“W-what are you sa-”

“Kid! Sorry, Lifes. Please just listen to me.

‘Ts been a long journey for me. I’m tired kid… Never thought this chase after knowledge would end. But now you’re here.”

I put a hand forward, signaling him to stop.

“Wait Jake, I don’t understand what you’re saying. Not in the weird quotes way either. What are you talking about?!”

“Kid, there’s something you’ll learn about me once you meet that girl again” does he mean master Kiyoko? “I’m too much of a coward to tell you that right now. All I ask is you trust me, could you do that for me, Lifes?” I was about to protest again, but something about this man just throws me off. I can’t quite understand why but I can’t help but feel a strong desire to help him.

“Jake, I’ll take the notebook and the sword.

There’s something my master used to tell me before, I don’t understand why, it just feels correct when I think about you.

It feels like I need to tell you this. ‘When a ghost of the past comes to haunt you, don’t run away, confront it with all your might, only then will you find tranquility.”

There was just silence in the room, even with all the noise Viktor and George made as they packed up our things, there was pure silence.

I couldn’t figure out Jake’s expression. Even an expert like me couldn’t. I just know that something overwhelming is trying to burst out of me now that I’ve said it.

“Sh-She re..reme-mbered…! Yoko, this poor tortured soul.” Jake’s eyes started welling up and he collapsed to his knees.

“Jakeoo! What’s going on Boyo, why’s Jakeoo crying?!”

“Aggh I- I-” Shit, why am I so overwhelmed?! If I try to speak I’ll just end up crying as well.

My chest felt tight, my eyes felt watery and the air was thicker, thoughts of my dead mother flashed in my head, all the times I wondered and asked Kiyoko about my parents.

Kiyoko’s training about constant mantra recitings also came flooding in.

“J-j-j ak-e” I can’t do it, I can’t speak.

Jake suddenly pushed Viktor’s hand to the side and rose to his feet.

He grabbed my shoulders and pulled me in for a deep hug. I wanted to protest and move away, but instead all I did was just… cry.

I couldn’t hold it in anymore, the tightness in my chest relented all of a sudden, giving way to a stream of warm, liquid butterflies that ran through my body and made me feel weak.

“K-kid! If you ever confront Yoko ‘bout your issues with her” Issues? I’m feeling lightheaded. I can’t even understand what he’s talking about.

“Just know, for what it’s worth, your father is eternally grateful to his childhood friend!”

Father? What?! What’s going on?

“Jakeoo, is it rea-”

“SHUT UP VIK! Stay out of it! I can’t hold it in anymore! Yoko, she used her Seal to make Lifes recite my own quote back to me.

Yoko is trying to teach me what I taught her all these years ago!”

“Wait, Jake, what do you mean by father? Why am I feeling so overwhelmed right now? what’s going on?!” I asked in-between sobs.

“Lifes, that’s the name of the child my wife gave birth to 20 years ago. A child with violet eyes, just like hers, or so I heard. You are that child.” Jake is my father? Is that why I’ve been feeling this strange attraction to him?

“But so what?! It’s not fair! I don’t even know you, or your wife, why do I have to feel so sad right now?!” Stop being such a baby!

“You don’t just get to waltz into my life after 20 years and claim you’re my father.” Stop treating this person with such contempt!

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

“Blood relations are meaningless in my life!” That’s not true! I always wanted someone to call family, someone just like… Ostel… Is that it? Coward.

“Get off of me!” I pushed him backwards. I’m sorry father, no, Jake.

I can’t allow myself to have people I care for close to me.

“Wait boya! You don’t know how much Jak-”

“George! Thought told you guys to stay out, didn’t?!” Jake snapped at him.

“Lifes, I deserve your contempt” No you don’t, please stop!

“I understand that, please just take this notebook and the sword, promise I’ll l-lea-ve. You’ll never hear from me again. Please just see the world for what it is.” Jake said with a shaky voice as he looked at his feet.

“Fine, only because we went through all of that effort together.” I took the objects and turned to leave the secret room.

“Jake, PLEASE don’t ever talk to me again!”

I’m sorry father, we’ll meet again and I’ll apologize for this, I promise. Someday, I will.

***

By the time I got back to Silka, it was already the 4th night since our departure.

The man at the inn I slept at said he saved my room as I asked and gave me the key. I'll just go to sleep and look for a ride to Rintiya tomorrow.

It took a long time but I could feel myself finally falling asleep. I honestly dread the thought of dreaming at the moment but I really need some sleep.

“My dearest, I see you have finished your job here, what a beautiful mess you’ve made.”

Niya slid a slender, cold finger and swiped some blood off my cheek.

“This dirty look doesn’t fit you quite well.” Her face turned somewhat sad as she said something about the master's request.

“Do you remember your magic word, Inoshi?” Esemoniya whispered in my ear.

“Fuck off, witch!” I pushed her away and she just faked a laugh as she walked out of the room.

Here comes the part I didn’t want to ever experience again.

“Lifey-boy! Oooy, where are ya brotha?” Ostel and Snoopsi came to the entrance of the room. Snoopsi sent me a suspicious, thoughtful look and kept walking. He tried to convince Ostel to come with him and not bother me, but Ostel didn’t listen. Please don’t come here.

I guess Snoopsi knew what was going to happen here.

“Chiyaaa so much BLOOD! What a me-” Ostel couldn’t finish his sentence as his face contorted in horror and blood came out of his mouth.

His eyes sort of… softened as he looked at my face.

I wonder how I looked right now. I could feel a big smile on my face and the warmth of tears streaming down from my eyes.

Blood-thirsty monster, just a piece of trash that stuck a knife into the throat of his best friend. The closest thing he has to family. My black-skinned partner lifted his hand to my shoulder and mouthed something off before he dropped to the floor with a quiet thud.

I always thought Ostel died resenting me, but his lips read ‘I’m sorry’...

Disgusting! I’m disgusting!

Next thing I knew, I was bent over Ostel’s body, heaving and crying. There was one thing I could take from this dream though, the feeling of uncontrollable emotions that came over me, it was exactly how I felt during my interaction with Jake.

It wasn’t Niya’s fault, it was Kiyoko’s Seal.

I woke up with a strong headache, what now? I think I’ll just go back to the capital and confront Kiyoko, I need to know why Ostel had to die.

First there’s the issue of getting into Silvermoon in the first place.

I walked out of the inn after eating some of their famous mushroom soup, still no tomatoes I guess…

The flyers I’ve seen around town before departing to the dungeon were now replaced with wanted signs with my name on it.

So they figured it out… But my face is still not clearly shown, I’ll wear a mask just to be sure.

***

After about an hour of wandering around Silka aimlessly I ran into the same slave carriage that was here a few days ago.

“Jonas, are we ready yet? We need to get to the capital before the king’s announcement.” The fat, short slave trader said to his co-worker in a high pitched voice.

“Since Marcus is missing, we need to find a fill for guarding us… The roads have been too dangerous ever since the wolf dungeon was found.”

“Where in the name of the Firsts is this wretched Marcu-”

“Hmm, excuse me, are you guys looking for a bodygu-”

“Huh?! Who are you? Why are you butting into our conversation?”

“Haha, I apologize, I happened to overhear you guys by chance.

My name is Li-Dawn” Sorry Dawn, I’m gonna use your name, don’t beat me up!

“I really need a ride to Silvermoon and it just so happens to be that I’m a very strong fighter.” I pulled out a small leather bag filled with all kinds of materials I extracted from the wolves on my way back to Silka.

“How lucky Gornieve! This guy can be our bodyguard!” The tall guy, Jonas declared, which seemed to be to the dismay of his partner, did he think he’ll be able to make me sign a bad deal here if they pretended to not want my help?

“Hey listen, I don’t need any payment, I’ll work for free, all I ask is that you give me a ride to the slums of Silvermoon.” Gornieve’s eyes lit up and he took my hand in his palms, shaking it enthusiastically. Nailed it, I guess.

“Well then, of course you’re welcome to join us, friend. Sir dawn was it? Hop on board!”

Sir? This ride will be annoying but, I guess you have to make sacrifices sometimes.