The boy is dreaming the same dream again. In the dream, the boy is being stabbed, like the usual. Constantly, repeatedly, always in the same place. The sound of his loved ones would pierce the air, screaming for help as they are hacked to death, begging for him to come save them. It’s the same dream he had a hundred times before. What’s different this time is the boy is just standing there, like a statue. He doesn’t block or dodge any of the attacks. He doesn’t parry or retaliate against his numerous attackers. He doesn’t even attempt to aid his family, he had tried to save them countless time before, back then before his fall into the Time Abyss. But this time… this time he chooses to stay silent.

Their cries fall on deaf ears. The boy doesn’t even look at his dying family. His eyes are busy scanning the horizon, as if waiting for something to happen. And sure enough, something does.

Suddenly there is an intensely bright flash. Like the light from a thousand exploding sun, the boy is forced to cover his eyes again like last time or else he would go blind.

After the boy has counted to ten and opened his eyes, he sees a huge fireball rising tens of miles away in the horizon. Even though it is impossible to see from this distance, the boy knows the fireball had vaporize everything it touches. The heat from the explosion is so powerful the boy can feel it from where he’s standing. The fireball continues rising into the air, climbing higher and higher like a demon clawing its way out of hell. As it rises, the ground under the blast it sucked up. Dirt, dust, pieces of rock, anything that is there is shattered into tiny particles.

The rising fireball super-heats the air, and the boy knows what’s about to happen next, again. The air is blasted outwards and creates a shock wave. Even though the boy knows the shock wave is coming and tries his best to brace himself, it still knocks him and everything around him backwards. The boy is thrown like a rag-doll until he slams into a stop against a cliff wall.

The boy doesn’t even groan in pain or pause to catch his breath, he immediately dodges to his left. A huge slab of rock crashes into the place he was leaning against just seconds earlier.

A flying piece of shrapnel will enter my left eye and exit the back of my head, creating a huge hole where my brain used to be. Better stay low for now.

The boy continues to duck and cover as he scrambles to find his bearings.

Any second now, a boulder will come hurtling from the sky, fucking hit me on my blind side. Should I jump to the right like last time or try something new?

The boy decides to wing it and leaps backwards. No sooner than he done so, a huge boulder smashes like a meteor into the place where he was standing just moments earlier.

Okay. We are officially stepping on uncharted ground now. This is the longest we have survived since we’ve had that new explody sequence added to our dream. Can we survive long enough to find out the cause of-

A spear-shaped rock flies like a missile and pierces the boy’s side, thus ending his dream of uncovering the mystery that has been plaguing his dreams for several nights now.

The boy wakes up with a start. He stares at the ceiling of his bedroom in Rolfe Primero’s manor. The boy suppresses the deep urge to grab the spare pillow located to the right side of his head and smothers his face in, anything to halt the frustrated yell the boy feels creeping up from inside his throat

As the stabbing pain from his side gradually subsides (inflicted by the spear-shaped rock in his dream of course), the boy slowly discovers a new dull pounding pain is beginning to take over, especially from his nether region.

What the…

The boy flings over the blanket that’s been covering his body until now and looks down. As the boy stares at his own bare crotch, trying to piece together last night events that would lead up to the current state of his battered and bruised manhood, it doesn’t even occur to him that he’s been sleeping naked the whole time.

After a while, the boy heaves out a huge groan. He gets up from his bed, freshens and cleans himself a bit using a white washcloth and water basin nearby before putting on a set of clean clothes that has been prepared and folded neatly on top of the short wardrobe by the bed.

As the boy sits down in front of the dresser mirror, he gazes at his reflection and begins adjusting his dark long hair that could cover half his face. He slicks one loose lock of hair and puts it behind his left ear. It’s getting too long now, should I cut it? I really don’t want Rolfe to get any weird ideas… the boy ponders.

Any other day, the boy would have been fine with his current hairstyle. It would sometimes remind him of his own mother, his real mother. A few days after her death, the boy had immediately left the Greenthumb Estate, the place where he had spent most of his childhood. He didn’t bother bringing along any of his mother’s keepsake. Back then, he feared that if he had brought along her belongings, he would end up throwing them away. Not because carrying such items would slow him down or make him a target of thieves, but because seeing them would bring him pain and remind the boy of his loss.

When he got older later on down the road, the boy deeply regretted his decision. Since he didn’t want to go back, the boy decided to keep his hair long to honor the memories of his dearly departed mother. But now, that decision is currently being fiercely debated.

Sorry Mom, the boy finally makes up his mind, getting up from the small bench in front of the dresser mirror. The sanctity of your son’s rear end needs to be protected. I’m sure you would understand.

Just as he is about to exit the bedroom to go downstairs and meet Rolfe, the boy suppresses a pained grunt. The aching from his crotch is making it difficult for him to walk normally. The boy lets out a long sigh.

The things I do for humanity, murmurs the boy as he begins the arduous task of gingerly navigating down those flight of stairs.

***************************************************************

“Good morning Rolfe.”

“Hey you, welcome back to the land of the living. I was almost worried there. Thought I needed to go up and check what’s keeping you.”

“Sorry, I had a rough night.”

“You don’t have to tell me, I was there as well. Fancy some lamb legs?”

“Lamb legs for breakfast?”

“Lunch. Here, take one. You seriously don’t have any idea what time it is?”

“Well since there aren’t any clocks hanging on the walls of your house, no. This taste so godsdamn delicious by the way. You really are threatening my heart by taking my stomach hostage.”

“Thanks. It’s a secret family recipe. Any woman who thinks the way to a man's heart is through his stomach is aiming about 10 inches too high. Don’t you have powers you can use to check?”

“Not for looking up information on such trivial things like what’s the time now, I don’t. And while we’re on the subject of the way to a man’s heart, can I ask you a question?”

“Sure, first you need a young lamb that’s only been fed-“

“Not about the secret family recipe.”

“Oh. What was the question again?”

“It’s about- No, wait. Secret family recipe and you were ready to tell me at the drop of a hat?”

“Well, since we’re family there’s no harm telling you.”

*chokes

The boy coughs and splutters loudly. That’s what usually happens when a piece of lamb meat gets stuck in your throat.

“You okay?”

“…water please.”

“Here you go.”

“…thanks.”

“You good?”

“Yes. Should have chewed more. Wait, if we’re family, does this mean you’ll be taking my family name?”

“Don’t be silly. If anyone’s taking anything, it will be you taking on the name Primero.”

“Are you sure? I’ve got two family names that you can choose from. One from my mother’s maiden name and one from my adopted parents, the Greenthumbs. Well if you wanna get technical, I’ve got three family names, the third one’s from my real father. But I hate that asshole’s guts so there’s no way I’m taking his family name.

“Nope, still Primero.”

“No wait, I’ve actually got four family names! It was just two days ago when I got adopted again. How could I forget? I’m Stormrage Acanthus… well, Darrell Stormrage Acanthus if you wanna be a dick about it, but still…”

“Rolfe Acanthus… Doesn’t have a nice ring to it. So I’m afraid it’s a no.”

“Are you certain? Because I’m sure my old man will be pretty bummed out that the Acanthus family name ends with me.”

“Rolfe Primero, that’s the kinda name that if you see it coming your way, you'd cross to the other side of the street. Rolfe Acanthus? Won't be any running away from it.”

“Well I guess we could bestow the Acanthus name to our children if we ever have any. Make their grandpappy happy and keep him from keeling over and dying from a broken heart.”

“So what was the question again?”

“You want me to pop the question now? But I haven’t got a ring ready yet. Nor have I finished school or gotten a job with a steady income. On second thought, maybe it would work out if I could ask the old man to raise my allowance.”

"Not the ask-for-my-hand-in-marriage question you fucking idiot. I meant the original question that you wanted to ask earlier."

"Oh yeah, that would have made more sense."

"Idiot…"

“Now I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, seeing how you’ve been gracious enough to feed me and clothed me…”

“Don’t forget planning to teach you on how to fight using mana as well as equipping you with various inventions, scrolls, pills and potions to aid you on your quest to save the world. Don't everybody thank me at once. Anyway I’m sensing a “but” coming up.”

“But would you mind telling me why my dick looks like you rode it off a godsdamn cliff?”

“Like I’ve said earlier.”

“…”

“Aim lower.”

“Seriously, my dick looks like it went toe-to-toe in a 15 round fight with a Shahjahadian bare knuckles heavyweight champion.”

“If you must know. You passed out in the middle of the first round with me last night.”

“And then what happened?”

“Well, your dick was still stiff. And you know me; waste not, want not. A pole’s a pole so I finished the rest of the 14 rounds by myself.”

“…”

“What?”

“You are definitely a cold-hearted bastard from which there is no escape.”

“Every boy wants a girl who likes sex, until they get a girl who likes sex.”

“Ok firstly, I’m not a boy. I’m a grown man who time travelled and was forced into my younger body. Secondly, you’re not a girl. You’re an ageless nameless entity who got stuck playing house.”

“And what would you suggest I should do as an alternative?”

“I know what’s wrong with you, Rolfe. You’re bored. Get your coat, let’s go for a trip to the town of Sunnyville. See the sights. I’ve been thinking of getting a haircut as well so it’d be killing two birds with one stone.”

“Aren’t you forgetting Headmaster Joss has me put under house arrest for hitting Master Wes?”

“Pfft. Like you’d let something as insignificant as that stop the great Rolfe Primero. You’ve got that mask that could alter your face lying around in your workshop, don’t you? Let me get it for you, you put it on, bing, bam, boom! We get the hell outta this house.”

“…”

"Breathe some fresh air. Eat dinner at one of several fine dining establishment that’s available at Sunnyville Town. Later on at night if you’re feeling frisky, we could visit the local House of Pleasure. You get a girl that you like, or guy, honestly at this point I really don’t care. My main concern right now is to nurse my dick back to life. You do your thing while I sit in a corner quietly with my dick in my hand, trying to resurrect it.”

“Dominoes…”

“So what do you think? Wanna ditch this dump and head towards greener pasture?”

“Rows upon rows of dominoes...”

“Or we could stay at home and play board games like you say. You’ve got anything besides dominoes? Shahjahadian chess perhaps?”

“I know what you’re trying to do…”

“What is it that you think I’m trying to do?”

“You’re hoping to rope me into your hopeless cause. You’re fixing on recruiting me.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Rolfe. I have the noblest of intention.”

“Let me guess, when we’re in town, you’ll indirectly get us to run into some trouble with the lawless elements located there.”

“Well I’d never... such audacity. Here I am trying to be a good person-"

“And when we’re fighting with our backs against each other, you and me taking on a group of heavily armed thugs, it should spark something inside me, a fire…”

“I am both hurt and sadden by your baseless and wild accusation.”

“And when that excitement has died out, you’ll hook me in with another adventure. This time the stakes would be higher, maybe this time it would be against the whole criminal underworld. After I had gotten down from that high, you won’t even need to raise the subject. It’d be me who approaches you first, asking if I could tag-along.”

“Good gods Rolfe. You’re making it sound like I’m a drug dealer or something.”

“Then, it’d be against the Baron who has ties with the criminal underground. Next, we’d be fighting the Viscount who is friends with the Baron. After that, the Earl who has a vested interest in the Viscount. Earl, Marquess, Duke, Prime Minister, Prince, Prince Regent, King, a coalition of kings, demigod, god, a pantheon of gods, Razors who are killing the followers of the gods, and finally, the person or people behind the Razors.”

“…”

“Did I miss anyone?”

“Okay, a simple "no" would have done just fine, but yeah.”

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I won’t fight your battles for you. I’m done trying to save the world.”

“I’ve been a fool. You won’t come with me. Not for excitement...”

“No.”

“Nor for adventure.”

“Nope.”

“Certainly not for love.”

“Thousands of true loves, across an infinite number of universes. Remember?”

“Rolfe Primero would only come… for my dick, as proven by himself several times last night.”

………………

………

…

“I’m gonna punch you in the dick really, really hard right now.”

***************************************************************