You can picture a face, remember the person’s shape, but the person’s eyes you can never truly keep in your memory. If you stared deep enough into one’s eyes you could witness the nature of their entire being.

When Thael looked upon his son, the first time he had seen him in more than thirteen years, he did not recognize his eyes – cold and distant, hinting at a rabid cruelty within those umber depths.

Hiro stared back and nodded. “Hello, Father.”

It was the eve of the Possession. The first Possession that would take place would be Hiro, the sole Watcher being Thael. He had called for an audience with the Grey Council for such a request. They had denied him at first. All except Osbern, and his vote was enough.

Thael faced Hiro, taking a step closer. His son was clothed in the white garb and cloak of the Relinquished. Just a year older than when Thael was deemed worthy of undertaking the ritual.

“Do you remember what I told you?” he whispered so that only Hiro could hear. “You show it what you have seen. What you have felt, and what you have lost feeling of. Show it why it must never experience this world, and it shall beg to serve you.”

He nodded to the initiate who carried the casket of Wraiths given by the mage order. The young man opened the seemingly ordinary wooden chest – darkness bloomed out in its purest form. Thael thrust his hand into the sifting mass of black. Something congealed within his grip; like a throbbing heart it was moist and beat with some unnatural essence before it shriveled and dried in his fingers.

Thael began, “What do you do?”

“I serve the Empire. I stand united. I die forgotten,” Hiro replied, bowing his head, offering his hands out to his father.

“So will you be free,” Thael ended the rite. He dropped the Wraith into Hiro’s hands. Fine ink black strands oozed out, exploring. The Wraith sank into his flesh and traveled into Hiro’s body. His son took a sharp breath, standing rigid, gritting his teeth as his eyes blackened in their entirety.

Thael gripped the shortsword at his hip. As Watcher, he would complete his duty of ending his son’s life should the Wraith possess him.

Hiro smiled at Thael. Black veins webbed through his face. Thael tightened his grip upon his sword, drawing it by the slightest fraction.

Then the stark white of Hiro’s cloak was enveloped by seeping black. He was now shrouded in shadow. Darkness bound to him, and himself bound to it.

“Welcome into the order, Wraith,” Thael said, resting his sword back into its sheath.

***

Every Relinquished that had survived the ritual would celebrate as soldiers of the Empire at the mid-spring festival, when merchant and mummer caravans would come to Brigsden. Thael had not crossed to the other side of the lake since he had given Hiro to be initiated into the order.

He could not have visited Hiro even if he had wanted to. Thael would not coddle his son.

Now, as he sat beside his son on the ferry, there was a silence that no words could fill.

“When do you fly?” Thael finally asked.

“Two dusks from now,” Hiro replied.

“That is… soon. I wouldn’t advise drinking during the festival.”

Hiro sneered. “I know it was no coincidence you were Watcher of the Possession. Do you want me to hold your hand now, Father? They talk of you, the other initiated, saying that you are the Kingmaker. The one who helped the arch king slay Queen Lyssa herself. All I see is a weak old man that could not even save his whore.”

“Hold your tongue! Your mother saved you.” Thael said. “You alone know how it ended. They wanted me to see her. So I tracked them down, killed them all, burned their leader’s house so he and his family would burn alive in it, and killed anyone that tried to save them.” Thael looked to the evergreen trees reflected in the lake. “It didn’t bring her back, killing them. I did it so that you wouldn’t have to.”

“I would raze the entire village,” Hiro said softly.

“Perhaps you would have. But now you are a Wraith. Your service is and always will be to the Empire.”

His son flashed a cruel grin. “I will serve. I will kill the rebels as needed and more. There is another name as well for you, father. They call you the Tongue Monger. Perhaps your name will live on with me.”

“I did not enjoy killing, Hiro. I never did. I simply had no choice.”

“Is that what you tell yourself at night?” Hiro leaned close. “I killed an initiate in his sleep. Me and a few others enjoyed it. The only thing that stopped us from being executed was that there were too many of us to be discovered. The Council respected our crucible’s actions instead of condemning us. We are all killers, father, and it seems that you are the only one left to accept it.”

“I know what you did.” Thael’s mouth set into a tight line. “The only reason they did not decimate your crucible was from my doing. The peace that was fought for will only be undone should you follow this path, Hiro."

His son scoffed and stood. “Spoken like a man ready to Grey. I don't need your guidance, Father. Not now, and not before. You should have simply died with her."

He turned to walk up the deck. Thael stared after him, pondering not on what he had done, but what could have been.