Shock.

That is the only way I make it over that hill and into town. I am completely disconnected from the world. My body moves on autopilot following the last instructions I gave it before the explosion. When the guards see a kid covered in blood approaching the gates, it takes them a second to react. It seems Mephis’s crimson rain has covered everything for kilometers around. But eventually they stop gaping at the sky and see me fall down at the door.

“Kid! KID! You okay!” Their voices come closer. I don’t have anything left. My mind is utterly gone, still trying to process what has happened. However, I have enough sense to speak the words Mephis told me to speak.

“Romy and Mark…find…Romy…”

“Hello?! What’s wrong?”

Then I’m gone.

#

“Remember!”

“Before you walked through the Gate!”

I’m back in my penthouse on Billionaire's Row in New York City. The smooth, tasteful white wallpaper is dripping with blood though. It doesn’t feel like home anymore. When the doorbell rings, I expect it. That’s how it went after all. I can’t believe I forgot something so important. The door unlocks with a click and I’m not sure who will walk through. Even though I should be able to see the future, right now it’s like I’m flying blind. As if there are limits on my power. That’s strange. My powers haven’t had limits in a long time. I’m not sure why I feel like they might not have worked once. I swing the door open and she falls into my arms. A sense of dread overcomes me. Bloody…bleeding…torn and ragged, my visitor is a girl who has been treated horribly by someone or something. It makes sense. It’s how I remember it happening.

“Are you sure?”

But then why does the voice keep doubting me?

“HAHHH!” I wake up with a tremendous gasp. Immediately, I wish I hadn’t. Every part of me is on fire. I can’t figure out why for a second. Did someone beat me up in my sleep? I feel black and blue, bruised and battered like the girl from my dream. Well…perhaps not that bad. I guess this kind of pain is to be expected after running for two days…

OH CRAP MEPHIS!

It all comes back to me in a rush. Everything…Jarold Westblade…the throwing knife sticking out of Mephis’s shoulder, my long escape, and finally…his sacrifice. So, it really happened. He’s really…gone? I choke up and let out a little sob. All of me aches. But my hands worst of all. I can’t figure out why. Until I realize that I’m clenching them tightly. As if trying to hold onto something precious.

“Hey! I think he’s waking up! Mark, get over here!” An unfamiliar female voice yells out from somewhere to my right. My hands are so tight that it hurts. Someone touches me gently on the forehead. She whispers to me soothingly, “That’s right. It’s okay to let go. You’ve been holding that fist for two days now. That’s it…just relax…”

My eyes finally open, though my fist instinctively clenches tighter as I find bright sunshine in my face. I gasp out from the pain in my hands. My left hand especially, feels like it’s being squeezed in a vice. I’m in…a bed?

“Oww…” The first thing I see a worried face hovering above me. It’s a woman of roughly the same age as my mother, Lian. Probably late twenties, with lines wrinkling her face though I think they’re mostly just there because she’s concerned. She has long brunette hair, and a slim build, which many would find attractive. Perhaps in my last life I would have looked twice if I saw her crossing the street. Turning my gaze down, I see what’s wrong with my hands. I’m still holding Mephis’s glove. The blood vessels over my knuckles are bulging from the ferocity of my grip. “You…are you Romy?”

“Yes, that’s me. You must be Lian’s child. We got Mephis’s note. He didn’t say your name though?” Romy glances me over, her clear blue eyes lingering over the glove in my hands. “Is that something important?”

“It’s my birthday present.” I say dully. My voice is flat and without interest. “Lian didn’t have time to give me a name before assassins attacked.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t know. That’s terrible…they didn’t even wait until after the birth! How despicable!” Romy’s relationship with my mother is still unclear, but apparently the plan was always to bring me here eventually. “Mephis explained that some unexpected things happened and you had to come earlier than Lian told us. However, I was under the impression that he would be with you...” She trails off while watching my face. “I can’t imagine he’d let such a young child travel alone. Others might jump to conclusions due to his…unfortunate lineage, but I don’t hold much stock in their superstition. Something must have gone wrong if you came here alone. Did you run into trouble on the road?”

“You could say that.” I don’t answer directly yet, not mentally prepared to tell the story. Inside, I’m still processing it myself. He’s gone. Really gone. I’m alone in this world. My despondent response causes Romy to appear very worried. She seems about to ask me more, but then there’s a loud noise as the door to the room we’re in flies open. For the first time, I take a real look at where I am. It’s a small room painted blue like the ocean. I’m glad it’s not red at the very least. That would remind me too much of Mephis right now. I’m lying on the bed, tucked into the blankets, underneath the lone window in the room. With a start, I realize that someone has changed my clothes. Oh…I was covered in blood from Mephis’s…

“Kid, you’re awake!” A tall and well-muscled man with short blonde hair, barges inside. He’s even taller than Mephis, though I now realize that Mephis was not actually that tall. I was just really small. An image of the man I wanted to call father floats through my head. He’s all hunched over from the pain of a dagger in his shoulder. But still, he smiles and laughs. Mark frowns, “Romy, did he tell you what happened?”

“Shhh…shut up, Mark. He’s still processing. Let him think.” The pretty brunette woman shushes him. But the man protests, his plain white tunic rippling as he holds the door open.

“But, Romy, the townspeople are asking questions. Everyone saw…hell, half the town is still covered in blood. If it doesn’t rain soon, the new color of Sines might be red. The kid showed up at the worst time. If we don’t give them an answer soon and clear up the suspicions, those gossipmongers will definitely associate it with him-!”

“I told you be quiet, Honey…” Suddenly Romy’s voice drops until she’s practically hissing. Running a hand over my brow and brushing some of my hair out of my face, she leans over me protectively. “The boy has clearly been traumatized. Damn the rest, who cares what they have to say. Lian entrusted me with her child and I will not screw this up because of some superstitious hicks!”

“But Romy…Dear…” Mark abruptly leaves as Romy pulls a very large knife out of nowhere. “Okay! OKAY! I’m going. I’ll tell them he’s still sleeping. But you need to let me know me if he says anything!”

“Out. Now. Please.” Her terse voice is followed by the sound of the door slamming shut. Mark wisely retreats before Romy’s wrath. Once his footsteps draw away, she stops leaning over me and puts the knife away. “Sorry about that, Dear. My husband can be such an idiot sometimes. He cares too much about what others think, though that might be why I married him. Anyways, don’t listen to him. You take your time and think of what you want to say. There’s no rush. Also…” She hunches down in her chair beside my bed and whispers in my ear, “Your mother and I go way back. Don’t worry…no matter what happened, I’ll make sure nothing happens to you. Just think of me as your auntie. You can tell me anything. Even if you killed someone, I’ll help you cover it up!”

Um…what?

Romy giggles and it’s very cute. But also slightly creepy. Still, her concern seems genuine, and I’m reminded of Mephis. A little scary at first, but utterly loyal underneath the outside. My mother seems to have very good friends.

“Mephis…I’m not sure what happened in the end. But you should read this.” I try to reach into my breast pocket only to realize that I’m still holding onto Mephis’s glove and also…my clothes are different. “Umm, the letter is in my clothes.”

“Oh…yes, Mark helped you change. We barely managed to get one of your hands off that glove long enough to take your shirt off. I was worried we’d have to cut you out! That strange…storm got everyone dirty. But I found the letters in your pocket. I didn’t want to open them without your permission.” Romy has a slightly guilty expression as she points to Mephis’s two letters on a desk beside my bed. The scarlet one, which was supposed to be for me, looks more or less the same, but the white manilla one which he wrote for Romy and Mark, has been died a rosy pink hue by the blood rain. Hopefully it’s still readable. “I…may have taken a peek inside the red one. Only because it was already open! I didn’t read much before stopping! I’m very sorry!”

“It’s okay. To be honest, I haven’t read them either. But the other one is actually for you.” I don’t really mind. Perhaps I would be angry normally, since I hate people going through my things, but right now I don’t have the energy to care about such trivial matters. “Should we read them?”

“Definitely!” Romy reaches over and hands me the red letter. However, when she holds it out to me, I struggle to open my fists to receive it. The muscles in my hands are frozen, clutching onto the Bloodstone glove with everything I have. This…is all I have left of him. Romy is watching with me with concern, and I feel bad making her worry. Finally, with a colossal bit of willpower, I force my fingers to uncurl bit by bit from the dirty glove. It falls onto the white bedsheets and leaves a smudge.

“S-Sorry!” I stammer, afraid that she’ll get angry. However, my new auntie is not mad. “I didn’t mean to get it dirty!”

“No worries. You’ve been holding that thing this whole time. We were beginning to think you were never going to let go.” She says as if happy for me, “Do you want me to wash it for you?”

“That’s…” I’m a bit worried because of the Bloodstone inside. Additionally, it is all I have left of Mephis’s besides his dagger. Romy seems to understand.

“I’ll be extra careful if it’s special to you. Don’t worry.” She assures me and I nod.

“Thank you.”

“Hehe, that’s why I’m here! Okay, now let’s read these letters!” She begins to open the white envelope and I reach inside my own scarlet one which is already unsealed. I find the map to Sines Town inside first. Upon closer inspection, it seems Mephis has marked up quite a few places, adding details to make sure I don’t get lost. However, I’m not in the mood to study it. Putting it back inside the envelope, I pull out the other paper within, a long letter written on parchment. As I read it, my eyes tear up. I begin to realize how foolish I was.

All this time…Mephis…you were carrying a burden like that?

Just because my mother did such a thing for you, you resolved to risk your life?

I…I don’t know what to say.

The letter read as such-

Dear Kid? Kiddo? (I’m sure you’ll choose a great name soon.)

Hopefully, you wont ever have to read this, but lately I’ve been seeing signs that people have been coming into the Dead Forest. There is a high chance our pursuers are still searching for us, even after all these years. So, I’m writing this to explain to you some things which you may not understand. I told you my title is Blood Warlock. You know this as a title which others fear, but I’ve never truly explained the reason why. I suppose I was afraid you’d be frightened of me and run away. It sounds silly, I know, but you and Lian are the only ones who have ever looked at me without fear. I don’t think I could take it if one day I saw the same look in your eyes that everyone else has when they see me. Anyways, let me explain.

Cursed. That is how best I would describe the power of being a Blood-lock. To use Blood Magic, we are required to sacrifice our body and flesh, some part of ourselves to consummate our spells. If we do, our kind can obtain a power which makes life easy. However…eventually such a path, harming one’s very self, over and over, will inevitably lead one to fall under our progeniture’s wicked spell. Then our only purpose will be to kill and gather sacrifices until the Blood-Witch is revived. To be honest…I was well on my way down that path when I met your father and mother, Kid. Hehe…it was Lian that saved me in the end. She fashioned a sealing charm which holds back the evil gnawing at my soul. Can you guess what it is? (Hint, it also amplifies magic). Anyways, the effect saved my soul, but it also seals my powers. Should I ever call upon a strong Blood Magic, I will inevitably begin to fall down the wrong path once more. If you’re reading this, that may very well be the case.

If so…I’m very sorry. It must have been scary to see me like that. I’ve trained myself every night, ingrained it into my soul to remember not to hurt you, Kid. But unfortunately, I am still not confident that I will hold onto rationality when the seal is released. No Blood-lock retains their sanity once they start becoming a fiend. And I was already very close before Lian made the seal. I’m afraid that one more activation may be all it takes for me to forget my promise. If such a thing were to happen, don’t worry, I already owe your family my life, so it is okay if I am lost. All I can say is that you should forget about me. Understand that whatever I do, it is not me anymore. And please…please…keep yourself safe. I cannot be reasoned with in that state. Only killed. Stay away. Someone will come hunt me down one day, but I hope it will not be you.

May you grow up happy, reach your true potential, and never have to read this!

Lastly, I’m probably going to tell you this myself, but if you’re still struggling to choose a name, how about Myrrdraeyal? Well, you probably wouldn’t want to be named after me since I’m not your father, but amongst my people it’s considered a very good name, so if you can’t think of a better one…just a suggestion!

Your Unworthy Guardian,

-Blood Warlock Myrrdraeyal Mephis Darkknot

“All this time you were on the edge of falling into darkness? You never told me…any of this!” My hands shake violently, and I almost tear the paper apart before I realize it. Carefully, I let go to stop myself from ripping the precious letter. “You were planning on sacrificing yourself from the beginning! Why didn’t you tell me any of this, I would have worked harder to make sure you never had to risk using such a terrible power!”

“It’s okay. It’s okay…Mephis was just trying to protect you.” Romy has already finished her letter. It seems that one was much shorter. “I’m sorry I peeked at yours. But I knew Mephis too, if only because of Lian. He was always ostracized for being a Blood Warlock. Even though it was not something he chose to become. I can tell from how he spoke of you…he wanted to protect you at all costs. To earn that level of commitment from a Blood Warlock, that’s no mean thing. Even if he owed your mother a favor, I do not think he would have gone so far as to risk his life if you were not special. You should be proud of yourself.”

“I…I’m not proud of being weak. When Mephis was fighting for me…I just…ran away.” My voice is breaking. All the pain of that moment, I didn’t feel it at the time. My heart pounded, and I was so scared, but it was like someone else was there, experiencing it for me. Now though…it’s all coming back. I feel all the sorrow and sadness. Hot tears burn my eyes and I can’t hold them in.

*Hic*

I try to swallow the sobs down. Romy takes one look at my state and draws me into a hug. Though I barely know this woman, I am grateful. In my darkest moment, I have something to hold onto. How many times did I wish for someone to hold me in my past life?

“There, there. It will be okay. You’re just a child. Running was the best thing you could have done. Can you tell me what happened? Who were you running from?” She croons while brushing my hair and I sink into her arms. Romy smells like plants. I don’t know which, but it’s not a bad smell at all. At least, I think so, my nostrils keep closing up from crying. “It’s okay…just relax. You’re here now. Auntie Romy and Uncle Mark will protect you. We used to be pretty strong, you know? No one will be able to hurt you with us here! I promise!”

“But even Mephis…” I barely manage to start to whisper before Romy shushes me and rocks me from side to side.

“Mephis is one thing. Romy and Mark are another. We have each other. Together, we won’t let you down. Not even if the entire Assassin’s Guild wants to come!” The woman holding me makes some bold promises, though I think she is joking.

“He didn’t let me down.” I say quietly and the smile dies on Romy’s face. She seems quite sad when she sees my expression and nods.

“Of course not. That’s not what I meant. I just wanted you to know that you’re with friends here. Family, even. We’ll take care of you. As for Mephis…why don’t you tell me what happened. It could be that things are not so bad as they seem.” Romy does her best to sound upbeat and I begin to relax just a little bit in her arms.

“Okay.” I nod and look up into her eyes as the tears begin to go away. “I’ll tell you.”