《The Acts of Caesar》
Act 1: an unexpected visitor.
Knock knock knock!!
Caesar jolted awake, his breath ragged and uneven as his mind scrambled to untangle itself from his dream. The growl of thunder that had filled his mind moments ago slowly ebbed away, replaced by the gentle light of dawn filtering through the worn shutters of his cabin. Golden rays spilled across the walls, chasing away the lingering darkness in the room.
He slowly sat up, rubbing his hand over the tangled mess of his hair. His mouth was dry, and his legs trembled beneath the thin blankets. Taking a moment to draw a deep, steadying breath, he pushed himself to a standing position, his fingers finding the familiar, worn wooden mug on his bedside table as he reached for the water pitcher.
The knocking sound grew more persistent, but Caesar ignored it for the moment. He tipped the wooden mug to his lips, the cool water sliding over his parched throat. It tasted faintly of the cedar cask it had been stored in, which eased his mind and relaxed his rapid heartbeat in a way that was calming. Pausing halfway through, he let the water rest against his tongue before swallowing slowly, savoring the cooling sensation that it brought.
With a sigh, he placed the mug back on the bedside table, its weight settling with a muted thud against the wooden furniture. The knocking came again, louder this time, and he ran a hand over his face before heading toward the door.
"Damn, quit slamming on my door! I''m coming," he called out, his voice gravelly from disuse, as he reached for the latch.
Opening the door, Caesar blinked in surprise as his gaze fell on a face he hadn''t expected to see. "Orniest?" he asked.
Unless his memory had deceived him, he had made pretty sure to pay his taxes before they were due, so the sudden visit from the tax collector kind of surprised him.
"Shalom, Caesar," Orniest said, shifting uncomfortably on the cabin''s small porch. His usual smug demeanor was gone, replaced by a strange sense of unease. He adjusted the leather satchel slung across his shoulder, his fingers drumming nervously against its surface.
Caesar could only blink, unable to believe what he was seeing.
"Shalom, Caesar," Orniest repeated again, his voice quieter this time, which was odd for the man, but he ignored it for the moment. "This isn''t about taxes, not today at least.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Caesar''s hand tightened on the door, already starting to push it shut. "If it''s not taxes, then I''m not sure what business we have here.¡±
Before the door could close entirely, Orniest thrust his hand outward, his palm flat against the wood, as he said, "Wait! Just... wait a moment, Caesar. Please.¡±
He paused. Orniest wasn''t the kind of man to plead. Like many people, he could barely tolerate the man because of how insufferably arrogant he was. But now? This was...different.
After a moment of hesitation, he finally relented, opening the door just enough to make it clear he wasn¡¯t about to slam it shut in his face. Orniest let out a small sigh of relief, seizing the moment to quip, ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s rude to keep a guest waiting, you know. The Goddess of Farewells might curse you if you leave me standing out here any longer.¡±
Caesar raised an eyebrow at that. "I''m a Zarfan, Orniest, and I don''t believe in any gods, so say what you have to say or leave.¡±
Orniest managed a weak chuckle, though his discomfort was palpable. "I promise I will make it worth your while.¡±
¡°Trying to seduce me?¡±
Orniest grimaced, his face contorting as if Caesar had just suggested he take a bite out of a rotten lemon. "Absolutely not!¡±
"Then spit it out,"
Orniest drew himself up, attempting to reclaim some of his usual composure, but his fingers continued their nervous dance against his leather satchel. "Me and your sister¡ have pretty close," he continued, his voice faltering slightly. "We''ve been like that for a while, and umm, we wanted to get married at some point... I mean, it wasn''t something we rushed into, but... yeah, it''s something we both wanted for a while."
Caesar''s expression froze, his mind struggling to process the words that had just spilled from Orniest''s mouth. His sister? Married to him? He blinked a few times, his stomach twisting in a sudden knot of confusion.
"You... and my sister?" Caesar repeated, unable to believe what he himself had just said.
Orniest shifted uncomfortably, his eyes darting away for a moment before returning to Caesar''s. "Yeah, Caesar. I... I know this might come as a surprise, but we thought it best to tell you now, before things go any further.¡±
"You thought it best to tell me now?" Caesar finally said, his voice a lot sharper than he intended. "How long has this been going on?"
Orniest winced, his discomfort evident. "A while," he admitted. "But it wasn¡¯t something we kept from you out of malice, I swear. It¡¯s just... your sister wanted to wait until the time was right."
"When the time was right?" Caesar echoed, his voice tinged with incredulity. "And when exactly was that supposed to be? After the wedding? After your first child?"
"Caesar, please," Orniest said, his tone pleading now. "This isn¡¯t easy for me either. I care about her deeply, and I respect you¡ª"
"Respect me?" Caesar interrupted, his voice rising. "You respect me so much that you decided to sneak around behind my back with my sister? And now you show up here, uninvited, to drop this on me like it''s some casual announcement?"
Orniest flinched at the words but stood his ground, though his shoulders slumped slightly under Caesar''s glare. "I know I handled this poorly. We handled this poorly. But I''m here now, trying to do the right thing. I¡ª¡±
¡°Leave¡±
"Caesar¡ª" he started, his voice almost a whisper.
"I said leave."
Orniest hesitated, his mouth opening as if to protest, but he seemed to think better of it. His shoulders sagged, and he stepped back off the porch, his boots crunching softly against the gravelly ground. Before leaving, he cast one last look at Caesar, his lips pressed into a tight line before turning and ultimately walking away.
Caesar just stood in the doorway, watching him go before closing the door of his cabin.
End of act 1.
Act 2: a cry for help.
Caesar leaned against the door, his forehead resting against the cool wood as he struggled to rein in his turbulent emotions. His hands curled into fists at his sides, and his jaw clenched tightly as his mind replayed Orniest''s words. My sister¡ married to him? That guy? He couldn''t believe it, nor did he want to. Even the thought of it sent a fresh wave of disbelief through him.
He pushed off the door, pacing the length of his cabin, his boots thudding softly against the creaking wooden floorboards. ¡°Pompous bastard,¡± he muttered under his breath, his words carrying a venom he rarely allowed himself to feel. A cool breeze brushed against his skin, the air stifling despite the cool morning breeze slipping through the shutters.
He glanced around, his eyes landing on the small table by the hearth, cluttered with an unfinished carving project and a scattering of wood shavings all across the floor.
Perhaps the reason he felt so upset was that he had woken up so early as after all, he''d never been a morning person. Suddenly seeing his nemesis appear on his doorstep and call him brother-in-law, as if he hadn''t charged him 100 gold coins more than all the other residents in the village just because his mother thought he looked attractive, was enough to make his blood boil.
Maybe in the morning, he''ll feel much, much better.
So it was with a heavy sigh that he turned to his bed, the simple linens looking as inviting as ever. Dragging himself toward the bed, he allowed the weight of his body to sink into the mattress. The familiar creak of the bed frame beneath him was a small comfort that grounded him in the present, even if his mind remained elsewhere.
¡°Caesar.¡±
¡°Tomorrow,¡± he muttered to himself. ¡°I¡¯ll think about this tomorrow.¡±
¡°Oh Caesar.¡±
Gradually, his mind began to quiet, his thoughts slowing to a sluggish crawl as the comforting feeling of sleep settled over him. With each passing moment, consciousness slipped further away from him until, at last, his body surrendered fully to a deep, deep sleep.
Before his eyes could completely close shut, he caught a fleeting movement in the corner of his vision. It was so brief that he dismissed it as nothing more than a trick of the light and fell asleep.
________
(Time: 11:20 am)
The sun had dipped lower in the sky by the time Caesar finally stirred, the sharp scent of evening air creeping in through the cracks in the cabin. His eyes fluttered open. He blinked, momentarily distracted, before the events of the morning came crashing back into his skull.
With a groan, he scrubbed a hand over his face as he sat up. His head throbbed faintly, and the bitter taste of restless sleep clung to him. The room was dimly lit now, the sunlight having shifted angles, casting long golden shadows across the floorboards. For a moment, he sat motionless, staring at the table across the room where the wood shavings still lay scattered across the floor.
"Maybe I should apologize. What I did yesterday was irresponsible. I should be happy for her, not behaving like this."
What do you think, Woody?" he muttered aloud, his voice coming out a bit scratchy as he spoke.
His gaze shifted toward the small wooden carving resting on the edge of the table, an unfinished figure of a horse he had been working on for weeks. He''d started calling it ¡°Woody¡± after his third failed attempt to carve its legs, and now the name just seemed to fit.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
The figure, of course, remained silent, but he''d like to imagine it was judging him with its blank face.
¡®I''m 57 years old and I''m still acting like a child¡¯
He stood, stretching the stiffness from his muscles, as he shuffled toward the table. He picked up Woody, turning it over in his hands. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I know. I¡¯m being dramatic,¡± he said as if responding to some imagined rebuke. ¡°An old man like me acting like a child after hearing that his 10th sister is finally getting a husband.¡±
Knock knock knock!
The sharp knock at the door startled Caesar out of his musings. He set Woody down on the table and turned toward the sound, his brows furrowing.
"Who could it be now?" he muttered to himself as he walked toward the door, a bit of irritation creeping back into his chest. It had been a long day already, and he wasn¡¯t in the mood for any more surprises.
He wanted to process his emotions, and although he was eager to give an apology to both his sister and Orniest, he wasn''t in the mood for any interactions right now.
Knock knock knock!!
¡°Stop banging on my goddamn door like you''re the freaking guards!!¡± Caesar clenched his teeth, forcing himself to stand despite the heaviness of his limbs and the dull ache that throbbed at his temples.
"I swear to the gods, whoever¡¯s out there better have a damn fucking good reason for waking me up!¡± He staggered toward the door, a string of curses slipping through his clenched teeth. His fingers gripped the handle with a white-knuckled hand before he yanked it open, the force behind the motion betraying his simmering frustration.
Opening the door, Caesar''s words caught in his throat, his eyes blinking in surprise as his gaze fell on a face he hadn''t expected to see. "Ursula?¡±
Ursula was, an odd girl, to say the very least¡. She rarely spoke to anyone, especially men. Even when spoken to, she remained silent. Most of the time, she could be found working in the apothecary in the nearby villages or running errands for her aging grandmother. But beyond that, she was hardly ever seen outside her house.
"Uhh, hey," he blinked, momentarily dumbfounded. Ursula stood on his doorstep, her thin frame wrapped in a simple gray cloak that looked a size too large for her. Her dark hair was tied back in a loose braid, and her pale eyes, usually downcast, were locked firmly on his.
"Crap, what do I even say? Should I just ask her what she''s doing here? The poor girl must be scared out of her mind because of all the hollering I was doing.¡±
Ursula shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her hands clutching the strap of the satchel slung across her shoulder. For a moment, she briefly glanced past him and into the cabin behind him before her eyes finally met his gaze again. ¡°I¡ I need your help,¡± she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Caesar''s brows furrowed as he leaned against the doorframe, his irritation fading into mild confusion. The girl was an oddball, and if it weren''t for her young age, he would have just shrugged her off, but he might as well hear her out.
after all, he was a father once, and he wasn''t going to ignore a child''s plea for help.
¡°With what?¡±
Ursula hesitated, her lips pressing into a thin line as she seemed to gather her courage. Her fingers fidgeted with the strap of her satchel, and for a moment, Caesar thought she might lose her nerve entirely. But then, she looked up at him again, her pale eyes finally managing to gather some resolve.
¡°It¡¯s my grandmother,¡± she said, her voice trembling slightly. ¡°She¡¯s¡ she¡¯s very sick, and I don¡¯t know what else to do. You''re the only wizard in town and¡ and¡ I thought¡ª¡±
Caesar straightened, his irritation fading entirely as concern took its place. He had known Ursula¡¯s grandmother for years, a kind but stubborn old woman who had always been quick to offer her herbal remedies to anyone in need. If she was sick enough that Ursula was asking for help, it had to be serious.
"Easy now, take a deep breath. Don''t worry, I''ve got you," he said gently, his voice softening. "Tell me, what''s wrong with her?¡±
¡°Last night, while we were preparing the bonfire for the village festival, she started acting¡ strangely,¡± Ursula said, her voice low and trembling. ¡°At first, she was just mumbling to herself, but then she began to panic as if she were terrified of something only she could see. I tried to calm her down, but it only got worse.¡±
She paused, her fingers tightening around the strap of her satchel as she took a shaky breath. ¡°I called for help, and the nearby guards managed to restrain her before she hurt herself, but then¡ she just collapsed. She¡¯s been unconscious ever since. No matter what we¡¯ve tried, nothing has worked. She just won¡¯t wake up.¡±
Caesar''s frown deepened, and he crossed his arms as he listened intently. The description of Ursula''s grandmother''s condition struck him as odd, as it didn''t sound like any illness he was familiar with, at least not one of the natural varietys.
But the conditions did sound very similar to those of a person who was being haunted by an obsessive stalker.
¡°Was your grandmother, by any chance, suffering from weight loss, bruises appearing around her body, or having a lot of nightmares?¡±
Ursula blinked, clearly taken aback by the sudden change in topic, but after a moment of thought, she nodded hesitantly. ¡±Yes... now that you mention it, she''s been losing weight for the past few weeks. Not much, but enough for me to notice. I didn''t think much of it at first, but now¡¡± She trailed off, her pale eyes filled with worry.
''By the gods, damn it! There goes my quiet afternoon.''
Caesar sighed deeply, rubbing his temples in frustration before turning back to Ursula, his voice shifting to a more serious tone. "Alright, listen up. It sounds like your grandmother is being haunted by a spirit. It has had a lot of names over the ages, but here in the western borders, we typically call this type of spirit an obsessive stalker.¡±
Caesar stepped back from the door, gesturing for Ursula to come inside. ¡°Come on in,¡± he said, his voice softening as he continued, ¡°Essentially, it¡¯s born from a strong, unresolved attachment or desire that someone had before they died. I don''t know what your grandma did to her or him, but now we have to get rid of them.¡±
End of acts 2
Act 3: bitterness.
[ Obsession ]
"Why"
I was always a hard-working man. Perhaps that was my greatest strength, but maybe it was also my deepest flaw. I did what I felt was necessary, always, even when it hurt.
I thought I was doing the right thing. But looking back now, I wonder if I ever really knew what that was.
She was the reason I worked so hard and the reason I pushed myself beyond my limits. It was costly, but I didn''t regret it. I couldn''t bear seeing that frown on her face as she looked out that window, so sick that she couldn''t even do what she wanted to do on her own.
With the earnings I had worked so hard to gather, I was finally able to arrange for the finest physicians and most skilled healers in the Kingdom to perform a leg transplant for her. At the time, pride swelled in my chest, and I was overwhelmed with joy and excitement, knowing I had achieved something so meaningful for her.
¡°So why¡.. WHY!!! I did everything! Why did you forget about me!
The pain in his chest was unbearable.
¡°You forgot about me. All the happy times we had together were for nothing. You only wanted the cure, and now you''ve completely forgotten the one who gave it to you. But fret not, I''ll make sure you never forget about me again¡ EVER.¡±
¡°Hey, old man, are you all right?¡±
Archibald stood in the doorway of the rustic wooden cabin, his tall frame silhouetted against the soft golden light of the setting sun. His dark, wavy hair was tousled, as if he had just woken from a restless nap. His sharp, usually stern face was etched with confusion, his thick brows furrowed, and his gray-blue eyes darted across the treeline outside the windows of the wooden log.
Archibald stepped further into the cabin, his boots thudding softly against the creaking floorboards. "You¡¯ve been pushing yourself too hard, old man. You keep staring into the forest like that, and you¡¯ll start seeing things that aren¡¯t there.¡±
¡°Perhaps you''re right.¡±
Meanwhile, unseen by the living, a shadowy silhouette simmered in the shadows, its presence clinging to the air like a cold mist. Standing in the doorway was a grotesque creature, a nightmarish amalgamation of bat, man, and lizard. Its mismatched features seemed cobbled together in a macabre design, each element jarring against the next in a twisted parody of life. One of its clawed hand gripped the doorframe, its sinewy body tense and motionless as it lingered just outside the cabin.
(Time: 11:50 am)
"Fetch my staff and leather satchel. The satchel should be by my bed, and the staff is near the closet where I keep my collection. Don¡¯t touch or take anything from there. I kept a demon in there as a guard, and it will report back to me if you so much as lay a finger on something that isn¡¯t yours.¡± Caesar commanded, his gaze leaving Ursula as he turned to the floor and grabbed what appeared to be a wooden doll underneath his bed.
Ursula froze mid-step, her hand hovering near the doorframe. "A demon?¡±
¡°Yeah¡±
Ursula''s eyes widened, her voice dropping to a whisper. "You¡¯re serious? You have a demon guarding your belongings? You know what the church would do if they found out? Why would you¡ª¡±
¡°don¡¯t question my methods, girl," Caesar interrupted sharply, his tone brooking no argument. He inspected the wooden doll in his hand, turning it over as though searching for something. "Demons are excellent watchdogs if you know how to control them. And I do know how to control them. And the church would be fine with it; they''re the ones that actually gave it to me.¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
¡°And it won''t harm you. I placed a lot of protective wards around this place to keep it safe from any monsters, especially demons.¡±
Ursula hesitated, glancing nervously toward the direction of the closet. ¡°And what if it tries to trick me? Demons are known for their lies, aren''t they?¡±
Caesar smirked, his eyes glinting with a mix of amusement and what Ursula presumed to be condescension. ¡°It will try to trick you. That¡¯s in its nature. But it¡¯s bound to my commands, not yours. If you don¡¯t engage with it, it won¡¯t have any power over you.¡±
Ursula swallowed hard, her throat dry as she nodded hesitantly. She stepped cautiously toward the bedroom, her boots barely making a sound on the worn floorboards. Her fingers hovered over the latch of the closet door, her heart pounding in her chest as she took a deep breath before opening the door altogether.
¡°Please,¡± the voice of a woman said, Ursula''s blood running cold as she took in her appearance. The woman''s voice trembled, barely more than a whisper, as Ursula stared at her. Her face was pale, almost ghostly under the dim light, and her wide eyes seemed to shimmered with something between fear and disbelief.
¡°Help me! That maniac has kept me trapped here for ten days without food or water. I¡¯m weak, and I can¡¯t break free from these bindings. Please, get me out of here!¡±
Ursula¡¯s breath hitched in her throat. Her fingers tightened around the closet¡¯s wooden handle as she took a cautious step back. The woman before her was bound by three iron chains, her wrists and ankles bruised from an apparent struggle. Her once-fine dress was tattered and dirt-stained, and the desperation in her eyes sent a shiver down Ursula¡¯s spine.
But something felt¡ off.
The woman''s presence was unexpected, and for all of Caesar¡¯s talk about a demon, he had not once mentioned a captive.
"Who¡ªwho are you?"
If Caesar were hiding someone in his closet, why would he tell her to go to his closet? Perhaps it could have been his memory failing him at such an old age, but she doubted that. Such a crime would have surely gotten him killed, and there''s no way he would have forgotten that there was a captive here.
The woman''s eyes darted behind Ursula toward the door, her face twisting with panic. "There''s no time! If he finds out you spoke to me, he''ll punish us both! Just free me, please!¡±
"What¡¯s your name?" she asked.
The woman''s lips parted, but for a fraction of a second, she hesitated. Then, her expression shifted so subtly that if Ursula hadn''t been watching closely, she might have missed it altogether.
"My name is¡ Evelyne.¡±
The name felt hollow¡.
It wasn''t just that, but the voice and the way the woman said it carried little to no emotion at all.
Her blood ran cold.
"You¡¯re the demon, aren¡¯t you?" Ursula whispered.
For a long moment, the thing did not move. Then, slowly, her lips curled into a smirk, the fear in her eyes completely gone as she began to grow in size. The false visage it wore, which was meant to replicate the appearance of a Middle Nordic woman, faltered before sliding off and falling to the ground with a meaty thud. As she stepped forward, chunks of her body fell to the ground. Her arms and legs elongated along with her neck, and her eyes glowed as the surroundings twisted and bent.
Ursula¡¯s breath hitched as the air in the room grew thick with the scent of sulfur and rot. The thing before her was no longer a desperate woman but an abomination, a shifting nightmare of writhing limbs and glowing, pupil-less eyes that bored into her soul.
¡°I hate humans. If that punk hadn''t warned you about me earlier, I would have been out of here and ripped you to shreds,¡± the demon sneered, its grotesque grin stretching unnaturally across its face. Its elongated fingers flexed, claws scraping against the iron bindings that kept it trapped. "Not before I had some fun with you," it added, its voice dripping with malice.
¡°''I''ve gathered all my things, so we''re set. And don''t worry about him; he can''t harm you, not without my permission. He''ll just watch as you collect what I need from my library. Now, step into the closet. The dimensional magic I''ve placed inside will handle everything, organizing exactly what I instructed you to get for me¡±
¡°Be a good little dog and don''t cause Ursula any more trouble,¡± Caesar said as he waved his hand in the air, dismissing the demon with a casual flick of his wrist. ¡°And remember your place.¡±
The chains constraining the arms, multiple legs, and neck of the demon tightened, digging into its dark, rough skin. Its eyes widened as it gasped for air, its chest heaving in desperation. Its body was forcefully lowered by the chains, the weight pulling it down as the demon plummeted to the floor in a violent crash. ¡°Cursed¡ªyou!¡± The demon¡¯s voice was ragged, its growl a mix of fury and fear.
With that, Caesar stepped out of the cabin, the door creaking softly as it shut behind him, leaving Ursula alone with the demon.
Caesar exhaled, leaning back in his worn wooden chair as he gazed out at the dense forest before him. His hands rested on the armrests, fingers absently drumming against the rough grain of the wood.
The afternoon sun bathed the treetops in a golden light, but he hardly noticed the beauty of it. His mind was elsewhere.
Not in this world, but beyond it. The normal senses and eyes tend to focus only on what is in front of them, but when your vessel completely shatters, all that remains is¡ a void. And in that space, something was watching him back.
His surroundings completely shifted; the world bending and ripping apart as the chair he was sitting on completely disappeared, with grains of sand clinging to his skin. His eyes opened slowly as he took a look at his surroundings.
No longer was he seated in his cabin, but he was now on a beach. Near the water, a woman displayed features so beautiful that they nearly defied the beauty of any woman he had ever gazed upon, including the elves of North Castle, who were pretty renowned for their beauty.
But this was no woman.
¡°Caesar, you have 10 days¡±
The voice that echoed through the air wasn¡¯t one that came from the woman¡ªno, it was something far deeper, as if it emerged from the very core of the world itself.
Caesar¡¯s heart skipped a beat, his body jerking upright as he instinctively took a step back. His gaze remained fixed on her, yet a chill gripped him as his peripheral vision caught the fleeting image of a skull, its hollow eyes staring at him. Her eyes were as cold as her soul, and she spoke in a voice that seemed to echo from everywhere but nowhere at once. ¡°My sands eagerly await your arrival Caesar.¡±
¡°Caesar¡ I got what you asked for,¡± and with that Caesar fell onto the ground, his face pale and strained as consciousness began to seep back into his body. His hands gripped the earth, claws digging into the soil as he got up from the ground.
End of Act 3