“With your power, you could have destroyed them. Why not?”

“Why…not?”

Shaden was currently tucked inside his grandfather’s arms, being carried through the city streets at an incredible pace. Despite them jumping over everyone, no one seemed to see them. He noticed that they were covered in mana—a certain pattern that looked smoky from Shaden’s point of view.

“They held you captive, no?”

“Oh.”

His grandfather’s voice was completely different than before. It was gentle and kind, like an actual grandfather who loved his grandchildren. It drastically contrasted the icy mood he had given off.

“They had me in chains.”

“Mhm.”

“They had me fazed with some kind of magic.”

“Really? They must have been wary of you.”

“I don’t know…it wasn’t that uncomfortable, just really irritating…”

Speaking with his grandfather felt very soothing. He was comfortable in his arms.

“But you were angry, were you not? Especially at the Headmistress. She failed to keep you safe.”

Had she? Shaden wasn’t aware of the details, so he didn’t know for sure, but the old lady had looked genuinely apologetic and sad. And worried.

“When I woke up…they were all staring at me. Some looked scared. There was this old man who looked creepy, so I swatted him, and…”

“And?”

Shaden buried his face into his grandfather’s coat. “It wasn’t as satisfying as I thought. Seeing everyone’s scared faces, seeing them so hopeless. It felt too real.”

Too real for comfort. What would have happened if he blew up the place? He remembered the blood that covered him on Christmas. He shivered.

“Too real…you say.”

“It’s just a dream, and I felt nervous.”

“Just a dream?”

Shaden shut his eyes. “It’s nothing. Never mind.”

Why was he speaking so much? Telling his grandfather these thoughts felt right.

“Hey, um, grandfather?”

“Grandpa will do.”

“Well. Grandpa.”

Shaden looked up into his grandfather’s face which was hidden under his cowl. He knew this feeling. It was very similar to the one he had felt when he had been chained. Relaxed. Less wary. Safe.

“Are you using some kind of charming magic on me?”

Silence. Then his grandfather began to laugh. A genuine, hearty laugh.

“So you noticed!”

Shaden nodded. It was weird that he was feeling so much at home with a person he had only met for the third time. Sure, that person was his grandfather, but that didn’t mean he would feel cozy with him right away like he did now. Even after realizing, though, the warm feeling didn’t go away.

“It is fine. My affection for you is that of a caring grandfather. You may trust me.”

Shaden wrinkled his eyebrows.

“I think my father dislikes you.”

“He does?” His grandfather muttered something inaudible under his breath. “We’ve had our shortcomings. Don’t you feel like that too?”

Sure he did. Not with Garthan, but with his real father.

“Sometimes.”

“Exactly. Now then, we are almost here.”

Shaden frowned. “My house isn’t in this direction.”

The old man smiled. “We are going to my house, my dear grandson.”

“Why?”

“You will be staying there now. Your father has approved it, so do not worry about your family.”

“Really?”

“I never lie, Shaden. Now, prepare your dagger.”

It didn’t feel like his grandfather was lying. There was no reason to. Shaden recalled something about the family name and such in the past, but he put it off to the side of his mind. If he felt like it, he could simply return home.

Besides, he liked these sorts of developments.

Shaden held his dagger tightly in his hands. Finally, at the edge of the city, his grandfather landed on the ground and let Shaden down. In front of them was a black tree, looking like it had been burnt. However, its leaves were white like snow, and the tree ominously swayed in the non-existent wind.

“Only those who hold or are trained with the dagger can see this particular tree,” his grandfather stated. He walked to the tree and put his hand on it. “My grandson, do not be afraid. Simply follow my footsteps.”

Shaden nodded.

His grandfather cut the tree with his finger down the middle. Suddenly, the tree groaned, and the small cut expanded upwards and downwards, stretching across the front of the ominous tree. Soon, the cut split in two, revealing a dark puddle within, like a portal of darkness. Or ink. His grandfather then simply stepped into the vertical puddle, and his body vanished inside.

Physically, it made no sense. He couldn’t have possibly fit within the tree. Shaden shrugged. Magic was a wonderful thing, a beautiful concept that bent reality.

Following his grandfather’s example, Shaden stood in front of the portal. His eyes noticed strange markings at the outline of the portal, like some writing from the ancient times. Magic runes, symbols, not a circle, but similar, he thought. There were so many things he still wasn’t aware of.

Now, he would discover a new part of this world.

With a deep breath, he stepped inside the darkness. The portal swallowed him, and Shaden felt like he was going through a thin, cool membrane similar to a bubble. He let out his breath when he reached the other side and opened his eyes.

In front of him was a forest of black trees with white leaves, all neatly arranged like a garden. No, it was a garden. A garden of portal-trees. All of them swayed ominously in the non-existent wind. Shaden looked back only to find more rows of black trees with white leaves. Strangely, there weren’t any leaves on the ground. Just green grass.

The air was slightly misty, and a dark, giant figure of a castle could be seen looming in the distance. It too, was covered with fog, hiding its features from people far away.

With a groan, the portal began to close. Like a cut being healed with magic, the slit on the wood sealed up, the bark reattaching itself like clay. Soon, all traces of the portal were gone.

“Where are we?” asked Shaden. This was a fantastic place. Something he had always wanted. Something that actually felt like it had come out of a dream.

“My home. And now yours. Welcome to Skotos.”

〄 〄 〄

“I believe you’ve made the right choice,” commented his grandfather. “As expected of my grandson who shares my blood.”

They were walking side by side on the road of cobblestone that led to the dark figure in the distance. Shaden’s hands were wrapped inside of his grandfather’s. They had exited the forest of black and white, so the trees Shaden was seeing now were the regular green and brown—except they were all bent and twisted in unnatural positions at the top. While their trunks were thick and solid, their branches stretched unnaturally like limbs. The whole area was a forest; Shaden couldn’t see beyond the mist and trees.

“Why do you think that?”

“Killing for satisfaction is always undesirable, my dear boy.” His grandfather turned his black eyes to Shaden. “Have you ever killed someone before?”

Shaden shook his head. How could he? Yes, he believed this world was less real than his real world. But still, it was real for him. It may be nonexistent for the others, but for him, it was real. Shaden had always been taught that harming others was bad. Destroying everyone's lives because he felt bad was...a little immature.

He would also hate to hear people scream because of him. Dream or not, he disliked harming others. And this dream—given its realism—would have disastrous effects on his psyche if he had to live with blood on his hands all his life. It wasn’t worth it.

“Have you, Grandpa?”

“Countless times.”

With this kind of mood, living in this kind of place…Shaden wasn’t surprised. Any man who gave a child a dagger with bone patterns on it would have something going on.

“What does it feel like?”

“Nothing. I do not kill for myself.”

His grandfather’s eyes were smiling. “I sensed your mana. That incredible mana, full of so much rage and anger. Yet it was replaced with a serene air…and I knew, my grandson was the best.”

“You’re complimenting me too much.”

“Oh, but I must. All these years, I have only watched you. Forgive me if I speak too much. I’m not annoying, am I?”

“No. I think you’re a nice person.”

“Why, thank you.”

The area felt incredibly empty. Except for the few crow-like birds perched on top of the trees, no signs of life were present anywhere. Shaden spotted the end of the road, blocked by a large gate of black metal. A symbol that looked like a black circle inside of a white one. The whole place gave off an eerie mood.

“Grandpa? Is it only us two?”

“Not at all! Your grandpa is a capable person. I have many servants.”

“Where is everyone?”

His grandfather smiled. It still held some warmth, but Shaden sensed something icy beneath his wrinkled eyes.

“There is a rule in this place. If anyone is seen by an outsider—or me—beyond the gate, they are to be…removed.”

Somehow, this ‘removed’ reminded Shaden of the word, ‘executed.’

“So I will see people once we enter the gate?”

“Yes. Everyone is dying to see you. There is no one above you in this place except me. So enjoy it to your heart's content. You are not scared, are you?”

Shaden shook his head. “No. I like it here. It seems mysterious.”

“Mysterious it is!” said his grandfather while chuckling. “I hope you won’t cry,” he joked. “If anyone makes you cry, come tell me. I will remove them.”

He sounded dead serious. Maybe…this place was scarier than he thought.

Soon, they reached the iron gates of the large building in the distance. Shaden’s eyes hadn’t deceived him. The building was really a castle. It sat on top of the highest hill, towering over any other structure within the gates and walls of the property. It was still a fair distance away, but Shaden could spot its jagged towers and dark, stone walls through the mist.

Like magic, the large gates swung open, creaking silently as it moved. With a small clang, the gates stopped, and Shaden and his grandfather stepped inside.

Out of nowhere, a line of men and women in dark suits and robes appeared to the sides of the road. The masked servants bowed soundlessly and waited.

“Woah!” Shaden cried. Where had they come from?

“Magnificent, aren’t they?” said his grandfather. He happily patted Shaden’s small head and smiled—like a boy showing off his brand-new toy to a friend. “Everyone here will be under your care eventually. You will learn to cherish, instruct, and command them, so remember their faces if you can.”

How? They were all masked!

His grandfather waved his hand in the air. “Don’t worry, my boy. Everything takes practice.”

Suddenly, Shaden heard the sound of hooves beating against the cobblestone, along with the sound of wheels grinding against the ground. The sharp sound pierced through the misty silence, and Shaden saw a pair of grey eyes appear around a hundred meters away.

“Is that…a horse?”

His grandfather nodded. “We can’t walk all the way to my house, can’t we?”

The jet-black horse neighed as it came to a halt in front of Shaden. A small but fancy carriage was attached to it, and one of the servants opened the door. Shaden entered, and his grandfather followed right behind him.

It felt extremely comfortable. Soft cushions, windows to the sides of the vehicle. With Shaden’s body size, he could have lain down and slept.

“Do you like it?”

“Yes. It’s very nice and soft.”

“Of course. Anything for my grandson.”

The servant closed the door and with a neigh, the horse began to tread along to the castle. Shaden looked out of the clear, glass windows and observed the scenery. Like the outside, there were a lot of trees. However, he spotted a few old-looking buildings here and there—they all looked to be made of neatly cut stone.

“What is this place?” Shaden asked. It looked too spacious and grand to be the headquarters of some secret assassination group. There was no way all the people he saw while passing by were all servants and killers.

“My home. And the homes of my subordinates. We run a delicate business, so it is proper to keep everyone safe under each other’s protection.”

Ah. That’s what it was. Shaden had been worried that he would delve into a place where they knew nothing but killing, but his fears were alleviated.

The cart came to a halt. The area was high in altitude, so the mist had grown thicker here. Shaden realized they had crossed a bridge when he looked outside.

A servant from the outside swung the door open, and his grandfather stepped out. Shaden followed his example, and his breath was taken away when he looked at the giant structure that towered into his vision.

Simple in design, yet fancy in its own way. The castle did not have any markings—its surfaces was unnaturally smooth—and yet, it contained a symmetric beauty that captivated Shaden’s heart. The towers looked as if they were made of light obsidian, and the entrance was big enough to fit three buses through side by side.

Simply breathtaking.

He approached the side of the bridge and looked down. The foggy chasm looked back at him, and Shaden quickly returned to his grandfather’s side.

The gates opened.

〄 〄 〄

“How do you like your room?” asked his grandfather.

They were in the middle of dinner. It was simple as it could be, considering the magnitude of the place—a steak, some salad and potatoes, and a glass of milk for Shaden. His grandfather had the same, only that the milk was replaced with a dark, red liquid.

“It’s nice. The mattress is fluffy, the pillows are fluffy, the blankets are smooth. The clothes feel really great too.”

Indeed. Shaden was currently in some simple T-shirt-like clothing. It was a plain grey in design, but extremely comfortable. Same with his black, long baggy pants. It felt like silk.

“But it’s so empty. There’s no one besides the servants.”

“Naturally.”

The old man chewed on a piece of meat carefully and swallowed. “The servants are seen because they need to be seen. Anyone who does not have to be seen is not.”

“So there are others besides the servants?”

“Yes. Once you learn how to hide your presence, you will be able to meet them. Before then, everyone will avoid you.”

“Why?”

His grandfather shrugged. “It was a rule I created. For someone to learn faster.”

His expression slightly grew sad, then jumped back into smiles like nothing had happened. Shaden barely noticed it, but he knew what he had seen.

“Now, it will help you learn faster! Isn’t that wonderful?”

“Mmmmm…”

Shaden bit into some meat and gulped it down with milk. It was boring to stay alone, so he would have to quickly adapt to this new situation.

“Will you teach me how?”

His grandfather beamed. “Absolutely. We can begin now if you wish.”

“That sounds good.”

“Well then!”

His grandfather disappeared. Shaden’s eyes widened in disbelief. Weirdly enough, the fork and knife were still moving and slicing the meat in front of them, and someone chewed it, swallowed it, then took a swig of wine.

Seconds later, his grandfather materialized again. Right where he used to be. He glanced at Shaden with a sly smile.

“How was that?”

“Amazing!”

Invisibility magic? No…Shaden would have sensed him then, at least a small presence with his mana. Even while the eating utensils were moving, Shaden hadn’t felt anything. This was something far more complex than becoming invisible to the eye.

“What did you do?” asked Shaden with wide eyes.

“Mana, my boy. The Academy must have taught all about it, no?”

“Some. Like patterns and circulating.”

“Yes…circulating. It is the basic of all basic techniques. Patterns…this is something similar. But far more complex. A specialization, to be exact.”

Specialization. Shaden heard that phrase before. The sword-breaking technique his brother always blabbered about all the time, saying he would master it—was a specialization from the Sword of Ice and Cold.

“Aren’t I too young to learn it?”

“No one is too young for anything. Hmm…perhaps the concept may be too difficult for the mind of a child. But you are my grandson. I believe you will be able to grasp it quickly.”

“Please. Teach me.”

His grandfather beamed happily and smiled. “First, a toast! To our family, and to my grandson who has finally returned,” he said while holding up his glass cup.

“Umm…” Shaden held his cup of milk up. “A…toast to me?”

“You don’t have to say anything when it is addressed to you. But you will learn. Now, drink with me.”

Feeling slightly awkward, Shaden raised the glass to his lips and drank a gulp of milk. Yep, he wasn’t used to this at all.