flinched at the sudden call. ¡°Yes?¡± Silence¡­ Davante was left lost and speechless once again. ¡°You''re still really bad at lying and acting¡­¡± Davante blinked, ¡°¡­what?¡± Elois sighed, turned a bit to stare at the teen, ¡°''Dante Gabrielli'' is your fake name, in case you forgot.¡± ¡®¡­ ah¡­ oh¡­ oh¡­¡¯ Slowly, he realized his mistake, and with a still face, he silently thought. ¡®Oh, I''m stupid¡­¡¯ Elois turned his head away from his roommate, ¡°Elois Feldstain, the guy who fell in your garden one day and the same guy who stayed in your house for a whole month¡­¡± Davante blinked. Elois went on, his voice wavering a bit. ¡°7 years ago¡­ you really don''t remember anything? Nothing¡­?¡± He slowly looked to the floor as the distant memories climbed back up to the surface ever so slowly. ¡°Dante! Look here. Mr. Snowman wants your attention~¡± Davante slightly widened his eyes as he recalled a teen with messy orange hair, grinning from a distance with a small snowman beside him, looking at him expectantly like a child waiting for his attention. ¡°So you don''t like your name¡­ then, Dante!¡± ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ the distant voice of the forgotten teen became louder and closer as it echoed in his mind, ¡®Ah¡­ That''s right¡­ I had only one friend in my life¡­¡¯ he stood still as he recalled more and more of his days with the friend. The friend looked at him with his messy fluffy hair, smiling brightly at him despite the heavy dark circles under his eyes. ¡®No¡­ I didn''t lose my memories of him¡­ I just¡­¡¯ He remained silent as he recalled the last thing he knew of the past friend. ¡®Pretended ¡®that¡¯ one month never happened.¡¯
The End of CH. 10 11. "Welcome to my game, Elois" ¡®Was it wrong?¡¯ ¡®Was it wrong¡­ to love and trust my mother?¡¯ ¡®Was it really all my fault¡­?¡¯ Flashbacks, dark memories, and all miseries passed before his eyes. Flashes of his brother clutching his tiny hand and trying to stop him from going any further towards their mother. Blood, corpses, snow, cries. A chuckle, a cold one, feigning innocence. A retreating figure. Following the broken and scattering shards of memories, reaching the broken mirror with a beautiful woman reflected on it, awaiting a hug from him with a sweet smile. ¡®Or should I blame it all on you?¡¯
The Red Flower Chapter. 11
¡°That¡¯s a cute art, Elois.¡± said a beautiful woman with wavy, long reddish-orange hair, smiling with light cyan eyes at the paper in her hands. Before her, two kids with the same reddish-orange hair sat with her in the tiny playroom. ¡°Another one to my cute collection. You love mama so much?¡± she chuckled and ruffled Elois''s hair playfully. The small Elois brightened innocently, smiling happily and proud of his gift to his mother, ¡°Yes!¡± She slightly widened her eyes before giving a hesitant smile, ¡°Ah¡­¡± she laughed a little, ducking her head down to rest her chin on her knees, looking at the floor with empty eyes, ¡°Children are really honest and happy¡­ must be nice, huh?¡± mumbling to herself, forgetting about the two kids as they stared in wonder, ¡°So¡­ if mama needs help, will Elois help her?¡± she chuckled a little at the thought. ¡°I will!¡± Elois nodded eagerly. The mother widened her eyes and raised her head too fast, looking at her son in disbelief, ¡°¡­You''ll do anything to help me?¡± she asked him again, making sure of what she heard. ¡°Yes!¡± Elois answered excitedly, nodding vigorously. ¡°Anything, anything?¡± ¡°Mm!!¡± Elois said, nodding numerous times; seeing his mother quite happy made the kid smile happily as well. The mother lowered her head again as if trying to comprehend what she heard from her son, laughing a little with eyes wide in wonder, ¡°Ooh¡­ I see, I see¡­ you''ll do anything¡­¡± ¡°You¡­ look so happy.¡± The mother froze at the cold tone from her second son, feeling his eyes on her. Standing up, the mother smiled sweetly at the kids, ¡°W-Well then! I''m going to prepare lunch. let''s eat once papa comes back, okay?¡± she turned to the door and left happily. Elois answered her cheerfully as usual while the other son stared at the door silently, then turned to Elois, looking at how his brother was satisfied by their mom''s happiness. . . ¡°Let''s go, Elois, Owin~¡± the mom said sweetly, standing in front of the door, ready to leave the house with her two kids. The two kids stood before their smiling mother, fully dressed in warm coats and boots for the cold weather. They looked at their mom, puzzled as to why they were suddenly dressed and out, ready to leave to who knows where early in the morning. ¡°Where to?¡± asked the younger kid, Owin. ¡°To the amusement park~ I''m sure you''ve been bored this past week!¡± their mom answered cheerfully before grabbing Elois''s tiny hand gently, smiling sweetly at the obedience of the older kid, ¡°Let''s go!¡± The way she grasped Elois¡¯s hand with a sweet smile triggered something in Owin, who grew restless suddenly and grabbed Elois''s other arm, pulling his older brother back to his side. ¡°Wait! Where are we going?!¡± he nearly shouted at his mother, who looked annoyed instantly and turned around to stare at him coldly, furrowing her eyebrows, ¡°I said we''re going to the amusement park, right?¡± Her voice grew cold at that, which didn''t help to calm down the restless kid one bit, ¡°Just say where ar¡ª¡± ¡°Owin, we''re just going out to play as usual¡­ are you feeling unwell?¡± Owin was stopped by a warm, tiny hand on top of his own that was grabbing Elois''s coat; turning his head to his older brother Elois, who looked concerned, genuinely worried at his brother¡¯s restlessness. Owin widened his eyes, looking somewhat hurt for a moment before lowering his head in defeat, ¡°No¡­ but¡­¡± he muttered, raising his head again to look at his mom carefully, who was crossing her arms, looking impatient at her son, ¡°What about dad and uncle Alvin?¡± She shrugged, ¡°Your dad is at work, and your uncle is too tired to move. You know he''s sick.¡± she turned around and walked to open the door, ¡°Now, let''s go~¡± Elois brightened and followed his mother, tugging the younger with him. The little brother allowed himself to be pulled by his big brother, silently walking behind the two. . . Elois heard the front door closed with a thud and opened his eyes groggily; his neck hurt a little because of the uncomfortable position he was sleeping with his brother in the back seat of their mother¡¯s car. Looking around him, he saw no one beside him other than his little brother, ¡°Mama¡­?¡± he weakly called out, looking at the empty driver seat. He looked to the side and outside the window close to his right, ¡®It''s snowing¡­¡¯ he then observed the place they were in, there was nothing but snow, and the car was parked in front of an unfamiliar cottage, ¡®Where are we¡­?¡¯ He stayed like that in the quiet and cold car, eyeing the numbing nothingness outside, and then heard a thud coming from the other side. He turned to the other window to his left, and there he found his mother, looking down with wide, panicked eyes and hands trembling, saying something with trembling lips as she dove into a very tall man¡¯s chest. The man leaned down a bit to listen to her, keeping his hands in his pockets as he smiled casually and said something to the mother, who wasn¡¯t looking at his face and was busy hugging him. Elois looked at the man, with long black hair, a messy, loose ponytail resting on his left broad shoulder, wearing strange sunglasses and a bit of beard on his chin, with a white coat making him look like a doctor. The man was grinning wide; a chill ran down Elois''s spine immediately, and his eyes widened slightly in an unknown fear. Elois hurriedly nudged his still sleeping little brother, lying clumsily on his tiny thigh, ¡°Hey, Owin! Wake up!¡± he tried to lower his voice in a whisper. Owin stirred awake with a groan, blinking the sleepiness away from his eyes, and looked at his big brother with a pout, ¡°Hmm¡­ Elois? What¡­¡± he rubbed his eyes, and he then realized Elois''s scared and panicked expression he shifted so he was sitting properly now. Elois looked back at the two adults outside; Owin turned around to look at whatever his brother was looking at. He recognized the sign on the man¡¯s coat and froze in place, ¡°Elois... I think we should get away from here¡­¡± Owin said, all sleepiness from seconds ago gone. Elois looked troubled and uncertain, ¡°That¡ª But¡­ shouldn''t we wait for¡ª¡± Owin shook his head firmly, ¡°Dad said we should be careful around mom. She said we were going to the amusement park, but that was obviously a lie! And we both agree that man looks dangerous so let''s run away. Listen to me this time, Elois!!¡± he grabbed Elois''s shoulders to emphasize his point. Elois remained quiet for a while, looking at his little brother''s stern eyes, then at the two adults outside, then back at his brother. He hesitantly grabbed his little brother¡¯s hand, pulling the younger slowly to the door away from the two adults, opening the door as quietly as possible. Both kids set their legs and sank into the snowy ground; Elois looked around the empty area, ¡®¡­ there''s nothing but snow here¡­¡¯ ¡°Oooh~ I wonder where did your kids go?~¡± They both froze at the chilling voice close from behind, feeling the shadow of the man looming above them, staring at them by the open window like a child enjoying the view outside the car with a wide smile. Elois tightened his hold on Owin¡¯s hand and ran as fast as possible and as far as he could from the man, ignoring the calls from his mother demanding their return. They ran for quite some time, but there was no end to the large area around them. Elois looked around; panic was the only thing he felt; no matter how long they ran, there never seemed an end to the open, wide snowy area. ¡®Snow¡­ nothing but snow¡­¡¯ He didn''t notice he had stopped, ¡®Where do we go¡­?¡¯ his hands fell to his sides, eyes looking at the nothingness around him. He suddenly heard a thud from behind and turned to see his little brother kneeling on the ground, trying to catch his breath. He widened his eyes and ran to his brother, ¡°Owin?!¡± he sat down to look at his brother, but when Owin started to breathe calmly, he felt relieved; soon, he was overcome with guilt, ¡°I''m sorry¡­ I don''t really get what''s happening and why we''re even here with mom¡ª I-I know that something feels odd about that man¡­ but¡­ I''ll make sure to keep you safe¡­¡± Owin looked down with angered eyes and mumbled quietly, ¡°She lied¡­ she''s a liar¡­ I knew it.¡± If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Elois looked shocked by the sudden shift of his little brother''s demeanor; he wasn''t sure how his usually cheery, happy brother became so cold suddenly, ¡°Owin¡­?¡± Owin got up with eyes filled with loath, walking a little with his back to his brother, and remained oddly calm despite the situation; he narrowed his eyes and looked at a forest from afar, and pointed at it with his reddened finger, ¡°Let''s go to that forest, maybe we can find our exit there.¡± He decidedly walked forward. Elois stood hurriedly and walked closer to his little brother, still confused by the other''s words, ¡°Forest?¡ªWait, Owin¡­¡± seeing as his brother stopped at his call, ¡°What do you mean you knew?¡± Owin looked down with a frown, not facing his oblivious older brother, ¡°All that she says are lies. Her only motive was to use us for something with that man.¡± he clenched his fists in anger, ¡°That man, his coat¡­ he must be working in Anfinrud''s company, the place dad worked in. Dad said it''s a dangerous place and we should stay away from anyone who wears the same coat and works there. She lied to dad. Last night, I heard her talking to him. She said she would stay home with us so dad could go to work without worrying about uncle Alvin and us.¡± He gritted his teeth and turned to face his shocked brother, ¡°So why are we here then? Why did she suddenly decide to leave the house the moment dad left to work?!¡± Elois was dumbfounded, staring wide-eyed at his younger brother and in disbelief, ¡°¡­I never heard that¡­ and dad never told me about his old job¡­ he didn''t tell me to be careful around her¡­¡± he didn''t know whether to feel lost or sad of being left aside of everything, maybe both. ¡°He couldn''t tell you, Elois¡­ dad knows how much you love her,¡± Owin said, apologetic and reluctant; he tried to avoid looking at his brother and turned to run again. Elois remained silent, didn''t know what to say or what to feel; his legs numbly moved to follow after his running brother and toward the forest. ¡®¡­what''s happening¡­? Dad¡­? Mom¡­? If¡­ if what Owin says is true¡­ then¡­everything¡­¡¯ He ran beside his brother with a hazy mind. He didn¡¯t notice when they had entered the forest covered with snow. Just when he caught a glimpse of a smiling man from afar and between the trees, something came flying quickly from a distance and hit Owin, causing him to fly back and roll on the ground with a groan. Elois stopped abruptly and turned to see his little brother groaning in pain, confused by what just happened, ¡°Owin¡­¡± ¡°Found you~¡± Elois flinched in place at the familiar chilling voice; he quickly turned around to see the tall man, grinning casually and slowly approaching, ¡°That was fun. I wish we could play some more.¡± he got one hand out from his pocket and moved it to rest it on his broad chest, ¡°Let''s introduce ourselves first¡­¡± he stopped with a short distance between him and the two kids, Elois took a step back. ¡°I''m Lucas.¡± Elois wasn''t able to say anything in return; he was too scared to utter a word. His hands and legs were trembling and unmoving. ¡°Your turn?¡± the man gestured for Elois to speak. Elois turned back to his brother in panic, ¡°Owin¡ª¡± He wasn¡¯t expecting to be met with his mom sitting on her knees behind him and tightly holding a groaning Owin in a painful hug, glaring at Elois with wide eyes; she looked nothing like the mother he knew. ¡°Mom¡­¡± Elois couldn''t recognize this woman; he stared wide-eyed, lips trembling as he weakly called for her to snap out of it and come back to her senses that this was some prank. And a huge, cold hand rested on his tiny head, slowly ruffling his short fluffy hair almost fondly. He didn''t have to look up to know whose hand it was; a chilly voice spoke then, ¡°C''mon now, it''s too cold outside here, isn''t it?¡± . . The sound of the snowy wind could be heard in the small, wooden, and dark room. The two brothers sat on one bed despite the room having two separate beds on either side, both under the heavy blanket and away from each other, looking down in complete silence in the dark room lit only beside the small candle by the small window. ¡°Owin¡­ I''m sorry, in the end¡­ I couldn''t do anything at all¡­¡± feeling weak and guilty all over again, Elois weakly said as he frowned down. Owin hugged his knees tighter as he mumbled, ¡°It''s not your fault. No one could blame you for this¡­¡± he scooted closer to his older brother with a pained expression, ¡°But¡­ please¡­ believe me¡­ she''s not the mother you think she is¡­ you should stop listening to her, please¡­¡± Elois looked at his brother, who had his head down and was about to cry; he gently pulled him into a hug with a calm smile, patting his head affectionately, ¡°I know you aren''t lying to me. I trust you.¡± ¡°Mm¡­¡± Owin clutched his brother¡¯s clothes tightly as he basked in the warmth. There was a moment of comfortable silence before that moment was interrupted by the sound of the door opening slowly; they saw their mother walking into the dark room with a contemplative smile, ¡°What would you like for dinner~?¡± she asked sweetly as if everything happening was normal. Elois stared at her, careful yet troubled. Hugging his little brother protectively to his chest as he asked, ¡°Why are we here?¡± ¡°So you hate me now?¡± Her eyes turned cold for a moment before she smiled sweetly and innocently, ¡°We''re in our new home with your new dad, Lucas ~¡± ¡°YOU CRAZY¡ª!!!¡± Elois hurriedly pulled the upset Owin back to his side, hugging him securely, protecting him from their own mother, ¡°Please leave us alone!!¡± he looked at her, eyes slightly cold for the first time towards his mother. He stared at her, hoping for her to leave immediately, which she did, closing the door with a lingering glare at him. Owin growled silently in his arms and voice wavering, ¡°I hate her¡­¡± Elois calmly patted his head and brought the blanket back to cover his brother on his lap, ¡°Calm down, dad will definitely do something¡­¡± he couldn''t believe his own words, but someone had to stay positive and collected in their situation. Owin forced himself up and away from his brother¡¯s warmth, looking dejectedly down, ¡°¡­No,¡± he mumbled. Elois stared at him, confused, ¡°What?¡± ¡°Dad has no idea of where we are now, and she drugged uncle Alvin so she can make her move without anyone interrupting her. I¡¯m sure she gave him something else instead of his usual medicine. He was sleeping deeply for quite some time and didn''t move for hours¡­ as if¡­ as if he was dead¡­ how¡­ how can anyone find us now¡­?¡± the little brother was barely holding back his tears as it was becoming too much for a child his age to hold all the suffocating feelings in only one day. ¡°So you say¡­ she killed uncle Alvin¡­?¡± Elois looked down with wide, unbelieving eyes as he couldn¡¯t differ what was real anymore. He soon took the blanket and put it over his brother¡¯s head, then pulled Owin again into a hug, ¡°Alright, come here,¡± they fell on the pillow; Elois patted his brother on top of him with a smile, ¡°You''re tired. Sleep, let''s hope for the best.¡± Owin raised his head from Elois''s chest, frowning and troubled, ¡°What if she came an¡ª¡± ¡°I''m with you, and we¡¯re together here, don''t worry. Besides, I don''t think she''d kill children.¡± Elois reassured him with his easy smile, cupping his little brother¡¯s chubby cheeks playfully, making Owin huff and take Elois¡¯ hands away from his face, ¡°Alright¡­¡± he went back to lay on top of his smiling brother, forcing himself to relax at the sound of his brother¡¯s heartbeat and calm breathing. Only then did he realize how exhausted he was as his eyelids became too heavy to keep his eyes open. ¡°¡­sleep well, big brother.¡± . . Elois opened his eyes in the darkness, eyes bleary; he could hear hushed and distant voices. He slowly closed his eyes again, and then came a whisper, ¡°Be a good boy as always and sleep well, sweetie. Love you~¡± He tried to squint his eyes open again but could still not see a thing, so he closed them back. He heard muffled screams, like he was underwater, ¡®Someone''s screaming my name¡­ I can''t hear them well¡­ am I drowning¡­?¡¯ he drifted further away from reality and deeper into the dreamland, feeling like he was sinking deeper down the water, ¡®Ah, right¡­ Owin doesn''t know how to swim¡­¡¯ ¡®¡­Owin¡­¡¯ Click¡ª ¡®Owin!!¡¯ Elois jolted awake with his eyes wide open, the sound of the door closing softly in his dream oddly echoed in his ears. He quickly pushed himself to sit on the bed, ignoring how sweaty he felt, and looking around the dark room, he clutched his throbbing head, ¡®My head¡ª feels so heavy¡­ what happened? Why am I alone? I''m sure he was in my arms!¡¯ he stared at his two hands, pupils shaking at how empty and cold his hands felt. He suddenly froze, noticing he wasn''t alone in the room as a big, familiar figure was sitting close to him on the bed, ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± He didn¡¯t know how he missed the towering man by his side, either from his panic or how dark the room was without the candlelight. He remained still with his eyes wide and faced down. Noticing his fear, the man cooed in his chilly voice, ¡°Oh, please~ Don¡¯t be scared of me. I¡¯m not the one who took your brother somewhere else.¡± Elois clutched the blanket on his lap and forced out a question, still looking down, ¡°Where¡­ is he¡­?¡± Lucas turned to the side with a playful smile, scratching his head lightly, ¡°Oh, he''s not here and won''t be. Sorry about that.¡± Elois gulped, hesitating before turning to look at the unregretful man, ¡°What¡­ do you want from me...?¡± Lucas looked back at him with his casual smile, eyes covered by the round sunglasses, ¡°I knew you smelled different, I thought my sister had finally started her move to stop me, but I am yet again disappointed. She has always been a softie. That won''t do, not good. So, we''ll have to fix that,¡± he leaned closer to Elois on the bed to playfully poke the little nose of the petrified kid, ¡°Don''t you think so?¡± Elois gulped; he whispered, ¡°¡­mom¡­¡± Lucas pulled back with a sorry look at the kid, standing up, ¡°Oh? You still call her ''mom''? That''s not good. You''re so innocent. She gonna use you as much as she can if you keep trusting her blindly y''know.¡± he patted the kid¡¯s head, which scared the kid even more with the cold hand covering the top of his head, ¡°Okie~~ wait here, Elois Feldstain.¡± He left, leaving the door open behind him and allowing some light into the room, yet Elois still couldn¡¯t feel himself breathing or calming down as he remained unmoving and repeated the name in his muddy head, ¡®¡­Elois¡­ Feldstain¡­?¡¯ ¡°We''re in our new home with your new dad, Lucas~¡± His mother¡¯s words echoed loud in his head at that moment, ¡®Lucas Feldstain¡­? But¡­ how¡­ what about dad...?¡¯ ¡°Elois! You''re awake!¡± his mom came running happily into the room and eagerly sat on the floor while resting her elbows on the bed and looking at him sweetly. ¡°Did you sleep well, honey?¡± ¡°¡­you drugged me, didn''t you¡­? Why are you doing this¡­?¡± he asked, voice shaky and low and face looking down. ¡°Hmm?¡± She moved to look at his face with a smile that told him the answer was obvious, ¡°You said you''d help me!! And your brother was trying to stop you from doing so!¡± Elois stared at her, not believing what he heard, ¡°Help you¡­?¡± She nodded excitedly, ¡°You said you''d do anything to help me, remember?~¡± Elois stared at her with wide, confused eyes, a look of utter disbelief on his face, ¡°Help¡­? Help?? What do you mean by helping you? Can''t you see? I''m the one who needs help here¡­ what''s with you and that fake smile of yours...?¡± She widened her eyes at her son, who glared angrily at her for the first time since the moment he was born. ¡°What about Owin¡­? My brother¡ª your son? What have you done to him? YOU LIAR!! I WANT MY BROTHER BACK! I WANT MY FATHER AND UNCLE BACK!! I WANT MY FAMILY BACK!!!! IF YOU REALLY NEED HELP, WHY ARE YOU DESTROYING OUR FAMILY THEN?!!!¡± ¡°I COULDN''T DO ANYTHING!!!¡± The son instantly stopped at the mother¡¯s sudden outburst, looking up at her wide, shaken eyes. Her mad eyes softened a little at the scared eyes of her beloved son, feeling equally afraid with a trembling smile as she kept on admitting to the confused son, ¡°I''m scared! They''ll kill me! I can''t fight them back¡­ it''s only normal to run away, right? This is¡­ this is the only way for me to live!¡± Elois looked silently at her before slowly reaching his trembling hand to hold her pinkie and pleaded, ¡°Let''s go home¡­ I¡­ I''m sure dad and everyone will be able to help you¡­¡± She slapped his hand away furiously and pulled him by the neck with both hands, ¡°NO!! DON''T YOU UNDERSTAND?! I¡¯M FORCED TO DO THIS!!¡± She then realized what she was doing and slowly lowered her son back onto the bed, smoothing out his clothes, leaning her face close to his and cupping his cold cheeks with her trembling hands, staring with eyes that looked insane to Elois, ¡°You love me, right? Then help me, then we''ll go back home¡­ help your mom, and I''ll help you because I love you a lot!!¡± Elois looked down with frozen and lost eyes, ¡°o¡­okay¡­¡± She jumped to hug him tightly with a big smile, ¡°You''re such a sweet son!!¡± ¡°Forced? Aren''t you using the wrong word here? Aaah~ you really are a bad mother, Ashley. Using your son horribly like that¡­¡± The mother stilled with wide, panicked eyes, slowly letting go of the kid in her arms and turning around to look at the long, big figure standing behind her. Lucas looked at the sharp knife in his hand with his usual smile, passing his finger slowly along the unsharp side, ¡°Here is an amusing fact. Listen carefully, my lady. Those who take advantage of others'' pure trust for their own selfish benefits are surely used by others behind their backs, or not really behind their back. Some are too dumb to see anything anyway, haha,¡± he turned his head in her direction, ¡°You agreed to the requirements like it was nothing just to run away from your mistakes, and you call yourself a mother?¡± She trembled and tried to back away from him, looking up with eyes wide in panic, ¡°N-No¡­ I just¡­¡± ¡°You can stop running now. Your role ends here. You can finally rest in peace~¡± he flicked the knife in his hand, and in a second, he started stabbing the woman several times enough to kill her for once and all; blood spattered across the small room, all displayed to the wide-eyed and motionless child on the bed. Elois heard the sound of flesh getting stabbed and blood splattering again and again, a stab after another after another. Only when the noises stopped did he chance a look at the woman on the floor, who looked nothing like the one seconds ago. ¡®Mom¡­?¡¯ He couldn''t move when Lucas carelessly threw the knife on the ground beside Ashley''s corpse and walked toward him. He couldn¡¯t move even when the man slowly moved to blindfold him. ¡®Wait¡­ wait¡­¡¯ He doesn''t remember why or when he was brought to a place that looked like a surgery room, he could see the light of the lamps flashing on above him while he was forced to lie on a cold bed; he started trembling, tears already staining the fabric over his eyes. ¡°You know, Elois?¡± Something was pressed beside the bed, sounding like a button; his neck, ankles, wrists, and middle, and almost all of his body was pinned to the bed by something solid and hard, making it impossible even to struggle a bit. ¡°People are so horrible, and your mom was one of them. She was too horrible. I couldn''t stand her no more,¡± ¡°She used you so heartlessly.¡± ¡°They are all ugly.¡± ¡°All of them.¡± ¡°Ah, I hate them.¡± The man heard a sob from the little boy on the bed while he was preparing a needle, ¡°Hm? Oh no, don''t cry~ I''ll use a veeery small dose on you. It''ll be quick so that it won''t hurt at all, okay?¡± he moved and sat beside the child, ¡°Your mom''s the one who chose this way. We can''t do anything about it, right?¡± expertly inserting the needle into the child¡¯s tender skin, ¡°Ah, also¡­ no need to cry over someone as filthy as her.¡± Lucas gently pulled the needle out, smiling all the while, ¡°Sometimes you should throw away your emotions to protect yourself. Feelings and emotions could kill you if you stay the way you''re now, my son~¡± ¡°Someday¡­¡± Lucas tilted his head to glance at Elois. ¡°I will¡­ KILL YOU.¡± Lucas looked surprised for a second but laughed right after, ¡°I''m looking forward to that day then~ But, just so you know¡­¡± he removed the blindfold from the kid¡¯s eyes. He moved his hand to take away his sunglasses and reveal his sharp eyes to the child¡¯s tear-stained face, smiling coldly with red crimson eyes. ¡°I''m already dead, Elois Feldstain.¡± Elois only glared in silence, feeling his body numbing and couldn¡¯t feel anything anymore. ¡°Now, have a nice sleep~¡± And with a whisper, the child closed his eyes to blackness. . . . . Gasp¡ª The teen Elois with messy hair and heavy eyebags jolted from his sleep and sat on the bed with labored breathing, looking around the small room with confused, hazy eyes. ¡°A¡­ dream¡­?¡±
The End of CH. 11 12. Reality Nightmare ¡°P-Please!! We don''t mean you any harm!¡± said an old man, trembling and scooting back on his elbows, getting away from the teen who slowly approached him, ignoring the stinging coldness from the snow beneath him. ¡°Hard to believe. How many times has it been now? 10? Or maybe 20? And each time you bring more freaks with you, is Lucas sending you to me?¡± the messy-haired teen asked coldly while playing with his odd-looking dagger. ¡°No! Mr. Xenos asked us to bring you to him! L-Lucas is no longer working with us! H- He disappeared long ago!!¡± ¡°Oh? Doesn''t hide the fact you are a creep, just like him.¡± The boy got closer to the man missing a limb, ignoring the sound of crushing limbs beneath his feet. He leaned down in front of the terrified old man with a familiar lab coat, ¡°How many kids did you play with until now, old man?¡± the boy gave a wide smirk with wide eyes, aiming the bloody dagger at the whimpering man.
The Red Flower Chapter. 12
Elois snapped his eyes open with a gasp, finding himself sweating and panting in the small-dark room, lying on the old bed while hugging his knees. He gulped after collecting his breath and pushed himself up. He looked with wide eyes at the small window, white, cold, and quiet outside, as always, ¡°Was it a nightmare¡­?¡± He silently stood from the creaking bed, grabbed his coat that was left on the floor and wore it in a daze. He then headed to the door, passing by a tiny dining table. He glanced at the prepared and covered food on the table with a letter with only one word, ¡®Enjoy!¡¯, as always. He widened his eyes, ¡°Lucas?!¡± he roamed the dark place in a hast, quickly snatched the door open, and ran out. But there was nothing, like always. He took several slow steps to the wide-open area with only snow, ¡°¡­no one¡­? Again¡­? Or¡­did I prepare¡­ no¡­ no¡­¡± he walked a little and turned left and right, calming down a bit, ¡°No blood either¡­ so it was a nightmare¡­¡± He then noticed a paper half buried under the snow. He pulled it out to find a ripped paper of someone¡¯s data; the house address was also written. Elois only stared with wide stilled eyes at the picture of the familiar man on the paper. . . A girl with short black hair was heard singing in the kitchen, swaying slightly as she danced with her melody while preparing a cake. She turned suddenly with a broad smile to look behind her and at the kitchen¡¯s entrance, ¡°Hmm?¡± she tilted her head slightly to the side, smile still on her face as she eyed her unexpected visitor with her crimson red eyes. ¡°So you''re his daughter? Wow, he''s a father, really¡­ that monster¡­¡± A cold voice asked, sounding shocked and in disbelief despite the flat tone and lack of emotions shown. The girl blinked, then smiled happily, ¡°Oh! You must be Elois! He talks a lot about you!¡± she walked eagerly closer to Elois, who slightly flinched at her sudden approach yet remained still with his dead eyes, ¡°Ah~ My father is so happy now!¡± she came closer to Elois''s face, ¡°He says¡ª¡± then she stood on her toes and covered around her lips with her hands as if whispering a secret no one should know of, even though there was no one but the two of them. She excitedly whispered¡ª ¡°Nice to see you again~¡± Elois instantly widened his eyes, felt a cold and violent shiver run down his whole body, and the next thing he knew, he stabbed the girl with his dagger in her stomach and dragged it to her sides. The creepiest thing was that she was still smiling even after falling to the floor with her scattered insides and limbs, bathing in her own blood with her glowing bloody eyes, ¡°He is laughing! My father is¡­ HAPPY! HAhaHAha!¡± Elois stared down at her and unmoving. Unaware of the smiling man standing by the entrance behind him. ¡°Awh~ she was pretty useful, oh well.¡± Elois jumped with a loud gasp and his eyes wide open and found himself in the familiar room, looking down at crumpled paper beneath his cold and pale hand on the bed. He stared at it for a long while with the loud sound of his rapid breathing in the room. . . He stopped in front of an ordinary-looking house, sneaking carefully inside as he found the front door open, warily eyeing the house inside after closing the door behind as silently as he could, looking at the odd choice of interiors and the dark theme all over the place. The house was dark except for one lamp with red light from the roof before the kitchen entry, ¡®So this is¡­ his house¡­?¡¯ he hesitated before walking to the familiar kitchen. He looked at the floor beside the table. He sighed out of relief, ¡°No blood¡­ no corpse¡­ was it¡­ a nightmare, again...?¡± ¡°Running away, are we?¡± He jerked around, panicking for a second at the familiar chilly voice from behind. He could swear he felt the man standing behind him for a second, but no one was there. He could hear his heart still beating fast and loud, ¡°Lucas¡­?¡± he voiced out, but all he heard was his own voice echoing in the lifeless, empty house. He felt he was being watched, but he knew there was no one in the house, ¡°Is this really his house...?¡± he mumbled to himself, looking around him in the kitchen; his eyes landed on a glass door leading to a small garden outside and a wall separating the house from the neighbors. He opened the door slowly, noticing an odd lump on the ground, like someone tried to hide something by digging messily and piling the sand right back. He walked to the spot with slightly trembling legs, staring worriedly with wide eyes at it, ¡®The¡­ the corpse¡­ is it¡­ here¡­?¡¯ He was about to dig inside and inspect, but a watery sound and a clatter cut all his thoughts in a split second, and he turned to the wall beside him, not too far. He eyed the direction of the sound suspiciously, ¡®Lucas¡¯ neighbor¡­¡¯ he slowly stood up and moved away from the spot, forgetting about the corpse. He climbed the wall and stood on one of the big trees inside the neighbor¡¯s garden, looking down at a lively garden with trees and beautiful flowers everywhere. He walked carefully on one of the large branches and looked down, noticing a small figure. A kid with silky black hair, ice-blue eyes, and pale skin, he was watering the flowers with a small smile barely noticeable. Elois blinked at the kid who seemed to be around 8 or 9 years old, ¡°A kid¡­?¡± he muttered to himself as he wasn¡¯t expecting to see an innocent child, observing the black-haired kid who was getting ready to calmly step back inside the house with a pot of beautiful flowers. He was so focused on thinking about Lucas and his neighbor that he didn''t notice his leg slipping slowly from the branch, ¡°HUH?¡± He quickly lost his balance and fell straight to the inside of the garden. ¡°ACK!!!¡± He landed painfully with a groan, followed by a few scattered leaves slowly falling around him and above his head; he shifted and rubbed his back with a grimace, ¡°Ow¡­¡± he weakly groaned at the pain, forgetting his surroundings for a second before a calming voice interrupted him. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Elois raised his head to meet eyes with the kid who looked down at him rather suspiciously yet indifferently, with no hints of the soft smile he was displaying seconds ago. Elois blinked up at him, ¡°W-What?¡± ¡°Couldn''t you use the door?¡± the boy asked back, voice calm and tranquil. His voice calmed the other down unknowingly as Elois forgot anything related to Lucas and tried to answer the boy, ¡°Uh, well, um¡­ I-I was¡­¡± he trailed off, looking down at his feet; he thought for a second as he suddenly realized, ¡®I''m¡­ talking to a normal person¡­ no- I am speaking normally¡­¡¯ The younger sighed lightly, ¡°If you have nothing to do here, then please leave.¡± he turned around to leave Elois alone in the garden, expecting him to leave the house soon after. Elois scrambled to his feet, ¡°No! I mean, wait! Bathroom!!¡± The boy stilled, slowly turning back to Elois, who looked unsure. The boy stared with his unreadable face, ¡°Bathroom...?¡± ¡°I¡­ need the bathroom¡­¡± ¡°Why¡­?¡± Elois blinked, standing awkwardly as he answered, ¡°Uh¡­ for¡­ daily operations¡­?¡± Both stared blankly at each other for a long minute; the situation was weird enough to render both boys speechless. The raven-haired boy calmly nodded, surprising the orange teen, ¡°¡­okay¡­ follow me.¡± . . The boy stared outside the large window, observing the stormy weather as the window rattled every several seconds. He heard the sound of the bathroom door opening. Elois walked to the living room, standing behind the boy with a decent distance between them, ¡°Thank you¡­ um¡­¡± ¡°On second thought, I think you should stay here for tonight.¡± the boy announced calmly, turning and walking to the kitchen as if nothing was wrong, ¡°Do you want a cup of warm milk or maybe coffee?¡± Elois blinked, stunned, ¡°Uh, I''ll just leave¡­¡± ¡°It will be wild outside soon. You can leave if you want, but if you don''t want to freeze to death¡­ then stay here.¡± the boy stared at Elois from the corner of his eyes before disappearing into the kitchen. Elois was confused, he wondered if the boy knew he took a long time in the bathroom on purpose to stay a bit more in the warm house for some unknown reason, and now he felt that the boy wouldn¡¯t let him leave that easily, so he just sighed and walked around the room while taking off his cut denim jacket. The house was simple despite the size of the house but comfy; the furniture looked almost new as if not touched, not even once. He thought maybe they had just moved in, or the people here were just too clean and tidy. He stopped at a table, looking at a flipped-down photo frame. He walked and raised it up to reveal a photo of two parents and a child, a blond man who looked to be in his late twenties carrying a child whom he assumed was the black-haired boy, and a woman with long silky black hair, both parents smiling except for the child who looked almost emotionless. He lightly tapped at the photo. ¡°Where are your parents?¡± This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°Not here.¡± answered the boy in the kitchen as he prepared warm drinks for the both of them. ¡°You live alone?¡± Elois asked again; he didn¡¯t know what came over him to ask personal questions of a welcoming child who oddly didn¡¯t kick him out yet. ¡°Yes.¡± again, the boy gave him a short reply when he could just ignore the other. ¡°Why?¡± he wanted to stop, he was aware of being oddly rude, yet he couldn¡¯t stop himself after seeing the picture. ¡°My father left long ago, and my mother is dead.¡± Elois'' eyes turned cold at the mention of ''mother,¡¯ remembering his mother''s death, and asked next without much thought, ¡°Was she killed?¡± he widened his eyes as he realized too late what he had just asked. The clutter in the kitchen stopped for several seconds. Elois tensed, ¡°S-Sorry! I shouldn¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, she was killed.¡± came the unbothered answer right behind him; he hadn¡¯t noticed when the boy walked out of the kitchen with two cups in his hands. ¡°I''m¡­ sorry¡­¡± he mumbled, looking to the side in shame. ¡°It''s okay.¡± The boy moved the cup closer toward his guest, offering one to Elois, who stood still and blinked before hesitantly accepting the cup with warm milk, ¡®Why did I ask him all that¡­?¡¯ standing in place when the boy turned and calmly walked to one of the fluffy sofas and sat down, taking a sip. Elois stared at the boy from behind, blinking blankly before walking to leave the jacket on the other sofa. ¡°I guess you should inform your family that you will spend the night outside.¡± Elois stiffened for a brief second, glancing at the calm kid who wasn¡¯t looking at him and walked to sit on the sofa a little away from the other. Both sipping the warm liquid silently, the rattles of the windows were the only thing heard in the place. Elois stared at the cup in his hand, ¡°I¡­ don''t have a family, I think¡­¡± The boy stopped his hand holding the cup and silently glanced his way. Elois remained silent for a while. He tightened his grip around the warm cup to calm himself, ¡°Our mother kidnaped us, both I and my little brother¡­ things happened, and my mother ended up killed by the man she worked with¡­ and my brother went missing somewhere else, I''m not sure if he''s still alive¡­ I''m not sure what happened after, but when I opened my eyes from a deep sleep¡­ the man who killed my mother had disappeared¡­ I was just¡­ alone¡­¡± his eyes stared intently at the gentle steam coming from the warm drink, ¡°My uncle is assumed dead¡­ and my father¡­¡± he stilled, lips hanging open in a moment of hesitance and uncertainty, ¡®Why am I telling him all that anyway¡­? He didn''t even ask to begin with¡­¡¯ The boy nodded silently as he took another sip, ¡°You can stay here if you want, until you find your family.¡± he said, staring indifferently at the now-empty cup. Elois widened his eyes and sat straight, setting the cup on the table before him and flailing his arms as he tried to reason with the careless kid before him, ¡°Wait¡ª you can''t let a stranger stay here just like that?! What if I was lying?? And aren''t you too young to live alone¡ª¡± The boy calmly looked at him, standing up with the empty cup in hand. ¡°Well? Are you lying?¡± Elois blinked, flabbergasted by the simple and indifferent question, ¡°¡­No¡­ but¡­¡± The boy nodded and started walking to the kitchen, ¡°As I said, you don''t have to stay if you don''t want to. I¡¯m not insisting,¡± he turned his head back to look at the teen, who lowered his head to look down in silence, ¡°My name is Davante by the way, Davante Fixsen.¡± Elois stared down at the floor, hiding his eyes from the other, ¡°You don''t know me¡­ you shouldn''t let someone like me¡­¡± his voice got weaker with each word, couldn¡¯t bring himself to say the rest. ¡°I don''t know you,¡± Davante agreed and waited for the other to glance at him, offering a small smile, ¡°But somehow, I can get a quick glimpse of what kind of person you are just by looking at your face.¡± he turned his back to the silent teen and walked further into the kitchen, not waiting for an answer. Elois was left speechless. He looked at his hands with wide eyes, flashes of corpses on the snowy ground, bloodied limbs scattered everywhere; darkness clouded his mind in no second. He felt his hands shiver, and suddenly his hands turned horribly red in his eyes; he widened his eyes in fear, ¡®Who¡­ am I¡­?¡¯ he thought, recalling how he denied the fact he killed lots of people who may genuinely mean no harm to him, he recalled how he betrayed Owin and lost him for once and all, he recalled how he was stupidly na?ve and believed in everything his mother said just because he loved her so dearly and she was lovely and sweet to him; all turned to be only a fa?ade to lure him to a dirty trap. His mistakes aren''t going to be fixed; he lost his brother, father, and uncle, and maybe he could have saved his mother. He lost himself. A shiver crawled down his spine at the ignored reality. ¡®Murderer¡­¡¯ he killed many. ¡®Liar¡­¡¯ he lied to his brother for a halfhearted trust. ¡®Na?ve¡­¡¯ he believed in his mother. ¡®¡­Coward¡­¡¯ he lied to himself to feel safe. ¡°I am the worst¡­¡± he whispered darkly with so much hate in his voice. ¡°She''s not the mother you think she is¡­¡± ¡®Owin¡­¡¯ ¡°please¡­ believe me¡­¡± Shocked at the hot tears falling down his cheeks to his own trembling hands. ¡®Years had passed¡­ why am I¡­ crying over everything now¡­?¡¯ he gritted his teeth to force himself silent as more pearls of tears fell down and never-ending; he moved his trembling hand to his head in an attempt to silence the shrieking thoughts inside, bringing the other hand in a fist to cover his quivering lips. He was trying hard to stop what was happening to him when smaller hands wrapped around him; he jumped slightly at the sudden gentle embrace. He blinked in an attempt to see around him, but his vision was blurry, eyes full of tears. A small hand started patting his head soothingly, ¡°You¡­ miss your family, right?¡± the familiar tranquil voice said in a low tone, enough for Elois to hear. Elois wasn''t sure why, but something snapped deep inside him, and suddenly he hugged Davante''s small frame tightly, burying his face further into the small chest of the kid, and started sobbing loudly; he nodded weakly, unknowingly rubbing his tears in the other''s sweater but the other just let him. ¡°Mm¡­ I want to¡­ I¡­ I want to s-see them¡­ again¡­¡± Davante patted his head calmly and whispered, ¡°Then¡­ don''t throw yourself away¡­¡± Those were the last words he heard from Davante that night before everything went black¡­ . . His swollen eyes fluttered open, hardly seeing anything in the dark, but he could blearily see a small figure standing beside him as he lay on the sofa. He squinted his eyes in the dark, ¡®Davan¡­ te...?¡¯ The small boy stood with his back to the half-awake Elois, he couldn''t see what Davante was doing when facing his back, but then Davante put something on the table and silently left his side. He tried to open his eyes properly to see what was on the table, but the warm blanket, fluffy pillow, and peaceful air lulled him back to sleep. . . Clank¡ª Elois jumped straight into a sitting position at the loud sound in his sleep, sitting still with his back straight with wide, unblinking eyes. He caught softer sounds behind him, recalling where he was, identifying that the sounds came from the kitchen. Elois jerked his head to the table and widened his eyes when he noticed his weapon, the unique dagger, was left on the table beside the sofa; he quickly grabbed it. It came back to him what happened when he fell asleep last night; he was sure he wasn''t dreaming when he saw the kid leaving his weapon, which was supposed to be hidden under his shirt, on the table late at night. He slowly hid it back in its place, warily eyeing Davante, who was putting some food on the table just about his height. ¡®My weapon¡­ how did he¡­ so yesterday he was just¡ª¡¯ ¡°Good morning.¡± Elois halted, not expecting the simple and peaceful greeting, not right after he was suspicious of the same boy who helped him last night. ¡°Breakfast is ready,¡± Davante said calmly, walking back inside the kitchen and sitting on the table. ¡°Oh¡­ okay¡­¡± Elois was, again, speechless; he couldn''t understand the boy at all; he hesitantly walked silently to the kitchen and was surprised by the pleasant meal awaiting him, ¡®Wow¡­ he knows how to cook¡­ is he really a kid¡­?¡¯ he sat on the other side, facing the boy who just sat silently with a cup of what he assumed was milk again. ¡°Um¡­ let''s eat?¡± Elois awkwardly asked, looking at the kid who didn¡¯t seem to eat any time soon. ¡°I''m not hungry. This is all yours,¡± Davante answered calmly before sipping his drink in silence. Elois blinked; he picked up a fork hesitantly and looked at the food, ¡°¡­Thanks¡­¡± He glanced at the other, who was not minding him at all. ¡°Uh¡­ I''m¡­ my name is¡­ Elois¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The kid just took another sip of warm milk and indifferently responded with his eyes down at the table, ¡°Nice to meet you, Elois.¡± Elois averted his eyes awkwardly and took a bite of the cooked sausage, ¡®It feels like¡­ talking to someone older than me¡­¡¯ . . ¡°The snow is all over the garden¡­¡± Elois said, looking through the window in the kitchen with a wet plate and a small towel in hand. Davante, by his side and washing the dishes, only hummed in response. Elois turned to look at him, ¡°Something wrong¡­?¡± ¡°No¡­ it''s just¡­ I hear some people talk about it, but¡­¡± the younger paused; Elois waited. ¡°What is¡­ a snowman?¡± Elois fell silent and stared, face unmoving. He took a step closer, ¡°You¡­ don''t know what a snowman is?¡± ¡°Hey, you¡­¡± Davante slightly squished the sponge in his hands, glaring by the side of his eyes with a hint of annoyance shown to the other, ¡°You were¡­ you were definitely about to laugh just now, weren''t you¡­?¡± ¡®Oh¡­¡¯ Elois blinked at the secretly embarrassed kid, ¡°I wasn''t going to laugh¡­¡± Davante remained silent and turned his attention back to the dishes with a slight blush and a frown; Elois looked at him before moving to his jacket, ¡°Alright, I''ll show you a snowman.¡± Fixing his jacket before walking to the garden as he satisfyingly thought, ¡®He can be a child sometimes¡­¡¯ . . ¡°Hey, Davante.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Davante?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Da¡ª¡± ¡°Stop calling my name.¡± came the quiet and grumpy answer at last. Elois blinked at the kid, who sat with his arms on a pillow resting on his knees and head resting on them with his eyes closed, making himself warm with a blanket covering his tiny back, ¡°Are you all right¡­? Um¡­ do you hate your name or¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡®Huh?¡¯ Elois blinked again and scratched his slightly reddened cheeks from the cold, ¡°So you¡­ don''t like your name¡­ then¡­ Dante¡­¡± he then leaned somewhat toward and behind the small snowman he made and pointed at either side of its mouth, ¡°Dante! Look here, Mr. Snowman wants your attention~¡± Davante frowned at the name as he finally raised his head and was met with the so-called snowman; he silently stared, ¡°It looks¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± he blinked, ¡°Stupid.¡± ¡°What? Don''t be cruel! He''s even smiling to you!¡± Elois looked genuinely hurt even more when Davante scowled at him in disbelief. ¡°¡­how old are you?¡± ¡°HUH?! That''s rude!!¡± ¡°How so¡­?¡± ¡°Show some respect, you brat!!!¡± ¡°You''re not much older though¡­?¡± ¡°That''s¡­! Well, maybe that''s true, BUT STILL!¡± ¡°But seriously, how old are you?¡± ¡°See?! The snowman is crying now! It''s your entire fault!¡± ¡°Did you just draw tears¡ª he looks creepy now¡­¡± ¡°Good, have some nightmares from it now! See if he smiles to you again!¡± ¡°Why are you offended?¡± . . ¡°Phew~¡± Elois looked up with slightly pink cheeks, standing under the big tree in the forest, noticing how the place was almost deserted and no one seemed to visit it often, too empty and quiet, ¡®So this''s the tree Davante talked about before¡­ he didn''t tell me it was inside an Academy, I had to sneak in somehow¡­¡¯ He blinked. ¡®But I don''t see any girl¡­ Dante said he had seen a girl when no one did, but where could she be hiding in this open area¡­?¡¯ he thought, turning left and right, expecting to see a girl according to Davante''s description. Elois looked at the tree again in wonder, ¡°What a huge tree¡­¡± He suddenly recalled Davante''s last words before he left the house. Elois chuckled, fixing the scarf around his neck, ¡°Let''s go back, can''t have my little friend get mad at me for being late.¡± then he turned to leave with a small smile, ¡®It''s been a month¡­ ah, he''s really¡­ like a little brother to me now¡­¡¯ He froze in place at the piercing, snickering whisper. ¡®Huh? That was¡­ my own voice¡­¡¯ ¡°Elois?¡± came a familiar voice; he noticed a small figure from a distance walking closer to him, ¡°Why are you still here? It''s too cold outside. Let¡¯s go back.¡± Davante said with his usual calm voice. Elois smiled in relief with slightly wide shaking eyes, stepping closer to the younger, ¡°Davante¡­¡± ¡°Careful.¡± Elois suddenly felt a familiar presence behind his back, he could feel Lucas''s long frame looming over him and his big, chilly hands grasping his shoulders to keep him in place, leaning down to his ear to whisper with his usual smile, ¡°You''re going to kill him sooner or later, right?¡± ¡°No¡­ what¡­¡± he mumbled. ¡°You''re just like me now. It can''t be helped. People like us are just like poison to others.¡± ¡°no, no no, NO NONO¡­¡± ¡°Elois. I''m proud of you, my son~¡± ¡°C-Can''t be helped???¡± He stared at his own trembling hands, bringing them close to his face to look at them closely before smiling with crazed eyes, ¡°Oh¡­ That''s right¡­ That''s right! Right!! Even if I''m like this now!! It''s your entire fault!!! Not my fault! No one can blame me!!! It can''t be helped indeed!!¡± he threw his hands in the air, grinning with his pupils shaking, looking like a lunatic, ¡°THIS IS HOW I AM!!¡± In his panic, Elois noticed Davante again, grabbed the kid¡¯s shoulders roughly and yanked him closer to his face, still smiling like a maniac, ¡°You don''t blame me either, right, Davante?!¡± Davante couldn''t help but stare silently at Elois. Elois shook the boy''s small shoulders, impatient, ¡°RIGHT?!!¡± The ever-calm face of his friend broke into a cold, pitying smile, ¡°You can''t run away forever, Elois. A murderer will always be a murderer.¡± Elois felt like time had stopped around him, staring wide-eyed at his only source of sanity hanging by a thread. ¡®Huh¡­? Wait¡­¡¯ He felt everything go black for a moment. When he opened his eyes slightly again, he vaguely caught glimpses of Davante''s last smile before walking away from him, as cold as the ever-falling snow. ¡®Why¡­?¡¯ He tried to call out for Davante again but couldn''t even move an inch of his body, and he slumped back against the tree behind him. . . . . ¡°If you knew all along that I was a murderer¡­ then why did you help me? Were you toying with me? I looked too pathetic to play with, was that it? Was it all an act?! Were you having fun looking at a miserable murderer?! Was it satisfying to see me like that?!¡± trembling hard, Elois was barely breathing as he questioned his roommate before him while facing down, unable to meet his past friend in the eye after everything. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Say something¡­¡± he gritted his teeth to hold back his frustration. ¡°Elois¡­ I''m sure I wasn''t in the forest¡­ that night¡­¡± Elois slowly raised his head, not sure he heard that right, ¡°Huh¡­?¡± Davante looked straight at the stunned Elois, slightly shocked himself. ¡°¡­I was in the castle.¡±
The End of CH. 12 13. "Your first answer" ¡°I''m going to prepare a big cake for you! Wait for me. I won''t be late!¡± Was what Alucia said, as excitedly as usual. But looking at the clock on the wall, he noticed she was late, too late actually, as she had announced her leave in the early morning, and now it was midnight. He couldn''t help but have a bad feeling about it. For the first time, Davante decided to visit her, his neighbor. He stared silently at the key in his hand, the spare key to her house she gave him, or more like pushed it into his hands regardless of what he said, but he had never used it before. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­¡± he tightened his cold grip around the key as he reached his resolve and walked to the door, ready to leave his house, ¡°Check on her¡­¡± However, he found the door open before he could even put the key into use. He pressed the doorbell just in case, pushed the door further and walked inside as no one had answered the door. Closing the door softly behind him, he stood still for a moment as his ears immediately caught faint laughter not too far. He carefully stepped further into the dark house and followed the sounds, listening to Alucia¡¯s voice as she laughed and mumbled some things he couldn¡¯t comprehend. ¡°Haha¡­ hahahaha¡­ he''s here... he''s here, father! He''s here!!¡± Despite the uneasy feeling, he walked slowly until he found himself at an entrance leading to the kitchen. He stood by the long entry and hid from the laughing girl in the kitchen, hesitating to see her as the whole situation felt anything but good. He always found his sister a bit strange, but this time was different; he felt ominous. ¡°Davante~ it''s you, right~?¡± She called sweetly for him as if sensing his presence without having to show himself up. He remained silent and still. ¡°Right???¡± He calmly stepped forward and turned his head to look at his sister finally; he wasn¡¯t ready for the sight before him. ¡°Davante!¡± He widened his eyes at the bloody scene; his sister pushed herself up with her only hand and smiled happily at his face despite her horrible shape, losing a big chunk of her left upper body and bathing in a pool of her own blood. ¡°Alucia¡­¡± She suddenly crawled hurriedly to the stunned brother, who flinched at the way she moved like anything but human toward him, followed by the sound of blood against the floor, and pulled him down by his shirt, forcing him to bend down to meet her eyes and dirtying his shirt with her blood. Up close, he was able to witness the tears falling from her wide glowing eyes despite the smile and laughter. ¡°Davante¡­¡± Her voice wasn''t the usual excited one, much calmer and heavier. ¡°Even if he can''t see from your eyes anymore¡­ even if he can''t see from my eyes anymore¡­¡± She got closer and whispered with her tear-stained and bloody face. ¡°Elois will always be watching you~¡± Then¡­ as if a switch¡­ she went limp in his arms. The place was so quiet he couldn¡¯t even hear his own breathing; he wondered if he was even breathing. Looking at his sister¡¯s dead body in his hands, he forced himself to calm down first. He slowly, very slowly looked to the small garden outside. He gently lowered the bloodied body down on the floor and walked out, reordering the process in his numbed head. ¡®I never knew my sister¡­¡¯ He dug the ground, went back to the kitchen, tried to drag the body to the hole he made, and went back to the kitchen to clean off all the blood. He stood still for a long moment in cold silence, eying the empty and clean place, then walked to the body outside. He started to bury his sister and pile the hole he dug with the sand, leaving her face uncovered till the last minute. He looked at her peaceful face one last time, thinking that, for the first time, she looked¡­ normal¡­ relaxed. ¡®I think¡­ Alucia¡­ was just a doll¡­ manipulated from day one¡­¡¯ He lightly stabbed the shovel down on the ground and stood to catch his breath, holding the long stick with trembling hands as he looked down at the finished grave. ¡®She never lived¡­ was never alive¡­¡¯ His grip tightened as he tried to repress the suffocating feelings within him, looking down at the lonely grave. He didn''t know what kind of look he had on his stoic face¡­ ¡®It¡­ hurts¡­¡¯ ¡°It hurts¡­¡± He mumbled in an attempt to lessen the immense pain he was feeling in his chest.
The Red Flower Chapter. 13
¡°What¡­ what do you mean¡­? You weren''t there?¡± Elois asked in disbelief; he took a step back and let out a bewildered scoff, ¡°Are you kidding me? So, you''re telling me all this time I¡­ you must be lying!¡± he smirked at him, looking at him as if he had said the most ridiculous thing ever. Davante stiffened a little at the other''s words, face unmoving, ¡°I''m not. I left you a letter that day¡­ that I would go somewhere else for several days and come back¡­¡± Elois frowned in shock and doubt, ¡°Then tell me, who was the boy I saw that night? So you''re telling me I''m THAT crazy??¡± Elois yelled with accusing eyes at the other, whose icy eyes became impossibly colder. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Davante slowly looked down in silence, ¡®This is not the first time¡­¡¯ He instantly remembered and imagined all the people who accused him and threw names at him, standing behind his cold back and still shouting and cussing at him, ¡®I know¡­ no matter what I say, I will always be a horrible person in their eyes for some reason I don''t know about¡­ so¡­¡¯ He closed his eyes. ¡®It''s easier¡­ to silence them in my head¡­ I don''t have to prove my innocence to them¡­¡¯ ¡®But¡­¡¯ His cold fingers twitched. He slowly opened his eyes and raised his head to glare darkly at the accusing past friend of his. ¡®I wonder why this time¡­ I feel¡­ angry¡­ or maybe¡­ betrayed.¡¯ ¡°Liar¡­?¡± he asked back in a lower tone, ¡°You call me a liar?¡± he raised his voice a bit and took a step toward the roommate, who looked taken aback, ¡°Then I can also call you a liar, right?¡± Elois flinched and had the nerve to look hurt at the false accusation against him. ¡°I welcomed you in my house, you, a stranger, a NOBODY. I believed you and understood that you were a victim of a horrific experience. But hey¡ª¡± he moved closer to the other with a cold glare, noticing how the roommate took a step back despite the apparent difference in their body strength, ¡°I can also believe you were just lying, right?¡± ¡°No¡­ I wasn''t¡­¡± ¡°So Elois, ¡®were you acting all this time?!¡¯ Did you take advantage of me? I told you it wasn''t me. Do you expect me to know what you saw that night when I wasn''t even there?¡± ¡°That¡ª¡± ¡°An illusion,¡± the room fell silent for a moment, ¡°It''s as if you believe an illusion instead of the real person! The real person is here, in front of you, and I told you I wasn¡¯t there!!¡± Elois looked down with panicked eyes; his trembling only got worse, slowly bringing his hands to his head, ¡°So¡­ was everything¡­ then how would I know what was real¡­¡± Davante stared at the other, who was clearly close to having a panic attack anytime soon. He averted his eyes to the side to collect himself; he then looked back to Elois, a lot calmer than seconds ago. He slowly moved his hand to reach for the trembling mess his roommate was. ¡°ARE YOU SURE?¡± Davante froze in place with wide, startled eyes as the scribbled figure of his copy with wide eyes and missing lips appeared beside him with a chilling whisper in a suddenly white void, but it seemed Elois couldn''t see it, making him notice again that it was all in his head, yet it felt too real, the presence beside him was too real to think of it as a long-lasted illusion. ¡°YOU''VE HELPED HIM BEFORE, BUT LOOK WHAT HE DID AFTER. HE LEFT YOU ALL ALONE.¡± The figure pointed at Elois, who still didn''t seem to notice anything and clutched his head with both hands in panic. ¡°FIRST ''ALVIS'' AND NOW ''ELOIS''. WHO''RE YOU HELPING NEXT?¡± The figure moved around Davante and stood behind him, resting its hands on his shoulders as it leaned to the other ear. ¡°YOU WERE DOING JUST FIIINE~ AWAY FROM EVERYONE AND FEEL NOTHING.¡± It hopped and stood before the silent and alarmed teen. ¡°IT''S SO EASY TO IGNORE HIM AND EVERYONE, ISN''T IT?¡± The figure offered its two hands, one closed into a fist and the other open. ¡°CHOOSE.¡± Cold sweat formed on his forehead as he carefully eyed the scribbled hands. ¡®I don''t want to have anything to do with anyone¡­¡¯ He slowly moved his hand to the fist but stopped midway. ¡®But¡­ I have a feeling¡­ if I left Elois alone now¡­¡¯ He slowly moved his hand away from the fist and carefully touched the scribbled fingers, ¡®¡­something¡­ no¡­ Elois would die¡­¡¯ Davante widened his eyes at his thoughts, looking at the fading scribbled hand, ¡®Why¡­ is this familiar? Why do I know what will happen?¡¯ The figure¡¯s eyes softened slightly and raised the open hand to its side, looking at Davante as it faded away, ¡°YOU CAN ALWAYS ASK FOR MY HELP~¡± And the void was replaced with the familiar room he shared with Elois. Davante took a breath and tried to calm down; he moved slowly to Elois and gently put his hand on his head. Elois flinched but didn¡¯t push him away as his head was brought to the other¡¯s shoulder with light pats on the back of his head. ¡°Elois¡­ you¡­ since the first day I saw you, you always looked like you wanted to forget yourself, your identity¡­¡± Davante started calmly, reminding the other of the tranquility he first felt long in the past, ¡°That¡¯s why I told you¡­ don''t throw yourself away¡­ when you want to escape reality, you begin to see things¡­ but once you accept reality as it is¡­ you will be able to know what''s true and what''s not.¡± He paused a little before carefully stating, ¡°I think you can see them now¡­ your family,¡± he felt the other stiffen in his hands, ¡°They''re back, they''re here¡­ with you,¡± he lightly ruffled Elois'' hair, ¡°You have people by your side now, Elois. Your father, brother, and Javi¡­ stop running away from yourself and face your life. You¡­ don''t have to create a perfect lie to live anymore.¡± Elois moved his trembling hand and grabbed Davante''s shirt weakly, ¡°But¡­ I¡­¡± ¡°A 9-year-old kid didn''t see you as a murderer. I¡¯m sure your family wouldn''t see you as one either... so¡­ talk to them¡­ okay?¡± After a long silence, Davante felt something warm and wet on his shoulder. He glanced at the other, who hid his face in the teen¡¯s shoulder, ¡°¡­You¡­ really cry a lot, don''t you?¡± Elois snorted out loud at the unexpected comment. ¡°What was that sound¡­?¡± asked the teen curiously as he was calmly let go. ¡°I''m trying to decide if I should laugh or cry now¡­¡± Elois wiped his tears with his hand, smiling a bit, ¡°Just so you know, the last time I cried was 7 years ago¡­ I''m not a crybaby, you brat.¡± Davante blinked, and a small smile formed on his lips, ¡°So you only cry when you''re with me?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Elois looked down in apparent hesitance, ¡°Dav- Dante¡­ wait, you still hate your name¡­?¡± he looked right back at the stoic roommate. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, so¡­ Dante¡­¡± looking to the side with an awkward smile, he reluctantly asked, the smile disappearing instantly, ¡°Your neighbor¡­¡­ a girl¡­ with short black hair¡­ do you¡­¡± ¡°I don''t know who you''re talking about.¡± Elois immediately stopped and looked pointedly at the floor. Davante turned and walked to their wardrobe to grab new pairs of pajamas, ¡°I''m going to bathe.¡± he walked to their shared bathroom and locked the door behind him, not waiting for an answer. Elois remained still and silent before slowly staring at the closed door, looking regretful and hurt, ¡°You¡­ know her¡­¡± . . Davante leaned on the door behind him with the pajama in hand, looking down in thought. ¡®So I was right¡­ Elois is the one who killed Alucia¡­¡¯ he pushed himself away from the door, ¡®When I met Elois that day, I¡­ remembered Alucia¡­ a lost victim¡­¡¯ recalling the past faces of the two, ¡®We were all similar in some way. But even so, I still wanted to push him away¡­ I had a feeling he was the one Alucia mentioned before she died¡­¡¯ the memory of her bloody face so evident in his mind, ¡®I didn''t feel anything bad from him¡­ he didn''t feel like a threat to me¡­ it''s just that I didn''t want anyone in my life¡­ But I¡­ decided to help him because¡­ unlike Alucia, he had a chance to change, to be saved¡­¡¯ Recalling the weapon''s shape when he accidentally found it while helping the sleeping Elois to lie comfortably on the sofa. He inspected the unique weapon and was instantly reminded of Alucia¡¯s severe wounds, realizing the same weapon did them as he pictured in his head how it would look if stabbed in a certain way. Yet he didn¡¯t say a thing; he couldn¡¯t bring himself to call the broken teen at that time a murderer. He remembered that even when he learned the name of the stranger staying with him in his house, he wasn¡¯t surprised; it all clicked perfectly when he repeated Alucia¡¯s last words in his head. ¡°Elois will always be watching you~¡± ¡®No matter how I looked at it, Elois¡­ was not a threat. So I decided to try¡­ for the first time¡­ to try and save someone¡­ I thought maybe I''d be able to change him for the better¡­¡¯ remembering the light moments shared between them, ¡®Without knowing, I started to talk more¡­ smile more¡­ one month¡­ made me feel like a normal person, a human. That''s why¡­¡¯ he could feel his fingers going numb with the memory, ¡®When I went back home after spending a week in the castle¡­ I was looking forward to seeing him again, to feeling alive¡­¡¯ The image of the cold, empty house he returned to that day was too clear in his head now after so long blocking it. He remembered how he felt empty when no one answered after calling out so many times, how cold and numb he felt when he held the small piece of paper after he found his letter untouched on the table, how his head turned all jumbled and numb. ¡°So¡­ he didn''t come back at all since that day¡­¡± ¡°Did he¡­ run away from me¡­?¡± ¡°¡­my hands¡­ so cold¡­¡± The imagined picture of the cursing people circling him numbed him even more than anything. ¡®Voices¡­ voices¡­¡¯ ¡®Monster¡­¡¯ ¡®Creep¡­¡¯ ¡®They all wished for me to die¡­¡¯ ¡°HE IS THE SAME AS EVERYONE.¡± The scribbled figure whispered behind his smaller back as he looked down with empty eyes and the letter still in hand. ¡®Is he¡­?¡¯ ¡°HE MUST HAVE HEARD EVERYONE AND BELIEVED THEM.¡± The figure reasoned again, bending down to whisper to the small child, cooing when the letter fell slowly from the child¡¯s cold hand. ¡°AWW~ I TOLD YOU TO FORGET EVERYONE. LOOK AT YOU NOW. YOU¡¯RE HURT AGAIN,¡± It hugged him from behind, but it was so cold, he couldn¡¯t feel anything even when it patted his head in sympathy¡­ ¡°FORGET HIM. HE WAS NOTHING, EASY EASY~¡± He closed his eyes and listened to it. ¡®That''s right¡­ just like everyone else¡­ I''ll forget him as well¡­¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s Easy¡­¡¯ Was it? He questioned his past self. Recalling how fate had thrown him into Elois¡¯ life again, funnily, he was the one who fell before the ginger head this time around. Davante stared at the bathroom ceiling, sitting in the warm bath and recalling Elois¡¯ introduction to him on his first day in the academy. Whispering to himself as he took everything in, ¡°He tried to be a different person¡­ a new person¡­¡± he went down a little so that only his head was out of the water. ¡®So he¡­ didn''t run away from me¡­¡¯ He suddenly remembered Ellmer, the big brother he never knew he had, who looked genuine in finding his family. ¡®If Ellmer was telling me the truth, then that means he is my brother, and¡­ Alucia is also his sister¡­ who knows what would happen if he found out about Elois¡­¡¯ He closed his eyes again as he relaxed in the comfortable silence. ¡°Even if he can''t see from your eyes anymore¡­¡± ¡°Even if he can''t see from my eyes anymore¡­¡± ¡°Elois will always be watching you~¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± the words strangely rang out in his head, echoing persistently to gain his utmost attention no matter how long he tried to ignore them. He whispered them like a mantra. ¡°Even if ''he'' can''t see from ''my eyes'' anymore¡­¡± ¡°Even if ''he'' can''t see from Alucia''s eyes anymore¡­¡± ¡°Elois will always be watching ''me''¡­¡± He remembered Alucia¡­ ¡°''My father'' told ''me'' that I was born for ''one person,¡¯ and that person is my only happiness, so I should only ''watch'' that person to be happy!¡± He remembered Ellmer¡­ ¡°So her father is¡­ Lucas¡­ Lucas Feldstain¡­?¡± He remembered Elois¡­ ¡°I''m Elois Feldstain.¡± ¡°I was kidnapped¡­ the ''man'' who worked with my mother killed her¡­¡± He remembered his mother¡­ ¡°''Baldrick'' is looking at me from ''your'' eyes!¡± Davante opened his eyes slowly, repeating the words. ¡°Even if ''Baldrick'' can''t see from ''my eyes'' anymore¡­¡± ¡°Even if ''Lucas'' can''t see through Alucia''s eyes anymore¡­¡± ¡°''He'' will always be watching ''me'' through Elois'' eyes¡­¡± ¡°Her father¡­ Lucas¡­¡± ¡°Do you know who Baldrick is?!¡± Alvis¡¯ grim face came to his mind as he questioned him the last time. ¡°Elois Feldstain¡­ Lucas Feldstain¡­¡± Davante grabbed the side of the bathtub and pushed himself to sit up a little with wide eyes. ¡°Baldrick and Lucas¡­ are the same person.¡±
The End of CH. 13 14. Friend or Foe ¡®There was a time in my life¡­ when I felt nothing but darkness¡­¡¯ The picture of the iron, heavy door itched deep in his mind. ¡®I was damaged¡­ ruined¡­¡¯ ¡®That room¡­ was where I died once¡­ I''ve lost myself in there¡­¡¯ ¡®Was so afraid to remain dead in the dark¡­ nothing''s scarier than dark silence of unspoken loud thoughts that could kill their owner¡­¡¯ The cold horror he felt back then still haunted him no matter how long time had passed. ¡°Believe it or not, I¡¯m always on your side.¡± The small girl had said once, sitting on the window sill and smiling down at him. ¡®Those words¡­ they saved me back then¡­ so¡­¡¯ The same girl waved to him with a smile as he turned back to look at her for what he hadn¡¯t assumed would be the last time. ¡®Please, don''t make me doubt these words now.¡¯
The Red Flower Chapter. 14
Davante sat alone on a wooden bench in the empty garden, staring blankly with his head tilted back to look at the sky. The sound of chirping birds on the gently swaying trees behind his back did nothing to snap him from the blankness in his head. ¡®So¡­ now what?¡¯ He questioned silently, ¡®I''m sure that Baldrick and Lucas are the same person¡­ but¡­ what can I do with this information?¡¯ he slowly moved his head to look at his clasped hands resting on his lap, ¡®It''s not like I can ask anyone about ''him''¡­ it would be insensitive of me to ask Elois about the person who ruined his childhood, and Alvis¡­ I don''t think he knows anything about Baldrick¡­ he wouldn''t have asked me who he is otherwise¡­¡¯ rethinking again, ¡®But¡­ would it hurt to ask him?¡¯ he recalled Alvis'' face when he mentioned Baldrick the last time. He sighed, ¡®I¡­ don''t think it''s a good idea¡­¡¯ He closed his eyes to collect his thoughts carefully, ¡®To me, it looks like Baldrick or Lucas has a huge control over almost everyone¡­ me included¡­ doesn''t that mean¡­ he also has control over the game?¡¯ Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. He remembered Emmie gently smiling at him on the window sill, looking nothing like the childish persona she often liked to display. ¡°I''m not your enemy, Davante.¡± ¡®Emmie¡­¡¯ he called the name warily in his head. ¡°Let''s play a game, Davante!!¡± Her cheerful smile as she suggested the last game between them was the same as many others he had seen before; he hadn¡¯t realized how much he trusted her with time for him not to be suspicious. ¡®You are not the one who made up this whole game¡­ right?¡¯ He was reminded once again of Belvedere''s words then, ¡°Let''s see why Emmie is hiding you from us~¡± ¡®Hiding¡­? Why¡­?¡¯ he remembered again the last time he had seen the girl, ¡®When I left the castle, you were there to say goodbye¡­ as if to say your farewell¡­ you¡­ looked sad¡­ you wanted to say something, but you kept quiet¡­ I don''t understand¡­¡¯ He put his skinny fingers on his forehead with a slight frown, ¡°I don''t understand¡­¡± he murmured to himself. He stayed like that for a while, then sighed again. He opened his eyes and slowly tilted his head back, only to see Yeolard standing close before him, looking at him with a stoic face. Startled, he blinked once to make sure, but no one was there. ¡°What are you looking so shocked for?¡± Davante felt a light tap on his head as Elois sat beside him, ¡°Here,¡± offering a small lunch box to the teen with his usual grumpy face. ¡°You must be hungry.¡± Davante hesitantly took the box and eyed it silently with an unreadable expression. He then calmly put the box on his other side, ¡°I''m not hungry, but thanks.¡± Elois studied the other''s face, ¡°I''ve never seen you eat before. You only drink milk or fresh drinks¡­ even before when we were kids¡­¡± Davante kept quiet, looking to the side and away from the observing eyes of his roommate, ¡°Are you skipping your classes?¡± Elois observed him some more before he smirked teasingly at the other, ¡°Today''s off. So you were sitting here not even knowing that?¡± he chuckled at his hopeless roommate. He reached for his pocket, pulled out something, and handed it over to Davante, ¡°New phone, you seriously need it. We can''t let what happened yesterday happen again. My number and Javi''s are already there, so call us if you need anything.¡± ¡°Thanks¡­¡± Davante looked at the foreign device in his hand silently, ¡®I don''t know how to use it though¡­¡¯ he put the phone in his pocket, ¡°Why is it a day off today? Is there an occasion or something?¡± Looking to the front, ¡°All classes are canceled this week,¡± Elois hesitated momentarily, ¡°They''re investigating how the explosion happened.¡± Blinking, Davante was confused, ¡°The explosion¡­? So the huge pit in the garden¡­ was from an explosion?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Elois lowered his head, eyes hidden from the teen. He mumbled enough for the other to hear, ¡°I was the one behind it¡­¡± Davante widened his eyes in silence as he observed his past friend. ¡®That''s why¡­ his injuries¡­¡¯ ¡°I was attacked by¡­ someone. He kept asking me if I remembered him¡­ he wanted me to regain my memories¡­¡± he continued reluctantly, ¡°Once I regained my memories, I lost control and¡­ I don''t remember what happened after, but I think I''ve met that guy in the past¡­ I''m still not sure¡­¡± Davante remained silent, looking at his roommate as he thought just how much the guy trusted him to tell him such secrets that could put the other in danger if let out to the public. ¡°Karl¡­ Alastair¡­¡± Davante barely stopped himself from flinching at the name whispered by the orange-haired beside him; he was glad his roommate wasn¡¯t looking at him at that moment as he couldn¡¯t hide the shock from showing on his face. ¡®Karl¡­¡¯ He slowly turned and looked down at the ground. ¡®Karl¡­¡­¡¯ Unbeknownst to the two roommates, eyes were watching them sharply from above within a distance. Ellmer stood in the empty hallway at one of the windows. He stared at the two roommates with a firm face, narrowing his red eyes at Elois from behind. ¡°So I was right. You were the one behind Davante''s disappearance yesterday.¡± Ellmer turned calmly, despite the unexpected voice behind him. He smirked once he looked at the voice''s owner, sarcastically amused, ¡°Is it your hobby to spy on me, Javi Cavalon?¡± Javi tried to stay unbothered, though it was pretty obvious he was annoyed at the other''s smirk, and even more when he heard his full name from the other''s mouth, ¡°My cousin told me about your brothers. They¡¯re his new classmates¡­ they were the ones who kidnapped Davante, am I right?¡± Ellmer turned to fully face the other, hands in his pockets as he causally answered with a smile obviously fake, ¡°Yeah, but is that any of your business? I''m sure Davante didn''t ask for your help, or did he?¡± his eyes looking satisfied at the frown forming on the brown head¡¯s face. ¡°He''s my friend, and the cut on his neck seemed too deep to be mistaken for a mere scratch. I''m sure one of you three siblings tried to kill him, yet you want me to keep quiet and do nothing about it?¡± Ellmer''s smirk dropped for a second, and he seemed to glare darkly before returning to the provocative approach. He smirked coldly, ¡°That''s rich, coming from the most skilled murderer in Anfinrud''s organization in the past.¡± There was a glint of satisfaction in his eyes at the look of silent distraught from the long-haired young man before him. ¡°And ''friend''? Since when do you care for your friends? Weren''t you the one who ruined your best friend''s eye horribly and ran away?¡± the red-eyed guy tilted his head slightly to the side with a taunting smirk. ¡°So ''The deadly shadow'' is playing the hero now?¡±
The End of CH. 14 15. A Silent Warning ¡®I used to think I¡®m human¡­¡¯ ¡°It''s a game we''re not allowed to tell anyone about its rules. But¡­ can you save him for me, Davante?¡± The long-haired teen opened and closed his mouth, hesitating before he decided on an answer. ¡®But reality is different¡­ I am a monster¡­¡¯ ¡°I''m sorry¡­¡± ¡®Still, a human cannot be a hero for everyone. And a monster¡­¡¯ ¡°I''m only human¡­¡± ¡®A monster cannot help anyone.¡¯ ¡°I''m no hero¡­¡±
The Red Flower Chapter. 15
Javi stiffly looked down, ¡°Don''t talk like you know everything about me.¡± ¡°Haha,¡± Ellmer took deliberate steps and stood beside the glaring man, closing his eyes as he smiled in fake laughter, ¡°Weren''t you the one who started this ''I know it all'' game?¡± cold red eyes stared back at ocean blue ones, ¡°Do you feel like judging others now just because you''re nice to everyone? Faking kindness won''t get you anywhere. I believe you know that.¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Shut up¡­¡± said Javi with a clenched jaw. ¡°It must be easy for you to do whatever you want. You easily get everything you want after all, right, rich boy? People go out of their way to protect you, but do you care? You left everyone behind to start a new life full of lies,¡± Ellmer¡¯s smile grew wider and colder with each word thrown at the other¡¯s face. ¡°And you still have the guts to show your face to your cousin after what you did to his leg.¡± ¡°Oops¡ª¡± Ellmer easily dodged the expected coming blow to his side, ¡°Calm down,¡± Ellmer kneed the other¡¯s side forcefully and with ease, elbowing the back of Javi¡¯s head with a smirk, sending him face-first to the floor. He stood tall and towered over the fallen brown head, eyeing him in contempt, ¡°You really can''t do anything when you''re angry, huh?¡± The other remained silent and lay still on the floor. ¡°You also were sent to kill Davante Fixsen. Stop preaching about protecting your ''friend'', you hypocrite. Mind your own business if you want to go on with your pitiful life.¡± Ellmer turned around to leave; however, a hand grabbed his ankle and stopped him. Ellmer suppressed a sigh and carefully turned to look back at Javi; he widened his eyes at the sight of the other, alarmed at the empty face with burnt ashes-like black color without apparent eyes or any facial expression, alarmed at the dark shadow sprawled down on the floor. Ellmer was too late to react before he was forcefully pulled and sent to the floor. With a slight groan, he opened his eyes to find ''the deadly shadow'' hovering above him. ¡°YOU KNOW NOTHING. NOTHING.¡± Ellmer silently panicked at seeing the black hand slowly moving to where his heart resided. The shadow moved its face closer creepily to him and whispered in his chilling voice, ¡°N.O.T.H.I.N.G.¡± He winced at the increasing piercing pain he felt in his heart as the black fingers danced above the area. He was about to react quickly when suddenly he heard a thud and found the shadow lying unconscious beside him on the floor, slowly retreating back to the normal Javi. He pushed himself into a sitting position, and the pain instantly disappeared. He became aware of the additional person in the empty hallway, standing tall with his left hand raised slightly. Bewildered, Ellmer stared up at the sharp black eye looking down at him, ¡°Neron¡­ Anfinrud¡­?¡± Said person looked coldly at the other with a stoic face and said calmly, ¡°Don''t play with fire if you know its danger.¡± The purple-haired guy glanced at the unconscious Javi, looking at the face and necklace gradually regaining their original colors. ¡°Take care of him until he wakes up, then talk like adults,¡± he turned to leave but gave a side look to Ellmer, ¡°Next time, try to talk about a serious matter like this somewhere private. You¡¯re lucky no one but me heard your talk. Also¡ª¡± His eye hardened at the silent red-eyed person, ¡°I''m Neron Crawford.¡± He left, leaving Ellmer with Javi passed out on the floor. Ellmer sighed and looked at the other beside him, ¡°Yeah¡­ I was kinda stupid this time¡­¡± . . The quiet room at night was filled with low groans and whimpers as Davante kept tossing around in his sleep in a cold sweat. He finally opened his eyes blearily and noticed Yeolard standing beside his bed in the dark. He shot up from the bed. However, the moment he was fully awake¡­ there was no one. He forced himself to calm his breathing, ¡®Am I hallucinating now¡­?¡¯ He looked to Elois'' side of the room and found the other asleep with his back to him. He sat silently for a while until he heard a familiar tapping in a pattern sounding like a tune. He listened intently¡­ Tap¡­ Tap -Tap¡­ Tap¡­ Tap -Tap¡­ Tap¡ª He followed with his eyes the source of the sound toward the balcony. He slowly stood up and walked barefoot on the cold floor, then carefully opened the door¡­ ¡°Karl¡­¡± The woman greeted him with a gentle smile, leaning back on the railings with the distant night lights behind her back. ¡°Glad you still remember our sign, Davante.¡±
The End of CH. 15 16. Twisted Reality ¡°Bars¡­¡± ¡°Prison bars¡­¡± ¡°Be free¡­ or¡­¡± ¡°¡­hide behind them¡­¡± ¡°You''re free and doing fine. Move on already.¡± ¡°Hmmnn¡­?¡± Javi forced his eyes slowly open; the clear view behind the familiar prison bars gradually changed at the calm voice, reassuring with a hint of annoyance. He blinked the blurry picture away and caught sight of black and red¡­ ¡°Finally awake?¡±
The Red Flower Chapter. 16
Alarmed, Javi jumped so fast to sit on the bed, but he groaned in pain immediately and clutched his head, ¡°Ugh, ouch¡­ why¡­¡± he managed to send a glare to the person sitting casually on the desk before him, ¡°Why are you in the room with me?¡± Ellmer slightly raised an unimpressed eyebrow at him, ¡°It''s my room. I had to look after you until you woke up.¡± Javi scrunched his whole face at the other in disgust and disbelief. Ellmer suppressed a sigh at the dirty look thrown at him, ¡°I also hate your presence, so feelings mutual.¡± Wary and defensive on the bed, Javi stared at the other silently with a deep frown, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at the calm black-red head. He had many questions and was still bothered by what Ellmer said before they started foolishly fighting. The words rang loud in his head. ¡°I''m sorry¡­¡± Javi blinked, taken aback by the genuine apology from the cold person, the one he declared as the villain in his head. ¡°I shouldn''t have let my anger out on you like that¡­ after all¡­ you weren''t at fault for the fact I was bought just to be forced to guard a complete stranger,¡± said Ellmer, closing his eyes with a light sigh, resting his arm comfortably on the backrest of his chair. ¡°What are you talking about¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Javi was so confused that one could see question marks all around his face. Ellmer clicked his tongue after a long stare at the other¡¯s clueless face, closing his eyes in repressed annoyance, slumping down and resting his elbows on his knees, ¡°The fact that you have no idea about anything at all still pisses me off, though¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Ellmer leaned back again with a sigh and played with the back of his hair, ¡°Anyway, about Davante, I don''t want to kill him. Now that I''ve met him properly, I seriously want to protect him. I also want to ask him about some matters.¡± Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Javi intently eyed the other''s necklace, a long thin cuboid with five small balls hanging down and stuck together and tied to a choker, ¡°That necklace¡­ is your weapon, right? Why do you need to hide your neck?¡± he narrowed his eyes questionably at Ellmer¡¯s neck. Ellmer opened his eyes and stared silently, slightly bewildered at the thoughtless question; he remained calm nonetheless, ¡°I don''t think you forgot the organization''s punishments for anyone who disobeys?¡± Shocked, looking sorry for a quick second before he narrowed his eyes, still doubtful, ¡°If you really want to protect Davante¡­ then why did you kidnap him?¡± Brushing his hair back with a light sigh, ¡°I''m not really obliged to prove myself to you, but why would I want to kill my little brother?¡± Javi blinked, widening his eyes gradually as the words slowly sank in, ¡°No way! Then what about the two kids in Edmund''s Class? They''re your brothers, right?! Also! Davante''s last name¡ª¡± ¡°Long story, don''t ask.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Javi stopped flailing his arms and imagined with wide eyes the cute little cat that is Davante, beside the big devil that is Ellmer, together next to each other. He frowned at the horrifying picture and angrily gripped the blanket, ¡°Unacceptable!¡± ¡°Your opinion doesn''t matter.¡± Javi fell silent at the other¡¯s brutal words; he suddenly looked anxious and hesitated before asking, ¡°Why¡­ do you know so much about my past?¡± Crossing his arms, Ellmer calmly answered, ¡°It was my job to watch you 24/7, ''for his safety,'' was what the old man said.¡± ¡°Safety? Old man? What??¡± Javi felt that the more he learned from the guy, the more lost he was. Ellmer observed silently for a long minute, ¡°You should worry about yourself first. Owin is Elois'' little brother, and he''s in this academy. I have no idea how Elois would react if he knew about you.¡± He noticed how Javi froze in his place. A heavy silence filled the dimly lit room. He followed with his eyes when Javi slowly stood up and silently walked to the door. Before he could open the door, Ellmer interrupted, ¡°Hey, just an info and an advice for you,¡± he stared at the other¡¯s stiff back, ¡°Your friends weren''t the ones who killed your family, also¡­ don''t trust Edmund Cavalon.¡± Ellmer only stared at the door slowly closing. He calmly ran his hand through his hair, thinking this should be enough to make up for stupidly letting it out on the guy. . . ¡°How are you? Are you enjoying your time here? Emmie really misses you.¡± Karl said with eyes fond and playful, though the other''s face remained unbothered and tired. Davante stared silently, ¡°You didn''t really come here only to tell me this, right?¡± Karl''s smile remained as she calmly warned, ¡°You must stay away from Elois. You may have to consider him your enemy.¡± Davante frowned at her ever so slightly, ¡°Was that why you attacked him¡­? I can''t do that.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Karl¡¯s eyes softened fondly at the other, ¡°I can''t force you on anything, but I trust your decisions, Davante.¡± Davante turned his head to look at the rest of the academy, which looked like a whole city looking from the balcony, resting his cold hand on the railing, ¡°The game you told me about last year¡­ is it the same game I''m playing now with Emmie?¡± Karl silently tilted her head to look at the night sky above, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Karl¡­¡± Davante weakly called, not looking at the woman, ¡°Your brother whom you want me to save¡­ is Lucas, right?¡± Karl''s smile vanished, and she slowly lowered her head to look at the ground; no answer. ¡°Lucas and Baldrick are the same person, right?¡± Still no answer. Davante turned slowly to sternly look at her, ¡°Why would I save that kind of person, Karl?¡± he weakly clenched his hand at the thought of saving a heartless person, ¡°A man who enjoys the miseries of others is not worthy of my help, especially¡­¡± He slightly gritted his teeth, ¡®Alucia¡­ a smiley doll used by her own father¡­ she wasn''t allowed to feel anything at all¡­¡¯ He remembered her last words, smiling and crying while relaying her father¡¯s words to him, only allowed to breathe all day and undying just for that. He frowned painfully at the vivid memory, ¡®That was the first time I saw her tears¡­ she was hurting all the time but wasn''t allowed to say anything¡­¡¯ ¡°Saving someone isn''t always a good thing, Davante.¡± Davante was pulled from his thoughts by Karl¡¯s calm voice. She was still looking at the ground, her eyes hidden by her hair from the teen. ¡°Sometimes, you must kill that person just to save him, erase his existence.¡± Davante widened his eyes. He couldn''t describe what he felt by the woman''s cold words; he just felt a heavy weight on his shoulders, a weight he may not be able to handle¡­ She pointedly avoided his eyes, ¡°I can''t kill my brother. I can''t even tell you the reason. That¡¯s why¡­¡± She started walking calmly toward him, ¡°Be careful of everyone in this place, Davante,¡± she got close to him, leaned down, and whispered in his ear, ¡°Emmie hates this game more than anyone else. If she could, she would have taken you somewhere far away from everyone to keep you safe.¡± She closed her eyes with a soft smile as she started disappearing gradually with the smoke slowly surrounding her, ¡°I honestly hate to see you suspecting her while she misses you in the castle, so¡­ the best thing you could do for her is to trust her.¡± She left Davante alone with his thoughts. He stood silently for a while, feeling his head heavy after the small talk. Slowly, numbness slowly crawled all over his body. He felt so¡­ empty, oddly detached from the world and unmoving, so¡­ tired. It was so quiet in the academy that he got startled when someone landed on the veranda in front of him and so silently like a feather. He recognized the person immediately, ¡°J-Javi?¡± He was surprised by the look the other had on his stiff face. ¡°I was a member of Anfinrud''s organization, and my last mission was to kill Davante Fixsen¡­¡± said Javi in a low voice enough for the teen to hear. ¡°What¡­¡± Davante slightly widened his eyes, but more than anything, he honestly had no idea how to react. More than the shocking news, Javi¡¯s face troubled him more so. He took a hesitant step back when the other quickly walked toward him and grabbed his shoulders tightly; he felt Javi''s hands shaking badly on his shoulders. He looked up to be met with Javi¡¯s trembling eyes. Javi''s eyes looked so shaken and¡­ scared, unlike his usual self. ¡°Javi¡ª¡± ¡°I was the one who ruined Elois'' brother''s eye and¡ª And I don''t know what to think or do anymore¡ª¡± ¡°Calm down¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªAnd I''m sorry, I don''t really know what I''m doing or why I''m telling you all of this now! But I never planned to kill you!!¡± He weakly raised his hand in an attempt to calm the other, ¡°Wait, Javi¡ª calm down first¡ª¡± Davante caught something moving from the corner of his eye. When he tried to glance quickly, he widened his tired eyes. ¡®I¡­ am scared¡­ how can I protect two close friends from each other now¡­?¡¯ There, by the veranda door, stood a shocked Elois.
The End of CH. 16 17.1. Secrets of the Deadly Shadow ¡®There, in prison, was the only place where I could be human¡­¡¯ A worn-out kid stared with lifeless eyes at the distant light behind the prison bars. ¡®But was I really a human even in there¡­? I had no sense of time or anything. I had no idea if I was alive or dead¡­ I didn¡¯t know if I had a voice, never really heard my own voice back then¡­¡¯ He didn¡¯t try to move or struggle to free himself from the heavy chains around his wrists, ankles, and neck, like a tattered and dirty doll silenced and seated in the dark. ¡®Was I even treated as a human in that house¡­?¡¯
The Red Flower Chapter. 17
A fancy black car stopped in a dark corridor, away from snooping eyes; two men in black suits walked out and stood behind the trunk. ¡°Set it free,¡± one of the men still in the car ordered through the earpiece. The two immediately opened the trunk, revealing a cage in the dark, narrow space. One of the men bent down to be at eye level with the one inside the cage and raised a picture of some old man in an expensive suit. ¡°This is your target this time.¡± The other man silently pressed a button, and the cage door opened. The two men quickly stepped aside, and not even a second passed before a small body emerged from the cage and dashed to a gate of a fancy hotel and straight to the same old man in the picture. The kid that moved at the speed of light navigated the area with his inverted vision and quickly found the target before going straight and passing through the target¡¯s body. The said man was talking and laughing with a glass of wine to other wealthy people but suddenly froze in place and trembled; blood came from his mouth and nose before he fell on the floor with eyes wide open. Everyone in the hall fell silent at the loud crash of glass beside the fallen body and looked at the dead man on the floor; panic ensued in the room, but nobody saw the tiny shadow quickly retreating out of the hotel and back to the car, back in the small cage, just as taught. . . ¡°How was its performance in yesterday''s mission? Heard that it was easily accomplished,¡± Said Xenos, sitting leisurely in his big office with a relaxed smile. An old man dressed formerly underneath the lab coat smiled proudly, ¡°I would never recommend anything unprofessional to you, Mr. Xenos.¡± ¡°But I wonder why you have to hide it from me. I¡¯m really curious to see it now.¡± Xenos rested his cheek on his palm and smiled with his droopy eyes looking straight at the other, making him look intimidating to the old man standing before him. The old man stood straight still, looking slightly down and away from Xenos¡¯ eyes as if ashamed, frowning with no apparent smile. ¡°It¡¯s still violent and wild outside its cage. I wouldn¡¯t say I like to put you in danger to such a threatening animal, sir. I¡¯ll make sure to tame it properly so you can see it in its best behavior,¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Xenos slightly tilted his head to the side with a pout, not entirely convinced. He smiled a little later. ¡°Well, as long as it does its work properly, then all¡¯s good for now.¡± he shot a look at the other with a smirk. ¡°But I¡¯d like to see it soon, Henrik.¡± The old man, Henrik, sharply stared at his boss before he lowered his head courteously. ¡°Of course, Mr. Xenos.¡± . . In the Cavalons¡¯ mansion, a kid sat quietly behind bars in the dark, staring blindly at nothing, eyes so dead and unfocused. He was only looking at the bars because it was the only thing in front of him as if he was trained to look in front and nowhere else. He couldn¡¯t even move even if he wanted to; he was chained to the cold wall behind him and far from the bars. The only source of light passing between the bars in the quiet basement never reached his feet. He didn''t bother to push the hair strands away from his eyes, too tired to blow them away with his breath. He twitched when the sudden voice of steps was heard and echoed in the basement. He realized the voices and vaguely knew what was coming but wasn¡¯t at the same time; his head was locked in an endless void. He just sat quietly, waiting for them as usual. Guards stopped before the bars and walked silently toward him while holding a weird helmet. He knew he had seen that helmet somewhere before but had no idea where or what for; it was as if his memory wasn¡¯t even his to begin with, nothing made sense to him, but everything was familiar for some reason. One of them sat on one knee and put the helmet on the kid¡¯s head, ignoring how the kid stiffened and silently scared. And with a press of the button, the kid jolted hard and then went limp right away. They removed the helmet and silently left the kid alone, passed out in the dark. . . ¡°Hmmm¡­ it seems this time also, the target is from a wealthy family. I wonder what¡¯s his purpose, can¡¯t be a coincidence at this point,¡± said a good-looking man with short brown hair and sharp ocean-blue eyes. He sighed and leaned back in the comfy office chair, looking at the tablet on the desk before him. ¡°Nothing important with this data¡­¡± The other one, a man with beige-short hair and khaki eyes, nodded. ¡°Henrik contacted me. Xenos has plans to meet your son face-to-face. I think he is suspicious and wants to know Javi¡¯s whereabouts.¡± The kid¡¯s father stared at the man sitting before him, resting his head elegantly on his fingers. ¡°We can¡¯t let that man know about us getting a spy into his company to meddle with his plans¡­ we have to do something about Javi soon, something that makes him control the shadow even out in the light.¡± The other man in the white suit smirked, ¡°Armand made something that could help, but we must approach him carefully. He will only be a child once we use it on him, a child with feelings and senses.¡± . . Javi twitched and opened his eyes once he heard footsteps again in the corridor. Guards stopped before him; they silently removed the chains from him and dragged him to the cage outside the prison. ¡°You¡¯ve got a new mission.¡± He turned into the shadow once he was outside under the light and started struggling and growling violently, they pushed him immediately inside the cage, and he started thrashing and kicking the bars inside, baring his teeth at them. One of the guards pulled a remote control from his pocket and pressed a button; the cage suddenly released high electricity and electrified the kid. Javi went limp the next second, and they pulled the cage to a car like they hadn¡¯t just tortured a child. . . Javi opened his eyes tiredly again to find himself back and tied in the prison. What happened? He had no idea, he couldn''t remember anything, and it felt so painful to try to remember. He was so drained; his body was so worn out and numb. He only stared silently at the bars as usual. Footsteps, he twitched in his place. He was scared but couldn''t move, too tired, and a voice in his head told him it was useless to try and run away from what was coming. They put the helmet on his head, a jolt, then back to darkness. He opened his eyes yet again to feel the same, if not worse. The kind of exhaustion where he feels like crying, whining, anything, but nothing comes out, forced to go through the same cycle and accept it as it is. His soul begged to be let out of its body, to be freed from this nightmare. "Tired, huh?" He was silently startled by the sudden voice beside him. He looked to his left by the side of his eye. A man with round shades was sitting beside him, relaxed as if he wasn''t in prison with the neglected doll, smiling leisurely. "Aren''t you bored in here?" he asked the little boy, who didn''t understand and felt too tired even to try to understand. "I''m sure the life behind those bars won''t let you get bored," the man pointed his finger to the bars. "Don''t you want to be free?" Javi remained silent. "Good news, kid, you''re going to be free soon. But¡­" the man tilted his head, looking playfully at the kid, "Let me know later if you liked the outside world or¡­ preferred to stay dead in this small prison~" "Hey!" Javi blinked at the voice of a child; the man disappeared in the blink of an eye as if he wasn''t even there¡­ Outside bars stood a child with fancy clothes, smiling excitedly at him. The boy opened the door and hopped to sit before Javi. "I''m Edmund! Your cousin!! You can leave this sad place and play with me from now on if you have this!" Edmund showed a long blue necklace to the other. He then showed another necklace around his own neck that was similar to the one he was holding. "I have one too, so I can play outside! You also want to play, right?!" he didn''t wait for an answer and put the necklace around Javi''s neck, causing the haggard kid to flinch and close his eyes in reflex at the sudden approach. The hyper child smiled wide at the other, "Now we can play together every day!!" Javi was so lost and unable to keep up with the child smaller than him¡­ Edmund happily set him free from the chains by pressing with his tiny finger on the button at the wall beside Javi¡¯s head. Javi slowly took the blue necklace, which looked like a drop of water, staring at it in wonder in his two tiny hands. ¡°Let¡¯s go!!¡± Edmund grabbed his arm and happily ran out of the prison, unbothered by the stunned Javi, who stepped outside for the first time without the guards and wasn¡¯t turning to the shadow; he couldn''t describe what he felt as he let himself be dragged by the younger boy. . . Javi stood still in his place, too lost, confused, and maybe scared to move further into the colorful room. The place was full of toys and bright colors; it was a place he wasn''t familiar with. Edmund went to a box in the corner and threw all his toys to the floor, which startled the other kid. "Hehe~" Edmund ran to Javi and pulled him into the room, pushing the stunned kid to sit obediently on the floor beside the pile of toys before running to sit on the other side. "Let''s play!! I''ve always wanted to play with you! It was so boring to play alone all this time!" the kid pouted childishly. One of the toys caught the brown head¡¯s eye, a cute doll of a black cat and a small black hat with a blue ribbon on top. He stared at it with wide, wondering eyes, bringing his hand hesitantly and slowly to poke its ear. His eyes brightened at the feel of the soft, fluffy toy. ¡°OH! You like Mr. Black?!¡± Edmund smiled broadly and took hold of the plushie with his two tiny hands, ¡°Here! You can play with him!!¡± he happily offered the toy to Javi, who silently stared at it before carefully taking it from the other¡¯s hands, admiring it. The door handle moved, and a man with beige hair walked in with a smile. ¡°Dad!!¡± Edmund instantly jumped and ran happily to his father, who lowered himself to welcome the coming hug of his tiny son. His father patted the son on his head and smiled. "Were you having fun with Javi?" Edmund nodded cheerfully. "Yes!! But¡­ he never talks¡­" he loudly complained as if the kid wasn¡¯t in the same room and listening. The father looked at his son with a gentle smile, "He just needs some time to get comfortable outside his boring room, just a little more, and he''ll be happy with us. Because we''re all a big happy family, right?" turning to Javi with a smile, making the kid flinch from it in fear and scooted back despite the man not moving, the black cat completely forgotten and left on the floor. The man silently stared coldly at the trembling kid with terrified eyes. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. There was a quiet knock on the door behind the man and his son. The father turned to glare behind his back, the smile no longer there. A young man in his twenties stood respectfully, wearing glasses over his yellow-honey eyes, tan skin, and black hair. He stood with a stoic face by the door. "Pardon me. I¡¯m here to pick up the young master." Edmund''s father stood up and smirked at the butler. "Armand, take good care of our precious son. You know more than anyone else how important he is to us." The butler nodded. "Of course, sir." He silently passed by the father and to the little kid in the corner, and his eyes softened when the kid looked up at him. He calmly went down on his knees before the confused kid. He smiled warmly and opened his hands to the kid. "Time to go, young master." Javi silently stared at the welcoming hands of the other and hesitantly stood up and moved slowly toward the butler, looking unsure of what to do. Armand smiled fondly and gently hugged the tiny body safe to his side. He stood up with a smile, securely resting the kid¡¯s head on his broad chest before turning around to leave, making sure to hide his smile from the father and his son as he walked out of the room. . . Armand opened the door to Javi''s new room; there was only a double-sized bed and the minimum necessities; it didn''t look like a child¡¯s room. He smiled down at Javi and took him to the bathroom to shower the boy, cleaning him properly and carefully. He then made the boy sit on a chair before a tall mirror in the bathroom and started cutting and styling the boy''s messy hair. Once finished, he wrapped the little body with a fluffy robe, carried him again in one hand, walked to the bed and put the little boy on it; he changed him into his pajamas; Javi didn''t utter a single word and only remained silent the whole while as the butler finished changing him to his new clothes. Armand smiled fondly at the wide-eyed child. "Time to sleep, young master." Javi blinked and stretched his hands out, waiting for something. Armand was confused at first but widened his eyes when he noticed the tiny hands were trembling slightly. The butler felt horribly hurt and furious; he quickly controlled his facial expressions as he gently hugged the boy back to his chest. "No, you don''t need to be chained anymore. Never." he patted the child¡¯s head comfortably until the boy with glistening eyes stopped trembling; he then made Javi lay down on the comfy bed and under the warm blanket before switching off the table lamp. He sat on the bed beside the boy and smiled warmly at the innocent eyes of his young master. "I''ll be here. You can rest now, young master." he kept his hand on the pillow beside Javi¡¯s head. The kid slowly moved his hands from under the blanket and held the man¡¯s big hand, basking in its warmth and staring at it in silence. The tired child¡¯s eyes slowly closed, and about to sleep in peace for the first time after a nightmare that felt never-ending. ¡°¡­¨¢nk¡­ y- ou¡­¡± That was my first time hearing my own voice¡­ My first words to the man who raised me¡­ My one and only family, Armand¡­ . . "I missed you, my son." Javi trembled and stood still, face down and unable to look his own father in the eyes. The man went down to be at eye level with his son. "I¡¯m sorry I''ve left you alone for so long¡­" the man furrowed his eyebrows sadly; he slowly took his son''s tiny hand and smiled softly. "But I brought you a present," he put something heavy in his son¡¯s trembling hands. "Your first toy, you like it?" Javi only trembled more, eyes widening at the foreign thing in his hands. The man didn''t seem pleased by the reaction and brushed back the kid¡¯s styled hair with both hands; Javi gasped as he could feel a little bit of force in his father''s hold when he forced his head up to look at him. "Say something, son." Javi opened his mouth; trembling lips tried to utter something. "Try ''Yes, father¡¯. You can do it, right?" though his father was smiling, his eyes were threatening. Javi quickly forced his weak voice out. "Y-y-y¡­ yess¡­ yes¡­ fa¡­ th¡­ fa-ther¡­" His father smiled with satisfaction and let go of the kid''s head to pat his head fondly. "Good boy, easy, right? Use your toy properly, and I''ll reward you later." Standing guard by the closed door, Armand forced his eyes closed, trying hard to hold back the frown from showing as he witnessed the whole scene, fist clenched behind his back. Javi''s hands trembled while holding the gun, hugging it to his tiny chest, thinking that would please his smiling father. . . ¡°A¡¯mmand¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± The butler snapped out of his thoughts and turned to look down with a warm smile, finding the tiny young master looking down with a look that didn¡¯t fit a child his age and with the big gun in his small hands. ¡°Father¡­ hate me¡­?¡± Armand looked sadly at the boy before going down on one knee, smiling back as he comforted the poor child, ¡°No, he and your mother loved you so much. But¡­ your father is stressed because of your mother¡¯s absence¡­ let¡¯s wait for him to be just fine again.¡± ¡°Mo- ther?¡± Javi looked innocently at the butler, who looked sullen. ¡°She¡­¡± he moved his hand to pat the young master, only to hesitate and stop midway. Javi blinked up at him, eyes wide and confused. He smiled at the pure child and gently patted his head, ¡°She told me to make you the strongest man ever! So she will be happy forever!¡± he smiled playfully at the adorably confused face. He slowly took his glasses off and let them hang by the neck, taking the gun from the tiny hands, ¡°Strong¡­ so you¡¯ll be able to deter all kinds of poisonous people.¡± Looking at the weapon coldly, ¡°You should never be an easy target in this house or the outside world¡­ even if you have to hold a gun in your tiny innocent hands, I will¡­¡± staring fiercely at the gun, ¡°Make sure to keep you safe till the end. Even if I left this world.¡± His words remained a mystery to the blinking young master¡­ . . Gunshots were heard in the quiet white training hall, each bullet hitting the target perfectly. Javi''s hands trembled with the big gun in his hands, panting and sweating as he looked down in fatigue. He looked up when more long androids popped up around him. He reminded himself of what Armand had instructed him before entering the hall. ¡°Young master, I have no idea how they will test your abilities, but remember what I taught you.¡± The butler held the necklace around the kid¡¯s neck, looking at the young master with serious eyes, ¡°Think of getting out of there alive no matter what by using your gun and the shadow.¡± The young master immediately turned into the shadow, pointing the gun forward, ¡°Seven.¡± He swiftly shot the seven androids within seconds. He slumped a little once he turned back to normal, huffing and panting even more than seconds ago, face so pale and drained. The brown-haired father sitting behind the glass and in the observation room stared intently at his son. ¡°Woaah!! Just like a ghost!!¡± Edmund threw his hands up in excitement, turning to his smiling father with a broad smile, ¡°Right, dad?!¡± ¡°150 androids in 2 hours, not bad.¡± The father in the white suit smirked, glancing at the stoic butler behind the father in a red suit, ¡°As expected from Armand¡¯s student.¡± Said butler wasn¡¯t listening to anything as he frowned a little at the trembling legs of his young master, barely standing up. ¡°Dad!¡± the joyful child pulled lightly at his father¡¯s white suit to gain his attention; he pointed toward the glass and at the panting kid in the training hall, ¡°I want to see more!!¡± Armand frowned at the child; he firmly looked at the smiling father, ¡°Excuse me, the young master is at his limits, any more than this and¡­¡± ¡°But everyone says he¡¯s good and perfect, so¡­¡± the child stared wide-eyed at the frowning butler, ¡°I want to see more.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? If he can destroy 150, surely he can destroy more, can¡¯t he?¡± Armand stared hard back at the smirking father, tightening his hold around the hidden gun by his side. ¡°No, we¡¯ll stop here. He has a mission from Xenos tomorrow.¡± Everyone fell silent and turned at the stern voice of Javi¡¯s father, who turned around in his seat to look at the butler with a satisfied smile, ¡°You trained him well in two months, Armand. Good job.¡± The stoic butler looked slightly troubled for a second before turning his head to the side, giving a silent nod to the young master¡¯s father and ignoring the scornful eyes the other father threw at him. . . At night, his first mission in a human form came for the first time. He stood still, far from the target, guards behind him waiting for him to shoot. With hesitant hands, he raised the gun to point it at the target sitting on the ground in a dark alleyway and looking drunk. It was an easy mission, one hit on a stilled figure. He pulled the trigger as ordered, and a flying bullet went straight to the man''s heart¡­ and died. Blood, he saw blood coming out from the man¡­ the figures in the training hall didn''t have that red liquid, he thought. He lowered his gun with trembling hands, looking at the bloody sight in fear. Yes, he didn''t know the man was dead; that was his first time killing someone while being conscious; he was aware and wide awake. However, he couldn''t help but feel he had done something horrible. The gun fell to the ground, and he started trembling badly and sweating; tears filled his eyes. He wasn''t aware that his body was slowly turning black until he looked down at his hands; the shadow was about to take over him. Guards hurriedly ran to him and yanked his arm to pull him back into the cage. Suddenly a strong hand slapped all the hands away from the tiny boy and pulled Javi into a tight hug. Armand glared fiercely at the guards with cold, furious eyes while hugging his young master securely by his side. "Is that any way to treat a child?! Did I permit you to touch him?!!" he coldly looked at the cage in the car by the side of his eye. ¡°Also, never bring that hideous thing ever again.¡± The guards flinched at the tone and lowered their heads down. "All of you wait in the car." ¡°Yes, sir.¡± All guards nodded and immediately went to the car, leaving the butler and his young master alone. Armand hugged Javi as he sat on his knees on the floor, gently patting the kid¡¯s head as he softly whispered, ¡°I''m sorry, young master¡­ it''s alright. Everything¡¯s good now. You¡¯re alright¡­¡± The young master¡¯s hand clutched at the butler¡¯s suit, looking down with tears refusing to fall down his cheeks, feeling safe close to the man. ¡°Forget about what happened¡­ tomorrow I''ll take you somewhere beautiful. I¡¯m sure you''ll like it. You¡¯ll be so happy." Javi sniffled and looked up at Armand with wide blue teary eyes. "Happy?" Armand smiled warmly and ruffled the little boy''s hair. "Yes, you''re going to see something veeeeery big and blue!¡± he lightly pinched the kid¡¯s cheek, looking at him with eyes full of kindness and fondness, ¡°So blue, just like your eyes and your necklace¡­ it¡¯s so beautiful." Javi widened his eyes innocently before wiping his tears with his tiny fists. Armand chuckled and stood up with Javi still in his arms. "Let''s go back and sleep, so we can wake up early tomorrow to have fun." Javi nodded and hugged the other tightly with eyes closed. "Y-yess!" . . The next day they woke up early as promised; Armand dressed Javi appropriately and took him to the car, just the two of them. Armand stopped the car after the short ride and stepped outside, opening the door with a smile for the giddy kid. Javi stood still, eyes wide and sparkling, admiring the vast sea¡­ Armand smiled affectionately and bent down. "Young master, go ahead. Play to your heart''s content." Javi turned to look at his butler with wide eyes. Armand chuckled and patted his head. "I''ll be waiting here for you." Javi nodded, then slowly and carefully walked to the sea; he stopped and glanced back at Armand, who nodded with a smile. Javi went down the stairs and to the sand, slowly closing the distance until he reached the moving water, looking silently as he was still entranced by the beautiful blue. He lowered himself down, careful not to dirty the expensive suit that the butler dressed him in; he slowly brought his hands to touch the cool water, smiling at the ticklish feeling. "Are you new here?" He turned to the side to find two boys about the same age looking curiously at him, one with black hair, the other with reddish-orange hair. The black-haired one moved closer to him and narrowed his eyes. "But I''ve never seen you in the orphanage, plus you¡¯re wearing a suit¡­ are you rich?" Troubled and nervous, Javi turned to look at the smiling butler sitting on the stairs not too far. ¡°Hey,¡± Javi flinched and turned back to the raven head, who moved close with a frown, ¡°Can¡¯t you talk or something?¡± he gasped loudly, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re mute?!¡± ¡°Stop it. You¡¯re scaring him, Bren.¡± The orange head lightly pushed the other with a sigh, sitting before the silent boy with a friendly smile. ¡°But I¡¯ve never seen him around here before¡­ maybe he¡¯s a new orphan.¡± The black-haired kid pointed at the confused young master, who sat obediently with a straight back, forgetting about his clothes getting dirty. ¡°Hello, my name¡¯s Owin. What¡¯s yours?¡± the smiling kid, Owin, asked gently like he was talking to a child younger than him. ¡°J-Javi¡­¡± came the weak answer. ¡°Oh, he talks?!¡± Bren asked curiously. ¡°Yes¡­¡± Owin threw a look at his friend for a second before smiling back at Javi, ¡°You see, usually only Bren and I walk around this beach, so we were surprised to find someone else playing around here.¡± Pointing to the side with his thumb, ¡°That guy over there often comes here. He sometimes gives us yummy food and presents for no reason. Is he your father or something?¡± Javi stiffened and nervously looked down at his hands, ¡°A-Armand¡­ he¡­ m-my¡­ family?¡± ¡°Wait, why do you talk like that? Kinda cute¡ª¡± ¡°Seriously, stop.¡± Owin smiled again once he dragged his blunt friend back to his side and away from the nervous young master. ¡°As I said, I¡¯m Owin, and this is Bren. We are orphans, which means we don¡¯t have families. So we live in an orphanage.¡± He pointed at a cottage in the small forest on a distant hill. ¡°That¡¯s the orphanage, the only house around this area.¡± Bren frowned at his friend, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t he know what orphans mean?¡± Owin sighed, ¡°He looks like he doesn¡¯t know¡­¡± Both stared at the silent boy as he stared long at the orphanage; his eyes looked empty for a second as he mumbled, ¡°Bad house¡­¡± The two friends stared long at the young master, then at each other, ¡°Bad house? How does he know?¡± wondered Bren, ¡°Maybe because he¡¯s too pure?¡± Owin asked, ¡°Huh?¡± Bren looked at his friend like he had said something ridiculous, ¡°Pure kids can distinguish between good and bad people. Same goes for places, I guess¡­¡± Owin reasoned. Bren blinked blankly at his friend, ¡°¡­what are we talking about?¡± All three stayed silent for a long moment. Owin grabbed Javi¡¯s leg suddenly with a wide grin, ¡°Anyways! Let¡¯s play, Javi!!¡± he proceeded to take off the boy¡¯s shoes and socks, ¡°You never tried to put your feet in the ocean water, right?¡± ¡°Ah! No- I ¡­¡± ¡°Thought so~ alright, we¡¯ll go together!¡± ¡°What¡ª¡± Bren stared at his friend assaulting the boy like he wasn¡¯t the one who warned him of scaring the boy a minute ago; he still laughed at the scene as Javi was forced up on his feet, looking troubled while Owin folded the fancy cuffs up to his knees. Bren threw his sandals and jumped to his feet, pushing the troubled kid from the back, ¡°We¡¯re going first!¡± he announced to his friend, who took his own shoes off and rolled his clothes up as well. Both friends ignored the weak, troubled attempts of the young master to stop what they were about to do. Splash¡ª The young master stilled at the feel of his feet underwater, the waves pushing gently at his legs; he didn¡¯t know why his view blurred in tears. The ocean¡­ wasn¡¯t just salty water to me¡­ at that moment, I felt cool water washing away all the horrible things within me¡­ And I felt like crying for no reason¡­ ¡°Hey,¡± He turned to look behind at the smiling friends, ¡°Feels good, right?¡± Bren asked. The young master stared silently, gradually smiling into a wide, innocent smile. ¡°See? So pure¡­¡± Owin said as he smiled fondly at the boy before him, ¡°Wanna slap him.¡± Bren said all too suddenly, yet his tone felt anything but serious. Just like a normal child, I forgot everything bad and began thinking¡­ ¡°I like my life. My life is good!¡± Reality is different. I wasn¡¯t supposed to be a normal child¡­ . . ¡°Oooh~ So this is it!¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The man cooed at the frightened and still child, ¡°So small. What¡¯s your name~?¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t have one yet, sir.¡± ¡°Huh? Why?? Nice to meet you at last, little buddy~¡± Javi trembled in his place, looking up at the smiling man who stretched his hand to pat him. As the cold hand touched his hair, he slapped it away on impulse. He got an immediate punch to the face, sending him to the wall. He fell down with a weak groan in pain. He trembled yet tried to remain still when a rough hand pulled him from the floor by his hair, "I¡¯m sorry, sir! It seems he still needs to be tamed!" Xenos laughed lightly while rubbing his hand that was just slapped. "Calm down, Henrik. The poor kid was just so nervous. No need to be harsh," he walked toward them and went down to Javi¡¯s level with a cold smile. "But don''t do that again, okay? Maybe we should meet another time, little shadow~" Outside the company and in a secret corridor, Henrik threw Javi violently at Armand, who caught the kid directly without letting out any sign of emotion to the old man. "Teach it how to behave next time. It was about to expose us all. And make sure it completes tonight''s missions. Now, leave." Armand silently stared at the retreating man and tightened his hold around Javi, who trembled and hid his face in Armand''s chest the moment he was thrown at him. Once the old man left, Armand leaned a little to look at the young master¡¯s face. He wiped the tears away from the scrunched face of the young master, who tried hard to prevent the tears from falling, rubbing his closed eyes roughly, "Don''t worry, everything''s going to be¡­ alright, I''m sorry¡­ young master." I Had no idea why they treated me the way they did¡­ I had no idea why Armand would apologize each time I got hurt¡­ I just believed his words. ¡°Everything will be alright.¡± I easily believed those comforting words. It worked every time, and it calmed me down almost immediately¡­ Then at night, I kill people I don¡¯t even know¡­ Then panic and cry¡­ Then again, I forget everything and play on the beach in the morning¡­ ¡°Everything will be alright.¡± But soon, I came to notice¡­ His hands stopped playing with the sand, silently turning them to look at his palms, the bickering of Owin and Bren growing distant to the background when he felt he was suddenly in a pool of blood as he thought. ¡®These hands¡­ are anything but innocent or pure.¡¯ ¡°Everything will be alright.¡± And eventually, I started to regard them as nothing but empty words. Going along with the constant missions and welcoming the numbness into my bones after every single kill.
The End of CH. 17.1 17.2. Secrets of the Deadly Shadow
The Red Flower Chapter. 17
Three years later¡ª Javi coldly shot the target with practiced hands and precision. He distantly stared from above at the panicked crowd. Silently taking a deep breath to calm his nerves despite his stoic, cold face. A sudden call came from Armand, and he answered immediately, "Yes?" -Young master, Xenos¡­ he''d like to meet you today. Javi remained silent for a moment. "Alright," he hung up and looked silently at the ground with dead eyes. He raised his head and started walking. "Long time no see~ You really grew up fast, little shadow," Xenos teased with a relaxed smile. Javi stood with hands behind his back; he only looked at the floor and nothing else; he remained silent. "You''ve been doing great up until now. Honestly, you''re the best tool in our organization, which is why I''d like to know¡­" Javi held his breath. "I''ve heard. Lately, you''ve been missing your targets and failing your missions. The targets were left injured rather than dead. You got any explanation?" Javi managed to stay calm while looking at the floor; he slowly closed his eyes and lowered his head. "I''m deeply sorry, sir. I was just exhausted from the many missions given to me this time. It won''t happen again." Xenos chuckled. "What, so you were just tired? You should have said so, I''ll give you a break for one week, and I expect you to come back fully refreshed for your missions." Javi nodded. "Thank you, sir." . . At the Cavalons¡¯ mansion, he sat on a chair and a helmet on his head. He closed his eyes and waited for what was to come. ''So ridiculous¡­ everything is just¡­'' With a jolt, he passed out. ''Ridiculous¡­'' . . The next day he was about to leave when suddenly Edmund poked his back playfully. Javi turned slowly to look at him. "Going to the beach?" the cousin asked curiously with wide, round eyes. "Yes, are you coming?" he didn¡¯t really care, but it was for the better to humor his cousin a little bit; he learned with time. "Nope, got things to do, must be lucky to have a break from all the missions, huh? Why can''t I have some as well? Not fair~" Edmund pouted as childishly as ever, not looking like someone going for missions at all; he questioned how the boy could be happy with a job as a killing machine. Javi remained silent, then turned to leave. He really had nothing to say, and that was enough to satisfy the boy for today. ''What''s so good of a useless break when we know we''re going back to kill random people?'' "Javi, are you okay? You look even more tired this time¡­" Owin asked, his face contorted in worry. Sitting beside Javi, both sitting in front of the ocean, the waves were strong and still so relaxing to watch. Bren was laid down next to Owin while closing his eyes though he was awake. Javi remained silent while looking at the ocean. He didn''t want to ignore them, but what could he say, really? Owin only smiled and looked at the ocean as well. "You know, you always remind me of my big brother for some reason¡­" Javi turned to the other with a surprised look, "Your brother¡­?" Owin nodded with a small smile. "I never told you¡­ actually, I didn''t lose my family." Javi widened his eyes but remained silent. "Bren and I were forcefully brought to that orphanage, but we can''t accept to live there¡­ because¡­ it is under the one company behind what happened to our families¡­" "Yeah, those Anfinrud bastards,¡± said Bren as he pushed himself up and sat with an irritated look, ¡°I kinda feel like they don''t have any goal in any of this but do it for fun. What are we? Candies to choose what to eat from time to time?" Bren kept complaining, not bothering the grim look on their rich friend¡¯s face the more he listened, as it was an expected reaction. Owin laughed at the black-haired and slapped his shoulder lightly. "That sounds kinda weird stop it¡­" Javi was silent, frozen. ¡°I¡­¡± he hated the fear of exposing himself to them; he hated how cowardly he was. The sound of the ocean was no longer relaxing to him¡­ The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "So, Javi! Maybe you''re facing a problem now, but once we get out of this place, we''ll be sure to help you somehow!" Owin smiled, and Bren gave a confident peace sign, agreeing with his friend. Javi nodded slowly; he then turned his head to look at the waves coming and retreating each time; he was tired, so tired. "¡­Thank¡­ you." ''What should I say¡­?'' ''What face should I show you two¡­?'' ''As long as I keep my secrets to myself¡­ we can still be friends¡­ right?'' ''So¡­ I¡­ I¡­'' Javi shot his target and missed it again. He stared from above at the wounded target and all the commotion down, ¡°It''s enough to send them to the hospital. It¡¯s up to the doctors if they can save them or not.¡± Turning away with empty eyes, ¡®Like this¡­ I can forgive myself¡­ just a little.'' "Hmmm, weird¡­ I believe one week was more than enough to refresh your mind and body from exhaustion but still no good." Javi stood like stone at the sudden familiar voice of none other than Xenos behind him and so close, sounding as casual as usual. His wide eyes fixed on the floor as all his being started sweating in fear. "My eyes wouldn''t lie to me, however. That wasn''t a mere coincidence, yeah?" Javi trembled; he couldn¡¯t calm himself down. ''If only¡­ for a little longer¡­'' The man looked down at the trembling and stoned kid with a cold smile, "Don''t you think you''re spending more time with your friends lately?" Javi chanced a glance at the man¡¯s eyes¡­ ''No¡­'' "I¡­" "Hmmm?" Xenos tilted his head with a smile, waiting patiently with his finger lazily resting on his cheek. Javi lowered his head and tightened his hold around the gun. "I''ll accomplish all my missions perfectly for you¡­ but¡­" "You want a reward?" Xenos raised his eyebrow. "Set them free¡­ just those two¡­ I won''t see them ever again, so¡­" Xenos hummed, tilting his head back as if thinking of the deal, "Alright!¡± he cheerfully announced, turning around to leave; he raised his index finger with his droopy eyes and looked back at the kid, ¡°No more failures, understood?" Javi stood straight. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± He stood alone in silence, with the cool breeze circling around him as if mocking his situation. ''I''ve¡­ enjoyed my time with them more than enough.'' . . Javi stood still, not bothering his suit getting wet from the water as he stared at the waves. Staring at the vast blue, it no longer felt relaxing. He tilted his head to the blue sky, finding it oddly¡­ gray. He could hear footsteps. ''Owin would call my name happily¡­'' "Javi!" Owin called happily, as expected. ''Bren would teas me as usual¡­'' "Pfft, what¡¯s with the dramatic pose?" Bren teased, as expected. Javi closed his eyes for a moment and opened them again, turned around with cold eyes, pulled out his gun, and pointed it at them. They stilled in their place not far from him. "Javi¡­?" Owin cautiously called for the other, who looked so foreign to them. "They call me the deadly shadow in Anfinrud organization," he said, his voice and face void of emotions. ¡°H-Hey¡­¡± even the noncaring and undeterred raven head looked nervous and unsure as he smiled at the rich friend, ¡°Stop jo¡ª¡± A bullet shot out, passing between them and straight to the sand behind them, silencing them instantly. Javi pulled back his gun with cold eyes. He slowly turned and left them alone as they eyed his retreating back in complete silence. The last memory of his two friends was of Owin¡¯s disappointed eyes and Bren¡¯s cautious eyes as he stopped the other from approaching their friend¡­ hurt so bad. It hurt. It hurt until he was numb. ''So stupid¡­'' ''Me and this whole situation¡­ so stupid.'' He couldn¡¯t recall the rest of his way back home, and he could care less. He changed into his pajamas and slumped on his back on the big bed, looking silently at the ceiling. Two knocks disrupted the numbing silence; the young master didn¡¯t bother to answer. The person behind the door opened it and walked into the room, looking worried. ¡°Young master¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re here to ask about that buzzy helmet, they already examined the data from my memory today.¡± He blankly said, not bothering to move or look at the butler. The butler looked even more concerned with how lifeless the kid looked and sounded, today more than ever before, ¡°Are you alright? Do you need painkillers¡­?¡± Javi thought a bit, ¡°I think they made me take some while asleep¡­ my father said they¡¯re examining parts of my memories to get to defeat Anfinrud organization¡­ is that even true?¡± his butler wasn¡¯t bothered by the sudden change of topic as he answered as formal as ever, ¡°I¡¯m not allowed to know more about your family¡¯s plans in detail. I¡¯m only here to take care of you, young master.¡± He rested the back of his hand on his closed eyes as he smiled a little, ¡°Take care of me or tame me? Because I¡¯m a wild animal?¡± The butler frowned, ¡°That¡ª!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you call me by my name, Armand?¡± The butler stood still and stared at the young master, who slowly pushed himself up and fixed his eyes on the stoic man, ¡°Try calling me by my name¡­?¡± After a long moment, the butler called, ¡°Young master Javi.¡± Javi stared in silence at the man before looking down at the bed in evident disappointment, ¡°mm¡­¡± he hesitated, ¡°Can you¡­¡± he slowly patted the space beside him, ¡°¡­can you stay with me?¡± he continued when the other blinked, looking confused, ¡°Let¡¯s talk¡­ let¡¯s talk about anything¡­¡± he was assured when the man listened to his request and walked silently to sit beside him on the bed, removing his glasses with a smile as he asked, ¡°Did you go to the beach this morning?¡± the butler¡¯s smile dropped at the heavy silence he was met with. The young master kept staring down at the black blanket, ¡°There is no need to go there anymore¡­¡± he slowly turned to look at the worried butler, ¡°You never talk about yourself, Armand¡­¡± Armand looked taken aback by the demand; he smiled wide and put his hand proudly on his chest, ¡°Well, I¡¯m just an ordinary guy working for his precious young master!¡± he chuckled at the frowning face of his young master, ¡°Alright, alright.¡± He turned to look ahead with a nostalgic smile, ¡°I had a sister. Our parents died when we were still little kids¡­ we lived in the streets for weeks until we met Ral Cavalon, your father¡­¡± Armand looked rather fond of the memory of his father, Javi thought. ¡°We started to work for him in exchange for a place to live here. My sister soon became the most reliable maid in this house, and I became the leader of the security guards in the secret mafia branches under the Cavalon family.¡± He looked down with an unreadable expression, ¡°The Cavalons controlled some mafia groups in the past, but not anymore¡­ when your father became the new boss of the family, he changed everything and started a normal company. The rest of the family never agreed with him. However, they still kept quiet and did as told. And thus, he collaborated with Anfinrud company to work on projects together, but things changed for some unknown reasons¡­ and now they are enemies to each other.¡± The young master caught a glimpse of sadness in the usually poker-faced man. ¡°I¡¯m still in charge of the guards here, but my only concern is you, young master. Your mother asked me to take good care of you, so I will do just that. It¡¯s not like I liked my job as a mafia guard¡­ but I did what I had to do to ensure my sister¡¯s life and safety.¡± He suddenly became aware of how silent the young master was and glanced to the side, finding the kid staring with wide eyes as he tried to keep up with all the unexpected news; he chuckled, ¡°Ah, sorry. That was too much information for you¡­¡± ¡°And¡­ your sister¡­?¡± Javi asked curiously, recalling how he had never met anyone close to Armand. The man¡¯s smile remained as he answered, ¡°She¡¯s dead.¡± He added when he noticed the shock on the younger¡¯s face, ¡°She died from an illness.¡± ¡°uh¡­¡± Javi quickly turned his face to the other side, awkward and regretting, ¡°um¡­¡± ¡°She loved you~¡± the young master widened his eyes when the other suddenly cooed as he stroked his hair fondly; he could hear the smile from the man¡¯s tone, ¡°She used to explain to everyone how cute and lovely you are! And she wasn¡¯t lying!¡± the young master¡®s eyes retreated to looking cold in an instant, ¡°Am I?¡± the hand on his head paused, he shrugged his head away from the hand as he coldly asked again, ¡°Aren¡¯t I just the deadly shadow? The perfect murderer?¡± ¡°Javi.¡± He stilled with wide eyes at the stern tone of the man, who, for the first time, called his name without formalities and surprisingly sounded¡­ upset at him. He turned to look at the other, eyes gaining a bit of their light despite facing an angry Armand. ¡°You are just Javi. You are yourself and not what anyone says you are.¡± The butler said sternly, ¡°I know I keep telling you everything will be alright, and you¡¯re still forced to kill people you don¡¯t even know¡­ these are not just pretty words. I mean it! I¡¯ll try my best to make it better for you! And I will keep trying.¡± Smiling slightly, ¡°So¡­ let¡¯s keep trying together¡­ be what you want, even when their chains tie you down for now or for years. One day¡­ I¡¯m sure¡­ you¡¯ll find your chance.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find your chance.¡± I depended on those words as I slowly came back to life and gradually learned how to live despite the sickly missions I was given. I believed in them, Armand. Yet I still question myself¡­ Was it really my chance, Armand?
The End of CH. 17.2 17.3. Secrets of the Deadly Shadow
The Red Flower Chapter. 17
Years later¡ª A teen was walking between the crowd in the street when suddenly two men died simultaneously on either side, causing chaos all around. The teen stopped in his tracks to look at the two bodies just like the crowd was doing, but with a blank face. He then walked away from the crowd and toward a secluded area; he pulled out a small device with six pictures on the screen and all marked ''X'' in red, "Finally done for today¡ª" He suddenly got a call from Armand, and he clicked his tongue; he picked up, "What now? Don''t tell me that bastard wants to see me?" -Young master¡ª "It''s Javi, Armand." -¡­Xenos would like to see you. "Call me Javi to cheer me up a little." -Young Master Javi. "Okay, bye." he hung up with a long sigh. "Little Shadow~ Good work for today, as perfect as always," Xenos said, as casual and relaxed as always. Javi hummed, looking unbothered and resting both hands in his pockets. The man chuckled and hopped down from his desk; he walked with a smile Javi knew all too well. Nothing good came from that smile. "Aren''t you happy? I''ve sent you a new mission, and it will be the last." Javi blinked, frowning at the man in disbelief. "Last¡­?" "Yes, your last mission in this organization. How about you check the data sent to you?" Javi reluctantly pulled out the device; he narrowed his eyes at the serene picture. "That''s¡­ a child¡­" "Yes, all my previous tools failed in this mission, but I have high hopes for you." Xenos smiled as if the praises would please the teen. Javi looked back at the screen. "You¡­ all the targets were from wealthy families and old men, why him¡­? Besides, only his name, age, and his place are shown in the information section. What¡¯s with that?" he frowned suspiciously at the man in a red suit. "This is considered a top-class mission. I won''t give any info about this one. All you have to do is kill him for me, and you''re free for the rest of your life. Easy, right?" Xenos maintained his relaxed smile as if he was talking about the weather. "¡­¡­" Javi didn''t know why he was hesitating after all this time; he looked back at the picture, a pale boy with black hair and icy blue eyes, age 12¡­ ''This is just a mission like any other one¡­ once I kill him¡­ I''ll¡­'' He stared at the boy''s face, sitting in a garden, and his face looking¡­ so pale¡­ ''¡­¡­No¡­ something about him¡­ I can''t just¡­'' "And what if I refuse?" he glared coldly at the boss before him, wanting to punch the smile away from the man¡¯s amused face. "Of course, a very deserving punishment," Xenos smiled at him like it was something obvious; someone like Javi shouldn¡¯t even ask such a silly question. Javi let go of the device, unbothered as it crashed to the floor, turned his back to the other, and casually walked to the door, "Then kill me by tomorrow if you want. I¡¯m out." He didn¡¯t bother to turn to look at the man¡¯s reaction, not even when he heard a cold, ¡°As you wish.¡± Before the slam of the door closing behind him. . . ¡°Damn¡­ this is so stupid. What the hell?¡± Javi mumbled to no one but himself as he walked in the empty street, ¡°Seriously?!¡± He abruptly kicked the light pole hard, causing it to sway slightly; he clenched his teeth as he kept his foot against it. ''To be honest, since the beginning, I''ve felt something¡­ no, everything was just so stupid and wrong. What exactly was my role? A spy? Then why didn''t that ''supposed father of mine'' do anything until now?!'' He grabbed his side fringe with his gloved hand, ''I get that our organization had something against Xenos, but what then?! They took data from my damn brain, but they did nothing¡ª'' "¡ªSO WHAT WAS THE POINT?!!!" he kicked the pole harder and managed to bend it a little, holding back from kicking it again and sending it to the ground. "So everything I''ve done was just for nothing!! And only to kill a kid?! That''s it?!! Don''t mess with me!!" "Why are you fighting with a light pole?" Javi instantly stopped at the voice behind his back. A moment of silence before he turned to see Edmund standing there and giving him a questioning look with arms crossed over his chest, looking all wealthy as always. Javi raised an eyebrow. "I''ve always wanted to ask, are you my stalker or what? Isn''t it enough that we live together under the same roof, my dear cousin?" Edmund frowned. "I came because I was worried about you, you ungrateful jerk!!" Javi closed his eyes and put his hand on his forehead dramatically. "Oh! My precious Edmund~ I can''t express how touched I am right now!!" Edmund kicked the other''s leg. "Shut up." Javi dropped the act and stared at the other. ¡°Alright, so what do you want?" he started walking with his hands back in his pockets. The cousin glared, looking irritated for a second before he answered as he followed the other, "Uncle asked about you since you were still outside even after finishing your meeting with Xenos this morning, yet I find his stupid son fighting with a pole at night." "We can fight people, animals, and all, so why can''t I fight a pole? Bullets fight through the air to reach their destination, so everyone and everything are fighting with everything. You need to improve your observation skills," Javi smirked at the cousin by his side. "Yeah, thanks. I don''t need useless knowledge like yours," shot back the grumpy cousin. He scoffed, "And that''s why you can''t ever grow taller than me." "What''s that got anything to do with my height? Also, stop bullying others before life kicks you fair and good." "Personally, I don''t think life would side with any of us, so forget it." Javi shrugged with a lazy smile. "Why so sad?" "Life." "Dramatic." "Only for you~" he ruffled Edmund''s hair with a teasing smirk. The other slapped his hand away while mumbling grumpily, "The hell is with that¡­" Both didn''t notice that they had arrived at their home. Armand was standing by the gate and quickly rushed to his young master, who blinked at the troubled look on the usually calm and collected butler. "Young master! You have to¡ª" ¡°Armand?¡± he stopped and waited for the man to get close, secretly nervous as Armand never looked that distressed. ¡°You can talk to your dear master later.¡± The butler looked at the smirking cousin as he had just noticed he was even there. ¡°Dad told you not to interfere now, didn¡¯t he?¡± Javi looked back and forth between the glaring butler and the smirking cousin, not understanding what was going on as he stood between them and noticed the heavy aura suddenly surrounding the two. The butler collected himself and closed his eyes respectfully to his young master, back to his stoic face, ¡°Master Ral wants to see you in the basement. He said it¡¯s an urgent matter.¡± Javi observed the man some more, walking past him as he whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll hear you out later. Okay?¡± The man whispered without turning back to look at his young master, ¡°Just be careful, please.¡± Javi frowned slightly as he walked past the guards, ¡®It¡¯s only gathering data from my memory as usual. Why be careful?¡¯ he went to the elevator, ¡®Is it because my father¡¯s the one to do it instead of the guards this time?¡¯ the elevator door opened and revealed stairs down to the basement; he casually walked down, his steps echoing in the quiet place, ¡®It¡¯s still the same stupid helmet they use on me, so nothing¡¯s different. And I black out every single time. Only to wake up in pain. They never do anything with the data, though. Otherwise, they would have done something to Xenos already.¡¯ He stopped at the last stair, looking down in thought, ¡®¡­are they even against Xenos¡­? From what I heard from Armand, he and dad used to work together in the past, so maybe¡­ they aren''t really against each other¡­? But then what is happening now?'' ''Everything''s weird¡­ this family, Xenos¡­ and that isolated orphanage¡­ everything¡¯s weird¡­'' he walked to a door at the end of the corridor, pushing his index finger to the security system to identify his fingerprint. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. The door opened with a beep, and he found his father standing in the room with the helmet in his hands, which looked like an experiment lab; he smiled once he saw his son. "Welcome back, son." "Strange, usually you let the guards do it for you, dad." He walked toward his father while taking off his sleeveless blue jacket, leaving it on the hanger before walking to the familiar chair with straps. He sat on the chair, uncaring. His father moved to set the timer and stuff whatever it had; Javi didn¡¯t bother to know the stupid thing¡¯s functions. "Well, today¡¯s different." his father pushed a button, and his son got tied to the chair immediately. "Say,¡± Javi stared at the father, unfazed even with the straps keeping him defenseless and in place. ¡°Who''re you?" Javi stared deeply into the other''s eyes. "Yes, I know you are my father by blood and all, but I don¡¯t remember anything of you from my childhood. I don¡¯t even know my mother. All I remember is being locked in a cage. It¡¯s as if someone washed away all my memories." He smirked at the stilled face of the man before him, ¡°Tell me again, what happened to my mother? ¡®Died from an accident¡¯? Somewhere in my memory, I remember blood and a woman¡¯s cries from a distant room. You can lie to anyone in this house, but not me.¡± His father stared in silence for a long moment, "Impressive,¡± he sounded amused despite the stoic face, ¡°I was right to play with you." he walked closer to his son, bending down and calmly lowered the helmet and on the teen¡¯s head. "Now listen, Javi¡ª" he whispered as he smiled at the frowning teen, "All these astounding theories will be gone once you wake up, and I''ll be your dad again,¡± Javi clicked his tongue and was about to close his eyes when the man was about to fully cover his eyes with the helmet, but¡­ he got a glimpse in the mirror to his right, the man with him¡­¡­¡­¡­ Was someone else¡­¡­ black wavy hair and round shades¡­ smiling at him as he whispered¡­¡­ ¡°The dad whom everyone respects and obeys~" He widened his eyes. ¡®¡­huh?¡¯ ¡°Good night~¡± A jolt¡­ and everything''s black. . . After great effort, Javi opened his eyes tiredly. ''It hurts¡­ damn it hurts¡­ my body''s crying for real now, ugh¡­'' He stared at the floor of his plain room for a while, ''Something¡­ something happened¡­ I can''t remember anything¡­ damn, it hurts even to remember my name¡­'' he tried to raise himself from the bed, only to fall helplessly on the floor with a weak groan, ''Ouch, okay, it really hurts this time¡­ was it really just retrieving data like always?'' He crawled toward the drawer, pulled some painkillers Armand always leaves for him, and gulped two. He leaned his back to the bed and rested his head back on it, ''Out¡­ I want to go outside¡­ out of this fucking house¡­'' he stared blankly at the ceiling. ¡°I¡­ I want to see the ocean¡­¡± . . After several hours he could walk just fine, still sluggish but much better. He showered, changed his clothes, and hurriedly went to the gate before anyone got to him. "Javi, you IDIOT!!" He stopped in his tracks at the sound of his one and only cousin yelling and rushing behind him; he smiled in an attempt to hide his irritation despite not yet turning around to face his mad cousin, "What, my dear cousin who loves me so much and can''t leave me alone?" "How stupid are you to reject the most important mission of Anfinrud''s organization?!! Are you serious?!!" "Huh?" he was so confused for a second, but he quickly remembered. He tilted his head back a bit while looking done with this matter already, "Ah, Davante? I guess that was his name? Yeah, no, I''m not harsh enough to kill an innocent kid, I guess." "Are you kidding?! So you can kill almost everyone in this country, but kids are a red flag for you?!" ¡°Oh,¡± Javi turned his head to look at his cousin with cold, mocking eyes. "Do something about it then, or are you all talk?" Edmund widened his eyes, stunned as the person in front of him dared to mock him openly for the first time. "You said you also work as a spy, yeah? Go ahead and kill everyone, then." Javi turned and casually walked out the gate, not bothering to hear an answer from the other. Edmund glared hard at his cousin¡¯s distancing back, clenching his fists by his sides. "This family will go down because of you, and you don''t care?" Javi only kept walking silently and away from the miserable mansion, ¡®I¡¯m the one who will die today, not this cursed family¡­¡¯ . . The teen sat alone by the sea and wrote something on the sand with his index finger, staring at the word before a coming wave washed it away as if laughing at him; he stared at the faded ¡®Friends¡¯ and scoffed, slapping the water playfully, ¡°Meanie!¡± He sighed, slowly turning around to look at the only house by the beach, looking the same and unchanging, gloomy and¡­ ghostly. ''So¡­ why are you here, Javi?'' Javi didn''t know why he was in front of the orphanage''s door. Maybe because he was curious, perhaps worried, or maybe¡­ just because. He took a deep breath and carefully knocked on the door. It was so silent, however. ''Are all orphanages as silent as this one¡­? I can''t hear a single kid''s voice¡­'' he weakly called out, voice trembling a bit, ¡°Is there anyone here¡­?¡± Silence. ¡®Maybe I should knock again¡­¡¯ he slowly moved his trembling hand to the creepy door, standing cowardly from a distance. Suddenly, the door was pulled open, and a very old man with wide-open eyes that looked odd appeared in front of him. Javi jumped with an embarrassing yelp, stepping back a little away from the man, smiling nervously while sweating bullets with wide eyes. "Oh¡ª uh-um-H-Hello! Hello! I um- wanted to-uh, wait! I-I¡ª The-the-the kids!! I want to see the kids, if possible!" The man only stared with wide eyes that could pop out at any moment. He silently turned his back to Javi, walked back inside, and left the door open. Javi blinked with a lost smile. ''Huh? What? So can I come inside? I can, right? I think, yeah, okay¡­'' he slowly took a step inside, pulling the hoodie tighter around his head and revealing only his face. He waited quietly for the old man to say something or show him around. But he only stood still with his back to Javi in the middle of the dark passage with closed doors on either side. Javi gulped, glancing around the place as he hadn¡¯t yet witnessed or heard a single kid¡¯s voice. ''Okay, this is¡­ scary¡­ my life shouldn''t be a horror movie, please¡­ should I leave¡­?'' he glanced around with a nervous smile. ''I can''t see or hear any child¡­¡­ what is this place? Was it possible Bren and Owin lied to me?? No, no, I don''t think so. Is this still an orphanage?'' "u-um¡­ the kids¡ª" The man quickly turned around with his wide eyes and startled Javi; maybe his heart stopped for seconds, he thought. "None." "W-What?" Javi flinched at the gruff, raspy voice. "Kids. None." He slowly stepped back out the door, smiling nervously, "What¡­?" "Every failure. Goes one." His smile dropped; Javi heard a weak ringing in his ears, froze in place with wide eyes, and his fingers felt so cold and numb. "What¡­" "Javi Cavalon. Every failure. Dies one." Javi stopped breathing for a moment. "Javi Cavalon. Game over. None kids." ¡®This sound¡­¡¯ the beeping gradually got louder; Javi focused on the man¡¯s eyes, only then noticing the faint flashing red light in them. He quickly jumped back. He was sent flying by the sudden explosion inside the house and fell down on the ground, twitching and trembling a bit; ¡°Wh-at¡­¡± he numbly pushed himself up and looked down in shock, "You mean¡­ to tell me¡­ I¡­ killed some kids when I tried to save some of the targets¡­? Then I killed them all because¡­ because I refused to kill one kid¡­? Are you¡­ you can''t be serious¡­ you¡­" ''Then¡­ from the start¡­ I couldn''t protect anyone¡­? Owin¡­? Bren...?'' The colorful memories of his smiling friends slowly lost their colors. He felt his phone vibrating, pulling him back to his senses. He blankly pulled his phone from his pocket to find the familiar name of his butler. He clicked the answer button in a daze, ¡°Arman¡ª¡± -Javi! He snapped out of his shock, alarmed at the evident distress in his butler¡¯s voice, and the line wasn¡¯t even clear as the voice constantly kept getting cut off. -E¡ª h¡ª Don¡¯t come back!¡ª --- Doot¡ª Doot¡ª He widened his eyes, stumbling his way to the shore to see smoke coming from their mansion not too far. "No¡­" He forced his legs to run even though he didn¡¯t feel them at all. He arrived at the mansion to find the whole place was set on fire¡­ He stared at the house in horror. ¡®Armand¡­¡¯ He ran toward the gate, swiftly jumping high and over the flames, stepping inside the burning mansion and looking around. The whole place was set on fire; however, there weren¡¯t any corpses, and the place was oddly empty. "Armand! Edmund?!" he coughed as he ran upstairs to the second floor. ¡°Armand!¡± He was startled when he noticed the burned corpse of his¡­ uncle, down on the floor and leaning back to the door of his father''s room. ¡°Un¡­ uncle¡­?¡± He froze; behind the slightly open door of his father¡¯s room, he could see a man smiling at him with black round shades and a white lab coat. The man slowly turned and walked further into the room, disappearing into the darkness inside. The teen remained still even when the man was no longer there. ''I remember now¡­'' ''I''ve seen that man before¡­ in prison¡­ even in the basement¡­ my father,'' he walked slowly toward the door of what was supposed to be his father¡¯s room, ''Dad¡­ what about dad¡­?'' "JAVI!!" Javi regained his senses and quickly turned around with a relieved smile at the familiar voice, ¡°Armand!¡± only, he was met with a bloodied man, nothing like the always professional and healthy butler; he widened his eyes at the man¡¯s right hand, which was already burned and skin plucked to the point he could see the bones beneath, along with blood dripping from the butler¡¯s forehead like a river. Javi¡¯s smile dropped at the sight before him, even more when he became aware that his butler was trapped in a room behind fallen furniture and chandeliers still burning. It was impossible to get out from there alive, Javi thought with panicked eyes. The way was blocked and everywhere was on fire, and¡­ Armand was so wounded he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to move; Javi thought that it was already so hard for the man to stay standing by the blocked door just to see him. "Armand¡­ Armand! Wait, I-I''ll get you out of there!!" he took a step forward, thinking that he could somehow carry the other out and survive together. "STOP!!" Javi halted, lost and scared. "Run¡­" "Armand¡ª" The butler looked sternly at his young master, ¡°I told you not to come¡­ run¡­ just run and live¡­ none of this is your fault¡­¡± he was hardly able to speak, ¡°Protecting a child¡­ was never a bad thing¡­ don¡¯t ever blame yourself¡­ you hear me¡­?¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Javi started walking hurriedly toward the man, ¡°I¡¯m coming n¡ª¡± Armand smiled with glistening eyes at his young master when a loud sound came from the ceiling above him. "All I want for you is¡­ to live with a genuine smile¡­ I love you¡­ my lovely nephew¡­" Javi widened his eyes, but before he could react, the ceiling fell on Armand, and¡­ he was nowhere to be seen anymore; just like that¡­ he¡­ was gone. Javi stood in his place, unable to move. His head yelled the words he heard just seconds ago from his butler¡­''live¡¯. Yes, Armand told him to live. Armand¡­ He could hear nothing but loud ringing in his ears as the word echoed in his head. ¡®Nephew¡­?¡¯ He wondered why he felt cold¡­ wasn¡¯t the place on fire? ¡®Nephew¡­¡¯ It was so cold his body couldn¡¯t even move¡­ ¡®Nephew¡­¡¯ But Armand told him to get out of there¡­ ¡°Just live, Javi.¡± ¡®I have to move¡­¡¯ The distant murmurs pulled him out of his daze as he noticed his feet standing on the sand, meaning he was out of the mansion; he stared blankly down, ¡®When did I run outside¡­?¡¯ he slowly raised his head, following the source of the voices, he wasn¡¯t expecting what was in front of him not too far. He spotted Edmund and two other guys. Two guys¡­ a raven head, looking mad at Edmund with his friend trying to calm him down. Two guys¡­ two familiar guys¡­ "Owin¡­ Bren¡­?" The three of them turned to look in his direction. The two friends smiled in relief at their childhood friend looking safe before them. Javi slowly walked toward them, face shocked and unbelieving, ¡°You¡­ are alive¡­¡± "IT''S THEM!! THEY ARE THE ONES WHO SET THE WHOLE PLACE ON FIRE!!! THEY KILLED OUR FAMILY, JAVI!!" Owin and Bren turned to look at the suddenly shouting cousin, glaring in shock before Bren pulled a dagger, ¡°You¡ª!¡± Javi widened his eyes at seeing his past friend charging to kill his cousin. His vision was slowly changing; though he wasn¡¯t aware, he didn¡¯t know how his cousin ended up losing his right leg and looking up back at him in fear; he didn¡¯t know when did he pull his gun out and why it aimed at Edmund or was it at Bren? He questioned. He didn¡¯t understand why he ran toward Bren, who looked shocked at what happened to Edmund; he didn¡¯t know why he hadn¡¯t stopped when Owin stood in his way to protect Bren from him. No¡­ No¡­ I was afraid to let another person get killed because of me. I only wanted to protect Edmund and ended up failing as always¡­ And I panicked, and as stupidly as it sounds¡­ I blamed my only two friends for Armand¡¯s death¡­ I took Edmund and ran from the house. I kept repeating ¡°Please help¡± and ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± like a mantra even when a stranger with the same hair color as Owin showed up with an umbrella and told me to follow him as we clearly needed help. And I followed behind Elois, not really hearing anything he said, as the sound of rain was the only thing loud in my ears. I really¡­ wonder¡­ why did I believe Edmund¡¯s claim that night¡­? Javi opened his eyes groggily to find white walls around him, but it felt comforting and safe. ''Hospital¡­?'' he suddenly jumped up. "Edmund!!" "Over here, sleepy head." Javi turned to his side to find his cousin sitting and eating an apple as if everything was normal. "Edmund¡­ I¡­" Javi could not say anything while looking at his cousin¡¯s¡­ prosthetic leg. Edmund waved his hand dismissively. "Don''t care, whatever happened yesterday¡­ seriously, you were trying to save me. I can''t really blame you in that situation, so don''t be dramatic. It pisses me off when you get dramatic, so forget it. You were already dramatic enough." Javi honestly didn''t know if he should go along with the joke or¡­ he turned to look at his own hands silently. ¡°Besides! The doctors in this academy gave me this cool prosthetic leg! I can also control it as I wish, just like a real leg!! They are no joke!" Javi looked at the leg, still didn''t know what to say, but he smiled sadly and looked to the side. "That''s¡­ good." "If you''ll look that way all the time from now on, I''ll punch you every day, morning and night." "Okay¡­" Javi said, voice so lifeless. "Good, good." Edmund took a bite from his apple. "By the way, we''re students here from today on." Javi blinked, nodded, and accepted whatever his cousin decided for the both of them, thinking that he had no right to refuse anything from the guy anymore since he had ruined everything more than enough in one day. Did I believe him out of guilt¡­? Or because I was too lost¡­? Armand used to guide me whenever I was too lost to do anything¡­ Armand is dead. His mind kept reminding him day and night. ''I wonder why they didn''t take it from me¡­'' Javi thought while holding his gun and looking at it. He sighed and hid it back in their shared wardrobe. ''I''m not using it again, but I can''t throw it anywhere¡­'' He went to sit down on his own bed, staring at the sunlight in a deafening silence and slowly lowering himself to lay on his side. He took hold of his blue necklace in his fingers and looked at it. Sunlight was reflecting on it, and it looked so¡­ beautiful. ¡°I wasn¡¯t your master¡­ you liar¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to see something veeery big and blue! So blue, just like your eyes and necklace. It¡¯s so beautiful.¡± He could still feel the gentle pinch on his cheek as he choked when the tears relentlessly ran down, ¡°Arm-nd¡­¡± he choked again, gritting his teeth to stifle his cries, ¡°Is dead¡­¡± He hid his eyes with his trembling fist as he allowed himself to cry in silence alone in the room, just this once. When I was behind the bars¡­ I wasn''t aware of anything when I was locked in there¡­ had no conscious while killing all the targets¡­ But outside the cage¡­ I was aware¡­ I made mistakes¡­ I did stupid things¡­ I laughed and cried¡­ I killed people I don¡¯t know¡­ I can¡¯t call myself a murderer¡­ yet I know I cannot be considered innocent¡­ His days went on with him joking and laughing around his grumpy friend and his sighing cousin. I will live. I¡¯ll try my best. I¡¯ll live with all my sins on my shoulders¡­ I¡¯ll be a better person¡­ And time moved on peacefully. It was all good for a while, and I almost forgot my reality¡­ Until I realized it was him. Davante looked in his direction when he noticed him staring, black hair, ice blue eyes, and pale¡­ so pale. ¡®It¡¯s really him¡­¡¯ he felt relieved for some reason, maybe even fond, as he ruffled the kid¡¯s hair teasingly, watching his face contort in slight, suppressed irritation. Javi smiled in relief; the last target had grown up and was safe. Looking at him, he was glad he didn¡¯t kill him; he felt even protective of him. ¡°You should worry about yourself first. Owin is Elois'' little brother, and he''s in this academy.¡± ¡°Your friends weren''t the ones who killed your family.¡± ¡°Don''t trust Edmund Cavalon.¡± Ellmer¡¯s words echoed loudly in his head as he ran straight to Davante and confessed everything. Only calming down a bit when he noticed the panicked face of the usually calm and stoic teen looking to the side. He turned to look at what scared the teen¡­ ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡®But before I decide who to protect¡­¡¯ he smiled awkwardly at Elois, his friend¡¯s face scarily calm as he glared at him. ¡°What did you say just now?¡± ¡®I got a whole history to clear up first¡­¡¯
The End of CH. 17 18. White Noise ''In my eyes¡­ I can see Javi talking, he looks¡­ panicked¡­'' ''In my ears¡­ I can hear his words, so loud¡­ so far¡­'' ''I can see¡­ I can hear¡­ I can talk¡­'' ''But¡­ I can''t feel my body¡­'' ''So cold¡­ so tired¡­'' ''I can feel my heart falling into a deep slumber¡­'' ¡®Feels like my soul is being pulled out of my body¡­'' ''It''s like¡­ a silent¡­ slow¡­ death¡­'' Davante wasn¡¯t quite sure if he was standing still with how numb and weak his legs were, didn¡¯t know if he was breathing. Everything felt close yet far¡­ like he had finally¡­ reached his limits, though he didn¡¯t know how or why did he reach them. It felt comforting, he secretly thought to himself.
The Red Flower Chapter. 18
Davante stared with wide eyes at none other than Elois, who silently glared at Javi, who wasn''t aware of the other''s presence. Davante was lost for what to do next. Should he say something? What should he say to begin with? He doesn''t know anything about Javi to defend him, nor can he stop Elois from doing anything when he has nothing to say to stop him from fighting the other friend¡­ He only stared blankly, completely forgetting Javi was waiting for him to say something after the unexpected news of his past. He glanced back at Javi, who finally noticed the sudden silence and the look of shock on Davante''s face and slowly turned to find angry, cold eyes looking back at him, "O-oh¡­ Elois¡­" Elois gritted his teeth in a dark smirk and clenched his trembling fists by his sides, "Seriously¡­? You always joke around¡­" taking a step forward, ¡°Must have¡­¡± three steps, ¡°¡­been so funny, yeah?¡± ¡°Elois¡­¡± Davante tried to catch the attention of the angry friend, but Elois didn¡¯t seem to listen to anything anymore as he only walked closer to the troubled Javi. Javi let go of Davante and stepped further away from Elois, who looked quite scary with the wide grin, "Hold on¡­" smiling awkwardly, ¡°Let me explain¡ª!¡± Davante only felt something whooshed by him suddenly, causing him to close his eyes in reflex. When he opened his eyes, he found the spot where Elois was standing a moment ago empty. He quickly turned behind him, and in a second that felt slow, he saw his two friends about to fall from the balcony. Elois jumped at Javi to deliver a punch, and both lost their balance, and soon¡­ they fell; before Davante could even react. The moment felt too slow, but it all happened in seconds; Davante was left alone on the balcony. Silence at night; he could only hear the cold swish of the night breeze, his hand stilled and stretched out in the air in an attempt to catch the two friends at the last second. He stared in silence with wide eyes. His body slowly weakened at an alarming rate, but he didn''t care; more like didn''t notice. The only thing he felt was his fast heartbeat and coldness. He trembled slightly, walked to the railing, and looked down below the balcony. The ground was too far away that he couldn''t see anything but a dark shadow. He started panting without noticing. "Falling from this height¡­ no human would survive¡­" he muttered to himself, voice trembling, "What should I do?¡ª" "I DON''T KNOW!" ¡°Mff¡ª!!¡± He quickly covered his own mouth with both hands and coughed violently; he slid down to the floor and rested his forehead on the balcony railing. He was more concerned about the shriek inside his head that sounded like the scribbled figure of himself. He coughed more and more, each cough harsher than the other. He trembled violently from the sudden, painful coughs. Tears gathered in his eyes; he slowly moved one of his trembling, cold hands away from his mouth to see red with blurry vision. Red, blood, there was blood in his hand, ¡°Mmmgh¡­!¡± ¡®Why¡­?¡¯ He blinked in an attempt to see properly, but his eyes only seemed to be filled more with tears. Closing his eyes shut, he coughed more, and his ears could hear something splashing on the floor between his knees; certain that it was his blood, it was impossible to breathe with the coughs that didn¡¯t seem to take pity on him any time soon. ¡®I didn¡¯t run or tire my body out¡­¡¯ Breathe; he needed to breathe. He tried to calm his body down, only to convulse in pain due to suppressing the coughs. He started whimpering and sobbing weakly. ¡®But the doctors said¡ª¡¯ ¡°Urk!¡± his body shook with another wave of coughs. "Seriously, that stupid idiot." He could hear someone walking toward him from behind, but it was hard to move even to turn to see who it was. The person sat close beside him, but Davante was still coughing and unable to breathe; blood started coming from his nose. A big warm hand brushed his hair back slowly and pulled his head gently to make him look at whoever was beside him. He tried with great effort to look properly at the other, ¡®Ellmer¡­?¡¯ The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Ellmer slightly frowned at the other; though he looked calm, but deep down, he was shaken by Davante''s current state. His little brother was bathing in his own blood and looking miserable, a face so pale as if seconds away from death. For some reason, Davante stopped coughing with Ellmer''s hand on his head which calmed him down a bit and allowed him to breathe, if only for seconds. "You have to come with me, Davante," said Ellmer; he tried to say it calmly rather than demanding and urgently. Davante tried to shake his head and coughed again; he tried to talk nonetheless. "Elo¡ª un-! Ja-v¡ª!" he kneeled down, resting his forehead on the floor as he started coughing roughly again. "Are they important to you?" Ellmer asked calmly. When he saw the other coughing more and unable to answer him, he patted Davante''s head, "I''ll take care of it, don''t worry. Now," he gently pulled the other and made Davante meet his red glowing eyes directly, smiling kindly at him, "Time to take some rest, lil¡¯ brother." As if a switch, Davante fell limp on the other¡¯s firm chest. Ellmer put his hand securely around the teen. He sighed before pulling his phone from his pocket and making a call. He didn''t wait long for the other person to pick up, and came the expected cheerful answer, "Hey, I need you to do something. It¡¯s about your brother and Javi¡­ Yes, do it fast, if possible, before anyone dies. We don''t need any more drama¡­ Yeah, and tell Alvis to prepare a room in the hospital and wait for me there. It¡¯s about Davante¡­ no, only Alvis. Let him tell the doctors to stay out of it¡­ yes, thank you." He ended the call with a sigh, glancing at his sleeping brother and then up to where the two friends had fallen from the balcony minutes ago. ¡°I¡¯m sure ¡®it¡¯ caught the two idiots by now.¡± . . ¡°YOU IDIOT!!¡± Both friends faced each other while falling upside down. Elois had a stronghold of the other''s collar, still mad enough to care less about their current situation. Javi grabbed the other''s wrists with panicked eyes, "DO YOU WANT US DEAD?!!!" Elois glared in anger, secretly panicking with the other, "COULDN¡¯T YOU STAND STILL TO RECEIVE MY PUNCH?!!" ¡°HUH?!!¡± Suddenly, they were caught inside a glowing bubble that came out of nowhere, making them float slowly in the air. Both friends fell silent with wide eyes, not knowing what was happening anymore as they quietly accepted to be slowly, very slowly let down to stand on the grass inside an empty garden. They both stood quietly with their disheveled hair as the bubble shrank into a small glowing ball and flew up somewhere else. ¡°So, you were working for Anfinrud organization? Along with Lucas~?¡± Javi flinched and looked to the side, backing away from the murderous smirk Elois was giving him with the unique dagger in hand. He smiled awkwardly, unsure, "Lu¡­ who?" he twisted his body immediately, dodging the sudden attack from his smiling friend, "WA- LISTEN FIRST!!" "DECEIVING ME INTO THINKING ELLMER WAS THE ONE AFTER ME AND DAVANTE INSTEAD OF YOU! WELL, AREN¡¯T YOU A SMART ONE?!!" ¡°NO!! CAN YOU JUST¡ª¡± Javi yelped at the sadistic, lunatic smile of the person running after him, "LIsteeeaaaAAA¡ª!!!!" Javi was really scared now, the other had the eyes of a crazed murderer, and no way he would listen to him at this point. He took turns and twists between the trees in the dark to confuse the other and hid behind one tree at last, calming down his panting so Elois wouldn¡¯t hear him; he peeked around and found no sign of his friend, ¡®I can hide here for a bit¡­ now, breathe~¡¯ He closed his eyes and put his hands over his chest and breathed in, then out. THUD¡ª Javi stiffened when the dagger ended up stabbed between his long hair so close to his neck and into the tree behind his back. Elois walked barefoot on the grass toward the other, seemingly calmer than seconds ago, "Was Owin one of your targets too? How can you blurt out all that crap to your next target and then act innocent now?" Silence¡­ ¡°So¡­¡± Javi stared back at his friend with a stoic face, "Am I not allowed to change? Am I not even allowed to admit my sins and move on? Am I not allowed to save the most wanted target of Anfinrud organization? I know!" He clenched his hands into fists and stepped close to his shocked friend, ¡°No matter what I¡¯ll do, the past won¡¯t ever be erased!! The fact that I killed people left and right can¡¯t be changed!! BUT I''M TRYING! I''m trying to be the person I want to be! Not what THEY want me to be!!" he hates to play the victim, yet he wasn¡¯t able to hold back from showing the painful feelings he hid so well until now, "To them! I was only a ''tool'', ¡® animal'' or ''the deadly shadow''! But I¡ª!¡± He halted by the memory of Armand, ¡°I¡­ he told me¡­¡± he looked down when he felt his eyes tearing up a bit, ¡°I deserve¡­ to live¡­ as Javi Cavalon¡­¡¯ Elois stared wide-eyed at the other, unable to say anything after everything was told to his face. He was suddenly reminded of his roommate¡¯s words. ¡°Don''t throw yourself away.¡± He looked down in realization of the meaning behind those words, ¡°You are not Elois Feldstain. You''re not anyone else. You¡¯re Elois Iriart." ¡°As for Owin¡¯s eye¡­¡± Javi looked to the side, ashamed and guilty, "I don''t think fear and anger could be used as an excuse for my actions, but that''s¡­ all I have to say, honestly¡­" "And all¡¯s good now~" Elois and Javi froze at the cheery and sudden voice; Owin showed up between them out of nowhere, looking so relaxed and happy with a wide grin, patting their backs lightly. Despite being the topic of their deep fight just minutes ago, the said person looked completely fine and unfazed by their talk. ¡°Good thing no one died!¡± He threw his arms over the two friends¡¯ shoulders, definitely aware of how they smiled awkwardly and pointedly avoided looking him in the eye, "I can never blame you Javi, but we still need to talk, of course! Big bro, you liar~ So you DO remember me now! Do you know how painful it was? Waiting for your memories to come back~" He didn¡¯t wait for any of them to answer and walked to pull out the dagger from the tree, walking back to his brother, who still refused to meet his eye, ¡°Do not use this thing unless necessary, got it?¡± he smiled at his brother as he gave him back his weapon, making Elois feel like the little brother between them, ¡°Yes¡­¡± he obediently nodded and took the dagger with his face looking down. "Well then, time to go back! You should have talked like adults, but guess you can''t do that with your hot temper¡ª" he glanced at Elois, who flinched, "And your horribly wrong timings." he glanced at Javi, who flinched next. Owin sighed as he started guiding them out of the garden, walking them back to the dorms, "You even dragged poor Davante to all this mess when he''s too tired even to open his eyes." Elois and Javi turned their heads in shock, finally looking at him. "You know Davante?!" said Elois. "He was tired?! Is he okay?!" said Javi. Owin chuckled at the two and patted their backs, ¡°Someone is taking good care of him now, so you two should focus on calming down first.¡± They looked down in shame and embarrassment and quietly walked back to Elois and Davante¡¯s shared room. "Sit down, calm down, discuss everything, know more about each other and be better friends," Owin said, standing by the door, looking at the two friends as if scolding two kids. Javi and Elois sat awkwardly on the floor in the middle of the room, both looking down. "And try not to kill each other," Owin added. "I wasn''t going to kill anyone¡­" Elois muttered when he felt his brother¡¯s eye on him. Javi whipped his head to glare at the other with wide eyes in disbelief, "Look me in the eye and say it again." ¡°sorry¡­¡± Owin chuckled at the two. He looked at Elois with a hopeful smile despite the other still avoiding looking at him, "Dad and I are waiting for you¡­ Elois¡­" ¡°I¡­¡± Elois looked nervously to the side and muttered, "I won''t be late¡­" ¡°Great!¡± Owin brightened up with a broad smile, "Goodnight, guys!" he closed the door and left the two alone. Awkward silence. The silence was soon disturbed by the loud growl coming from their tummies. They slowly nodded and awkwardly decided to eat something before going to bed. Of course, none knew how to cook and soon made a mess in the kitchen. Unknown to the two chaotic friends, Davante''s bag was peeking out from under his bed and left open. . . Kaven sat on the desk in his office in the dark, flipping the blank pages of the diary in his hands. He smiled coldly, then slowly tore out the pages one after another. Tearing the last page, he smiled at it with the eyes of a lunatic, "Let''s see how you''ll survive the game without¡­¡± throwing the ruined book to the floor, ¡°The bastard¡¯s diaries~" . . The next day, the ball flew through the open window and inside the quiet room, going slowly to its owner. A hand reached out to it and made it shrink with his fingers before putting it back in its place in his necklace. Ellmer sighed as he was assured of the two friends¡¯ safety at least. He turned to the sleeping person on the bed he was sitting on, brushing the teen¡¯s hair and looking with a frown at the pale face of his little brother with the oxygen mask on. ¡°Though you¡¯re breathing now¡­ why can¡¯t I feel your presence at all¡­?¡±
The End of CH. 18 19. Therapy "Sir, it''s possible your son has Tuberculosis¡­" "No, the tests showed no signs of Tuberculosis, possibly something else¡­ we have to test some more." "We''re sorry sir, we¡­ could not figure out the cause of the bleeding¡­" "Sir, I''m afraid to tell you¡­ I do not know how to help your son¡­" "Sir, we''re sorry. We tried our best¡­" "Ma''am, there is something different about your son¡­" "Uh¡­ umm Ma''am¡­ I''m sorry, your son is just¡­ I''m sorry." "All I can say is¡­ his heart weakens drastically when he exerts his body, running for example¡­ so he should be fine with minimal activities." "He''s sick." "He''s strange." "Your son-" "Ma''am, I''m sorry-" "The reason''s unknown-" "The bleeding-" "He-" "We can''t help him-" "Go to someone el-" ¡°Ugh, you again-¡° ¡°Look, your son¡¯s just abnormal¡ª¡± The voices and images of the doctors speaking to the child¡¯s parents as he sat silently and faced the window with the patients¡¯ gown disappeared gradually into an endless void. The creaking sound of the cradle swaying was the only thing heard in the void. When the infant opened his icy blue eyes, he found an endless white world, nothingness. Closed his eyes again, going back to sleep. The cradle calmly swayed left and right endlessly. Open again, white. Close. Again. Again. Again¡­ The cradle stopped. After the long silence, the infant opened his eyes¡ª finding familiar scribbled figures creeping above him from all directions, circling him with wide eyes, and many smiling or just staring. Suddenly came a white noise, a loud one. Then silence. An endless silence.
The Red Flower Chapter. 19
Slowly opening his eyes to bleary gray hues, he got a clear view of a white ceiling, a stilled curtain, and an open window with nothing outside but light. It was so silent, leaving one paranoid and time frozen. Davante pushed himself up tiredly. He sat in the bed in an empty hospital room, wearing the patients¡¯ gown. Everything was white. After observing his surroundings, he realized¡­. it wasn''t that the place was white. Nothing had any color except himself and the green light above the closed door. He turned to the open window. There wasn''t any sky outside. However, there was light and shadow; everything felt real but not at the same time. He slowly and silently moved his legs to stand on the cold floor. For some reason, he was cautious about letting out any sound even though there wasn''t anyone around. He looked at the closed door, eying it for a minute before going to grab the knob. He twisted it, and it was open. He opened the door slowly, and it creaked loudly in the quiet place, which silently startled him a little bit. Before him was a long, empty passage, still colorless. He put one step forward and slowly put the other; he started to walk along the only path. He walked in complete silence. He gradually brought his hands around him and felt a shiver, cold. The place felt so cold. After who knows how long, the passage ended with a plain closed door similar to the one he got out from; however, it had a red light above instead of green. There wasn''t anywhere else to go; it was a narrow path from the small room he was in to this one. He carefully walked to grab the knob. Just when he twisted the knob, he heard a snipping sound. One after another, as if someone was calmly cutting something off with scissors. He pushed it open slowly, creaking loudly again, alerting the mouthless scribbled figure behind the door. Davante had little time to notice the film strips all around the white floor and circling the mouthless figure as if locking him in place. The scribbled and colorless Davante was holding scissors, so it was apparent he was cutting the film strips repeatedly for some reason; Davante thought it was to free itself from them since they kept spinning around him. Upon raising his face a little to meet the figure¡¯s wide eyes, he realized it was the one he often sees sometimes that no one could see. He didn''t know what to name it, but one thing was for sure; the figure looked precisely like Davante; it was Davante himself, just mouthless, colorless, and scribbled. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. The figure turned slowly to fully face Davante. In a blink of an eye, there were duplicates of the figure all around him; all looked the same, except they had mouths drawn on their faces, unlike that one mouthless figure. And the film strips were gone. They were all looking at him, some even pointing at him. Davante is usually calm most of the time; he has learned to stay level-headed no matter the situation, but not this time. He felt so creeped out. Some of them were smiling, some glaring, some even laughing, but he couldn''t hear a thing even when their mouths moved. A choking silence. He stood still with wide, alarmed eyes. He couldn''t hear a thing; they all surrounded him, moving their lips and talking, maybe even yelling at him. But they were still in their places, keeping a distance from him as if he were the odd one. A scribbled hand grabbed his neck from behind to pull him back roughly. Gasp¡ª He woke up with the echo of his own gasp in the quiet room again. He clutched his shirt above his thumping heart, and he brought his hand to his neck as the feeling of the hands choking him a second ago was still there. His breathing calmed down a bit; he pushed himself up slowly to stand in front of the closed door, finding the green light still above. Silence. Loud silence. He twisted the knob, expecting to find the same empty path. He was met with a long one but with many closed doors on both sides this time. He cautiously eyed the doors before reluctantly moving silently along the path; he felt he shouldn''t open any door, no matter what. When he reached the end of the passage, there was a wall; the room of the mouthless figure from moments ago was nowhere to be seen. He slowly, very slowly turned his head to peek behind his back and was met with all doors open slightly, and each door stood a scribbled duplicate of him behind it. They all stared at him silently with crazed eyes. It was quick, but their eyes on him made him cower in place, and they immediately slammed their doors close soon after, leaving him alone. He heard his heart beating fast and loud in the silence, enough to be heard by the other figures behind the doors with red lights above. Rubbing his cold arms together, he stood still with wide eyes before he walked carefully yet hurriedly to his room on the opposite side of the path and closed it immediately, careful not to let out any sound. There wasn''t a lock; he couldn''t lock it. He trembled slightly but quickly forced himself calm and went to bed. He lay down on his left side so that he could watch the door. He was aware he was quite paranoid by now, and he couldn¡¯t help it. Gradually he got tired of forcing his eyes to stay open and focused on the door and felt his eyes closing despite his struggles. He opened his eyes to find himself still in the same room. He noticed that he was sleeping on his back. He put his hand on his throbbing head, silently staring at the door again. He walked to the door carefully, staring at it before twisting the knob again. He pulled it open slowly but was suddenly dragged from the other side and slammed the door close. Davante flinched and froze in place. He caught the sound of a loud click from behind the door. He slowly backed away from the locked door. He turned to the window behind his back when he heard gasps coming from it. Walking cautiously to the window, he was met with a very familiar room. The small dark room. And he found himself as a child, curled up and clutching his head, trembling and panting in the dark. ¡°You¡ª¡± He knows; he knows exactly what the child is going through at that moment. ¡°Wait¡ª¡± He was about to jump through the open window and get the child out of the room, ¡°I¡¯ll get you out of¡ª¡± He was suddenly pulled back by several scribbled hands all over his body from behind. He managed to open his eyes, blinking many times, yet his vision remained blurry. He felt incredibly tired as he lay on his back on the bed. He turned his head to the door with the green light above; it was open this time. He closed his heavy eyelids. He opened them again to a colorless room. He blinked slowly. Figures were all around him and above his head, staring down at him. For some reason, they looked agitated, yelling and shouting at him with no voice coming from them. But he was tired¡­ His eyes slowly closed. He suddenly jumped from his sleep with a loud gasp. He quickly pushed himself up, holding back his panting and gasping as he cautiously and silently tried to look where he was; it was so dark, nothing to see. However, the feel of the floor beneath him and the stuffy air around him was too familiar. He widened his eyes, ¡®No window¡­ dark room¡­ don¡¯t tell me this room¡­¡¯ he started panicking, unknowingly hyperventilating, ¡®No¡­ no, no, no, no, no¡ª¡¯ "Help me¡­" He jerked his head to the source of the voice close by his side; he knew that voice; of course, he did¡ª his own weak voice from years ago. "¡­hungry¡­ let me¡­ out¡­" Davante knew more than anyone else the hunger of the trembling child; he really knew¡­ but had nothing to feed him, just like before. He quickly pushed himself up to his feet and walked with his hands hovering over the walls in the dark, eyes wide and hyper-focused. ''The door¡­¡¯ frantic and trembling, "I-I''ll get you out of here¡­" ¡®I know it''s close somewhere over here¡­'' His hands reached a bump, and he instantly felt relieved. Turning to the child with a tired smile, ¡°Found it! We can use the guard outside to¡ª¡± He flinched when he felt a sharp pain in his right ankle. He turned his head down to observe in the dark what it was. It kept hurting him more and more until he heard the squelching sounds¡­ he began sweating and panicking again; the pain was long forgotten as he became aware of the situation. "No¡ª Wait¡­ No, you can''t¡ª Stop!" The child got another bite of Davante''s leg and another squelch. He could feel the hot tears of the child on his skin as he ate his leg. Voice trembling, ¡°No¡­¡± the child kept eating¡­ "STOP!!!" Gasp¡ª! He jumped from his sleep and immediately looked at his legs; they were okay. However, he was still panting, not calming down even after looking at them. His trembling hands rubbed his leg to ensure it was okay, not trusting his eyes. He slowly pulled his knees to his chest, trembling and panting more with each passing second. He was back again in the white room. This time, the door and the curtains both closed. He noticed the light above the door was yellow. His breathing was loud in the quiet place. ''They are listening¡­ I should calm down¡­ calm down.'' Knock, knock¡ª His body jolted, and his shivers got worse. Someone knocked at the door. He was sure it was the figures. He remained silent and closed his eyes shut. Suddenly many knocks were heard nonstop from the door, all calm yet loud. He trembled in silence, covering his ears as he felt so close to crying. He let out a voice so weak. "Please¡­ stop¡­" The knocks stopped. He soon heard whispers. They wouldn''t stop. He remained still, and¡­ eventually, the whispers got so loud that he was starting to finally lose his mind. ''Stop¡­'' ''Stop¡­ please¡­'' ''Please¡­'' He didn¡¯t bother that he was crying silently now, gritting his teeth to stifle his cries while still covering his ears with his trembling hands, even though he knew there was no point in doing so as the whispers got louder and louder the more he tried to force himself to calm down and block their loud whispers in his mind. He felt a warm small hand patting his head, resting on someone¡¯s lap. He slowly started to relax a little by the gentle humming above him. And the whispers drifted away. "Emmie¡­" he called weakly with a trembling voice. ''Right¡­ you were the one who calmed me down when I had nightmares¡­'' "I''ll always be with you¡­ Davante." He heard her say with her usual calm tone. He sniffled slightly, ''Then why¡­ why did you throw me into all this mess?'' ''Is this funny to you?'' ''WHY¡ª'' He wanted to shout out but couldn''t, and the whispers came back louder than ever with the shrieking noise. The gentle hand on his head disappeared. He hugged his knees to his chest tighter and cried silently again. "Please open your eyes¡­ you have to." said a hushed and gentle voice. All sounds around him disappeared with the soft voice of a woman. He didn''t know when he was pulled into her lap like a child, but¡­ it calmed him down immediately. "You are in control, not them, not the noise.¡± The woman caressed his cheek softly. ¡°Listen to him. He¡¯s calling for you again¡­ you have to open your eyes¡­" ''Who¡­?'' "Can you open your eyes for me¡­?" He brought his tired hand to grab the soft dress of the woman. He wasn¡¯t sure if he felt a gentle kiss on his forehead. He slowly opened his eyes to look at the woman, finding crimson eyes looking down at him sadly. "Mo¡­ ther¡­" His vision drifted, and soon¡­ He was met with a startled Alvis looking down at him, tears falling from his wide eyes as he looked in panic yet relief. The man gasped weakly at the look of icy eyes fully open now. Alvis stared silently at the blood and tear-stained face of the teen. Davante didn''t get a moment to understand what was happening before he was pulled up and hugged tightly by the man, who kept mumbling to himself while ruffling the teen¡¯s hair. "Oh my god¡­ oh god you''re back¡­ you''re back¡­ you''re¡­" Alvis was trembling so hard it made Davante even more confused, but he was too tired to ask any question now, and¡­ he tiredly hugged the man back. Unbeknownst to Davante, his back was drenched with blood. . . ¡°There was a time in my life when I felt nothing but darkness¡­ I was damaged, ruined¡­¡± a pale finger hovered over the picture drawn on the rusty page; a picture of a child clutching his head and a plate with an arm inside lay before him. ¡°Nothing scarier than dark silence. Unspoken loud thoughts could kill their owner. I wasn¡¯t in my right mind in that room.¡± The pale hand flipped the page, ¡°That room¡­ was where I died once. I¡¯ve lost myself in there, was so afraid to remain dead in the dark¡­¡± the hand moved over to another drawing of the same child, hugging his knees and looking up at a scribbled person that looked the same as the child but older, caressing the child¡¯s cheek. ¡°Their voices were like a safety blanket to me, so I listened to them, seeking their guidance¡­¡± Turning the page, ¡°¡®They helped me get out of that room¡¯¡­ a pity lie I created. All I did was I sat still, never reached the door, never looked for the window¡­¡± looking at the drawing of the child sitting silently and hugging his knees, unmoving. ¡°And forced my mind to become familiar with the dark. Listening clearly now¡­ their voices were nothing but a dark shrieking noise.¡± Thud¡ª The heavy book with rusty and bloody pages closed and remained carried by the pale hands. ¡°At last, I can comfortably close this book.¡± The colored, mouthless person looking like a copy of Davante but with fancy clothes instead, sighed as he looked in a direction. ¡°I¡¯m glad you can see the real me now.¡±
The End of CH. 19 20. Alive Alvis took the wires off and started folding them to put them back in place. He turned to check and noticed the sweat on the boy''s forehead and reached his hands to Davante, supposedly sleeping. He smiled gently at the other before pulling him slowly up to a sitting position to carefully unbutton the gown from behind. It was then that he felt something¡­ wet? He first considered it sweat, but he quickly noticed it was too sticky to be only sweat¡­ he widened his eyes in fear of what he thought it could be. Slowly, he retracted his hand from the boy''s back to take a good look at it. He held back a gasp and forced himself to stay calm. His hand was drenched with blood, Davante''s blood, to be precise. With trembling hands, he quickly pulled the other closer and rested Davante''s head on his chest. He took a closer look and was horrified at what he found. There, on Davante''s fragile back, was a deep wound¡­ almost like someone drew a perfect flower, a rose, on the boy''s back with a sharp blade. The wound didn¡¯t seem to close as the blood was flowing nonstop. Alvis didn¡¯t have time to react when Davante¡¯s body jerked and shook violently in his arms. "Davante¡­ Davante! What''s wrong?! I¡ª" his hands hovered above the other''s trembling back. "What do I do¡ª" Weak-pale hands suddenly grabbed his shirt, forcing him to quickly look down to meet the other¡¯s eyes. He was expecting the familiar icy blue eyes, but... red¡­ his eyes were suddenly red, wide in fear and filled with tears. "Do-Do someth-ing!" Alvis was lost. Davante''s voice sounded suffocated like an invisible hand kept choking the skinny neck tightly. "Stop him¡ª! Wake-him up!" tears streamed down the pale cheeks. "I¡ª My soul¡ª! Can¡¯t¡ª He¡¯ll¡ª!" the hand loosened on his shirt, ¡°¡­die¡­¡± It was like the scene played in slow motion¡­ Davante slipped from his hands and fell limp on the bed. Just like¡­ like he was dead. Alvis was shaking; he wanted to say something, DO something, yet nothing came to mind. ¡°What¡­ what do you¡­¡± He weakly grabbed the other''s shoulders; they felt so weak in his hands, fragile, broken. It shattered his heart. He shut his eyes to stifle his tears and whispered desperately, "What¡­? What do you mean he¡¯ll die¡­? I don¡¯t know what¡­ tell me what to do¡­¡± his grip tightened. "Please let me do something this time¡­ I¡­ I¡­" His twin brother¡¯s image flashed in his mind, dead and cold on his bed in the empty house. He snapped his eyes wide open with tears. "No¡­ No!" he looked at Davante, whose face got even paler if possible, "Wake up¡­ open your eyes!! I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re going through. Still, all I have to do is wake you up, right?! Then please¡ª" he grabbed the boy¡¯s shoulders with little force and pulled him slightly up, "I know by the look of your eyes you''ve always wished you were dead! I know you gave up long ago! I KNOW!!" he shook him with each word he said, "I know you''re certain your parents never wanted you around¡ª maybe not only your parents¡ª and it''s probably true¡ª I won¡¯t give empty promises or pretty words that they DO care!! But¡ª" the body slipped from his trembling hands again, "I CARE!! I CAN BE YOUR FATHER IF YOU WANT!! I SWEAR I''LL MAKE IT UP TO YOU, SO JUST¡ª PLEASE!!" He sniffled quietly when no reaction seemed to come from the pale boy. He cupped the teen¡¯s face with his hands as he pleaded weakly once more. ¡°Open your eyes¡­ Davante¡­¡± he rested both hands on the pillow at either side of the teen¡¯s head, "I¡­ should have accepted your request back then¡­ right, Ebele¡­?¡± he gritted his teeth at the memory of the smiling woman standing in front of his door with the child beside her, ¡°I¡¯ll accept it¡­ so¡­" he closed his eyes desperately, "Bring him to me¡­ again¡­" A weak, low gasp reached his ears. ¡°Mo¡­ ther¡­¡± The man snapped his head up to look at the boy who had just called for his mother. He found himself breathing again at the sight of icy blue eyes opening slowly to look up at him. Alvis thanked the mother in his mind. He didn¡¯t know why he was sure, but she truly gave him a chance and brought her son back to him somehow.
The Red Flower Chapter. 20
"I thought it was only due to fatigue, lack of sleep, and poor nutrition¡­" said Alvis on the phone, talking calmly with a tired face and standing in front of the door in Davante''s quiet hospital room, who looked to be sleeping peacefully, "Of course, the amount of blood he lost was another cause of his coma for several days. However I think I took the situation lightly¡­ it was¡­ I don''t know¡­" he shook his head lightly as he struggled to explain what he felt, "¡­ it''s something much bigger¡­ much complicated than we think¡­" eyes looked more stressed with the very fresh memory of what had happened to the teen in his sleep¡­ On the other line spoke Ellmer coolly. -I see¡­ you did well, however. You were able to save him. You stopped the bleeding and even managed to make him eat some fruits, right? You''re doing good, so thank you for taking care of my brother, Dr. Alvis. Alvis was taken aback by the other''s sincere gratitude; he honestly didn''t know how to respond to this unexpected side of the guy, so he remained silent. -Did he tell you¡­ why he refused food for years? Alvis brushed his hair back as he sighed lightly. "No, he didn''t want¡­ or more like, couldn''t talk about it." he recalled Davante''s pale face and trembling hands when he brought up the topic, covering his mouth as if holding back from throwing up any moment, refusing to meet his eyes as if ashamed, "He''s¡­ traumatized¡­ I don''t know what happened, but we shouldn''t force him to tell us everything now. It took me days to convince him to eat a little¡­" The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. -Hmm¡­ I know you''re probably stressed out, but I need you to keep taking care of him until I come back. Alvis walked silently toward the bed and looked at the serene face of the sleeping teen. "You don''t have to ask¡­" he smiled fondly, ''I¡¯ll always look after my sons¡­'' he turned his head as he added lowly, careful not to wake the boy, "By the way, what do you need to do so urgently that you left him to me in a hurry?" -¡­¡­ "Ellmer?" -We should be more careful from now on. This Academy¡­ will soon turn into a mess¡­ Alvis felt like time froze for a second. If Ellmer sounded worried, a disaster was surely coming their way. -I don''t know what stirred them up¡­ but apparently, they''re about to cause a commotion¡­ Anfinrud. Alvis looked at the floor with a stiff face, recalling his former boss; how the man warned him from leaving the company with his cold eyes and smile. -Anyway, please look after Davante for me. Alvis slowly lowered his hand holding the phone after the other ended the call immediately, staring at the floor while trying to silence the loud, stressful thoughts in his mind. "¡­Are you alright¡­?" Alvis snapped his head to meet Davante, who was looking at him with concern. "Sorry, did I wake you up?" he smiled warmly and walked to sit on the side of the bed beside the other. Davante blinked and turned to lay on his back, "No, I just woke up¡­" "You''re still tired, yeah? Go back to sleep." Alvis rested his hand on the other''s chest over the blanket like a parent would do to his child before sleep. "I slept the whole day. I¡¯m wide awake now¡­" Alvis shook his head slightly with a smile. "No, your face''s still tired¡­ sleep some more, Davante." Davante remained silent for a moment, then turned his head to the side, away from Alvis¡¯ caring eyes. "I¡­ want to talk with you¡­" Alvis widened his eyes slightly with a smile, looking surprised yet happy, "Alright, let''s talk." He kicked his shoes off and sat cross-legged on the bed, facing the other properly. Davante remained silent, trying to figure out how to start the talk. Alvis waited for him patiently; he knew the other had something more than just casual talk. "You asked me about the¡­ wound in my back¡­" Alvis inhaled slowly; he wanted to know about the horrible wound; it looked like a well-drawn art by a knife which was just so¡­ frightening. He feared that someone had tortured the teen before, but it wasn¡¯t even there when he had put the hospital gown over the boy when he was in a coma. "I¡­" Davante paused, looked hesitant, or if Alvis observed some more, he''d say the kid was even scared a little while still avoiding his eyes, "I told you I''d try to tell you everything eventually¡­ you may even find everything I''m about to tell you ridiculous¡­" "I won''t. I may be shocked, but I know I can believe everything you say," Alvis firmly said. Davante hummed quietly. "The reason I''m here to begin with is because of the lost red flower, is it not?" he paused, reorganizing his thoughts. "I still don''t know what happened under the tree on my first day here¡­ but from what you told me, my eyes became red when I started talking in my sleep, right¡­? I think that wasn''t me¡­" Alvis frowned at that, stunned. He didn''t know what to say but felt he shouldn''t talk for now and let the other voice everything out to him. "Ever since the incident with that flower, I started feeling the presence of another person within me¡­ another soul," he closed his eyes. Yeolard¡¯s face came immediately to his mind, "A guy who looks exactly like me except for his bloody eyes. I think¡­ because my mental state wasn''t stable at all, his soul wavered and got out of control¡­" he kept avoiding the man¡¯s eye and looked at the dark sky from the window, "¡­the injury, the flower on my back appeared exactly in that moment¡­ I think he was resisting within me, trying not to take over my body¡­ I mean he desperately asked you to wake me up." he looked at the ceiling, "If all I said turned out to be true, then¡­ I¡­" connecting the dots in his mind, "I think¡­ the red flower was, in fact, the trapped soul of someone¡­ ¡®his¡¯ soul¡­" he paused, awaiting a reaction from the other; he continued when he heard nothing, "It was known that the flower let out sounds close to weak cries while radiating at night, right? You can''t possibly think it was a normal flower, can you¡­?" Alvis crossed his arms over his chest and lowered his head a bit to think everything over, taking everything all at once. After several long minutes of silence, "It¡­ honestly sounds¡­ logical¡­" Davante looked at the man with an expressionless face, secretly shocked. He didn''t expect the other to seriously agree with him at all. He was waiting for the usual creeped-out look toward him, considering all his encounters with people wherever he went. ''They were all¡­ either frightened or sinister¡­'' "I see. It explains why it magically disappeared in one night. Furthermore, you were the only one there, passed out for hours¡­ okay then. We can say that''s one puzzle we solved! Thank you for telling me, Davante," Alvis said with a smile, looking totally convinced. Soon the man frowned in worry, however, ¡°But wait! Isn¡¯t that dangerous? Are you okay? We don¡¯t know when it will get out of control again¡­¡± Davante blinked; he suddenly remembered the first time he met Alvis in the past and the kind eyes he met from the man back then, and the moment the man looked at him after killing his mother, ''Eyes of guilt¡­ regret¡­'' he felt like he could see Alvis'' eyes more clearly now. The man noticed the other staring in complete silence; Alvis blinked and asked, voice filled with worry, "Davante? Is something wrong? Are you tired?" ''Kind¡­ caring¡­'' He recalled the moment he opened his eyes, waking up from his coma. The eyes he was met with were filled with tears¡­ ¡®Since the beginning¡­ those eyes were never frightened of me¡­'' He turned his face to the side in an attempt to hide his face from the other, pulling the blanket closer to his chin. Eventually, he said in a low voice, "I think I understand now¡­ why mother chose you of all people¡­ to take care of me that day¡­" Alvis was taken aback; he didn¡¯t know why he was smiling stupidly. He felt he should say something, but nothing seemed to come out. However, the calm silence between them was comforting; both remained silent, just listening to the quiet sound of cool air from the central AC. "¡­You''re¡­" Davante hesitated. Alvis never saw him like that; he never saw the usually calm and collected kid struggle for words before, like he wanted to let out something so deep in his heart for the first time¡­ so vulnerable; his face was so open for the first time. It was so new to Alvis, this side of Davante. "I¡­" pale hands grabbed the blanket nervously, trying desperately to say something. "Thank you¡­" Davante pulled the covers up to his chin, stopping himself from hiding under the covers and away from the wondering eyes of the man. "¡­y-you''ve always seen me as a normal kid¡­ even back then, the first thing you did was worry for me as a child rather than saying I''m creepy or abnormal¡­ you refused my mother''s request because you wanted what''s best for me¡­" he slowly turned his head, eyes still looking to the side and avoiding the smiling man, "I''m sorry if I was rude to you before¡­ I¡­ I¡­" he finally glanced at the other, who was staring with a smile, looking quite stunned, "I don''t know how¡­ I mean¡­ we''re not relatives, obviously, but¡­ I can''t treat you as a friend¡­ and¡­ you''re not my father, but you act like one¡­ um¡­ how should I address you now¡­?" Alvis couldn''t take it anymore; he quickly hid his face with his hand and turned his face with closed eyes away from the confused boy. ''Ugh! I don''t know what made him say all that out of nowhere, but can I just hug him? Kaven, you''re so seriously stupid for neglecting this innocent child!!'' he reluctantly answered, "Dad? Or uncle Alvis¡­?" Davante blinked at him, pushing the blanket to his chest, looking calmer now. "Uncle¡­?" Alvis rubbed his neck with an awkward smile, still looking to the side and embarrassed. "You see, before you were born, I told your father I''ll be the one and only uncle to his kid, like, I was ready to challenge anyone and everyone to own that seat¡­ haha." "¡­uncle Alvis, then." Alvis halted and turned to look seriously at the boy, his hand lowering slowly. "Can you get up?" Davante was confused but pushed himself up to sit on the bed. Alvis slightly leaned closer with a serious face. Davante got nervous and stopped himself from pushing the man away, "A¡­ u-uncle?" Suddenly and gently, Davante found himself pulled into a warm embrace. A hand rested on his head, soothingly ruffling his hair. "Then¡­" the man said in a whisper, ¡°I can finally call you son now.¡± Alvis closed his eyes with a smile, ¡°Right?¡± It was so new, so very new to Davante that he didn''t know what to feel. Being welcomed, hugged, and treated warmly like this¡­ getting called ''son'' so sincerely and genuinely like this. He felt himself tremble a little but held himself back from letting out any tear because¡­ he wasn''t used to this, wasn''t used to being openly vulnerable. He heard a voice in his head, his own voice yet calmer and¡­ stern somehow, ¡°The question used to be ¡®Can I trust?¡¯, then ¡®Am I ready for what comes next?¡¯, and now ¡® Am I going to break him?¡¯. In the end, they¡¯re all the same question. You¡¯re just going round in circles because you know, but so afraid to take the step.¡± The voice became gentler, ¡°It depends on his heart, right? It will either break you for good or fully recover you. The choice is always yours, and we both don¡¯t know the outcome of your choices, however¡­ I don¡¯t want you to lose sight of me again.¡± He felt a hand patting the top of his head kindly, though the man hugging him didn¡¯t seem to notice anything. The voice whispered gently, ¡°You cannot suppress your pain forever.¡± Davante closed his eyes, suddenly feeling calmer and¡­ assured with the voice that just spoke to him elegantly; he didn¡¯t have time to think what it was precisely as he was yet getting to know the feelings he had never experienced before. He slowly moved his trembling hand and weakly grabbed the man¡¯s sweater; he reluctantly asked, "Can I¡­ can I tell you¡­? Why I stopped eating¡­? Where I was all these years¡­?" he gulped, ¡°And about¡­ That room¡­?¡± . . "Good morning, dearest sister." A woman with dark skin and black, straight hair to her neck; stood at the doorway, with one hand on her hip and the other hovering over the open door as she just knocked at it, wearing a deluxe black suit, staring at the other girl in the room with cold-oily eyes and a hint of a smirk on her lips. "Our beloved father wonders if you''re done with the painting." With her fancy dress, long, wavy blonde hair, and white-pale skin, the other girl put down her brush very calmly. She sat elegantly on her comfortable cushion in front of a medium-sized, black canvas. She softly answered, not turning to the other girl standing by the door behind her back. "You may take it now."
The End of CH. 20 21. Moments of Remorse "You''re really doing this now, Ashley¡­" The woman stared coldly at the man with her hands behind her back, impatient, ¡°Your soup¡¯s getting cold, Alvin.¡± The little boy peeked through the slightly opened door of the dimly lit room. A moment so silent, slow, yet so short. No breath could be heard for a long minute. The boy waited with a heavy heart. He stared with wide eyes as the feeble man on the bed in the room suddenly had a look the boy had never witnessed in him before. The boy held his breath as if afraid to hear what was coming next from his beloved uncle, who looked so cold at the mother. "I¡­ wish you a pitiful death." His little legs froze in place at the cold words of his uncle. Looking in fear, his ever-kind uncle slowly took the spoon and had a gulp of the soup, satisfying the mother, who let out a breath of relief before turning and silently walking to the door. ¡®She poisoned uncle Alvin¡­ she killed him¡­¡¯ Blurry memories, and soon¡­ he found himself getting dragged by his so-called mother away from his sleeping brother¡­ his brother¡­ his innocent big brother who had loved others so strongly¡­ "Well, blame your ignorant father for this! Quit looking at me like that!" He still glared at her all the way to the orphanage. He still struggled and perhaps let out insults unbefitting coming from a child. "Don''t you think your brother''s the biggest fool here? Who could ignore all the signs and still believe such a filthy mother? Not to mention his promise to you¡­¡± It hurt¡­ it hurt to hear the truth from someone who had never met his beloved brother¡­ it hurt because he never wanted to blame his brother¡­ "You''ve seen everything, heard everything behind the door, haven''t you?!" The rushing moments hit the brakes momentarily at the wicked eyes of the hateful woman he refuses to call her ¡®mother¡¯¡­ "Then why didn''t YOU do something to save your beloved uncle, HUH?!" The accusing eyes got so close to his with a loud, hissing whisper. ¡°WHY?¡± Be-beep¡ª Be-beep¡ª Be-beep¡­ One eye cracked open, blinking twice to adjust to the morning light. The guy with an eyepatch slowly grabbed his phone and turned off the alarm. He sighed, forcing his heavy body to rise from the comfy bed. Blue eye stared silently at the cold floor.
The Red Flower Chapter. 21
Alvis threw his tired body on his bed, causing him to bounce lightly before going still. The long sigh refused to be let out for some reason; there was a lump in his throat. Laying silently in the darkroom, the small crack in the curtains allowed a bit of sunlight into the room. Draping one arm over his eyes, the other hand gripping a paper. After several long minutes, the hand started shaking ever so slightly. Then burning tears began falling down the man''s cheeks. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. He couldn''t let out any sound, just silently crying his heart out in his small room. He slightly tightened his hold on the paper, the letter. ¡ªI''m taking this paper in my hands to write down a letter. It was so dark. They locked me in that windowless room ¡°to force ''HIM'' out¡±, was what they said. They offered me food, but it smelled terrible. It was so sickening¡­ eventually, I couldn''t smell anything anymore. I refused to eat¡­ Days or even weeks passed¡­ I didn''t even notice myself peeing in my pants, and I couldn''t smell or feel a thing. But in the end, I felt ravenous¡­ they kept bringing food one after another, one meal a day. Still, I never got to taste any of them, so I kept them by the door and never even looked at the food as it was appropriately covered along with an elegant platter. I reached a point where I couldn''t take it anymore. I just needed food. So I crawled to the plates, took the meal from the day before, and took a bite without a second thought. The first few bites, I gulped without much thought. I wasn''t in my right state of mind to feel anything but hunger¡­ but when I came to my senses¡­ Chew¡­ chew¡­ and chew¡­ Squelch¡­ squelch¡­ and squelch¡­ then¡­ Metallic taste¡­ raw meat¡­ almost¡­ rotten¡­ I felt it¡­ I tasted it¡­ The fresh meat of a human¡­ It was someone''s hand, served to me on a platter¡­ The other meals were the same... I tried to scream, but nothing came out¡­ I couldn''t even throw up. I heard voices¡­ voices¡­ voices¡­¡­ whispers, laughter, hisses¡­ Some were angry at me, and some pitied me¡­ some were enjoying my state. I hated you, I hated you¡­ I hated my mother¡­ I hated my father¡­ I hated¡­ Day by day, their voices became a calming white noise to me. I saw him in the dark, a scribbled guy who looked like me, yet older. He told me I have to die¡­ to live. Funny? It was. He also laughed at his own words. He said¡­ they play their game, and we play ours. That was how I found myself moving to the door, a rotten arm in my own small hand. I remember scratching the door¡­ scratch¡­ scratch¡­ That was the first sound I had let out since the first day in that room. So naturally, the guard carefully opened the door¡­ And I, a small child, managed to deceive him¡­ jumped at him, stuffed the rotten hand in his mouth, and forced him to taste it himself. My first attempt to kill someone. I was happy¡­ Excited¡­ I laughed¡­ I laughed¡­ it felt good¡­ torturing someone felt good. Becoming a monster was easy¡­ TEMPTING. Then a girl showed up out of nowhere¡­ she cautiously cradled me in her arms and kept singing serenely in my ear¡­ That was¡­ the first time I¡¯d ever found comfort in someone. She said she''d always be by my side¡­ and slowly¡­ I fell asleep¡­ I wonder if I really woke up ever since then¡­ Just yesterday¡­ it felt like I was in a deep sleep for years¡­ I felt cold, numb¡­ I wondered if it was the absence of food¡­ I''m aware that normal people would never be able to go for one year without food at all. I¡¯m aware¡­ I keep telling myself, "someone''s flesh still is, to this day¡­ inside me." One look at myself in the mirror¡­ made me think it was okay. This feels okay¡­ I''m okay. Because¡­ I had no intention of fixing myself¡­ Because I felt dead¡­ "I have to die in order to live." I sank deeper, deeper into my sleep¡­ Then I woke up¡­ Mother wanted¡­ me to live. My mother who was always afraid of me and wanted me away¡­ She wanted me to go back to you¡­ I believe¡­ that wasn''t a dream¡­ it was my real mother telling me what she truly wanted¡­ My only regret¡­ is that I¡­ I allowed them to dress me in a monster costume however they wanted. I can''t find my voice to say a word, I was never one to speak out, but my father once told me to draw down anything whenever I find it hard to express myself¡­ This is frightening, I''m scared, but I trust you¡­ I chose to trust this letter to you. You tried so hard to fix me and lend me your hand, and now I can say I really appreciate it¡­ I appreciate you. The least I could do¡­ is open up to you. But, uncle? There is no point in finding out who to blame¡­ There is no use in pointing fingers. We all¡­ became sinners at some point. In the end, no one made a move. We were pawns up till now. Alvis had been just a man who wanted to become a doctor to help people unconditionally¡­ Elois had been just a kid who wanted to love his family so dearly¡­ Owin had been just a kid who wanted to protect his beloved family¡­ So please¡­ stick together. There is no use and time to think of what-ifs anymore¡­ And as for me¡­ your ¡®nephew¡¯? I''ll do my best¡­ I''ll move on. So, for once, let it all out and look ahead. You can do as you please with this letter¡­ ¡ªDavante Fixsen. Icy-blue eyes fluttered open to meet the warm, welcoming light of a new day. He felt so well-rested for the first time in his whole life. He blinked blearily at the person sitting comfortably beside him on the bed. The person lifted his head from looking at his phone to smiling at Davante. "Oh, good morning. Slept well?" ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡± Davante blinked, hesitated for a second, and then offered a warm smile to Ellmer, who widened his eyes, taken aback by the smile. "Good morning¡­ b-brother?"
The End of CH. 21 22. Slowly But Surely ''I kept quiet, every day, every night¡­'' ''I understood your constant absence from home¡­'' ''I''ve been waiting for the day you come back home with the medicine we''ve dreamed of for a long time¡­'' ''I remained silent every time you left through the same door every morning¡­'' ''I remained silent even though I knew you would be late to return as usual¡­'' ''I remained silent even when I started thinking¡­'' "This time¡­ will you disappear forever¡­ if you close that door?" ''Would it have been better to cry and tell you my fears¡­?'' Little Elois waved silently at his smiling father, staring at the door slowly closing behind his father¡¯s retreating back.
The Red Flower Chapter. 22
A low, cluttering sound of keys was heard in the silent house; the door opened slowly right after, followed by a sigh. The man closed the door with a soft click and locked it before checking the empty living room. From the look of the dimly lit place, he knew everyone was asleep; it was past midnight, after all. He took off his shoes and stepped into his house; he stopped when he found one door kept ajar, and a faint light was coming from the room¡­ his brother''s room. He slowly walked to the door to take a look inside. He carefully pushed the door to see his twin brother sitting on the bed, with the two kids sleeping on his lap. Alvin noticed his brother and smiled gently; he whispered, "Welcome home." Alvis smiled back tiredly and walked into the room; he left his bag and coat on the floor and sat beside the bed, resting his head on his palm to look fondly at his sleeping kids. "Were they waiting again¡­?" Alvin turned his head to his left to look at something on the bedside table. Alvis turned to look as well; he didn¡¯t expect to find a drawing of two kids with their father, a "Happy birthday!" written above the drawing, and a cute little flower lying on top of the paper¡­ "That''s¡­" "They wanted to surprise you when you come back," Alvin said with a soft chuckle while gently patting the two kids. Alvis threw his head on the warm blanket to hide his face. "Ugh! Now I feel so bad¡­" "Elois suggested to wait here in my room, knowing you''d check on me first thing when you come home," he looked at the two cute kids sleeping soundly. "In the end, they fell asleep," he patted Owin''s tiny back. "Owin was ready to cry and complain, but Elois scolded him, saying that they can''t complain when you''re doing your best at work¡­" Alvis slowly raised his head to look sadly at Elois. "Elois did¡­?" he sighed. "You always joke about how you feel Elois hates you because he never sticks to you the way he does with his mother¡­" Alvin gently stroked the older kid¡¯s fluffy hair. "But after observing him carefully, he avoids you because he just isn''t good at expressing himself. To him, you''re the kindest person in the whole world, the best father, a man to be fully respected." This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Alvis blinked and lifted his head a bit more away from the blanket, widening his eyes at his brother the more he talked about his distant kid. "But he isn''t sure how to show his love to you other than silently understand and support you¡­" Alvin looked sad for a moment. "He follows Ashely and tries to make her smile in your absence¡­ in short, he''s just trying to support and help every one of us in his own way." he turned to look at his brother with a gentle smile. "It''s hard for your son to speak of his feelings and fears¡­ so please pay attention to him, Alvis." Alvis sat alone in his room and on the bed, staring sadly but fondly at the small family picture in his hand, a picture of him and his twin brother and two lovely kids. He softly sighed with a small smile, "¡­you were right, Alvin." . . "Hm~? Brother~?" Ellmer said teasingly as he smiled at the boy; he relaxed his body on the bed, laying on his side with his palm supporting his head, "I thought you''d never believe we''re brothers." Davante tilted his head to the side innocently. "¡­should I doubt you¡­?" "¡®Why do you care so much about me if we''re not related?¡¯ Is what you want to ask?" Ellmer asked with a smirk. "Uhm¡­" Davante stared silently at his observing brother, troubled at being read so easily. "Because you''re my cute little brother, indeed~" the older brother chuckled at the lost look of his little brother. "Thank you for believing me," he closed his eyes with a warm smile. Davante still looked troubled, unable to react to this side of Ellmer. It was clear to Ellmer that the boy still found it difficult to keep up with him. Ellmer saved him the trouble again. "But I think it''s unfair that you know nothing about me when I''ve seen and known much about you already, don¡¯t you think so?" Davante looked at his hands on his lap. "I can''t¡­ ask you to tell me everything about you¡­" "Hmm, you can. Not a happy life, though, so don''t expect much." Ellmer turned on his back to look at the white ceiling, starting casually without waiting for an answer. "I grew up in a¡­ corrupted orphanage. They never really cared about the kids. They just wanted money, so they made the kids work around the streets. But I never listened to or worked for them, so they beat me almost daily. Slowly, I got so tired of their beating and gave up. However, on my way to work, I accidentally found a beautiful place, a forest that separates the city from a peaceful village. And so it became my secret shelter," he paused, contemplating something before he continued, "One day, I helped two lost twins find their mother. When we found her, she got concerned after noticing the injuries all over my face and body and asked me about it. Eventually, the mother and her husband decided to adopt me. I never felt¡­ at home. A stranger, no matter what they did." He shrugged, "The peaceful days didn''t last for long. I was out with the mother shopping for groceries. When we were crossing the street¡­ some food fell from me, I was going to grab them quickly, but the mother suddenly pushed me away from a speeding car, and¡­ she died." Despite the indifferent tone, his eyes looked somewhat¡­ apologetic? Davante wondered if his brother had felt guilty till now. "The father was too shocked by the news, and from then on, he started beating me every time he looked at me, reminding me that I was the cause of her death. He kept abusing me until, one day, I was finally about to die from his beating. I was sent to a hospital, and the doctor interrogated the father. They were going to put him in jail, but for some reason, an old man offered to help him out if he sold me, so the father sold me to the man so easily. He took the money to buy drugs or whatever, and the old man took me to Anfinrud organization¡­ that was how I found myself forced to work for them." Davante noticed Ellmer¡¯s face frowning slightly. "The twins, though, never left my side. They still refuse to leave me. They even left their father like it was nothing¡­ you remember them? Kito and Kyle." "Ah, yes¡­" "I can''t see them as my brothers¡­ just two kids I need to take care of. Say it''s cold of me, but I can''t force myself to accept them as my brothers.¡± The frown was gone in an instant, ¡°Then I found out about you and my whole family¡­ I learned that my mother left me by the orphanage without any word, and my father¡­ well, he worked with Anfinrud and ruined kids like me before he disappeared, so what do I expect?" He closed his eyes with a casual smirk as if he had just talked about a silly children¡¯s story. "That almost sums up my whole life story until now." Davante remained silent for a short while, looking down. "Do you¡­ forgive my¡ª our mother?" Ellmer looked deep in thought before turning to lay on his side and answering, observing the teen¡¯s face with sharp crimson eyes, "Do I have to?" Davante hesitated for a moment. "It''s just¡­ she always treated me like an unwanted child, like a freak¡­" he noticed how the other stiffened at that, but he decided to continue, "¡­I think it''s hard to live on with nothing but hatred towards a certain someone¡­ so..." "You think I''d get exhausted if I detest her all my life?" He calmly looked to the side, "It''s not easy to forgive¡­ of course, my situation is nothing like yours, I know¡­ but¡­" Ellmer let out a huge sigh and suddenly threw his head on his brother''s lap, startling Davante, who said nothing even though he wanted so much to yelp out loud. "Has anyone ever told you you''re too compassionate?" the older brother asked with a soft smile, eyes closed, looking so comfortable as he rested his head on the blanket above the teen¡¯s lap. Davante widened his eyes, looking taken aback and troubled again, "¡­I don''t think¡­ so?" There was a moment of comfortable silence between the two brothers. Davante stared silently at his brother¡¯s smile, slowly dropping away as he calmly looked at the window. "I simply don''t care about her¡­ she never gave me a chance to know her, I wanted to know at least if she was a decent mother to my little brother, but you can''t stop me from judging her now after knowing how she treated you." Davante decided to say nothing to that; he himself didn¡¯t know what to think of his mother. He stared in silence; his brother was¡­ huge compared to him. His lap was rather so tiny to fit Ellmer''s head alone. He couldn¡¯t help but feel¡­ that the big guy looked so small at that moment, vulnerable maybe. Slowly, he brought his hand to rest on silky dark-red hair. He started to gently pat the other''s head in a slow, calming way. ''This¡­ is so familiar¡­'' He was reminded of moments of his childhood with his father. Tiny hands were fluffing light blond hair in silence. ''Oh¡­ father used to do this whenever he was stressed or back from work¡­ he found comfort in me¡­ before he¡­'' his eyes turning cold and lifeless for a second, ''changed¡­'' "I want to protect this peacefulness¡­" Davante was brought back to the present by the calm voice of his brother. He stopped his hand when the other slowly pushed himself up to face him with a serious look. "I admit my intention of meeting you was ill in a way, but after watching you, knowing you¡­ I want to keep you safe. And I can''t do that if Anfinrud is still around¡­ so we need to know everything, every little thing about what we''re dealing with¡­ and I''m sure I''m not the only one who thinks of bringing that organization down. That¡¯s why¡­" his face hardened as his gaze turned sharp at his brother, ¡°I need you to tell me everything you know, Davante." . . Two knocks at the door interrupted Elois'' thoughts, breaking the room¡¯s heavy silence. He forced his body to move grumpily from the bed to the door. He grabbed the knob and twisted it without much thought. "How come we never see each other nowadays when we''re literally living in the same place, son?" Elois stilled in place, stopping his hand from pulling the door close at the gentle voice of the man standing before him. He gulped, a massive lump in his throat¡­ lips were trembling as he tried to stop himself from letting out any sound¡­ Wide, glistening eyes with unshed tears stared at the kindest eyes he had been running away from for so long. Alvis'' eyes softened, and he smiled warmly at the look on his oldest son¡¯s face, who looked nothing but a child trying hard to stop himself from crying any moment. "Can I come in, Elois?"
The End of CH. 22 23. The Connecting Thread "We got separated that day¡­" "I was thrown in an orphanage that gathered kids for Anfinrud''s experiments. Elois, however¡­ was the victim of Lucas'' secret experiment¡­" "I could be sure to say Lucas was the one who sent you our jackets and mom''s bracelet in a box along with the letter unless he had someone other than mom that day, which I doubt was the case¡­ or maybe he used a fake name for some reason." "After gathering information from various sources, I found out that Lucas Feldstain¡­" Owin turned slowly to face his father, "¡­was the Fixsens'' neighbor for years¡­ and Mrs. Ebele''s ex-husband." Alvis let the information sink in slowly, his eyes widening. Silence filled the air around the son and his father in the office. Owin smiled at his bewildered father, "Mr. Kaven, or even Davante, may know some things about Lucas¡­ and maybe¡­ Baldrick."
The Red Flower Chapter. 23
The room was silent. It felt like time had stopped for a moment, and everything stilled in its place, and they could just settle like this. However, both father and son knew that wasn''t the case, and they still needed to do something, say something to fix their situation. Someone has to resolve the heavy tension hanging between them, and that wasn''t Elois for sure, Alvis thought. Was he, the father, nervous? He could be lying to say he wasn¡¯t; he was so scared of what might happen if he talked now; what if he said something totally wrong and broke Elois even more? He must study each word before pushing it out to his kid. He was sitting beside him on the same bed, but his son felt so far away with how he sat back-hunched and doing his best not to run away from his father, keeping a distance between them and trembling silently. The poor kid held back his tears; he looked close to having a panic attack at any moment, which hurried the father to think of something to say soon. "I''ve heard you got your memories back¡­ I¡­ I understand if it''s too hard for you to¡ª" "I killed many-¡­" Alvis looked at his son, confused at the confession. He got even more worried when his son¡¯s breaths became rapid, and his trembling worsened. Elois¡¯ eyes were wide and scared, like a frightened kid of being hated by his parent, traumatized. "I killed many people- doctors or scientists¡­ all from Anfinrud! And-¡­" he bit his trembling lip so hard before continuing, "I even killed an innocent girl¡­" Alvis didn¡¯t come to see his son breaking even further right in front of his own two eyes. He was about to reach his hand out when Elois finally burst into tears and raised his voice as if he couldn''t contain all the demons inside him anymore. "How- How can I face you- How can I show you my face with my hands stained with blood?!" "That makes two of us, then¡­" Elois halted abruptly; time stilled again. He thought for a moment that maybe he had misheard his father in his outburst, a thing he couldn''t or didn''t want to believe. Two of us? Two of us?? What was that? He knew the meaning, of course, but it was almost impossible coming from the most harmless and kind man he had ever known. He slowly took the chance to glance at his father with a tear-stained face and eyes wide. "¡­Wha-¡­at¡­?" Alvis slowly lifted his hand to point at the scar on his left eye, keeping his eyes on the other. "I killed someone too¡­ your father, a man you never imagined anything bad from him, killed a woman." he let his hand fall back on the bed and looked down at his hands and away from his son¡¯s shocked eyes. He smiled dejectedly, ashamed to admit it openly. "Ebele¡­ Davante''s mother¡­ right in front of him¡­" Elois took in a sharp breath without meaning to; he was immediately reminded of his first day with Davante in the past when the boy held his cup with a calm face, not looking at him as he answered his rude and insensitive questions¡­ ¡°My father left years ago, and my mother is dead. Yes, she was killed.¡± Elois felt like everything made sense to him, yet nothing did at the same time. ''He looked¡­ so calm¡­ he didn''t even react when he met dad after so long¡­ no sign of animosity¡­'' He recalled how Davante looked so dead calm despite everything happening around him. Now that he remembers his young friend¡¯s eyes most of the time, ''Was he¡­ really calm? All this time¡­ was he¡­ hurting inside¡­?'' If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. He was reminded again when he asked Davante about the girl, the neighbor he killed. ''Even that time¡­ How many times did you force yourself to look calm and unbothered¡­? How long¡­'' "Even though he told me it wasn''t my fault, that it was a mistake, an unfortunate accident¡­" Alvis brought the other back to the present. "Still, it doesn''t change the fact that I stabbed her. She died because of me¡­ that also makes me a murderer, right?" he looked back at Elois, who stopped crying. That was one step, Alvis thought. He smiled sadly at his son. "It''s nothing to share or be proud of¡­ we can''t make excuses for our crimes¡­ but were we really willing to kill?" Alvis observed his son, noticing his eyes drifting somewhere far in the past, "It was a mistake on my part, indeed." Alvis reached a hand to rest it on his son''s shoulder, looking at the other with stern trusting eyes, "And I know for sure, my eldest son would never have killed any soul willingly or consciously." he tightened his grip on his son''s shoulder when he felt him about to object, "Elois, you are a victim." Elois stopped with wide eyes like the fact had never reached his mind even once before. "You were abducted, toyed with by your own mother, played by a stranger, then tossed alone in who knows where to wander around with your nightmares," The man¡¯s voice exposed his hidden anger the more he talked about the horrible experience; hardly holding his feelings back in front of his hurting son. "Were you able to differentiate between reality and those nightmares? Mental states could do much more damage to the person than physical states," he grabbed Elois¡¯ shoulders with little force to force the cyan eyes to look at him, careful not to hurt his son as his body wanted so bad to knock someone out right then and there, "Even if the whole world see you as a murderer, I will never be against you. I will forever help you! Save you! Guide you when you''re lost! As long as I''m alive in this world, I will be by your side because you''re my son! And also¡ª" he paused for a second to calm down. He looked warmly at his wide-eyed son; voice lowered down almost to a whisper but loud enough to be heard by Elois. "No matter what anyone says, nobody knows what battles you''ve gone through, right? Let them judge all they want." He carefully pulled his son into a tight, gentle hug and whispered, eyes closed with a smile, "It was a mistake, horrible mistake, a complicated one at that¡­ but your father''s here with you now, along with your brother and true friends. No need to hide or run away anymore. I¡¯ll never lose sight of you again. The scary days, the cold nights¡­ it''s all in the past now, son. It''s okay to cry. It¡¯s okay to tell me all your fears¡­¡± he patted his son¡¯s head so gently when he felt the guy trembling again, trying hard to stop any sound from coming out as he was close to tears, ¡°It''s okay, Elois." Elois gritted his teeth and forced his mouth shut; whatever he felt was just too overwhelming and big to put into several words. Lips were trembling, suffocating; it was so suffocating. But his father¡¯s voice telling him to let it go made him realize that it was too much already, that he had finally¡­ reached his limit, no, maybe he had reached his limits a long time ago. And so his trembling hands gripping the blanket moved slowly to grab at his father''s sweater. One little whimper was like a switch to let out everything he had kept inside for years, cries getting out in loud wails close to a baby''s. Alvis hugged his son tightly as his kid cried it all out, rubbing comfortably on the other''s quivering back. . . "Alright, so¡­ after your mother''s death, your father dragged you to a castle, saying an old friend would take care of you from then on," Ellmer revised carefully. "And you were tortured in there by a said friend and his lackey to make sure of something you never knew what it was. You say the people there are actually vampires, and then with the help of a girl named Emmie, you were allowed to leave the castle from time to time," he paused to collect his thoughts. "From your little trips outside the castle, you encountered some people who tried to kill you, and you learned later they were from the ''Anfinrud organization''. You were able to avoid them all somehow, but they never came after you anymore when you went back to the castle and remained there for years." he paused to make sure he didn''t forget anything. "So you never knew anything about Anfinrud or Cavalon or anything at all. All you know is that they want you dead and found out later that your neighbor, Lucas, worked for Anfinrud until he disappeared, but you never really met him even once,¡± he turned to look at his brother, ¡°Yeah?" Davante nodded silently before he observed the other. "You¡­ believe me? That vampires do exist¡­?" "After everything I''ve seen from Anfinrud, I''ll have to expect the impossible, better for my own sanity,¡± Ellmer said indifferently, making Davante lost of what to say anymore, secretly agreeing. Ellmer looked at his brother again, ¡°What made you visit the Academy after years of staying in the castle?" Looking to the side, Davante hesitated, or more like troubled by how to answer that, somehow knowing that the older brother wouldn¡¯t like what he was about to say; the reason also sounded ridiculous even to himself, "That¡­ Emmie¡­ suggested we play a game¡­ I only had to take a look at the flower and go back, but¡­" "I find it hard to believe she sent you all the way here just for a silly game¡­¡± Ellmer closed his eyes with a bright smile, ¡°I can doubt her, right?" It didn''t sound like a question to the young sibling; the older brother had already decided that the girl is an enemy and someone not to be trusted, and any attempt to deny it would not be accepted. "She¡­ isn''t a bad person¡­" Davante looked down at his fidgeting hands; he looked at Ellmer once again and quickly changed the topic. "You said that Xenos Anfinrud and Ral Cavalon were supposed to be against each other, but their actions didn''t really show that, and seemingly they were both acting the same way somehow¡­" Ellmer hummed, not knowing where this was going, but he was willing to get on the same line of thought with his little brother, "Yeah¡­ According to Alvis, they were close friends, best friends even. However, they both changed at the same time and cut ties. Everyone believed it was just a serious fight or something." "Both changed at the same time¡­?" looking down in thought, Davante kept silent for some time before asking again, "When exactly did they change?" Ellmer blinked but answered anyway, "Hmm, let''s see¡­ he did say something about an abandoned lab¡­? The last thing Alvis heard from Xenos before he changed was that he would check a laboratory. He didn''t say where, and he did ask Alvis to come along, but Alvis refused¡­ so we can assume he changed the same day or after he went to that laboratory." Davante tried to connect everything in his head with a calm face. He knew the connecting thread was evident; it was there and within his reach, almost close. ''I confirmed that Baldrick and Lucas are the same person based on Karl, Baldrick''s sister¡­ and I''m sure he''s the game''s¡­ owner¡­ and¡­'' he suddenly widened his eyes. Ellmer watched intently. He knows the other reached something from the looks of it. The silence was something else; it grew heavier each minute, with the younger one¡¯s eyes blinking as he looked intensely down at the blanket. Finally, Davante spoke. "We have to expect the impossible, right?" Ellmer wasn¡¯t expecting to hear his own words coming from his little brother. He said it sarcastically; when it came from his brother, however¡­ it sounded chilling for some reason, and he couldn¡¯t know what to feel at the cold eyes of his brother at that moment; it looked like the eyes of a calm predator finally catching his prey¡­ Davante calmly looked the other in the eye and raised his hands slightly; one hand pointed out one finger, and the other had three fingers out. "So we can suspect that one person can play several roles simultaneously." Ellmer widened his eyes slightly at that. "One man,¡± he moved the one finger, ¡°Playing the role of these three,¡± moving the three fingers next, ¡°Making it seem like each is acting on his own. Someone is controlling both Xenos and Ral while wandering around by the fake name ''Lucas Feldstain''."
The End of CH. 23 24. Mock-Play In a secret forest and inside the small hidden cottage beside the woody door stood Ellmer, silently listening to the story being told rather earnestly despite how silly it seemed to him. The man sat on the bed with the light from the window softly covering him, talking with a gentle smile as if he wasn''t profoundly injured and just woke up from a near-death experience with bandages all over his body. "There was a novel my sister took good care of¡­ the main character is a unique kind of vampire who used to be a doctor. He worked really hard to help humans despite him being a vampire. A very long story of how he discovered what both humans and vampires have done to his dead family. How he decided to erase the existence of all the vampires and destroy the humans who heartlessly took advantage of his dear family. He managed to kill almost all the vampires. And as for the humans, he targeted the wealthy families that were behind what happened to his family¡­ do you know how he destroyed them?" the tan colored man didn''t look at Ellmer; he couldn¡¯t see with his eyes even if he turned to look at the teen, as the bandages covered one eye and the other covered with his long black fringe. He maintained his smile as if amused, "He simply stole their roles one by one. The whole theatre became his." the man turned to where he knew the teen was standing and glaring grumpily at him. "The audience didn''t know. There were still different actors in the play displayed before them after all, and the fun show goes on with no sign of disturbances."
The Red Flower Chapter. 24
Ellmer sat on his bed in silence in his small dark room, not minding the cold air around him as waterdrops kept dripping from his wet hair to the towel on his shoulders. He looked intently at the floor as if it held all the answers he needed. His head was jumbled after his discussion with his brother; he recalled it all from the start. He tried to think carefully, but every time his brain took him back to the day he first heard of That novel from the wounded man. Piecing everything together¡­ he felt like they were living in that novel. Again and again, Davante''s words were repeated in his mind. "This may sound¡­ very confusing, and maybe doesn''t make sense¡­ so Lucas worked for Anfinrud for some time then went missing with no trace of his whereabouts. Mother always expressed her fear of ''Baldrick'', who is her ex-husband, while Alucia always called her father ''Lucas''. You also got to know your father by the name ''Lucas''. Baldrick was unknown to everyone except our mother, only ''Lucas''. However¡­" Davante paused as he carefully thought of how to explain his guess. "I suppose you know this already¡­ Lucas Feldstain kidnapped Alvis'' kids, one of them was the victim, and that''s Elois. But Alvis asked me about ''Baldrick'' some time ago, not Lucas¡­ you told me he received a box after the disappearance of his kids and wife, along with a letter by the name ''Baldrick Alastair'' reminding him of a certain threat¡­ even though, Xenos was the only one who threatened him of leaving the company. Unsurprisingly, he would first assume that Xenos and Baldrick could be the same." Davante collected his thoughts carefully and looked back at his brother. "Since Lucas was the one who kidnapped them, we can assume he is also the one who sent the box to Alvis. And keeping my mother''s words in mind along with the whole thing about the letter, we can say¡­ Baldrick and Lucas are the same person, right?" "I¡­ suppose so¡­" Ellmer started to get where Davante was going with this¡­ he was more stunned by how sharp his little brother was to think of all that more than the issue itself. "Next, based on what you told me of Lucas'' records in the company¡­ Xenos and Ral changed at the same time, acted the same some way, and took similar actions together¡­ this all happened ¡®After¡¯ his disappearance from the company. Let''s just say for now that Baldrick worked in Anfinrud for some time as Lucas to observe Xenos from a distance for some reason. Then he left once he took control of Xenos'' body in some way somehow¡­ because now there is no need for the real him to stay in the company anymore¡­" Ellmer thought deeply before asking. "Let''s say that''s all true for now. Then what about Ral? There was no trace of Lucas in Cavalon''s company, so how¡­?" he looked intently at his brother, who lightly brushed his hair as he looked down in deep thought, looking unsure. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. "Seems to me that he targeted Xenos, knowing it would be easy to target Ral at the same time. I mean, it was clear they were best friends¡­" Davante said with an uncertain look in his eyes, "These are all assumptions¡­ how he stole their roles? Why would he do that? I have no idea at all¡­" Ellmer sat casually with his chin resting on his palm. "This is too much to handle¡­" he lightly tapped beside his eye with his finger. "I shouldn''t be surprised¡­ I should''ve taken his words seriously back then¡­ that novel¡­" he smirked before standing up, calmly drying his wet hair with the towel. "There is no way he told me about it just for fun in that kind of state after That incident after all," he hummed in thought. "Would it be best to visit him soon¡­?" His phone rang abruptly, breaking his thoughts for once. He sighed and took his phone from the bedside table, checking the caller¡¯s name on the screen before picking up. "Yes?" -Hey, I''ve read your message. Said the other one with a chuckle at the end, a hint of exhaustion in his voice, however. "So, what do you think?" Ellmer asked, walking casually to the long window and looking at the night lights through the crack of the curtains. -Well, I believe every bit of Davante''s theory. My friend has some news for us that could help prove his theory. "Do tell," Ellmer waited patiently. -Okay, so. Xenos allows anyone to visit him in his office from early morning till 5 in the evening every day, and no one ever seen him leave the office even once after that hour. "That''s all old news," Ellmer added. -Yup, but here is the thing, my friend thought it would be better to keep an eye on Xenos'' mansion for some time. Still, he has never seen Xenos go back home, no matter how long he stays up to keep watch. So the idiot decided to somehow sneak into his office at night and try his luck one day, but Xenos wasn''t even there. Ellmer kept silent and allowed Owin to deliver the news and complain to him about his friend as he liked, the guy sounded pissed yet proud, and it was honestly amusing in a way. -The first day he wasn''t there, then the next, the next, and so on. It''s almost insulting that he didn''t even care to place any cameras around as if he was fooling around. My friend tried sneaking in at different hours after 5 and found no one in there every time. He kept watching the whole time and was sure Xenos didn''t leave at all, also no trace of escaping from the window, given the height, or any secret escape route. So let''s be even more ridiculous and say he teleports! Because he isn''t even the real Xenos! "¡­okay, let''s all lose our minds, alright. You sound so excited to tell me more, so go on." he held back a chuckle and smirked with his eyes closed, amused by the other''s apparent excitement while still complaining. He reached for a bottle of water from the small table in front of the window; he suddenly felt thirsty after all the events and theories. -Alright, so listen to this. He also kept an eye on Cavalon organization. I think you know that Ral is still alive. He also prevents anyone from visiting him after 3. So my very adventurous friend decided to try out his luck again and found no one in the office! "Same pattern, then¡­" Ellmer concluded, Davante''s explanation repeated in the back of his mind. -Yup. So really, Davante didn''t jump so far with his theory. But the most important thing is¡­ "¡­Owin?" Ellmer lowered the bottle; the other''s voice took a turn down suddenly. -He kind of found out the location of the abandoned lab¡­ Ellmer widened his eyes slightly. "You mean the one Xenos talked about with your father?" -Yes¡­ and it''s somewhere in this Academy¡­ "...!!" Ellmer was rendered speechless. -He doesn''t know where exactly, but it''s close¡­ "¡­¡­alright, anything else he found out?" he couldn''t find the words to comment on the matter. He needed time to take all this in, think of what to do next, and very carefully. -Uhm¡­ actually, he was caught by his teammates. You know he works in Cavalon as a spy and all. They''ve been suspicious of him for some time now, but I guess this is the end of his investigation so far. "And why do you sound so calm? They could kill him any time now¡­" Ellmer knew the other should be more on edge by the news, knowing how he is and how close he is with ''this'' friend after all. -Don''t worry. I know my friend so well. He''s quite a handful. You should know by now after everything I told you, haha. At least I can finally see him now. About the time I put a limit to his suicidal brain. "So, you''re saying he''s coming here?" he heard a happy chuckle. -Yup! I''m sure he''ll manage to come in one piece! God, I''m so excited to see him again!! Kinda glad they caught him sneaking, ahaha! Well, if Owin was sure of his friend¡¯s safety, then he didn¡¯t need to add another idiot to his list of idiots to worry about, Ellmer thought. . . Meanwhile¡ª "Sorry, Diara¡­" the group of black suits lowered their heads, ashamed. A girl with messily braided pigtails; walked silently toward them with a stoic face, calm yet seemingly pissed. "He got away, huh? Tsk¡­" "We''re not sure. He did jump off the balcony¡­" She walked to where her team members pointed and looked down with her sharp eyes. "Seriously, no one could survive jumping from this height¡­" she narrowed her eyes before turning to her members. "Still, keep looking everywhere for him. We have to catch the damn rat." They all straightened their backs. "Roger!" and each rushed in a direction. Diara stood in silence; she glanced behind her back at where he jumped from. "I know you''re not dead, you rascal." she walked away with her boots hitting hard on the floor. A guy with black hair pulled up in a tiny ponytail kept silent as he hung by the railings. He skillfully pushed himself and jumped over the bridge with a wide smirk, "Phew~ That was close!" he casually brushed off the dirt from his black suit before standing up to strike a silly pose for the phone camera in his hand. He stuck his tongue out playfully and winked with the peace sign, then pressed send along with the text that read, "Still alive lol." He pushed his phone into his pocket and turned around with a grin, "Time to finally leave this silly place~"
The End of CH. 24 25. Distant Howl ''My body''s still cold¡­ but I can feel my fingers and toes¡­'' ''Can hardly breathe¡­ but not suffocated anymore¡­'' The teen with a fragile body was standing in silence. White was all around him; everything was white, cold, and silent. He slowly turned around to meet the wide eyes of the mouthless, scribbled figure behind him from a distance. ''I can still feel its presence¡­ the noise.'' ''Standing still¡­ watching me in silence¡­ waiting¡­ waiting for me to take a step¡­'' ''Either I step back, back to it¡­ or away from it¡­'' ''I still don''t know¡­ part of me is telling me¡­ I shouldn''t be away from it.'' ''That I still¡­ need it.''
The Red Flower Chapter. 25
"That bastard! Taking Ellmer from us, he has his full attention and time! What''s so important about him anyway?! We were with Ellmer way before him! He''s definitely taking advantage of Ellmer''s kindness and concern! I will never forgive him! So what if they''re blood-related?! He''s still a stranger!!" A loud sigh couldn''t even reach the complaining boy to stop his rambling. Kito rested his elbows on the railing behind him, back facing the academy''s huge view from the balcony. Taking his time to enjoy the cool breeze, he even started humming without knowing. "HEY! I''m struggling here!! At least listen to me, dammit!!!" Kyle yelled at his unbothered twin, though knowing the other would surely ignore him anyway; he went back to rest his chin on his folded arms over the railing and pouted, "¡­it''s been a while since I''ve last seen Ellmer¡­ I hate that spoiled kid¡­" Kito glanced by the side of his eye with a teasing smile, "You know, maybe it''s because you''re like this that Ellmer left you in the first place." Kyle scowled at his twin, who resumed humming leisurely. "What do you mean?! It''s THAT brat''s fault¡ª" "''That brat'' is still much more mature and cuter than you, I''m sure everyone knows, at least Ellmer and I do." "Why would I want to be cute?!!" "Well, I''d rather have a cute little brother to take care of, y''know." "Speak for yourself!!" "Hm?" Kito paused to look closely from the balcony at a particular spot down. Kyle turned to take a look out of curiosity. "What now?" he recognized the two guys immediately, both strolling at night. "Ha! The dumb and the dumber, they wouldn''t be breathing now if it weren''t for Ellmer saving them from the dumbest fall ever." "I wonder where they''re going at this hour¡­" Kito stared at the two friends who appeared to act awkward; it was obvious to him even from afar. "Who cares about them¡ª" "Ellmer told us to report to him anything suspicious about them." "Leave them be.¡± Kyle scoffed as he rested his cheek on his palm, ¡°Better they die of their actions. Two people to get rid of, heh!" "Yes, yes. Understood. Take care." Kito said to the earpiece as he received the orders from his big brother. "LISTEN TO ME, YOU JERK!!" . . If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Awkward, that''s the only thing Elois felt. It was too silent; the aura between them was neither heavy nor light. Elois eyed the other from behind, merely following the other without knowing what to say or where they were going even in the middle of the night. ''He''s being too quiet¡­ perhaps still angry at me after our fight¡­? No, but he was pretty chill right after Owin left us in the room alone that night. We even tried to cook dinner together but created firecrackers instead¡­ then what is it?'' he frowned deeper at the brown-head, ''Ugh! I''m too bad at reading people! Since when was it this hard to understand Javi?!'' he lowered his head a little, somewhat ashamed. ''Do I even know him¡­? Thinking about it, I never tried to look deeper into his actions or words¡­ Davante too¡­'' he looked down at his feet with a frown again, ignoring the fact they stepped into the forest for some reason. ''Well, sorry I''m too dumb to understand you guys when you don''t say any damn thing at all!!'' he deflated back again with a light sigh. ''Okay, maybe I''m to blame as well¡­'' he glanced up at Javi''s back again, determined, ''I have to try at least¡­'' "¡­are you¡ª!?" he stiffened when the other jolted suddenly. Both were silent and still for a moment; Elois widened his eyes with a little smile, "Wh-What''s with that reaction?" "No- uh- see, you were too quiet and¡­" Javi scratched his cheek with his finger as he awkwardly smiled at the other, his eyes looking anywhere but Elois. "Huh?! You''re the quiet one!¡ª¡­" Elois halted, noticing he was back to being a temperamental and thoughtless jerk; he took a deep breath and calmed down again. "Hey, are you, um¡­ are you okay?" "What''s wrong with you?!!" Javi suddenly yelled, finally looking at his friend. "What''s wrong with YOU?!!" Elois yelled back, confused. Both faced each other with wide eyes, completely lost and confused at each other. "You stopped texting me after that night! You''ve been too quiet! And you''ve been creepily staring at me the whole time since we left the dorms! And now you''re cautiously talking to me!! Also, you''ve never grown your hair longer before! Why now?! HUH?!" Javi complained out loud, shocking the other with his outburst. "Wha¡ª!! My hair¡ª I was just¡ª¡± Elois sighed and ruffled his fluffy hair that got a bit longer now, ¡°Ugh, fine!! I''ll ask. You just have to answer me honestly, understand?!" Javi got quiet immediately and patiently waited for Elois to ask, who was busy inhaling and exhaling deeply. "Are you mad at me?" "Why would I¡­¡± Javi blinked, ¡°¡­no." "Sure?" Elois stared intently at his friend¡¯s calm face. "Sure." Somehow, he wasn¡¯t satisfied with that answer, "Are you okay? You look¡­ anxious for a while now¡­ something on your mind¡­?" "I''m¡­¡­ I¡­" Javi looked away as he struggled to answer. "I-Is it me?" Elois smiled dreadfully as he backed away. "Huh? No! Just¡ª it''s too much, I don''t even know how to start¡ª or what to say¡­ but you''re okay¡ª we''re¡­ okay, still friends and¡­¡± Javi slowly lowered his flailing hands, looking unsure, ¡°We''re friends, right¡­?" "Yes, we are¡­ if you''re okay with¡­ someone unstable, with some kind of mental disorder¡­ who killed many before and would probably still kill¡­ out of panic and anger that is¡­" Elois trailed off, looking down while anxiously rubbing the back of his neck, trembling with an empty smile. "Oh, um¡­¡± Javi looked down to the side with an equally awkward smile, ¡°I killed many others¡­ more than you did, I guess¡­ so¡­" Silence; both were looking down, and both were ashamed. "S-So why did you suddenly ask me to go to the forest with you?" Elois asked with a casual smile. Javi joined his friend and smiled back cheerfully, turning around to walk again. "I was just thinking! Maybe we''d find out something if we looked more into the whole thing about the red flower and that big tree¡­¡± he looked down in thought, ¡°We found Davante in there, y''know¡­" he frowned when he felt the other ignoring him, he turned around with a scowl, "Hey, are you listening?" He stilled in place; he slowly furrowed his eyebrows in worry, "Elois¡­?" No sign of his friend. He was suddenly alone in the forest. . . "Aren''t you going to do something now?" Ivailo asked with a cold smile, waiting for the blonde man to answer. Kaven sat on the bed in his room in the dark; head slumped down in frustration. Seeing no reaction, Ivailo maintained his smile and urged the other to speak again. "You know he''s in the hospital now and will be for a while.¡± he noticed the little flinch at that; he knew he grabbed the other''s interest now. "It''s a valuable chance. He¡¯s way too weak at the moment. Furthermore, his connection with Yeolard is as weak as ever now, with no notes to communicate with." The blonde slightly raised his face with wide, crazed eyes. Ivailo was pleased with the reaction, "And you don''t have to worry about the little pups. Most probably, they''ll die tonight¡­ or maybe come out as our little hero''s enemies." Unbeknownst to them, someone recorded every single word said in the darkroom. Owin kept the earphone on and immediately grabbed his other phone to make an urgent call. . . "Sorry for troubling you, Neron. Ellmer couldn''t have time to help me change the room again. We need to change locations from time to time, so it''d be harder for anyone to target him," Alvis said with a tired smile while folding his coat neatly and hanging it on the chair. "He hasn''t healed." Alvis stopped and turned to look at the quiet purple head who only stared at the sleeping Davante in the dark; Alvis had no clue what the guy thought most of the time. "What?" "He''s struggling to breathe¡­" Alvis couldn''t see the other''s face to know that he looked slightly pained as he looked at the sleeping teen. "They''re all around him¡­" Alvis blinked, not understanding a thing the other was saying. However, the pain was evident in his voice, "Neron¡­?" a ringtone suddenly cut through the air in the room, making him jump in place; he hurriedly fished out his phone from his pocket and walked to the door. "Ah, sorry! I have to take the call¡ª Owin?" The door closed quietly, leaving only Neron with Davante in the room. Neron stood still in complete silence for a while; he then slowly looked with his eye behind his hair at a specific spot by the window. The one soul by the window turned to him with a faint smile. "I''ll take care of Mr. Fixsen." Neron didn''t react as he kept staring at the blurry soul. Yeolard calmly looked out the window. "The spirits feel more uneasy tonight¡­ You must go." Alvis opened the door after some time with an apologetic smile. "Sorry again. I''ll watch over him now. You can¡­¡± He halted by the door, ¡°Neron¡­?" he stared at the empty room, finding only Davante sleeping peacefully in the quiet room. . . Bren jumped over the academy¡¯s gate. "Safely arrived~" before landing on a branch from one of the trees inside, he noticed a familiar person standing above the academy¡¯s huge wall. He kept his presence unnoticed as he silently stopped on one of the branches and behind the bushes, looking at the woman with dark skin and yellow eyes standing still over the gate with something in her hand. "Gasha Anfinrud?" Confused, he looked at the thing in her hand as she looked coldly down at the academy, "Shouldn''t it be Chronos Anfinrud to bring the painting to the Academy after a week or so¡­?" ¡°Oh!¡± Meanwhile, at the Anfinrud mansion, a young man with heavy eyebags and holding a creepy teddy bear in hand stared blankly at the empty spot on the wall, ¡°Hmm¡­¡± he blinked and slightly pouted at the thought of the missing painting.
The End of CH. 25 26. Ability Activated ¡°Hmm?¡± Hummed a mouthless person in the cold and silent space, he leisurely and calmly closed the book in his hands with a quiet thud that almost echoed in the large round hall. He stood up very calmly and casually rested his cheek on one hand, lazily resting his weight on one leg while standing. He then observed the bookshelves all around him with a contemplating look on his emotionless face. ¡°This sure is sudden¡­¡± he looked around one last time, seeming quite amused. ¡°Well, a little bit of activity is healthier than nothing at all.¡± he clasped his hands behind his back very slowly before standing straight. ¡°Time to work for the first time.¡±
The Red Flower Chapter. 26
¡°Hmm? Ah, you¡¯re awake.¡± Elois stood frozen in place, blinking dumbly at the person before him, who had a bright smile on his face. He wanted to take a good look around him, but he knew pretty well where he was. The place, no, the room was too familiar for him and too grilled into his memory for many years and every day to not know where it was. His room, his only room shared with Davante. His roommate was standing in front of him and smiling warmly at him while fixing his uniform suit, looking oddly refreshed. ¡°I made your breakfast already. I¡¯m going to class now.¡± His roommate grabbed his bag and walked calmly to the door before stopping midway, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the incident yesterday. Just stay here and relax. I¡¯ll take care of everything for you.¡± ¡®Huh¡­?¡¯ Elois continued to stare at the other with a clueless look. ¡°Javi isn¡¯t dead. Rest assured.¡± Davante looked back at him with a reassuring smile, ¡°I¡¯ll deal with Alvis and the others, so please just stay here for now. I¡¯m sure everything will be solved, it¡¯ll get better. Trust me.¡± ¡®Huh?¡¯ ¡°Enjoy your meal.¡± The sound of the door closing and the click that followed was too loud in the silent room. Elois was dumbfounded. He could only stand in the middle of the room while staring blankly at the door. He looked down at his clothes and noticed something. ¡°I¡¯m in my¡­ pajama?¡± he looked back up at the door, ¡°But I¡­ was walking in the forest? With Javi?¡± He then frowned, ¡°¡®Javi isn¡¯t dead¡¯? What did he mean? Javi was walking with me just fine and healthy¡­ ¡®everything will be solved¡¯? About what?¡± he silently thought about everything that had happened and said moments ago. His eyes turned sharp after a while. ¡°No, who was that just now? That¡­¡± he recalled how Davante looked just seconds ago, ¡°That wasn¡¯t like Davante at all¡­ even I can tell¡­¡± He walked to the tiny kitchen in the room and found the breakfast waiting for him on the table. He looked at it for a minute or so before going back to the room, smirking while taking off his shirt, ¡°¡®Please stay here and relax¡¯? That sounds wrong, no, suspicious.¡± he changed his attire and walked to the door, ¡°You think I¡¯ll obediently wait here, huh?¡± . . ¡°You heard what happened yesterday?¡± ¡°You mean Elois? That crazy bastard¡­ I always felt something was odd with that dude.¡± ¡°They say the injuries weren¡¯t from a normal human being.¡± ¡°Shit¡ª so is it real that Javi is dead?!¡± ¡°They say he¡¯s barely breathing, but still, he may die any time soon¡­¡± ¡°And where is Elois? Are they going to leave him to walk around just like that?¡± ¡°They say he¡¯s in the hide. The vice-principal is searching with the guards and that weird guy- what was his name again¡­? Ah! Neron.¡± The students all around the academy kept talking of the same incident, unaware of the one person roaming around very stealthily and listening to their murmurs and gossip in every place and hallway, ¡®Good thing I moved in secret just in case¡­ so I¡¯m a wanted murderer now?¡¯ Elois hid in the shadow in a corner and started connecting everything so far. ¡®Alright, so I tried to kill Javi¡­¡¯ his face was blank, ¡®Which is¡­ true¡­ yes, I am stupid.¡¯ he nodded to himself as if to confirm and accept his own stupid past mistake. ¡®And he is seriously injured and in critical condition right now, which is not correct, at least not in reality¡­ my¡­ reality?¡¯ he frowned, ¡®And I¡¯m supposed to be hiding in fear or something, which is not what I¡¯m doing at the moment¡­¡¯ He looked at his hands, silently questioning the situation, ¡®So where am I now? This feels too real to be a dream¡­ or is it a dream after all? Then¡­ what? Did I fall asleep in the middle of the forest? On the ground? Is Javi relaxing beside me, then? Oh, I hope no one step on us¡­ ugh, forget being stepped on, the bugs and ants must be freeloading on me now!¡¯ He suppressed his chuckle and ended up with a smirk, ¡°Wasn¡¯t Davante in a similar situation on his first day in the Academy? What a start. No, that¡¯s not important now¡­¡± he rubbed his closed eyes and suppressed a sigh, ¡®Okay, what now? Let¡¯s start with the Davante in this¡­ dream? Whatever this is I¡¯m in now.¡¯ he narrowed his eyes and crouched down on the ground and whispered, ¡°¡­is he trying to protect me? He looks exactly like the Davante I know, however¡­ he seemed more relaxed and outgoing. His different choice of fashion, and his aura¡­¡± he added on with a frown, ¡°What is the Elois in this place like¡­? Considering how Davante was talking to me earlier, I guess I was busy being scared and cowering in our room¡­?¡± He paused and furrowed his brows even more. ¡°Wait, I was walking with Javi and ended up in this dream or whatever, so what happened to him? Could it be that he also ended up here¡­?¡± He pushed himself back up and stood straight, determined, ¡°Alright, that¡¯s the first step then, find Javi.¡± . . A cautious step entered the quiet room with only the machines humming beside a white bed. Elois huffed lowly once he closed the window. ¡®Thanks to everyone¡¯s gossip, I managed to detect his whereabouts, but¡­¡¯ he turned around and took a quick look over the place, ¡®The door is heavily guarded by the guards. They seem to be protecting him from me.¡¯ he suppressed a sigh and walked to the bed covered by a curtain; he could see the shadow of someone lying on the bed behind the light curtains. He moved the curtains to the side without much thought; he wanted to quickly talk to his friend, who was possibly the only one he knew in this dream or world or whatever again. He couldn¡¯t even hold the loud gasp back at what he saw. He looked at a person who hardly looked like Javi from the horrific injuries on his body and face. Javi was on the bed, all bloodied and dead; there was no hint of life in him. ¡®This¡­ is Javi¡­?¡¯ He stopped himself from stepping back out of shock; instead, he forced himself to step closer to the corpse lying still on the bed and took a better look at the other, ¡®This is¡­ how could he be alive in this state¡­? No, I hope the real Javi¡­ my friend¡­ I hope he isn¡¯t in that¡­ body right now¡­¡¯ He tried to regain his composure despite the disturbing corpse in front of him. And just when he started sorting things out in his mind¡ª ¡°Elois? What are you doing here¡­?¡± He turned around so quickly, which made him almost stumble in the process. There, he saw the first person he met in this ¡®dream¡¯. Davante looked at him with slightly wide eyes but soon gave a small smile as if pitying him. ¡°I told you to stay in the room. Were you scared? It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll make sure he won¡¯t die, don¡¯t be scared¡­¡± he walked calmly to the other, ¡°I know you weren¡¯t in your right state of mind. I told you I¡¯ll always be by your side, right? You¡¯re not alone, don¡¯t worry.¡± Elois froze in his place, suddenly lost of what to do, ¡®Sh-should I act scared right now? No, I¡¯m actually scared a bit, but¡ª¡¯ he looked down at his hands to find them trembling, ¡®If the Elois in this dream is supposed to be so scared¡­ then let¡¯s play his role for now.¡¯ He brought his trembling hands to his head and started mumbling with a shaky voice, ¡°I don¡¯t- I don¡¯t remember anything¡ª what- what happened¡­ I- I did this t-to Javi¡­? M-Me?! I¡ª!¡± ¡°Oh, Elois¡­¡± he was brought into a light hug; he heard the whisper of the other while having his hair brushed lightly like a kid being shushed gently, ¡°It wasn¡¯t you. It isn¡¯t your fault what the monster in you does out of your control¡­ even if everyone turns against you, I¡¯m still here by your side.¡± Elois had a sharp look in his eyes while being hugged by the other. ¡®This is it, I can gain more information this way, but¡ª'' he looked from the corner of his eyes, ¡®This Davante¡­ why can¡¯t I bring myself to trust him¡­?¡¯ This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ if only I were faster to stop you¡­¡± Davante mumbled with a pained expression on his face. Elois quickly went back to his acting. ¡°N-No¡ª Dante¡­ w-what do I do? I¡­¡± He was slowly pushed away by the other, almost gently pushed back, ¡°Hmm?¡± He brought his wide-acting eyes up to look at the other to understand what that sound was for. He suddenly got the chills when he found a cold smile painted on the other¡¯s lips with inspecting eyes. ¡°You are not Elois.¡± Elois almost felt his heart stop at that chilly whisper; he quickly pulled himself away from the cold hands with shaking pupils, ¡°W-What¡ª¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be like this. You should be crying like a baby in my arms. You would even beg me to hide you immediately away from everyone and push everything on me to handle while you hide behind me. Also, ¡®Dante¡¯? Cute nickname, I suppose.¡± the other chuckled slightly with cold eyes; he brought a casual finger under his chin, ¡°Perhaps¡­ hmm¡­ could it be¡­ another Elois? Or are you possessed by some meddling spirit? Well, anything is possible in this fabricated world¡­¡± Elois staggered further back and away from the Davante in front of him, asking with a shaking smile, ¡°Possessed? Fabricated? What¡­?¡± ¡°What could it be? Hmm¡­¡± he hummed as he thought silently to himself, then shook his head calmly and smirked at Elois, resting his cheek on his palm, ¡°Either way, this is not good,¡± his eyes saddened in blatant mockery, ¡°You aren¡¯t as broken as the Elois I know, this is quite troublesome, you know.¡± ¡®No, I don¡¯t f**king know?¡¯ Elois frowned at the other with slightly wide eyes, taking careful steps back. ¡®This bastard¡­ was he using the weak me in this situation?¡¯ he slowly retracted his hand behind his back to pull out his dagger, ¡°Perhaps¡­ I realized how wicked you are?¡± he asked back with a smirk that showed he was barely holding back his anger. The other¡¯s smirk dropped for a moment before smiling coldly again with his eyes closed, ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s it? But that isn¡¯t good either,¡± he stepped closer to the other, who stiffened immediately, he whispered despite having no one beside them in the silent room, ¡°Too bad, you could have at least killed some more for me.¡± Elois gritted his teeth and glared hard at the other, ¡°You used me to kill Javi?¡± The teen¡¯s face looked quite amused, almost fond even. He walked calmly to the one on the bed, looking almost sorry at the dead Javi. The fake Davante brought his cold fingers to lightly brush along the corpse¡¯s cheek, almost as if mocking the dead. ¡°Can you really blame me? I¡¯m targeted everywhere. I can¡¯t let assassins and murderers circle around me as they please. You must have thought of me as an easy target, yeah? Well, I am weak, can¡¯t lie about that.¡± he raised his head slowly to Elois with a ridiculing smirk, ¡°How does it feel to be used like an idiot?¡± ¡®I hate this¡­ at least change your face to someone else, dammit¡­¡¯ Elois stared furiously at the other, unable to retort. ¡°The Davante you know must be stupidly kind, huh?¡± ¡°Shut your mouth¡ª!¡± Just as he charged for killing the bastard who audaciously wore his friend¡¯s face, something else got in his way so fast, and blood scattered around the room with a flying head that fell to the ground with a loud thud. It was Javi¡¯s head. He cut Javi¡¯s neck. The corpse now was missing its head by a simple swing. Elois was so stunned he couldn¡¯t get to react while staring wide-eyed at the smiling Davante. ¡°Perhaps I should keep this corpse with me? Quite convenient, don¡¯t you think so?¡± playful hands swayed Javi¡¯s corpse playfully left and right like they hadn¡¯t used the corpse as a mere shield seconds ago. Elois could not move, completely shocked, ¡®This is¡­ a dream¡­ right? Right? It¡­ It has to be¡­¡¯ He heard an amused chuckle followed by a whisper, ¡°You can at least blink.¡± And he dumbly did. Blink¡ª ¡°¡­when did you get here?¡± He was once again shocked. He found himself in a completely different place, with other surroundings and scenes. What was displayed in front of him rendered him speechless. He took two steps back, unable to say anything. In front of him, a very dead-looking Davante stood there, drenched in blood. He soon noticed the two rabbits and a cat by the other¡¯s feet. They looked like they were tortured to death with their guts jutted out and limbs cut. He couldn¡¯t have the time to look closely at the scene before him; he was soon pulled to look at the Davante standing silently in front of him with dead eyes. ¡°You were following me¡­¡± Davante looked at the dead animals with a lifeless face before looking back at Elois, pointing a weak finger at them, ¡°I did not do it¡­¡± he said so plainly, with no hint of emotion in his voice, ¡°That¡¯s a joke¡­¡± the hand fell back to his side, still looking deadly at the other ¡°¡­or, is it?¡± Silence fell between them. The frozen lips forcibly and slowly started moving, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a very funny joke¡­ indeed¡­¡± Elois said despite showing no hint of laughter or smile, ¡®¡­what now? What is this? Where am I?¡¯ he took quick glances around them, ¡®This is the forest¡­ is this another dream?¡¯ ¡°Funny?¡± He snapped back to the person standing still in front of him, whose face was empty of emotions but still managed to show a hint of disbelief. ¡°¡­is it funny?¡± the fake Davante tilted his head slightly to the side, looking as if trying to figure Elois out some more. ¡°¡­or is it funny because you were not in their place?¡± he pointed to the dead animals, ¡°Will it be fun to have this done to you?¡± Elois was speechless, no, beyond speechless. However, he forced himself to answer, ¡°N¡­no¡­?¡± The other stared wide-eyed, ¡°So you¡¯re lying? Is it not funny at all?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Elois chose silence; he decided to shut his mouth from here on. ¡°Are you a good person, sir?¡± Elois blinked, flabbergasted. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Good people should not lie. Good people should not follow and spy on others,¡± the other continued with a robotic tone, regardless of receiving no answers. Elois stared blankly at the other; he then noticed something that caught his attention, ¡®Sir? Does this fake Davante not know my name¡­?¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t you feel pain, sir?¡± Elois frowned at that. Why would he feel pain? ¡°Why are you still standing?¡± Elois slowly moved his head to the direction the other was pointing and looked down; he widened his eyes as he registered the situation. There, he could see his guts clearly spilling out from his stomach. He could feel his whole body turning cold as he finally took in his current horrible state. He suddenly felt numb and nauseous; cold sweat broke out all over his body despite not feeling pain. He tried to move his arms to take a look. However, there were no hands to begin with, ¡®Wha¡­ what¡­ when did¡ª but I¡¯m not in pain¡ª¡¯ ¡°So, is it fun now?¡± Elois flinched at the sudden proximity of the other, shaken eyes looking down at cold-dead eyes, ¡°¡­sir, why do you always follow me?¡± the creep, however, didn¡¯t wait for the answer as he took a cut arm in his own hand, looking at it as if admiring it, ¡°Your hands seem pretty healthy¡­¡± he looked up at the frozen Elois, ¡°Would you like to taste it?¡± Elois looked at the hand, or he could presume¡­ ¡®That¡­ is that my hand¡­?¡¯ ¡°Humans¡¯ meat is not that bad, to be honest.¡± ¡°¡­then you eat it¡­¡± Even Elois widened his eyes at what he blurted out to the other whose face finally moved a little bit for the first time, ¡®Ah, I blurted out without thinking¡ª¡¯ However, Elois didn¡¯t wait for the other, ¡°You lunatic bastard!¡± he took a short step back and swiftly twirled around to kick the other successfully, the other was sent flying across the forest and to the ground. Elois glared at the fallen body from a distance, ¡°The fact that you have my friend¡¯s face pisses me off to an incredible degree¡ª¡± He suddenly took hurried steps back by the very close wide eyes in front of him, ¡®When did he¡ª!¡¯ ¡°Your friend¡¯s face? There is another one?¡± the fake Davante looked quite shocked yet a bit¡­hopeful? ¡°Where is he? I have to meet him!¡± he moved even closer, cornering Elois in quick steps, ¡°I must help him out of this place! Where is he?!¡± ¡°What the¡ª Get away from¡ª!¡± Elois stumbled back and fell to the ground with gritted teeth and scrunched his eyes close from the impact without his hands to support him. He opened his eyes quickly to prepare for any attack. However, he was once again shocked and lost in the different surroundings. He looked up with wide eyes; the very familiar person in front of him glared back with wide eyes from anger, blatantly accusing him as if he had committed a crime so openly and carelessly. He felt his skin crawl from the betrayed look his father was giving him, looking down at him as if looking at disgusting dirt. ¡°Why, Elois? Just¡ª WHY?!¡± He flinched at the fuming tone of his father, ¡°D-Dad¡­?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe myself¡ª just because you¡¯re my son¡­ I trusted you and let you near him just because of that, and yet¡ª You¡ª!¡± Alvis scoffed at himself and looked at his son with cold-angry eyes, ¡°Clearly, I¡¯m still stupid and na?ve¡­¡± a moment of silence allowed Elois to notice the surroundings; guards circled around them and were all glaring at him, ready for the signal to charge at him at any moment, he then noticed the bleeding person in Alvis¡¯ hands, ¡°¡­Davante¡­?¡± Davante was a bloody mess, fallen limp on Alvis with his eyes closed. The blood didn¡¯t stop flowing from his mouth and wounds. He looked so pale, as if being seconds away from death. ¡°¡­capture him.¡± He suddenly snapped at his father¡¯s order to the guards and quickly moved away to jump from the nearby window. ¡°Elois¡ª Follow him!! Make sure to capture him alive!!¡± ¡®Shit! I hate this! I really f**king hate this!! This is horrible! I did NOT want to see my biggest fear to actually happen in the most real dream!¡¯ he kept on running, taking many turns to deceive the guards and lose them, he was almost too experienced as if his body was used to it, ¡°What is this?! Really, what the heck is this now?! Is this a dream?! If it is, then OH how much I¡¯d like for someone to STEP on my sleeping body in the real-world RIGHT. NOW!!!¡± he kept on ranting to himself while running and stopped to catch his breath once he made sure he was safe, ¡°I really don¡¯t wanna lose my mind in this situation, not the time for me to lose my shit¡ª not like there is any good timing to lose it anyway¡­ ugh wait, hold up, my head¡­¡± he crouched down in frustration while clutching his head with both hands as if to hold it still from the chaos erupting inside along with his unstable emotions, ¡°So this time I attacked Davante? Typical of me, huh? Hey Elois, how about you kill yourself next time you feel like doing anything?¡± he scoffed at himself and sighed in frustration, he tiredly stared down, ¡°¡­I¡¯m dumb, I don¡¯t know what to do in these psychological tricks or dreams or whatsoever¡­ I¡¯m just dumb in everything now¡­¡± he blankly stared at the wall in front of him, ¡°I can¡¯t depend on others forever to keep me sane and calm, so¡­ let¡¯s relax.¡± he stood up and closed his eyes to take a slow breath and let it out just as calm. He opened his eyes back again, ¡®¡­never mind, I¡¯ll just go crazy.¡¯ He stared silently once his surroundings changed again. Sitting in front of him was Davante, all bloodied and ready to die. Beside Elois were all people he knew already. The weird thing was¡­they were circling Davante. None of them moved to help him despite being tied to a chair and close to death from apparently countless torture and beatings. Elois looked around at them, hoping to see someone act just like his friends and family he knows, ¡®¡­what is it this time? Are we torturing Davante¡­?¡¯ he looked back at the limp body before him; he could hear some faint huffs from Davante, but barely noticeable, ¡®Should I go along with it? Actually, no¡­ just¡­ no. This is already too disturbing to look at. And everyone looks so satisfied with his state like this¡­¡¯ he slightly frowned at the ¡®friends¡¯ around him, creeped out by their laughter and mocking comments toward the teen, ¡®Just what happened in this dream¡­?¡¯ he closed his eyes for a moment to collect his thoughts and opened them yet again, ¡®I¡¯m leaving. It¡¯s just a dream, anyway¡­ yes, nothing but a dream.¡¯ He silently turned around with a click of his tongue; he angrily grabbed the door handle and opened it with much force, only¡­ ¡°I¡¯m going nuts¡­¡± He was faced with a laughing Davante in a deserted area. The sky and everything looked red; the place had nothing but debris and sand. He turned to find nothing behind him, the door he had opened a second ago was nowhere to be found. He took in his surroundings for the tenth time, and he could see dead bodies and corpses all around him, meshing well with the red sky and the empty land reflecting the bloody sky. Davante was still laughing hysterically, with his back facing Elois. He walked carefully to the other, who stopped abruptly and turned around to be met with Elois. There were tears in his eyes, falling nonstop down his face; the crazy smile was no longer there. Davante looked at Elois in utter shock, with lips trembling. After seconds of silence, Davante mumbled while shaking, ¡°Wha¡­ what¡­¡± he took a hesitant step toward the poker-faced Elois, ¡°Y-You¡­ but you just¡ª you were d-dead over t-there¡­¡± trembling fingers pointed weakly to one spot. Elois followed the direction to find a spot with a puddle of blood. He then looked down at himself and found himself drenched in his own blood, ¡®I¡¯m a moving corpse this time?¡¯ ¡°Elo-h-hey¡­¡± He then looked back to the other. Davante smiled weakly with wide eyes; if he looked closely, he¡¯d be able to tell that the expression was one of fear and dreadfully hopeful, ¡°A-Are you real¡­? Am I not alone¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Davante¡­¡± Elois felt like running so fast to hug the other and be by his side just by looking at that face with that weak voice, ¡®¡­even if this isn¡¯t real, it¡¯s still painful to see Davante like this¡­¡¯ he stood still even when the approaching feeble steps became closer and closer toward him, ¡®¡­what happened here?¡¯ Trembling hands weakly gripped his shirt, ¡°D-Don¡¯t go¡­ stay here¡­ please¡­¡± Elois looked down at the other with a pained face, ¡°¡­I¡­¡± He blinked and fell face-first to the ground, ¡°Ugh¡ª!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got a mission to accomplish, Elois. I can¡¯t let you hinder me now, can I?¡± He tried to look up at the owner of the very chilling voice, ¡®Another dream? This body is too beaten up¡­ shit I can¡¯t move. Good thing I can¡¯t feel pain¡­¡¯ he soon found two boots walking calmly to stand next to his head. He felt cold, stiff fingers brushing his fallen hair away from his weary eyes. When he tried to look again, he widened his eyes in fear at what he saw. A face creepily mixed between Davante and a deer stared at him in the dark night. The person whispered with a smile, like the whisper of a devil, ¡°Sleep well, my dearest friend~¡± His eyes closed despite his weak protests, and everything went dark. ¡°Elois!! What are you waiting for?! Just kill the target already, dammit!!¡± He snapped his eyes open to find himself atop Davante, looking calmly back at him and patiently waiting for Elois to do his job, as if curious and amused by the whole situation, even when a weapon was pointed at him. He felt the dagger in his raised hand; he could also listen to the chaos behind his back. ¡°ELOIS!!¡± He turned his head to look back; he found Javi with short hair preventing the guards from coming any closer to their location and shooting them with his gun while cursing in frustration, ¡°Alright, what the f**k now?¡± ¡°Ah, Elois Iriart detected, finally.¡± He turned back to look at Davante, who spoke too calmly in this chaotic situation. However, Davante suddenly turned into a puddle of¡­ mud. ¡°HUH?¡± Before he knew it, the mud shot out to wrap him securely and started dragging him down to the black puddle. He felt a hand gently pulling him to another place and slowly out of the mud-like pool. He opened his eyes to find himself standing in front of a fancy-looking Davante with missing lips from his face. The fancy and elegant Davante spoke gently despite having no lips on his face. ¡°Step 1. Successfully accomplished.¡±
The End of CH. 26 27. An Absolute Order Quick movements rushed over the trees and bushes, cutting through the silent dark forest. Observant eyes took a quick and sharp look around; Ellmer recalled the task he was given around two hours ago. -Ellmer, please hurry to the forest immediately. I don¡¯t know what will happen or is already happening, but please stop whatever is there. I¡¯m currently following Kaven. He¡¯s heading to where Davante is resting now. I already informed dad. We¡¯ll take care of it, so you take care of your side. Adding to Owin¡¯s instructions, Ellmer narrowed his eyes as he recalled something one of the twin brothers told him not long ago and mumbled, ¡°According to Kito, Javi and Elois headed to the forest 3 hours ago¡­¡± he sighed as he charged further into the forest. He abruptly slowed down and stood still in the middle of the darkness. There was no sound around him. The forest was oddly too silent, not the comforting type of silence. He furrowed his brows slightly at the air and mumbled, ¡°¡­invisible barrier¡± he looked over his shoulder with cold eyes. ¡°I crossed it¡­¡± he looked forward again, standing still quietly as if waiting for something. He then heard little rustles around him in the dark; he waited. Then it came, the sound of murmurs and whispers, barely noticeable despite the chilly silence in the place. He could see pairs of eyes glowing around him in the dark, all looking at him from a distance. ¡°It¡¯s the cursed child¡­¡± ¡°The son of the demon is back again¡ª¡± ¡°T-The bloody evil¡ª¡± ¡°Hah, I¡¯ve got no time for you.¡± Ellmer swiftly swung his arm in the air with enough force to cause a harsh swishing sound from the trees around him. The voices and whispers instantly disappeared. His eyes irritably sharpened and almost glowed in the dark. ¡°Ridiculous barrier with laughable illusions. Not good at all, especially for two rascals I know.¡±
The Red Flower Chapter. 27
¡°Welcome to the only safe and sane place ¡®for you¡¯ right now, Mister. Would you like a cup of non-existent tea?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Elois glared at the fancy Davante, who was chatting ever so elegantly and respectfully to him. ¡®Why do I feel like he is mocking me politely¡­? Did he just throw a joke at me with a completely straight face? How is he even speaking with no lips?¡¯ ¡°Ah, but I¡¯m afraid we cannot indulge in our precious luxury time, so we will have to delay our tea party some other day. However, before I get into business, I believe I should at least give you a chance to release your ever-growing confusion and frustration. Dear Mister, I will give you only 5 minutes to ask whatever you want, and I will make sure to be of help. Please, stop blanking and go ahead, shower me with your questions.¡± ¡®¡­¡­somehow, his way of speaking is getting on my nerves? Why does it feel like he¡¯s laughing at me the whole time he¡¯s talking?¡¯ Elois frowned at the other as if he was offended but unable to retort in any way. ¡°Please be informed that 10 seconds have passed. Time is running, esteemed Mister,¡± the other spoke with his elegant voice once more, his stance never wavered or moved, standing tall with hands clasped behind his back. ¡°Alright, yeah, let¡¯s start with your identity first. You¡¯re not¡­Davante, right? Obviously¡­¡± Elois asked; he narrowed his eyes to figure the other out. ¡°I¡¯m my owner¡¯s mind core, you could say.¡± Elois frowned even more, if possible. ¡°I suppose that was one level above your brain capacity. Let¡¯s make it simpler, then. You can say I¡¯m both my Master¡¯s psychic guard and weapon. I take care of my Master¡¯s mental stability and can dive into others¡¯ mental realms under my Master¡¯s command.¡± Elois¡¯ frown deepened at the other, looking exasperated ¡®¡­am I stupid, or is he spouting nonsense¡­?¡¯ ¡°My Master ordered me for the first time to rush into your mental realm and help you in any way, but it looked like you were going through countless dimensions at an alarming speed, so it took me longer than estimated to finally find you. However, I can¡¯t let the clown scoundrel know of my interference, so I had to drag you to my realm instead.¡± Elois almost flinched at the insults that slipped out very elegantly and gently from the very much calm fancy Davante. ¡°Uh, okay¡­your Master is Davante, I guess¡­how did he know of my state¡­?¡± he then frowned for another reason, ¡®Isn¡¯t he supposed to be resting in the hospital as my dad and Owin said last time¡­?¡¯ ¡°Hmm, a very caring spirit informed my Master. It was even kind enough to teach Master of the weapon inside him in a short time. Master, however, was unsure who to save first. Knowing his limits, he could use me to save only one person right now. Me jumping through dimensions had already tired him a bit, so I have to be careful not to overdo it.¡± Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Elois blinked twice; the frown was gone and replaced with a blank look on his face. ¡°Spirit? Who to save first? Limits??¡± he blinked again, ¡°¡­does he have, uh, ghost friends?¡± The other remained silent for a while before responding very gently, ¡°Mister, you, hmm¡­¡± he hesitated for the first time, contemplating something with a serious face. ¡°Your brain capacity is quite tiny. I am deeply sorry for not noticing sooner. It seems I¡¯ve already caused quite the trouble to your brain. Again, I¡¯m terribly sorry, sir. Perhaps 5 minutes isn¡¯t enough for you to understand the matter at hand?¡± Elois stared back with a blank face. ¡®Did he just call me stupid in a very respectful way¡­?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll do my Master a favor,¡± the fancy guy closed his eyes for a moment as if suppressing a sigh before reopening them. ¡°To make it short, you and your friend have been pulled into an illusion barrier. A living spirit that had been following my Master for a while now hurried to inform him about you guys and helped him recognize his ability to get into others¡¯ mental rea¡ª mhm¡­ let¡¯s say dreams for now. It is a useful ability to interfere in others¡¯ dreams and illusions when needed and make it better or worse for them, which means it could be quite a horrific ability. However, because of Master¡¯s weak body and heart, he could only use it once a month only on one person. So, my Master ordered me to hurry to you, and he chose you for he was sure you would be more in danger than your other friend.¡± Elois blinked, still looking blank. ¡®¡­did he and his Master just decide that I can¡¯t be left alone at all and need help more than anyone else? Just like a baby, is that it?¡¯ the frown started to get back again. ¡®The thing is¡­I agree with them? I¡¯m kinda offended by my own judgment¡­¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I did not mean to offend you, sir.¡± He frowned more at the other¡¯s calm retort, ¡®No, you¡¯re definitely kinda rude, you little¡ª¡¯ ¡°I am sorry if I came out rude to you, but please be informed my intent is really to help you in this situation, Mister.¡± Elois widened his eyes slightly, eyes looking suspiciously at the elegant guy. He was about to ask, but the other beat him to it. ¡°Ah, one thing I forgot to tell you, sir,¡± he then added, ¡°I can listen to your inner thoughts loud and clear. This is my realm, after all. I think it¡¯s only proper to let you know.¡± ¡°Oh, and you say it now?!¡± he felt a light irritation bubbling in him; he pointed his finger accusingly with an irritated smirk. ¡°You did that on purpose, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Whatever you mean, sir?¡± ¡°Oh, really now?¡± he couldn¡¯t help but scoff at the blatant feigned ignorance. ¡°Whatever, so are you gonna help me now?¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re done with the questions, sir?¡± Elois smirked, suppressing another scoff. ¡°I thought you were getting tired of my questions?¡± A very graceful nod. ¡°Indeed, you have a bit too many questions, sir.¡± ¡°Hoh! now you¡¯re openly complaining, huh?¡± he laughed at the other somewhat playfully. ¡°Let¡¯s get straight to business. We can¡¯t afford troubling Davante anymore now, can we? I¡¯m oddly too calm right now, might as well move fast before I go crazy again, don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°Correct,¡± the fancy-looking guy nodded before adding in a very calm tone, ¡°You just need to enjoy your madness, sir.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Elois frowned yet again, urging the other to explain. ¡°Basically, this illusion will only show you things that will break you the more you get into it, slowly driving you to immense madness. And the more broken you are, the harder it is for you to wake up from it. You fail if you cry in your madness. However, it is a different story to sincerely enjoy your time with your insanity,¡± he added calmly. ¡°When you enjoy your time even at your worst, the illusion will have no effect whatsoever. You could say it¡¯s like causing a massive error to the system by enjoying and embracing the nightmare rather than running and hiding from it.¡± He took calm and composed steps toward the frowning Elois and stood within arm¡¯s length between them. ¡°Oh, and one more thing,¡± he slowly moved his hand from behind his back, ¡°I¡¯ve got a mouth just fine. You just can¡¯t see it unless I speak an order with absolute results.¡± He then lightly pushed Elois at his chest with his hand. Elois stumbled back and found himself falling to the ground and felt himself diving into a pool of black water. ¡°Wha¡ª¡± he kept looking up at the fading fancy Davante; however, this time, he had his lips visible and stretched in a gentle smile. ¡°Show your worst, sir.¡± ¡®¡­even your smile looks kinda rude, you brat.¡¯ And then, the black mud engulfed him back, making everything dark for a moment. He closed his eyes and listened to the sounds around him like he was deep in water. A sudden familiar voice echoing around him spoke gently. ¡°Ah, also,¡± the calm voice added, ¡°The things shown in this illusion are not random dreams. They are moments drilled deep into the soul. You may or may not be aware of them. However, you can¡¯t change anything to change their futures, so go ahead and destroy everything with ease, sir.¡± He abruptly snapped his eyes wide open, ¡®They are not¡­dreams?¡¯ Before he thought more about it, he found himself in his shared room with Davante. He eyed the ceiling for some time before pushing himself up with a severe look on his face. ¡®Though I can¡¯t change anything ¡®cuz they are simply long-gone memories, is that what you want to tell me? But how are they memories¡­?¡¯ he narrowed his eyes, silently eyeing Davante, who was cooking in their shared kitchen. He lightly shook his head. ¡®I¡¯m best not to think too deeply into complicated stuff. I¡¯ve decided that I¡¯m dumb in that aspect, indeed.¡¯ He started pushing himself off the bed and stood with a smirk. ¡®All right, let¡¯s go crazy then.¡¯ He walked slowly to the other in the place. ¡®I¡¯ll just convince myself this is a silly dream with silly wooden puppets looking like my friends or whatever. I¡¯m good at this, sadly. Who would have thought my cowardly habits would ever come in handy one day?¡¯ he pulled his dagger while whispering to himself, ¡°Let¡¯s cause mass murder. Today¡¯s a party for the beast in me.¡± . . ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Asked Albern, not really bothered. ¡°One of them broke free from my illusion, that orange kid¡­¡± Belvedere pouted with narrowed eyes. ¡°Weird, I was sure he was going to be crushed easily,¡± he turned over to Juli, who was seated on his lap like a doll. ¡°You think it¡¯s weird too, right?¡± he didn¡¯t wait for an answer as he was sure she wasn¡¯t even listening; he jumped up and gently let the girl stand on her feet. ¡°I think we¡¯re done here then, yeah? We¡¯ve gathered enough information about Elois to get an idea of where he stands in the game now.¡± ¡°The stench.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± he looked over to Albern, whose face became even colder and eyeing down with eyes as if he was looking at something sickening, his crimson eyes glowing in the dark forest at night. ¡°A smell¡­?¡± ¡°The stench of dirty Cowndrel.¡± Belvedere flinched at the word; he then avoided looking at the other, sweating slightly as he mumbled, ¡°¡­I¡¯m pretty sure there aren¡¯t any¡­the only ones left are¡ª you know, me and Emmie, sir¡­?¡± Albern simply ignored the other, coldly narrowing his eyes down in the forest. He then said in an even colder voice. ¡°¡­The Cowndrel Queen and¡­¡± he paused in thought, trying to catch the smell, ¡°¡­a Cowndrel Alastair,¡± he smirked coldly as he looked down with amused eyes. ¡°It seems my rampage wasn¡¯t enough to kill all vampires. Rats managed to hide all along.¡± . . Elois struggled to open his tired eyes, silently choking and groaning. ¡®Can¡¯t breathe¡ª!¡¯ he grabbed the hand around his neck. ¡®Who the heck¡ª?!¡¯ he gritted his teeth, ¡®Screw it!¡¯ he reached his hand to the side, clutched what he believed would be a big rock, and swiftly aimed it at the one choking him. However, he missed as the other jumped away from the attack. The good thing was that he could breathe now; he forced his body up from the ground and coughed, ¡°Ugh¡­¡± he groaned before looking around to find the person who was choking him moments ago, ¡®Now let¡¯s deal with the prick who tried to kill me while I was dreaming of some shi¡ª¡¯ He froze the moment he found the ¡®prick,¡¯ it was dark in the forest, but he was able to adjust fast to know who was standing there at a distance from him. He couldn¡¯t even bring himself to call the person a human anymore, he didn¡¯t know what it was, but he was sure of the identity of that dark body and long hair. ¡°¡­Javi¡­?¡±
The End of CH. 27 28. Amidst The White Walls Fast movements were hardly seen or heard in the dim and silent forest. Ellmer sped his light leaps between the bushes and trees with a frown, sharp red eyes glowing slightly in the dark as he skimmed the surroundings at a humanely-impossible pace. He grew even more impatient as he found nothing even after a while of searching and looking for any sign of the two lost friends. He clicked his tongue. ¡®Where the heck did those two¡ª¡¯ he stopped abruptly in place and looked intently into a particular spot, noticing something glittering faintly on the ground between the grass and bushes. He narrowed his eyes and walked slowly to the object on the ground as he dreaded that what was to be found would be precisely what he feared the most at that moment. He went down to sit on one knee and slowly reached for the object. He stared at the broken object, a pendant that looked to be ripped out by one of the sharp branches and snatched away from its owner in a hurry, only to fall, causing the black crystal to break in half. But he knew it wasn¡¯t any pendant. He knew it wasn¡¯t only broken by the fall on the ground. ¡°Dammit¡­¡± he took the shattered object and pushed it into his pocket as he stood up with a deeper frown than before, looking quite worried as he ruffled his hair in frustration, ¡°Dammit, Javi¡­ f**k¡­ ah, this is so annoying¡­¡± ¡°I can deal with Javi, but Elois¡­¡± He took a deep breath before moving again, slower leaps than before as if careful not to alert a certain someone of his arrival. ¡°Survive till I find you, orange boy.¡±
The Red Flower Chapter. 28
He remembered dreaming of the noise, turning around to face the scribbled figure with wide eyes standing behind him from a distance and staring in silence, awaiting his moment of weakness. He remembered he vaguely heard the mouthless figure asking him a question as he was forced to wake up from his slumber. ¡°Are you going to trust him this time?¡± ¡®Trust¡­ who?¡¯ he remembered how he couldn¡¯t answer as he was pulled out from his supposed-to-be-a-dream. He felt the figure wasn¡¯t waiting for an answer but instead telling him what was to come and asking to confirm it to itself. He remembered how he opened his bleary eyes and caught sight of a familiar silhouette. He remembered how he couldn¡¯t see well but was confident of whose figure it was standing above his head, looking down at him in silence as usual. He remembered how he blinked several times to get a clear view but to no avail, ¡®Yeolard¡­? That¡¯s you again, is it not? Why can¡¯t I see? Am I losing my sight now?¡¯ As if the guy, or spirit, above him listened to his thoughts, Yeolard spoke to him for the first time. He remembered his unexpectedly gentle voice, warm and caring, yet sad and heart-wrenching, weak yet firm. He remembered how a voice could deliver all these mixed signals but not one bit of danger found in it. ¡°I¡¯m glad you aren¡¯t denying my soul anymore, Mr. Fixsen, but instead seeking to properly look at me.¡± He remembered how he felt the pure gentleness of the said spirit hand above his forehead, slowly descending to his eyes, causing them to naturally close. ¡°Please do not strain yourself. I¡¯ll appropriately show myself to you real soon.¡± He remembered how he listened to the gentle order of the spirit as he already relaxed and welcomed another slumber to take over him. ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t wait to finally converse with you.¡± He remembered how he caught a hint of gentle laughter in the other¡¯s tone as the faint sound of the door opening came to his ear from the other side of the room, and then came the voice which he believed belonged to Alvis, ¡°Sorry again. I¡¯ll--- him now. You---¡­ Neron¡­?¡± ¡®¡­Who is¡­ Neron¡­?¡¯ He remembered how he soon opened his eyes and found himself in a small cozy room with an open window; everything was made of wood. He noticed the messy room with heavy books and papers, yet everything was in order. The gentle breeze coming from the window made him turn to look at what was outside. He remembered how he was met with a beautiful green of what appeared to be a deserted forest. ¡°Please take a seat.¡± He remembered how he was supposed to be startled at the sudden voice of another person when he was clearly alone in the place, yet he felt he was gently pulled to focus on the other, a gentleness he had experienced a moment ago. He was met with a gently smiling Yeolard, sitting on the chair in front of the open window with a simple white blouse and black jeans with long boots. The usual dark attire was no longer there. His crimson eyes had a bit of life in them that wasn¡¯t there before, giving a feeling that he was undoubtedly alive. He remembered how Yeolard chuckled at the noticeable observing eyes of his guest instead of getting offended or uncomfortable; he elegantly gestured to the other chair beside the one he was sitting on. ¡°You¡¯d be the first to join me and sit on this chair. If you do please sit on it as we converse comfortably, that will make me truly delighted.¡± He remembered how he relaxed and found himself walking calmly to the chair at the other¡¯s invitation. He sat and looked at the other, finding Yeolard looking with longing eyes at the beautiful greenery outside the window with a comfortable smile. After some seconds, he also turned to look at the scenery before them, both falling into a comfortable silence. The whole situation felt tranquil; a tranquility Davante had never experienced before. ¡®It¡¯s¡­ safe here. Too peaceful¡­¡¯ he looked to the tiny floating particles dancing slowly around the sun rays pushing through the window. The sound of soft rustling of the trees and grass, and he soon took notice of the sound of a river not too distant from their location. He glanced down at his hands, ¡®¡­warm.¡¯ He remembered how they remained silent for a long while as they basked in their comfortable bubble in that small study room. ¡°If I could, I would have stayed like this forever, along with you.¡± He looked to the side, finding the other in the same position with the same smile from before, but his tone was sad as he said that. ¡°I would have kept you here, safe and sound.¡± He kept on staring at the other, blinking when finally, Yeolard moved his head slowly to look at him with a warm smile yet sad and apologetic. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Away from the white walls.¡± He remembered how he was confused but refrained from showing anything on his face. ¡®White walls¡­?¡¯ he then looked back outside as the other kept looking at him. ¡°Is this your place¡­¡± he paused before correcting himself. ¡°Is this where you reside¡­ in my¡­¡± His ears caught the sound of a soft chuckle by his side. ¡°Correct. This is my personal space while residing in your soul.¡± the chuckle stopped. ¡°I¡¯d like to apologize, for I intruded and claimed your soul without your permission. I¡¯m truly grateful that you accept me as of now.¡± He turned to look at Yeolard, finding him looking slightly down as he genuinely apologized ¡°¡­¡± he wanted to say it was okay, ¡®¡­it would be weird in this situation to say it¡¯s fine, right¡­?¡¯ he opted to question the other instead, ¡°You had your reasons, hadn¡¯t you? And your intentions weren¡¯t of evil, am I wrong?¡± The gentle nobleman raised his head and gave the warmest smile he had ever seen before, looking genuinely happy and relieved. ¡°Thoughtful as ever,¡± he nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°¡­no need,¡± he reluctantly added. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ welcomed.¡± He looked at the other, finding him chuckling softly again before looking back at the scenery outside. ¡°It will end if all goes well.¡± ¡®¡­is he¡­ going to disappear¡­?¡¯ Davante furrowed his eyebrows just the tiniest bit at the other, ¡®Can a spirit die when the owner is already dead¡­?¡¯ he then slightly widened his eyes before deciding to ask the other, ¡°You are¡­ half dead?¡± Yeolard closed his eyes and lowered his head a little at that. ¡°Yes, only the body had died. My soul was well intact in the red flower until you came that day.¡± Davante pushed himself to ask the other the very first question that everyone along with him had thought of since the first day he came to the academy, ¡°What happened to me¡­ under the tree¡­?¡± Yeolard¡¯s smile weakened but was not completely gone as he opened his eyes and answered the other without hesitance. ¡°Just as I was about to get out of the safety of the flower, another entity took the chance to grasp my soul and tried to ruin it and use it against you.¡± he paused to look back at the teen. ¡°Seeing how I fought back, the entity focused on washing away all your memories instead.¡± Yeolard looked apologetic once again. ¡°After that, it was a fight over your memories. I must say I am ashamed that I¡¯ve lost a portion of your memories. Because of me, you were put in an unfortunate situation.¡± Davante contemplated once again ¡®¡­it would be even weirder if I said it¡¯s fine in this situation, right?¡¯ he then said instead, ¡°I think you were put in a situation where you have nothing but to do that, am I right? No need to apologize again.¡± he would feel awkward if the other thanked him for being understanding again so he quickly shifted the topic, ¡°Do I know this entity?¡± The other remained silent as he looked to be hesitating whether to tell or not. ¡°You definitely met countless times before. However, you don¡¯t know her, not yet,¡± he then added almost urgently. ¡°Slowly, please do not rush to get your memories back from her. Not now, at least.¡± Davante blinked, smiling a little at the apparent concern shown on the other, ¡°I¡¯m in no rush, though I admit it¡¯s annoying to question certain things over my mind from time to time. However, it¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t handle, so I¡¯ll wait if that¡¯s what you see fit.¡± A look of surprise flashed on Yeolard¡¯s features before he smiled warmly yet again. ¡°Do you trust me?¡± Davante looked to the window, unable to look at the genuine eyes any longer. It felt overwhelming for some reason. ¡°I do, as strange as it sounds.¡± He heard the now familiar chuckle of the other. Silence washed over the room once again before Yeolard said softly, as if talking to himself, ¡°I¡¯m glad I¡¯m on good terms with my precious cousin this time.¡± He stilled in place, he remembered how he couldn¡¯t name what he felt at that moment, but it wasn¡¯t anything unpleasant. However, he didn¡¯t appreciate how he had many more questions in his head now. He slowly turned to look at the other, Finding Yeolard doing the same to look gently back at him, as if already expecting the reaction of the other, ¡°¡­Cousin¡­?¡± Yeolard¡¯s smile grew wider and warmer as he answered; his eyes had a unique twinkle to them at that moment. ¡°Yes, cousins. We are cousins, Mr. Fixsen.¡± Davante refrained from frowning at how the other addressed him ever since the beginning. ¡°Please, call me Davante. But more importantly¡­¡± Yeolard nodded as he continued patiently, ¡°Our mothers are twins.¡± Davante blinked. ¡°But you¡¯ve died very long ago¡­ ah¡­¡± it struck him all too suddenly; he recalled how his mother¡¯s crimson eyes looked the same shade as the vampires in the castle. ¡°My mother was¡­ a vampire?¡± Yeolard nodded calmly. ¡°Correct, and so was my mother.¡± Davante had never been the curious type of person, and he never bothered to ask unless he needed the knowledge. However, looking at his life so far and what was going on lately, he figured he needed to question every little detail. If not for his safety, then for the close people around him, ¡°My father is a human though¡­ was it the norm for a human and vampire to marry each other, or¡­ did he not know?¡± Yeolard looked almost eager to tell him everything but still maintained his calm demeanor as he answered, ¡°Kaven Fixsen was originally a vampire as well.¡± Davante went speechless, utterly shocked to ask any more. He slowly leaned back on the comfy chair and relaxed in place. He looked intently at the other as he demanded, ¡°Will you explain everything, or is it no rush again?¡± He was met with an amused chuckle by the nobleman, looking playful for a moment there. ¡°As for your father, I believe it is wise to ask him yourself if the chance comes. But just for now, I¡¯ll say that your mother turned him into a human at his consent, the same she did to you. Though, you did undergo a rather unfortunate experience than your father did. A mistake would be that another blood was forced into you. That is the reason for your weak heart and body,¡± he added in a gentler tone, ¡°Your mother, auntie, didn¡¯t mean to harm you in any way. Instead, it was all to save you and your father from the conditions of the game. Please, don¡¯t hate her too much.¡± Davante remained silent as he took everything in; he slowly turned to look at the green scenery again. ¡®Is it the place that keeps me calm even after knowing all that, or is it Yeolard¡¯s calm approach and way of talking¡­?¡¯ The room was kept silent for a while before the quiet sound of one of them filled the space. ¡°I do not hate her. Oddly enough, I recall that was the only real request I¡¯ve heard from her¡± Yeolard looked silently at his cousin¡¯s features turning nostalgic for a moment; smiling gently, he reached for the younger¡¯s wrest and gently rested his hand atop. Gaining the attention of the icy-blue eyes, he kindly said, ¡°All in due time, everything will be clear to you. Eventually, I promise.¡± Davante smiled a little and playfully asked, ¡°No rush, yes?¡± Yeolard returned the playfulness with a smile of his own, ¡°Yes, wise people are always patient.¡± he tightened his hold a bit on the other¡¯s hand as he seriously and carefully started, ¡°I did not want to rush you in our first meeting, so I apologize for not telling you earlier¡­¡± Davante noticed the change in the other¡¯s expression and grew worried silently. ¡°Two of your friends will be in danger soon. You can do something to help one of them, and I trust your allies to save the other friend in the meanwhile,¡± Yeolard said as he calmly stood up and moved to stand in front of Davante, resting his hand on the teen¡¯s shoulder as he looked down at him; he said, ¡°It¡¯s about time you get to know the weapon inside you.¡± And so, he remembered how the nobleman, no, his cousin, had taught him everything about his ability. He remembered how his cousin patiently explained every little detail despite the urgent situation. He remembered how he immediately gave the first order to his ¡®weapon¡¯ to save Elois. ¡°This is it. Please relax now. Leave the rest to everyone,¡± said Yeolard as the view changed and dimmed slowly. He was supposed to take some rest, yet he was met with rushing memories, one after another. One was when Alvis stated his current body condition, ¡°You¡¯re getting better at eating your food, but I¡¯ve noticed your sleeping hours are increasing day by day. Yet I can¡¯t find anything wrong anywhere. Just to make sure, I¡¯ll keep you in the hospital for the time being, alright? I know it¡¯s been months since you remained in bed¡­¡± Another was when Ellmer stayed with him the whole day as they talked about everything and anything. He hesitantly asked, ¡°Why can¡¯t I meet with Elois or Javi¡­?¡± and the answer came a little sternly, ¡°You need to rest and heal, and they are not stable enough to visit a patient as of the moment.¡± ¡®Why am I reminded of random memories of the past weeks¡­?¡¯ And all too suddenly, he was met with Elois, sitting cross-legged in front of him in a white void and laughing awkwardly. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m really sorry, though¡­ I know I¡¯ve caused quite the headache to you.¡± ¡®When was this¡­? No, this isn¡¯t a memory¡­¡¯ ¡°And hey, I meant to correct you, but the last time we met was 4 months ago, not 2 weeks or so, haha¡­¡± He found his voice asking calmly, ignoring how he looked to Elois at that moment, ¡°How have you been? And how are you doing with Javi?¡± Elois blinked twice at him. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± ¡®I remember doing exactly as taught to save you¡­¡¯ ¡°Yeah, it makes sense you don¡¯t, sorry.¡± ¡®From A to Z, I made sure to get you out of Belvedere¡¯s illusions, so why¡­?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m dead now.¡± ¡®Why?¡¯ Elois smiled at him again, ¡°So, I came to apologize as I won¡¯t be able to see you again. I¡¯m sorry again, okay?¡± ¡®Why am I seeing this?¡¯ ¡®This doesn¡¯t feel like a dream¡­ so, why¡­?¡¯ The noise. The sound of the white noise resurfacing from the bottom. Like it was crawling up to his feet, seeing the chance to consume him whole once again. And at that moment, he realized. ¡®Ah, I¡¯m not healed yet. No, I did not improve. I¡¯ve not recovered¡­ I¡¯m only walking on a tightrope.¡¯ He recalled Yeolard¡¯s words at that moment. ¡°I wish I could keep you away from the white walls.¡± ¡®Ah, I¡¯m still trapped in the empty white hospital, along with the figures¡­¡¯
The End of CH. 28 29. Narrow Escape ¡°Huff¡­ huff¡­ huff¡­¡± The blond stood beside the bed in the dark, staring at the sleeping teen with crazed eyes. The sound of his heavy breathing filled the quiet room, getting louder slowly and seething in frustration. ¡°Damn you¡­¡± he cursed with his trembling lips; his whole body started trembling the more he glared at his son, ¡°Damn you¡­ damn you!¡± he slowly moved his hands as he stepped closer, ¡°Why are you still doing fine even without the diaries? W-Why is his presence still safe and evident in you¡­?¡± The silence he was met with did nothing but agitate him even more. ¡°Haa¡­ haa¡­¡± he slowly brought his hands to the teen¡¯s skinny neck, hovering and trembling hands hesitated to even touch the skin. The man oddly looked so fearful and reluctant that he hadn¡¯t noticed the person behind his back. With a swift movement, Alvis launched an attack with a powerful kick.
The Red Flower Chapter. 29
¡°Javi¡­?¡± Elois carefully called his friend, who looked nothing like normal. He observed the silent black¡­ ¡®creature¡¯ before him, standing like a real monster from a distance. He slowly and cautiously moved to stand up, alarmed. Growl¡­ He stepped back a little at the low beastly sound that came from his friend, frowning worryingly at him, ¡°Why are you...¡± he flinched when he was met with a horrid hiss this time, looking at his friend, who became agitated suddenly. He swiftly dodged the sudden attack as Javi jumped toward him like an actual monster with a loud growl, ¡®So fast¡ª!¡¯ ¡°Shit¡ª!¡± He quickly dodged another attack and another, feeling like he was dealing with a hysterical beast instead of a human. He stared with wide eyes at what was previously his friend, ¡°What? What''s wrong? What''s this?¡± he tried to stay calm as he kept dodging and barely avoided getting killed every time. He was suddenly reminded of his friend¡¯s past job. ¡®I never had the chance to know what became of him after getting experimented on and exploited by the organization¡­¡¯ he frowned, ¡®Fuck, is he like me, then? Is that the monster inside him?¡¯ he recalled how he had turned into in his fight with the man called Karl. He didn¡¯t know how long he kept running from his friend and was able to put enough distance from the quiet beast. He accidentally stepped on a branch that let out a loud sound in the quiet area. ROAR!! He held back a gasp at the monster charging after him so fast in the dark forest. He quickly tried to avoid the attacks silently, finding difficulty in confusing the monster as it quickly detected him with the weakest sounds and movements, ¡®Shit¡ª His senses are incredibly heightened!¡¯ he quietly and carefully jumped to stand on one of the trees, looking down at the frantic monster still running and turning left and right without any sounds in the dark. It honestly¡­ looked creepy. ¡®This is bad...¡¯ He observed some more in silence as the monster slowly came to a still and silently moved on all fours to one of the directions in the forest. He thought perhaps it was now wandering like any other unbothered animal in a jungle. He scowled and held back a curse, ¡®What happened to you? How did you end up like this?¡¯ He wondered just what had happened while he was sleeping and facing the illusions or whatever it was called. ¡®Ah...¡¯ Recalling who helped him get out of the illusions not long ago, ¡®That mouthless punk did say Javi was going through the illusions like me or something...¡¯ there was no other explanation for this situation. He furrowed his eyebrows even more, looking in disbelief. ¡®Javi easily fell into the trap...?¡¯ thinking more. He was still finding it hard to believe, ¡®Javi¡­?¡¯ the guy was much more stable and collected despite how playfully he behaved most of the time, grasping his own fears and feelings and facing them according to what was best, or so he thought. So if anyone should become a miserable mess like that, it is not Javi. He unintentionally clicked his tongue at the thought of the bastard who turned his friend like that. He quickly covered his mouth with his hands with wide, panicked eyes, ¡®Shit, no sound, Elois!¡¯ Hiss¡­ Gasp¡ª! He loudly gasped when a horrifyingly quiet hiss came from behind, turning quickly to find the beast sitting just behind him, so close and grinning. It had a mouth now along with the long creepy eyes, it¡ª it evolved¡­ it¡­ became worse? Instinctively, he jumped away and down the tree, dashing away from it even though it remained oddly silent and still in its spot. He could listen to his loud and frantic heartbeats, ¡®Fuck, that scared the shit out of me¡ª He is like a¡ª Like a...¡¯ If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "To them! I was only a tool! Or an animal! Or the deadly shadow!!" He unknowingly slowed down when the memory of his fight with Javi suddenly crossed his mind, ¡®Deadly... shadow...¡¯ he slowly turned to look back at where Javi was seconds ago, ¡®So that is the shadow...?¡¯ He felt¡­ hurt, furious¡­ sad. ¡®What have they done to you...? Fucking bastards...¡¯ he ignored and blinked off the tears prickling his eyes as he felt upset for his friend. He was quickly reminded of his current situation and looked to the front while still running as carefully and silently as possible. ¡®What do I have to do now? How can I turn him back to normal?¡¯ suddenly irritated, he felt the urge to scream, ¡®Why did Davante choose to save me instead of Javi in this situation? Agh! I don''t know anything about my friend to be of help now...¡¯ he recalled how his friend looked so detached and absent lately, saying that he was okay even as he looked uncertain to himself. He looked down as he regretted not trying better at helping his friend before falling into all this mess, ¡®There must have been something wrong after all...¡¯ ¡°Kuh!¡± He suddenly froze in place, feeling something gripping firmly at his heart and slowly crushing it. ¡°Ack¡ª Aa¡ª¡± he felt the shadow behind him; he didn¡¯t know how or when he had come so close unnoticed, but it wasn¡¯t time to think of answers as his heart was silently tortured and slowly crushed. He forced his body to move, away from the assaulting hand from behind. With great effort, he was finally able to free himself from the shadow and stumbled forward with a gasp, ¡°Ah! Haa! Haa... huff...¡± he fell on his knees weakly and tried to catch his breath, yet it didn¡¯t seem he was getting any better. He still felt suffocated and in pain, like he was given a short break from a torture session just for amusement. There wasn¡¯t blood or a hole in his chest¡­ how did the shadow get a hold of his heart¡­? He was sure he wasn¡¯t hallucinating, strangely confident¡­ he sensed its presence with all his being. He doubted if the shadow had let go of him and if it wasn¡¯t him and the efforts that saved him just now, just because it didn¡¯t feel as fun if he was killed quickly. He weakly turned to look behind and found no one, only him surrounded by the trees in the dark forest that felt more ominous tonight for some reason, or maybe it was just him feeling depressed. He winced at the pain in his heart as he moved a bit to stand up. He tried to take a breath and felt immense pain again; he settled with shallow breaths for now. He attempted to stand once more and gritted his teeth silently, trembling as he suppressed his cries and fought back the horrible pain in his heart again. Finally, he slowly pushed himself to his feet and started walking weakly, only to stumble and lean on the closest tree around, ¡®Shit... move, Elois...¡¯ He pushed himself away from the tree and slowly walked with his back hunched down in an attempt to lessen the pain in his heart, ¡°Haha... whatever you did just now... it sure... is killing my body... heheh...¡± he laughed weakly as he sweated, huffed and panted horribly from walking only. Slowly shaking his head left and right, Elois tried to sober up as he felt himself getting delirious gradually, ¡®No sound, I must not let out a sound...¡¯ he says that, but he was still aware of his weak and heavy steps crawling on the ground and his loud breaths in the silent forest, stepping on grass and multiple branches in his way. ¡®No sound...¡¯ Thud¡ª ¡®No running... so he won''t detect me...¡¯ Tssh¡ª ¡®Careful...¡¯ Huff¡­ ¡®Careful...¡¯ Haah¡­ ¡®Until... I find someone...¡¯ He blinked tiredly at the thought, ¡®But who...? Who even... knows Javi...?¡¯ He tried to think of someone close enough to understand Javi and know his past, yet he found no one in his memory. Only then realize that Javi had no one besides Elois himself and¡­ Javi¡¯s cousin, perhaps now Davante as well. Both he and Davante were out as they¡¯d just learned of his past, ¡®¡­then maybe¡­ Edmund?¡¯ ¡°Haha...¡± he weakly laughed as he sounded ridiculous even to himself, ¡®That bastard never looked trustworthy even to me...¡¯ He blinked to look properly as his vision slowly turned blurry, ¡®Come to think of it... it''s been some time since I''ve seen them together... did... something happen...?¡¯ He huffed in a chuckle again, ¡°This isn''t the time... to think of useless shit... Elois...¡± He felt himself swaying a bit, and his vision worsened. He stopped and leaned on a tree. ¡°Haa... haa... where are you...? Are you enjoying the show...?¡± he huffed with a smile and his eyes closed, ¡°Fine... go ahead... hah... fuck, am I dying...?¡± he couldn¡¯t feel anything in his body except for the pain in his heart. He tilted his head back against the tree behind him, not managing to look at the night sky in the thick forest. So dark, so cold¡­ ¡®Well, fine, but let me do something about the shadow first... there are still people in this academy... after all...¡¯ He whispered with a weak smile, ¡°You wouldn''t like to... learn you''ve killed even more people... right... Javi¡­?¡± he didn¡¯t care if he made a sound anymore; he couldn¡¯t even keep quiet if he wanted to, his body was hardly getting any oxygen with his shallow breaths. He pushed himself away from the tree and started forcing his numbing legs to walk again. He didn¡¯t know how long he had been walking like a zombie, ¡°Where even am I going...? Shit... I''m lost... haha... Davante could laugh at me now...¡± yeah, he was definitely going to faint any time soon. He didn¡¯t have time to react when his ears somehow managed to catch a sound somewhere near him, and he was instantly pushed to the ground on his back, feeling a sharp pain in his side he couldn¡¯t even cry out from how painful and constricting it was, ¡°Ack! Uhk... a-ahgh...¡± he blinked his bleary eyes several times, catching a glimpse of the shadow¡¯s head moving vigorously with grunts and growls like a ferocious animal. His mouth was open in a silent cry. His body kept convulsing and flinching weakly with every sharp pain all over his body, ¡°I-It hurts... like heck...¡± he weakly huffed as he felt like laughing for some reason, ¡°Haah- hahah¡ª you- can''t eve-n... understand¡ª yea-h?¡± Finally registering the loud sounds from the beast above him, he laughed again as he was bewildered, ¡°Ah... you''re eating... me...?¡± ¡®Fuck... he really is feasting on me...¡¯ his body flinched with each bite from the other. He was going through the process of being eaten alive and thoroughly. ¡®Yeah, I''m dying... well, I was never really scared of death...¡¯ he didn¡¯t care if he was crazy for wanting to laugh in this situation. He was going numb at least, and the pain was drifting to the back of his mind as a memory playfully came to the surface. He gave a shaky smile as he remembered his friend¡¯s stupid question in his ridiculous outburst before they went into the silly barrier. ¡°I¡ª didn''t have... time... to cut... my hair la-tely...¡± he knew he had to save his breath, but he was dying anyway, so who cares if he kept talking nonsense? Perhaps his friend would remember his talk once he finishes eating him, and he would have gotten the answer to his useless question at last, ¡°I was... busy... thinking... and¡ª c-calming... down... hah-hahah... that''s... my answer... to your silly... question...¡± Cough¡ª! He knew he coughed out a chunk of blood without even looking, and maybe he should shut up now. ¡®Oh, well... Let''s die now...¡¯ He tried to recall everyone he owed something to, ¡®Ah... I haven''t had the chance to spend some time with Owin...¡¯ he felt another type of pain as he recalled his brother¡¯s hopeful face before he left the room after his stupid fight with Javi, ¡®What was the last thing I said to Davante...?¡¯ he smiled painfully, ¡®It''s been four months... hopefully, he''s resting well...¡¯ he was then reminded of the punk who claimed to be Davante¡¯s weapon. Yeah, what resting? When the kid has someone troublesome like Elois himself in his life. ¡®I would have liked to... apologize... at least...¡¯ he coughed weakly with a sound that sounded like a sob. Was he crying? He didn¡¯t know, and he didn¡¯t really care. ¡®I did nothing but hurt the kid...¡¯ he smiled as a thought crossed his mind. ¡®Should I haunt him just to apologize and leave him alone after...?¡¯ He humored himself with the thought, ¡®It''s worth trying... moving as a ghost shouldn¡¯t be that difficult, right¡­?¡¯ he snapped out of his thoughts at a loud grunt from Javi. He wanted to laugh as the fool wasn¡¯t even done eating after all this time, as if savoring him till the last minute. Was he that delicious? His body kept flinching and shivering from the relentless bites despite going impossibly numb. ¡°Once... you''ve had... enough of... me... wake... the fuck... up... okay...?¡± ¡®At least you''d have killed only one person, a murderer at that... so... it''s fine.¡¯ He felt like bringing his hand to pat the other¡¯s head playfully, but he couldn¡¯t feel anything. He wondered if his hands were long eaten and gone. He slowly closed his eyes and started drifting away to the land of the dead¡­ Bam¡ª! ¡°...?¡± he hardly forced his eyes open at the loud sound of things collapsing together, and the weight above him disappeared¡­ he found only trees in his vision as they covered the sky above him. The shadow¡­ was gone. ¡°Haah, I can''t say I made it in time... shit, what an awful sight...¡± Blinking blankly at the relaxed yet irritated voice, he finally noticed the purple light surrounding him, ¡®Who...? Wait... this bubble... from the time we fell...¡¯ he instantly recalled the light bubble that saved him and Javi from their fall from the balcony while they fought. He heard steps getting closer to his side. ¡°Rest there and let it heal you, don''t sleep, however. I¡¯ve so much to say, you moron.¡± He felt warm again, and he could even breathe. He was indeed getting healed with some magic he didn¡¯t know how or what. He doubted it was the work of the bubble he was in. He slowly turned his head and glanced at his savior, who sounded upset, standing beside him with a deep frown. ¡®Ellmer...?¡¯ . . Bren remained in his spot on a tree and looked intently with his owl-like eyes at a specific woman in a suit, looking clearly at Gasha Anfinrud even from a long distance. He observed silently as she stood before a secret entrance on the ground in the forest, looking coldly at it with the canvas still in her hand, ¡°Is that... the laboratory...?¡± he wondered quietly. ¡°Was that what she came for, then?¡± Puzzled and intrigued, he slightly widened his eyes to look better at the dark woman, ¡°Beautiful miss, how did you know of its exact place?¡± an unreadable smile slowly formed on his face, ¡°Who did send you here?¡±
The End of CH. 29 30. The Emperor Showed Up Again ¡°So, this is it...¡± Gasha stared long at the entrance on the ground, feeling her fingers slightly shivering, ¡°Damn, even from out here, I can feel the stifling aura from the place...¡± she took a shaky deep breath before letting it out slowly, feeling calmer instantly, ¡°Phewh~ let''s get down to business.¡± She went down to rest the canvas on the ground before snapping her finger. Two crows came flying silently toward her out of nowhere and stood on her hands. She smiled fondly at each of them with her yellow eyes, ¡°Find a hole to sneak in. Don''t get yourself killed or caught, my babies.¡± The crows immediately flew in different directions after her command. She stood back up with trusting eyes, ¡°It shouldn''t take long.¡± Fwishh! ¡°Huh? Wha¡ª!¡± she didn¡¯t have time to react when something, no, someone, quickly snatched the canvas from the ground and jumped high and fast deeper into the forest. ¡°Who the heck?! Shit!¡± she was just about to chase after the bastard whom she thought was most probably from her very family, Anfinrud, when another person came almost flying after her target, jumping from one tree to another at the speed of light with a face so stiff like a robot. It was within seconds, but she recognized that face immediately; she could recognize it from miles away, even in the dark. ¡°That was... just now...¡± She widened her eyes and remained still as the person disappeared into the forest¡¯s darkness, forgetting about the bastard from her family or an agent working for the family as she was sure the person she had just witnessed would definitely catch him. ¡°Was that... Neron?¡± she blinked her teary eyes several times, and a smile slowly appeared on her stunned face, ¡°Wow... wah... he''s alive...¡± Remembering the purple-haired man¡¯s face from seconds ago as if she couldn¡¯t believe her eyes, she gulped down the lump in her throat and whispered with her voice shaking, rubbing her face with both her hands slowly, ¡°Fuck... he¡¯s alive... thank goodness¡­ he¡¯s alive¡­ brother is alive¡­¡± she kept repeating the words in the dark, trying to calm herself as it wasn¡¯t the time nor the place to get emotional and overwhelmed with feelings. She tensed up when she felt eyes on her.
The Red Flower Chapter. 30
Elois blinked tiredly as he looked at Ellmer¡¯s frowning face, wondering if he should stay quiet or ask the guy what the problem was; he didn¡¯t want to sound more stupid than he already was since it was probably clear as to why the other was upset. He was suddenly reminded of Javi and moved his head to search for his friend, finding him lying limp under one of the trees not far from them, still in the shadow form. ¡°He''s alive. He''ll be fine once he wakes up. Just don''t bring up what happened tonight.¡± He turned to look back at the still frowning Ellmer. Despite the assuring tone, Elois noticed the bit of anger still evident in the other¡¯s voice. Ellmer stared long at Elois¡¯s blank face, glancing at the shadow before fixing his eyes back on the ginger head. Crossing his arms and looking fiercely at the puzzled Elois, ¡°So, what were you two thinking, coming to this place after all the red flags from before? And at night, wow, I''m so flabbergasted.¡± He scoffed, tilting his head back with a disbelieving smirk. ¡°Um...¡± Ellmer glared at the other and raised an eyebrow, ¡°What, you''ve got an excuse?¡± ¡°...no...¡± Elois wasn¡¯t dumb enough to try and anger the glaring guy standing beside him any more than he already was, and he obviously didn¡¯t have anything to say to defend himself. ¡°Of course.¡± Ellmer scoffed again, ¡°And you two thought you were helping Davante by being stupidly reckless? Haven''t you caused enough trouble already?¡± he felt pretty satisfied when Elois visibly flinched at that. ¡°...sorry...¡± he sounded like a kicked puppy, sounding pathetic even to himself. He felt awkward as he couldn¡¯t even avoid the other¡¯s piercing eyes and was forced to stay still inside the healing bubble and accept the insults silently. ¡°And die after you make everything up to my little brother, you thick-headed bastard.¡± Ellmer said with a growling voice, barely holding back his anger at his brother¡¯s roommate and childhood friend. Elois stiffened, ¡®Little brother...?¡¯ he recalled Javi¡¯s first impression of the guy glaring at him now and how he never mentioned anything else as he insisted that the guy was some villain coming after them and their lives, ¡®Shit... Javi, you idiot.¡¯ He wanted to smack his friend¡¯s head so bad, and why didn¡¯t Davante tell him before? No, the kid isn¡¯t obliged to tell him everything, but he didn¡¯t even hint at it, not even once. He wondered if the two brothers were on bad terms, but that didn¡¯t seem like it, with the big brother getting all worked up and protective of his little brother. ¡°Do anything stupid again, and I''ll make sure to make your worst nightmare come true.¡± He flinched at the chilling voice above him. Ellmer¡¯s face looked even pleased with his reaction, and he honestly looked like a villain, just as Javi described him. ¡°Believe me when I say I know how to make your beloved family disown you once and for all.¡± ¡°......that...¡± he slowly widened his eyes in fear as he looked at Ellmer¡¯s evil smile, looking so confident and giving the impression that he would do exactly what he said if Elois so much made a single mistake again. ¡®Shit, he means it...¡¯ he gulped, weakly mumbling to the other, ¡°Please don''t...¡± he was still in the process of believing that his father and little brother accepted him even after knowing what he had done. Even though they often assured him that they would never abandon him, that was still a possible future with the person he is today. Ellmer¡¯s pleased face was replaced with a frown again as he met the frightened face of the orange head, who looked up with pleading eyes and pupils shaking. ¡°Haah, do you seriously have so little faith in them?¡± he sighed as he suddenly felt like scolding the dumb guy for a different reason. ¡°Huh...?¡± ¡°......¡± staring at the puzzled cyan eyes, Ellmer wondered if he should waste some time teaching the poor guy how to trust his family a bit more and all the homily talk right after he had just threatened him using the very same family. Elois blinked blankly at the observing crimson eyes, wondering just why the guy who had just threatened him like a typical villain was now looking at him with pitying eyes. Stolen novel; please report. Ellmer gradually furrowed his eyebrows the more he stared at Elois¡¯s eyes, ¡°You got the nerve to look so innocent. The audacity, this is unbelievable...¡± he clicked his tongue and looked to the side, looking extremely offended. Elois wasn¡¯t sure if he should apologize, he wasn¡¯t sure what he had done now, but he felt like the other had the right to be mad at him for some reason¡­ ¡°Uhm...¡± Ellmer glared back at him, ¡°Do I look like I''m done yet?¡± ¡°...sorry...¡± he didn¡¯t know anymore, but somehow Ellmer looked calmer now, or maybe kinder to him, no longer threatening at least. ¡°Listen, Elois Iriart.¡± His tone was still sharp and cold, though. Elois tensed up again. ¡°It''s a shame I have to say this,¡± Ellmer sighed lightly with a slight grimace, massaging his forehead with his hand, ¡°I can''t help but care and save you idiots from troubles, and I won''t care less no matter how many times you fools get yourself in near-death situations, because I''m humane, can you believe it?¡± he looked at the blinking Elois with amused eyes. ¡°...yes...¡± ¡°Oh, but I don''t. I''m quite amazed myself.¡± ¡°......¡± Elois wasn¡¯t sure why, but Ellmer looked so creepy as he laughed lightly while saying that. The guy was scary in a new¡­ different way. At least to him, that is. ¡°So, point is, grow the fuck up and be careful from now on. Can you at least do this much?¡± Ellmer glared with a cold smile. Elois was sure the other wasn¡¯t asking, he was giving an order, and he must follow or else. ¡°Yes...¡± Ellmer¡¯s smile faltered for a second, and he sighed, looking offended again as he rubbed his face with his hand, ¡°Hah, I''m so mad, can you see that?¡± he glared back at the confused orange head. ¡°Yes...¡± any idiot would see even from miles away. ¡°Good, and I''ll come after you if you ever take advantage of my brother''s kindness again.¡± He smirked, making the other shrink under his fierce gaze. ¡°...sorry.¡± he didn¡¯t dare to question the guy how he had even known of the many times he took advantage of Davante¡¯s forgiving and accepting side. It didn¡¯t sit right with him to imagine the kid complaining about him to his brother, though he had the right to complain. ¡°Why do you listen well?¡± Ellmer¡¯s smile dropped once again and went back to looking personally offended. ¡°...because I have no right to fight back...¡± wasn¡¯t that clear already? Ellmer scowled even more before shaking his head side to side, ¡°...hah, you''re a baby, yeah.¡± It was Elois¡¯s turn to frown at the other, wondering what the guy was talking about and why he was looking at him with pity again. Ellmer let out a long sigh, closing his eyes tiredly as he tilted his head back for a moment before looking at Elois again, ¡°Forgive me for using your family against you. I¡¯m calm now.¡± Elois was taken aback, wasn¡¯t expecting the other to apologize at all. ¡°...it''s fine.¡± ¡°No, it''s not. Are you that depressed?¡± Ellmer scowled a little before shaking his head again, knowing it wouldn¡¯t change anything even if he explained to the other and gave him a whole lecture on how to value himself a bit more. ¡°Anyway, I don''t think Rewind would be able to recover you fully, but from the looks of it, you''d be left with some minor injuries.¡± He checked the condition of the other with his observing eyes, ¡°Your heart, though...¡± his face hardened. Blinking dumbly at the frowning Ellmer, ¡°Rewind?¡± Pointing at the purple bubble around Elois, ¡°That ball, or my weapon. In any case, we''ll have you checked by your father later.¡± His gaze turned sharp, pointing briefly at Javi, ¡°Again, don''t let that idiot know what happened. Not even about your heart.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure. Wasn''t going to.¡± It may be unfair in a way to hide stuff from his friend when it clearly concerned him, but what happened was horrid and shouldn¡¯t be told, never. ¡°Nice. I almost forgot you can normally use your head pretty well.¡± Elois wasn¡¯t sure if that was an insult, but judging by the pleased smirk from Ellmer, he guessed he was complemented in a way. He turned to look at the passed-out shadow, ¡°But... is he... will he really be fine?¡± Ellmer contemplated before deciding to share a bit with the worried friend, ¡°...you know the necklace he always wears?¡± Only then was he aware of the missing blue necklace around his friend¡¯s neck. Elois looked back at Ellmer¡¯s serious face, ¡°Yes...¡± ¡°They say it helps him control the shadow, but that was just some bullshit.¡± ¡°What...?¡± Elois furrowed his eyebrows, wondering who were the people the other meant with. He guessed they were Anfinrud perhaps, now aware that Ellmer was highly likely associated with the organization as well. ¡°His maternal uncle had made that necklace from pure stone that helps calm the nerves, but Javi could function without it just fine.¡± Shrugging his shoulder, ¡°His uncle told me Javi would be okay to let it go when he''s old enough to control his emotions. Well, I doubt it''s the perfect time to throw it away, but the fool would be fine if he''s himself again.¡± ¡°...but he had been... off lately...¡± Will he get scolded again? He wondered if it was even his fault this time. Javi had denied it when he asked him, but still, he wasn¡¯t given a definite answer. ¡°Ah, yeah. That''s on me, I suppose.¡± Ellmer had a thoughtful look for a moment, looking strangely regretful, ¡°I did run my mouth a bit too much.¡± He silently observed the shadow, remembering that he had, in a way, started all this mess when he tried to help the brown head somehow fix the mess from the past. ¡°I guess I should do something about that jumbled brain of his...¡± he hummed in thought, ignoring Elois¡¯s questioning eyes. He blinked, and his face brightened a bit as a thought crossed his mind; he looked down at none other than Elois, who flinched at the bright smile he was given all too suddenly. Ellmer squatted down with a grin, ¡°Or maybe you could help? Don''t you think I deserve a break from you two?¡± Elois was sure the unapologetic guy was cheating his way out of it, but he didn¡¯t have the face to refuse. ¡°...I''ll try...¡± ¡°Great! Best friends should handle each other instead of the help from a stranger after all.¡± Ellmer smiled brightly with his eyes closed, uncaring that the orange head had seen right through his plan. He opened his eyes and glanced at Javi, ¡°See.¡± Confused, Elois turned his head to the side again and found Javi, not the shadow. ¡°...ah.¡± he was feeling emotional for some reason; somehow, he missed his friend¡¯s stupid face. ¡°He''ll be fine. Just help him with whatever he''s going through to be mentally stable again,¡± Ellmer stopped, rethinking his own words, ¡°Or to how he was anyway since I doubt any of us is considered normal by society''s standards.¡± Elois almost choked as he suddenly laughed after the emotional rollercoaster he went through in one night. ¡°Seems like we all are depressed...¡± ¡°Well, seems fun to me,¡± Ellmer smirked playfully at the other. Laughing lightly in disbelief, ¡°You sure embrace this fucked up life...¡± ¡°Should I struggle and cry like a baby, then?¡± Ellmer raised an eyebrow. ¡°...yeah, no.¡± he felt ashamed. He had no right to correct Davante if he ever called him a crybaby again. Ellmer observed the other¡¯s regretful face before sighing with a resigned smile, ¡°Learn to move on, orange boy.¡± He was instantly met with a grimace. ¡°I do not appreciate the name.¡± ¡°That was the point.¡± Elois laughed again. Who would have thought he would get along with someone like Ellmer? Not him, and definitely not Javi, who would aggressively disapprove of Elois¡¯s newfound friendship with who was supposed to be the evil they should be wary of. ¡°You''re good again. It can''t reverse back any more than this.¡± Ellmer pushed himself to his feet, looking down at Elois as he snapped his finger, and the bubble instantly shrank, going back to his side and leaving Elois alone. ¡°Try to stand up.¡± Elois pushed his upper body up with the help of his elbows and immediately winced at the pain in his heart. He bit his lip and kept struggling to stand up, quickly getting familiar with the pain after his experience of walking for so long in the forest before becoming a hearty meal to the shadow, all while struggling with a damaged heart. ¡°Huff, hah...¡± he was standing at last with his back hunched. ¡°Hah, the problem is the heart, as I feared.¡± Ellmer stepped closer and supported the other as it was hard enough for the poor guy to even stand. Silently appreciating the help with a nod, Elois wiped the sweat on his forehead before asking, ¡°What did he do with it?¡± ¡°No idea. He functions more like a haunting ghost, honestly.¡± Recalling all the missions he had seen the brown-head perform from a distance in the past, ¡°You hear stories of dark ghosts or spirits taking over the body and almost killing it sometimes, yeah?¡± Blinking as he slowly realized what the other was trying to say, ¡°Oh...¡± Ellmer nodded his head, secretly remembering the time he stupidly fought with Javi, and his heart almost got damaged as well, ¡°Something similar. I¡¯m not very informed of the shadow''s abilities precisely, so I''m not sure what he does with the heart to stop or weaken it. It feels like a curse of some sort.¡± Elois looked down at his body and smiled tiredly, ¡°Haah, at least I''m in one piece again.¡± Ellmer looked at the other with pitying eyes; he lightly patted the trembling shoulder, ¡°I''ll find a way to help you recover. Though I don''t want to push another worry on your poor father, but we can''t have you strain your heart because of your little knowledge of the human body.¡± ¡°Ah... right...¡± he didn¡¯t want to imagine his father¡¯s face if he found out what ensued right after he thought their lives were getting better. How would he even explain without bringing Javi to the matter? His thoughts were interrupted when the other patted his shoulder again. ¡°I''ll explain everything to him in a way that wouldn''t cause any more drama against one another. You¡¯re welcome.¡± Elois looked at Ellmer with sparkling eyes, ¡°You''re really...¡± Ellmer smiled kindly, still managing to look like a villain, ¡°You must be really grateful now.¡± ¡°I seriously am.¡± Nodding with a satisfied smile, ¡°As you should.¡± He carefully moved, pulling Elois with him to leave the place finally; he sent Rewind to carry Javi on their way. It was best to keep the sleeping brown head caged in the bubble just in case he woke up agitated again, ¡°Now let''s¡ª¡± Whoosh¡ª! Ellmer was quickly pushed and stumbled to the side, having no time to question the orange head when something went past and in between them in less than a second. He regained his balance and checked on Elois, who had saved them both at the last second and fell to the ground, looking back at him and equally alarmed and shocked that he was the one who saved both of them when it should be the sharp Ellmer instead. Ellmer was silently questioning himself how he hadn¡¯t sensed the smiling stranger with aristocratic clothes, who came down out of nowhere and landed with grace before them like an angel flying down from the sky. Ellmer tensed under the glowing red eyes of the silver-haired man whose smile looked nothing like angelic. He worried over the fact that Rewind immediately missed its radiant light and shrank before falling to the ground, looking like any ordinary tiny pearl, meaning it had lost its effect and shut down immediately for some reason. He guessed it was the doing of the stranger standing from a distance and blocking their way to the still-unconscious Javi. ¡°Greetings, little gentlemen.¡± Both guys stiffened at the calm yet intimidating voice of the rich-looking man. ¡°Mind if I get to know you a bit?¡± Albern glanced sharply at each of them, from Elois to Ellmer and finally to Javi behind his back. He stared back at the two guys in front of him, smiling gently at them as if he was looking at amusing children, ¡°Since you three have some blood of my kind.¡± ¡°......¡± Both Ellmer and Elois had the same thought at that moment as they remained in place and unable to move under the man¡¯s vicious gaze. ¡®This man is... bad news...¡¯
The End of CH. 30 31. The Beginning Boooom¡ª!! A man stood still and unperturbed, even with the whole place destroyed and on fire. He remained still as the hot air blew against him from all directions, silently eyeing the many bodies that had fallen and shattered around him. ¡°Sir Hanover, we found Mrs. Anfinrud.¡± The man didn¡¯t turn to look at the young lady behind him. He hummed lowly in recognition, ¡°How is her condition?¡± The lady with two messy braids nodded with a stoic face, ¡°She looked as healthy as she¡¯d never been touched. We took her to the village immediately, just as you wanted.¡± ¡°Good job.¡± The man tilted his head back with a low sigh, looking at the pitch-black sky with no stars, ¡°Those aren¡¯t all, right, Diara?¡± The lady, Diara, looked down a little at the scattered bodies with a hardened face before answering, ¡°It appears some of them had fled away secretly sometime before our attack¡­¡± The man huffed, which sounded like a low chuckle to Diara, ¡°Ha, of course, he wouldn''t make things easier for anyone, even if everything is revealed to us now.¡± He brought his gloved hand to calmly take off his black mask, revealing his honeyed eyes that glowed as they reflected the light from the flames all around him, hiding his little smile behind the mask. ¡°We''ll just have to entertain him some more, then.¡±
The Red Flower Chapter. 31
Elois couldn¡¯t bring his fingers to move even for a little under the man¡¯s gaze; he didn¡¯t know why but something was telling him he shouldn¡¯t even think of provoking the stranger with wealthy attire; the man looked nothing but evil as he observed them with that patronizing, unsettling smile. ¡®What do we do...? I can''t fight in this state, and Ellmer...¡¯ he tossed a glance at the person to his side, standing from a distance and looking as stiff as him. ¡®If you look like that, then we''re damned for sure.¡¯ He had known Ellmer for less than an hour but could tell the guy was rarely ever fazed or troubled, used to hold the cool image of a collected leader in a good way. So if even Ellmer looked so intimidated in front of this stranger, they must be in really big trouble. Ellmer narrowed his sharp eyes at the silver-haired man as he reviewed the words in his head, ¡®Some blood of his kind... a vampire?¡¯ he stiffened at the discovered fact as he hadn¡¯t expected to run into one that fast after hearing of their existence from his little brother, ¡®Is he one of the vampires who had been with Davante in the castle?¡¯ he very slightly frowned at the man. ¡°Do not take this the wrong way, I¡¯m not here to fight. I do not have anything against any of you kids.¡± Albern softened his expression and tilted his head slightly, knowing exactly that didn¡¯t help calm the two kids before him at all. He silently chuckled at the frightened faces. Ellmer wanted so much to scoff at the smiling vampire, but he couldn¡¯t even open his mouth to say something or anything under the menacing aura from the bastard. He thought of moving his hand to his neck and checking his necklace, but he couldn¡¯t feel its power. ¡®My weapon doesn¡¯t seem to be working for some reason, and I have to find a way to get both idiots out of here... then... should I distract him? Can I even do that?¡¯ he glanced at Javi lying limp behind the vampire, then at Elois, confirming to himself that he was the only one in their situation who could fight, but he doubted he would stand against the man for one whole minute. ¡°Though, you both stink a little. Especially you.¡± Both friends flinched at the cold, snide remark as the man glared accusingly at a particular orange head. Stab¡ª! ¡°Kuh¡ª!¡± Ellmer couldn¡¯t react fast; he knew something was coming when the man calmly raised his hand a bit to point suspiciously at Elois. It happened in less than a second. He slowly followed with his eyes the veiny, bloody thing that came out from the gloved finger and straight to Elois¡¯s chest, reaching the ground when it mercilessly pierced through the poor guy¡¯s heart. Looking at Elois as he had his mouth open in a silent cry with wide eyes, Ellmer slowly widened his eyes as he assimilated the scene before him. . . Gasp¡ª! Neron flinched back suddenly at the sight of a screeching spirit pushing its face at him out of nowhere in the dark forest, causing him to lose his footing and fall from the trees to the ground with a suppressed groan. ¡°Ah, hah...¡± He rolled to the side to push himself up with shaky hands and sat on his knees as he collected his breath with his eyes closed. He moved his slightly trembling hand and managed to cover his left eye with his hair. He took a calm breath, deciding to open his eyes after listening to the spirits¡¯ cries, wails and all kinds of disturbing noises around him. He refrained from closing his eyes again when he caught glimpses of them with his left eye through his hair strands. ¡°What''s wrong...?¡± he carefully asked. Their sounds grew louder in his ears, and they appeared to be hysterically distressed. He pushed himself to his feet calmly and tried again. ¡°Why are you terrified...?¡± he observed silently as some of them started hitting their heads against the trees and the ground, some screamed louder in one direction, and some appeared to be cowering in place and looking in fear in another direction. ¡°Is it coming from there...?¡± he looked at the place he was heading to seconds ago as he chased the person with the canvas. He turned his head to look in the other direction, the one he came from, when they didn¡¯t give a clear response and kept wailing louder and louder, ¡°Is it there...?¡± they still didn¡¯t give him any kind of clear reaction. They seemed to grow mad at him with each passing second for not understanding their suffering. ¡®...I need to destroy the canvas first.¡¯ He hesitantly turned to the direction he was going but was immediately stopped when impossibly loud shrieks came from the spirits, making him stop in his tracks just as they wanted. He looked at them with a troubled face, ¡°...I''ll help you, I promise. Just please let me do one thing first¡ª¡± Screaamm!! He held himself back from closing his eyes shut and covering his ears with his hands as hysteria filled the area around him. He felt a familiar presence close to him, a different one than the spirits and much calmer. He looked down at the small spirit child staring lifelessly up at him, ¡°Vinny?¡± ¡°Out.¡± ¡°I can''t leave this place now...¡± he looked with apologetic eyes at the blurry child beside him, knowing that wouldn¡¯t please him not the least bit. ¡°Out.¡± ¡°Vinny...¡± The child¡¯s face looked darker to him even though it remained the same. He hesitantly moved his hand to pat the child¡¯s head, feeling glad when the child didn¡¯t scream at him or turn demonic at him yet. ¡°Out.¡± He recognized that tone immediately, knowing that the child was barely staying calm for his sake. He went down to the child¡¯s level and carefully asked, ¡°...which side is bad?¡± The child, Vinny, stared into his eyes with an alarming, still face. ¡°Vinny...¡± he tried again. The child slowly grabbed his sleeves with his small hands¡­ Vinny suddenly shrieked sharply at him with an oddly wide mouth while trying to pull him in the direction he came from in an attempt to leave the forest. Neron turned his head in the opposite direction, the one the person with the canvas ran into. ¡®So, it¡¯s from there...¡¯ . Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. . ¡®Someone is around...¡¯ Gasha slowly lowered her hands with a stiff face, ¡®This feeling... this presence...¡¯ she scanned the area with her eyes, silently calming down her racing heart, ¡®My crows hadn''t sent me any signal...¡¯ she slowly moved her hand to where she hid her weapon under her suit jacket, she felt with her fingers the chain to the sharp hook and stayed still, ¡®Are they dead? No, I would have received a signal immediately if it''s the case...¡¯ ¡°Where are you?¡± she asked aloud, turning cautiously around when no answer came. Her eyes landed on the secret entrance on the ground, ¡®The entrance is still closed...¡¯ she wondered for a moment if it was someone other than the person she thought it was, but she clicked her tongue in the next second as she denied the thought immediately. ¡°I know you''re here...¡± She couldn¡¯t hear or see anyone, but she still could feel the eyes on her, if not getting closer to her. ¡®Fucking creep...¡¯ ¡°Are you not gonna do anything to me even here? Or is it because I''ll be seeing your real face this time?¡± she tightened her grip on the hidden weapon as she frowned, ¡°Fucking show yourself.¡± She felt herself growing angry at the constant silence. ¡®He''s here. I''m sure. This disturbing aura, it can''t be mistaken...¡¯ ¡°Lucas¡ª no, Baldrick Alastair.¡± She called through gritted teeth. ¡°Yes?¡± She jumped and turned around at the amused voice close to her ear, only to find the place empty, ¡°Shit, hah¡ª you really like to play games, huh?¡± she calmed her breathing and glanced around her with sharp eyes again. ¡°I simply came out to welcome my first visitor in so long.¡± The same voice answered again, sounding playful. Gasha remained on alert as the man had yet to show up. She tried to detect the source, but it felt like the man was everywhere around her. She jumped slightly when the sound of the entrance opening came from beside her. She stared at the now-open entrance and the ominous darkness downstairs. ¡°Go on, dear daughter.¡± The man said teasingly, still not showing up. ¡°The fuck you¡¯re calling daughter?¡± she snapped at the voice, earning a chuckle in the dark. She calmed down and decided to converse with the man since she got caught trespassing anyway. ¡°Father is inside, isn''t he?¡± ¡°Would you believe what I''m about to say?¡± the man sang creepily. She held back from cursing loud at him, ¡°At least you don''t lie.¡± She grimaced at her own words, ¡°The only good trait I''ve seen after putting up with you all these years, you freak.¡± She waited for the answer, growing impatient with the silence. ¡°Hmm, he isn''t here if he is dead, right?¡± She stopped breathing for a while, barely holding herself back from running downstairs into the secret lab and checking for herself, ¡°......you''re joking.¡± she didn¡¯t like how she sounded weak for a moment, forcing herself to stay calm as she shouldn¡¯t be giving away any opening to the bastard. ¡°Am I? Who knows. Why don''t you take a look inside?¡± the man quietly chuckled as he invited her again. ¡°Father isn''t dead, otherwise you wouldn''t be able to cosplay with his body anymore...¡± she stated stiffly, sounding unsure even to herself. ¡°Oh, are those my limits? I didn''t know, haha.¡± The man sounded genuinely surprised yet amused. ¡°Bastard¡ª Father isn''t dead. He isn''t.¡± seething as she tried her best to stay calm, ¡®It can''t be, no...¡¯ she knew she shouldn¡¯t let her emotions get over her, but she¡¯d done everything she could to save her father, and there was still a chance that her father, Xenos Anfinrud, was indeed dead. She wasn¡¯t sure of the man¡¯s abilities and limits other than that he was a vampire, a supernatural, but she was sure of one thing. The man wasn¡¯t a fighter; he was just a doctor, which means he was probably physically weaker than her father and could mean a different sense of ¡®being dead¡¯. He could say a person was dead when in fact, they were alive but in a coma, or the brain doesn¡¯t function anymore, or a paralyzed body or anything twisted like the person is dead if no one knows of them. She gasped loudly when a cold hand grabbed her arm suddenly, pulling her slowly down the stairs. She widened her eyes in alarm as she finally came face to face with the person, finding him grinning playfully up at her with his round, black glasses on. ¡°Come in.¡± She shuddered at the chilling whisper but quickly stood firmly and pulled back, finding difficulty as the grip was oddly too strong. ¡°Let go, you creep!! Ugh!¡± she was about to kick the man in the face with all her force before he suddenly let go with a slight frown, still smiling at her as she left enough distance between them. ¡°Aww, aren¡¯t you here to visit my house at last?¡± he peeked his head out from the entrance and rested his chin on his arms like a curious child. ¡°Huff, hah, the heck...¡± she collected herself and looked at her trembling hand, feeling something odd with it as it was strangely cold and numb like it wasn¡¯t even there. It felt like her body was about to be taken from her in some creepy way, but she was given freedom at the last second. ¡°Did you hold back because you promised mother?¡± ¡°A promise?¡± The doctor raised his eyebrows before chuckling with a shake of his head, ¡°Didn''t know you had an innocent view of me.¡± ¡°Then why haven''t you done anything to us yet? Why only the people around us? Huh?¡± she wanted to kill the man and be done with this, but his strength when he grabbed her seconds ago wasn¡¯t of a weakling. Right, she realized a vampire doctor isn¡¯t the same as a human doctor. Besides, her task wasn¡¯t to kill the man tonight. She tried to remind herself what she had come for every time the man talked. ¡°Oh, I just don''t like looking at you and your mother.¡± She blinked, ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Would you believe if I said I hate you both, dear Gasha?¡± She swiftly turned around when the man magically appeared right behind her when he was peeking at her from the basement a second ago. ¡°Huh¡ª!¡± she stared at the smiling doctor as she was about to fall down the stairs and into the secret lab when the man pushed her effortlessly. ¡°I¡¯m sure your father and your uncle would be delighted to see you again.¡± He said while casually getting ready to go down with her, back to his lair. ¡°My little rascal, daddy is going somewhere tonight and will probably be late, so don''t trouble your mama and go sleep in time, okay?¡± She was instantly reminded of the last time she¡¯d been with her father before he went to the abandoned lab, and a stranger came back instead. ¡°No matter what, don''t go inside. Understand?¡± Then the memory of her boss warning her many times not to get to the basement. Yes, she agreed with the doctor; she would be happy to see her father and her uncle Ral again. She missed them dearly, after all. However, she quickly brought her two fingers to her lips and whistled. A group of crows came flying at her whistle and instantly brought her up and away from the entrance, causing the doctor to step back quickly and look at the scene with astonished eyes as she was slowly and gently let down on her feet from a distance. She glared at him with her crows surrounding them in a circle. ¡°Oh, my~ You don''t give up at all, do you? Ah, you''ve no fear, like daughter like father, I suppose.¡± The doctor tilted his head back in a laugh and clapped calmly. ¡°Tell me, who planned for the meeting?¡± she was getting impatient, but she wasn¡¯t stupid to fight an enemy she knew nothing about. ¡°Meeting?¡± the doctor looked confused for a moment, ¡°Aaah, you mean the meeting with my two esteemed guests that night?¡± he hummed with a playful nod at her cold glare, ¡°What you need is confirmation, not an answer, hm?¡± ¡°Just answer.¡± ¡°What you are thinking is right.¡± He smiled at the stunned and hurt look on her face, even as she tried to look unfazed. He shrugged, ¡°Families could be worse than your worst enemies sometimes, you see.¡± She quickly brushed off her hurt feelings and glared hard at him, ¡°The deal was to kill them, am I right?¡± ¡°Hmm, maybe yes? Maybe not?¡± he tilted his head to the side with a puzzled look, ¡°I didn''t accept any deal, after all.¡± ¡°What...?¡± she slightly widened her eyes at the playful doctor, and he smiled while shaking his head in disbelief. ¡°How cute of you to think I''d go with people''s whims as they wish, hahahaha.¡± ¡°What do you mean? Then how did they plan everything with you¡­?¡± she knows the man could¡¯ve stabbed them in the back right after accepting a deal with them, but he wouldn¡¯t lie; he didn¡¯t look like he was lying even. And her relatives weren¡¯t stupid to go through an uncertain plan with someone who hadn¡¯t even agreed to begin with. She frowned; then again, was the bastard lying after all? Or did he control them in some way¡­? He mocked her with a smile of disappointment, ¡°You''re smarter than this, honey. Think about it, are any of them still alive?¡± ¡°......¡± she couldn¡¯t deny that all the bastards had died one after another, even on her uncle¡¯s side. The possibility of them being controlled is there, but she doubted it as the bastards weren¡¯t even better than the doctor in front of her and had been acting the same even after her father¡¯s change. The doctor sighed, looking bored with the game they were playing. ¡°Let me satisfy your curiosity a bit.¡± He clapped his hands. She was instantly given the signal from her two crows and was shown the image of her father and uncle lying still with their eyes closed as if they were in a deep sleep. ¡°Ah¡­¡± She wanted to call out to them, but she couldn¡¯t, not now. But they looked so pale¡­ The image was immediately cut off, and cold hands on her shoulders kept her in place. She didn¡¯t have time to wonder when the man had moved behind her as she froze at the whisper that came to her ear, ¡°Now guess, are they dead or asleep?¡± ¡°......¡± ¡°After all, didn''t your boss destroy the two organizations by now? What use do I have of those two men now, yeah?¡± ¡°And do not listen to him.¡± The warnings of her boss kept repeating in her head. ¡®Father and uncle are sleeping, right...?¡¯ ¡°Do not listen to him.¡± The words were getting louder as she repeatedly replayed the image of her father and uncle in her head, ¡®They looked dead...¡¯ ¡°Understood?¡± Remembering her boss¡¯s face as he warned her yet still trusted her for the mission even when knowing how dear those two men had been to her. He trusted her, even though she knew he was using her in some way because the doctor never really harmed her or her mother. She clicked her tongue as she snapped out of it, ¡®Right, I confirmed their location. I have to retreat now¡ª¡¯ however, she realized too late that she had fallen into the trap already. ¡®I can''t move... shit...¡¯ her whole body became numb, wondering if this was the same method the doctor used on her father and uncle to move around looking exactly like them. ¡°I have use for you, however.¡± The doctor whispered again. ¡°......¡± ¡°Your boss is getting a little bit annoying after all.¡± ¡°......¡± ¡°He seems fond of you, so you¡¯re a perfect choice for now.¡± ¡°Oh, but I''ll teach you how to piss him off.¡± ¡°Heh...¡± she couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the memory of her boss openly showing her his rare cold-blooded smile. ¡°Just bring up the novel I told you about.¡± ¡°Because he knows your pathetic life from that book?¡± she asked with a taunting smirk. ¡°......¡± Thinking clearly, she suddenly felt that the doctor behind her was, in fact, a pathetic man in anger. She could understand a little why her boss would have those pity eyes whenever he talked about Baldrick Alastair. ¡°Better luck next time. I guess you need it in order to kill someone like Armand Hanover.¡± She couldn¡¯t hide her satisfaction at the silence she was met with, knowing that the doctor could be provoked by bringing up Armand¡¯s name only. Well, it felt good to talk about her competent boss to someone else at last. ¡°Oh, right. How did he survive? Hear out my theory¡ª¡± ¡°Who cares about your damn theories?¡± she frowned, and her smile was washed away at the sound of the entertained doctor behind her, wasn¡¯t he upset a second ago? Or was he trying to hide his anger? The cold hands playfully swayed her body a little from side to side. It honestly was scary to her, feeling like a mere doll in his hands, like she was seeing the scene as a third party. ¡°Let go¡ª¡± ¡°It''s not someone from Cavalon but maybe from Anfinrud, hmm~ it must have been someone watching the Shadow for a while, hmm hmm...¡± he stopped swaying her and turned her around to meet her face with an excited smile like a child finally getting the correct answer. ¡°Is it my dear son Ellmer?¡± She gritted her teeth and wanted so badly to move her arms to punch that face away, only for her body to become more numb. ¡°Fucking bastard!! Let go!¡± ¡°Ah, so I''m right~¡± he laughed at the obvious reaction he got. He got close to whisper again, ¡°Were you trying to provoke me? You cute little thing¡ª¡± Thud¡ª The doctor stopped and looked with a straight face at the suddenly fallen crows all around them. ¡°Huh?!¡± Gasha stared wide-eyed at her precious crows, looking extremely upset. She glared back at the perplexed doctor. ¡°Oh, I didn''t do that.¡± The doctor denied the blatant accusation with a blank face. She flailed her arms weakly to push away the hands from her; she was too upset to notice that she was starting to regain control over her body. ¡°I''ll fucking split your¡ª!¡± ¡°Wah, goodness, His Imperial Majesty is here... no wonder the forest felt odd tonight.¡± the doctor suddenly let go of her, and she lost her balance before falling to the ground on her butt. ¡°Huh?¡± she looked up at the sighing doctor, trying to understand what even was going on anymore. ¡°Haa, so much is happening in one night. Everyone sure is lively.¡± ¡°The hell are you¡­¡± she stared at the doctor as he walked casually back to his lab. He walked down the stairs but stopped midway before peeking out his head to look at her again with a friendly smile like they weren¡¯t enemies a moment ago, ¡°Well, send my regards to your boss.¡± ¡°Wha...¡± ¡°Good luck making it out of here safely~¡± And with that, she was left alone with the entrance closed and magically meshing well with the ground like there wasn¡¯t an entrance to start with, unlike how it looked when she found it first. Dumbfounded, ¡°What...? Huh? Did he just... run away...?¡± she slowly looked in the direction the doctor had looked at with a troubled face moments ago. ¡°...who is this ''Majesty'' who even scared Baldrick Alastair...?¡± She felt a strong urge to meet the one person who could scare the bastard off¡­ . . Bren remained still for a long minute, staring at Gasha Anfinrud before letting out a sigh of relief. ¡°...good thing I didn''t have to make my presence known... I should be thankful to His Imperial Majesty.¡± He put down his gun and looked to where he assumed Albern Verick was. ¡°It''s been thousands of years... what made him show up now? And in this place...¡± he tried to look at what was happening using his eyes¡¯ ability, but he couldn¡¯t, as expected from the emperor¡¯s powers, he thought. ¡°As long as... there are no vampires around, he wouldn''t go berserk¡­ I suppose.¡± He contemplated for a minute if he should rush into the forest to help stop the chaos¡­ He shrugged when he recalled that the redhead and the purple head dashed into the forest a long while before, so it should be fine. He could trust them to fix the whole situation somehow, and he could trust the emperor not to flip everything over. He stared blankly at the forest for a while in complete silence before a slow nod. ¡°Yeah... hopefully.¡±
The End of CH. 31 32. Slowly, Unveil The Truth ¡°Angela, promise me one thing.¡± The girl kept her eyes on the window beside her, sitting in her seat with so much elegance and looking calm, even with the cold pair of eyes boring into her. ¡°When the day comes that your life is in danger...¡± the boy stared, not surprised when the girl still looked unbothered as always, just like when she drew so passionately on her cursed canvases. ¡°...sit and wait.¡± He noticed how her eyes blinked at the unexpected words, looking surprised for a second before slowly turning her head to look back at the robotic face of the boy with the purple hair, ¡°Just like you sat in your seat and waited for the crimes done by your canvases.¡± Her eyes had a rare glint in them as her lips slowly tugged in a small smile, ¡°Is that your revenge, dear Neron?¡± The boy didn¡¯t look bothered by her heartless question and answered calmly, ¡°That is the least you could do for all the lives you''ve ruined.¡± She kept staring at the closed door, the same door the boy had left from a while ago, as calm and silent as he always had been. ¡°...you''re too kind.¡± The young lady sat in her seat with the flames surrounding her, smiling fondly at the memory of the person she oddly missed for all those years after everything she¡¯d done. ¡°Truly, too kind.¡±
The Red Flower Chapter. 32
Albern walked closer and stared down at Elois, who had his mouth open still in a silent cry with the veiny thing pierced into his chest; his body twitched and trembled at the feel of something slithering and spreading slowly inside him. The emperor¡¯s eyebrow twitched, holding back a frown. ¡°Ah, you''re quite messed up inside, you poor thing.¡± Bang¡ª! He easily blocked an attack from behind with a transparent shield out of nowhere, sending Ellmer flying against one of the trees without even turning around or so much moving. ¡°Tch¡­¡± Ellmer knew he was no match for the bastard, but he couldn¡¯t stand and watch as Elois slowly died before his eyes. Now he couldn¡¯t even move an inch if he wanted, not with the transparent cage surrounding him and keeping him in place. Albern slowly turned his head to glare sharply from the side of his eye, ¡°Did I not say I mean no harm to you, kid? Be good and stay still.¡± He turned to look back at Elois, not minding the other glaring back at him. He hummed after some silence and explored the orange head¡¯s body in an uncomfortable way with the veiny thing. ¡°If it weren''t for the Cowndrel blood, you would''ve died from the mix of three Noble blood in you, good grief.¡± He shook his head a little at the kid¡¯s state. He silently stepped aside and pushed another veiny thing from his finger straight into Javi¡¯s chest as well, making the limp body jerk violently before going still as if he was dead. ¡®Javi¡ª!¡¯ Ellmer gritted his teeth with his lips shut as he was forced to be useless and watch the man heartlessly play with the two friends. He focused on the bastard¡¯s face when it frowned a bit after some time exploring Javi¡¯s body the same way he did with Elois. ¡°Cursed Cowndrel blood...¡± he looked back at Elois, ¡°One of the Alastair siblings saved your life,¡± then he turned his head to look at Ellmer slowly, ¡°And the other Alastair is your parent.¡± His eyebrows raised a bit in surprise with a little smile, looking amused. ¡°Interesting, both Alastairs are alive...¡± The silver head¡¯s eyes slowly looked down in thought, silently grasping everything he discovered in mere seconds, ¡°...this changes many things. Coming here might be the right choice after all.¡± He mumbled before looking down at the still Elois, ¡°Whoever had conducted the experiment on you must be a vampire...¡± Narrowing his eyes with a cold smile, ¡°So, the tale could be true after all...¡± he silently scoffed with a shake of his head in disbelief. He smiled kindly at Elois even if the kid couldn¡¯t look up at him with the veins still roaming around his organs, ¡°Do you know you''ve got only two days to live now?¡± Ellmer widened his eyes at what he heard, ¡®Two days...?¡¯ he knew he had to look for a way to help Elois recover his heart, but what would he be able to do in only two days? He knows he shouldn¡¯t believe a possible enemy, but¡­ ¡®It doesn''t feel like he''s bluffing... shit...¡¯ Albern sighed elegantly with a gentle smile, ¡°Since you poor kids seem oblivious to your conditions, here''s a little help from me.¡± ¡°uh¡­ a¡ª aeg¡­¡± Weak sounds came from Elois as the veins suddenly moved faster, and it was like his guts and heart were getting flipped and played with relentlessly; he couldn¡¯t even describe in words how disturbing it felt. He trembled violently before he was finally let go; the veiny disgusting thing slowly retreated and disappeared into the man¡¯s gloved hand like it wasn¡¯t even there. He panted and kept his teary eyes looking down at the ground as his body had yet to calm down. ¡°I healed your heart. As for your other friend, my spell should help weaken the curse in his blood.¡± Albern said with a subtle hint of amusement in his tone before turning to face Ellmer, ¡°You.¡± He took several steps toward him, ¡°I never heard of Davante having a sibling.¡± Ellmer¡¯s eyes grew impossibly colder, ¡®So he was in the castle, confirmed.¡¯ Albern¡¯s eyes looked amused as Ellmer glared fiercely at him, ¡°Different fathers. Davante didn''t have any of the Alastairs'' blood, and he isn¡¯t completely a human either, and so was Kaven.¡± ¡°......¡± Ellmer wasn¡¯t sure if he should keep on glaring or blink dumbly as the bastard poured all kinds of unexpected information on him. ¡°So, Ebele Fixsen was a Cowndrel vampire. A Granovsky, maybe? Ah¡­¡± the look on Albern¡¯s face wavered for a second, looking somehow hurt, upset and shocked before he regained his composure. ¡®How do I manage to keep getting surprised after everything...?¡¯ Ellmer blinked and felt his body relaxing instantly when the cage around him disappeared, and the vampire turned his back to him, walking calmly away from him. ¡°I suppose questioning you three would not be of much help to me, so I''ll be taking my leave for now.¡± ¡°Hold on.¡± Ellmer pushed himself to his feet, waiting for the man to look back at him before finally asking with a glare, ¡°Did you torture Davante in the castle?¡± The man blinked as he wasn¡¯t expecting the question at all. He smiled at Ellmer with entertained eyes, ¡°Oh, it''s so not kind of you to mistake me for that clown right after I had just saved your two friends.¡± Despite the amused eyes, Ellmer could see that the vampire was not pleased with the question, as if he had falsely accused him. However, he might as well ask to be sure now. He doesn¡¯t want to be grateful to an enemy after all. ¡°That clown is your minion, is he not?¡± You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Albern stared for a while with an unreadable smile, ¡°I''m afraid you''re mistaking something here, but perhaps I''ll let you figure out everything on your own with time.¡± he chuckled lightly and walked away, ignoring the daring glare from Ellmer behind him. After a long silence, Ellmer looked at Elois to check on him from a distance, noticing the other finally calming down with the vampire gone at last. ¡°Haaah, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah...¡± Elois moved to stand up, blinking at how easy it was, looking blankly down at his body, ¡°Maybe even better than ever before...¡± something had changed. It was true that the vampire had healed his heart, but something else¡­ it felt like something heavy had been lifted after so, so long. He couldn¡¯t put his finger on what it was¡­ Ellmer observed a bit before he sighed again, pushing his hair back with a tired face, ¡°Good to know. Unfortunately, we should be grateful for that bastard vampire...¡± he smiled a bit when Rewind suddenly glowed again and came to his side. ¡°Vampire¡­¡± Elois stared dumbly at the other, ¡°......my head is not able to comprehend anything anymore.¡± ¡°Huh, not so unexpected.¡± Ellmer shook his head with a smirk, glad that the orange head was back to himself again. ¡°We''ll figure everything out later. Let''s just go back before we come across another lunatic.¡± He hurried toward Javi, who was still passed out. He thought perhaps he had hit the idiot harder than needed with one of his weapon¡¯s balls to make him sleep through all that had happened. Thud¡ª ¡°Shit, what now?¡± Ellmer stopped midway and turned to follow the source of the sound behind him from a distance. ¡°...something fell over there...¡± Elois hesitantly pointed to something on the grass in the dark. ¡°...is that... a canvas?¡± Ellmer stiffened, his heart beating faster and louder with every passing second the clearer the object got in his eyes as he observed. ¡°It looks like it...¡± Elois tensed up when he noticed the fear in the other¡¯s eyes. ¡°Fuck¡ª! That witch!!¡± Ellmer was about to run to the canvas, cursing at the black ink slowly fading away to show a detailed, drawn picture of a scene he didn¡¯t have time to understand. However, the world around him wobbled and danced in his eyes, making him stumble and struggle to stand straight, catching a glimpse of Elois in the same state and clutching his head. He blinked his eyes numerous times and tried to search for the canvas again, but his vision changed¡­ Slowly, he felt his body, no, his soul dragged somewhere else, finding himself in a familiar body like his own but still foreign to him, and someone was in front of him, but it wasn¡¯t clear yet like he was drifting back and forth from fever dreams¡­ Crack¡ª!! It felt like he was instantly wide awake at the sound of something breaking. He looked toward the canvas and found it broken in half, looking blank as the picture was no longer visible. He caught a glimpse of something quickly yet stealthily retreating back in the dark. He was somehow relieved at the thing, looking at it until it disappeared. He glanced at Elois, who looked similarly puzzled and blinking at him. ¡°You felt it too...?¡± Ellmer nodded; he understood what the other meant without having to put it into words. Somehow, it wasn¡¯t even describable. ¡°...she had never used her canvas like this before...¡± ¡°Who...?¡± Elois asked. ¡°Angela Anfinrud...¡± Ellmer looked down at the canvas again, feeling¡­ restless even after escaping a disaster. He slowly looked toward the direction the weapon retreated back into after breaking the canvas a moment ago, ¡®That was... Neron''s whip, right?¡¯ . . ¡°Hah...¡± Neron sighed lowly and hid his whip under his suit jacket, hiding cautiously between the bushes and observing his surroundings in complete silence. The spirits suddenly calmed down and left him alone. However, he was the restless one now. He knew this presence, he hadn¡¯t noticed when he was chasing it aiming for the canvas, but it was clear now whom he had chased a while ago. He stayed in place for long minutes with nothing happening or showing up so far, yet he still couldn¡¯t shake off the uneasy feeling. -LITTLE NERON! ¡°¡ª!¡± his body jumped in place and froze at the evil bear stuffed toy floating in front of his face. -So, it was you chasing me! Angela wouldn''t be happy to know you broke her canvas! You naughty little brother! ¡°......¡± he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say anything to the voice of his stepbrother coming from the evil-looking stuffed toy. -I told you to live peacefully, so why are you in the academy? You sure like to trouble this poor big brother. ¡°......¡± -Or, are you our enemy, Neron? ¡°......¡± he kept quiet even when the playful and light tone lowered darkly within a second. -aRE yOU? He tensed up at the voice that didn¡¯t sound like a human anymore. -ArE yOU?!! He closed his eyes at the sharp shriek, causing an echo to travel along the forest. ¡°You''re scaring our little brother, Chronos.¡± Neron snapped his eyes open at the familiar voice coming from his side. -OH! IVAILO! Ivailo sighed at how happy his brother sounded, as if he wasn¡¯t yelling at their youngest a second ago. ¡°Are you sure you''d want to waste time here? You know the family is under attack, and Angela is still at home, right?¡± Neron slightly widened his eyes from the news and carefully looked at the stuffed toy when it suddenly turned gravely quiet. -No... I sent the notice to everyone to get to the secret base...... Sounding unsure, the toy rushed to leave the forest and out of the academy, leaving Neron alone with a smiling Ivailo, who walked calmly and offered his bandaged hand to his little brother, ¡°Heard all the commotion so I came over. Are you okay?¡± ¡°Ivailo...¡± Neron ignored the hand and glared up at the other. ¡°Ah, even after saving you from our brother, you still look at me like that.¡± Ivailo¡¯s face looked playfully hurt before standing straight again with an easy smile that looked uncomfortably fond to Neron. ¡°...you were behind this, weren''t you?¡± Neron slightly frowned at the other, an expression rarely shown to anyone since he almost looked like a robot most of the time. ¡°I''m not sure what you mean, but I always do what''s best for my family.¡± Ivailo smiled kindly at his brother, ¡°I''ve brought you here to live safely for the same purpose, dear brother.¡± ¡°I''m not your brother. I''m not an Anfinrud.¡± Neron calmly stood up with clenched fists. ¡°Then, why did you hesitate to answer Chronos just now?¡± Ivailo raised both eyebrows at his silent brother. He sighed while shaking his head with a smile, ¡°Dear Neron, it would be best if you stop denying yourself.¡± He turned to leave, but Neron stopped him. ¡°What you are after... is it Davante Fixsen?¡± Neron took a step with a hopeful look; he wasn¡¯t aware of it himself. Ivailo turned to look at his little brother, smiling at the look he found, thinking that his brother could be cute sometimes. ¡°Whoever and whatever is considered a threat to my family.¡± Neron frowned slightly again, ¡°He is a kid¡ª¡± ¡°Father wants him dead. That''s enough reason for me to know he should disappear.¡± Neron stilled at the thoughtless words coming from the person in front of him. ¡°...this is so irrational...¡± ¡°Then, are you our enemy?¡± Ivailo waited with a cold smile. ¡°......¡± He sighed with a smile that said, ¡®what am I going to do with you¡¯ before turning to leave again, ¡°The irrational one here is you, dearest brother.¡± Neron stood in long silence alone in the gradually lightening forest as the sun slowly rose in the sky at last. He slowly looked down at his feet with saddened eyes. ¡°How do I become an enemy to a nobody...?¡± . . Gasha blinked as she was carried over someone¡¯s shoulder, moving and jumping fast until reaching above the academy¡¯s gate. Bren stopped with a sigh, ¡°I think you''re done with your mission, and your crows are back to normal again, so time to leave this place, miss.¡± He let the young lady down with a huff and stepped back to respect her personal space. Gasha widened her eyes upon seeing his face before smiling happily, ¡°Wow, thank you, cutie!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± He blinked with a straight face, ¡°Anyway, you should leave soon and try to hide from the Anfinruds for a while, especially Chronos and Ivailo.¡± ¡°You''re Bren Carson, yes?¡± Gasha took a step closer to him with a playful smile. ¡°Did you hear what I said?¡± he kept staring at her with blank face. ¡°Yep, and you were watching me the whole while, right?¡± she tilted her head with her hands behind her back. Bren didn¡¯t seem shocked or bothered at getting caught as he shrugged, ¡°Yeah, because you weren''t supposed to be here. Who sent you?¡± ¡°Guess.¡± She smiled childishly at him. ¡°Baldy?¡± he didn¡¯t take a second to think. ¡°Wahaha!! So it was you who used to bully him over his forehead!¡± she leaned back a little as she laughed loudly, even more when his face remained unmoving and blank. She gradually stopped and wiped her teary eye with a smile, ¡°Right, I''d like to ask how you know he''s still alive and chat a lot more, but I guess I should leave quickly.¡± She stretched her arms above her head, looking refreshed for some reason. ¡°Yep, go.¡± he shrugged again and looked at the view outside the academy. She chuckled at the blunt reply, ¡°Okay, thank you again.¡± She kissed his cheek and stepped back immediately, grinning at the blank face as he kept blinking dumbly at her. ¡°...you like me or what?¡± ¡°Have been for a while, lovely.¡± She winked at him before she walked away. ¡°Huh? We haven''t even talked before...¡± he looked at her as she called for her crows to surround her before lifting her up. ¡°Bye, bye~ I''ll confess properly next time!¡± she waved her hand with a teasy smile before finally leaving the place, barely catching his last words to her. ¡°Just focus on staying alive, seriously...¡± Bren blinked blankly when the lady laughed as she was taken away and down somewhere outside the academy. He shrugged and turned to face the inside of the academy, looking then at the sky as the sun slowly came into view. ¡°Haah, the night ended well... kinda.¡± ¡°Is someone getting married soon?¡± He huffed like a chuckle at the teasy remark of the woman sitting beside him. ¡°Wait and see, I think?¡± he shrugged, ¡°Anyway, good to know the emperor is still noble after all, right?¡± he smiled to himself, feeling happy deep down. A chuckle came from Karl, ¡°There was a reason why Emerie Granovsky loved him of all people, you know.¡± He glanced down at her with observing eyes, ¡°Despite setting your brother''s puppet free from the spell and not just healing his heart, you don''t seem happy with the change.¡± She shook her head with a soft smile before looking at the sky, ¡°No, what he did to Elois Iriart is great, that kid is free of my brother''s clutches at last. And Davante wouldn''t be followed by watchful eyes anymore, at least not by his friend. But...¡± she hesitated. ¡°It must have been better for Albern Verick to stay ignorant and be the evil, so no one would feel remorseful when the game''s conditions are met?¡± She looked taken aback for a second before laughing a bit with a shake of her head, ¡°You were named Hawkeyes for a reason, hah. But no, that would be the cruel side of the reason. However, the main one is...¡± ¡°Davante Fixsen would hesitate to kill him?¡± She chuckled again, smiling sadly at the mention of the teen, ¡°Correct, he is an affectionate kid, after all. He is becoming softer the more he stays in this place as well, makes me wonder if he could even bring himself to kill Baldrick in the end...¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°What?¡± she raised her head to look at the smiling man beside her, looking at the bright sky with knowing eyes. ¡°Are you sure Davante Fixsen is just a softie kid, Alastair?¡± She stared long at Bren, trying to understand the hidden meaning behind his question. ¡°...what do you know?¡± He smiled confidently at her with deep eyes that held hundreds of years of knowledge and experience. ¡°Davante Fixsen, you should fear him.¡± He jumped away from the gate and into the academy, leaving the woman to her thoughts. ¡°...haah, he sure likes to talk in riddles.¡± She sighed with a smile, shaking her head a little before looking at the sun again. Her eyes had a distant look the more she stared at the peaceful scene in silence, ¡°I wonder what would happen now... the end feels so close.¡± She closed her eyes with a sad smile, taking a breath before standing up, taking one last look at where she knew the teen was resting before leaving the place. . . Meanwhile, at the fallen and burned Anfinrud mansion, Chronos stood still with the stuffed toy in one hand while looking down at a small piece of paper with one word written in an unfamiliar writing style, ¡®Sorry :)¡¯ He stared silently at the letter that was clearly meant to mock him. He moved his head to look at the chair his sister always used to sit on with poise and elegance, now empty and with no trace of her in the burned room. ¡°Angela¡­¡±
The End of CH. 32 33. Countdown: Davante Fixsen Revival ¡°Haa, I worked damn hard to shoo you off from his vision; you lot sure are persistent.¡± The elegant, mouthless Davante emerged from the muddy-like spot in the white ceiling and calmly landed on his feet; the sound of his boots hitting the tile floor softly echoed in the gloomy and quiet hospital. He stood with his arms crossed and eyeing the scribbled figures around him, unbothered even with them circling him with the eyes of lunatics glaring daggers at him. Fingers pointed at him frantically or at the closed door with the green light above; their mouths were moving in a way that looked like they were mad and frustrated, yelling at him or insulting him with no sound coming from them, but he didn¡¯t care. ¡°I know what each of you is trying to say, but the trial is still going, is it not?¡± he tilted his head to the side as he observed them throwing another fit. Closing his eyes with a nod before looking at them again, ¡°A disaster might come, but I''m activated this time.¡± He let out a huff-like chuckle when some appeared to get more frustrated at him; he looked at them with cold, sneering eyes, ¡°Save your fears and worries to yourselves; your turn has ended long ago. You have absolutely no right to drag Master down with you.¡± They froze in place, and their flailing hands fell to their sides all at once, the frustrated and mad faces from a second ago nowhere to be found. However, they looked like they were about to flare up any time soon, judging from their eyes and dead silence. He scoffed lightly, ¡°Now, if you would please scram.¡± He waved them off easily with his hand as he started walking leisurely, forcing them to make way for him and reach the closed door. ¡°I''d like to retrieve my Master.¡±
The Red Flower Chapter. 33
Davante blinked at the person before him, looking at the carbon copy of him, except for the missing mouth and the elegant attire. He remembers he was in the quiet, cold hospital and locked himself in his room away from the figures crowding outside and knocking at his door; then the knocking stopped, and he suddenly found himself in a large, round hall with bookshelves around the table in a circle with two seats in the middle. And he was still in a patient¡¯s clothes. Both stared blankly at each other in a long silence. ¡°Ah,¡± Davante blinked in recognition, ¡°The weapon...?¡± ¡°Who did you think I''d be, Master?¡± the weapon looked like he held back a sigh in front of his supposed master, trying to seem polite despite the way he sat in front of Davante, which looked like he was the master instead. Davante hummed, feeling sure when the voice sounded exactly as he listened in his head at times, similar to his, but totally different by the classy and relaxed tone. ¡°I''ve had many bizarre encounters and situations lately, so I thought perhaps my twin whom I don¡¯t know...¡± he observed the person before him; something about him seemed so familiar yet too foreign¡­ The weapon had his eyebrows lowered, looking sad for his master for some reason. ¡°Master, please do not let mister orange influence you.¡± Davante blinked, believing there was only one person with an orange head the weapon had met, not like he had met anyone else before since Davante had never used the weapon until recently. ¡°...Elois?¡± ¡°Oh, forgive my manners.¡± The weapon lowered his head with his eyes closed, ¡°I appear to be terrible at remembering names.¡± Davante tilted his head a bit to the side, ¡°Did you have a hard time dealing with him?¡± The weapon raised his head with his hand brought dramatically to his chest, ¡°Not at all; any friend of my Master is pleasing to deal with and worthy of my valuable time.¡± Davante stared at the weapon¡¯s eyes that looked like they were smiling, yet it seemed¡­ ¡®...you sound annoyed a bit, though.¡¯ His eyes slightly widened at the sound of his thought resounding around the hall like it was broadcasting from a mike somewhere in the place. He stared silently at the weapon with questioning eyes. The weapon crossed his arms again as he was still relaxing in his seat, ¡°Only Master could listen to his own and anyone''s thoughts in my realm.¡± He shrugged, ¡°I am technically Master¡¯s mind in a way, after all.¡± Davante hummed in understanding, looking unbothered. ¡°...what about your thoughts?¡± The weapon paused, staring long at Davante with an unreadable look. He looked like he suppressed another sigh as he looked at the floor with a serious face, ¡°...so, this is why.¡± ¡°What?¡± Davante blinked; he held himself back from demanding answers as the weapon looked like he was about to scold him gently. The weapon finally sighed lightly, shaking his head slightly before looking at his master with worried eyes, ¡°If you keep this up, it might become dangerous, Master.¡± Davante frowned slightly, ¡°...what do you mean?¡± The weapon looked like he wanted to sigh again but stopped himself in respect to his master, closing his eyes calmly and reopening them before explaining, ¡°I''m slowly becoming a separate entity from you, Master.¡± ¡°Like...¡± Davante took a moment to comprehend, ¡°Rather than a weapon or mind core, are you going to be another soul residing in my body?¡± ¡°Close,¡± the weapon nodded tiredly and still looked elegant, ¡°It is a bit unsettling to think about. I¡¯m seated here in my limits because I have an owner, but what would happen if my owner views me as a distinct and detached person from him?¡± Davante thought carefully, ignoring the jumbled words resounding in the place as he tried to understand in his mind. It was weird to listen to his thoughts while thinking at the same time¡­ ¡°You would be boundless and have complete control over my mind?¡± The weapon looked amused at his master¡¯s face as he listened to his thoughts while trying to follow his thoughts at once; he nodded. ¡°Something like that.¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Davante frowned a bit when his thoughts echoed around the place again, ¡°Is that a bad thing?¡± The weapon stared long at his master, ¡°...that depends.¡± Davante frowned again at his thoughts running to talk before him; he wondered if the weapon¡¯s shoulders shook a bit just now or if it was his eyes playing tricks on him, though the weapon¡¯s eyes looked like they were laughing silently at him. He ignored his thoughts again and questioned, ¡°How so?¡± The weapon looked at the bookshelves with a thoughtful look, ¡°If Master pictures me as someone bad, I may become just as bad or worse.¡± ¡°So you will still be under my control?¡± The weapon turned to look at his master, amused at the look of the other after he had managed to sync his question with his thoughts in time, ¡°Not after I become a complete entity free from Master''s clutch.¡± Davante hummed again, ¡°But if good?¡± The weapon¡¯s face grimaced as if the thought physically pained him, ¡°Then perhaps I''ll become better than now, which is not welcomed. Please don''t.¡± Davante observed the other silently with an unsure look; he noticed how his thoughts were silent either, or were they¡­? The weapon looked sternly at his master with the eyes of someone older somehow, despite being the same age as his master, or so Davante thought. ¡°Being overly good is a disaster, Master. Please, please keep that in mind.¡± Davante felt that the weapon¡¯s eyes looked pained and¡­ mad? He wasn¡¯t sure, ¡°You speak of experience.¡± The weapon shook his head calmly with his eyes closed for a moment, ¡°It is Master''s experience, not mine. I am but the final result.¡± ¡°I...¡± he frowned again at the return of his loud thoughts talking before him; he let out a low sigh. ¡°Are you talking about my lost memories?¡± The weapon¡¯s eyes looked amused once again at the thoughts he heard before his master¡¯s question, ¡°Partially.¡± Davante hummed while nodding in thought; it seemed that the weapon wouldn¡¯t explain further by the looks of it. He curiously looked at the weapon, ¡°Well, did you act on your own, then?¡± The weapon looked caught off guard but soon seemed relieved, apparently smiling with his eyes closed, even if his mouth was invisible. ¡°...I''m glad at least Master is good at seeing right through me. Probably even if I got separated from Master, I would still be kept under Master''s control.¡± Davante chuckled lightly, ¡°So you did do something without my permission.¡± The weapon looked at his master for too long in silence, making Davante question if he had said something that made the other feel uncomfortable; the weapon held back a chuckle when his master frowned and looked annoyed at the crowding thoughts heard all around them. His eyes softened, ¡°...it''s good to laugh.¡± Davante paused and stared blankly at his weapon like he was suddenly told something incomprehensible. ¡°Is Master aware he never laughed before?¡± Davante didn¡¯t know how to feel when the weapon sounded fond all of a sudden; no, he actually sounded fond and caring from the beginning despite the teasing remarks like he was tired of taking care of a baby, but¡­ why did he sound like someone who had lived long, longer than ever to see what he had been waiting for. ¡°......I don''t know...¡± he looked down, trying to recall a time when he laughed even if little, does smiling with a huff count? Davante couldn¡¯t see, but the weapon was smiling while looking at him thinking deeply and forgetting that his thoughts were still broadcasted through the area. The weapon hummed softly, closing his eyes with his head lowered for a moment before looking to the side at the books around them. ¡°I suppose Master caught glimpses of the first few seconds of my mission, but I quickly...¡± he felt his master¡¯s awaiting eyes on him, ¡°I quickly pushed Master''s consciousness away and hid everything from him.¡± Davante noticed how the look in the weapon¡¯s eyes seemed distant and¡­ and disturbed. ¡°...why?¡± the first glimpses¡­ he couldn¡¯t remember well, the images were hazy and blurry, and the sounds grew distant with every second; he wasn¡¯t given time to witness anything, even for seconds. ¡°It had to be done, Master.¡± The weapon looked straight into Davante¡¯s eyes, ¡°Otherwise, Master would have lost his mind beyond imagination. And I wouldn''t be able to fix anything.¡± Despite the warning eyes, Davante could feel the other actually was worried for him for some reason. He wondered if the weapon had somehow expected what he had seen through the mission and got ready to hide it from him. The weapon noticed how his master seemed to no longer pay any mind to his thoughts being shared loudly and kept thinking. He looked at the books again, ¡°I filled in the blank pages and the books.¡± Davante took a look at the many books around; a lot of them looked old, and some even¡­ bloody? He wasn¡¯t sure if it was the ink, but it so looked like blood to him. Some even had black pages, and some were completely red, ¡°...are these memories?¡± ¡°Mostly, but not all.¡± The weapon looked back at Davante, who was still observing the books. ¡°I locked them away.¡± Davante hummed; now he knew what the faint dark-blue smoke around each book was for. ¡°To protect me.¡± The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Correct.¡± Davante observed some more; he was indeed getting a heavy and ominous feeling from the books just by looking at them from a distance. ¡°¡­I don''t mind, then.¡± He turned to smile a little at the weapon. The weapon stared long and didn¡¯t look surprised by his master¡¯s response. ¡°Master.¡± Davante blinked at the careful and serious tone, ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°There will be a time when Master unlocks the books himself.¡± Davante noticed how the weapon sounded worried despite his stoic face. ¡°That is if we are not two different persons.¡± He expected the puzzled look, ¡°If Master still has some control over me, he will be able to unlock them by force. However, if I am fully in control, Master will not be able to unless I allow it.¡± Davante stared long at the weapon, it felt weird now with the absence of his thoughts around them, but he quickly brushed it off. ¡°How will I unlock them¡­?¡± The weapon fixed his eyes fiercely at his master, ¡°Only when Master is horribly overwhelmed.¡± Davante looked at the sure eyes. ¡°...can you see the future?¡± The weapon closed his eyes and looked calm again, ¡°No, but I know from experience what Master''s mental state could do at times, so I can predict what might cause the locks to break.¡± He opened his eyes to look firmly at the other, ¡°Master could even break this realm subconsciously.¡± ¡°Ah....¡± Davante wasn¡¯t sure if he could ask the other if he had done something similar before; the weapon¡¯s eyes looked like they were pleading for him not to ask... ¡°However, I''ll help Master whether we become two separate or not.¡± The weapon added with a confident nod. ¡°Just like I helped Master this time, I can do it many times. Though I wouldn¡¯t have been able to sneak in that white prison if I weren¡¯t given a bit of freedom unconsciously by Master.¡± Davante blinked in realization, ¡°You dragged me out from the hospital, away from the figures...?¡± ¡°Right, Master needs to rest, but those pesky¡ª¡± the weapon paused and seemed to fight himself over something before he came to a decision, ¡°Ahem, those poor ones never know when to stop.¡± He could tell that the weapon wasn¡¯t too fond of the figures, perhaps even loathes them silently. ¡°...what are they?¡± he had always wanted to understand what they were? Were they hallucinations? Were they real? Why do they always look desperate, like they were¡­ in so much pain? So sad and frustrated that they don¡¯t know what to do and yell frantically at him, trying to give signs and stop him or scare him from simply living. He had first thought the scribbled colorless figure with no mouth was there to help him, an image he had created to survive a traumatic experience. But that mouthless and colorless figure that looked exactly like him yet so alarmed turned out to hold many scribbles inside of him, some mad at him, some sorry for him and some worried for him¡­ They don¡¯t feel too comforting as before when he started¡­ to change. To try to wake up from the constant numbness he had drowned in for years. Like they were slowly lulling him to sleep soundly for a long time, but he suddenly woke up, and they weren¡¯t pleased one bit. However, it seems¡­ he can¡¯t yet ask about them since the weapon turned silent and unmoving for long after the question, and his face didn¡¯t give anything away. He wondered if they were related to the locked books¡­ ¡°Then, what is that hospital?¡± The weapon finally moved as he blinked and contemplated a bit before he decided it was a question he could answer, ¡°It is the mindset of your and those poor ones'' life. Like a prison.¡± He looked reluctant before adding, ¡°Master''s mind has been locked in a long time in that place.¡± ¡°...because of what happened under the tree? Or¡­¡± did it stem from his childhood? The weapon shook his head calmly, ¡°I do agree with the kind spirit; Master should be patient. As I said, I will help.¡± He immediately recognized who was the kind spirit that the weapon meant, Yeolard. Davante hummed quietly, looking down in thought. He then wondered, can Yeolard interact in any way with his weapon? Can they talk together the way he was talking with the weapon now? ¡°I think it is all right to leave the realm now.¡± The weapon looked up at the chandelier while saying that, humming before looking back at Davante, ¡°Master.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Mr. orange is safe. I took a look since his trace lingered in my realm a bit after he left. He had survived.¡± The weapon said with a light sigh, sounding tired for some reason. ¡°...Elois is safe?¡± but that only confirmed that what he had seen in his sleep¡­ wasn¡¯t a dream. ¡°Correct, and I presume the other friend is alive as well.¡± The weapon silently stared at his master¡¯s face slowly relaxing and a small smile formed on his lips. ¡°...thank you.¡± The weapon looked somehow bothered by his master¡¯s gratitude for some reason, yet it didn¡¯t look serious; like he was done with this baby who never learns, so Davante didn¡¯t care to ask. The weapon sighed and stood up calmly, offering his hand to his master and waiting for him to take it. He took his master¡¯s hand and kindly pulled him up from his seat. A small black pool slowly appeared beneath Davante¡¯s feet. ¡°Master...¡± ¡°It''s Davante; being called Master is uncomfortable.¡± The weapon blinked at the small smile he received, ¡°......you clearly want me to be a separate entity.¡± ¡°Is it obvious?¡± Davante tilted his head a bit, still smiling a little. The weapon¡¯s eyes widened a bit for a second, ¡°Oh, is Davante joking now? This is quite the change.¡± His eyes looked like they were smiling fondly as he sounded pleased, ¡°I like it.¡± Davante chuckled lightly, feeling like he was talking to a twin he always had and knew when they¡¯d just met. ¡°Live well and stay strong.¡± Davante stared at the caring eyes looking at him; the weapon sounded so sincere¡­ ¡°...yes.¡± he would try his best; he had already promised Alvis to live better. He¡­ He could do it, if not for him¡­ at least for the people close to him now. The look from the weapon was so reassuring that he felt he finally understood the weapon¡¯s promise of helping him constantly and would always be looking after him. The weapon nodded, letting go of Davante¡¯s hand with playful eyes again, stepping away and looking as the pool grew wider and moved up to surround Davante slowly, ¡°And think of a name for me since you¡¯re desperate for a twin brother.¡± Davante raised his eyebrow slightly, smiling, ¡°So you can block my thoughts.¡± Now he knew why they were disappearing and coming back randomly; the other was secretly playing pranks on him when he could listen without making it resound annoyingly for the both of them to hear. Or was it for a reason after all? Was he being tested? Davante widened his eyes a bit and laughed when the other¡¯s mouth became visible to show him a cheeky smile at being caught. ¡°Rest. Do not resist. I will block them for you.¡± And with those last words from the weapon, everything went black. . . ¡°Heheheheh¡ª¡± ¡®Huh¡­?¡¯ Davante wasn¡¯t expecting the first thing he¡¯d hear was someone laughing uncontrollably and seeming unable to stand in place from the steps and shuffles sounding on the floor. ¡°Shhh! How long are you going to laugh?!¡± ¡®¡­uncle?¡¯ it sounded like Alvis, though it seemed he was also trying hard not to laugh along with the other. Just what was going on? The last thing he remembered was Alvis telling him they would change his room again, and he fell asleep right after feeling tired for some reason. He wondered if he had fallen into a coma again this time¡­ though Alvis didn¡¯t sound panicked or scared just now, so it was safe to assume he had been asleep for a short while¡­ ¡°Y-You¡ª keheheheh!¡± And the person was still laughing. ¡°Owin, the heck?! You¡¯ll wake him up¡ª!¡± Alvis paused when he noticed a movement from the bed to his side; both he and his son turned and found the teen pushing himself on his elbow sluggishly and looking silently at them. The three of them took a silent moment staring at each other and blinking dumbly¡­ ¡°Ah, Davante, uh¡­¡± Alvis started first, rubbing the back of his neck with an awkward smile, his eyes glancing anywhere but the teen¡¯s eyes. Davante stared with a stoic face, noticing both the father and son looking nervous for a second and seeming troubled for some reason. ¡°What is happening...?¡± his voice sounded tired still¡­ Owin blinked, looking at Davante before looking somewhere in the room, ¡°I came in, and he¡ª¡± he pointed at his father and looked about to laugh again, ¡°Heheh¡ª Dad knocked Mr. Kaven¡ª¡± he tried to hold back his laugh as he tried to explain properly to the bewildered teen, who had just noticed someone slumped on the chair in the corner. ¡°H-He was supposed to¡ª kehahahah!¡± Owin threw his head back with contagious laughter, then bent forward with his hands on his knees. ¡°Hey, I kinda panicked, okay?!¡± Alvis exclaimed in an attempt to defend himself, rubbing his face with his hand with a defeated look before looking at Davante, who had yet to react to the scene before him. Davante blinked as Owin was still trying to stop himself from laughing anymore, with his father sighing beside him. He slowly looked at the person sitting unconscious on the chair with his head down. ¡®......uncle knocked father out...?¡¯ somehow, it was tiring even to imagine the scene in his head. Just what had happened while he was asleep? Alvis noticed the teen¡¯s face and lack of reaction and slightly frowned in worry, ¡°Davante, you can go back to sleep¡­¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Owin abruptly stopped and took a deep breath in, then out, finally able to calm down. ¡°Sorry for waking you up¡­¡± he coughed awkwardly and smiled at the teen while scratching his cheek lightly. Alvis glared at his son, ¡°Seriously?¡± he sighed at the small smile from his cheeky son. ¡®...I am a bit tired...¡¯ Davante thought with a stoic face, alarming the two in front of him with his complete silence. He wanted to assure them that he was all right but was too tired even to move his lips. ¡®Why am I sleepy after sleeping for a whole day¡­?¡¯ judging by the sky outside the window, it looked like he had been asleep for more than a few hours. He was suddenly reminded of what the weapon had told him just before leaving the realm¡­ ¡°Rest. Do not resist. I will block them for you.¡± He tiredly tilted his heavy head, feeling his eyelids drooping, ¡®Did he mean I should give in to sleep¡­? Will he block¡­ the nightmares or the figures¡­?¡¯ he slowly blinked, ¡®Ah¡­ the nightmares¡­ they had stopped¡­ lately¡­¡¯ he felt his eyes closing and his body slowly falling back to the bed, taking a glance at the father and son hurrying to his side, ¡®Oh, I should¡­ at least say something¡­¡¯ ¡°...then I''ll...¡± his head hit the pillow with a soft sound, ¡°sleep...¡± Alvis and Owin stared silently at the teen, sleeping immediately right after he had woken after almost a day. Alvis frowned slightly and mumbled, ¡°¡­it''s getting worse...¡± it was not a thought anymore; he was now sure that there was something else the teen was going through aside from his eating disorder and insomnia¡­ ¡°His face is pale...¡± Owin whispered, observing the teen¡¯s face, which looked to be sleeping soundly despite being so pale, like he wasn¡¯t even alive. ¡°Let''s hurry and take him somewhere else,¡± Alvis announced with a severe face, brushing his hair back with a sigh before looking at his son. ¡°How long do we have until the cameras work again?¡± Owin looked at the security camera up in the corner, then down at his phone to check Ellmer¡¯s last message before rushing to the forest. ¡°About one and half an hour.¡± Nodding, ¡°Good, let''s go.¡± He covered the teen carefully with the blanket and carried him easily, frowning again at how light the boy was like he weighed nothing. Owin looked at the blond man with an unreadable face, ¡°What about Mr. Kaven?¡± Alvis stilled, glancing at his childhood friend with a slight frown, ¡°...we can''t do anything about him for now.¡± He had a sad look before he walked to the door with Davante in his arms. ¡°Let''s take Davante somewhere safe for the time being.¡± Owin hummed, staring at the slumped body with a thoughtful look. ¡®¡­can¡¯t we take him to Ellmer to investigate him?¡¯ he knew it was risky; they were still unsure of what was wrong with the man or even who he was exactly; he might turn out to be a much greater danger than just a mad father and the academy¡¯s owner, but wasn¡¯t it the perfect chance to force answers out of him? And if they left him as is, won¡¯t he expose them to everyone for attacking him? The man fainted right after his father¡¯s kick, so the headmaster didn¡¯t have time to see who had attacked him, but that was not for sure¡­ He suddenly noticed a faint laser pointer on the wall; he stiffened and was about to pull out his spare gun. He paused when the light moved like it was writing something. [ Don¡¯t do anything stupid and leave. ] He blinked at the message given to him and looked out the window, finding nothing or no one, as expected. ¡°Owin?¡± Alvis stopped before the door and looked at his son, alarmed at the other¡¯s tensed face. Owin looked back at the wall and found the light writing another message. [ I¡¯m not an enemy, silly. Now Leave. ] His lips twitched, feeling like he had an idea who this might be but was still unsure. Owin decided to be better safe than sorry for now. And so, he took one last look at the window before walking to his father, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He would trust the twin brothers to observe what might happen after they leave the blond alone in the room for the time being. Alvis observed his son¡¯s face, wondering what had happened just now that made Owin look unsure and on alert. He decided to ask later since they needed to move fast. The door closed with a click, sounding loud in the quiet room. Wide eyes stared down. Kaven¡¯s pupils were shaking as he slowly opened his mouth to mumble, ¡°Is... is he reviving...?¡± his fingers trembled, clenching his hand into a fist with a low gasp as he recalled how he froze in place at what he felt from Davante a moment ago when he awoke in the middle of the three¡¯s talk about him. ¡°No¡­ No¡­¡± Bren smirked after hearing the blond, even from a long distance outside the hospital building. Sitting on one of the trees again as he observed the man with wide eyes, ¡°Ha! Called it.¡± He jumped to his feet and stood with his hands in his pockets, still looking at Kaven with sharp eyes, ¡°Davante is really no ordinary kid, or a man?¡± he hummed with a smirk, ¡°But this...¡± looking fiercely at the blond, who was still busy panicking alone in the hospital room. ¡°¡­isn''t Kaven Fixsen.¡± . . Elois looked at the window in cold silence, sitting at the table with a cup of coffee warm in his hand. He stared long with empty eyes. The recent events that happened just mere hours before kept repeating in his head; it felt like fever dreams now that he was back in his room with the humming, numb silence like nothing had happened. Ellmer even dropped him off and hurried somewhere else, making him now feel like the guy wasn¡¯t there to begin with. He slowly looked down at the cup but quickly turned his head to the door when he noticed someone standing still. He weakly gasped¡­ Javi looked at him with unfocused, slightly wide eyes, like he didn¡¯t believe what he was looking at, ¡°...Elois...¡± he called absently. Elois stared at his friend, secretly calming his panicked heart. ¡°Good morning?¡± ¡°...morning...¡± Javi looked unsure, looking down, then around the kitchen, then walking slowly to the other chair in front of his friend. Elois observed his friend slowly sitting before him on the other side of the table. Looking at the eyes, it felt like his friend wasn¡¯t even there with him. He cautiously cleared his throat, ¡°Are you hungry? I ordered food an hour ago...¡± he looked at Javi as he moved his hand to push the boxes with the food toward the other but paused when his friend stayed still with absent, slightly shocked eyes. Javi slowly moved his head to observe the place like it was the first time he had seen it, ¡°...this is... your room...¡± Elois blinked, silently fearing the possibility that the other might have been stroked with¡­ amnesia. ¡°Yeah, you kinda seemed to be avoiding Edmund lately, so figured I should take you here instead¡­¡± he observed Javi, looking for any sign of memory loss on his face. Javi blinked, slowly looking down at the table. ¡°...weren''t we in the forest...?¡± ¡®He remembers.¡¯ He wanted to sigh in relief, but that instilled a new fear in him. Could he remember what had happened when he turned into the Shadow? ¡°...we were.¡± The guy stayed still, not even blinking; he wondered if he was even breathing. ¡°Javi?¡± he cautiously called, and still no response. He couldn¡¯t help but get scared of the dead person before him. He quickly hit the table with his fist, ¡°Hey!!¡± Javi finally reacted and flinched in shock, snapping out of his daze. He looked at Elois, but his eyes seemed still unfocused. ¡°It''s a new day, see?¡± Elois pointed at the window, but his friend still looked disturbingly absent. ¡°Everything''s okay. Now eat your food.¡± He tried again and pushed the food a little toward his friend. Javi slowly turned and looked at the boxes, ¡°...w... what happened, Elois?¡± Elois suppressed his sigh, ¡°¡­shit happened.¡± It didn¡¯t feel like the right thing to lie to his friend, but he could at least hide it or brush it off. He shrugged when Javi looked at him; his eyes looked scared to Elois. He brought the cup to his lips, ¡°But we''re okay now, so no need to worry about it.¡± He pointed at the food with his eyes. Javi absently looked at the food. ¡°I don''t...¡± Elois waited, but his friend went silent again. ¡°You don¡¯t feel like eating?¡± Javi looked at the table, ¡°...sorry.¡± ¡°...okay.¡± Elois felt unsure of what to do as he fiddled with the cup, ¡°Water then?¡± Javi blinked, only now aware of how dry and scratchy his throat felt. ¡°...Yes...¡± ¡°''Kay...¡± Elois was glad that at least his friend looked a bit alive now. He stood up and walked to grab a glass of water, walked back to the table, kept the glass right in front of his friend, then waited in his seat. ¡°Thanks...¡± Javi slowly moved his hand to take the glass, bringing it to his lips, and took a sip; his eyes still looked like he was somewhere else, somewhere far. ¡°Mhm...¡± Elois stared in long silence, not sure if he should talk to distract his friend from his seemingly busy brain or if he should just keep quiet and wait. ¡°Please...¡± ¡°What...?¡± Elois slightly startled when the other suddenly spoke, though he sounded so weak¡­ ¡°Did...¡± Javi kept the glass back in its place on the table, but his grip around it remained, if not a little bit tighter. He looked cautiously at his friend with a stoic face, ¡°Did I kill anyone...?¡± Elois was glad it was a question he could answer with confidence. ¡°No, you didn''t.¡± he noticed his friend still looked absent, uncertain and restless as he looked at the table again. ¡°...Haha... I was scared...¡± Despite the weak chuckle, he was hardly smiling. Javi blinked as if he couldn¡¯t believe his own words. He blinked again and slowly rested his forehead on his other hand, leaning his elbows on the table with a weak smile, ¡°No, I''m still scared...¡± Elois put the cup down, feeling secretly nervous. ¡°...why?¡± Javi blinked several times with his eyes on the glass of water before him, looking absently at the light reflecting on it as it oddly numbed down the cries resounding in his mind still. ¡°What I felt... heard... seen...¡± he paused and slowly raised his head, absently patting his chest like he was searching for something, though his face remained stoic even after not finding what he was looking for, ¡°My necklace isn''t here...¡± he lowly stated, slowly shaking his head in disbelief with a weak smile. ¡°Either I''m dreaming or...¡± Elois gulped, fiddling with the cup again. ¡°...Ellmer said you could be fine without it.¡± He kept his face straight when his friend stiffened for a moment before slowly looking at him with a stoic face again. ¡°Ellmer?¡± He gave a little nod, ¡°He saved us. He is a good guy, acts evil but is good.¡± He nodded again with a hum, assuring his friend that the not-really-villain guy hadn¡¯t done anything while he wasn¡¯t looking. However, the look he was met with was of fear, and he didn¡¯t know why, but he knew that look very well when it never came from Javi the whole time since they had known each other. Those eyes reminded Elois of his own¡­ ¡°...saved you from me?¡± ¡°Saved us both.¡± He immediately corrected, though he tried hard to sound calm. ¡°...we are friends...¡± Elois blinked at the obvious fact, ¡°Right...¡± ¡°We fight a lot...¡± Elois nodded silently, getting nervous under his friend¡¯s eyes, whose face remained oddly stoic. ¡°But we know when we... lie to each other.¡± Javi stared long at his quiet friend, who stared back with his usual deadpan face. However, his eyes had always been sharp and observant of the little details, and he could tell that his friend, despite being well at lying and acting, there were some habits Elois absently had when nervous or panicked. For example, his fingers kept fiddling with the cup, the way he sat straight despite resting his cheek on his hand like usual, the way he kept moving his elbows slightly to the side before bringing them back to their place, and the most obvious of all¡­ the way he kept giving vague answers instead of straight and blunt. Not to mention the faint smell of blood he could smell on his body despite the change of clothes he found himself in, ¡°What did I do... Elois?¡± he finally asked. Elois stared long, taking in a deep, calm breath. He looked down at his cup, contemplating before looking back at his friend, ¡°I''m alive, Javi.¡± He calmly said, keeping his voice down as if he was careful not to scare the other. Javi slowly brought his fingers into a weak fist, knowing exactly what those words meant. He got the message that it was best to stay ignorant, and that only made him feel worse; the voices in his head became loud again, and that made him wonder for a moment; he wanted to confirm, ¡°......are you not an illusion?¡± he observed his friend who had looked shocked at the question, sighing in defeat before moving his hand to pull out something from his pocket. ¡°Here...¡± Elois left the object in front of the other. He wasn¡¯t sure if he had done the right thing after the weak gasp he heard from his friend at seeing the broken necklace before him. Javi¡¯s eyes looked so shaken and weak that he had to look away because it physically hurt witnessing that look on his friend, especially after knowing the story behind the necklace from Ellmer. ¡°...now you can be certain...¡± he kept his eyes on the window, ¡°You are awake. This is real.¡± ¡°...it''s black...¡± Javi said after a long, painful silence. Staring at the black, ruined necklace on the table with shaking pupils. Elois remained quiet, recalling what Ellmer had told him to explain the change in color. Blue when stable, pitch black when not. Meaning that Javi had gone through hell to reach the point of breaking it unknowingly. ¡®It''s not a beautiful blue anymore, Armand¡­¡¯ he let out shaky laughter, ¡°Hey...¡± he weakly called for his friend, lowering his head and resting his forehead on both hands, hiding his eyes with a weak smile. ¡°¡­sorry¡­¡± He glanced at his friend then looked back to the window. ¡°...don''t be.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure what the apology was for, either for breaking down in front of him for the first time or for what had happened in the forest, but Javi shouldn¡¯t be feeling guilty either way. But the fact that his friend hadn¡¯t turned into the Shadow yet despite breaking down was proof enough that the vampire did indeed save them after all¡­ Javi weakly laughed again, letting his tears trickle down his cheeks freely as he felt he couldn¡¯t fight anything within him anymore. He decided; it was okay to give up just for a little while. And surprisingly, the voices of kids and everyone he had killed and disappointed and hurt, screaming and crying and yelling in his head, slowly and finally disappeared.
The End of CH. 33
Doodles:
34. Three Months ¡ªEmmie, you''re the only one I can tell you this¡ª The girl with a light, beautiful shade of purple hair stared down at the words written elegantly as always by her beloved, tracing them with her slender fingers over the rusty paper. ¡ªI trust you¡ª Her fingers slowly curled and scratched the paper weakly with her nails, staring deeply down at the words with an unreadable face, reading them again and again with her crimson eyes, as silent as the cozy room she was sitting in without the owner of the small cottage. ¡°...I''m sorry...¡± came the whisper from the girl, ¡°I''m sorry...¡± her eyebrows slightly frowned in deep sadness and regret. Closing her eyes, not daring to let her tears fall down as she didn¡¯t have any right to after her miserable mistake. She opened them with a startle when she caught the sound of the Quill pen writing over the rusty paper, finding words of magic slowly showing up on the end of the last page. ¡ªYou''re forgiven¡ª She widened her eyes with a weak gasp, slowly bringing her hand to cover her lips as she read the following words of the man she so dearly loved and trusted. ¡ªForgive me¡ª She closed her eyes and let the hot tears freely down her pale cheeks. Silently accepting the pain in her chest as she became aware of reality, waking up from a fairy tale made of two horrible lovebirds stabbing each other.
The Red Flower Chapter. 34
¡°Emmie.¡± ¡°Ah, Albern...¡± Emmie was silently startled when the man suddenly appeared in her quiet room, unlike his usual habits of knocking first despite having all authority to walk in as he pleases. She was about to stand up respectfully but stopped when the man gestured for her to sit still and walked to the seat in front of her, sitting down with his usual cold smile. She knew from that look and posture that it would be a long, risky talk she wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid with the playful mask she¡¯d put on most of the time. ¡°I''m amazed you stayed still even when we went to the academy.¡± The man observed the girl before him as she stayed silent and did her best not to avoid his eyes, ¡°Or is it that you trust me?¡± ¡°......¡± He crossed his legs and rested his head on his fingers, ¡°Or perhaps you expected something to happen? Like something within me to be lifted somehow? An obnoxious curse, maybe?¡± Emmie tried hard not to turn away from the sharp eyes of the emperor, ¡°...you know the answers.¡± Albern slightly huffed a laugh, ¡°suppositions are not answers, dear daughter-in-law. I know you¡¯re intelligent enough to know this much.¡± Emmie allowed herself to glance at the window beside her for a short escape from the knowing eyes, ¡°...where is Belvedere?¡± Albern let out a light, silent scoff, ¡°I thought maybe he ran back to cry in your arms and cower behind you, but I guess I was wrong.¡± She looked back at the man with a slight frown, ¡°Is he... still in the academy?¡± Albern tipped up his chin a bit with a smirk, ¡°Wouldn''t Karl Alastair tell you?¡± ¡°......¡± He was amused as the girl didn¡¯t look too surprised, as if she knew he had caught notice of a visitor in his castle long ago yet stayed quiet about it just because. He waved his hand dismissively, ¡°Ah, right. She isn''t powerful enough to teleport over here. That was silly of me to ask.¡± He stared at his daughter-in-law as she looked relieved for the first time in so long, looking at him with familiar eyes once again after years of wearing a mask in front of him, yet she still looked cautious of him. She stiffened a bit when his eyes turned sharp again. ¡°Tell me, what was the thing you told Belvedere before the day of Yeolard''s death?¡± ¡°......¡± Albern¡¯s crimson eyes glowed a little in the dim room. ¡°Tell me what secret my son Yeolard entrusted you with, Emmie.¡± . . He felt like he was finally out of the cage, no hands grasping onto him and breaking his bones ever so slowly, no distant reverberating voices and cries that sounded so close everywhere, no bars closing in around him slowly with every passing second. Javi sighed, closing his slightly swollen eyes for a moment to relax his throbbing head, resting back and tilting his head back. He mumbled, ¡°So, you won''t tell me everything...¡± Elois frowned at his persistent friend, who had just stopped crying after two hours of complete silence. His butt has gotten sore from sitting still and waiting patiently for the other to let it all out, only to try and fish for details again, ¡°...maybe you should try asking Ellmer.¡± Javi opened his eyes and tiredly frowned at Elois, ¡°So he forced you to be silent about it...¡± Elois blinked at that, thinking about it for a moment before he shrugged, ¡°I agreed with him.¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Javi tilted his head to the side before looking down at himself, especially his skin, as it stayed the same during his first breakdown in years, ¡°So, how am I still okay?¡± Elois slightly pursed his lips and frowned in thought, ¡°...a vampire helped lift a curse from your blood or... something?¡± he grimaced at the memory of the veiny thing dancing in his insides and the feel of it; he quickly brushed it off in the next second. ¡°......a what?¡± Javi stared blankly at his friend as if he had just heard something absurd. Elois nodded as he expected the response, ¡°Vampire and cursed blood.¡± Javi looked slightly down in thought, blinking blankly, ¡°......I was cursed?¡± ¡°From what we''ve heard, he did say something like cursed Cown- Clown- Clowndrel?¡± Elois frowned at the stupid name; he didn¡¯t catch it well when he was busy dealing with the disgusting veiny¡ª right, he didn¡¯t want to remember that thing again. ¡°Ah, anyway, you have a cursed blood mixed with your blood, or so he said...¡± he stared at his friend, who looked back at him with a face that said, what the hell are you spouting? And yes, he could share the sentiment. Javi stared long at Elois¡¯s face with an unreadable look, ¡°......you don''t look too shocked.¡± ¡°Huh? Ah...¡± Elois blinked and relaxed back, ¡°I guess I accepted everything that happened since nothing seemed normal anymore?¡± recalling and trying to understand last night¡¯s events were too exhausting in itself, so he opted to accept everything as they were. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°No, you look like you know how I got the blood mixed in me to start with...¡± Elois looked back at the observing eyes, ¡°Ah... that''s...¡± he blinked before looking to the side and rubbing his neck, ¡°I got two types of blood mixed in me. I was kinda aware of one, but the other...¡± he suddenly remembered the man he fought with, was it Karl? Karl¡­ Alastair? Recalling what the vampire said about the Alastair siblings, one of them must be Karl, then does that mean that Karl had saved him before¡­? Was that why the man expected him to remember their first encounter? ¡°Two types of blood¡­¡± Javi stared blankly at his friend, who looked so confused and busy in his own head, ¡°Wait... hold on, you... haah...¡± he pinched the bridge of his nose with a slight frown. Elois frowned in worry, ¡°Maybe we should stop here and get some sleep?¡± ¡°No, I wouldn''t be able to sleep now anyway.¡± Javi shook his head, lowering his hand with a sigh again and looked at Elois, ¡°So... you... do you have like... something like the Shadow or a monster in you?¡± Elois looked like he had just realized that the only one who possibly knew of his shift to the monster while in his fight with Karl was probably just¡­ Owin? Since his brother had vaguely hinted that he had seen the fight and saved him somehow. Maybe even others know, like Ellmer? Or¡­ He paused. Was Davante aware, then? He shook his head from his jumbled thoughts, ¡°Not a shadow, but a monster... yes.¡± Javi stared long at his friend, blinking dumbly before looking down at the table as he recalled everything that had happened recently and the orange head¡¯s violent reactions toward almost everything ever since the recovery of his memories, ¡°...right, now it makes sense... wow... it makes so much sense haha... sorry¡­¡± he massaged his temples with his hand and sighed, ¡°So, was it... what was his name you said? Lucas?¡± Elois looked confused for a moment, he thought that Javi had surely met with Lucas at some point since he worked directly with the organization, so he shouldn¡¯t speak of the man like some stranger, but he remembered that in their fight, Javi looked quite confused when he asked him out of anger if he had worked with Lucas all the while. ¡°...what about him?¡± Javi cautiously asked, ¡°Was he the one who¡­ mixed the blood in you?¡± ¡°...pretty much, yes... he injected me with something before he went off somewhere¡­¡± he hesitated a bit before deciding to question the other, ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°...I don''t know. I never asked how I became like... this.¡± Javi pointed to himself and the broken crystal stone on the table. ¡°I have no memories from before I was turned to the Shadow or whatever... I guess I accepted the Shadow as a part of me from birth...¡± he shrugged but looked like he had just remembered something and frowned to himself, ¡°No, maybe I asked Armand once, but he avoided the question...¡± Elois carefully asked, ¡°Armand...?¡± ¡°Ah, my maternal uncle, who was also my butler, the one who gave me the necklace.¡± Javi waved his hand slightly, looking at Elois with knowing eyes, ¡°I suppose Ellmer explained some stuff to you?¡± Elois coughed lightly and looked down at his cold coffee, ¡°...yeah, he did...¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Javi observed his friend getting a bit nervous again, ¡°That means I became the Shadow, and you had to face me¡­ maybe I attacked you or both you and Ellmer? Ellmer hardly shares any information unless you¡¯re somehow dragged into the mess.¡± Elois looked at Javi, kind of surprised that the other knew the guy already. Were they friends before? Did they have a serious fight that made them on bad terms now? Though Javi talked about Ellmer the first time as if he had just met him. He sighed and decided to stop thinking. ¡°...hey, maybe you should give up figuring it out?¡± Javi didn¡¯t look to be giving up any time soon, but he slowly sighed and looked tired again, ¡°...so, sorry to ask, but how does this Lucas look?¡± Elois looked unsure but still tried anyway, ¡°...messy, curly black hair... weird sunglasses, always smiling, a lab coat... tall¡­ a little beard? And he always had his hair tied to the side¡­¡± ¡°Ah... him...¡± Javi nodded slowly again, looking like he had expected the answer but had to be sure. ¡°......you know him?¡± Elois observed as Javi seemed to recall the past and looked a bit disturbed. ¡°Have met him three times in my life, and it felt like a ghost rather than a man, showing up and disappearing out of nowhere... he was even...¡± he frowned, ¡°I''m not sure, but I saw him in the mirror when it should be my father in there...¡± A shiver ran up his spine as he imagined the situation for a brief moment. He looked down at the cup; he couldn¡¯t help but recall the vampire¡¯s words again and how Lucas had told him that he was long dead anyway¡­ or it could be something else, after all. ¡°...according to the vampire we met, he said that whoever had experimented on us must be a vampire, so... maybe Anfinrud is full of vampires...¡± Javi took a deep, calm breath, looking up absently at the ceiling, ¡°...vampires, huh?¡± ¡°Right...¡± Elois could understand the disbelief behind the question. Despite everything they had gone through, it still felt like a dream that there were creatures other than humans in their world. ¡°...is Davante a vampire?¡± Elois blinked, slowly looking back at his friend, ¡°...what?¡± ¡°He never eats anything, and... if this man is a vampire and works for Anfinrud, then isn''t Davante related in a way to the vampires? Since they want him dead so bad...¡± Javi slowly tilted his head and glanced to the door, ¡°And maybe he looks so tired most of the time because of his need for blood...?¡± he huffed a laugh at his theory, ¡°Sounds funny, I know...¡± ¡°...that reminds me...¡± Elois hesitated, ¡°The vampire did say something about Davante not being completely a human...¡± Javi paused, slowly fixing his posture and sitting properly with a serious face, looking like he had just woken up suddenly. ¡°...wow...¡± he wasn¡¯t sure if he was shocked that he guessed it right maybe, or if the fact itself was more shocking to him¡­ ¡°Right...¡± Elois nodded again. A long silence passed between them before Javi suddenly mumbled, ¡°...though, it still bugs me how different he was from the rest of my targets...¡± Elois forgot for a moment that Davante was one of Javi¡¯s targets before, ¡°...what were your targets like?¡± ¡°Mostly from wealthy families or some fishy ones working in the shadows. Armand never looked sorry for them, and I always thought that maybe they deserved to be killed?¡± he frowned a little at his own words before shrugging indifferently, ¡°I did a little research on some of them out of curiosity but didn''t really get much. Davante was the only child there and had no information about him...¡± Remembering the teen¡¯s house in the past, Davante could be from a wealthy family, though. ¡°...and... did you attempt to...¡± Elois stopped when the other stiffened slightly but quickly relaxed with a sigh. ¡°No, which is why... I ended up here.¡± ¡°Oh...¡± Elois joined his friend and looked down at the table. ¡°......¡± ¡°......¡± Javi hummed, ¡°Hey, maybe we should... tell our stories?¡± Elois blinked, thinking a bit, slowly nodding, ¡°...yeah, maybe...¡± Javi leaned in with his arms crossed on the table. ¡°Maybe it''ll help us? Or we could discover something? Well, let¡¯s just get to know each other.¡± ¡°Yeah...¡± ¡°Since the vampire helped, we wouldn''t go mad just because we feel sad or angry while talking, right?¡± Javi nodded to himself, convinced with himself. ¡°Yeah, we have...¡± Elois trailed off, unable to finish his sentence without sounding like an insensitive jerk. ¡°Me, for example, right.¡± Javi nodded again, sounding totally fine to his friend. ¡°And you look way calmer than any time before.¡± Javi observed the other again. ¡°Right.¡± Elois wasn¡¯t sure what had been removed from him, but Javi was right; he felt way too calm and¡­ free. Javi nodded firmly, holding his fist up a little with a playful glint in his eyes despite looking serious. ¡°Rock, paper, scissors?¡± Elois stared at his friend with a deadpan face, ¡°...really?¡± ¡°Do you wanna start first?¡± Javi asked with a raised eyebrow. Elois slowly let go of the cup and leaned his elbow on the table, bringing his fist up along with the other, ¡°...three times win.¡± Javi chuckled lightly, ¡°Got it.¡± . . ¡°Excuse me, Mr. Ivailo?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Ivailo stopped walking in the hallway with some students around and turned his head to be met with an innocent-looking guy with round, wide eyes. ¡°Sorry to bother you, but... you''re one with the patrol groups, correct?¡± the student waited for the nod, ¡°I wonder if you¡¯ve seen my roommate at some point? He had been away lately, so...¡± ¡°......¡± ¡°Um, Mr. Ivailo?¡± the student didn¡¯t know what to make of the man¡¯s reaction, slowly smiling at him with a glint in his sharp eyes for a moment. ¡°Yes, I''ve seen him.¡± Ivailo turned around to face the student properly. The student smiled in relief, ¡°Oh, thank goodness, then¡ª¡± ¡°I''m sorry for what happened to your family, Edmund Cavalon.¡± ¡°I''m sorry?¡± Edmund stiffened. ¡°Ah, it seems you haven''t heard of the news yet. My apologies...¡± Edmund stared at the man who didn¡¯t look the slightest bit sorry, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, would you mind explaining?¡± Ivailo smiled in pleasure, ¡°Of course.¡± . . The hall was lively with students and teachers and all the people in the academy; the place was packed and full of chatter and laughing all around. The people of the academy quickly forgot about the explosion from months ago since it was dismissed as some chemical failure in a lab or something. The two guys sitting in one of the restaurants kept their eyes covertly on one particular man from a distance, looking at the academy¡¯s headmaster talking kindly to students and teachers and other employees with a friendly smile, occasionally laughing at something others had said or teased him about. ¡°Something''s off...¡± one of the two guys said while slurping his beverage, ¡°He''s behaving as if nothing had happened, maybe even better than any time I''ve seen him before...¡± Owin put the drink on the table, keeping his eyes still on the blond man while asking the other guy, ¡°Are you sure nothing happened after we left him alone in the room that day?¡± Ellmer hummed lowly, ¡°According to Kyle and Kito, nothing had happened. He woke up and behaved like he was lost why was he in a hospital room and left. I observed the recorded video myself, and they were right.¡± He silently tapped his finger on the table beside his empty cup of coffee, staring sharply at Kaven. ¡°...you think it''s the effect from dad''s kick after all?¡± Owin smiled at the satisfying memory and took another slurp. Ellmer smirked, having witnessed the kick from the video, ¡°What a kick, really.¡± He tapped one last tap and stopped, ¡°But let''s not be silly here. Something¡¯s off, indeed. Either he is secretly acting and planning something, or his brain is damaged somewhat.¡± Owin hummed, ¡°I cheer for the former.¡± ¡°Same here.¡± Ellmer looked at the other, ¡°And the message you got on the wall, did you confirm the person behind it?¡± ¡°Ah...¡± Owin rested his hand holding the drink on the table and rubbed his chin with the other, humming with a slight pout. ¡°It''s been weeks, but I still got no message from my friend. The last thing he said was that he would meet with me after some time because there was something he had to do first, or so he said.¡± Ellmer stared thoughtfully at Owin, noticing the worry beneath the calm smile. ¡°Would you like me to tell Kyle to track his whereabouts for you?¡± Owin blinked, looking surprised for a second before he chuckled, ¡°I''d like to, but no.¡± he took another slurp and shook the cup a little to make sure it was empty. ¡°I don¡¯t think he would like it, he has always been like that, going everywhere doing who-knows-what and showing up later as if he had just come back from a picnic.¡± ¡°If you say so.¡± Ellmer shrugged, looking back at Kaven and making sure the man was still far from them. ¡°What about Davante...?¡± Owin paused, glancing at the other before looking back at the cup he was absently playing with in his hands, ¡°...still asleep.¡± Ellmer hummed lowly, tapping his finger and staying silent for a long minute before asking, ¡°...is he really just asleep, or is he in a coma again?¡± ¡°Dad said that Davante wasn¡¯t showing any signs of a coma, and his body seemed to be getting healthier with time for some reason; sometimes your brother would even move a bit in his sleep. Dad tried to call his name or attempt to wake him up but...¡± Owin chuckled lightly at the memory, ¡°Your brother actually slapped his hand away one time and frowned other times... he had also huffed at dad one time, I think.¡± He chuckled again when he remembered the flabbergasted look on his father¡¯s face every time. Ellmer hummed with a straight face, ¡°...I see.¡± Owin observed the other some more before asking cautiously, ¡°Hey, you look like you¡¯ve been hiding something for a while now. Just what happened in the forest?¡± he leaned in when the other kept looking at the headmaster some more before looking back at him, ¡°What do you know about Davante that you''re not telling me?¡± Ellmer resumed tapping on the table, ¡°I will tell you when I''m sure enough.¡± He looked at Kaven again from the corner of his eyes. ¡°Ask your brother for the other details if you like. I think he took enough time to calm down, so he should be able to answer you now.¡± He hoped so. The two friends had been quiet for weeks after that night, so he wasn¡¯t sure if he should take it as a good sign, but as long as he hadn¡¯t received any news from Kito, then he could assume they were safe. ¡°You think?¡± Owin looked to the side to think for a moment, nodding slowly with a little smile, looking forward to talking to his brother finally. ¡°Yeah, someone had helped him a bit, after all.¡± Ellmer decided to toss the one information to assure the younger orange head and leave the rest to the older sibling. ¡°Someone...?¡± Owin curiously asked. ¡°Haah, just ask him.¡± Ellmer rubbed his face tiredly with his hand. Owin wanted to pat the other on the back, feeling sorry for the always-busy guy. ¡°Maybe you should take some rest, man.¡± Ellmer sighed again, tilting his head back a bit with his eyes closed, ¡°...did you know that Anfinrud and Cavalon were destroyed in one night?¡± Owin paused and remained silent for a long moment, blinking blankly at the other. ¡°...wait, what?¡± . . Alvis fished his keys out from his pocket with a tired sigh, unlocking the door to his room, stepping inside, and locking the door immediately, ¡°Good work today, Neron.¡± He turned around to smile at the said young man, ¡°I brought you food in case you haven''t......¡± Thud¡ª He didn¡¯t mean to let go of the plastic bag with the food, but he could only blame the purple head for not delivering the news to him beforehand. ¡°D... Davan...¡± he could see the teen sitting casually on the bed with his back resting on the pillow, turning to look back at him with a stoic face along with Neron, whom Alvis noticed was looking a bit¡­ strange. Davante looked at the plastic bag on the floor, ¡°Ah, can I have the food?¡± he pointed at it and looked at the assistant headmaster indifferently. ¡°I¡ª what...?¡± Alvis glanced at the purple head, sharing the same strange expression as the other now. Was it him, or¡­ was Davante¡­ a bit different?
The End of CH. 34
35. Two Months Three Weeks ¡°And what will you do once you know, Your Majesty?¡± Emmie stared at the smiling emperor with a straight face despite the subtle change in his eyes at her question. The emperor, Albern, smirked with a strange glint in his eyes that only looked threatening to the daughter-in-law. He swayed his hand leisurely in an elegant shrug before bringing back his fingers to rest them on his temple, ¡°That will depend. Any ruler must see the big picture before making a decision.¡± He huffed a light scoff, looking at the girl before him with almost accusing eyes. ¡°And it seems I''ve been pushed and kept in the dark for the longest time by the vampires.¡± Emmie took a breath, fixing her eyes on the man before she asked what anyone should not attempt with the emperor, especially after knowing and living with Albern for centuries. ¡°And what if I refused to answer, Your Majesty?¡± Albern¡¯s eyebrows slightly raised with sharp eyes. ¡°There are always many ways to a goal, Emmie.¡± He answered almost in a whisper, narrowing his eyes with a confident, comfortable smile. ¡°If there is one to none at all, I shall make ten others.¡± Her eyes slightly widened with trembling pupils, relaxing at the look of the man in front of her who looked no less intimidating but seemed to keep his head leveled no matter what. The emperor she always admired, the one imperial member she always believed in, the person who changed her image of the Nobles in the first place. The person who¡­ she had believed was the true emperor who could change their life for the better, if not for the snakes all around him back then. She smiled a little. ¡®...Albern Verick is back.¡¯ She slightly tightened her hold over her other hand to stop them from trembling. She had waited so long to see someone familiar, someone dear to her, to look the same in her eyes finally. She forced herself to calm the flooding emotions inside and closed her eyes for a moment, ¡°Then allow me to ask one thing of you.¡± Albern observed Emmie, noticing the slight tremble in her hands despite her warning eyes. ¡°Speak your wish.¡± She smiled at the subtle meaning behind his words; Albern Verick does not take orders from anyone. He does hear the wishes of his people carefully and decides what to do with them, but he allows no one to demand a thing from him. It was his way of reminding everyone that he was the ruler above everything, and he had the right to make his own decisions no matter what their demands would be, and that side of his had always been a thorn in the bastards¡¯ throats in the past. She always respected that side of him. However, she looked straight into his eyes, and sternly she said. ¡°Do not stand against Davante Fixsen.
The Red Flower Chapter. 35
Her bleary eyes slowly opened, and with a hazy view, she could see someone sitting in front of her on a chair with his arms crossed. ¡°Did Sleeping Beauty have a sweet dream?¡± She blinked calmly at the cold whisper, trying but failing to see the man clearly. Her lips slowly stretched into a comfortable smile despite realizing she had been given a potent drug. ¡°It felt like a familiar dream I had very long before, swimming in an endless black.¡± She breathed a light chuckle, ¡°A nice change of pace, however. I appreciate your concern, Mr. Gentleman.¡± She could vaguely see the man smiling a little, tilting his head slightly to the side. ¡°Your definition of a gentleman must be outstanding, I imagine.¡± It was a blatant sarcasm aimed at her, making her blink at the familiar, biting tone. She tried to remember where she had heard the voice before. But she noted that the man kept talking in a hushed tone, making it harder to distinguish his voice clearly. She kept smiling as she was silently amused. ¡°How long do you think it will take your poor big brother to find you?¡± She was sure now that the room she was in with the man was a prison cell of some sort; no wonder it was dark with a tiny lamp above. Was she in a torture room? She wondered. ¡°If you threw him a bite, it would take him a day or less.¡± She breathed a light chuckle, ¡°Though, you don''t sound the least bit worried to me.¡± She caught soft, silent laughter from the man, even though there wasn¡¯t any feeling behind it. ¡°And you graciously surrendered yourself, leaving no trace behind.¡± She hummed lightly, ¡°And you will only leave one bite in the end, and that will be my corpse.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t I have done so instead of sitting with you now?¡± She saw the man casually pointing at her before crossing his arms again, making her move her head groggily to look down at her body; only then had she noticed the state she was in. There were no legs, and she didn¡¯t have to move her heavy head and look at her arms to know they were missing as well. She thought it was because of the drug that she wasn¡¯t feeling her limbs, but it turned out they were cut in her sleep. She strained her eyes to see what exactly was the black thing around the remaining of her thighs and arms, she couldn¡¯t be sure, but it wasn¡¯t anything she was familiar with. However, the chair she was kept on wasn¡¯t ordinary; she was sure because she had been familiar with it from a very faraway time. She slowly smiled again, ¡°A nice change of pace, indeed.¡± She heard the man breathing a lifeless chuckle again. ¡°It seems you were getting tired of the life of a human. Was the power you were given not enough to entertain your aged soul?¡± Angela slowly raised her head to look at the man again; her smile and eyes weren¡¯t looking amused for the first time, ¡°...interesting, are you also...¡± ¡°A reincarnated vampire?¡± the man shrugged slightly, calmly tilting his head to the other side. ¡°Take a wild guess.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± she lightly scoffed, looking at the man with pitying eyes and a smile. ¡°Are you a Kicked Out?¡± The man hummed lowly, ¡°Then the Rulers Circle does exist.¡± He gave a little nod, ¡°Thank you for confirming the theories, and I''m only a human, born in this world, or should I say fake world?¡± ¡°......¡± Angela¡¯s smile fell and looked devoid of any emotion. The man chuckled silently at the unusually offended woman, ¡°Oh, please forgive this lowly human, Queen.¡± With a flat tone, he moved to cross his legs casually despite his begging for forgiveness from the ¡®Queen¡¯ before him, who kept staring with a straight face. ¡°I had no intention to make you unknowingly confess the truth and ruin your little entertainment in our talk. Will you please grant this poor human the honor to keep talking with you?¡± Angela stared long at the man who wasn¡¯t even trying to hide the fact that he was mocking her. Her eyes softened, and a cold smile came to her features, ¡°You''re a peculiar one for speaking to me this way when you know who I am, human.¡± ¡°You mean who you were?¡± the man breathed a chuckle at the silent glare he received, ¡°Your soul and memories are the only things left with you as the Queen, and now you are lower than a human. It must be a nice change.¡± He briefly referred to her with his hand, ¡°Don¡¯t you like trying new things?¡± The seat beneath her was one the vampires had used on humans before with a specific spell to prevent them from dying, either to torture or save them, but usually the former. How ironic, she thought. She guessed the containers by the corner of the room were where her limbs were kept. After looking at everything with blurry vision, she noted that the man came to hunt her, knowing exactly what he was dealing with, fully prepared with devices made by vampires that were supposed to be no longer in this world where vampires are taken as mere fantasy. ¡°You speak confidently, so I wonder where you took your resources from.¡± ¡°Your father.¡± ¡°......¡± she stared silently at the man who had answered immediately, sounding unbothered. He blinked at the look of disbelief on her, ¡°Oh, that wasn¡¯t clear enough.¡± He nodded, ¡°Your human father, the father you found boring, the father you planned to get rid of because he would have never given you what you wanted to feel sort of a vampire again, or maybe to reclaim a bit of your control from before.¡± Angela raised her eyebrows slightly at the man whom she could guess now who he was by his answer, ¡°And you are saying Xenos Anfinrud knew my identity from the start and the Circle Rule?¡± she hummed in thought, ¡°If so, then explain how he fell into the trap so easily?¡± The man breathed a scoff, tilting his head to the other side again with a light sigh, ¡°Haven''t you thought that maybe, just maybe, Xenos must have known your plan and thus wanted to play along and take advantage of it?¡± ¡°And for what reason would he do that? His whole identity is crushed in the process, and everything precious to him has been ruined. His promise of not hurting the innocent is long broken. I believe he had foolishly lost more than gained.¡± She smiled coldly at the man, ¡°He had also dragged his dearest friend into the trap with him, your brother-in-law, I recall, Mr. Hanover?¡± Armand breathed his usual chuckle, which lacked emotion, not giving away anything despite his identity being caught. ¡°Are you taking him for a normal human? If so, then you are making a grave mistake.¡± He took a deep breath at the recall of the man who always had a carefree demeanor despite knowing secrets beyond everyone, hinting out these secrets to him in the most discreet ways only now he could understand. The memories were so vivid that he couldn¡¯t help feeling sentimental, longing for the old days and for spending his time with the two friends who were like brothers to him. He shook his head slightly with a little smile, ¡°I, too, thought he was just like any human in this life, a man who looked to be playing around but, in fact, wiser than anyone around him. An admirable and interesting brother. But it turned out he was a literal menace.¡± He chuckled, sounding amused for once, looking up at the woman with a cold smile, ¡°The kind of prankster that some trash in this world deserves.¡± Angela chuckled, ¡°Oh, and I wonder how he would escape the crazy doctor¡¯s clutches?¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Let¡¯s wait together and see.¡± He expected the soft scoff of disbelief from the woman; he shrugged a little with a smirk, ¡°My role is to gather the Real Borns and keep the pesky ones until my two bosses come back to deal with the likes of you.¡± She slightly narrowed her eyes at him, ¡°So you work for not only Ral Cavalon but also Xenos Anfinrud.¡± ¡°Ah, you don''t know the protocol?¡± Armand raised his eyebrows mockingly at the past Queen, ¡°Xenos is the brain, Ral is the body. That had been their pattern, in case you haven''t known.¡± ¡°So leaving the mafia life was only an act?¡± He lightly shrugged, ¡°Who knows?¡± She lightly chuckled again, ¡°What clowns you three are. A bunch of evil humans playing justice.¡± ¡°There are lots of clowns among humans, indeed.¡± He shook his head slightly, smiling in disbelief. ¡°Well, now, I shall wait for your guest to come, and therefore you are stuck with me for the time being.¡± He smiled coldly at her. ¡°Let''s get along well, ex-Vampire Queen.¡± ¡°And my guest would be?¡± ¡°Oh, it''s just your child whom you tried to curse.¡± ¡°......¡± the smile completely fell from her face again, which elicited a chuckle from the other. ¡°Oh, the look of relief.¡± He amused himself by catching the slight anger beneath her stoic face, ¡°You must be eager to reconcile with a family member after so long. He should take a bit of time to organize his thoughts and come to a decision soon. Let''s wait patiently.¡± ¡°Is that your revenge, Armand Hanover?¡± she threw the question she only ever asked one of her victims in the past. And the answer was so gentle that she was surprised with herself feeling guilty a little back then. It was why Neron was a different human to her; he held a soft spot in her human heart, which belonged to a previously cold vampire who could care less about any human. So, she listened to his request; she waited patiently in her room, knowing that whoever had come to attack the family would undoubtedly be after her one way or another. Thinking again, did the cute Neron ask her to promise him that, knowing of the three harlequins¡¯ plan? She found it hard to believe, but here she was, taken easily as a prisoner by none other than Armand Hanover, who was supposed to be dead by the canvas she had made for the Cavalon family. She could care less if some had survived; the process was enjoyable, and she was entertained in the end. But this, meeting the misfortune she had brought to the vampires in the past, the very same child who had dared to kill her with cold blood after everything she had worked on, the child who shouldn¡¯t have had the powers to overcome her in any way, the damn child who was the weakest of all the imperial family members! If this was Armand¡¯s revenge, she could applaud him for it. This man had managed to get on her nerves after this long as a human. Or maybe it was Xenos to whom she had to give credit, but that is if what was Armand saying the truth even. The bastard could be the one planning all this while playing the cold butler who was only good at listening to orders. Said man had stared at her long in silence, and she would have liked to think the question riled him even if little, but she knew the man was like a dead person when dealing with enemies. Armand slowly moved to rest his elbows on his thighs, and with a cold smile, he whispered. ¡°If punishment is what you are looking for, woman...¡± He closed his eyes briefly and breathed calmly, nodding his head absently. ¡°¡­then be careful to ask it from the ones who could care less about revenge.¡± He smiled again, ¡°Because they wouldn¡¯t tire or break down, they would think thoroughly with a clear head, and their emotions are dangerously numbed. They simply follow your wishes and know exactly what to do to exceed your expectations.¡± He nodded again, ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯m evil. I barely care if I killed a person or a whole country, but I also don¡¯t have the time to chase whoever had managed to push me down countless times before in my life.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my revenge. It¡¯s what you asked for when you played with someone like Xenos Anfinrud,¡± he closed his eyes with a cold smile. ¡°And I¡¯m only following the plan accordingly.¡± His voice came to a whisper again. ¡°I¡¯m good at following orders, after all.¡± . . ¡°The results... are good,¡± Alvis said as he skimmed over the reports with his eyes, staring at them with a bewildered frown, ¡°Though you should not exhaust your body, light body activities will be fine.¡± He stared some more, lowering his hand with the papers and looking at the teen sitting comfortably in Alvis¡¯s bed with a stoic face, not looking surprised. ¡°Your heart is still weak as it seems...¡± ¡°Hmm, so it''s the same old.¡± Davante nodded indifferently. ¡°Good.¡± ¡°What?¡± Alvis blinked several times at Davante, wondering what was good about having a weak heart. Or did he mean that at least he could manage with what he was used to dealing with all those years instead of dealing with some other things? Davante looked out the window, staring at the gentle light from the sun and the students walking outside in the gardens. ¡°It''s been a week now, so can I leave then...¡± he missed how Alvis stiffened as he paused long before adding, ¡°¡­uncle?¡± Neron glanced at Alvis from the corner of his eye and cleared his throat quietly. ¡®What is that pause for?¡¯ Alvis hesitated to ask since a week ago, for a whole week, Davante had developed a habit of pausing whenever he was about to call him ¡®uncle¡¯ for some reason. ¡®I-Is he mad because I kicked his father after all?¡¯ he had thought of the possibility that the teen would disapprove of what he had done that day, even if it was out of reflex, which was why he was going to apologize and explain the situation as he should, but the teen had fallen asleep for weeks, and Owin wasn¡¯t going to help with how he laughs every time he remembers the situation that day. He flinched when Davante turned to look at him when he hadn¡¯t received his answer yet, ¡°W-Well, I don''t want to lock you in here, but your father is...¡± he cautiously said, ¡°He had attempted to kill you once, so...¡± he recalled how the blond man was trembling and seething, moving closer and looking ready to strangle his own son. ¡®That is... if the person back then was really Kaven...¡¯ the look on his eyes back then, the way he was breathing, everything looked odd and¡­ unsettling. No matter how he tried to look and search for anything familiar in the man, his friend wasn''t there. ¡°How is he doing now, by the way?¡± He was pulled from his thoughts by Davante¡¯s question, which sounded a bit too casual despite the situation. ¡°...he is doing well, actually... he looks so refreshed?¡± that was the confusing part now; Kaven looked almost the same as before, he behaved the same way as before all this mess or maybe way back when he was himself, but he couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that his friend still wasn¡¯t there. ¡°That''s fine, then.¡± ¡°What?¡± Alvis and Neron stared blankly at the teen, who looked strangely unbothered, or was he hiding his feelings like before? But it didn¡¯t feel like it this once. Alvis couldn¡¯t explain it well, but Davante seemed¡­ overly relaxed? Which was a good sign, maybe, or was it? The boy had always looked calm and collected, but that was because he kept everything to himself and tried to avoid everyone if possible, but now¡­ he looked unbothered and laidback. Which shouldn¡¯t be a bad thing normally, but how could the boy change suddenly and be like that now of all times? Davante looked back at Alvis and tilted his head a bit, ¡°It should be fine as long as I stay out of his sight, right?¡± ¡°Well, that...¡± Alvis had already made the teen try this method before but look at where they were now, ¡°It''s hard to do when you can run into him any time in this academy...¡± ¡°Has he asked you about me?¡± Again, Alvis wondered how the teen looked unbothered still. ¡°About that...¡± he reluctantly answered, ¡°He doesn''t remember you...¡± Davante didn¡¯t respond in any way to the news and only stared back in silence. ¡°I tried to test the waters, but he claims not to know anyone with your name...¡± Alvis wasn¡¯t sure if he did the right thing in sharing the fact with the teen, but the look he had received made him worry for another reason. ¡°Oh?¡± Davante slightly raised one eyebrow and looked down in thought, humming lowly to himself. Alvis stared at the boy who, if he looked closely, looked¡­ amused down beneath his stoic features. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°...Davante, are you okay?¡± ¡°What?¡± Davante looked back at the man, blinking blankly before touching his face with his hand while looking baffled. ¡°Why, do I look tired?¡± ¡°Uh, no,¡± Alvis awkwardly rubbed his neck, ¡°You look way better than any time, actually...¡± Davante stared for a long moment, lowering his hand back on his lap. ¡°Then what''s wrong?¡± ¡°...I must be worrying a bit too much.¡± Was he looking too much into it? He glanced at Neron, who usually had a straight face and rarely showed any reaction, but he also looked a bit puzzled by the situation. ¡°I appreciate that side of you...¡± Davante paused, looking to the window, ¡°¡­uncle.¡± ¡®Then again, what¡¯s with the pause?!¡¯ he couldn¡¯t help but ask again, ¡°A-Are you mad at me?¡± Davante turned back to Alvis, looking baffled once again, ¡°Why? Did we fight?¡± ¡°...no?¡± A moment of silence passed between the three, and Neron glanced from Alvis to Davante as they stared long at each other. Davante broke the silence first, ¡°I''m sorry if I looked or sounded mad. No, I''m not mad at you...¡± he paused again, seeming to think for a moment, ¡°Uncle.¡± ¡®Why do you hesitate every time you call me uncle then?!¡¯ Alvis felt like crying. Was he overreacting? Well, he had often been told that he tended to overthink or overreact a lot, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel something was wrong with the kid. His cute nephew was acting weird! Davante looked at him again, ¡°So, can I leave?¡± Alvis blinked at the teen, who sounded almost desperate despite hardly showing any of his feelings on his face. ¡°That... well... would you mind if Neron follows as your guard...?¡± Davante looked at the purple head with a contemplative look, ¡°It would look suspicious. I don''t think it''s a good idea.¡± He hummed quietly, ¡°But you can watch me from a distance if that would keep you at ease.¡± Neron only nodded. Davante looked at Alvis again, ¡°Then I can leave now.¡± ¡°Yes, you can...¡± despite agreeing, Alvis still looked uncertain of his decision, ¡°Would you want me to walk you back to your room?¡± Davante shook his head slightly, ¡°You look tired, take some rest. N¡ª sir Neron could do that,¡± he turned to the quiet man, ¡°If it''s okay with you?¡± Neron nodded again, ¡°I''ll do it.¡± ¡°Okay, can I have a shower first?¡± Alvis and Neron fell silent at the request. Alvis smiled awkwardly, ¡°Ah, yes, of course. I''ll prepare a change of clothes and leave it by the door for you.¡± ¡°Thank you... uncle.¡± Davante calmly moved to put his leg on the floor. Alvis¡¯s smile twitched at the pause again, and he was starting to wonder if the teen was doing it on purpose only to tease him. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± ¡°Careful¡ª!¡± Alvis quickly grabbed the boy, preventing him from falling when he had just stood up. He frowned down at the teen, who still looked calm with his stoic face. Alvis was sure of the test results because he had taken the tests and checked more than once, which was why it had taken them a whole week to begin with. Ellmer even made it clear not to let his brother leave unless he had made sure of his state, not that he needed the threat, but he was sure everything was okay or back to normal. So then, why would Davante still stumble every time he so much stands on his two feet? ¡°Haa, I don''t know why I can''t get used to this.¡± ¡°W... what?¡± Alvis wasn¡¯t sure if he heard the whisper from the teen correctly; getting used to what? Standing? Walking? Was it the result of sleeping and lying in bed most of the time for months? He made sure to make the teen walk a bit every day and gave his body careful and thorough exercise when he was asleep for weeks, so was that really the reason? Davante looked like he had just noticed Alvis by his side and looked at him, ¡°It feels strange to be standing like this after all this time...¡± he smiled a little to assure the man, ¡°I¡¯m fine now. Please let go.¡± ¡°Ah, yes...¡± the man reluctantly let go, ready to catch the boy again any second. He and Neron looked in silence as Davante walked comfortably to the bathroom door, not looking back at the two and closing the door silently behind him. Click¡ª The room fell into deep silence, with the two men looking blankly at the closed door. ¡°Neron...¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Tell me I''m not the only one confused here...¡± ¡°You are not, sir.¡± ¡°Did something happen that day...?¡± he turned to the other with a little frown, ¡°When he woke up...¡± ¡°He just woke up and had a look of recognition when his eyes landed on me, but stayed quiet and kept staring at the ceiling until he announced he was hungry and pushed himself to sit, and that was when you came with the food, sir.¡± Alvis blinked, looking a bit surprised. ¡°...he recognized you?¡± ¡°...yes.¡± Alvis frowned at the puzzled look from the other, ¡°Have you two talked before?¡± he hadn¡¯t been informed before; Neron had only stayed behind to watch Davante and only come close when Davante was sleeping and tired, they hadn¡¯t been introduced yet, or so he thought. ¡°No, we haven¡¯t.¡± Alvis blinked dumbly at the other, ¡°...then...¡± how¡­? ¡°...I honestly don''t know, sir.¡± Alvis kept blinking at Neron, who looked equally confused. ¡°......huh?¡± What was happening anymore? Meanwhile, Davante stood still in front of the mirror in the bathroom with his arms crossed, staring in long silence with a stoic face. ¡°Kaven Fixsen doesn''t remember me¡­¡± he kept humming in thought. . . ¡°...Bren...?¡± Javi whispered, standing still in place before carefully turning around and trying to mesh along with the students in the restaurant. ¡°Oh, Javi?¡± Javi flinched and stopped immediately. ¡°Running away?¡± ¡°......¡± He noticed the cold tone from Bren despite sounding playful while still sitting and enjoying his meal. He could feel the sharp eyes staring daggers at him from behind. He reluctantly turned around and walked to sit down on the seat in front of his past friend, looking anywhere but the other¡¯s eyes. ¡°Good choice.¡± Bren hummed and wiped his lips with the tissue, nodding before leaning on the backrest with a glass of fresh and sweet lemon juice in his hand, ¡°I was going to finish eating and meet with Owin later, but it''s good I met you first.¡± He hummed once he took a slurp, looking right at the other with his hawk-like eyes. ¡°You know, I wish I could start with a good slap, can I?¡± Javi silently winced at the request, unable to come up with an answer. ¡®I forgot how nervous I used to be whenever I was left alone with Bren...¡¯ recalling the past, he was only able to communicate with Bren with help from Owin. It wasn¡¯t because of how horribly blunt the guy always had been, but only because his eyes always seemed to look deeper, deep into his soul, but would cover it with being playful and absentminded most of the time when he had a feeling the guy wasn¡¯t absentminded even once. To him, Bren had always been scary in a way he couldn¡¯t explain, especially when the guy was blatantly upset with him. ¡®Owin... of all times,¡¯ he closed his eyes with a resigned smile, silently accepting his fate. ¡®Did you have to talk to your brother now of all times?¡¯ . . ¡°Was it necessary to make Javi leave the room?¡± Owin asked as he looked at the closed door, turning to Elois, who came to join his little brother sitting on the floor with two glasses of water on the small table in between. ¡°Weren''t you two together in the forest, big brother? Nothing should be new to him.¡± Elois blinked at his brother with his cheek resting on the palm of his hand. ¡°I thought you''d feel better if we talked alone, no?¡± Owin hummed with a small smile, looking down for a moment. ¡°...right, since I didn''t come here to talk about that night only,¡± he looked back at the other with an observing eye, ¡°But it felt like you were quickly trying to hide something from him.¡± Elois stared long at Owin before looking to the side, ¡°...do you have to know?¡± Owin stiffened a bit, relaxing soon next with a weak smile while mumbling, ¡°...I want to know what happened to my brother and friend.¡± Elois¡¯s hand twitched, sighing with his eyes closed, ¡°I''m sorry.¡± ¡°I¡ª no, it''s okay, you don¡¯t have to answer if you...¡± he had only come because Ellmer looked so sure when he gave him the green light, and the guy rarely misses with his judgments, so... ¡°No, no, it''s fine, we should stop...¡± Elois sighed again, rubbing his temples with his hand, ¡°We should stop running in circles and this dodging game. Well, I should stop.¡± He raised his head and looked at his brother, ¡°I''ll answer anything you ask me, Owin.¡± Owin observed in silence, noticing how his brother looked and sounded almost the same as when they were kids, the responsible, caring and collected big brother he had always followed and felt most safe with. He cautiously asked, ¡°...promise?¡± Elois nodded right away, ¡°Yes, promise. So...¡± Owin smiled, ¡°I''ll answer all your questions, big brother.¡± Elois blinked, slowly smiling back at his little brother, ¡°Right, let¡¯s talk.¡±
The End of CH. 35
36. Two Months One Week
The Red Flower Chapter. 36
I was a spoiled brat. A baby who cries easily over anything, constantly demanding attention and care from dad, uncle or sometimes in the beginning, mother. But I found the most amount from my brother, who was naturally loved by many wherever he went, and I was always trying to distance him from his friends because nobody liked Owin, the spoiled brat who was only good by sticking to his brother''s side. Elois never complained, and he prioritized his brother over anyone outside the family. I haven''t understood until late that Elois was trying to fill the emptiness I felt back then as a child because all the adults had their own life to deal with. He understood we should be careful not to tire our sick uncle and be thoughtful of how much we could ask from dad. And he understood... there was something wrong with Ashley, our mother. Elois understood there was something odd happening. He wasn''t a naive child, he was sharp and careful, but his love for his family was the poison he fed himself with. He had seen the signs but refused to understand them, because his lovely family wouldn''t and shouldn''t end like that, like the torn and old picture in dad''s room now. Elois and dad were very similar, so similar that it was scary to look at from a distance all those years. And I was always scared to lose them because they could easily break or disappear. ¡°Huh? No, you are all the same.¡± the boy scoffed, ¡°Cowards.¡± Bren, the isolated and rebellious kid in the orphanage I was tossed at and the only person who seemed alive in that dead place, had been so blunt to punch the truth in my face. I was pissed and hurt when I heard the reality from someone who was nothing but a stranger outside the family, but I wasn''t hurt because he was rude. The truth that I''ve always refused to acknowledge was hard to accept, and I avoided it at all costs, only to hear it from a child my age who had never met my brother or my father or uncle once before but understood the whole picture only from a story told by the new, pathetic kid in the orphanage. ¡°Learn it, idiot. The Iriarts'' life wouldn''t be this pathetic if you all hadn''t run away like the cowards you are, so either you stop acting like the victim or piss off.¡± Bren had been the first person to ever be brutally honest with the spoiled brat, who was always sheltered behind his brother''s back. And the spoiled brat needed the punches, the slaps, the kicks and the bites from that brutal person who did not know how to filter out the stabbing words coming from his mouth and had seen the world long before the spoiled brat had. One from the family should receive the blows to wake up and fix the miserable mistake, and that was me, apparently. I''ve seen and heard the most behind closed doors but chose to stay safe beside Elois, because as long as Elois was with me... then I was safe. ¡°If your father lacked parental skills and sucked this bad, then he shouldn''t have thought of marrying in the first place.¡± Our dad wasn''t the best father. We both knew. ¡°Was it a duty to have a woman and kids at home waiting for him when he had been so fixated on curing his brother and was surprisingly blinded from everything wrong happening in the family?¡± Dad had made severe mistakes, and he himself knew them, and perhaps the encounter with Davante was the final blow to make him own his mistakes and work on fixing what was left at last. ¡°What father would leave his job to his youngest kid to solve whatever was wrong with the crazy mother at home?¡± I was a child, and no matter how I tried to push the blame on myself to defend my family, it wouldn''t do. What could a child do in a twisted situation? ¡°Are you stupid? Your brother clearly prioritized your mother over you, and he never was going to side with you no matter how long you cried.¡± Elois had seen more than enough to believe his little brother, but it was the first time Elois had treated his little brother like the adults did. Going with the flow with the child to silence him because he was saying some unpleasant stuff. I knew Elois didn''t really mean his promise to me that day. The promise of believing me was to calm me down and have a sense of comfort as soon as possible because nothing was right that day. ¡°Then again, the whole blame is on your father.¡± Elois and I were kids, sheltered and pampered kids at that. ¡°And probably your mother was never a good person, to begin with.¡± Ashley, strangely, never felt like a mother to me. She was gentle and caring at first, and it all felt forced, but she eventually became like an imposter in our little family, especially when dad was away from home for a long while locked in the company. Anyone would say she was feeling lonely without her husband, but Uncle Alvin had started giving her the cold shoulder instead of supporting or assuring her, so there must have been something else behind her actions... Really, there was no use in excusing that woman. ¡°Listen, you idiot.¡± And honestly, I only came to talk to my father and brother because I wanted to bring us together, to be able to call us a family again. Someone had already drilled the whole picture into my head long ago, so there was no need to try to understand anything now when I could see the picture clearly. ¡°It''s easier being honest, whether harsh or not.¡± Bren was really like a brutal force I needed in my life, and maybe a bit of his bluntness rubbed on me with time, so why not use that bluntness to good use? ¡°Geez, what a delicate family you bunch are. It¡¯s even painful to listen to you. Man up and go slap some sense into your beloved father and brother. Make it your life goal, please. Or maybe stay the way you are but make sure to stay out of my sight.¡± ¡®Hey, I managed to accomplish that goal now, bastard.¡¯ Owin thought as he smiled at his brother staring at him blankly after listening briefly to where he ended up when their mother separated them and how Owin had met a spectacular person the same age as him, yet it felt like that kid was mature enough to blurt out the obvious to a family of cowards. ¡°...what a chaotic friend.¡± Elois finally commented. Owin chuckled with a sigh, ¡°I know. Tell me about it.¡± Elois looked down at the glass of water on the small table between them with a small smile, ¡°...I think if Davante wasn''t holding back, he would have been the same honest to me back then.¡± ¡°Wait, really?¡± Owin blinked at the confused look from his brother, ¡°I never got to know him well, but I did sense some similarity between him and Bren from up close.¡± He laughed at the discovery. Davante, while much quieter and well-behaved, and despite the stoic face, seemed the honest type whose face was blunt enough without even having to say anything. Their talk in their first meeting was quick and wasn¡¯t much, but Owin could remember the younger¡¯s subtle facial changes, especially when he asked him a favor to take care of Elois, Davante¡¯s face remained the same, but his eyes apparently spoke louder than his words. He wondered if that look was one of anger or was the teen burdened. ¡®However, he did take care of Elois in the end. Way before I¡¯d asked him even¡­¡¯ Owin looked down with a small smile, deciding to thank Davante if they met again. Elois stared long at Owin, looking down when the other raised his face to look back at him with his expectant smile. ¡°...what you need is not an apology.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Elois slowly nodded, fiddling with his glass on the table, ¡°You''ve had enough of that.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Elois slowly nodded again, thinking for a while before he looked at his brother like he had firmed his resolve. ¡°...I understand.¡± ¡®Being honest and straightforward is easier indeed.¡¯ Owin had to thank Bren later. He leaned both his elbows on the table with a knowing smile, ¡°No more running away?¡± ¡°...yes.¡± Elois felt he was suddenly cornered for some reason by the look in his little brother¡¯s eye. ¡°No more self-doubt?¡± Elois blinked, slightly frowning, ¡°Hey, people can doubt themselves sometimes.¡± ¡°Your doubt is unhealthy though, brother.¡± Elois slightly flinched, ¡°Wha¡ª huh?¡± ¡°You doubt, no, you believe that you caused the most damage to the people around you, right?¡± Elois understood now why he felt unsettled by Owin¡¯s look at that moment. It reminded him of the look he had received from Ellmer when he could see what was going through in his mind. ¡®¡­why is Owin¡¯s smile a bit similar to Ellmer¡¯s¡­?¡¯ ¡°While you did cause some trouble,¡± Owin continued even with the other¡¯s flinch again and avoiding his eye, ¡°But constantly blaming yourself isn''t the development everyone asked for.¡± Elois mumbled after a moment of silence, still looking away from the other. ¡°...did Ellmer tell you what happened in the forest, after all...?¡± ¡°No, however, he expressed his concerns about your current state and how you view yourself now.¡± Owin sighed and relaxed back on his palms with a helpless smile. ¡°...oh... he did...?¡± Elois blinked numerous times at the news that funnily didn¡¯t sound so surprising to him. ¡°He cares for others despite how he behaves.¡± Owin shrugged with a chuckle, ¡°You''ve noticed, right? You were always good at detecting suspicious people and avoiding them.¡± Elois tilted his head back, looking up and thought, ¡°Well...¡± that¡¯s right, that was also why he sometimes could be violent and hostile to some people at first sight with no particular reason besides that they seemed anything but safe to be around. And this was why his reputation wasn¡¯t really the best in the academy, but he didn¡¯t give a damn about what strangers thought of him. ¡°He apologized for the threat he pulled at you, but I thanked him.¡± This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Elois stilled, slowly turning to look at his brother cautiously, noticing how Owin looked to be upset with him. ¡°Otherwise, I wouldn''t have known what was scaring you from approaching dad and me!¡± Elois flinched away when Owin suddenly leaned close with a frown, raising his voice a bit in frustration. ¡°Ah¡­ that¡­¡± ¡°Call me crazy, but I honestly don''t care if you have killed people before, Elois.¡± Owin huffed at the look of shock from his big brother and moved away to sit back in place with a serious face, mumbling. ¡°I bet they were all scumbags anyway.¡± ¡°......¡± Owin noticed Elois looking at him silently without even blinking, ¡°You just thought I became like this because of Bren, right?¡± Elois blinked, looking to the side with a blank face, ¡°...maybe.¡± Owin tilted his head to the side a bit, thinking before shrugging and smiling brightly at his brother. ¡°Well, I suppose it is because of him, but don''t worry, I still know what morals are and am kind enough to mind my words!¡± Elois glanced at his smiling brother, ¡°...hopefully.¡± he couldn¡¯t help but feel that Owin and Ellmer were strangely similar now. They even seem to be very close, judging by how someone like Ellmer went to Owin to express his concerns about someone he had claimed to have had enough of, like Elois, for example. ¡°Oh, come on!¡± Owin moved to sit in front of his brother¡¯s sight with a pout, ¡°Do I look like that rude punk to you?!¡± Elois frowned slightly, staring at his brother, who sounded like a big baby. Elois sighed. ¡°I haven''t met him, Owin.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Owin blinked before sitting properly on his knees, ¡°Right...¡± Elois snorted lightly, smirking and shaking his head with his eyes closed. ¡°I bet he hates me even.¡± ¡°If he dares.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Elois frowned at his brother again, wondering if he had heard that right. Owin moved to sit with his legs crossed, ¡°So, what happened in the forest?¡± Blinking, Elois asked. ¡°...will you not ask me about the past?¡± Owin hesitated, ¡°To be honest, I have a brief idea of what happened, and...¡± Elois waited, worried when the other looked troubled with an awkward smile suddenly, avoiding his eyes for a moment, ¡°...what?¡± Owin glanced at Elois before looking elsewhere again, deciding to explain like it was nothing. ¡°Ellmer''s step-siblings implanted recording devices in your room initially.¡± He cleared his throat when he noticed the other stiffening near him. ¡°Their target was specifically Davante, but Ellmer didn''t come here to kill him but to gain information, and he knew who you were, so he decided to keep an eye on you since it looked like you were close to his little brother, and he may have, um...¡± he scratched his head with his finger awkwardly, ¡°He heard your talk with Davante, when you cried about your past and, you know...¡± Elois slowly widened his eyes and had a look of horror with his mouth slightly open, ¡®Shit¡­ that night, I said some really harsh stuff to Davante¡­ and I was an utterly despicable and ridiculous son of a¡­¡¯ he recalled how Ellmer looked at him while warning him of not treating Davante better once again. Elois slowly leaned on the table, hiding his face with both hands while mumbling. ¡°...no wonder he threatened me...¡± ¡°Well...¡± Owin had a troubled smile as he looked at his brother hunched over the small table, ¡°He did sound like you were taking advantage of Davante''s kindness...¡± Elois hummed weakly, ¡°...I did that, sadly.¡± Still covering his face with his hands. ¡°Did anyone listen to the recording besides you two...?¡± ¡°He offered the recording to me as a sort of being clear with me so I won''t get mad at him since you''re my brother and all, but I refused to listen, and yet he briefed me on your friendship with Davante in the past and what happened before you ended up the way you were under the tree. So, no one had heard your conversation but him¡­¡± Owin quickly explained with an awkward smile. He couldn¡¯t be mad at Ellmer since the guy did help him quite much to be able to sit down with Elois now and talk like brothers again. Elois mumbled after a long moment of being quiet and unmoving, ¡°...are the devices still here?¡± ¡°He removed them the night you fought with Javi.¡± He refrained from laughing at remembering how Ellmer had been when he informed him of removing the devices that night. ¡°That was sooner than I thought,¡± Owin said, tilting his head with a questioning smile. Ellmer tossed the devices with a long sigh, ¡°Yeah, your brother is just a pitiful punk. I feel ridiculous spying on a baby like him.¡± Owin knew that Ellmer was more pissed at himself that day for starting to care for Elois and even worrying about him when he had hoped for the older orange head to be a bastard instead to make things easier for him, so it was funny to look at the guy be yet again concerned for someone else besides the group he had in his list already. Yet he still claims he cares for only his little brother Davante. What an affectionate, silly man. He was snapped from his thoughts when he heard Elois sighing after a long while of complete silence, still not removing his hands from his face. ¡°Um, he deleted the recording, don''t worry.¡± He was about to pat his brother¡¯s back when the other suddenly removed his hands with a low sigh. ¡°I trust him, so never mind.¡± Owin relaxed with an easy smile, ¡°So, the forest...¡± he pushed the topic again, expecting the silence he was met with. ¡°Ellmer usually shares whatever information about you with me, but not this time...¡± observing his brother, who was looking elsewhere with a blank face, ¡°Even though he controls his facial expressions very well, he still looked like he had seen something horrid and doesn''t ever want to talk about it.¡± Elois¡¯s hands twitched. He stared long at one spot before turning to his brother, cautiously asking, ¡°......how about you tell me first what happened to your eye?¡± Owin blinked numerous times, looking surprised yet unbothered, ¡°Javi had been in a tight situation, became the Shadow and ran to attack Bren, but I protected Bren and was close to dying if not for the help from Ellmer.¡± He smiled a little and raised his hand to his eyepatch, asking in almost a whisper. ¡°Do you want to see it?¡± Elois observed and noticed how stiff his brother¡¯s smile looked, ¡°...does it hurt?¡± Owin¡¯s hand paused, slowly lowering it back down, ¡°No, I can''t feel anything around this side of my face.¡± Elois kept his gaze on the eyepatch, ¡°...can I touch it?¡± Owin nodded with a smile, ¡°Yes, go ahead.¡± Elois shifted closer to his brother, carefully bringing his hand up to feel the marred eye through the eyepatch. Feeling slight bumps, some parts of the flesh were hard and some soft, which was disturbing. He was too careful to rip off the flesh by mistake because it didn¡¯t feel like there was skin even, especially since Owin had said he couldn¡¯t feel a thing around it. After some time of gently rubbing over the area, he asked, ¡°...can''t dad do something about it?¡± Owin opened his eye and looked at Elois¡¯s face, which was slightly contorted and looked pained as he inspected the eye with his hand, ¡°I... never thought about it.¡± Elois frowned, ¡°He never asked?¡± ¡°Twice, but I avoided the topic with him...¡± Owin closed his eye with a calm smile, ¡°I''m already used to it, and it looks so ruined beyond help, so I quickly gave up on finding a way to fix it.¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Elois kept gently and carefully rubbing the place, unknowingly soothing and lulling his little brother to sleep for a moment before speaking in a low tone, ¡°Owin.¡± Owin¡¯s eye twitched as he was suddenly pulled from a comfortable, quick nap and quietly hummed to answer his big brother. ¡°I no longer think of our mother.¡± ¡°......¡± ¡°I''m not sure how it is for dad, but after talking with him about the past, I think he had even erased her face from his memory. He doesn''t remember how she looked and doesn¡¯t seem to want to. You¡¯re no longer the only one refusing her in the family.¡± ¡°......¡± ¡°You can talk to us... if you want.¡± ¡°......¡± ¡°You can show us when you''re ready, and maybe there isn''t a way to heal it now, but it won''t hurt to look for a way later.¡± Elois moved his hand back to his side, waiting for his brother to open his eye and look at him, and he smiled a little once Owin looked at him, staring silently. ¡°......¡± ¡°Whoa¡ª!¡± Elois instinctively brought his arms around his giant brother as he was suddenly pushed to the floor by a strong hug from Owin, who had his face hidden in his big brother¡¯s chest. He lightly slapped Owin¡¯s broad back, sighing, ¡°You scared me, and you¡¯re heavy...¡± ¡°...I missed you.¡± ¡°......¡± Elois absently started gently ruffling his brother¡¯s short hair at the weak mumble that sounded wobbly a little. They stayed that way for a while and in comfortable silence. Elois stared at the ceiling with his big, baby brother above him. He wouldn¡¯t say it, but he missed this feeling¡­ ¡®You finally feel familiar to me¡­¡¯ he breathed a silent chuckle with his hand still fondly ruffling Owin¡¯s hair. ¡°You just thought I''m still a spoiled brat.¡± ¡°Not that...¡± he blinked at the mumble that sounded like a whine from his brother, who was still hugging him and hiding his face. He lightly huffed a laugh, ¡°Well, I''m glad some things never change.¡± He teasingly pinched his little brother¡¯s cheek lightly. ¡°For example, being the big brother?¡± He raised an eyebrow, thinking a bit with a hum. ¡°Maybe it suits you better now? Wanna switch?¡± ¡°No, I still want to be spoiled.¡± ¡°What? You brat, seriously...¡± Elois couldn¡¯t help but laugh loudly at his childish brother, who had no shame saying that out loud after all this time acting like the mature one of them. They were back with the comfortable silence. ¡°...will you find a way to heal my eye?¡± Elois blinked, ¡°I mean, the vampire helped lift off something from within me and lessened the curse in Javi''s blood, and all that in mere minutes, so...¡± he hummed in thought, ¡°I bet there is a way because apparently, vampires can use magic.¡± Owin slowly pushed himself up on his elbows to look at his brother, ¡°...what?¡± vampires were not a theory anymore? ¡°Ah¡­¡± Elois blinked at his brother, who was looking at him like Elois had grown a second head out of nowhere. ¡°We met a vampire in the forest.¡± ¡°...what?¡± ¡°And uh... you asked me why I kicked Javi out in a hurry...¡± Elois looked elsewhere, ¡°He turned into the Shadow and attacked me.¡± Owin blinked numerous times, ¡°...and Ellmer helped?¡± ¡°He arrived when the Shadow was feasting on me.¡± ¡°What...?¡± Elois couldn¡¯t bring himself to look at Owin, ¡°The Shadow was eating me alive.¡± ¡°...wait, sit up,¡± Owin quickly sat on his knees, easily pulling his brother to sit with him, ¡°Tell me everything. Speak, Elois, please.¡± Elois felt like he had made a mistake at the look from Owin, who looked so concerned that his face looked murderous for a moment. ¡°Okay, but calm down¡ª¡± ¡°Everything, Elois.¡± Elois slightly moved away from his brother as Owin looked so ready to tie him down right then and there, looking intently at him without any hint of a smile. Elois smiled awkwardly in resignation. ¡®Ah, no wonder Ellmer passed over the mission to me...¡¯ Owin could be really scary¡­ . . ¡°If...¡± Javi finally spoke, avoiding the other¡¯s eyes, glaring daggers at him, ¡°¡­if it would make things better for you... go ahead... I think...¡± he deserved the slap or punch or whatever from both Owin and Bren, after all. Owin would never do it as it seemed, so there was Bren to do it for the two of them. ¡°......¡± Javi, however, was more scared by the silence he was left with when nothing came for a long moment. He carefully chanced a look at the other, ¡°Umgh!?¡± he was not expecting his face to be yanked with one strong grip, squishing his cheeks to make him look dumb with startled eyes. ¡°I knew I would hate talking to you now.¡± Bren clicked his tongue, looking to be holding back and reminding himself of something for a moment as he closed his eyes and then looked fiercely at the other, ¡°Javi Cavalon.¡± ¡°Hnph¡­?¡± feeling like a child about to be berated by his older, stern sibling, Javi was reminded then that Bren was, in fact, younger than him in age. ¡®Has he ever felt younger than me even¡­?¡¯ ¡°I''ll make it short, so listen well.¡± Javi caught his breath and waited. ¡°I knew you weren''t an ordinary kid since the start,¡± Javi flinched. Since when? He wanted to ask but was too scared to question the other for now. ¡°And probably even Owin did a bit,¡± Bren shrugged indifferently, ¡°Anyway, we never hated you or anything silly when you suddenly came out and revealed the truth to us in the most dramatic way that day on the beach.¡± ¡°......¡± Bren nodded firmly, ¡°Right, what you did to Owin that night wasn''t anything easy to brush off, but it was also my fault for not getting the situation better and dealing with your ¡®supposed¡¯ cousin properly.¡± The grip around Javi¡¯s face tightened slightly, and he worried for a second if Bren would actually crush his face in one hand; it looked like he could do it easily with the force he was revealing, and it looked to Javi that the other was even holding back for his sake. A thought crossed his mind at that moment, was Bren even human? ¡°So, I''ll be sure to bring Owin''s eye to how it was after all this circus.¡± Javi looked at his past friend, who had a look that made him wonder if Bren had promised himself that and hid it from even Owin himself. ¡°However, you...¡± He winced at the grip, ¡®Bren¡­ will you really kill me this way?¡¯ ¡°What exactly are you doing?¡± Javi froze. ¡°Becoming a better person? Becoming a different person?¡± ¡°......¡± ¡°You stupid imbecile.¡± Javi flinched and gulped at the low, dark growl. ¡°It pisses me off to look at a fake trying desperately to seem real.¡± ¡®A... fake...?¡¯ he had no idea what that meant, and he was reminded again that Bren always used to talk in riddles despite always being blunt with no regard to age or anything. ¡°Wake up if you want to meet him again properly.¡± ¡®Him...? Huh...?¡¯ he must have looked stupid because Bren suddenly snorted and smirked at him, his eyes oddly softening a bit. ¡°A tip to help you a little, talk to the red dude.¡± ¡®Red dude...?¡¯ Javi racked his head to search for anyone red in his memory, quickly remembering a person with red eyes, lashes, eyebrows and probably hair if not for the black dye, ¡®Ellmer...?¡¯ ¡°That''s all.¡± Bren suddenly let go of the other¡¯s face and stood up with a smile, ¡°See you later, friend.¡± ¡°B-Bren!¡± Javi was relieved when Bren at least stopped at his call, turning around with his hands in his pockets. ¡°Please answer this one thing...¡± Bren smiled in satisfaction, ¡°Ah, you just sounded like Javi for a second.¡± He nodded, ¡°Good, good.¡± Javi blinked, not understanding what the other meant but quickly asked his question, ¡°...Edmund...¡± he cautiously asked when the other¡¯s smile suddenly dropped, and Bren looked at him with a deadpan face. ¡°What happened between you two and him that night...?¡± ¡°...well, where to start?¡± Bren looked up, thinking with a hum, before shrugging indifferently and looking back at Javi, ¡°Start with finding out who he is first.¡± ¡°...what...?¡± Bren huffed a laugh at the other¡¯s puzzled face, ¡°Red dude, Javi.¡± He smirked, ¡°Don''t choose that red guy as your enemy if you''re looking for a way to step out from your cage now.¡± He shrugged and turned to leave again, ¡°He and Owin are the babysitters, not me. As you can tell, I''ve never been good with the role.¡± Javi was left alone, looking very much confused and lost¡­ . . ¡°Hm? He is going in the wrong direction...¡± Neron said as he watched Davante from a distance walk in the wrong hallway, trying to get back to his room with Neron watching him as decided in Alvis¡¯ room. ¡°¡­is he lost?¡± Neron forgot that the teen was hopeless when it came to directions for some reason. He followed the teen until it was late at night, standing still when Davante approached with a stoic face, ¡°I got lost, so can I sleep in your room for tonight, sir?¡± Neron blinked, ¡°Yes, of course.¡± He didn¡¯t know what else to say. He decided to sleep on the sofa for tonight. Of course, Davante didn¡¯t allow him and instead was the one sleeping on the sofa. ¡®Since I perfectly fit in there anyway¡¯ was what he reasoned with. And the next day¡ª ¡°Hm?¡± Neron stood from a distance again and watched the teen going in a different direction and another building this time, ¡°Is he lost again?¡± Later at night¡­. ¡°Can I sleep again in your room, sir?¡± Neron blinked, nodding shortly after, ¡°Sure.¡± The next day¡ª ¡°Hm? Is he sleeping there tonight?¡± Neron questioned as he watched the teen going into a storage house after having his meals in any restaurant he found with the money Alvis had given him several days before, just in case. He kept blinking at seeing the teen curling and sleeping on a comfortable mat inside like he was pretty used to it. Staring at the peaceful sleeping face up close, Neron inspected the place around him. That night, Neron decided to sleep in a storage room for the first time in his life to keep the teen safe. The next day at night¡ª ¡°Can I bathe in your room again, please?¡± Neron stared down at the teen, ¡°By all means.¡± And the next day¡ª ¡°Sorry to bother you. Can I sleep in your room again, sir?¡± ¡°No problem, but...¡± Neron finally asked after a whole week of following and watching the lost teen, ¡°Do you need help getting to your room?¡± ¡°No, it''s fine.¡± Davante nodded firmly to himself, sounding determined. ¡°I can do it.¡± Neron stared and blinked at the stoic teen; he nodded. ¡°...you can do it.¡± He decided to cheer for the boy. Davante nodded with a thankful little smile, ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± ¡°Neron is fine.¡± Davante tilted his head slightly, ¡°Sir, Nero?¡± ¡°Neron.¡± ¡°Nenon?¡± ¡°Eh... N...¡± Neron couldn¡¯t know when was the last time he had had a light conversation like this before, or maybe he never had one at all, so he was unusually awkward and unable to respond appropriately. He reluctantly nodded, ¡°¡­Nenon, yes.¡± He wondered if the teen¡¯s hearing was becoming poor. ¡®Or did he forget my name? Should I tell sir Alvis?¡¯ he was bewildered when Davante smiled and moved to pat Neron¡¯s head silently like he was patting a child fondly. Blinking, Neron wondered if the teen was just teasing him after all. He let it be and took the teen with him to his room once again. Another week later, Neron stood from a distance with the phone in his hand this time. -He isn''t back in his room yet...? He heard the man ask, sounding as puzzled as him. ¡°He looks so determined to make it back by himself...¡± -...is he really just lost? Neron blinked at the question from Alvis, sounding like he was starting to suspect the teen after all this time. He couldn¡¯t blame the man since the teen had been acting strange ever since he woke up from his long sleep, but he also couldn¡¯t sense anything bad or ominous from the boy, so he had just gone along with his whims, and a part of him was glad the teen seemed to be living his life for once. His eyes slightly widened suddenly, ¡°Ah, he¡¯s getting close this time¡­¡± -¡­are you feeling proud, Neron? Neron paused for a second at Alvis¡¯s surprised and amused comment, ¡°Eh-hem.¡± He faked a quiet cough and regained his composure soon after, silently following the teen who seemingly found his way to his room. Meanwhile, Davante, who had been carefully eyeing everything around him for days, ¡°Hmm¡­¡± he looked straight and proceeded to where he trusted was his shared room with Elois. He whispered. ¡°Looks like the hideous Cowndrel Queen is using her head properly for once.¡±
The End of CH. 36 37. One Month Two Weeks
The Red Flower Chapter. 37
"D...Davante?" Elois slowly released his laptop and left the bed, hesitantly walking to his roommate, looking like he couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. Davante blinked twice, standing still with the door closed behind him, blankly staring back at a surprised and emotional Elois. "Are you...¡± he stressed over what to say first after everything, ¡°Do¡­do you feel better now?" Elois was not expecting his roommate to suddenly return today and casually walk into the room like they hadn¡¯t been away for months. He didn''t know what to feel after going through a near-death situation without saying anything good to his friend. But now, there he was, his friend was standing before him on his feet and looking better than Elois had ever seen him. Davante blinked and looked to finally catch the reason behind the look in his roommate¡¯s teary eyes as they were filled with overwhelming emotions, "I''m fine now, yes." He nodded calmly, "How have you been? And..." he trailed off, looking slightly up for a moment. Elois slightly frowned as his roommate seemed a little...different? Davante had always been quiet in his responses, making him look as if he lacked interest whatsoever, so he didn''t expect the boy to feel as emotional as him. However, looking at Davante as he looked to make an effort and remember an important thing, not to himself but to someone else instead, was questionable. Davante''s eyes at that moment reminded him of someone else, but who was it again? He couldn''t remember, and he quickly brushed it off to focus on Davante as the teen looked to have finally gotten what he racked his memory to find. "And Javi." Davante nodded with a stoic face, looking proud of himself, "How are you two? Are you both good now?" Elois'' eye twitched for a second at the underlying playful tone, trying again to remember where he had heard it before. Davante''s eyes also looked amused for some reason but genuine, like the... ''The Weapon?'' He blinked and quickly dismissed the idea for his brain''s sake. "We''re fine...better than before¡­" He wasn''t sure about Javi, who had been away and only came back occasionally to say hi since the day he pushed him out of the room to talk with Owin a bit, but at least he was free of the Shadow for now, so he could assume his friend was doing better, right? Even if he looked absentminded most of the time lately¡­ He wanted to sigh as he remembered how Javi avoided answering any question he had tossed at him about what was bothering him so much to zone out all the time. He shook his head lightly and focused back on the person before him. He moved closer to Davante with an awkward smile, planning to hug his friend for his return, but he paused when his friend stiffened a bit for a moment with a guarded face that looked to be studying Elois for a second before the look disappeared. "¡­I''ll hug you." "Excuse me?" "I said I''ll hug you." Elois was suddenly ridiculously irked. The more he looked at the teen now, the more he remembered the Weapon for some reason, and that made him feel like approaching the boy differently than he had planned. Forget being careful and considerate. For some reason, he felt like provoking the boy before him. Was he paying back for what had Davante''s weapon done to him? Was he that petty? But he didn''t really care if he was being petty after the look he received from Davante, amused yet again as if making fun of him by simply staring. ''Is this really the Weapon?'' "I recall I''ve been the one hugging you every time," Davante¡¯s eyebrow slightly raised, and he teased with a little smile, "Do you need me to hug you first after all? You look like you forgot how to." ''This punk¡ª'' Elois smirked and pulled his roommate into a tight hug, and maybe he was a bit too forceful as Davante let out a faint sound, but it didn''t seem he was hurt as he hugged back and even patted him like he was rewarding a child. "You grew up well." Davante said with a light chuckle, lightly patting Elois¡¯ back. Elois¡¯ eye twitched again at the tone; then again, he remembered how Davante had teased him once for being a crybaby. "I''m older than you, kiddo. Do you know?" "Right, you lived longer." Davante had a sad look when he let go of the other, being obvious with his sarcasm. "No wonder you cried more than I did in my life. I should''ve been more thoughtful. I¡¯m sorry." ''Punk, are you the Weapon after all?'' He wanted to ask, but he had a feeling the brat wouldn''t answer anyway and would instead entertain himself by looking at Elois getting more annoyed by the minute. Can a weapon even take its owner''s body and walk around freely? It could be. Davante''s weapon is not a normal one, after all. But if it''s the case, ''Where is Davante?'' "I apologize if I went overboard with my joke." He snapped from his thoughts and looked at his roommate, who suddenly had an official business look in his eyes. Davante sounded exactly like the Weapon just now, Elois thought. "¡­are you hungry?" Elois asked, deciding to observe for now. Perhaps Davante naturally changed after all this time, even though his business manner was too out of place for a second there¡­ "You can cook now?" Davante looked genuinely shocked. Elois scoffed lightly, tilting his head as he answered with a smirk. "No, I haven''t grown up to that level yet." However, ''He didn''t refuse food...'' he noted silently, recalling how Davante avoided any topic about food before and never ate anything he brought for him. He tested the waters again, "I''ll order food." "Ah," Davante nodded thoughtfully, almost as if he was glad for the thought of eating soon, "I''d like some, yes. I''m also fine with anything." He then announced when the orange head walked away to retrieve his phone to order their lunch. "I''ll take a shower first." "Sure, go ahead." Elois eyed the other taking a pair of pajamas and walking to the bathroom. After a long moment of silence, he mumbled to himself, "...am I with the Weapon in real life? Really?" He didn''t particularly hate the idea, but where the heck was Davante? Can they switch? He stared down absently at the floor with the phone in his hand, "Nothing is certain yet, but..." he frowned slightly as he stared at the closed bathroom door. From how the teen looks at him to how he talks, "...that''s the Weapon brat, isn''t he?" He was almost sure. . . ¡°Hey,¡± Bren nonchalantly waved his hand to the guy who had just stepped into the room, standing stunned with his mouth hanging open as the door closed behind him. ¡°You¡­¡± Owin stared blankly at his childhood friend, sitting leisurely over the windowsill like he owned the room. ¡°Are you done crying with your family now?¡± ¡°¡­really?¡± feeling incredulous, Owin¡¯s lips stretched into a smirk, ¡°Of course this is the first thing you¡¯d say, you bastard.¡± He opened his arms wide open and walked fast toward his friend with a devious smile, laughing when the other deftly dodged. He kept following Bren, who had just hopped down from the window and avoided his every advance, ¡°Why so scared of a hug, huh?¡± ¡°I see you¡¯re still gross.¡± Bren looked done hopping around the room and stopped in place eventually, allowing himself to be hugged at last, and he was definitely not hugging back, ¡°Satisfied?¡± ¡°Very.¡± Owin let go with a teasing, bright smile after precisely five seconds, following the rule Bren had set in their first days in the orphanage. ¡°How have you been, dude? Glad you didn¡¯t get yourself killed with your crazy antics.¡± ¡°I was busy watching the three, the Puppeteer, the Executive, and the Fugitive.¡± Bren shrugged his shoulders with an easy smile, carelessly ignoring the questioning look he received from the other. ¡°Anyway, a nasty vampire is lurking in the academy, do you know?¡± Owin¡¯s face froze, ¡°What?¡± ¡°The same one who applied the illusion barrier against your brother and Javi.¡± Bren noticed Owin¡¯s face hardened at the mention of what happened with a questioning look, wondering how Bren had even known of the matter. Bren continued, ¡°So whatever happens in the academy now,¡± he lightly bumped his fist on the other¡¯s chest, ¡°Trust me and don¡¯t do anything to stop it until I tell you. Only watch.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Owin stared hard at the confident eyes before him, and Bren smirked in answer. ¡°Until it¡¯s time to move.¡± He stared blankly at the other, ¡°¡­you look dumb.¡± ¡°The fuck?¡± Owin couldn¡¯t believe this bastard, coming to him with the awful news after years of running around all over the place like a madman, and now telling him to stay still? He suddenly wished Ellmer was in the academy with them at that moment. ¡®Speaking of Ellmer¡­¡¯ Owin silently wondered, ¡®Hadn¡¯t he been away for long this time?¡¯ he was now aware of the time passed, ¡®A whole month with no word from him¡­¡¯ He turned to look distantly at the academy from the window. ¡®His step-brothers would have said something if there was a problem, right?¡¯ . . "I''m sorry, Boss..." Armand raised his head and looked at Gasha, who had just arrived after her mission, stepping into the office and looking down in guilt. He could see her frowning even with little candlelight in the small, vintage office with no windows. "I got distracted, and the Canvas was snatched from me..." her eyes brightened a bit for a moment after, "But...Neron, my brother, chased after the bastard...¡± she clenched her hands by her sides, ¡°I think it was Chronos'' weapon..." After a moment of silence, Armand let go of the papers in his hands and walked calmly to the girl, who looked anxious about his reaction. She widened her eyes a little when she felt a gentle pat on her head. Looking up, she found the man smiling at her. Receiving a smile from this man, who rarely ever smiles during work and very few people witness his face move at all, was the best thing she could ask for after messing up the plan. "Welcome back." He said, barely above a whisper, "I''m glad you made it here safely." She observed before voicing her thoughts with a dubious look, "You expected the Canvas to be taken, didn''t you?" His eyes looked softer as he chuckled at the look of disbelief, "Scold your father when he gets back." He tilted his head in a shrug and turned around back to the office. She raised her eyebrow as the man calmly walked and sat to decipher more of the elaborate plan Xenos had left behind for him to figure out. "Did he also tell in his plan to specifically choose me for this mission?" Armand hummed with a little smile, not looking up from the papers sprawled on the table before him, "No, I chose you myself." Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. "And you don''t feel any least bit sorry, seriously?" Despite complaining, she was smiling with a grateful look in her eyes. "Did you see them?" She took a deep breath to calm down the overflowing emotions at the gentle tone of the man she called Boss when he was more like an older brother to her. She was glad she was among the few who understood the man despite his cold manner. Armand, the man whose reputation was that of a hard, heartless man, chose her for the mission mainly because she could finally see her dearest father and uncle after so long of spending her days with a disgusting freak wearing clothes of their shape. She grinned when Armand looked up at her silence. "Yep!" She walked toward the table with a teasing smile, "But I believe in you, okay? It''s because you look so sure that I convinced myself they are alive." Armand looked closely at her, and he could see her shaking a bit behind the playful look on her face. "...they''re alive, Gasha.¡± He calmly assured her; even if he had his own doubts, that was one thing he was sure about at least. ¡°He cannot kill them." He closed his slightly tired eyes and turned his head to look back at the papers. "...why can''t he?" She frowned because Lucas, no, Baldrick Alastair, gives no damn about anyone at all. He doesn''t even seem to care what will happen to himself, that creep. "Because your mother is a dear person to him." She grimaced deeply, "Eww¡ª!¡± she reflexively removed her hands from the table to stand in a defensive way with a look of utter disgust. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me he loves her or anything?! That disgusting psychotic doctor with The Shresta Anfinrud?!" Armand''s shoulders shook a bit as he silently laughed, "You''ve just traumatized me." Her face turned blank as she blinked at the man, slowly relaxing her posture again. "Wait, what is it then?" she recalled what the vampire doctor had told her in their last encounter, ¡°He said he hates us¡­¡± Armand hummed as he took a highlighter pen to circle a piece of information to review later, "So, did your brother break the Canvas?" She clicked her tongue at being ignored and pulled a face at the man who wasn''t even looking at her as he smirked. "Yeah, I felt it was activated for a moment there, but it all disappeared quickly." She, however, looked worried. ¡°¡­if the Canvas activated for a minute or two¡­would the effect still be there?¡± Armand had a look of contentment at that moment as his lips stretched to an evil smile, the same smile when he had looked at Angela, her half-sister, sedated and without her limbs in the basement as if he had finally tasted victory after so long of being shackled in the dark, "Great." He ardently expressed his satisfaction, raising his head to look up at her baffled eyes, ¡°Hopefully, the gift your father prepared is properly delivered to our greatest force, Gasha." He looked down at the papers while tapping the head of the highlighter pen on the table, "Your father had put so much faith in this person in all his encrypted information and plan after all." Gasha kept blinking at the man, who was oddly excited with a straight face. She suddenly wants to go to Diara to complain for hours about the riddles this man always talks in. ¡°Have you seen your mother yet?¡± She blinked again when the man gently whispered the sudden question without looking at her. ¡°¡­not yet.¡± She looked down with a soft smile while remembering her mother¡¯s face, which she hadn¡¯t seen for years, ¡°She¡¯s doing good, right? Of course she is.¡± she smirked at the muffled laugh from the man. ¡°I miss her.¡± ¡°You can go see her now.¡± He dryly said. ¡°Fine, fine. I¡¯ll leave you alone now.¡± She sighed, smiling helplessly while walking back to the door, ¡°Be reminded that you¡¯re a human, and you need some sleep.¡± She stopped before the door, smiling mischievously, ¡°Oh, and I met Bren Carson, the one who loved your broad forehead the most.¡± The sound of papers and scribbling behind her back paused for a second. Turning to check on the man, she found him looking down with a fond smile, and something else she couldn¡¯t explain as it looked yet again like the man was anticipating something vicious for the plan, ¡°Anyway, I think he found our location. I found him wandering around on my way here.¡± She slightly frowned, ¡°Not complaining, I¡¯d like it if he joined us so I can talk to him every day, but how did he even arrive before me?¡± she observed and sighed at the look from the man, knowing he wasn¡¯t going to answer any time soon. But she had a feeling she could guess the answer from her Boss¡¯ smile only, ¡®Bren Carson is not a human?¡¯ amazed, she slightly raised her eyebrows for a moment. ¡°Well, by the looks of it, I guess it¡¯s a good thing.¡± She shrugged her shoulders and turned to open the door. ¡°You did well, Gasha.¡± She paused for a second, ¡°Help me marry him, then.¡± She left the room after receiving another muffled laugh from the man. . . "Haa, something''s wrong. Nice." Ellmer stared at the place before him, one particular area in the forest he had known since childhood. He glared long at the spot where he was sure the cottage was located and hidden well in the woods. Resting his hands on his waist, he mumbled with a frown. "Not a person, but a whole cottage is gone without any trace on the ground..." if not for remembering the place well like the back of his hand, the place that was the only shelter to him in the past, he would have doubted if he had come to the wrong forest. He looked around him for the tenth time in the day, "Where did he go...?" He looked in a particular direction from a distance, tilting his head in thought, "I might as well check on the village." However, after half an hour of dashing through the forest, the sight that welcomed him did not make him any less confused. No, he was beyond shocked even. "How did a whole village disappear like it never existed...?" He stared down from above at a land of nothing but sand, no homes, and no people, not a single one was there. No sign of life in the place. He silently tried to recall anyone from the organization who could erase a whole existence this way, and it didn''t take him long to get the answer. He furrowed his eyebrows in deep worry, ''Chronos Anfinrud...?'' He clicked his tongue as he reviewed again how the bastard''s creepy weapon worked. That freaking bear he always carries around must be the reason behind the disappearance of a whole village and the cottage, which is Armand''s hideout, or was previously. ''Did he get them?'' He doubted Armand would be an easy target to capture, even for someone like Chronos. Armand surely would protect the villagers who helped tend to his severe injuries from the incident before, who even helped hide him in the woods, right? Chronos might be a lunatic, but Armand is not any less terrifying. Actually, Armand was the only one fearful here. For someone to strike two big organizations in one night and kidnapping Angela Anfinrud, known as The Witch of the family, and take Xenos'' wife with him after killing most of the experimented employees who are no longer humans but robots instead. Armand sure feared not Lucas and no one else. And simply, the man disappeared right after causing chaos, like it never happened. "So, what am I supposed to do if you''re not here, Mr. sparkly head?" He grumbled quietly to himself. How were they going to figure out what to do next? Armand Hanover was the one who briefly talked to him about the novel telling the story of the miserable vampire doctor, and he doubted the man had delivered the attack to both organizations without much thought. Ellmer knows well enough that Armand is never a clueless or incompetent person. Despite appearing like a trained dog that listens well to any order, the man was aware of most things around him and thought carefully and meticulously when approaching any enemy. Armand must have figured out everything to make a bold move now after all this time of staying completely silent. Ellmer thought again about whom to ask now. One person appeared in his mind for some reason, "Bren Carson...?" he whispered. Ellmer trusted Owin to tell him any information right away, but his friend was a different matter. Ellmer only spent a short time getting to know the guy, and the number of times they had met was two to three times only, and they hardly talked even in those encounters. But the guy sure has the eyes of someone who knows more than he appears to. Ellmer contemplated while looking at the deserted land before him, "I''ve been away from the academy for a while now..." while he could go on and look for Armand a little bit longer ¡®and he had a feeling that he would find him in the end¡¯ but he couldn''t shake off the ominous feeling that being away from the academy now was a bad idea. Alvis had assured him things were somewhat steady now. Still, the worry was evident in the Assistant Headmaster''s voice, probably because of Davante''s and Kaven''s strange behaviors lately. Ellmer also couldn''t help but feel unease over the sudden change of events. It felt like they were diving into the foreboding unknown future, and they were sailing too fast at that, and the changes of those two were not any good sign; he could feel it somehow in the air that something awful was on the way to strike them all at once. Kaven''s changes were a little concern to him, but Davante... Kyle and Kito even said that the teen was acting strange and that something about him was different after observing him for a while under Ellmer''s command. His little brother might not even be there anymore, right...? He couldn''t help but expect the worst now. And Armand''s disappearance was not helping with calming down his stressful thoughts. He quietly sighed, deciding that one month and a half away from the academy were enough now, and it was time to return. With that in mind, he turned around, ready to leave. ¡°¡­!¡± He stopped breathing for a moment at what was waiting behind him. "You''re that one kid who was the reason behind Neron''s needless rebellious move back then, aren''t you?" ¡®Am I tired enough to the point I couldn¡¯t sense him behind me at all¡­?¡¯ Ellmer silently composed himself as he looked Chronos in the eye, who was standing with many others not too far from him. Chronos contemplated with a low hum, and the large group of the remaining tools from Anfinrud was waiting for orders behind him like robots. "You went to check on the cottage first..." ¡®I¡¯ve been followed for a while, then.¡¯ Ellmer wanted to click his tongue, ''This one''s no fool even if he''s barely a human anymore...'' as much as he wanted to kill the freaky lab rat before him and be done with, he felt it was best to try and talk with him first. ''I''m technically still working for Anfinrud, after all.'' "Hey..." Chronos called like a child whining a little, seemingly not happy at seeing Ellmer again, "You know Armand Hanover, right?" He took a step forward, and the stuffed bear carried in his hand suddenly moved with glowing eyes and floated beside its owner, and Chronos'' eyes slowly changed to look completely black. "Why do you know his old hideout? I wonder...I really, really wanna know..." the stuffed bear''s mouth suddenly widened and became huge. An old man was thrown out from the dark pit inside the bear¡¯s mouth at that moment, rolling on the ground before he came to a stop and was frightened, hastily trying to stand up while looking left and right. "......" Ellmer was quite pleased by the scene. The old fucking man who had bought him in exchange for some cheap drugs and dragged him to the organization to exploit and use him, then let out his frustration on him whenever he felt like it. Here he was, pathetic and beaten to the point that he couldn''t be recognized at first glance. The old man who had always looked down and towered over Ellmer, torturing him and assigning him as his personal punching bag, now looked sickly feeble, like the life had been sucked out from his deepest being. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect the show, but I like it.¡¯ He wondered for a moment just how Chronos Anfinrud had done the damage to the snooty old geezer, and now he feared what even lay inside the pit of that weapon¡¯s mouth. Henrik''s eyes landed on Ellmer and immediately pointed at him with trembling hands, "T-This!! This is the traitor!! He-He helped the S-Shadow to run before!! He-Heh-He works with Armand Hanover, sir, I''m sure!!!" He struggled to talk as if his tongue was tied tightly. He stumbled close to Chronos''s legs like he was ready to lick the boots of the Anfinruds'' current leader, "Please believe me¡ª" Wham¡ª! Ellmer¡¯s eyebrows quirked up for a moment, barely holding back a whistle as the bastard was perfectly humiliated by a kick from a cold-looking Chronos, making him roll back on dirt with laughable yelps and groans, crawling away from the look of the stuffed bear. ''Hey, aren''t you good?'' Ellmer secretly smirked and cheered as he stared at Chronos, ''It seems I misjudged you. My bad.'' Chronos focused his black eyes on Ellmer again with an inexpressive face, "Is what he said true?" He titled his head, "I hate lies, okay?" He held up his index finger like a silently upset child. ¡°Neron messed up his life by trying to save you before, so you must be a good kid.¡± ¡®What a caring big brother you are.¡¯ Ellmer held back a sigh as he felt extremely sorry for the purple head. He stopped himself from smirking openly as he looked at the crazed guy before him. ''Let''s try to calm the mad puppet for now.'' He really hoped to leave the place soon without a fight, and if possible, he would like to try and make Chronos of use to him. Tossing a look at Henrik, who had taken refuge beside one of the trees, cowering and trembling in fear, Ellmer thought with sneering eyes. ''And maybe I¡¯ll take that shit with me to investigate later.'' . . Javi stared long at the closed door before him, ¡°Haah¡­¡± he let out a long sigh, his shoulders slumped in frustration. He looked up again at the door with a slight frown, ¡°It¡¯s been weeks, and I¡¯ve yet to see the door open at least once¡­¡± he squinted his eyes suspiciously as he mumbled, ¡°Where the heck is he?¡± he eventually rested his forehead against the door and lightly knocked one last time. He sighed again at the complete silence, even as he had expected it by now. He remembered what Bren had told him weeks ago. ¡°Well, I hate to break it to you, Bren, but my sitter is unavailable as it seems, so won¡¯t you help me instead?¡± he grumbled under his breath, absently staring down at the floor. He was lost in thought until he suddenly heard someone behind him. ¡°Ellmer is out of the academy now.¡± He turned around and found a smiling teen with black hair and purple eyes. ¡°You are¡­¡± ¡°Ellmer¡¯s stepbrother, Kito.¡± The teen nodded when his hand was accepted in a handshake after careful silence from the brown head. Javi silently observed the friendly-looking boy, ¡°¡­Javi.¡± He introduced himself even though he felt the teen knew him already. He let go of Kito¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°May I know where he went off to?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Kito checked their surroundings for a quick second, ¡°He specifically allowed me to tell you since you wouldn¡¯t come see him unless it¡¯s important or urgent¡­¡± Javi blinked in surprise, acknowledging for a moment that the evil-looking guy turned out to be actually meticulous and caring. He pursed his lips slightly, remembering what Elois had said about Ellmer after the incident in the forest. Despite the late events, Javi does trust Elois¡¯ view of others. He looked back at the boy before him, ¡®This means this kid had been watching me for a while.¡¯ He stared cautiously, ¡®I shouldn¡¯t underestimate him if he could watch me in secret for weeks.¡¯ He wanted to sigh, thinking that anyone somehow related to Ellmer shouldn¡¯t be taken lightly. The boy suddenly motioned for him to follow behind, and he did, cautiously walking a little to a secluded corridor leading to the emergency exit. ¡°Here,¡± Kito pulled a device from his pocket and a key, ¡°This is the private device to contact him, and his room¡¯s key.¡± ¡°¡­why the key?¡± Javi reluctantly took the device and the key in his hand. Kito smiled respectfully, ¡°He said, and I quote, ¡®It¡¯s better than living the stray dog for now.¡¯¡± Javi¡¯s hold slightly tightened around the device and the key in his hand for a moment. ¡®¡­I¡¯m thankful, you jerk.¡¯ It¡¯s not like it wasn¡¯t obvious to anyone now that he had been running away and avoiding being in the same room with Edmund after everything he had heard and learned, and Elois needed the space also, so¡­he was indeed looking like a stray dog for weeks now. Well, at least he was taking care of his hygiene using the public shower rooms. He looked down at the device and key and had a deep look at that moment. He looked again at the boy, frowning a bit. ¡°¡­is he out for a mission?¡± Kito contemplated before answering, ¡°Gathering information.¡± He whispered, ¡°The two organizations fell down in one night, that¡¯s why.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± Javi didn¡¯t need to ask which organizations were mentioned here, ¡®¡­the Cavalon organization still around?¡¯ If he recalled correctly, he and Edmund were the only survivors of the incident in the past unless there were other family members he hadn¡¯t known back then, which was most likely the case since he was practically imprisoned at home, and only a few were allowed to meet with him. Or, ¡®¡­is dad alive after all?¡¯ he remembers the one Elois calls Lucas was standing in Ral¡¯s room by the door, so it isn¡¯t sure yet if his father had died or survived. But the teen¡¯s answer only helped grow his worry, ¡°How long was he supposed to be away?¡± Kito looked down a bit as if he could understand the worry apparent on the other, ¡°He said at most one month, but¡­¡± he trailed off. Javi wondered why the kid only gave him the key and the device now if one month and a half had passed already, but he figured it was because the boy didn¡¯t feel safe to let him enter his brother¡¯s room even if he was told so. However, Javi¡¯s frown worsened at Kito for looking unsure, ¡°Have you contacted him?¡± ¡°I talked to him this morning.¡± Kito slowly nodded, ¡°He told me he would be here before noon today, but as you can tell¡­¡± ¡®The sun is setting, and he¡¯s not here yet.¡¯ Javi had a bad feeling about this. Kito rubbed the back of his neck with a weak smile, ¡°He said not to leave the academy unless we need to run for our safety.¡± He glanced awkwardly and apologetically at Javi. Javi understood what the boy was trying to say, ¡°¡­I¡¯ll look for him.¡± Kito brightened up instantly, looking grateful before he pulled a folded paper from his pocket, ¡°Here, this is the location he left for us in case we needed a shelter to hide in. You may find him there, or at least find something to lead you to his whereabouts now.¡± he pushed it toward the other with hopeful eyes, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to ask you of this right after introducing myself, but it¡¯s the first time it happened, and the situation now is¡­scaring me, frankly.¡± He mumbled the last part as if he was wary to voice his thoughts out to someone at last, ¡°My twin brother and I can¡¯t really do much in this case¡­¡± Javi stared long at the perturbed boy before he smiled and patted his head, ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± He pushed all three stuff into his pockets, ¡°Listen to your brother and stay here, don¡¯t leave unless the academy isn¡¯t a safe place anymore.¡± Kito nodded firmly, smiling again at the guy who had quickly felt like a big brother to him in their first encounter in less than an hour only. Javi thought first of what to do. It would be foolish to go blindly, right? He needed more information about Ellmer¡¯s destination first. He racked his mind for whom to ask, ¡®Owin and Bren sounded like they are his business fellows¡­¡¯ He decided to ask them, even if he was still not prepared to talk to them both, and even if they weren¡¯t exactly back to being friends, but it wasn¡¯t the time to sweat over his past mistakes or fix whatever problem he was going through for a while now. ¡®Why did you go alone in this time, you little¡­¡¯ he felt like giving Ellmer a scolding if he found him. . . Meanwhile, Davante, or the Weapon, kept blinking numerous times while staying still on what he assumed was the floor. "Hello?" He said, and it echoed in the black void he had suddenly found himself in when he had just a moment ago been sleeping peacefully along with Elois in their shared room. Looking down, he found himself in his usual attire when in his realm. Looking straight again, "So..." he remembered the feeling he got when Elois came closer to hug him earlier today. Or was it really the same day still? How long had he been in this void before he opened his eyes? He wasn''t sure. "...there was a foul stench around him, as I feared." Maybe he should''ve rejected the hug after all. What point in complaining now, though? It''s not like Elois was aware of it either, so he could not blame the guy for bringing him into this situation. He lightly sighed, looking around him again. There was nothing but endless darkness. But there was one thing bothering him the most at the moment. He cannot feel Davante with him. "...someone kicked me out of my Master''s body." He whispered. His eyes turned impossibly colder at that moment, "What a foul thing to do, truly."
The End of CH. 37
38. One Month
The Red Flower Chapter. 38
The woman put down the cup of coffee at the sound of the door opening and closing far to her left. She kept her eyes on the ceiling displaying the starry sky above the hidden place they were in. "Did you meet Gasha?" The woman smiled elegantly as the man got straight to the point; she kept her gaze on the ceiling still. "I did, and my kid daughter never changes, it seems." She could hear the man chuckling as he walked to lean on one pillar before her seat. "Did she cry?" Armand raised his eyebrow curiously. The mother softly laughed at the teasing tone, "No, it was water in her eyes, got it?" She looked at him with her index up to make a point as demanded by her precious little daughter. Armand slightly nodded with a resigned smile, "Water, it is." He knew Gasha rarely cried despite being considered by many as an emotional person. She is Xenos and Shresta¡¯s daughter. That is all the explanation it has to make one understand how she is a mix of emotional yet cold at the same time. The woman smiled gratefully with her eyes closed, "Thank you for taking care of her until now." She opened her bright yellow eyes to smile at him, "I know it was tough on you, saving this wearisome family." She looked at the coffee on the table beside her, "A father with a risky plan in mind, a mother locked in her room for years without a single word, and a little daughter lost and scared between her puppet-like half-siblings." She had a slight frown on her beautiful features, imagining how horrible it was to so many people other than Armand. Armand stared thoughtfully at the woman smiling sadly before him, eyes turning fond for a moment, "It was a bit over my limits, but I managed. Please don''t stress yourself, Lady Shresta." He smiled when the woman chuckled at his playful comments again. He looked down with a weak smile, whispering, "¡­I can only hope this actually works in the end." Shresta turned to him at the whisper she barely caught, noticing the exhaustion behind the firm features of the man who was now carrying the safety of many on his shoulders until Xenos'' return. A man who was only born as a little farmer finding his way to the mafia world and ending up with a thorough plan thrown at him, which was filled with puzzles and shocking facts, was expected to manage it perfectly till the end. "I''ll scold my sweet husband for you should the plan fails." She winked when he looked at her, causing him to chuckle and shooing off the fatigue from his face even if for a moment. He looked down with an unreadable smile, and a moment of silence passed between the two. "It feels different speaking with you now..." Her eyes narrowed in a smile when the young man finally expressed what he had been trying to ignore since meeting her again after years, "Will it be the same thing with Xenos?" Armand paused with his smile stilled, blinking his eyes multiple times before slowly looking at her, "...Xenos is also...?" She closed her eyes as she calmly brought the cup to her lips, taking a sip before looking at the screen of the sky above her, "There was another reason than the plan why he went to see Baldrick Alastair." She had a despondent look in her eyes as she spoke of the vampire doctor, "We were naive parents trying to do justice, slowly driving our son to his madness because of our lack of awareness." She took a deep breath as she closed her eyes; a single tear managed to trickle down her cheek to her smiling lips. She never spoke to anyone of her thoughts for years as she was locked in her room, and her husband went ahead with his plan, so she allowed herself to express her sorrow this once. "We never imagined waking up anew and finding our son lost in the dark to the point of no return." Armand looked shocked at the woman who sounded so heartbroken despite her peaceful smile gracing her features, "¡­You let him lock you up on purpose?" "It was a compromise," she opened her eyes, smiling to the sky as she recalled how she met her unrecognizable son, Baldrick, for the first time after her reincarnation, "I could not fight back or stop him as a mother. Doing so would only provoke further awful acts from him, but I only made him promise me to leave our daughter alone." She breathed a chuckle and had a look of disbelief, ¡°I have a feeling Xenos had expected me to act this way, looking at how the plan is fairing well.¡± Armand stared long at the previous mother of the crazy vampire doctor, "...he must have really liked his parents.¡± His face hardened, ¡°No, rather, he must have seen you two as his role models, you and Xenos." Shresta looked at Armand, who, despite the saddened tone, those amber eyes still were cold as he spoke about the vampire doctor who uncaringly threw a tantrum and messed around with their lives in his despair. "Do you despise us now?" Calmly shaking his head, Armand looked at the floor with his arms crossed, "It''s not your fault what he chose to become after your first death. You two may not have better taught your son the reality of life, but he wouldn''t have ended up like that if he hadn''t the tiniest bit of evil in him hiding from the start." He looked at Shresta, who was listening intently, "Karl Alastair, your previous daughter, seems to have learned life better than her brother even before the day of her parents¡¯ execution, so it isn''t fully your fault, and we''re not wasting our time pointing fingers now." He shook his head tiredly, sighing as he looked to the side, "But I still can''t get over the fact that...my sister is not a Real." He frowned slightly, his hands holding his arms tightly. ¡°That only makes me feel that her death and happiness mean nothing now¡­¡± He then remembered Ral¡¯s face as the fondness was dancing all over his face when looking at his wife, Katalin Hanover. ¡°What we lived through this life is real, Armand Hanover.¡± His fingers twitched slightly at the sharp tone of the woman, and he suddenly felt like a kid scolded by his mother. ¡°Without your sister, you wouldn¡¯t have become the man you are today. A Fake or not, the imprints she left on you and her husband are real to this day and forever.¡± Shresta stood on her feet, calmly walking with her heels to stand before Armand, bringing her hand to pat his shoulder gently. As he looked at her, she firmly said, "Fifty rounds." He looked puzzled at her, and she had a sinister smile while still looking elegant, "My husband had been creating the plan while collecting information from those fifty rounds. Thanks for the help from Davante Fixsen." "...fifty...rounds?" Armand slightly widened his eyes, "...how old is Davante Fixsen exactly?" Whenever he thought of the teen, he remembered the day his nephew, Javi, had refused to take the last mission to kill Davante Fixsen. No, could Javi even be able to kill Davante Fixsen back then? The boy was reserved and usually seemed peaceful. However, he also has this aura to not mess around with him. He was considerably weaker than Javi and many others regarding his physical condition, but the mental side¡­one could say he excels at it, to the point of making him seem like a villain. He suddenly wondered, was Davante Fixsen ever evil in those fifty rounds? He slightly shook his head, "No, does Xenos remember everything that happened in those rounds?" reviewing the bit that he had read and deciphered of the information written by Xenos, he couldn¡¯t remember seeing any information about previous rounds. He trusted there were many reasons why Xenos seemed to drive the plan toward Davante Fixsen, but he did not expect the teen to have regressed fifty times, which means this was round 51. Davante Fixsen himself looked unaware of this fact, or was he faking ignorance? Then again, how did Xenos even gather everything from those fifty rounds? It was only possible if he had a hidden power that helped him remember everything in detail, or¡­ Shresta gave another light pat on his shoulder, "The Center of this World, that area is a fixed time spot. He recorded everything there.¡± She nodded ominously when his eyes looked to have gotten all the answers to his overflowing questions, ¡°Do you know now how he found a way to keep this place hidden from the Rulers Circle¡¯s prying eyes?" She let go of his shoulder, "Should any mistake happen in this round, he can try again. Again and again, until he finally succeeds, as long as the curse on Davante Fixsen remains until we get to the Real World. That''s how my husband is, so let''s trust his plan and not doubt his deductions of who is a Fake and who is a Real." ¡®...a curse on Davante Fixsen?¡¯ Armand frowned slightly, finding more questions in thought. ¡®Was that the reason for his Time Regressions?¡¯ He thought of what happened to cause Davante to regress every time, death? Was he not allowed to die? The thought of it was scary in a way, certainly something to be called a curse. His eyes slightly widened for a second, ¡®Or is it because of¡­the Game?¡¯ Shresta turned around when the man looked like he wouldn¡¯t speak a word for a while, "And we can consider this round a success already." She said as she walked back to her seat, turning and sitting elegantly again, "The gift my cute daughter unknowingly delivered to Davante Fixsen through the Canvas," she tilted her head with a gentle smile that looked sinister again, "That gift never managed to get delivered in all the fifty rounds before, dear Armand." She looked to the sky, "Let''s wait for how he would accept the gift we sent him for now, and based on that..." she closed her eyes with a serene smile, "...I can''t wait to see my beloved husband soon after." ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Armand silently nodded, knowing that the woman who looked drowned in her love for her one man was secretly planning how she would thoroughly punish him first thing after his return. He thought of Ral, his innocent brother-in-law, worrying as the man might also get scolded along with his friend. . . ''I...got what I aimed for, didn''t I?'' Ellmer stared at the group in front of him as they were listening to their leader, Chronos, giving instructions with a bright smile like he was telling a fun story instead. Recalling what happened hours ago... "Your answer?" Chronos demanded again, looking impatient as he tilted his head too much to the side, his completely black eyes fixed on Ellmer before him. Ellmer stood straight with a firm face, "This is Ellmer Reinhart, and I came back from a mission, sir." Chronos paused with a blink, looking taken aback at the authoritative aura around the guy who was expected to cower or show signs of reluctance for being surrounded by the Anfinrud group as a suspect of working with Armand Hanover. However, Ellmer showed confidence that a true agent for their organization. Having seen that, he nodded for the other to continue. ''Phew, let''s see,'' Ellmer organized his thoughts with a straight face, "As you may know, I''ve been assigned by Mr. Xenos to kill Davante Fixsen." He noticed how the other stayed still and only blinked, indicating he wasn''t informed of the matter or simply didn''t care to know of other agents in the organization besides the Anfinrud family members. Well, Ellmer could prove his mission later if he had to, "I thought it would be best to watch him first. I needed to be careful, knowing the target had managed to stay safe even after many attempts by skillful agents of our Organization." He paused, checking for any alarming signs from the guy before him. Finding none, he continued, "As Mr. Henrik here said, I was previously assigned to watch The Deadly Shadow years ago, and Armand Hanover was the one taming The Deadly Shadow from then. So yes, I was acquainted with the man before, sir." ''Forgive what I''m about to do, Armand.'' He thought as he held back a smirk. He doubted the man would even mind the lies he was about to say about him. Armand would even laugh if he heard the incredible story about to be told. "I noticed after careful investigation that Davante Fixsen is rather just a dummy. Armand Hanover had complete control over our supposed target''s body, moving around with it to distract the organization and strike at the right time when we least expected it." He glanced at Henrik from the corner of his eyes, "I''ve been sending reports to Mr. Henrik about my investigations for a while, and it seems he wasn''t reporting any of them to Mr. Xenos for whatever reason." Henrik flinched and curled up in fear after a single glance from Chronos. ''It isn''t a complete lie.'' Ellmer had indeed sent reports to divert the attention from his brother as much as he could. Armand wasn''t once in his reports, however. And Henrik was certainly suspicious for not responding to any of his reports for almost a year now. Ellmer had always doubted the old man''s loyalty to Xenos Anfinrud since the start anyway, so it was pretty easy and convenient to accuse him as much as he liked in this case. "Hm?" Chronos tilted his head again as he seemed to remember something, the cold aura from minutes ago creeping around him slowly, "Are you saying father was going after the wrong target?" He asked with a chilling tone, tilting his head to the other side, "But if I recall correctly, weren''t you in the forest with Davante Fixsen''s friends? Weren''t you going to destroy the Canvas when I threw it in the forest?" Ellmer nodded, not looking troubled one bit at the threatening tone. "That was only because I knew the Canvas wasn''t supposed to be delivered that night, sir. I wanted to act fast as it may be an attack from another possible enemy, and there was no time to contact the organization for confirmation." He explained calmly, "I was also busy watching Davante Fixsen''s allies as they should hold valuable information about our target. After that night, I found out that..." his eyes looked fiercely at the other, "Armand Hanover is working with vampires, sir. Surely you''ve noticed someone else who was with us that night." "......" Chronos stared long at Ellmer, slowly moving his head straight, "You..." he took a step forward, "Are you playing with me?" "V...Vampires..." Chronos and Ellmer stopped and looked to the side at Henrik, who had spoken the name with crazed eyes as if he had heard something wonderful after so long of waiting. "There are other vampires still around...I knew it...the...the Queen...hehe...heheheh..." Ellmer slightly frowned at the crazy bastard laughing with his unfocused eyes shaking, ''...is he...'' Recalling everything about Henrik from the start, Ellmer wasn''t pleased with what he had just come to realize, ''Is he also a vampire...?'' Despite looking aged, the old bastard had always been oddly strong and healthy. A single scratch, whether deep or not, would soon disappear after only hours in the same day, and he would strangely stare at all the blood in the labs with thirst in his eyes which Ellmer had mistaken the look as the bastard was just obsessed with his work, tormenting kids like him with injecting possibly vampires¡¯ blood into their system. That was why Ellmer was honestly shocked to see him now looking so weak and miserable. Ellmer decided to ignore the bastard old man for now and focused again on Chronos, who looked doubtful as Henrik''s reaction made him rethink the possibility of the existence of vampires. Ellmer was thankful for the bastard¡¯s interruption; it saved him the effort to convince the crazy leader, "Armand must have gained the vampires'' help to control Davante Fixsen all this time, sir. The vampire I met went off to Davante Fixsen after I spoke of my deductions of the similar smell around Davante and Armand. It was quite strange for the vampires to show up suddenly on the same night Armand had launched his attack. And freeing Davante from their grip without a single memory of them would be the first step to prevent their plan from getting exposed." Ellmer ignored the part of him worrying that he would possibly cause a mess because of his lies. "That was why I tried to quickly break the Canvas and chase after him, sir. But Davante Fixsen had been bedridden ever since that night, the smell around him was gone, and when he woke up recently, he was like a different person, so I tried to follow the smell I caught of Armand and that vampire to this place, sir. But it seems I¡¯m at a dead-end now." He waited for the other''s face to show any kind of reaction. It wasn''t like all that he said was totally false. Some of it was possibly true. Armand working with vampires is plausible in this case. "I can confirm what he is saying, boss." Chronos slowly turned to look at one guy from the group standing behind him. "There were reports in Henrik''s office, and as burnt as they were, I caught the sender''s name on most of them was from Mr. Reinhart here." The guy with his eyes hidden with narrow Cyclops sunglasses spoke firmly, stepping forward from the group to go closer to Chronos, "As ordered by the boss, our group had gone to investigate the academy situation after that night. As said, Davante Fixsen had been in a coma and woke up lately a different person. Also, the academy''s headmaster, Davante Fixsen''s father, is currently showing signs of memory loss after that night. Additionally, Mr. Ivailo seems to be working secretly with a man of vampire characteristics." Ellmer stared long at the guy who had suddenly spoken from the group of robotic people without Chronos¡¯ permission, yet Chronos looked to be listening and strangely did not kill the guy on the spot for interrupting. ''...who is this?'' It was an unfamiliar face. He tried to search his brain for any information about the guy, but there was none. The fact that he couldn''t recall a single thing of a person like this, who spoke with his own mind, unlike the rest, didn''t sit well with Ellmer. And the guy supported Ellmer like he meant to firmly cover up the lie and leave no room for suspicion, which was suspicious in itself. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Chronos'' eyes returned to normal, and the stuffed bear fell limply in its owner''s arm. He turned to Ellmer, "...you know so much." Chronos said with a thoughtful look. Ellmer kept his face straight, ''He believed all my bluff because of that guy?'' Not that it was bad. This way, he could at least divert the attention away from Davante and the academy, even if for a short while. He could use Chronos and his robotic followers to find Armand and the arrogant vampire in the meantime. It worked well with him, but still, ''Who is this guy?'' He glanced at the guy with a deadpan face behind Chronos. ''Someone whom Chronos seems to trust...'' Chronos Anfinrud was known to trust no one but his family members and hardly ever paid any attention to anyone else in the organization aside from giving orders on missions, so who was this person suddenly? "That means one or many people in the academy could be Armand Hanover''s followers, right?" "......" Ellmer blinked at Chronos, ''...ah, I miscalculated.'' Obviously, Chronos would go first to the academy as some of the enemy¡¯s followers might still be there. Chronos widened his eyes as if he had the answer finally, raising his index finger to make a point, "Which means we should head to the academy and check every single one!" He smiled at Ellmer, bringing his hand into a fist like an excited child, "And we should first check Davante Fixsen, as there might be any traces of Armand in him!!" ''What...?'' Ellmer tried hard not to frown at the happy puppet, ''So he doesn''t trust the guy after all...?'' Logically, anyone with a brain would see on his own the truth of all the bullshit he had just said; but Chronos looked convinced by the suspicious guy a moment ago that Davante was now useless to them, so what happened? Glancing at the guy, Ellmer couldn''t read a thing from that stoic face with hidden eyes. He soon ignored the guy and focused back on Chronos. ''All right, let''s go to the academy and catch some bastards on the way.'' It was not like the academy was safe, to begin with. That place is a whole mystery in itself with the forest, that flower with someone''s soul in it as explained by Alvis after speaking with Davante, and the abandoned underground laboratory. ''Wasn''t there even another vampire other than that royalty-looking one?'' He doubted the illusion barrier was done by the same vampire they encountered in the forest, the aura felt different, and it didn''t seem like the man''s methods to play petty tricks like that. He could also force Chronos to watch and observe Davante closely to finally believe that the teen was innocent and that there was nothing to target him for. ''...hopefully, Davante wouldn''t show that one side in front of the crazy puppet.'' His brother does have a rather scary side. When the teen explained his nearly-accurate deductions to him in the hospital room, those icy-blue eyes made him believe that Davante Fixsen was positively an intimidating analyst, even as he looked absent-minded and uncaring most of the time. Chronos walked happily toward Ellmer with his arms open, "Let''s work together now, Ellmer boy!" ''Oh, that easy?'' And was it his eyes, or did the suspicious guy¡¯s lips move into a smirk behind Chronos for a second there? But Ellmer couldn¡¯t observe the guy closely as Chronos demanded his constant attention from then on. And that was how he found himself here, in Anfinrud organization¡¯s secret base, which he had just learned of its existence. ''I wanted us to work together in a way, so here we are...'' The puppet with a brain suddenly turned in his direction after giving his instructions to his followers and walked toward him with great enthusiasm, nothing like the way Ellmer first met him at the vanished village hours ago. "Ellmer boy is the second in command from now on!" Ellmer maintained his blank face as the group nodded with serious faces funnily. He was unsure if they even took their leader seriously or literally lacked a mind to object to the sudden change of plans. Ellmer was supposed to be their enemy just hours ago. "Your word, Ellmer boy?" ''Stop saying Ellmer boy, haa...'' Ellmer stared a bit at Chronos'' wide eyes, looking expectantly at him. ''Is he testing me?'' He found the sudden welcoming manner suspicious from the ever-cold puppet. Either way, he was stuck with the Anfinrud leader now. He nodded firmly, maintaining his formal persona in front of the organization''s current leader, "I''ll try my best not to disappoint, sir." And that seemed to satisfy the leader, who nodded vehemently, grinning with the stuffed bear hanging in his arm. "I''ll have to contact Ivailo first before taking any action. What does my assistant think?" ¡®Typical, our leader deliberately ignored the strange guy''s implying Ivailo being a possible traitor.'' Ellmer put his hand over his chin as if thinking before voicing his opinion, "I suppose we should keep in mind that even Mr. Ivailo is possibly under Armand''s control. I believe we should approach the academy carefully first and keep an eye on Mr. Ivailo for a while..." Chronos stiffened; the smile was gone and was replaced with a pout instead, "...so we should be careful even of Ivailo?" He looked close to deny the idea and tightened his hold around his weapon, recalling how his brother looked unbothered as he was the first to announce Angela''s disappearance. "...we need to save both him and Neron from Armand and get them out of the academy quickly." He gritted his teeth, ¡°That bitch, Gasha¡­¡± ¡®So you easily believe your half-sister is a traitor but not Ivailo or Angela?¡¯ Ellmer wanted to scoff at the apparent bias in the family. Though Neron was adopted into the family, he still got the siblings¡¯ love for reasons Ellmer was not curious to know. Aside from that, ''...is he seriously thinking of listening to me?'' Ellmer thought as he observed their leader thinking deeply of the assistant''s idea, eventually nodding and agreeing with Ellmer. Ellmer secretly glanced at the suspicious guy, whose face gave nothing away even as Chronos seemed to lean more to Ellmer''s side than him. ¡®Is he aiming for Chronos to trust me?¡¯ he slightly narrowed his eyes as he looked elsewhere not to get caught staring; he was suddenly wary more of the guy than Chronos. "Let''s think of a plan together!" Chronos smiled wide again, waving his ugly teddy bear in front of Ellmer''s face, who tried to smile back this time, and it seemed to please the puppet. "Ah! So he was lying then, right?" The leader asked curiously, looking at Henrik trembling in the corner, who yelped at Chronos'' attention suddenly turning to him. "Ah, this..." Ellmer stared coldly at the bastard, trying not to show his inner feelings. "...I recall he was working with Armand Hanover over The Deadly Shadow''s developments. The Deadly Shadow was later discovered to be originally from the Cavalons, as you may have been informed before, sir. Which was why Mr. Xenos ordered Miss Angela to kill all the Cavalon household, right?" He fixed his crimson-red eyes on the quivering old man, "I say...we pull out as much information from him as possible. He was the one directly contacting Armand to deliver the reports to Mr. Xenos about the strongest tool back then, so he might have known Armand¡¯s real intentions since the beginning. Also, he seems to know something about the vampires." "Hmm..." Chronos pursed his lips slightly as he contemplated. "I''m curious why didn''t you tell father back then, Ellmer boy? With your talent, isn''t it strange for you not to catch him betraying his master in secret?" He wanted to sigh, ''I knew you''re not a fool.'' Ellmer looked straight into Chronos'' eyes, "I am ashamed to say I was intimidated by Henrik and his subordinates until now, sir. So I mainly focused on my missions than trying to catch any evidence against the ones above me." He lowered his head a bit with a sad look on his face, ''I was actually using him to my advantage in secret.'' He thought while holding back a chuckle. If you find any subtle disloyalty within a threatening organization, wouldn''t it be best to use them to your benefit than eliminate them? Ellmer wouldn''t have been able to even leave for the academy if not for that. He deliberately put Henrik in a difficult situation in front of the CEO as he couldn''t refuse Xenos back then. If he did, Xenos would drill him for answers and demand a good explanation and proof of why Ellmer Reinhart was not qualified for taking the mission after proving his capabilities for years. Ellmer always knew Henrik had put a stronger leash on him than any other tool under him because Ellmer had proved to be a watchful wolf ready to hunt instead of a dog that only barked when forced for obedience. ''...did he just smirk again?'' Ellmer was almost sure he had caught the suspicious guy smirking for a second as he performed his sob story. "He bullied you?" Chronos blinked as he looked surprised for a second, yet he looked unbothered and didn¡¯t seem to sympathize with the victim of abuse in front of him. He smiled wide at Ellmer, "He''s yours, then. I expect great information from you!" As the assistant focused on him, he explained, "You proved to have more experience in this field than I or any of us can do!" "......" ''In other words, you want to watch me closely.'' Ellmer got the message, hiding his smirk from the sly puppet. "Leave it to me, sir." He should put this situation to good use. ''I should contact Kito or Owin first, though...'' He looked at his current smiling leader, wondering how he would shake off Chronos¡¯ grip on him for a bit. Those crazy eyes were clearly monitoring his every move. -Hey, you hear me? ¡°¡­¡­¡± Just at that moment, he heard a familiar voice from his earrings, which shouldn''t be able to detect the secret signal as the place seemed heavily protected. -...is it still not working? "......" He turned to look at Henrik to hide his stiff face from Chronos'' watchful eyes. Walking toward the quivering old man as he asked, "I must ask for some alone time to investigate him then, sir." -Huh? Why are you speaking like that? What sir? Who are you talking to...? Don''t tell me...are you really under threat? "Mr. Henrik looks too frightened to speak in front of you, as it seems," Ellmer stated a bit loudly to deliver the message through the secret connection. -...Henrik? Isn''t that... "Ah! Yep, yep, sure." -...... Ellmer stood calmly as he heard the footsteps walking further from him to the door, knowing that the sly puppet surely left some hidden cameras and recording devices in the room to agree to leave with his group this easily. -Hey...where are you right now...? He thought of a way to discreetly answer. Ellmer turned to look at Chronos, who was slowly closing the door, looking as creepy as always, "Sir Chronos." -...... Ellmer closed his eyes in a smile at the leader. "May I request some types of equipment before you go?" -...you are with...Chronos Anfinrud? "... equipment?" Chronos stared from the slightly open door, blinking before he widened his eyes for a moment, "Oooh, I see!" He smiled at Ellmer as if admiring his assistant for a second, "Sure, you can find them all behind that wall." Ellmer tried to control his face as he hadn''t expected a hidden place for torturing tools in the plain room. Looking at the wall the crazy leader had pointed at, he nodded with a smile again, "Noted. Thank you, sir." -......I''m listening. Ellmer smirked as the door clicked shut finally. ''Yeah, it''s easier working with you in this case.'' He was glad Javi, the former best Anfinrud Tool, was the one who contacted him first. But seriously, how did he force the signal to pass through this place without blaring any single alarm? Ellmer''s smirking lips twitched, ''...who are you with?'' He suddenly had a feeling Javi was not the only one listening on the other line. . . "I said I''m listening¡ª" Javi raised his fist¡ª Bam¡ª!! Exasperated, he hit the table, "I didn''t say I''d listen to your damn torture session!!" Bam¡ª!! "Lower your fucking voice!! You want him to get caught, dumbass?!" Kyle hissed, hitting both his fists on the table, causing the laptop before him to shake a bit. "Fuuuh, you woke me up at the crack of dawn and called both Dad and Neron to stay with Davante in the room for this..." Elois massaged his temples with one hand, eyes closed to lessen his throbbing headache. "Wow, haha, this is fun!" "Right," Both Owin and Bren burst out in laughter in front of the stressed trio at the table. "Nothing is funny in this situation, you two." Elois rubbed his face with a sigh again, knowing his little brother was probably happy because they were all gathering and working together for the first time, but his friend, Bren, looked to just find the situation funny overall. He was relieved at least that the guy seemed pretty chill with him, unlike how he had imagined their first meeting would be. Then again, perhaps it was because there was no time for any talk in their situation now. He opened his eyes in the middle of the night to find three tall people above his head in the dark and was dragged from his room, suddenly explaining to him that they needed his intelligence urgently, which was his hobby of hacking extremely strongly-protected computer networks for no particular reason in his free time. Nobody besides Javi knew of his hobby, but he was sure the brown head wouldn¡¯t have shared the information if not for a serious situation. "You¡ª what was that sound?" Javi gasped with the device held to his ear, his eyes widening in horror, "What sound was that...? That wasn''t just breaking bones¡ª HEY!! Stop doing shit when you''re in a shit situation!!" He hit the table again, "You laughing?! You''re torturing someone and you''re laughing?!!" "Right, your delicate profession is shoot and go. Wanna switch?" Bren laughed as Javi grumpily slapped his hand away from the secret-communicating device. Elois groaned and clicked his tongue, glancing at the screen before him, then frowning at Javi, "Tell him to get information and leave the place already. I changed the coding of the security system so the alarms should treat our signal as part of their system, but we don''t know when they would find out." Kyle glared at the two before him with his arms crossed and the headphones on, "Let my brother get his revenge on the fucking bastard." "You be quiet and focus on the signals." Elois waved his hand dismissively at the insolent red-haired teen without even looking at the brat. "Tsk..." Kyle focused on the screen before him as told, mumbling and complaining to himself that it was only because of his older brother that he was willing to even sit with them when in truth, he was secretly enjoying working together with the group, especially Elois, who happened to share the same hobbies and proved to be a pro at it even. He ignored his twin brother looking at him with a knowing smile. ''I never imagined us to unite like this...'' Kito thought with a smile as he stood behind Elois, feeling the need to massage the poor guy¡¯s shoulders as he worked the most on finding the location and breaking the overly secure system and carefully reaching Ellmer when he had barely understood a thing in the situation right after waking up. Still, this was nice. He secretly chuckled, looking at the chaotic group at the table in Ellmer''s room. -The...The Queen... "......" Javi stopped complaining abruptly and listened intently. The rest of the group fell silent, each focusing on his task immediately as Henrik¡¯s voice appeared on the line and finally spoke something other than howling and crying in pain. -Ah, Henrik, the Queen must be so dear to you. Javi got a shiver at the oddly overly gentle tone from Ellmer, knowing the rest couldn''t hear him but still could see the change displayed in all the devices on the table. Everyone in the room understood that Ellmer was not playing around for his and Javi¡¯s revenge on the old man who used to physically and mentally abuse them in their childhood but was driving the old man to a stage where he could easily manipulate him into confessing everything without having to say much, careful from Chronos¡¯ prying eyes and ears through the spying devices around him. -M...My salvation...my strength...m-my...my hope... Javi could hear Henrik sobbing and whining like a baby struggling to speak through all the tears. -I''m here now, Henrik. Ellmer said softly, almost in a whisper, and it seemed he was patting the old man¡¯s head judging by the sounds of fabric, sending shivers again down Javi''s spine, ''...demon, I knew you were a demon.'' -...M...My Queen? My Queen? I-Is this you, my Queen? Javi noticed the faces around him looked disturbed while they stared fiercely at the devices, matching his expression as he heard the sound of frantic movements, indicating the old man was trying to touch Ellmer in any way in his delirious state, believing that ¡®The Queen¡¯ was indeed with him at last. -Easy there. Ellmer chuckled lightly. -Look at you, poor kid. You must have waited so long. ¡®You calling an old man a kid¡­?¡¯ Javi grimaced at Ellmer''s tone, puzzled as the guy didn¡¯t sound like he said it playfully even. ¡®Is the said Queen older than Henrik?¡¯ then again, how does Ellmer even know? He heard Henrik''s sniffles and cries again. -My Queen...Oh, Queen...I-I waited just as y-you said! The group frowned and looked puzzled, except for Bren, who stared blankly at the words displayed on the recording device placed between him and Owin. -And what was the promise, Henrik? ''Why are you good at this?'' Javi could tell from the tone that Ellmer wasn¡¯t blindly going along with the old man according to his role as ''The Queen.¡¯ He knew what to ask precisely even as he had no clue what the old man was saying, ¡®Have you tortured other people before?¡¯ he tried not to think of it and focused again as Henrik immediately answered loudly, making him wince a bit but kept the device close to his ear. -To get out of here! To live the Real Life!! "Real Life..." Owin glanced at Bren, who whispered words beside him with an unreadable look in his eyes. -My Queen...w-when are you going to destroy the Game? "The Game?" Javi and Elois looked at each other, recalling the first time they met Davante in the forest and investigated him, telling them he was just playing a Game made by someone he knew. -I did well, didn''t I? I promise to serve you all my life, My Queen! Even as you b-become the Head of the RULERS CIRCLE! Owin heard Bren''s weak gasp beside him when suddenly they jumped in place¡ª There was a loud sound as all the lights and devices in the room shut off for a quick second, hearing the sound echo around them even as the devices switched on the next second. The whole group stayed still as the sound slowly disappeared. All were stunned as they looked at each other with wide eyes. Kito turned to check the sky from the window, finding it clear of rain and clouds. The rest of the academy looked to be the same and unaffected even. "What...just happened?" Owin was the first to break the silence and warily asked, noticing his brother looking at the screen with a deep frown. "Elois?" He got scared when Elois looked utterly horrified as he stared at something on the screen. "Hey, is red dude still there?" Bren asked Javi, who had a similar deep frown as Elois as he listened to something through the device. "Hey...what is this sound...?" They turned to Kyle, who frowned at the screen before him while clutching the headphones, and the one in charge of managing all the signals through the security system, "...is it saying something...?" He warily looked at Elois for an answer, then at Javi, who slowly looked scared stiff as he was seemingly listening to a similar sound through the device. "Elois?" Owin called for his brother again as he seemed to be reading and deciphering some code. "......" "...is somebody gonna say something?" Bren asked, aware of the odd fright on the trio''s faces, especially Elois, whose eyes slowly widened and his face lost its color. "OW!!" Kyle flinched and rubbed his ears when the headphones were suddenly snatched from him and slammed on the table, glaring at Elois, who still had his eyes on the screen, "What was that for?!" Elois moved and snatched the device from Javi, switching it off quickly. "...Elois?" They all stared at the older orange head, who quickly slammed his laptop shut as if he couldn''t afford to look at the screen anymore. "...it..." he kept staring blankly down at the closed laptop, looking utterly shocked and spooked, "It looks like a curse or a warning written in a foreign language...there was some code I could read but¡­" he looked at Javi, "The voice...you felt like there was an unnatural voice muttering through the noise, right?" Both Javi and Kyle slowly nodded. They all fell silent... "...what happened to Ellmer?" Kito cautiously asked, and the silence only got heavier. "At least," Elois broke the silence and grabbed his phone, switched it on and started tapping with his thumb expertly, strangely the one who looked calm in the group. "We have his location now." . . "......" Ellmer remained completely still with a blank face, staring long at a spot on the floor where Henrik was crying on his knees just a second ago. "......ha..." he let a short breath, but he couldn¡¯t even hear it, and only then was he aware that he had stopped breathing when the lights suddenly switched off with a loud sound like thunders colliding in the sky. His tensed limbs slowly relaxed, and his back leaned on the wall behind him in the darkroom; he was not sure how and when he even jumped far to the other side of the room. He was now aware he was sitting on the floor. His heart was beating fast, yet he couldn''t even hear his heartbeat. Slowly looked at his hands resting on the floor by his side and found them trembling. He suddenly remembered he was on the line with Javi and the others. He forced his hand to check his earrings, feeling a sting and something wet in what was supposed to be his earlobe, bringing his fingers to his nose to smell it in the dark, ''...blood...'' He frowned slightly, ¡°Hmm¡­¡± He made a weak sound and was not surprised when he didn¡¯t hear a thing, ''Did the earrings explode in my ears...?'' He moved his other hand to feel around for his necklace, activating Rewind. The glowing bubble surrounded him, and his ears didn¡¯t take long to heal as they got damaged only seconds ago. The glowing bubble shrank and returned to its place, sticking with the other small globes in his necklace. His eyes had adjusted to the dark, but he couldn''t find Henrik. The old man vanished without a single trace; only the tools Ellmer used to torture him were left on the floor. The pool of blood that was there also was nowhere to be found, vanished with its owner. He remembered he had recoiled and closed his eyes at the thunderous sound and couldn¡¯t catch what had happened to the crazy old man in that instant. ''...what even...'' he couldn¡¯t understand the strange fear that seeped into him when the sound suddenly appeared, and everything happened quickly in one second. ''The Rulers Circle...'' Henrik last said those three words, ''...what was that?'' Somehow, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to utter those words out loud to know what would happen next. He then noticed the place was too quiet. No alarms and no voices, no people running in the area to check what happened, or was it only this room? He carefully stood, moving to the door. Silently opening it to find dark hallways. ''It isn¡¯t only the room.'' Then where were Chronos and the agents? He blinked, silently slipping out of the room, wondering if he should take the chance and leave. Now that Henrik is gone to who knows where, he will definitely be questioned about what happened. Most probably Chronos will view him as an enemy, no need for more observing, especially when clearly the cause of this situation is him in a way. Even if he found a way to get himself away from suspicion and made them check the recording devices, they would surely find an error in the system, and the secret signal Elois had managed to add stealthily into the program would be detected. Any plan of working together flew out of the window. He should leave while he could now; thankfully he memorized the way out. Even if he hardly gained any information, he could come back with a better plan next time, with some support, maybe. He smirked as he surprisingly liked working with the guys after this experience with their brilliant efforts and skills put together as a team. ''All right, let¡¯s find the exit real quick now.'' He walked into the empty and dark hallways in the worryingly quiet base. . . The Weapon eyed the endless dark void. He moved his hand to feel the space around him, finding himself moving freely. He tried to stand up, finding no difficulty or any hindrance. "The stench...didn''t seem to be from the clown scoundrel." Recalling and reviewing the memories he got from saving Elois from the illusions, he couldn''t remember Belvedere using this particular method once. No, the clown''s powers weren''t fully shown in all the memories before, so maybe...he has more in store? Also, while acting lost for a week, he noticed that the Cowndrel Queen''s smell was around the place on some students, but it wasn¡¯t on Elois. In any case, he was stuck here in the dark with nothing at all. "I should hurry back to Davante." He said, looking around him again, "If this is the work of Belvedere, then...this should be some sort of fear?" But what fear was this? He was not sure. He wasn''t even aware if he had any fear. "Well, my realm should be somewhere close." He paused, looking down at his attire again, "Or, is it not my realm if it''s originally in my Master''s mind?" Was that why he was in a black void? He blinked, "Ah," he looked up as he sort of grasped the situation, "This is it?" so this wasn¡¯t his fear? He was stuck in the black void because he wasn''t with his Master anymore? Because he had no place to go now? He calmly put his fingers over his chin in thought, "Someone managed to disconnect us only because I''m partially a separate entity now..." he hummed, staring at his clothes that was an indication of Davante''s state of mind, "...then I''ll be stuck here as long as I hold on to my Master." He lightly sighed as he didn''t imagine being the one to fully detach himself from Davante, but he had to do it if he wanted to figure his way out of this situation. He needed to remind himself that he was more a weapon than an actual brain, so it wasn¡¯t like he was killing his owner¡¯s body by detaching himself for a short while, but he had to hurry, knowing as Davante now wouldn¡¯t be able to wake up on his own without him first. "All right, I''m on my own now." His Master, no, Davante, still didn''t give him a name, and of course he did not as he was forced asleep by him, the Weapon himself, to revive ''Davante Fixsen.'' "Should I think of one for myself, then?" Logically speaking, if he gave the task to Davante, that only meant he still viewed himself as a partially separate entity, not entirely an individual on his own, which was why he should find one for himself instead, correct? "Hmm..." a name to introduce himself with. What would it be? "Thomas?" He frowned a bit and quickly dismissed the name. Well, it originally meant ''Twin'', but it didn''t feel right. "Devan?" That sounded like an acronym for Davante. He leaned his weight on one leg, thinking deeply before shaking his head calmly, "...choosing a name is difficult." He complained with a light sigh. "Hmm, something about hidden existence? No, let''s not make it related to Davante..." Something about Dreams? No, that only explains his role as Davante¡¯s weapon. ''Let''s not make it related to Davante.'' Something about weapons? Ah, right¡­ ''Let''s not make it related to Davante.'' Mind? ''Let''s not make it related to Davante.'' He thought for what felt like hours. He couldn''t settle with one even when he decided to go with random names. He tapped his right leg with his arms crossed, worrying that he shouldn¡¯t take long as he wasn¡¯t sure if the time here might be moving differently from the outside. "It should be something about me as a person..." Does he have his own character? The answer was probably yes. While yes, he and Davante do think the same in a way, maybe even more so later when Davante wakes up after the revival, but there are still minor differences between them, which is perhaps the reason why Elois looked to have found out the one he was talking with was not Davante but the Weapon. "I should create a name solely for me alone, then..." he smirked, "Evester?" He tilted his head back and coolly laughed at how ridiculous he came up with the name, his voice echoing around him, "So when introducing to Davante, it will be Evester Fixsen?" He chuckled, nodding to himself, "Sounds all right to me." He crossed his arms and looked amused, "Can''t wait to see his face when I tell him its meaning later." The void didn''t change, however. Checking his clothes, they were still the same. He looked at the void, grabbing his red blouse with his index finger and thumb, "This is just a tool for me to be reassured of Davante''s current state, okay? I¡¯m his twin brother, as you can tell." Fwooosh¡­ The black void slowly started to change from around him. Smirking, ''Bingo.'' The place he found himself in, however...was entirely new and foreign to him. . . Two weeks¡ª "Hey, did you hear?" One of the students whispered to his friend walking next to him in the crowded hallway. "About the series murders lately?" The other asked just as carefully. "They say they finally found a suspect..." the other whispered, looking around him in case the suspect was among the students murmuring in the place, seemingly gossiping about the same person. "They say it''s the new student in class 3-B, Dante Gabrielli."
The End of CH. 38 39. Two Weeks
The Red Flower Chapter. 39
Two weeks ago¡ª ¡°Wait, Bren.¡± And Bren did as he was told. He came to a stop as he went outside the building and toward the gate. He didn''t turn around as his friend approached him from behind. He suddenly felt the need to look up at the blue sky as Owin came to stand behind him. ¡°Tell me, why are you taking only Javi and Elois with you to save Ellmer?¡± Owin didn''t waste any time and asked right away, patiently staring at his friend''s back, which appeared lonely and distant in such an obvious way for the first time since their childhood. When the silence stretched out between them, he opened his mouth to ask, but suddenly Bren calmly spoke¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t want them to get in the way when the plan starts against Davante Fixsen.¡± For some reason, Owin felt there was something strange or new with Bren¡¯s calm tone. slightly frowned, ¡°¡­Is this about the vampire roaming the academy when you told me in my room that I have to sit still and watch until your signal?¡± He waited again for an answer, but the other just stared at the sky in cold silence. ¡°What do you know that you¡¯re not telling me?¡± He sadly frowned, ¡°Or is it that you can¡¯t tell me?¡± He waited, and when the answer didn¡¯t come, he looked to the side with a bit of pout, ¡°I grew up, y¡¯know¡­¡± He looked back at Bren when a soft snort responded to his mumble. They used to fight a lot because they were so polar opposites to one another. Whereas Owin was an emotional yet spoilt and sheltered child, Bren was indifferent and mature for his age, enough to make all the kids avoid him without even trying, and even the grownups struggled to deal with Bren back then. Owin had the fleeting thought that his friend was, in fact, much older than he appeared. He recalls asking Bren about his family and where he came from several times, but the guy had never told him any information, not even allowing any feeling to show on his face. Bren¡¯s silence was in itself¡­unexplainable on many occasions. When Owin first met him, Bren''s eyes were those of someone who had gone through death and were in a state where no one could tell if they were still alive deep inside or had long since given up. ¡°Do you hate your family¡­?¡± He once asked the other, because even if Bren wore this dumb blank face every single time he asked, there was something¡­ ¡°Quite the opposite.¡± Something about that answer and those eyes¡­Owin couldn''t help but feel that his friend, deep down, was lonely and in pain. The constant attempts to push everyone away, even Owin, reinforced his belief. A subtle message from Bren that he''d be better off alone, as if caring for someone was a crime he shouldn''t commit. But Bren cares, yet he dismisses the fact as an obligation that anyone in his place should do rather than a genuine feeling from the heart. And many years now, yet here they were again. Bren was trying to keep the same distance and put that blank mask on, but this time¡­ ¡°You¡¯re tired.¡± Owin stated after some time of close observation, and his friend, as usual, did not show any reaction. ¡°Why were you scared when Henrik spoke of, uh, what was it again? The Rul¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± The stern warning from the other surprised Owin, but it didn''t sound like a threat. ¡°Don¡¯t say their name. Who knows what might happen to us now? I don¡¯t even know how they can intervene now after so long of just staying silent¡­¡± Owin slightly widened his eye as Bren sighed long and didn¡¯t bother to cover up his exhaustion this time. He stayed silent and waited as his friend shook his head slightly before turning a little to show the blank look on his face, staring off into the distance. ¡°I always took it as some bullshit and only focused on surviving the game, but guess¡­it¡¯s not the case anymore.¡± Bren took a deep breath and looked at the sky again, ¡°¡­the fact that even this sky could not be¡­¡± ¡®¡­real?¡¯ Owin remembered then what the bastard old man rumbled on about the real world and whatnot. Was Bren worried about that? ¡°What if it is bullshit, though?¡± And he didn¡¯t expect his friend to snort and shake his head at his question as if the truth had already been out. ¡°Then the thundering sound, the voice speaking over the signal noise, and the warning your brother read, none of which would have happened if that name hadn''t been mentioned.¡± He looked at the orange head, ¡°You, I, or anyone of us could be Fake.¡± Owin just stood there in silence, staring at the blank look in Bren¡¯s eyes as he openly expressed his concerns to him for the first time. This quiet and open side of Bren was new to him, but he wasn''t willing to pass up the opportunity, so he wanted to think carefully before saying anything. ¡°Ah¡­¡± He waited as Bren blinked and suddenly looked to have noticed something as he looked to the side for a moment. ¡°¡­I need to explain something to Javi now, don¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Javi?¡± Owin frowned slightly. What happened between the two? Though, in their short time working together to find Ellmer, both Bren and Javi seemed fine, as if they had already talked about the past and moved on, or were they both putting it off for later? If they had fought without his knowledge, wouldn''t the two idiots know just how to keep it from him? He hated and admired how keen and meticulous they could be at times; they could even fool everyone if they wanted to. ¡°Yeah, I guess I need to clarify what I told him.¡± Bren shrugged in resignation, ¡°Anyway, I spent a long time playing a specific role in order to deceive a certain doctor, but maybe I don¡¯t have to anymore?¡± He appeared to be contemplating before returning his gaze to Owin, ¡°Okay, I¡¯m not a human.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Or, well, not entirely. An enhanced human?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The fact that the person just said it naturally with a straight face astounded Owin more than the admission itself. Bren snorted quietly at the look from the other and took a step closer to speak in a hushed tone, ¡°Please listen to me, Owin. Davante Fixsen, however odd and unsettling you may soon find him to be, just watch and let the show proceed.¡± Owin blinked and widened his eye, ¡°You said ¡®please¡¯? You?¡± He looked even more in disbelief when the other just calmly chuckled. ¡°No, no, no¡­who are you, and what have you done to my bastard friend? What the hell?¡± ¡°In any case, I called for support from a vampire friend to come along with us three to look for Ellmer and help him out. I need to go to make sure of something.¡± Bren patted his friend on the shoulder and whispered one last thing, ¡°Just make sure to look at what happens behind the scenes in here from now on.¡± Owin looked utterly dumbfounded when the other waved at him with a nonchalant smile while walking away from him, telling him he¡¯d take good care of Elois and Javi and that he¡¯d make sure to bring them back safely after finding and saving Ellmer. And now¡­ Owin sighed as he watched the disastrous show unfold before him for two weeks... His fingernails pressed into his folded arms as he stared intently at everything, knowing that Neron was also keeping a watchful eye from a different location. ¡°¡­it was brilliant of you to take them with you, indeed.¡± Elois and Javi would never stand by and watch as their friend is destroyed in the most infuriating way possible. It was even better that Ellmer wasn''t back in the academy¡­no, Owin would make sure to tell Ellmer everything once he came back. The guy deserved to know what the hell had happened to his brother at the time he was away. Because Owin was barely holding back his rage at the perpetrators who had set up the entire display for everyone to see, using none other than Davante himself. He was struggling even to keep his dad, Alvis, from running fast to stop whatever he was witnessing with him, Neron and the young twins. His dad considers Davante as his own son, so it must be extremely difficult and painful to stop and watch. That was why Owin had begged his father to trust him and stay away for now. ¡®Hurry up and get back already, Bren.¡¯ He thought as he sighed for the millionth time for the day, worrying just what was happening to have the man, possibly older than he looked just as he thought, take this long to bring Ellmer back. He really hoped nothing went wrong¡­ . . Ellmer let out the slightest and most quiet breath in an attempt to sigh. ¡®I¡¯m going in circles, am I not?¡¯ He didn¡¯t know how long he had been walking in the dark, the corridors somehow all looked the same, but he could swear they weren¡¯t that way when he came along with Chronos and the rest of the Anfinrud group. And it was eerily quiet in the place. It felt like he was the only one trapped in this space. He vaguely recalled a memory of when he was in the orphanage, all beaten up and locked in the cold, with no bed or any basic human necessity in his room. It was always too silent since the room wasn¡¯t even in the same building as everyone else. It was a separate, old cottage behind the main house in the distance, closest to the woods where animals come to hunt for food or sometimes take a piss or whatever. It was cold and silent, and he liked it that way. It could have been the only time he felt so at peace and free from the world. He wondered if that was what it felt like to be dead. He blinked, bringing his attention back to the present, and he quickly cast aside the memory. Now it''s almost as though he''s the one who had disappeared, rather than Henrik and everyone with Chronos. And probably that is exactly the case? It was easy to assume that everyone else had vanished into thin air while he remained behind, but after being trapped in a never-ending loop, he had to come to terms with the fact that he was, in fact, separated from the others. He stopped walking, ¡®The Rulers Circle¡­¡¯ Thinking back on it, this only happened once Henrik spoke of that name, so wouldn¡¯t it be safe to assume they were the ones behind whatever this was? But having that thought, what would that possibly help him with? He needed to know how to get out of there. He felt like he had been walking in place for hours. His eyes became used to the darkness, and he saw nothing but twists and turns in passageways and stairs leading up and down. However, in the end, they all seemed like the same spot he was in from the beginning; one would go insane by now, and perhaps he wasn''t all that far from losing his mind. Should he let out a sound and see what happens? For some reason, he got a feeling that was so bad of an idea. Or was the dead silence making him careful of letting out the faintest sound? And what if the main goal is to get him to talk, and he''ll fall for the trap once his sanity starts to falter? He went back to looking for an exit or any secret passage. Perhaps it was because of the dark that he wasn¡¯t able to notice any other routes. With that in mind, he had an idea as he brought his hand and flicked his necklace with his finger, causing the four small globes to grow in size only a little, lighting up the place around him with their electricity. He frowned, however, ¡®Why are they powerful¡­?¡¯ The little globes were usually a bit weaker if he caused them to activate this bit, so why were they lighting as if he activated them to their half-power? That only confirmed his theory that he was in a different space somehow. That, or the place originally had some kind of enhancing signals, which he doubted was the case. If they thought of programming the area to strengthen their weapons, wouldn¡¯t that mean the enemy sneaking in would also have their weapons powered up? Unless it was designed to support only the weapons confirmed by the Anfinrud group using the codes. And technically, his weapon is still registered in Anfinrud¡¯s system, so maybe that¡¯s why. He went back to focus on his surroundings, finding nothing new except¡­ The walls around him and everything looked to be like in programs? Pixels, perhaps? It wasn''t quite the same as pixels, but it seemed like he was inside a program and not in the real world. The floor he was standing on, on the other hand, was quite firm, much like a real one. So it would only follow that those walls and the rest would behave similarly, right? He tried, and it was exactly as he had thought. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. He started to question himself more now. Where the hell was he? He wasn¡¯t sleeping, was he? He walked some more, and it was all the same loop once again. He looked at the lightning globes, then down at the one still hung in his necklace. He flicked the necklace to activate Rewind, making it grow to fit his size, and he stepped inside the glowing bubble. ¡®Maybe if programmed objects collide with programs instead of humans¡­¡¯ He let the bubble carry him and float in the air before guiding the bubble to one of the walls. ¡®Having a big brain really is wonderful.¡¯ He smirked when the bubble and the other four globes easily went through the wall and found himself in another similar space but with different order and directions this time. He wondered if he could let the program in his weapon move on its own as it communicated with the program in the place. However, he figured that it would still need help from a human after all, and he was no intelligent programmer, not that he could do anything in this situation when he barely had any equipment to modify his weapon. He studied all directions before leading the bubble to the ceiling and quickly found himself on another floor with only one door visible from a distance. He thought twice about whether to go straight to the door and open it or if it would be better to look around the place a bit more and see if he could find other doors. But he may not find the floor again if he wandered around in his search. He went slowly to the door, staring at it for a long minute before deciding to pass through it. And so, he found himself in a white place of what looked like the inside of a data tower with more than 100 story high¡­ He wasn¡¯t even on the highest floor. He looked up, and the sky¡­was just white with the sun so bright, if that even was the sky to begin with. He floated to the edge in the middle to look down at the tower and instantly felt a bit dizzy from how high it was. He couldn¡¯t even find the ground; he saw only darkness instead. He looked back at the door where he came from, thinking of whether he should go back inside or proceed to look around the tower. It was easier to think of this as a dream to help him move around without much thought. Tap¡ª Then, unexpectedly, he heard a faint sound that was loud in the silence near his side. He snapped his neck to look in the direction, ¡°¡­!¡± He barely held back a gasp before moving the bubble away quickly and silently from the massive chunk of data shaped into a human figure, which appeared to be looking directly at him. He passed through the door using the bubble again, going straight to many walls and far away from the data. He paused, staring cautiously at the wall before him that he had just passed through. Finding nothing as some time passed, he let out a silent sigh of relief. Vrolelem¡ª His breath stopped for a moment when the giant hand slowly crept through the wall with the sound of a data transfer like one of those video games the kids liked to play, moving calmly to grab him. ¡°Oh, shit¡­¡± He cursed under his breath and moved the bubble away from it, though it was suddenly moving slowly with glitching sounds. ¡®Really, now?¡¯ He quickly noticed that his weapon was weakening, glitching and going slower the moment the hand got too close when he let down his guard. ¡®Fuck, I fell into the trap either way, didn¡¯t I?¡¯ Whether it was a dream or not, he was clearly expected to walk out of that door and have that freaky data-shaped human capture him for whatever reason. He was led to reveal his location in the data tower, wasn''t he? And his weapon had fully lost its power now. He stumbled a little on the floor trying to regain his footing when the bubble faded, and all five of his globes shrank and fell to the floor. The hand encompassed him in less than a second, giving him little time to move an inch, and everything went dark around him. But he soon opened his eyes to find himself¡­in front of a medieval-looking door in what looked like the basement of Anfinrud¡¯s secret base. He stared at the door in the dark, unaware that he wasn''t even breathing as he struggled to comprehend what had just occurred. The data hand was gone even, ¡®What¡­the hell was that?¡¯ ¡°So, this is the place.¡± Ellmer quickly turned around and came to a halt when he noticed a gun pointing at him. ¡°Error location detected. Thanks for your efforts, Real Native.¡± Ellmer stared blankly at the man in front of him, the same man who had supported Ellmer''s lies to Chronos before being taken along with the crew. The same man was now smirking almost mockingly at him, and his gun pointed directly at Ellmer. At that moment, he was finally aware of the loss of weight on his necklace. Glancing down, he found the five little globes scattered on the floor. ¡°¡­that wasn¡¯t a dream.¡± ¡°Regrettably, no, it was not.¡± The man said with a calm smile, gaining Ellmer¡¯s attention back on him. ¡°Now, I¡¯d really appreciate it if you¡¯d be so kind as to open that door behind you.¡± Ellmer raised an eyebrow at the man with the weird sunglasses, ¡°You need my precious help to open a door?¡± ¡°Yes, your valuable help is very much needed. As it¡¯s the door to the error itself.¡± Seeing as the man did not seem affected by the taunting attempt, Ellmer knew his first plan to provoke the stranger and divert his attention for a second would not work in this case. For some reason, his body had little strength and was in no condition to kick the gun from the man¡¯s grip and turn the table on the bastard as quickly and skilfully as he used to do in his many missions. He guessed it was because of the weird data world he was in moments ago. Or was it moments only? Why was he feeling so weak, like he hadn¡¯t eaten anything for days? Why was he getting tired from standing only? ¡°Well?¡± Ellmer fixed his gaze on the man, who, despite his respectful demeanor, seemed to be looking down on him. Ellmer may understand one thing here only from that. He wasn''t as useful now that ''The error spot'' had been discovered, but it would save the man some time from looking for someone else to unlock it for him in case he had to kill Ellmer if he refused to help. Should he go along with it? He could find his chance to attack while also learning what lay behind the door that this robotic-like person was so obsessed with. With that in thought, he silently turned around and went to open the door¡­ ¡°Cover your ears!¡± Ellmer instinctively did as instructed once he noticed the familiar voice from behind. As soon as he covered them, he felt the vibration of the soundwaves from the weapon belonging to a person he knew, pressure waves that could cause all the people in a whole city to become immobilized or deaf by controlling the range and strength. If he hardly heard anything with just his hands covering his ears, then the waves must have specifically been directed to one target with calculated strength of the press, which affects only that target and no one else, even if people were so close nearby. After a moment, he carefully removed his hands from his ears and opened his eyes, slowly turning around¡­ There, a person he knew was standing with a gun pointed at the stranger, who was now on the floor, seemingly passed out¡­ Bren Carson. With Elois standing behind him. ¡®¡­when did they get here in one day?¡¯ He clearly remembers that they were communicating when he was interrogating Henrik, and it sounded like they were in the academy. This secret base was very far from the academy, and he was trapped in that data world right after the connection was cut off by whatever force¡­ He suddenly had the same thought from a moment ago, just how long was he in that data world¡­? . . Evester eyed the foreign place around him, observing and searching in his memories for a similar environment in Davante¡¯s life. No matter long he tried to find places close to this one, he couldn¡¯t find any in his mind. He looked again at the globe floating and glowing in the air with big rings circling it, rotating slowly in unison. He then looked at the stairs around the room, with the faint lights glowing in some places, giving off a sense of coldness yet tranquillity. He looked at the floating globe, wondering if he should go up the platform and right under the glowing little programmed-like world. He was suddenly struck with the memory of one of Davante¡¯s lives he had seen from saving Elois¡­ ¡°Well, anything is possible in this fabricated world.¡± That was what the evil Davante driven by hatred and despair, had said to Elois when he discovered the change in Elois¡¯s behavior. With the rest of that Devante¡¯s memories¡­then Evester could assume the world they were in was actually a program? Looking up at the data displaying a globe of probably a fake world, ¡®So that¡¯s our world we had been living in?¡¯ He thought silently as he kept his gaze on the planet, ¡®Then, how am I here?¡¯ He glanced around him again, ¡®This is where the small world is programmed. A lab?¡¯ He hummed in thought, glancing one last time at the floating world before deciding to roam around the place, thinking that by stepping on the platform, there was a chance he would just be sent back to the program again. Why would he do that when he was given an opportunity to know more about this ¡®program¡¯ and would be able to be of help to Davante later on? He went and climbed one of the spiraled stairs, finding himself even more amazed and bewildered by the advanced environment of the place. Bedrooms that didn¡¯t look like regular ones and many odd functionalities he normally wouldn¡¯t find in the world he witnessed through Davante¡¯s eyes. He could tell he was in a very vast building, like a mazed hotel of many bedrooms, labs, large halls and meeting rooms. Mostly everything was white, and it was comforting in a way, giving a sense of¡­endless peacefulness. However, the emptiness in the place felt so cold and lonely. There was not a single soul in the building aside from him. There was not even any trace of anyone living there. Looking to the windows, the world outside the building was dressed in a beautiful landscape, an endless expanse of grass and flowers with running rivers. The sky had the most beautiful blue he had ever seen since there was no speck of contamination in the air. Then again, there were no buildings or houses outside, no humans, no animals even. Cold. If he could describe this world in one word, it would be just that. ¡°Feeling nostalgic?¡± Standing relaxed still, Evester blinked and calmly looked over his shoulder with his arms crossed, noticing a woman in all white save for her ruby eyes and half of her face that appeared like a chess pattern mask. ¡°¡­¡­¡± He turned around to fully face the woman smiling elegantly at him, finding a look of familiarity in her eyes when it was his first time meeting her. He shrugged lightly and smiled, matching her smile when he knew she wouldn¡¯t see his mouth anyway. Looking to the windows again, ¡°This place is as peaceful as it¡¯s been.¡± Play along. That was the way he chose to go with things for now. That, he thought, was the first distinction between him and Davante. While the other is hopeless when it comes to lying or acting, Evester is perfectly capable of both. Acting lost and confused now wouldn¡¯t help anything, especially when the woman came talking to him like she had expected his arrival, waiting for him somewhere in this place. ¡°Right, it¡¯s the closest picture of what we call Heaven.¡± The woman agreed with a soft chuckle, ¡°Heaven made by the very devilish monsters in the world. How ironic, right?¡± He glanced at her, meeting her smile once again. He was no fool to not be able to notice a sinister smile when he saw one, ¡°Did they finally perish, I wonder?¡± There were no monsters found in the place as he had checked the whole building, discovering different kinds of small worlds in other rooms similar to the one he first arrived at. There were no people except for him and the woman, who clearly didn¡¯t look to be a human. ¡°As if,¡± The woman laughed softly as if she found his question cute and the funniest thing she had ever heard, ¡°This is inside your mind after all, and I¡¯m thrilled I was right about you all along.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± He slightly tilted his head curiously, ignoring the so many questions in his head at her statement that this was his own mind, inside Evester¡¯s mind, not Davante¡¯s. ¡°Yes,¡± The woman almost hissed, smiling satisfyingly at the man before her. ¡°I¡¯ve always known we were very similar,¡± Her smile looked almost fond at that moment, ¡°It is truly refreshing to meet you once again, our sweet little Glert.¡± ¡®Oh, my. What is even what anymore?¡¯ Should he drop the act? Though from the way this woman speaks¡­ ¡°Fancy to meet you again as well, hmm, should I say¡­¡± He slightly tilted his head and lightly rested his finger on the side of his face, ¡°¡­Noble Vampire Queen?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± It was the right thing to roll the dice and gamble with his guess, he thought. The cold amusement dancing in the woman¡¯s eyes was instantly washed away after hearing the name, even when her smile remained still. She crinkled her cold eyes in a fond smile, shaking her head softly before suddenly standing so close to Evester, who hardly even reacted and only looked straight at her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re as naughty as you¡¯ve always been, little brother of ours.¡± She caressed his cheek and softly rubbed it with her thumb, ¡°That isn¡¯t my true and rightful name, now, is it?¡± She whispered with knowing eyes, ¡°Or is it that you forgot me and everything from your life?¡± ¡®It was a lost battle, after all.¡¯ Evester easily accepted that he was caught covering the fact he had no memories whatsoever and lightly shrugged, casually meeting her amused eyes. ¡°Would you be so kind as to teach this poor brother of yours then, big sister?¡± He did not, however, expect her to kiss his forehead gently in a seemingly loving way. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m here for, dear Glert.¡± She gently took the other¡¯s hand in her own and smiled at him reassuringly, ¡°Let¡¯s talk in my room, just like we used to in the good old days.¡± Evester could tell that the woman whom he still didn¡¯t know the name of other than the Noble Vampire Queen, Leondra Verick, was indeed a bit fond of him, more so when he silently followed without any bit of protest. Leisurely passing by the windows and many rooms with their hands clasped like loving siblings. It was honestly a relaxing walk to her chambers, and it shouldn¡¯t be when he clearly could tell she was planning something with her visit to his mind in the first place. ¡®A visit to my mind?¡¯ It finally sank in. Glancing at her as the door to her large bedroom immediately opened for her, ¡®Not a memory of mine, but an actual visit.¡¯ He calmly took one of the seats in the comfortable room with calming sunlight from the large windows when she let go of his hand. After a long silence and relaxing on her seat with a glass of something black? She smiled again at him, ¡°Both you and I hated this place, and we both failed to achieve what we wanted,¡± taking a sip and looking distantly at the sky from the windows, ¡°Which resulted in us falling into one of the many trashcans resting in the floors below.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± He relaxed in his seat while observing everything about her, her tone, voice, face and hands, everything as she talked. There was fury behind that smile and a bit of honesty, but he could see a play on words there. ¡°So, you want us to ¡®work together¡¯ to get back to this place and get ¡®our revenge¡¯ on the ¡®devilish monsters¡¯?¡± He merely stared when she turned to face him at his question, wondering if she had gotten the message to cut the nonsense and get to the point, sparing her the effort of explaining her made-up backstory to him. ¡°It was only when I was kicked out from the Rulers Circle and thrown into one of their magnificent toys in the shape of miniature worlds that I realized¡­¡± She leaned over and rested her elbow on her crossed legs, her chin resting on her hand. ¡°I could¡¯ve gotten rid of the Master if we had worked together, Glert. It may all be in the past now, but we can still work together and defeat them eventually.¡± Sadly, she said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t find you when I was the Empress, my first life in that one Garbage.¡± She smiled at him in delight, ¡°Only to find you in my second and current life in there, living inside the mind of a random kid at that.¡± She whispered, ¡°Do you realize how hard I worked to get to meet you, Glerty the Happy?¡± He simply stared at her and didn¡¯t bother to react to the name at the end, and he couldn¡¯t even care about the rest of the story, but one thing piqued his interest¡­ ¡°You must have been still in the Rulers Circle, here, with the rest of the heinous bastards, when I was trashed out, because you are in the same Garbage I¡¯m in only now in my current life. Were you locked somewhere? I still wonder.¡± She looked at her ¡®brother¡¯ as if she felt sorry for him and deeply felt his pain, ¡°Just when I thought they couldn¡¯t get any worse, they dump you into the mind of some pathetic kid instead of a living individual¡­I will not forgive them.¡± She shook her head slightly in a display of frustration. ¡°I like my life in Davante¡¯s head, to be frank.¡± He was pleased by the look of disbelief that flashed across her face for a split second. His twin brother doesn¡¯t deserve the hate he was getting from this woman when she hardly even met Davante. She doesn¡¯t specify who she is in her current life, but the fact she knows so much of him, a weapon hidden inside Davante¡¯s head for all his life, must mean she is either a vampire or from Anfinrud organization. And to connect the dots here with what he sensed from Elois¡¯s lingering presence in his realm and knowing what had happened in the forest that night, along with the foul smell he found on Elois before he got separated from Davante¡­ There is no other than one person, no, with the help from some others as well, she was able to get to this point and into his mind, a weapon¡¯s mind inside someone else¡¯s mind¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, Glert.¡± She narrowed her eyes with a dark smile, ¡°Me aside, I really wonder how you were kicked out, or are you just hiding in the kid¡¯s mind for your safety? You¡¯re not very innocent after all.¡± Evester noticed the dangerous glint in her eyes as she proudly said that last part. ¡°Work with me.¡± She whispered, elegantly throwing her glass, which disappeared in the air and went off somewhere else as her seat flew slightly above the floor and went close to Evester. ¡°They will find a way to get to you eventually. While you were the most laidback Ruler in the Rulers Circle, the ¡®Happy Youngest¡¯ who hopped from one person to another to chatter and joke in this gloomy world, you were secretly gathering information and looking for all sorts of loopholes and vulnerabilities, weren''t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You may have failed even more spectacularly than I did, leading you to take refuge in Davante''s mind with no recollection of how you got there. But with my assistance, I can restore your memory, and together we can make them regret having been born, thus saving the world from the likes of them.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Glert,¡± She softly brushed his hair back with her cold hand, ¡°If you still consider yourself merely a weapon, then explain why you look like this now?¡± At his puzzled look, she lightly waved her other hand, and the large window to their side turned into a mirror instantly. ¡°Take a good look, Glert.¡± He calmly turned his head while still looking relaxed and bored in his seat, ¡®¡­so that¡¯s ¡®Glert¡¯?¡¯ He stared at his reflection. A person with long black horns, a long tail, and two bony wings, and his skin looked a bit purple, indicating that the person there was not even human nor a vampire. He looked down at his body, and true, he did not notice when he had changed, or it was simply the woman¡¯s work playing tricks on him. Though, if this was his mind as she said, then she wouldn¡¯t currently have any control over this place. He figured she could only do so much depending on his mind and the memory buried deep in his head or what he viewed her in the past. ¡°You''ve already realized that you''re separate and different from Davante, and as a result, your actual self is emerging.¡± She smiled at him softly with her chin resting again on her hand, ¡°Tell me honestly, can you still lie dormant within that kid''s mind?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± He stared long at his dark hands and claws. He quickly adjusted to this alien, powerful body. ¡°I guess this body is pretty cool as well.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± So, there was one thing that piqued his interest¡­ He looked at her, and he wasn¡¯t sure why her smile dropped at the sight. Did he have an ugly smile? Well, considering he was apparently a monster not quite as beautiful as her, he could understand if he had hideous sharp teeth or something. He lightly chuckled, and he was not sure if that was more to his thoughts or the situation overall. ¡°Whether it''s Glert, Evester, or Weapon, I just don''t have the motivation to necessarily care.¡± He raised an eyebrow when her seat started moving away, and he calmly stopped it with his long black tail, smiling in delight at possessing a convenient body. ¡°You said you were originally from here, and you died once in that ¡®Garbage¡¯¡­¡± There was only one thing that piqued his interest¡­ He stood up, calmly walked, and towered over her, trapping her in her seat with both hands resting on the handrest. ¡®This is inside my mind, indeed.¡¯ He confirmed as she suddenly looked like a trapped rat, none of her previous confidence and elegance was there anymore, and it was because, in his mind now, she was nothing, or perhaps, Glerty the Happy might have looked down on this woman since the beginning. One thing that piqued his interest. ¡°You must have an incredible life force in you. Then again, I don¡¯t know how life works in that ¡®Garbage¡¯ anyway, but you still have some of your vampire powers, right, Queen Leondra?¡± He smiled almost gently down at her, ¡°I smelled it, and I still smell it now.¡± ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Despite the sinister aura that was forming around him, she kept her gaze fixed on him. He lightly shrugged, ¡°I''m not innocent. You said it. In any way, I''m an undeniably deadly threat. I can feel the power of my realm and more in this body. With this type of power, am I not a walking Nightmare?¡± He let out a quiet chuckle when her eyes wouldn''t stop trembling, yet she still tried to appear cool and collected, confirming his theories about this body''s dark power. ¡°I mean, you came to me first. I was minding my business trying to keep my brother safe until he wakes up, so I¡¯m not as mean as you, I believe.¡± She stared long at him before closing her eyes, calmly taking a deep breath. Opening her eyes to look softly at him again like a caring sister, ¡°Glert¡ª¡± Stab¡ª! She couldn¡¯t even gasp as his clawed hand pierced through her chest. She kept her wide eyes up at the grinning devil while he explained coolly as if he wasn¡¯t holding a heart in his hand with her dark blood dripping uncontrollably. ¡°O¡¯ departed sister of mine. You have something that will be of great use to my dear brother.¡± ¡°You¡­bas¡­tard¡­¡± He held the heart in his palm, squeezing it tenderly before calmly pulling it away from her and staring at it with a cold gleam in his eyes. ¡°Oh my, I never thought I''d be able to find something to strengthen Davante''s frail body and heart. This solves my greatest worry.¡± He said as he shook his hand leisurely to get rid of the remaining dark blood in his hand and the heart. ¡°Y¡ªYou¡ª!¡± She gritted her teeth as she looked at the monster bringing her heart to his mouth, elegantly tilting his head back. He bit with his sharp teeth and gulped the heart neatly and eloquently as if it were a delicious fruit, and his eyelids closed as if he were savoring the taste thoroughly until he was done eating all of it. As her form fell apart, he smiled at her and classily wiped his lips with his finger. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Before bidding farewell, he spoke to her in a gentle voice as if consoling her. ¡°Your heart is still physically intact with your body living in the same ¡®Garbage¡¯ we share.¡± ¡°Goodbye as of now,¡± He lightly waved at her playfully, ¡°Lady Angela, the Artist Witch.¡± He chuckled when her eyes widened at the last second as her identity was found. Just when she completely disappeared, his surroundings started turning black, and that was when a name strangely came to his mind, ¡°¡­Oprill?¡± Looking down at himself, his body alternated between Evester and Glert as if his mind was conflicted. ¡°Oprill¡­was that her true and first name?¡± But he quickly dismissed the thought about her and focused on going back to Davante. And everything went completely black for a moment¡­ He opened his eyes at the sound of thunders and rain reverberating around him, finding himself in a dark warehouse with the gate open. ¡°¡­having a murderer in my academy¡­¡± Evester stared up at none other than Kaven Fixsen, standing tall before him with what looked like all the students in the academy standing and gossiping behind him, all looking toward him, some with contempt and some in horror. Looking down, he found¡­a dead person in his arms. It felt like he was bathing in a pool of blood as he sat on the floor with Juli, long dead and frozen in his arms. ¡°¡­Alvis was the one who got you in my academy, wasn¡¯t he, Dante Gabrielli?¡± Came the question from the academy¡¯s president, looking down coldly at him with the two guards on either side ready and awaiting his orders. One thought: He was finally back. Another thought: What the hell happened? And another thought: Is Alvis Iriart in some real trouble because of him now? Oh, he''d be damned if he ruined the life of the only person Davante thinks of as his uncle (or father)¡ª -Allow me to explain, sir¡­ Evester, in Davante¡¯s place, immediately recognized the voice in his head. It was Yeolard Verick speaking directly to him for the first time. . . ¡°Ugh¡ª!¡± Diara tensed as Angela jumped in her place on the same chair she was kept on since her imprisonment and amputation. The Witch''s breathing became labored as if she were recovering from a terrifying nightmare for the first time. ¡°Hah¡­hah¡­hah¡­¡± Diara''s expression darkened as she gripped her gun more tightly behind her back. ¡°¡­you¡­fucking¡­little piece of shit¡­¡± Diara considered contacting Armand, as this was the first time their captive had shown any signs of alarm. When the woman abruptly burst out laughing and then became silent, smirking a minute later, Diara stiffened up even more. ¡°But I¡¯m no fool, sweet little brother¡­¡± Diara frowned as the woman raised her head slightly, speaking to said ''brother'' while gazing directly at her. Diara knew the woman was gradually losing her sight due to the continual sedation she was given, yet it felt like Angela''s eyes were looking right into hers at that moment. ¡°¡­I''ve also got my own tricks under my sleeve, so¡­¡± Angela smiled, her damp hair strewn across her face, looking anything but graceful. ¡°We¡¯ll meet soon again¡­our cute deft escapee.¡±
The End of CH. 39 40. A Week And A Half
The Red Flower Chapter. 40
¡°You can¡¯t tell, huh?¡± Bren asked with a little sigh, staring at the orange head who had his eyes fixed on the screen with countless wires scattered around him on the floor before looking at the unconscious stranger Bren had knocked out with his weapon. ¡°He¡¯s a normal human with all his flesh and organs, so even if, hypothetically and as you said, he was programmed and sent by people from an ¡®Outside or the Real World¡¯¡­¡± Elois explained as he kept typing and stared intently at the continuously displaying codes before him, stopping shortly and closing the laptop shut with a huff. Relaxing his eyes for a moment, ¡°It¡¯s not like he would be like any robot even if he were one, right?¡± he looked at his brother¡¯s childhood friend standing beside him, ¡°I mean if that were the case, wouldn¡¯t it be easy for the people here to notice who is a Fake and who is Real?¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess so.¡± Bren hummed as he looked around the dimly lit small room. ¡°It didn¡¯t hurt to try, though.¡± ¡°Yeah, of course.¡± Elois shrugged as he gathered his stuff to put back in his bag, ¡°Honestly, I thought you were talking nonsense on our way here with Javi about a ¡®Real World¡¯ or whatever, but I guess it makes sense after what this man said to¡­¡± They both turned to look at a particular person in the room. Ellmer kept looking around and inspecting everything he found in the small place, which looked medieval compared to the rest of the area they were in. ¡°I told you everything I¡¯ve seen from when I was away in that data or whatever it was, so don¡¯t wish for more answers from me. I don¡¯t even know what you guys are talking about, a Fake or Real.¡± The man with crimson-red eyes said as he felt the two staring at him from behind, ¡°What exactly is in this room that that bastard wanted anyway?¡± he asked as he moved his gaze over the plain room with so much useless and old scrap. At the silence, he turned to look at Bren behind and raised an eyebrow. ¡°You know?¡± Bren let a quiet scoff at the suspicious look, ¡°I don¡¯t, but maybe someone we know does, yeah?¡± he walked close to the other at the silence, throwing his arm around Ellmer¡¯s shoulder to whisper. ¡°I know where Armand Hanover is.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ellmer stared from the corner of his eyes as the other smirked. He whispered again, ¡°So, I think what this person wants is to find the exact place Armand and his gang are staying to get rid of it along with the people there.¡± Bren let go right after and said openly as he looked elsewhere, ¡°But the entrance was somewhere close to this secret base, so this room must be another route?¡± Ellmer tried not to think how the guy knew Armand was still alive when no one knew besides him and the village and agreed to stay completely silent and consider the man dead until the right time to reveal his face. He instead focused on the information offered to him. ¡®Is that why he went hiding, leaving no trace behind?¡¯ did Armand know he would be chased by a third party other than the two organizations? ¡°Then that means Armand¡¯s place cannot be watched, and the Outer People only learned of the entrance somewhere around this area, so they got to use the people in the base to determine the location.¡± The two turned to look at none other than Elois, standing with his arms crossed and his eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Armand Hanover must know about the Fake and Real thing in this case, yeah?¡± Elois raised an eyebrow as he pointedly stared at Ellmer. Ellmer closed his eyes with a sigh, understanding what that look meant, ¡°Yes, yes, Javi¡¯s uncle is alive, and I never told Javi, just as Armand wanted.¡± He looked sharply at the orange head, ¡°Do not tell him. Not yet.¡± ¡°¡­sure.¡± Elois agreed after a short moment of silence. It wasn¡¯t his place to say anything to his friend, and perhaps it was for the better since Javi¡¯s uncle seemed to be in a tight situation and had a mission to finish, and Javi would only hinder him, or maybe it was for Javi¡¯s sake for now. At least now, seeing his friend mourning whenever they spoke of his broken necklace wouldn''t be too painful. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re a genius, wow.¡± Both Ellmer and Elois looked at Bren, who had a look on his face as if he was amazed by Elois¡¯s quick understanding of the situation. ¡°It¡¯s highly the case, right.¡± Bren smirked with his eyebrows slightly raised while looking at Owin¡¯s older brother, ¡°I found the entrance before, but I couldn¡¯t find the door inside, and hardly anyone left the place or entered after Gasha Anfinrud, so it must be truly hidden or out of the Outers¡¯ reach.¡± Elois blinked blankly at the other, who had looked as if to say, Owin¡¯s stupid brother actually has a brain; how did I not know? It was because it was easier to understand the matter since he looked at it from a programmer¡¯s point of view instead, but Elois kept silent about his nonexistent intelligence when it came to understanding people and real-life problems. Bren looked expectantly at the orange head, ¡°What more thoughts do you have, young guy?¡± Elois and Ellmer turned their blank faces to the guy who was supposed to be the youngest in the room, yet it didn¡¯t feel that way at all to them as they felt like little kids accompanied by a friendly old man instead. They both had their own impression of Bren Carson at first encounter, but somehow they couldn¡¯t understand what changed on this mission. They glanced at each other for a second before dismissing the thought for now. ¡°I mean¡­¡± Elois hesitated and didn¡¯t know what to feel when Bren looked like an old uncle urging his kid to speak while nodding for him to continue. ¡°This old room is in Anfinruds¡¯ secret base, and it wasn¡¯t discovered until they caught Ellmer in the Data World, additionally with that when the man said he wouldn¡¯t be able to open the door to the Error by himself, then¡­¡± he blinked when not only Bren nodded again with an encouraging smile, but Ellmer also looked interested with an amused little smirk. He silently sighed at the two bastards, ¡°¡­then, Xenos Anfinrud must¡¯ve known of this room, right? From what I heard about him so far from you guys and others, the man is a total mystery, so maybe he left behind something here that could be important to the Outers?¡± He shrugged and glanced around the room, ¡°This small space looks questionably messy.¡± ¡°Ah, right. He even found Lucas¡¯s hideout in the academy and made it sound like he accidentally found it one day when it¡¯s almost certainly not.¡± Elois stiffened as Ellmer spoke while thinking deeply, looking at the other with shaking eyes. ¡°¡­Lucas is in the academy?¡± ¡°He¡¯s relaxing in his laboratory like a retired old man, don¡¯t worry. I doubt he will be doing anything anytime for a while now.¡± Bren was the one who assured the orange head after witnessing the suddenly alarming look on Elois¡¯s face. He then looked around the mess in thought, ¡°You¡¯re right. Either Xenos hid something here or set this room as a trap.¡± Ellmer glanced at the raven-head, ¡°Then that means Xenos Anfinrud knows about the Real World and much other stuff of this possibly Fake World?¡± Bren nodded as he started looking for something between the mess in the place that looked more like a cramped storage room. ¡°He¡¯s always behaved like a clown, so it¡¯s not all too surprising.¡± He paused suddenly when he took hold of something. He looked at it with slightly wide eyes before offering it to Ellmer behind him while still looking around the mess, ¡°Drink this.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this¡­?¡± Ellmer asked with a slight frown as he cautiously took the test flask containing a light-blue liquid in it. ¡°Ever heard of healing potions? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve seen some in video games before.¡± Bren said nonchalantly while rummaging through the mess, sounding amused as he started explaining. ¡°Anyway, this will help restore your health back to how it was. You look like a zombie after spending your time in the Data World for two weeks, so drink it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ellmer looked suspiciously at the flask in his hand before glancing at the guy next to him, looking similarly doubtful. You think I can trust this fantasy thingy? Was what he tried to ask Elois with his eyes, and the other seemed to get the message as he glanced at Bren next. He watched as Elois didn¡¯t hesitate and opened his mouth to ask with a dumb look on his face. ¡°Why do you look so sure this isn¡¯t poison?¡± Bren chuckled lightly without turning to the two, ¡°Because I¡¯m from a time when vampires were very well known, and these magical potions were quite famous back then.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ellmer and Elois glanced at each other and decided to silently accept it at that and not question further. Owin trusted this person, and this person named Bren didn¡¯t even care to try and hide his identity from them, so they¡¯ll trust their instincts that were telling them this guy¡ª this man posed no threat to them. And what else would he do when he was barely standing on his feet, anyway? Ellmer took off the lid and, without a second thought, then moved the tip of the flask to his lips, ¡®Here goes nothing.¡¯ Elois warily kept his gaze on the other, waiting and fearing something from happening at any moment. When Ellmer finished the drink, his complexion instantly looked much better than a second ago, just like in the games but without the glowing and sound effects when using potions. And Ellmer looked at the empty flask with quite amused eyes. They looked at each other again and nodded shortly, silently accepting that they were in a fantasy world indeed. ¡°We should hurry. I don¡¯t know how longer Javi and Karl can distract Chronos, so you two look around for anything that seems suspicious or new to you.¡± Bren instructed, hearing movements behind his back and knowing the two got to work immediately. ¡°¡­the Rulers Circle¡­¡± he whispered to himself while still searching, smirking when nothing happened after a few minutes. Elois was correct; there might be places the rulers couldn¡¯t seem to reach for some reason he was sure Armand knew. Bren secretly used his eyes¡¯ ability to quickly scan and analyze all the stuff in the room to save them time. There was multiple other stuff from the far past in the vampires¡¯ era, which made him feel nostalgic yet suspicious. Why were magic tools here? ¡°Hey,¡± The two looked over to Ellmer, who was crouching down and trying to get to one spot on the wall behind all the mess. ¡°There is a tiny door.¡± He felt the two standing behind him after seconds as he tried to reach the handle. The messy tools were slightly moved from his way on both sides by his two companions, and he finally managed to grab the handle. With a click, it easily opened, and he stared silently. ¡°What do you see?¡± Elois asked when the guy paused for a moment. Instead of answering, Ellmer grabbed the one thing that was inside the little room the size of a mouse, standing up after and opening the small scroll paper in hand. Three pairs of eyes came closer to read the contents of the letter. ¡ªTo the person who reached this room¡ª They stared blankly at the following line of the short letter. ¡ªSorry you had to come this far for nothing, LMAO. At least you can find some astounding stuff, don¡¯t stare at me like that, c¡¯mon laugh, LOL LOL LMFAO¡ª ¡°¡­¡­¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The three were too dumbfounded to say anything. ¡°Heheh, wow, this is definitely Xenos, no doubt.¡± Bren laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. ¡°I can¡¯t trace any fingerprints on the paper or the place though, so probably either magic had been used or some other stuff I don¡¯t know of.¡± Ellmer and Elois once again ignored their curiosity over the maybe-not-human man¡¯s abilities and focused on the letter. ¡°I trust it¡¯s not magic, young Reutestian.¡± Elois and Ellmer stiffened at the intimidating familiar aura behind them, and they were immediately aware of the shadow looming above their backs. At hearing the name that shouldn¡¯t be known except for very few people, Bren slowly turned to look at the man standing tall and looking down and pointedly at him. ¡®When did His Imperial Majesty arrive here¡­?¡¯ Bren would understand if the other two couldn¡¯t sense the presence, but even he couldn¡¯t feel the man slipping into the room with no slightest sound. And one glance at the strange man lying on the floor told him that the powerful vampire already put a spell to obstruct the stranger¡¯s movements should he woke up. Albern looked at the three with amusement as if he were looking at three little kids, recognizing Ellmer and Elois with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to leave this place soon,¡± the Emperor looked at Bren once again, ¡°There are bigger matters to keep an eye on now, are there not?¡± Ellmer and Elois looked puzzled and glanced at their silent friend, who appeared surprisingly or not so surprisingly calm in the vampire¡¯s presence, maybe even looking like he trusted the vampire more than they would like to admit. With a blink of an eye, the paper in Ellmer¡¯s hands disappeared and lay in Albern¡¯s hand. ¡°As for me, I''ll be taking over from here.¡± He raised his other hand a bit, and it started glowing faintly, ¡°We shall meet again.¡± And just like that, they found themselves somewhere else. ¡°Wha¡­¡± Ellmer and Elois frowned as they were suddenly outside the base and in the open under the sky. ¡°Guys!¡± BOOM¡ª! The moment the three turned at the familiar voice behind them, they swiftly dodged an attack coming their way. ¡°Yeah, yeah, yeah, I knew it¡­¡± Chronos stood with his black eyes looking directly at his ¡®assistant¡¯ standing from a distance and looking back at him. ¡°You scumbag and traitorous liar.¡± Ellmer looked over the crazy leader¡¯s shoulder and quickly found Javi holding a gun in his hand and a man he had never seen before standing next to their friend with his giant sword. ¡°We¡¯re leaving.¡± Elois and Ellmer turned to Bren and looked puzzled, but they quickly nodded at the look in his unwavering eyes. ¡°Karl!¡± Bren called for the other, and the muscular man with sharp eyes had his sword disappear right away. ¡°Teleport yourself there on your own. I¡¯m doing hard labor for three people here.¡± Karl said with a smirk and was met with a playful snort. ¡°I know, I know. Don¡¯t lose your way!¡± Bren yelled before vanishing from the site in the blink of an eye. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re leaving already?¡± Chronos asked with his head tilted to the side, looking at the vampire quickly jumping in front of Elois and Ellmer to protect them from yet another attack from the plushie bear. ¡°How was your trip, kiddo?¡± Karl said playfully as he looked down at a frowning Elois the moment he came to stand close. ¡°You know another vampire?¡± Ellmer asked Elois with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Apparently, this big guy saved him in the past, or so he says,¡± Javi, who jumped to stand with the three, answered for his friend, who was still busy glaring at the surprisingly affectionate vampire. He would have liked to enjoy the playful moment some more, but they were on a mission. ¡°All right, enough teasing and send us back to the academy, man.¡± Ellmer looked amused as everyone seemed well acquainted with the big vampire already. ¡°Oh, then will I see you in the academy?¡± Chronos asked calmly, not moving from his spot. Ellmer smirked at the crazy leader, not minding the glowing circle appearing below their feet. ¡°Come visit us sometime, boss.¡± Javi and Elois sent a look at Ellmer, who casually decided to taunt the leader whom almost if not all of Anfinrud¡¯s agents feared. The guy didn¡¯t even have his weapon, which was destroyed after the Data World. ¡°Of course, wait patiently for me, okay, Ellmer boy?¡± Chronos answered without any hint of a smile while his eyes turned normal gradually as his weapon landed back on his arm, staring coldly at crimson eyes. ¡°And let me know then where you took my prisoner off to.¡± ¡®Henrik?¡¯ Ellmer blinked twice as the dark-blue light circled him, taking him away from the leader¡¯s sight. He thought the disgusting old man was still in the secret base, but he was not? And as he thought about where the bastard could be, he found himself along with his two friends and the vampire, back in the academy and behind the trees in one of the gardens. And they all frowned at the commotion from all the students gathering in one place. ¡°¡­it¡¯s almost time for the real task, huh?¡± Karl whispered with a grim face as he imagined what was coming soon. . . Evester, in Davante¡¯s place, could hear the voices of the students and almost all the people in the academy, even from the white room he was confined in and sat with a straightjacket. Should academies provide such rooms even? He doubted, but this was more of a whole city than an academy, so he wasn¡¯t all that surprised to find himself locked and tied in a white room for mentally ill patients. Besides, this academy was basically ruled by a crazy person. He didn''t think the walls were so thin for the noise of the whole academy to get through to him. So, he figured the people behind the dark glass must be forcing him to hear the voices as a form of torment-like treatment. He couldn¡¯t see as he was blindfolded the whole way to this room, but he had a feeling he was somewhere underground. Nice way to indulge in your own sick pleasure, huh? He thought as he looked at the dark, thick, glassy wall before him, knowing exactly who stood behind it without needing to see them, enjoying the view of him being finally put in this ridiculous situation. If he had previously wondered whether he had done the right thing to put Davante to sleep for a while, then now he was more than sure. The Davante before the ¡®Revival¡¯ would definitely be affected by the whole ordeal, but not the one after, whom Evester was waiting for while taking place in all this circus. He may feel a bit bad for doing this to the still young and innocent Davante without all the memories, but it should be done. Evester would not let Davante make the same mistakes of the past lives, not on his watch in this round, so he would help the other get the memories as peacefully as the process should, then apologize later just for the fact he went on with his own plan without discussing with Davante first. Even though he had subtly introduced the idea to Davante while speaking in riddles, he didn''t expect his brother to get the meaning behind his words in their first meeting in his realm. Well, he was being tormented now in Davante¡¯s place, right? Wasn¡¯t that apology enough? He contemplated if he should give a little show to satisfy the person looking at him behind the glass, but he settled to listen to the voice in his head in silence. Staying frozen and in a daze is also a display of shock, so this should entertain the person a bit for now. -I presume you know who might have taken control of Davante¡¯s body while you were away. Yeolard said calmly in Evester¡¯s head, and Evester slightly nodded his head. ¡®I can guess who, but why didn¡¯t you stop it?¡¯ that was what he wanted to know ever since the deceased vampire¡¯s soul residing in Davante¡¯s body spoke to him in his head the moment he came back and found himself in all this mess. -I was worried I¡¯d completely take over Davante¡¯s body and soul, sir. Evester hummed quietly, ¡®Forgive me, for I did not give your situation enough thought.¡¯ Yeolard Verick¡¯s unstable spirit would go berserk any time should the Cowndrel Queen pressure it a bit, whether directly or through someone else. ¡®What did they do using Davante¡¯s body?¡¯ -They killed people in the shadows and committed numerous other crimes, leaving traces behind on purpose. ¡®Did they bully the students in his class?¡¯ -¡­¡­ Evester slightly raised an eyebrow, ¡®Well, did they?¡¯ -Two times, yes. The corner of his lips twitched as he held back a smile, ¡®Did the windows shatter? Did everyone bark with their tails between their legs?¡¯ -Ahem, yes. ¡®All right, they did one good thing.¡¯ Those brats who tossed nasty looks toward Davante on the first day of his class must have whined and wet themselves. -¡­¡­you two really are different. ¡®Perhaps not much different, not if we¡¯re talking in general here.¡¯ Evester allowed himself to smirk a little at the silence from the other, who couldn¡¯t really prove otherwise, ¡®And? What have you obtained from this?¡¯ he knew from the silence that he was right. The other didn¡¯t just stay behind and watch until his return. -I might be able to help Davante later with the information I got. It¡¯s about the curses on Father¡­ ¡®Albern Verick?¡¯ he was a bit lost for a moment before he could understand what the other was trying to tell him. ¡®Did Belvedere put a curse on Albern Verick?¡¯ -Not precisely, but he helped in more ways than one. Evester quietly hummed. He knew Davante would have to see the vampires sooner or later, so obtaining information on how to face the Emperor was indeed something to be praised for. It was then that he was suddenly reminded of something, ¡®Isn¡¯t Albern Verick originally the late Queen Leondra¡¯s son?¡¯ -Yes, I was about to say she was the one who planned and created all the curses on Father with the help of many others. Oh, my¡­ He couldn¡¯t help the quiet chuckle that escaped him at the mention of the woman, who claimed to be his caring sister in what Evester supposed was the Real World. ¡®Good thing I ate her heart.¡¯ -Yes? Excuse me? Yeolard was taken aback as the other thought to himself for a moment. ¡®I also did something good while I was away.¡¯ Evester smiled a bit at the silence and teased, ¡®I¡¯m a good Weapon, right?¡¯ -¡­yes, you care so much for Davante, and I respect that of you. Evester chuckled at the careful tone in his head, knowing the other was somewhat aware of his true nature if not tamed well. He took a moment to think of what to do now. He was clearly in a difficult situation, and it wasn¡¯t yet the time to fight the person behind the glass. The right thing to do now would be to stay alive and safe until Davante finally wakes up. Looking down, he wondered if he could untie himself and find his way out and hide somewhere for the time being. It would take some time, but it wasn¡¯t impossible. And so, he was about to move his fingers under the straitjacket. ¡°Mr. 3rd player,¡± He blinked at the unusual name and looked to where he believed the person was speaking through the speaker behind the glass. ¡®Oh, are we done with the amnesia show already?¡¯ he thought while staring coldly at the glass despite not being able to see anything through it. He could still imagine the ugly and crazy smirk. ¡°Let¡¯s play together before we finally say bye-bye~¡± His eyebrows twitched at the tone of the person who couldn¡¯t contain their sickening joy. ¡®All right, shit.¡¯ He briefly thought of an idea but wasn¡¯t sure it was much needed in this case yet. If it was only about pain, he could hold on, and he had an idea of how to heal this body later. ¡°Let me hear the loudest cry, okay? Okay?!¡± the person said with the sound of quick breaths heard from the speaker and teeth chattering. ¡°I¡¯ve waited so long, so do your best, okay?!¡± And suddenly, the room was filled with the loudest, most piercing noises imaginable. ¡°Ughk-kuh¡­!¡± Evester shut his eyes in pain and twisted his head side to side, trying to shake off the penetrating ringing that sharply scratched and stabbed his entire being. The fact that his hands were firmly tied was the main part of the torment of not having anything to shield his strained ears. ¡°No, no¡ª LOUDER, YOU BASTARD!!¡± ¡°Ahgh¡ª!¡± his body was thrown to the floor when the ringing got impossibly louder and sharper as if it wasn¡¯t deadly to any human¡¯s ears before. ¡°Ahk-GhahK!!¡± his body uncontrollably thrashed and rolled on the cold floor, trying to cover at least one ear with the floor. A typical reaction for the body to do anything and tear the ears off and rid itself of the needles relentlessly shooting into its ears. ¡°Oh, not enough to make you scream?¡± ¡°Ah¡ª AAGHAAAAAAHHK¡ª!!¡± He gritted his teeth and kneeled with his head pushing on the floor, forcing his mouth open before the fucker did something even more damaging to Davante¡¯s body than causing his ears to bleed rivers of blood already¡ª ¡°Oh, you¡¯re scared of more? How cute.¡± ¡®Great, whomever the bastards behind the glass, they are clearly helping the bitch to make that rotten brain of hers work¡ª!¡¯ he groaned in pain and rolled over on his back, Davante¡¯s body kicking the floor uncontrollably. ¡°There you go, your reward for screaming so well.¡± He struggled to crack one eye open, and his heart almost stopped when he saw a flood of deadly insects moving his way from all around him and even pouring from the ceiling like rain. ¡®Fuck¡ª You sick piece of shit!¡¯ Evester struggled and quickly forced the body up from the floor, doing his best to close his mouth shut while getting away from the deadly bugs he had definitely seen in one or two of Davante¡¯s memories from the past rounds. Power, he needed power. Even if he had taken Angela¡¯s life force to help Davante¡¯s weak body, this body was still recovering and accepting the new flood of strength he consumed from the Artist Witch. There was no way he could use his power as a Weapon in this case. He should¡¯ve gone with his plan earlier¡ª ¡®Switch with me, spirit.¡¯ -I get it¡¯s the only way, but¡­ ¡®Quick, use a bit of your vampire powers.¡¯ -My soul will¡ª ¡®You won¡¯t lose control under my watch.¡¯ He assured the other and caught sight of the deadly insects finally getting to Davante¡¯s body, ¡®I can manipulate and instruct you better than that shithead, so hurry up if you don¡¯t want your cousin dead after coming this long in this round. You hear me?¡¯ -¡­yes, sir. And Evester finally felt himself floating in space, losing all senses of his limbs and welcomed the familiar feeling of being dormant in Davante¡¯s body as he was the one lying behind and watching now from the dark. Sadly, he wasn¡¯t allowed to bask long in the comfort as he noticed Yeolard¡¯s soul fluctuating right after taking over the body. -Use your Deadly Garden and target the insects, but do not kill anyone. At Evester¡¯s first instruction, crimson eyes snapped wide open¡ª ¡°Wha¡­¡± the voice through the speaker suddenly halted as the room was immediately covered with flowers out of nowhere, causing the insects to die instantly by the poison spread through the room. Within seconds, the insects were all eaten by the bloody flowers. As if they could see, the flowers turned to where the person and their allies stood behind the glass, and a hitch came from the speaker, ¡°Y-You¡­You¡¯re not¡­!¡± The flowers suddenly stretched fast toward the glass with petals sharp as knives¡ª -No, babies. I said no killing. And as if a switch, all the flowers stopped abruptly, as if Evester was their master instead of Yeolard, who stood still and found himself slowly calming down when he felt like a hand patting his head reassuringly. It was like Evester was the spirit now instead and could interact with him as Yeolard himself did with Davante before at times. Evester smiled as he took hold of Yeolard¡¯s weak spirit without much effort, now knowing how damaged the poor soul got under the Cowndrel Queen¡¯s brutality for centuries locked inside the flower before Davante¡¯s arrival. -Cover the glass with your garden, poor spirit. Yeolard stopped himself from chuckling at the name and let his powers do as told. ¡°WH-WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU¡¯RE DOING?! YOU¡ª!¡± -Actually, please destroy the speaker while you¡¯re at it. Yeolard chuckled and found his plants strike at where the speaker was and broke it beyond repair. And a moment of silence and stillness swept through the room¡­ -Perfect, now can you untie the body real quick? Let¡¯s get out of here and hide somewhere¡ª BAM¡ª BAM¡ª!! Yeolard, in Davante¡¯s body this time, turned toward the only door to the white room. ¡®¡­it¡¯s Mr. Iriart and the rest.¡¯ -Oh, you can see who is behind? Excellent, now untie yourself and go to the door before they break it. Let¡¯s not make a mess. Yeolard silently chuckled once more at the Weapon when the guy had already done complete damage to the room. He looked down and wondered whether he should put some force into this fragile body or use the flowers to tear off the straps of the jacket. The fact that he was able to think of a decision was enough indication that he had some control over his soul now with the Weapon¡¯s help. But before he could decide, the door was slowly melting, and a hole started to appear in the middle. -Ah, right, your eye color¡ª switch with me. Yeolard nodded without hesitation and even looked eager to return to his shell inside Davante¡¯s body, knowing it was much safer for him and everyone to stay inside; this would also help save the Weapon from further explanations to Davante¡¯s people. Evester wanted to sigh as he felt his limbs again in Davante¡¯s body, disgusted by the dry blood on his ears and nose and all over his body. ¡°I need a bath¡­¡± he mumbled to himself while looking down, still tied with the straitjacket, but at least the bleeding stopped, and the body looked and felt all right, thanks to Yeolard¡¯s healing power even if weak. ¡°Ha¡ª!¡± Ah, he forgot about the other people. He looked to the ruined door when he heard sharp gasps, meeting wide pairs of eyes from Davante¡¯s friends, brother and uncle. He wondered how even the uncle was here when he should have been locked in a secret prison in the basement since this morning, as decided by that crazy ugly Queen. Judging by the situation, he figured Karl the Man was the one who did the damage to the door as silently as possible with his powers, as the man was now standing behind the utterly shocked group with a deep frown. Alvis couldn¡¯t find his voice. He didn¡¯t even look at the room, not the dead flowers, not the broken lights, not the huge abnormal plants, but only at the person standing inside, bathing in red¡­ ¡°Is he there¡­?¡± Ellmer¡¯s growl pulled them back from their stillness, Evester finding him and most of them glaring darkly at the glass covered by giant and robust plants. ¡°Is Kaven fucking Fixsen over there?¡± Oh, dear¡­ Evester wished he could go relax inside Davante¡¯s body instead of dealing with mad people now. ¡®Just a bit more¡­¡¯ He told himself as he could feel it. ¡®I should wait a bit more for Davante to wake.¡¯ A week, probably, no more than a week. Well, maybe a week and two days or so. So he could deal with those ¡®close people¡¯ until his brother got back. And with that thought, he opened his mouth to answer before anyone would start an entire battle when he believed it wasn¡¯t the time for that yet. ¡°Can I have a bath first, please?¡±
The End of CH. 40 41. "Welcome Back"
The Red Flower Chapter. 41
¡°All this blood is his, and you say he¡¯s not wounded anywhere?¡± He didn¡¯t know how many times he¡¯d sighed now; Alvis brushed back his hair with a tired face as the other raised the clothes painted in red before his face once again. ¡°Yes, Ellmer, he¡¯s all healthy and good¡­¡± ¡°Maybe he has something like the healing bubble you have with your weapon?¡± Javi calmly said, standing between the two. He was a bit too lost with the events lately, and he wasn¡¯t sure what was what anymore or had any time to question anyone, but even he could tell that Davante¡¯s situation was¡­ odd, so odd that he didn¡¯t blame Ellmer for asking Alvis the same question for the past few hours now. When sharp crimson eyes turned to him, he explained, ¡°Elois told me a bit about your weapon. That¡¯s how I know.¡± Ellmer glanced at Elois before he closed his eyes with a quiet sigh and shook his head slightly. ¡°And from where would he gain something like that out of nowhere? Those tools were strictly made in secret in Anfinrud Organization.¡± ¡°¡­maybe he is injured. Davante had always been skilled at hiding his pain after all¡­¡± Elois muttered though he doubted anyone heard him, even with the silence in the room for a moment. Looking to the far end of the room and at the unbothered teen who probably couldn¡¯t hear their hushed talk. ¡°You know something, big brother?¡± Elois blinked and glanced at Owin, who had suddenly asked with a curious look in his eye. He quietly shook his head and looked again at the youngest in the room. ¡®It¡¯s him, right¡­?¡¯ he felt he shouldn¡¯t question it anymore; the person standing with them and in Davante¡¯s body was undoubtedly the Weapon. However, he wasn¡¯t sure if he could say a thing as no one had met the Weapon before aside from himself, or at least that is what he believed after his encounter with the brat in Davante¡¯s head or whatever. There were also the things he had seen as dreams when the punk helped him snap awake. If he were to say something about the Weapon now, he would eventually have to explain to everyone around all the horrible stuff he had to see back then. The fact that they weren¡¯t dreams but deep buried and locked memories¡­ maybe he should stay quiet about it forever, he thought as he silently observed the Weapon, probably playing ignorant rather than unable to hear them. ¡°He actually seems fine¡­¡± said Kyle, fearing Ellmer¡¯s response as his older brother looked downright furious and barely kept calm, especially since Ellmer and perhaps everyone in the room knew that he himself didn¡¯t view Davante Fixsen in a good way from the start. He turned his face to the window when said brother sent a look at him. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we think of a way to leave the academy now?¡± Kyle glanced at his twin brother and was thankful for Kito to stand up and speak his thoughts on his behalf, even under Ellmer¡¯s fierce eyes. They ensured Davante¡¯s condition, so they should hurry and escape this crazy academy before the even crazier headmaster found them hiding now in his shared room with Kito. He looked at the bloodied clothes, mainly the straitjacket in Ellmer¡¯s hand. Gulping, Kyle knew there was something wrong with the blond headmaster, but to torture his own son secretly in a hidden room underground was just¡­ It wouldn¡¯t take a genius to understand that the teen had clearly experienced a torture session and somehow magically survived it unharmed and calm. No, what frightened nearly all of them was how relaxed Davante was after such a crisis. Evester didn¡¯t have to turn around to know everyone¡¯s eyes were on him. He fixed the slightly baggy shirt he borrowed from the redhead brat as he was desperate for a bath from all the dry blood. He could care less whose clothes he would be wearing, even if it were from the person with the smallest brain present in the room. He knows they are all thinking of leaving the academy¡­ Reviewing the past rounds in his head, Evester didn¡¯t think it was a good idea to leave the place, not yet. He managed, after a great struggle, to calm the group and shift their attention away from Kaven Fixsen for now, and now he had to convince them to stay and wait for when Davante would wake up without having to tell them the details. But more than that, he needed to understand one thing first. Turning his head to his side, he looks at the largest being in the room and meets Karl¡¯s sharp crimson eyes. With his arms crossed, the man looked to have been waiting to finally gain the teen¡¯s attention. ¡°¡­long time no see, Karl.¡± Evester, in Davante¡¯s body, said after a moment of silence. Karl smirked, understanding what the boy needed him to do at that moment. ¡°It sure is, kiddo. Shall we talk now?¡± he turned his head to look at the bewildered group, who still couldn¡¯t understand Karl''s relationship with Davante but were somewhat relieved when the teen seemed comfortable with him. He gave his signature smirk with his frowning eyebrows, ¡°I¡¯ll cast a spell for a moment, now if you pardon.¡± He snapped his finger before any of them could protest. Looking back at the teen beside him, he dropped his smirk. ¡°They can¡¯t hear us now. So, who are you?¡± Evester¡¯s lips twitched, holding back a chuckle. He was glad the vampire seemed to indeed hold Davante dear despite all the talk about a Third Player and the Game or whatnot. Although the vampire maintained his composure, he looked ready to choke him any moment. Even if the group can¡¯t listen to them now, Evester should be careful with his expressions and behavior as they were still watching intently, ¡°Won¡¯t they read our lips?¡± ¡°They can¡¯t. We¡¯re covered by a small blurry barrier now.¡± Karl silently scoffed, ¡°Speak, you little imposter. Where is Davante, and who are you?¡± Evester raised his eyebrows in amusement. That meant he could be himself for a brief moment now. A time to breathe, at last. He smiled and brought his hand to his chest, ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Evester, Davante¡¯s inner weapon.¡± Opening his eyes, he was met with silence. ¡°Would you like me to bring out the Spirit so you can ask him if I¡¯m no enemy?¡± Karl¡¯s eyes widened and shook for a second as he didn¡¯t have to ask to understand what the other meant with ¡®Spirit¡¯. He quickly collected himself, ¡°¡­no need, so where is Davante?¡± ¡°Sleeping inside, or not completely asleep.¡± At the frown, he tried to put the situation in simple words for the vampire to understand. ¡°Let¡¯s say he¡¯s in a slumber and all his lost memories are slowly brought into him, all the while looking at what¡¯s happening currently.¡± ¡°You¡¯re helping him regain his lost memories after the incident under the tree¡­?¡± Karl asked with a deeper frown, trying to understand the situation better. ¡°So, he¡¯s¡­ he can see, listen and feel everything now?¡± Evester nodded, ¡°He¡¯s watching and listening but can¡¯t feel anything.¡± Evester didn¡¯t bother explaining to the other which ¡®memories¡¯ they were discussing here. Assuming from the reaction, the vampire was unaware of how many times Davante had restarted his life. He watched as Karl nodded slowly and looked to lower his guard around him. ¡°May I ask now, who brought you here?¡± Evester slightly narrowed his eyes, smiling at the confused eyes before him, reviewing Davante¡¯s memories in his head and finding no similar situation to the current one before his eyes. ¡°Someone must have helped introduce you to the group, am I correct?¡± Karl paused for a moment, ¡°¡­oh, you mean Bren, the Reutestian Hawkeyes.¡± Evester searched Davante¡¯s memories again for any similar name, and he blinked blankly when he found nothing. ¡°Bren Carson, I don¡¯t think Davante has met him yet,¡± Karl explained when he noticed the puzzled expression on the Weapon. ¡°He was busy hiding from Baldrick¡¯s eyes and faking ignorance for almost forever. You¡¯re aware that Baldrick had many people under control so he could watch everything from their eyes, right?¡± he continued when the Weapon nodded, ¡°Bren was giving the impression that he was some unimportant individual not constituting any role in the Game so he could move freely. To some extent, he succeeded, or maybe Baldrick caught on and played along, who knows.¡± Karl shrugged his shoulder, looking annoyed whenever he mentioned the crazy doctor¡¯s name, ¡°However, Bren Carson suddenly stopped playing his role of an ignorant brat and is being his true self now, saying that there was no need to put on an acting anymore.¡± Karl explained with a shake of his head. ¡°¡­where is he now?¡± Evester asked after some thought. ¡°He wasn¡¯t anywhere found when I brought Davante¡¯s friends back to the academy.¡± Karl clicked his tongue, ¡°I don¡¯t like to suspect the dude now after all this time, but according to that friend of his,¡± he tipped his chin, pointing toward Owin outside the barrier, ¡°As said by that kid, Bren instructed nobody does a thing to stop Kaven Fixsen and his followers until the signal, and apparently Bren gave the signal before disappearing elsewhere to make sure of some stuff.¡± Evester slightly raised an eyebrow¡­ Bren Carson expected the future and told Owin and the rest not to interrupt, even as Davante seemed to be controlled by someone for weeks? In this case, it was easier to assume that the person was not an ally, but if Owin Iriart trusted him well to follow the instructions along with Alvis, then the man must have truly meant well since the beginning. The fact that Ellmer and the rest hadn¡¯t said anything about Bren Carson even now told Evester that not only Owin but perhaps the rest also trusted this person. There was only one reason why that person wanted everyone to stay away from Davante then¡­ ¡®Bren Carson knows about me¡­?¡¯ Evester wondered, recalling something the vampire said¡ª The Reutestian Hawkeyes. He couldn¡¯t understand what ¡®Reutestian¡¯ even meant, but he could guess the reason behind the name Hawkeyes. From how Karl Alastair talks about the guy, it seems Bren Carson isn¡¯t a human, another vampire, maybe. Going with that thought, Bren Carson, who goes by the name ¡®Hawkeyes¡¯, must have an ability that allows him to see beyond what the naked eye could watch. In this case, Bren Carson could¡¯ve seen what lay inside Davante, perhaps even more. Evester would take it that the unfamiliar man was helping him, the Weapon, in reviving the complete Davante Fixsen, and maybe if someone stopped the bastards from controlling Davante during his absence was going to damage the process in some way or another. For what reason was the person helping him to this extent? He assumed it was to end Baldrick¡¯s Game, as the man seemed to have a better knowledge of the whole situation, maybe more than Karl and Emmie even. It would be great to meet the man now and gain all answers, Evester thought. However, he still has the current problem to deal with. Looking at the group, he wondered how he would constantly tell them to calm down and stay put for now. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem you want to leave the academy.¡± Evester nodded calmly at Karl¡¯s comment after a moment of silence, ¡°I need Davante to wake up first. I¡¯m only helping him gain the memories so he would know well how to proceed later since I¡¯m in no position to plan everything on his behalf, also¡­¡± he smiled at Karl, ¡°Can I ask you to do something?¡± Karl looked to think for a second before nodding, ¡°Ask away.¡± Evester smiled thankfully at the vampire, who only frowned after hearing the request asked of him. ¡°¡­you sure about this? Weren¡¯t you about to die just a few hours ago¡­?¡± Evester slightly chuckled, ¡°How do you think Davante¡¯s body is completely fine now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Karl stared too long at the smiling Weapon before he nodded, ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I think I don¡¯t want to know more about you.¡± He silently sighed when the other chuckled playfully again, ¡°Just make sure to keep Davante and his body safe.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Evester waved his hand playfully at the frowning vampire, ¡°See you soon, male Karl.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± Karl snorted and turned to smirk at the Weapon, ¡°The next time we see each other would be when you and your Master come to kill me and my sister.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Evester hummed thoughtfully, ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait and see if that happens.¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± Evester closed his eyes with his relaxed smile and waved his hand to dismiss the bewildered vampire. ¡°You should hurry with your task now, Mister.¡± Karl clicked his tongue, grumbling a bit about the Weapon before removing the barrier and the spell. Looking at the group before him, he reviewed the plan in his head quickly. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°It seems leaving the place isn¡¯t as easy as you guys might think.¡± ¡°And why is that?¡± Ellmer was the first to ask, eyeing the vampire suspiciously. ¡°According to Davante, there seems to be unique power surrounding the area at the moment. Kaven Fixsen is¡ª!¡± Whoosh¡ª! Suddenly, a dark smoke appeared and covered one person, engulfing him in seconds. ¡°Davante¡ª!¡± Before anyone could move, the dark smoke vanished and took with it the teen, who was standing calmly seconds ago and looked equally startled when the smoke came out of thin air. Everyone remained silent for a long minute before Alvis spoke, startling everyone with his cold tone for the first time. Staring intently at the vampire, the man asked. ¡°You said Kaven¡­¡± Karl turned to look at the oldest person in the group with a tense face. ¡°¡­what you¡¯re thinking¡­ looks like is exactly the case.¡± And everyone had one thought at that moment. Ellmer and Elois looked at each other when they were reminded of what Albern had said in their first encounter. Right¡­ Kaven Fixsen isn¡¯t completely a human¡ª it means the man is partially a vampire. . . Fwoosh¡ª Evester opened his eyes and was met with the dark place he expected. He smirked, praising Karl Alastair in his head for his remarkable acting skills. ¡°Can you send me away from the group and make it seem like Kaven Fixsen kidnaped me, but also stop them from going to kill Kaven? It¡¯s easier for me to proceed with the plan away from everyone now, and they must stay safe, so¡­ I need you to teleport me to¡­¡± Evester knows he is being a bastard for deceiving and further worrying Davante¡¯s friends and uncle, but it is the only way for him for now. Looking at the place he was teleported to, he was glad the location was discovered beforehand in the night when Elois and Javi entered the barrier of illusions from what Karl told him moments ago; otherwise he doubted Karl would know where Baldrick¡¯s secret location would be. Now that he¡¯s here and away from the rest, he¡¯s sure Karl would take good care of the group until Davante wakes up, just as discussed. ¡°Well, you really surprised me this once.¡± Instead of jumping in fear or shock from the sudden close voice in the dark, Evester smiled. ¡°Won¡¯t you welcome your beloved Third Player?¡± And almost in the exact second, the narrow entryway of the underground laboratory and below the stairs was dimly lit, showing before him the infamous crazy doctor, Lucas Feldstain, no, Baldrick Alastair. Evester smiled and gave a little wave at the other¡¯s blank face. ¡°Nice to finally meet you in person, doctor.¡± ¡°Oh, my.¡± Baldrick laughed as if he was in utter disbelief, shaking his head. ¡°I guess this is the only place you can hide in for the time being, so is that why? Oh, poor you.¡± Evester only blinked when the other disappeared before him and felt a hand on his back, gently pushing him to walk. ¡°You¡¯re most welcome, dear Davante Fixsen.¡± Evester allowed the crazy doctor to lead him further into the old and dark laboratory, secretly smirking to himself. ¡®Seems like the infamous doctor doesn¡¯t know about the Weapon inside Davante.¡¯ That only led him to think of another possibility. ¡®Baldrick Alastair probably doesn¡¯t know about the previous rounds, does he?¡¯ -I believe the only ones who have the ability to remember are those with the Granovsky family¡¯s blood. He blinked when Yeolard explained in his head. -My mother¡¯s family has unique powers, some of which have been kept secret from everyone since the beginning. Ebele, my auntie, was able to push her son into the cycle only by using her inherited power directly from a higher-up in the family, whom I still don¡¯t know the identity of. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Evester was honestly astonished by the new facts he had just learned. He figured that was why Yeolard Verick knew bits and pieces from the previous rounds and looked to have known all different sides of Davante Fixsen already, which was why the Spirit was extremely cautious of approaching the said Third Player. But if members of the Granovsky family were able to remember memories of a past round in life, then how was Davante born without his memories every single round? -From what I recall¡­ Davante Fixsen placed a curse on himself in one of the early rounds¡­ ¡®Excuse me¡­?¡¯ Davante cast a curse on himself? Evester searched the memories he acquired from saving Elois, trying to find when and how exactly that happened. No, the question was, why? Why would Davante do that to himself? Davante Fixsen lived horrible and tragic lives in all the previous rounds, and Evester had witnessed many of them ending with Davante committing suicide even, only to regress in time by Ebele¡¯s curse or whatever she had put in him to defeat the Game. But none of them had he seen Davante placing a curse on himself¡ª Oh¡­ He might¡¯ve found the memory of when it happened. Reviewing the memory in his head, no wonder he couldn¡¯t notice the man applying the curse in the first place; it was supposed to be a sarcastic joke, or that was how it appeared. It was a promise Davante made to Elois around the fourth or fifth round¡­ As he was watching the dark scene in his head, Yeolard spoke again. -And¡­ you weren¡¯t inside Davante from the start. What? Evester forced his legs to keep walking alongside the crazy doctor. He was shocked and about to stop walking to comprehend everything for a moment. -¡­your presence started showing up slowly only in the last rounds. Was that why he had seen no single memory of Davante using his weapon in the past? Was it something that Ebele, Davante¡¯s mother, had done to her son in the last rounds? Aside from turning Davante into a human and cursing him with the cycle, did she do something else after reviewing the past rounds? She is a member of the Granovsky family, so she must have been able to recall the memories, right? Or was it¡­ Was it that he isn¡¯t Davante¡¯s weapon after all? If he wasn¡¯t questioning his original identity before, he was definitely starting to question it now. ¡®¡­do you know anyone named ¡®Glerty the Happy¡¯?¡¯ -Excuse me? I¡­ I don¡¯t think I do. I apologize¡­ Evester could tell the Spirit wasn¡¯t trying to hide anything from him; Yeolard sounded genuinely confused and taken aback by the question. Thinking about it, logically, no one from this world would know his or Angela¡¯s true identity, that is if the world he had seen while away from Davante was actual and not just an image made by Angela herself. He quickly pushed all questions aside and focused on one thing. ¡®You remember the past, then do you know all the rules of the Game?¡¯ -I believe what you already know from the memories is all I know, sir. And even if I can remember the past, I can¡¯t remember everything. My mother once said it is only possible to remember every single detail with the power granted by the Great Master of the Granovsky family. Does Davante have that power, then? Evester wanted to ask but felt that the deceased vampire wouldn¡¯t know the answer anyway as to why Evester received Davante¡¯s memories clearly with every detail. After Yeolard¡¯s answer and what Evester had learned from the memories, it seems there were only the three unspoken rules, unless Bren Carson knew of something else no one knew about. Evester doubted he¡¯d have time to meet the man in person with how things were going now, but if he managed somehow, he could find something new to deal with the Game. ¡°Your head¡¯s busy as it seems, as always.¡± Evester stopped when the doctor behind him hummed quietly with his signature smile. He inspected the place around him as the vampire left his side and walked elsewhere. He wondered where Baldrick kept his victims in this narrow-spaced laboratory. ¡°Should I be amazed you¡¯re too relaxed despite standing in a place I fully own and control?¡± Evester calmly turned to look at the smiling doctor sitting on a chair with his back to the many screens around him in a small dark room. Looking at the screens, he noticed they were all displaying places of the academy, but none of them were moving; they looked like images displayed by normal secret cameras. He smiled restfully, ¡°Seems like you truly lost all sorts of puppets, doctor.¡± Baldrick¡¯s face looked as if taken aback by the remark but soon looked amused. ¡°I must say it was fun while it lasted.¡± Evester calmly walked and sat on the other chair in the room when the man motioned for him after pulling out a seat out of thin air. One wouldn¡¯t say they were enemies with how comfortable they looked while smiling face to face. Evester thought it¡¯d be great to have some tea while talking and getting to know the doctor he¡¯d never seen before, or not in this round. ¡°Answering your question, I perfectly know you won¡¯t harm the one who made the show the most fun for you, especially not now with the current events.¡± ¡°Ah, certainly.¡± The doctor tilted his head with a nonchalant smile, looking slowly at the screens around him with his eyes covered by his round sunglasses. ¡°I really wonder who¡¯d catch who in the end.¡± He looked at the smiling person with him in the room. ¡°I¡¯m curious as to the reason behind your visit, Davante Fixsen?¡± Evester smiled playfully at the doctor. ¡°It may be unbelievable coming from me, but I really came to hide.¡± A moment of silence filled the room. ¡°Haha¡­¡± They both started laughing comfortably, further relaxing in their seats. ¡°Oh, really¡­¡± Baldrick calmed down with a nonchalant smile after laughing for a whole minute. ¡°You¡¯re one peculiar Hero.¡± ¡°Goodness¡­¡± Evester¡¯s eyebrows furrowed a bit with what looked like a sad smile. ¡°Would you please give me a better name? I¡¯m feeling pressured here.¡± ¡°Ah, dear me, how could I?¡± Baldrick looked sorry as he dropped his smile for a quick second, almost looking solemn as he took his time to think for a moment, ¡°Hmm, but you¡¯re working to free everyone from the Game, aren¡¯t you? Oh, but you¡¯re not really a good person either¡­ how about Evil Hero?¡± He smiled when the teen seemed fine with the name with the comfortable smile back on his face. ¡°You worked hard all this while. I guess I should be giving my best performance after my stay here,¡± Evester said as he looked at the screens around him, blinking and looking confused when suddenly the somewhat quiet atmosphere in the academy shown around him looked chaotic with all the guards running around, but looking at whom they were chasing after¡­ ¡®That is Davante¡­¡¯ He looked at the ¡®Davante¡¯ on the screen running from guards and enraged students both. Who was that imposter? What the hell was happening out there? ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to hide any longer. Don¡¯t you think so too?¡± His body was brought to the back a bit as the doctor moved secretly again to stand behind him and rest both arms on the backrest of Evester¡¯s seat. ¡°After all, a week and a half had passed by now.¡± Hold on, a what? He had only been here for an hour at most¡­ could it be¡­ He tilted his head back to curiously look up at the doctor, who was smiling down at him, ¡°Is this place your dimension?¡± Baldrick¡¯s smile widened, ¡°Cowndrels, though weak, have quite the unique powers, you see,¡± the doctor answered as he leisurely let go of the seat and walked around to stand before the teen, removing his sunglasses as if he wanted to look better at the screens. ¡°I¡¯m sure you heard the name before, perhaps from Yeolard Verick? Or maybe from His Imperial Majesty.¡± He said after receiving no question about the name long forgotten and unknown to humans. ¡°It¡¯s a spell I came up with accidentally way too back in the past.¡± He looked with a smile at his hand holding the sunglasses, ¡°This place does exist in reality, but I can activate the spell whenever I want and isolate the place to a little space dimension.¡± He slowly turned around to reveal his sharp eyes to the Evil Hero. ¡°Now, will you tell me what you came here for?¡± A moment of silence¡­ ¡®This freaking¡­ bastard.¡¯ Despite the situation, Evester found himself smiling at the evil doctor before him. Of course, Baldrick Alastair was still a trickster, just like Evester himself. Even if the crazy doctor retired and sat back to watch from now on, that didn¡¯t mean he¡¯d make things any easier for anyone. Evester was secretly admiring Baldrick¡¯s twisted skills at that moment. ¡°Oh, I wished to talk with you longer, but I guess the doctor didn¡¯t enjoy my company¡­¡± Baldrick watched with a smile as the teen stood from his seat and strolled toward him. ¡°I came to deliver a message,¡± Evester stood a step away from the vampire, smiling up with his arms crossed, ¡°When the time comes, you can rest assured and die, as I promise to finish this Game well and set you free as you always wished.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± He calmly nodded. ¡°Enjoy the final stage that I¡¯m sure you¡¯d prepare for me.¡± Evester let go and caused his eyes to close with a sweet smile, ¡°A message from the previous Davante Fixsen before he decided to restart the Game for the last time.¡± Evester turned around and walked to the entrance, leaving the silent and secretly stunned doctor alone as if he said nothing. ¡°Klaria Granovsky shouldn¡¯t be the one doing the hunting here, Davante Fixsen.¡± Evester stopped just before he left the room when the doctor calmly said, judging by the tone, he knew Baldrick was smiling yet again, but it lacked its usual playfulness for the first time since meeting him, even from the previous rounds the doctor didn¡¯t once sound so serene like now. ¡°So, show me the greatest performance, okay?¡± Understanding the message, Evester didn¡¯t bother to look at the doctor as he finally left the room and back to the stairs with one name repeating in his head. Klaria Granovsky¡­ -That¡¯s the name of the Cowndrel Queen, who was said to have perished long ago, back when I was alive¡­ Yeolard explained in his head and sounded in disbelief. ¡®You sound so shocked despite meeting her far too many times in the nightmares you described to Davante before.¡¯ -I knew the woman in the dream with the mirrors and the one in the forest were the same person¡­ but I never knew what the Cowndrel Queen looked like. It was taboo to talk about her because of her betrayal against the Noble Vampire Queen¡­ Evester soon stopped thinking about the messy history of the two silly Queens discovered by Davante in some of the previous fifty rounds. He focused on one thing here. ¡®She¡¯s a Granovsky.¡¯ -Yes¡­ as it seems. How dumb is she to fail miserably until now if she remembers the previous rounds? Evester wondered as he walked calmly up the stairs as the entrance opened for him, knowing it was Baldrick easily letting him out to do his mission as promised. -She doesn¡¯t seem stable enough to act on a proper plan, even with the power of the Granovsky family to remember the past. That could be why, Evester thought while recalling what the woman looked like and behaved sickeningly all this time. -She was always oddly scared of Davante Fixsen, even in my dreams when Davante wasn¡¯t born yet. Evester hummed as he stood outside, the entrance to the underground laboratory closed and hidden behind him, finding himself in the forest and listening to the sound of people yelling and running even from his place. Whatever the reason behind her fear of Davante to stop her from killing him straight away, it didn¡¯t matter. Evester smiled. ¡®He¡¯ is here. Evester can feel it. ¡°Klaria Granovsky shouldn¡¯t be the one doing the hunting here, Davante Fixsen.¡± Reminded of what the doctor tried to tell him moments ago, he knew what to do now. And as soon as he set foot outside the forest, someone grabbed his wrist firmly. ¡°Thank God I found you before they did!¡± Evester didn¡¯t say anything as he was suddenly pulled and dragged by one of Davante¡¯s classmates. He searched the memories to recall the boy¡¯s name again¡­ right, Jack Harris, the class president. The teen appeared a few times in the memories before and was always friendly to Davante it seems. And said teen looked desperate to save him from the guards and everyone in the academy now, moving carefully and hurrying to what Evester assumed was the academy¡¯s gate. ¡°Why are you helping me?¡± The class president got distracted and almost tripped at the question, quickly proceeding on his way to the gate with a weak smile as he looked straight while still pulling the other by the wrist. ¡°I¡­ I was in the same class as you¡­ back then, uhm, when the incident happened.¡± Shocked for a moment, Evester previously guessed that surely some students would be from the kindergarten Davante went to when he was a child, but to think Jack was one of them and still smiled at Davante after what happened that day¡­ Nobody stood with Davante on that day. Everyone cried in fear after bullying and pressuring the silent and gloomy kid in the class, unleashing for a second the monster lying inside that tiny body of Davante¡¯s, causing the glasses to shatter all too suddenly. Davante didn¡¯t even know what happened on that day or what caused the windows and everything to crash, but at least the child was aware they provoked something in him first, which helped as he grew up without the guilt of what he¡¯d done but rather worrying over what exactly had they looked at that day. And now this kid is saying he remembers the day but helps him now from yet another questionable incident when Davante was framed to be truly a murderer, and all the proofs were shown to everyone. ¡°I always believed what happened that day was just an accident from the weather or anything really. It was so absurd to blame it all on a child just the same as the rest of us¡­ so¡­¡± Jack turned briefly to smile at his classmate, ¡°Allow me to help this time, please.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Oh, really? Evester wanted to laugh, but he needed to play along because he could see Kaven Fixsen standing alone before the gate and waiting with a crazy smirk as the class president easily dragged Davante to him. ¡°Perfect, now get lost.¡± Just as Kaven said that, with one swift movement of his hand throwing a dagger, Jack¡¯s head fell to the ground and beside Evester¡¯s legs. The body of the now-dead class president soon fell after with a thud. Evester expected the poor class president to be another puppet controlled by the dirty bitch, but to think she would end his life this way and fast the moment he brought him to her¡­ he was honestly shocked and speechless. ¡°Ugh¡ª!¡± His neck was suddenly grabbed when he was distracted for a second, instantly preventing him from breathing. ¡°You¡­¡± Kaven said with a shivering voice as if he was short of breath himself, tightening his grip with both hands around the skinny neck, bringing his face close with wide, lunatic eyes, ¡°You played with me as you liked all this time¡­! You¡­ You son of a bitch!¡± He would laugh if he could. The nerve this sick freak had to play the victim after all the bullshit and knowing her horrible history even to have caused the curse that turned her into the way she was today, she really was beyond help. A wide grin appeared on Kaven¡¯s face as Evester struggled to breathe and his face was turning horribly purple. ¡°Ooh~ This is¡ª This sight is the best¡­ the BEST!!¡± -Sir¡­ should we switch again? At this rate¡­ His vision was turning black, and his limbs started going cold and limp. -Sir¡­ you¡¯ll¡ª Davante¡¯s body will¡ª Yeolard¡¯s voice in his head was suddenly cut, and everything around him turned completely silent. Evester smirked as he felt the grip around his neck loosens. ¡®Welcome back.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t in control anymore when Davante¡¯s eyes opened to reveal not Kaven Fixsen but the horrified face of the disgusting Cowndrel Queen. Evester could see pale hands calmly and gently cupping her trembling face, her eyes widening and her pupils shaking despite the tender touch as if she was someone precious to the person before her. ¡°You will die at my hands.¡± Evester felt immense satisfaction when he heard the very familiar quiet voice of Davante after so long. The ugly Queen shivered violently as chills were sent all over her body at the coldest voice she had ever heard of the Third Player of the Game made by the damn doctor when he first found out the truth. The face before her¡­ didn¡¯t look the same as the teen she had been watching and targeting for so long¡­ That smile¡­ didn¡¯t belong to the sixteen-year-old Davante Fixsen. Her breath hitched¡­ no¡­ this person is¡­ She was quickly reminded of what she sensed in the hospital room months ago when Davante Fixsen fell asleep¡­ he was being revived back then¡­ she was sure he woke up normal again as she sensed no revival energy in him¡­ so how¡­? Who¡­? When¡­? HOW?! ¡°Wait for me.¡± ¡°Ha¡ª!¡± she gasped at the chilling whisper with the coldest smile from the man in a teen body before her. Her lips trembling¡ª SCREEEECH¡ª! Davante opened his eyes and found himself back in the academy and not in the white void anymore. ¡°Typical of her.¡± He coldly whispered with a smirk as he expected the cowardly woman to flee away and back to her hiding spot, waiting for his visit again like the good Queen she was. He heard the sound of a weak step and looked in one direction. ¡°D¡­ Da¡­¡± Kaven uttered weakly as if it was his first time learning to speak. The blond father, who struggled to stand when both he and his son opened their eyes at the same time, took step after step closer to Davante with his hands weakly stretched out. ¡°¡­Dav¡­ Davan¡­¡± ¡°Father¡­¡± Davante smiled softly at the man who had loved him the most since his birth in all his life since round one. He calmly opened his arms and let his father fall into them. ¡°¡­Davante¡­¡± Davante slowly brought both of them down to sit on the ground when his father finally whispered his name and was struggling to keep his eyes open. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯ve suffered enough trying to resist her, so take some rest now.¡± He whispered gently and watched his father still refusing to close his eyes. ¡°I promise we¡¯ll see each other again, so¡­¡± he kissed the top of his father¡¯s head the way Kaven always did to him when he was a child. ¡°Sleep well, Dad.¡± And just after the whisper¡­ His father slept peacefully for the first time after nine years¡­ And was freed for the first time after all the fifty rounds before.
The End of CH. 41