The familiar noises of the bustling animated city woke Astraeus from his strangely fantastic slumber, the past day’s events seemingly not influencing him and his rest in the slightest.

“The greatest night of the journey so far. I didn’t even have to work. Ha. You Angels are truly hypocritic and devious. Why don’t you stop playing games and cease influencing our petty lives?”

Accused Angels neither answered nor were truly responsible for his deprivation of trouble, something he’s become accustomed to over the stressful last years. Over all of his years to be fair.

But as humans often did, Astraeus searched for a scapegoat who he found in the ones deemed to be responsible for virtually everything.

With a vacuous expression, Astraeus left his uncomfortable bed and began putting on his washed clothes and light armour.

When it was time to grab his weapons cache, Astraeus hesitated and remembered a saying from his mentor Maximus Benedicti, leader of the Benedicti dynasty, family of the blessed graces, as they were often called, an obvious compliment at their piety. The kind of hypocrysm I like.

“I should really renew the runes of my weapons before headlessly storming into battle,” explained Astraeus to his body, the distinction important for now.

I’m strangely calm. I shouldn’t be. Why am I though? My voice neither trembles nor is agitated, my heart beat seems slightly above average and I don’t sweat at all.

Well … it could be useful to make my act seem more realistic and believable. But still …

Ignoring his suspicion about his body, Astraeus saw to it to engrave fresh runes into the weapons, a task usually only mastered by ancient dwarves who studied the subject for decades, thus his makeshift renewal was, let’s call it, a symbolic act to show his battle readiness.

The magic which he preemptively imbued them with was greedily devoured by the rapacious tools who had a mind of their own whenever the life essence was involved.

Scrutinising his work for a last time and tightening both his belt and cache again, Astraeus left his inn room, slamming the door open, nearly hitting a passing customer.

The latter yelled at the rapidly descending boy who evaded the man’s accusations cleverly by jumping down the stairs.

Scratching his head and running through his braided, dark hair, the man wondered what he should do. But something attracted his gaze. Or rather his ears since it was the faint thump of wood clattering on wood.

Mouth wide agape from shock, the slow man watched in horror at a devastated door knob, or rather what was left of it.

That was because everything apart from the lock itself had evaporated.

Only a viscous liquid, dripping down onto the timbered floor, remained.

Happily humming the melody which Irus had sung him for ages, Astraeus strutted through Foditas, passing the many places he had previously visited with Facinerosus, the name alone wrenching and twisting his stomach’s insides.

Calm, calm, calm, I’m very calm. Calm, calm, calm, I’m very calm. Nothing may disturb me. Nothing may hurt me. Everything is great. All of it has been fate.

It was a recreation of the poem’s original melody mixed with new content and situation-fitting lyrics.

But the horrible chant was luckily terminated when Astraeus entered the wide forum on which a few humans were protesting against something. The Domitor certainly didn’t care.

As he spotted his dozing friend, Facinerosus’ eyes suddenly opened and locked onto the distant Astraeus. Gleefully signalling his friend to sit besides him, with his energetic hand gestures, Facinerosus flashed his innocent smile towards his already approaching friend.

But it didn’t spread joy and happiness across the prince’s body like before but rather felt like a freezing sword piercing his skin, ripping his heart out of its place and crushing it with his false innocence.

That’s why Astraeus replied with a forced smile, agonising him even more, tearing at his sanity and making him question whether he had become just like the one who had betrayed him. At least they shared their wicked grins.

“I’ve already waited for hours, you lazy lie-abed,” was the first greeting Facinerosus gifted his precious friend on this cursed day.

And it will be the last, determined Astraeus decisively, eager to smite the traitorous swine and make him pay in blood for his crimes.

The calming method from earlier seemed to have failed miserably but that was no problem. Astraeus would be calm for long enough, wouldn’t he? He wouldn’t waste the chance to trap both of the treacherous bastards in a single cage, in a single grave, their grave.

“Yeah, it seems that the city air doesn’t benefit my sleep.”

“Then it’s great that we’re shortly leaving this forsaken place,” countered Facinerosus his target’s explanation.

Sitting down quietly, Astraeus observed the pile of cards which lay before them, most dusty, some slimy and covered with a strange green substance.

Nonetheless he grabbed them and raised an eyebrow, asking: “We’re playing?” It was more of an order than a question but it created a broad smile on his friend’s face.

Not friend. He’s my enemy. Yes, an enemy. If I want to kill him, I’ll have to persuade myself first. He’s evil Astraeus. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil Astraeus. He’s tricked me, betrayed me, gave me false hopes … and now dug his own grave.

Why did it have to be this way? Why couldn’t I have a normal life with a normal friend? Why did you have to be an assassin tasked with murdering me? Am I not allowed to have this … this normalcy?

Tell me Angels! Why do you hate me? Is it because of my crimes? Because of my heritage? Because I’m a sinner? If so, then why only me? If I hadn’t left Fides, you’d surely find another way of tormenting me. One way or the other my punishment would be delivered.

Isn’t that right?

This whole time, Facinerosus had been explaining the rules of ‘Guapanag’ to him, a game from the distant continent of Kahaeim, but Astraeus had been busy inside his own mind and thus didn’t pick up anything, only returning to reality when the other boy was already distributing the cards.

Luckily for him, he had played the game with countless of southern merchants who had imported the game to the caelian court and beyond.

The two young boys played, ate, laughed, conversed and lived their mutually happy moment to the greatest extent. One last time. Astraeus tried to maintain his act of normalcy for the most part until he became tired of it, the trigger being Facinerosus’ laughs which stung him mentally, tearing ravines of pain into his consciousness.

Facinerosus was nearly dying from laughter, clasping Astraeus’ shoulder, slapping his own thigh and furiously shaking the table, when Astraeus blankly said: “When were you going to kill me exactly?”

Stunned by the exclamation, Facinerosus’ act momentarily slipped and when he understood that playing around would be futile, he admitted his failure at deception, neither replying to his target’s question nor justifying his actions, the two boys remained silent for a moment, until Astraeus commenced to explain his theory.

“First of all, why am I accusing you? The short answer to that is pretty simple. I’ve overheard your conversation with your partner in the sewers, your home, if that part wasn’t imagined and a lie as well.” Expression blank, his opponent didn’t reveal any sentiment.

Just now realising the other hints framing Facinerosus as a traitor, Astraeus continued: “Then there is the issue of your burglaries.” Taking a sip from his drink, Astraeus increased the palpable tension between the two boys.

“You’re too good at them. Even though you often emphasised the origin of your ability being that you were forced to acquire excellent skills like these to survive. The emphasis on the origin was to make it more believable, I presume.” No reply from the accused.

“Fine. But exactly these excellent, truly extraordinary skills gave your act away. No human could snatch away something in my vision without getting caught by me. No one is fast enough to escape my sensual aura. You did. Twice.” A hefty bite out of his chunk of bread, Astraeus wanted to provide his friend time for an explanation. A last glimmer of hope that all of their predicament was a simple misfortune remained somewhere deep in his subconsciousness.

But as no reply exited his friend’s mouth, Astraeus resumed the explanation of his theory in a strained voice.

“Furthermore you knew what the runes on my weapons signified, didn't you? What I’m certain of is that you could read them which you did on our hike. And here was your second fatal flaw. I notice everything surrounding me in this vicinity. Which means your hidden try to decipher the weapons’ abilities wasn’t as hidden as you would have wanted it to be.”

The two boys stared each other dead in the eyes, waiting for the other to say something.

Only Facinerosus’ surprising smile broke the painful silence. The grin flickered across the boy’s face for a mere second before returning to a solid emotionless surface, eyes devoid of joy and happiness.

Still, he wholeheartedly said with an indifferent expression: “WOW! The rumours were true. You’re a genius. Or should I perhaps say monster?”

Enraged by the boy’s derogatory comment, Astraeus released parts of his aura, pressing his opponent deep into the wooden bench, making it creak under the power he exerted.

“Never call me that again,” threatened Astraeus his former friend in a frightening ominous voice. But in this moment the poor boy realised something. Facinerosus was a mage. He was feeling the magical pressure.

“Alright, alright. Let’s calm down. Jeez. As I wanted to say, the rumours are true, you’re very perceptive but there’s one thing which you’ve got wrong …” Raising an eyebrow, Facinerosus waited until the Domitor released him from his prison which the angered boy eventually did.

“Appreciate your kindness. The thing is, I’m not your enemy, Astraeus. Far from it.” This interested and confused Astraeus who was ready to strike at any moment if the traitor seemed suspicious.

“I was sent by your family to look after you and to monitor the year of seclusion from within as your companion.”

Eyes wide open at this reveal of his friend’s true identity, Astraeus was at a loss of words.

It seems plausible that my rotten family sends someone after me. But he told his partner that they’d kill me … Kayn could have ordered my assassination and thus Irus could’ve sent Facinerosus to prevent me from dying but something doesn’t add up. I’m missing something important.

Ripping Astraeus out of his thoughts, Facinerosus continued: “To be fair, I’m not a child, haven’t been for a long time. Actually I’m a grown man who’s been in your family’s service for several years now. I’m terribly sorry for the lies and deceit but it was all just a facade to trick you into believing that you actually had free will this whole time.”

Yes, Kayn is definitely able to commit such atrocities to further his own means and gain power and influence. Damn you old geezer, killing your own flesh and blood. Really cruel of you. But is he the one tasked with protecting me or with killing me, asked Astraeus himself as he scrutinised his fake friend once again.

Nothing unusual about his appearance which meant that he’d been in the industry for enough time to know how to seem realistic and not get himself killed.

A spark ignited in Astraeus’ mind. An idea to gain more information and the truth out of his indecisive opponent. The solution would be torture …

Carefully beginning his last accusation, Astraeus’ fingers slowly moved down his body: “I have to compliment you. You really made me question whether I was too evil to have any friends at all, made me question my sanity, made me question reality itself. Why was someone so willing to be my friend, the friend of someone gloomy, someone scary, someone evil? But I reached the conclusion that I am not evil but rather the people around me framed me to be. I mean, mother told me not to be. So I won’t be.

At least after I’ve killed you!” screamed the hateful prince as he stabbed his deceptor’s hand with an iron fork, piercing right through it until the metal bent and vibrated as it got stuck in the wooden table.

Screaming in agony, Facinerosus tried to rip the tool out of his bleeding hand but his desperate attempt failed as Astraeus punched him harshly in the face.

Wildly looking around, Astraeus dared anyone to stop him but the masses of the town simply passed the quarrel between the two children, smart enough to understand that involvement would signify pain.

“I don’t believe your story with my family’s involvement,” a lie, “and I never once believed your fake stories and lovely manner,” another lie, showing that he was slightly insane and maybe even broken in this moment of betrayal and confusion.

“Tell me why you want to kill me?”

At first trying to stop it, but eventually unable to, Facinerosus began laughing maniacally, tears streaming down the child’s face but an evil smile catching them before they reached earth.

"The problem my dear Astraeus is that you're shaking the balance of this world. Your powers destabilise it, they break the laws of reality and in the end they'll wipe us all out. So please, would you do everyone a favour and die? I’m acting on the people’s orders and wishes. They want you dead, destroyer of Bereticum!"

Another punch flew through the sky, this time much more ill-intended and brutal, until it hit Facinerosus’ stomach, twisting deep into the mage’s skin, temporarily painting his vision white and forcing a pungent feeling of nausea upon him.

“If you ever mention the tragic incident again, I’ll kill and gut you without any pleading or mercy.”

Coughing out spouts of blood, the barely conscious man nodded his approval to the very one-sided terms.

“Stand up! Friend!” The last word was so ominously and menacingly pronounced that Facinerosus truly feared for his life, already dreading the brutal, cruel and ruthless torture awaiting him at the hands of the hunter, Astraeus Domitor.

Slowly lifting his heavy body up, Facinerosus, eyes filled with tears, looked at his friend and asked: “Why are you doing this to me Astraeus? I thought we were friends. I thought we meant something to each other. I thought-”

His lies and twisted words ceased when his vision focused on something in the distance. Not falling for the obvious trap, Astraeus concentrated his aura on detecting any movement or life approaching from behind, but there was nothing.

But the release of his magic would doom Astraeus.

For suddenly, he felt his feet off the ground, his body violently spinning in the air, his head feeling dizzy as his vision blurred and his world temporarily went blank, erased from his perception. Only he stood in the Void looking around the white infinity, spreading in all directions with no visible end.

Ripping himself out of his consciousness, Astraeus rebelled against his mind’s commands by claiming control over his body and pushing aside the debris and bricks on top of him.

Someone sent me flying. Pretty far at that, remarked Astraeus as his vision focused on Facinerosus who was still swaying on his feet about a hundred metres away.

But someone approached him, calmly walking towards Astraeus’ former friend, placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder and pointing in the prince’s direction, visibly saying something to Facinerosus.

Maybe Facinerosus is being threatened and forced to fight me! Maybe he doesn’t want to! Maybe it’s all just an illusion by the Kashmar to break me! Maybe-

His thoughts were cut short when a rapid dazzling object flew towards him, a purple substance coating the tip, a detail which Astraeus barely noticed as the dagger plunged into his shoulder, digging through his muscles until it hit a bone, sending excruciating pain throughout the Domitor’s body.

No Astraeus. The boy you’ve thought to be your friend betrayed you. Accept it …

Or die. I decide. Why can’t I feel happiness? Why does sorrow and war always follow me? Is it me? Am I guilty?

And if so, for how much?

“Everything!”

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trust is a fragile concept. You gain it through kind acts, through genuine compassion or through honesty and appreciation. Yet the lengthy procedure of establishing mutual trust can perish within a single moment. A single moment of betrayal can collapse the whole safe haven created by years of friendship and comprehension. Do not waste trust easily. Relish and cherish it within your heart as firm as love and accept sometimes that people genuinely care for you. Allow yourself to trust them. Because only this will bring you joy and peace in mind and soul. Else you’ll crumble from anxiety and paranoia just like the house of trust.