“How many times are you going to read that?” Monthu asked with a growl, stalking towards L. “I truly hope it’s that good or the guy’s dead.”

The lord of the city bit his lip, turning to face him. “It’s better,” he said in a shaky voice, eyes returning to the document in hand.

It wasn’t much at first glance. Old papyrus with faded three lines scrawled in a barely legible script.

But those simple words changed everything. Or they should. Hopefully. For it was an incantation. One written ages ago. And having something to do with angels.

“It’s going to save us,” L whispered with so much conviction Monthu was taken aback. “Why so? Because the kid brought it?”

“He wouldn’t have lied,” L said with a small smile blossoming on his face. “He often keeps the truth to himself but when he talks, he doesn’t lie. It’s the way he is. “

Monthu barked out a laugh. “Do you hear yourself?”

L shifted his gaze from the papyrus to the man at his side. He was never a ray of sunshine but the way he stormed in and this anger now. Something must have happened outside. “What happened?” he asked watching with care for any reaction.

Shouldn’t have bothered. Monthu was like an open book. The way his eyes narrowed on the boy, fists clenched told most of the story. His whole body had went rigid, strung tight like a bow before release, shaking to be freed.

“What did he do?” L asked in a voice that brought no argument.

Monthu glared his way but answered. “He insinuated that I’ve been controlling him all the time.”

L’s eyes went round. “Did what?” The anger and frustration in the other man’s face told him he had heard right. “Now, this is an interesting day,” he muttered to himself and went to his chair.

Instead of sitting down, he opened one of the handles and took out a large bottle. “I don’t know about you but I need a drink.” There was a glass inside and he poured himself a good dose. Gulped it in one go.

Liquid burned down his throat and he sighed in contentment. He was drinking way too much these days but the circumstances required. Every day a new disaster struck and by all laws of nature, worse than the one before.

His commander stalked close and grabbed the bottle by the neck, taking a few generous gulps. Grimaced. “What do you have here?”

L shrugged, taking the bottle for himself. “Hell, if I know,” he answered pouring a glass. It filled to the brim but instead of drinking he turned to his commander, raising the glass. “So what are you thinking?”

Monthu’s eyes flashed towards the sleeping boy before he brought them back to L. “I’m trying not to do that, at the moment.”

“Is that so?” L asked, moving towards the window. He sat on the sill, eyes trained on the horizon. Fires were still going strong but it was clear this was a glorifying moment. Most of the rogues should have been caught or killed, rest scattered in all four directions to save their lives.

Soldiers could freely organise fire fighting squads and soon they would all go out. Extinguished like his dreams of conquering Oradin. A pretty wish. One he should have known was too much for someone like him.

One of his lip corners lifted up. He still had one card to play. Kid had brought it and he planned to make the most of. It. After Monthu’s reveal he had more doubts it would work, but he had nothing to lose. Everything that could be taken from him would be gone in a few hours one way or another.

“What are you thinking?” Monthu asked with an emphasis on you. He came to stand by the window too, holding himself up at the top sill.

“That I’m not nearly drunk enough,” L muttered, downing his glass. The sting almost made him choke. “That would have been embarrassing,” he muttered under his breath and stood up.

He took the few steps towards the table and lifted the scroll up. Should he read it now? Cast the spell? Or was a magician preferable? Should he call one?

So many questions and the only one who could answer them out cold. He walked towards the boy and squatted down, shaking him in an attempt to raise him to the world of living. It was pointless. L didn’t even feel like he was moving someone alive.

The boy was like a doll, ignorant of everything around.

“Get away!” Monthu screamed and jumped to push him off. The next moment L heard a whoosh of wings, talons screeching on stone and angry hisses, croaks. He raised his eyes to see what had happened and blinked couple of times to make sure he was seeing right.

“Am I dreaming?”

“He was always good at pretending, it’s no surprise his illusions are master level too,” Monthu said with a shake of his head. Disgust in his voice.

“Oh, right...” L muttered, accepting the hand to get up. He dusted his robe off before remembering it’s been centuries since the last time it was clean. “So he’s tricked everyone.”

Commander glared at the boy. “Not the first time.”

“And I’m sure not the last. Though, news like these keep dropping and dropping my hopes of the spell working. I’ve got a feeling by the time I cast, I’ll be sure it’ll do more damage than good if this continues.”

Monthu chuckled without any joy. “You have no choice but to try. Those people below, they depend on you.”

L nodded in thought, watching the boy, and his companions. It was hard to believe they were anything but a group of angels. Pristine white robes, strong but welcoming faces, wide, shining young snow like wings folded on the back. Nothing was out of the place.

If not for the discrepancies. First were sounds; talons on the stone, croaks and hisses. This was only made more obvious when illusion lagged behind the creature, not changing shape or form, getting stuck on the lower ceiling or in furniture.

“What is he doing with a flock of birds?” he finally asked, eyes trained on the things in question. They were surrounding the boy as if he was their charge, making sure no one could harm him.

There was no answer. L turned towards Monthu but the commander was looking outside. “You should hurry if you plan to try anything.”

L rose to see the sky lightening up. Morning was coming and with it his demise. “What is that?” he asked, remembering having that question not too long ago.

“Doubt anything good,” Monthu answered as they both stared at Marion’s camp. On a hill, dark shapes stood in a circle. Wind lashed around, bending trees and raising branches, rocks in the air.

L’s brow creased as he thought, trying to remember why this felt so familiar. He’d seen it somewhere before?

“Expedition’s reports,” Monthu said. “Marion seem to have taken inspiration from our failure,” he said with a bark of laugher.

“That bastard,” L hissed, clenching the scroll in his hand. “He dares to mock me?” That was too much. Being insignificant was bad enough but made fun of? There had to be a limit.

He moved to the window and with eyes only for Marion’s main tent started the incantation. “Worlds collide and fall apart, continents change and shift, what you see today may not be there tomorrow, Scatter!”

Last syllables echoed in the room as he finished and stared outside. Nothing happened. Not a single stone lifted to acknowledge his casting. Just in case he checked his mana bar but it was as full as ever. The spell hadn’t taken anything.

L stood in slow motion, eyes taking in everything below. Something must have happened. Could his anger result in this? In nothing? He moved from one window to another, looking for something unnatural. Something that shouldn’t be there.

It wasn’t there. Fires burned, little shapes poured water on them, walls stood still, few sentinels standing while others curled where they had stood, asleep. Exactly the same sight he’d seen five minutes before.

Monthu put a hand on his shoulder. “You tried.”

“Maybe if I called a real magician here...” L whispered with shoulders slumped, eyes down.

He didn’t call for one, and Monthu didn’t ask why. They both knew well enough there was no hope. It was a folly to entertain the thought something might work.

The kid had tricked them and that was all.

Tower groaned. Both were at the window the next instant. Their inquisitive looks were answered by a grumble from the ground below. One, two and then a large tear opened right under Marion’s tent, swallowing it whole.

Monthu and L looked at each other, eyes wide. “Did you just see..,” L started, not able to finish. His answer was a slow nod. “I’m really not drunk enough for this.”

Commander smiled at that as they turned to the window once more. The show wasn’t yet over. Earth shook and more holes opened up. Each right under some important structure or a large amount of people, animals.

This was no random earthquake. Shaking was minimal within the city walls while outside chaos broke loose. For the second time that night. People ran in circles, having no idea what was happening, screams of swallowed ones reverberated through the air, encouraging others to run faster.

Though that did little help. Tears in the ground opened without any pattern L could see. Back and forth through the whole camp that was kilometres in diameter. Tens of thousands of soldiers, mages and even more supporting staff. Smiths, paddlers, cooks, merchants and entertainers.

They all found themselves being devoured without exception. Wherever more of them crowded up a tear opened and they were gone. The hole closing up after.

Soon the defenders woke up from the sounds, one should have been dead to sleep through that. For a time they weren’t sure what was happening but seeing their opponents suffering, started to cheer none the less. As long as it was bad for the other side, it was something to be happy about.

L found it silly but he was quickly distracted by the mages in Marion’s camp. They were still casting on their hill and the wind was growing worse. He could see a twister contained in the middle, expanding with every passing second.

He pointed it to Monthu and together they watched their doom coming into shape. They were going to win but get destroyed in the process. Better than L had expected but still... Why couldn’t something truly good hap-

His thought was interrupted by Monthu showing him two figures dancing into a group of soldiers. It was far off but L could swear he saw one of them changing shape. Rowena. So she had survived. Relief washed over him.

Right before another thought struck. What was she doing getting out of hiding? It even seemed like she attacked the soldiers herself. He shook his head in annoyance. How was he going to explain to her sisters why she’d died?

As he watched, the two figures caught attention of some fifty soldiers and then started running. ‘Finally, they might still have some brains left,’ L thought, following their flight.

‘Or not.’ They were moving towards the hill. Did they not see the mages? Were too distracted to feel the wind? Rowena toppled over. The other figure dragged her up and they were running towards the hill once more.

When they reached the base, L understood what they were planning. “It’s a suicide!” he burst out, smashing his fist into the windowsill.

“Someone believes you deserve a second chance.”

L gave him a dirty look. “Thanks.” He returned to the room for his bottle but found it empty. “Damn,” he cursed and stalked back.

“Just enjoy the show,” Monthu suggested. “You’ll have a lot of opportunities to curse when you hear final reports later.”

L grumbled but had to agree. It was painful to even look at his own city. Earthquake didn’t do much damage but buildings didn’t go unscathed either. There lanterns broke on the pavement, here windows shattered, in another place old roof fell in or a wall split.

Not even thinking about lack of iron, wood, other materials and food. There was nothing in stock.

First beam of sunlight pushed through the clouds. It gave little light off but the earth, as if sensing it, started to settle. Fewer and fewer hungry tears opened up until they stopped all together.

Sun had just risen by then and lighted the fields surrounding Lasran. Empty, ghost like. Where just this night an uncountable army stood, there was nothing left. Whole ground was swept clean. Only patches of brown earth showed where tears had opened.

“This is somewhat anticlimactic, don’t you think so?” L asked after a while, turning away. He rested his eyes on the sleeping boy and the misshapen forms of angels. “No fight or anything, just the ground swallowed them and that’s it.”

Monthu stood from his place. “Did you really want another fight?”

L looked at his hands. “No, not in these circumstances not. But if we had been on equal footing...”

“That’s not happening,’ he said reaching the door. “I’ll go look how its below.”

“Be careful. Some might have ill-intent.”

His commander threw a poisonous look at the kid sleeping near the wall and left. The birds complained after him, croaking in their strange voices for a few minutes before settling down. And then it was quiet.

For half a second. Then L felt air being pushed out of his lungs and energy seeping from his body. He tried to keep balance, but legs gave under him and he barely caught himself before face planting the ground.

His eyes went to his status bars and widened in response. Mana was going down in rapid speed, energy with hunger following suit. Was he going to be drained to death? Spell taking more than he had to offer?

Well, at least he managed to save the city. Once he revived, he would be able to appraise the situation and think how to proceed forward. In the meantime Monthu would watch over the city.

As he thought that, the pressure on his body stopped. He was left with bare minimum enough for survival but not dead yet. Doors opened with a bang and commander was next to him, helping him up.

“I heard you fall. What happened?”

“Spell took its toll, apparently it asks you to pay only after its job,” he murmured, allowing himself to be brought to his chair. “Quite efficient, if you ask me,” he added after a moment’s thought.

Monthu inclined his head. “I see. It hurt you the worst as a caster.”

“Worst?” L asked with interest.

“Yeah, all of my mana and half of energy is gone and I heard groans from the courtyard. Everyone in the city must have been taken as sacrifices for the spell.”

L leaned back with a sigh. “Don’t say sacrifices. No one died, did they?” Monthu shook his head. “That’s it then. Spell is done, city safe and no deaths .It couldn’t be any better.”

The kid shifted in his place by the wall, drawing attention to himself. He rolled over, rubbing his eyes, feeling as sleepy as before. Had he even slept any? “It could,” he said between yawns. “It could if Marion was actually dead.”

Two pairs of eyes bore into him. “Explain,” L ordered, all lightness gone from his voice.

“This is not a killing spell,” Ace answered taking out a piece of dried meat to chew on. “As the name pertained, it just scattered the army in all four directions. You have a week, two at most before Marion is back at your doors.”

“What kind of useless spell is that?” L growled, clenching his fingers into a fist. He might have smashed the chair’s handle for impact if it wasn’t open and he didn’t feel so weak.

Ace stood up and came close. “I gave you time.” He pointed at L with the meat. “That’s more than you had a way of achieving, or even hoped to.”

It was true. L had been thinking of dying with his city but no way in hell was he admitting that to the kid. “Had I? I don’t remember telling you I had no plan.”

“Your plan was for me to find a way to save you,” Ace sneered, his whole face twisting with disgust. “You had nothing and expected me to destroy a whole army on my own. Newsflash, I’m not a god!”

L opened his mouth to say something but no words left. He didn’t really have an answer to that accusation. One that was also true. Not that the boy waited for him.

“I’m good at killing, sure,” he said with venom in his voice, eyes icy blue, cold, sharp. “But what did you expect? That alone I’d kill more than a hundred thousand players so that you have a fighting chance? No?” he asked with mockery, noticing L’s wince.” No? Then what did you expect? Why did you call for me as if I was some messiah, able to protect you from any catastrophe?”

”He wanted you to be here and fight with everyone for what you believed in,” Monthu said in a quiet tone. It was strange how there was no anger in it when he’d been so livid before. “But you don’t know what that is, do you? Being together? Trusting others?”

Ace spit, laughter bubbling in his chest. “Trust? Why should I ever do that? You never cared for me, I was always that dabbling brat that got in your way! Did you think I didn’t hear when you talked? Not notice how many times you tried to escape me?”

“It was at the beginning and you know it,” Monthu said with harshness. “Befor-”

“Before what?” Ace asked with a laugh, cutting him off. “Before you started to like me? Don’t delude yourself, such lies won’t work on me. You hated me from the start and later just learnt to tolerate my presence, you understood it wasn’t going anywhere,” he said with a hiss.

Then he moved his eyes to L. “Why so quiet? Once again letting others fight your battles?”

“You!” L breathed in a growl, pushing himself off the chair but Monthu blocked him with the hand. “Don’t,” he said in a whisper. “He’s itching for a fight so he taunts you.”

Surprise flashed through the kid’s face but it was gone as soon as it appeared. “Am I?” he asked in his mocking tone once more. “But then...” he faked his features into a sorrowful expression, “you were such a lousy sport last time.”

Commander’s hand twitched but he didn’t get baited. L had to admire his control. Himself he was already jumping off his chair and he wasn’t even the main attraction for the boy. Just a side dish.

“What happened to you?” Monthu asked in a quiet, consolatory voice.

It made the kid even angrier. “Happened? Shitty world happened, that’s what! Now you ...” he started saying but got caught in the words. It was clear he wanted to demand something but had no idea what.

This whole argument, it had started so swift and random; L had no idea what was it even about. It wasn’t like he had forced the boy to do anything. All he had done was of his own volition.

On top of that, he’d succeeded. He’d found a way to aid them so why in the world was he so furious? It made zero sense.

“Why did you do it?” Monthu asked, soft as before. L wasn’t sure the kid would even hear.

But he did. Guilt flashed through his eyes before being masked. He was like an open book today. All his emotions in clear view. That certainly proved that something wasn’t as it should. The kid had been a master pretender, and those kind of people weren’t prone to emotional backlashes.

Thought, if this was an act, the boy was a genius.

He turned his face away, looking at the window. L had a feeling he was contemplating escape. “I had no choice,” Ace said instead. “You, you didn’t...me” His voice was soft as a whisper, and quiet. L didn’t know whether he missed the last words or they were never uttered.

“Stop,” Monthu said, moving towards him with slow steps. He held his hands in the open as if approaching a scared wild animal. “Don’t hide behind your anger.”

“But there’s nothing else,” the boy whined, taking a few steps back. He bit his lip, eyes darting around the room. Birds rose from their place, coming to surround him. The illusions he’d put long ago hiding him from sight.

Monthu ignored them, stepping in. Birds came after him, beaks hitting his armour and flesh where there was none. He was oblivious to it all. All his concentration was on the little boy hiding beneath.

When he was close enough, he lowered himself to be on the same eye level. “What is your name?” he asked, looking straight at the boy.

The kid tried to turn away but involuntarily his gaze returned to the man before him. He was young for an adult but there was something in his eyes. Something very familiar. Ace could see the anger, distrust but that wasn’t what caught his attention.

Pain. Suffering. Rage built from them. Turned into armour and shield. Emotions hidden deep from sight so that no one would see, judge. So that you could be alone with your hurt. No one to betray you.

And the man showed it all to him.

Without asking for anything. He knew Ace wasn’t ready to give it. His walls were too high, too thick. They weren’t going to fall in one strike. Instead he was asked to take a look outside.

Did he want to? The question brought back memories, childhood. When he was just a little child, silly, innocent. Happy. Had that even been true? The memories were fogged, blurry, distant.

“Hey,” the man said in a gentle voice. His voice returned Ace from his reverie, the darkness he was soon to enter. It was ethereal how the man had sensed, known that a moment more and he would have been gone. All doors closed shut.

Didn’t he deserve a reward for that? For being able to reach where none ever had?

“Kirin,” he answered, holding Monthu’s gaze. Watching for any reaction, any give away that something was wrong, that this was all a lie, a way to trick him.

He didn’t give him any. “I am Aiden. And you have one unique name.”

A trace of a smile passed through Kirin’s face. “My parents, they were kids themselves. It was on a play they met and named me after one of its characters.”

“That’s very sweet of them,” Aiden said taking a step closer. Kirin’s first instinct was to run but he stilled himself. He wanted to see where this went. Be betrayed one more time. Prove his silly heart that humans were the true monsters. “Are they with you now?”

Kirin shook his head. “They have more important business to attend.”

“More important than their son?”

“They deserve a life of their own,” he said, part anger, part regret. His eyes went downwards as more memories returned. Today seemed like a day of who could hurt him most. Others or he himself. “They never got the chance.”

Always caring for him. From the moment he was born their life was destroyed. Not even in high school yet. That’s how young the two had been. Children, no more. But forced into a life they didn’t deserve. Having to take care of him, feed him.

Neither of their families fascinated with the prospect. Furious, disgusted. They close to threw them out. It was a wonder they managed to finish high school, what with him and having to work part-time.

Strong people. That’s who they were. Surviving and persevering no matter what fate threw in their way. He admired their courage and stubbornness, knowing he had to let go. For all that, they deserved to be happy.

Without extra baggage to drag them down.

Him.

“You truly believe that’s how they feel?” Aiden asked lifting Kirin’s chin up. “You’re their son.”

“I’m a freak,” he said in a tone empty of emotion. “Stuck in time, frozen in place, unable to move forward. Child forever. I’m unnatural, wrong.” His eyes blazed at the last words. “I shouldn’t exist.”

Without a second’s hesitation Aiden stood up and engulfed Kirin in a hug. He struggled at first, wanting out, away but the man was bigger and his grip tight. It would have had to become a fight if he truly wanted out.

He wasn’t sure whether that was true or not. Everything seemed so superficial now. What had he been doing here? Why was he even in this game?

Warmth spread through him and he relaxed in the embrace. It wasn’t like he would win anything by fighting back. Moment more and he would be released, free to be on his own once more. That’s the way it was.

“How long have you lived with those thoughts?’ Aiden asked, not releasing the boy yet. Kirin hid his head in the man’s chest. “Since forever?”

There was no way to identify the moment he understood. He was a child, happy to always stay this way, not wanting to grow up, and then he knew better. Nothing happened. Major, at least.

He just woke up one morning and knew. Everything was wrong. Him most of all.

“Decade?” he said with a shift of his shoulder. “Less or more. I no longer remember.”

“Are you older than me then?” Aiden asked with a small smile and Kirin giggled. He wasn’t sure why or how but the sound just escaped. Unchecked and unprocessed. Not valued for what it would bring to the conversation. “I might.”

“Should I refer to you with respect then? Call you big brother?” he asked. It was such a weird thing to hear. Kirin looked up to meet a smiling gaze aimed at him. He turned away. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

Mockery was the only true thing. If he pretended, it would be all right. No one would come close enough to hurt. But what was he supposed to do when someone came to understand him? Without any preconceptions? Asking him to tell the real story?

“Twenty one,” he said in a small voice. Surprise registered in the widening of Aiden’s eyes. He wasn’t expecting that. Truth never brought anything good. Kirin braced himself for disbelief or anger, disgust for supposedly having lied.

Instead he received a ruffling of his hair. “I’m still an elder to you then,” the man winked at him, “kid.”

Kirin pushed him away, indignation rising in his chest. How did he dare? That was... friendly teasing. He looked up to see Aiden without any guilt, smiling as if everything was just as he had planned it to.

Maybe it was. Did he want it to be? Kirin had a hard time deciding. “You’re not nice,” he concluded on saying. It was a silly thing but what did it matter.

The man burst out laughing at that. “Really? That’s the best you’ve got?”

“What if it is?” Kirin asked with hands on his hips, putting an air of importance. It was so easy to fall into one of his acts. They were like a second skin. One more familiar than his own.

Aiden’s eyes narrowed at his show. He didn’t like something but didn’t say it aloud. Another secret, another lie. That’s what people were. Why did he want so bad to believe otherwise when truth was before him every day of the week?

“Trist has been missing you,” he said, catching Kirin off-guard. Trist? Who was that? Seeing confusion on his face Aiden explained. “Paradox’s name is Tristain, Trist.”

“And you said I had a weird name?” Kirin asked in disbelief, all distrust forgotten in view of new knowledge. Secrets revealed. “Are your parents literature teachers, or what?”

“Coincidence,” Aiden answered with a tight lipped smile. “We’re adoptive brothers.”

That wasn’t part of what Kirin had expected to hear. Not even close. His mouth went open in a silent question he wasn’t sure he should ask.

Aiden seemed to sense it and lifted a shoulder. Let it fall. “I was a smart kid and his parents didn’t have children for a very long time. Someone needed to inherit their business.”

Truth was a dangerous thing. Now Kirin was sure of it. He knew why Aiden told his secrets. It was a play. Way to force him into a corner.

Problem was it worked. He wanted to know more and in that way sunk deeper. There was nothing worse than knowing you were going into a trap, and still doing so. He was being fattened like a pig for slaughter.

Humans were such complicated yet simple beings. Easy to figure out but impossible to comprehend. “Will you tell me more?” he asked with a tilt of his head.

“That depends, do you want to know more?”

Secret for a secret. Business like trade. Kirin had no way of refusing. Respect was what he ever dreamed but never received. To be treated as a normal person, that was more than he expected.

How could he refuse?

“Deal.”