Capitolo Primo: Giovinezza (12)

The werewolf boy. He was close to wake up.

It’s been a full week that had gone by without much of a big issue. Except for the fact that the Stone Mask had been removed from its earlier spot.

To be fair, I wasn’t the one to discover this novelty. It had been a confused George to ask around if anyone had noticed the object being taken, or perhaps if anyone had picked it for themselves at the idea it was something that needed to be thrown away.

The piece itself didn’t look to be precious, so to expect someone to pick it and consider it thrash wasn’t truly a wrong thought. The real issue was that with how my situation was over a certain dark magician, I wasn’t putting it beyond him that Wang Chan had decided to finally employ vampires to bolster his current situation.

Magic on its own can do so much until you really need cannon fodders to throw around.

Which is why the first thing I did when Muddiburi presented himself for our regular training session and with the hopes of knowing more about the aftermath about werewolf’s situation was to address this very issues. The lecture that ensued created two distinct problems that I was meant to be prepared about.

The first and maybe the worst thing was that Zeppeli was going to get contacted since he was the closest to Britain and could arrive there to ‘aid’ with the entire ordeal. The second and perhaps the one I was most unsure about was that even the monk’s brother had been sent a letter to.

It was curious to know that the Tibetan man wasn’t trying to take cheap chances at the possibility of facing a full-fledged army of vampires. The mere thought of it was enough to put me in a state of mental unease, but I wasn’t certainly going to hesitate now that I knew that things were going to get spicier.

I could recognize a subtle challenge within Muddiburi’s tone. He wanted me to actually try and get things done properly before the group of Hamon users arrived. Before things got to a point where keeping the Ripple a secret was going to be incredibly difficult.

Thus I had to speed up any plan I had thought up to this point so that I could start formulating new ones. The world wasn’t waiting for anyone, and time was running tight on me.

But for now, plans would’ve to wait as I dealt with this very concern. The young werewolf, the one that had sow dread in the minds of those living by the outskirts, was now starting to wake up after days of comatose rest.

I considered the lengthy slumber to be one of the many aftereffects from the fact he was purged of any dark magics in his body, leaving his body and mind to recover from that malicious influence driving him to the point of harming people.

The little girl, Sarah, hadn’t left his side during the entire time he was slumbering. She would accept food and the child was happy when I had some of my workers put a bed beside her brother’s.

I would visit the headquarters as usual, stopping by to chat with the young brunette about how her day had been. Hannah was ecstatic at having someone to dote, especially with how adorable and socially-active Sarah was with people she deemed kind.

I decided to also offer her some lessons of reading, something that was aided by the fact that the former courtesan was eager to offer help and support whenever the child would find an obstacle in the way of her learning. The scenes were… highly-saccharine. The sweetness just helped making paperwork easy to digest and go through in those few days.

When I first received a message from Speedwagon that the long-haired teen had finally awakened, I decided to take the opportunity presented by the fact I had other business in London to visit and check onto the matter.

The building which housed the headquarters had long started to get a bigger crowd of people wandering around since the lessening of the situation by the outskirts.

Many trustworthy merchants that had been informed of what had actually happened (minus the fact that the werewolf was still alive) were quick to jump at the opportunity to open up deals with my group. Some saw with interest the fact I was available to offer a safe service within the capital that allowed them to purchase expensive objects at a discount.

This was a good news since it meant that money was finally flowing inside and that it was now possible to start quickening some of the more distant projects… like the ‘acquisition’ of new abandoned warehouses in this section of the city.

Legal papers were going to be a pain in the arse to go through, but the rewards that this action was going to were well worth the straining efforts. I was almost giddy at the prospect of having actually succeeded in creating something from little nothing, but I wasn’t certainly planning to get lazier now that things were going to get more difficult.

Police, bureaucracy… rival gangs.

Speedwagon had made some progress in getting some trusted contact within the Forty Elephants, but he had yet to secure a meeting with representatives from that gang. It was a step forward, but an uncertain one at best considering the trustworthiness of this organization.

Once I was by the doorstep that led within the room assigned to the two ‘siblings’, I paused at the noise of something crashing down within the place. I opened the door, preparing for some altercation happening inside… only to be bestowed with quite a sight.

Speedwagon looked nervous as he stared at the growling wolf-like creature that was safely nestling a nervous-looking Sarah close to it. I recognized the beast, but differently from last time I fought it, there was no genuine note of evilness exuding from its form.

As of now, it seemed more of a feral animal than else.

I stared back at the blond, just now noticing that he was holding a plate with a full bread and two turned teacups that probably had some milk filling those… before tipping and making the content fall by the floor.

“You know, you shouldn’t be afraid of where you are,” I stated calmly, embracing my inner mask to hide away my current uneasiness over the standoff. “Especially when you’re among friends.”

My voice broke the intense growling, with the werewolf turning its attention right onto me. Feral eyes keeping contact with my frame as I took a couple of steps inside the room, but I was already staring at the unnerved Speedwagon.

“Robert, place the plate by the table and leave us alone.”

He looked surprised at the quiet order, but after a few seconds of silent inquiry, I gave him a nod, gesturing him to hasten his thought process. He nodded back, complying to the request and closing the door behind himself once he was out.

I took a few more steps, making sure that I was following a simple path well away from coming too close to the bed occupied by the wolf and the child.

“That’s quite a mess,” I commented quietly, eyeing the stain of white left by the wasted milk. “But I guess you’re not interested in breakfast… yet you should.”

I was met with silence, but the posture adopted by the ‘big brother’ was less threatening than the one he had adopted with the older blond.

“Sleeping for a full week surely has left you debilitated. And the effects of the dark magic that had corrupted you got you weakened even more than a comatose patient,” I continued to speak, glancing back at the bed. “But I’m surprised you’re not growling at me.”

I almost asked him why, but I let my stare play that question for him. He seemed to spot this on pretty quickly, but he hesitated to answer, feral eyes moving away in a moment of thought.

“You… you saved Sarah.”

I blinked at that, feeling surprised at the fact even in his furred form he could still speak a humane tongue. Quite impressive, you never stop learning about the wonders of magic.

“From your other self.”

The addition of that detail seemed to get a frown out of the wolf. It was easy to perceive that it was connected to the fact he believed himself to be the culprit of that heinous deed that was stopped before full execution.

“I… I almost-”

“Not by your own volition,” I interrupted calmly, my attention switching back to the table as I stared at the bread. “Dark magic. The malicious influence that had you attack innocent people, that is to blame.”

“B-But-” He seemed reluctant to accept this very explanation. “I- I felt like I was enjoying it. I- I liked it.”

“Then you’re severely misinterpreting the effects of that kind of magic,” I chided quietly, but holding back too much edge to avoid sounding too stern with my words. “Dark Magics play on the fact that influences your mind, it twists it to enable parts of it that aren’t generally meant to be your true personality. And to do that, the magic makes sure that something you would generally despise is actually ‘lovely’ in your mind. That it makes sense.”

He looked confused at this, yet he seemed to ponder well about it as he tried to summarize it in a few words.

“It’s like… mind-control?”

“On the loose sense of the term, yes. You were controlled, manipulated, by having those parts that made you malicious, that made you enjoy doing horrible things.”

The wolf seemed to slowly realize what I was referring to and the more we talked, the more his form started to morph back to his human self.

I patiently waited as I saw the bare-chested young man blinking at the thoughts storming his poor mind. He just woke up and he was supposed to face quite the ordeal. I was relieved that the pants had survived the transformation as I didn’t have to try and pry the girl away from a naked werewolf guy.

Still, despite the few moments of silence, I wasn’t done with this interaction and I had something in mind to keep it going for a little more. Just enough to get some answers of my own out of the mystery in front of me. Turning my attention at the bread and splitting it in two perfect halves, I turned towards the two siblings and sighed.

“Which one do you want?”

Sarah looked confused at the question directed at her big brother, but I found my theory proven correct the moment I saw the tanned boy flinch at the comment. He seemed unwilling to answer to that and I sighed.

I took a bite at both halves, munching quietly and waiting as the long-haired young man kept staring at my actions. Surprise swelled behind his eyes at the action, yet he seemed to notice that I was studying his own reaction at it.

“Y-You-”

“I had suspected that you would’ve been against being served food by people you don’t know much about,” I interrupted again, feeling quite entitled by the cosmic element that was dryness to pry and interject as much as I could. “You might be resilient and quick, but poison is something that you fear.”

He didn’t confirm nor reply to this very suggestion, letting me finish munching what was left of the bread in my mouth. Sarah looked confused, and a little bit nervous at what I was mentioning like this… but the moment she spotted her brother easing up at my actions, she followed his example.

“Now, which one do you want?” I asked again while lifting up both halves for him to pick.

…

“Both.”

I smiled. “I suppose you need all the food we can offer you now,” I pointed out as I finally approached both siblings with the bread. I passed the food to the waiting hands of the brother, retreating my own palms away from him… but not backing away from the closeness.

The werewolf regarded it with some uneasiness, but he carefully started to eat the bread… before literally wolfing down the halves in mere instants. He gave me a hungry look and I blinked in surprise at the pace which saw that much food devoured.

“I will see for someone to bring more food… but I hope you can forgive me if I would like to ask you some more questions before doing so,” I proposed slowly, careful enough to not make it appear like is was some interrogation. “I will have to leave soon for some important businesses and… I wish to address a few points that I wish to get cleared quickly enough.”

He frowned at the request, but he seemed still calm about it. Enough to inquire back about it.

“What kind of ‘points’?”

I blinked at that, deciding to ease things up by starting with something incredibly simple and light.

“Before I ask about this first thing, I wish to introduce myself,” I stated before giving a small bow towards the two, making the girl smile and let out a brief giggle at my little theatrics. “My name is Dio Brando. May I know to whom I’m speaking to?”

Before saying anything about this, the young man seemed to contemplate about my name, mouthing it as to get accustomed to it. Still, after some time had passed by in the calmest of silences, he decided to address my question.

“It’s a pleasure to… make your acquaintances, Dio,” He started to greet back. “I’m Bhediya… and I suppose you’re already acquaintance with my young sister.”

I nodded, giving a small smile to the happy-looking girl. With the conflict-like atmosphere dispersing, the child seemed to have recovered from her nervous state of mind.

“I’m glad that we solved this little issue early on, Bhediya,” I said while putting some efforts in not butchering that foreign name. “And I hope that you will find yourself at home during your stay here.”

He nodded. “If the owner of this place is happy about it, and we’re not imposing with our presence… I don’t see why we should refuse this offer,” The tanned boy commented, but then he showed a confused look. “By the way, can I… talk to him? I know he has to be a busy individual but-”

“He will surely agree to a meeting. In fact, please consider my words as his,” I commented with a hint of smug. “Actually, do think of my presence as his.”

…

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

While he had failed to pick up at the full trick being played, Bhediya seemed to spot on that something odd was afoot. He tilted his head to the side, intensifying his curiosity and suspicions as he finally asked about this situation.

“How much are you close to the owner of this place?” He asked bluntly and I smiled even more.

“Well, the owner and I share the same appearance, the same voice and, surprisingly enough, the same name,” I finally replied with a nod. “In fact, you’re speaking to him right now.”

He snorted. “As if I would believe that someone as young as I am owns this-”

The little refusal was interrupted by the mere sight of me seemingly looking unfazed by this skeptical tone.

“I- you’re kidding right. There’s no way that-”

“Yes way, I own this place. In fact, I’m the leader of the organization owning this building,” I interjected. “Sarah knows that it’s true, especially since she got a glimpse at the paperwork I’ve to go through.”

At the mere mention of the dreadful tower of ink and paper, the girl groaned and seek refuge on a hug with her brother. The boy frowned at the sight before giving me a confused look.

“I let her take a read at the paper.”

…

“But- But she can’t read,” Bhediya mentioned with a frown.

“Yes, which is why when she saw fifteen lines of words she deemed it… what did you call the paperwork, sweetheart?”

A huff came from the brunette.

“Boooring.”

I shook my head at the child-like voice of the truth, while the werewolf snorted in amusement at the unexpected comment.

“Still… if you’re the owner then does that means that-”

“You’re free to stay how much you need to,” I assured calmly. “The reason that saw me accepting you both in my group wasn’t one of exploitation of your talents, but rather because it was the right thing to do and I was capable of taking you both in.”

…

“Can you read my mind?” The tanned boy inquired with some interest, making me sigh at the slightly-unexpected comment.

“I don’t, no. It’s just that I can predict how you will behave by your predatorial instincts,” I answered without hesitation. “That and the fact that we both share a similar past. We both survived the streets and we both know how unfair things can be when someone kind ‘suddenly’ appears to tend a supportive hand.”

“You don’t seem to have been in the streets,” He commented back, to which I gave a slow nod.

“I was blessed by luck about a month ago,” I confessed, my orange eyes staring away from the two siblings as I prepared to let out a good speech to finally buy their loyalty. I knew that Sarah was now trusting of me, but the same wasn’t for her brother. And that could already change now. “My father, albeit an abusive and dishonest man, had in the past ‘saved’ a noble and his baby, thus warranting a favor from him in case of need.”

“And?”

“And I ended up discovering of this when he kicked the bucket,” I continued with a nod. “Convincing the noble that I just wanted a normal life as his ward was simple and… from there, I was freed from the shackles of the street-life.”

“But if you’re free… then why bother? Why not-”

“Wallow in my happiness? Enjoy the cozy life that a piece of paper had granted me?” I suggested rhetorically. “It sounds idyllic, but I’m… I’m angry at the world.”

…

Bhediya kept quiet and the little brunette sitting beside him listened carefully and in surprise. This was the first time I addressed why I did what I was doing here to her.

“My father was a drunkard. He lived by the moment, he despised the past and the present. But I blame society for having allowed someone like him to continue to exist and fester like a parasite up until he croaked his last breath,” I ranted quietly, restraining my genuine anger at the topic. “It was a twisted society that got us honest people, those that don’t deserve the brutality of the street, to suffer on a daily basis. It’s unfair, I hate it.”

The werewolf blinked, mesmerized by the words. “You… want to change this? Is… that why you’re doing this?”

“That’s correct, Bhediya. You’re correct in saying that I could’ve easily lived away from worries. But then again, it would be so dishonest and wasteful of me to ditch my morality for a warm bed,” I replied strongly. “I know that things can be changed in due time. It wouldn’t take a couple of years- heck, I know that multiple decades will hardly influence the world as a whole. But I know that the world will surrender at my will, I know it. Because I, Dio, want to bring the change and I will not rest until I’ve truly won.”

There was silence, I blamed the intensity of the speech for that. I felt nervous as now that this discussion was mostly wrapped up, I needed to prepare for the next situation I needed to be present by.

I nodded, silently walking by the doorstep and stopping there. I glanced back at the bed, with Sarah looking distracted, with her mind trying to grasp at the might of the words I had just delivered, while the werewolf tried to actually suppress the awe at understanding those.

It was alluring, to just accept the truth and my passionate craving for reform in this sad, unforgiving world. He stared back at me and I sighed before nodding again, this time at him.

“I will take my leave,” I stated curtly. “I’ve… plenty of affairs to deal today and I will be back the day after tomorrow for some more chatting. I will be there for much longer than now and… I hope you will find it easy to approach those I’ve assigned to keep care of you.”

Bhediya nodded slowly at the affirmations, but I wasn’t done just yet.

“That means no growling at Speedwagon, Bhediya,” I mentioned, drawing a snort and a frown from the long-haired boy.

Without further ado, I, Dio, walked out of the headquarters once I had given new dispositions to the fellow blond about handling the two siblings. Ready to take on the ‘school’ I’ve decided to approach as per George’s request.

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The carriage came to a solid halt as we finally arrived by the middle section of Woodside, Wimbledon. The street was mostly desolate, if not for a couple of ignorant passerby that avoided approaching the part of the sidewalk which I left the carriage from.

The charioteer was given proper instructions to wait until further notice from my part, giving me the opportunity to wait a little more over the building which I was supposed to go into. Two floors, the builder hadn’t been precise with the proportions as bits of the roof were dented and curving down to the left.

The place looked fairly abandoned, yet I could see lights coming from the windows. I’m still surprised that George hadn’t inquired some more about where I was going to ‘study’ to, or else he would’ve forbidden me from ever approaching this part of London.

To be fair, it took me a while to remember a place that would’ve served both as a mean to expand my contacts and to have some info about ‘bizarre’ situations happening within London or even within the British Empire.

And that place turned out to be the Ghost Club, the oldest paranormal investigation and research organization in the world. It was created back in 1862 by some fellows at Trinity College, and it counted numerous important characters in British literature and governance.

The first one that would come up to my mind was already waiting by the door, patiently so. I didn’t recognize him before approaching, but as soon as I got a better look from his appearance, I was quick to recognize the slimmer and younger form of one Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Yes, the famous writer that was known for his Sherlock Holmes works was part of this club, just not an active one. Actually, the group itself wasn’t even meant to be ‘alive’ after their leading member, Charles Dickens, passed away. With my letter directed at some of the main members still working on the Club’s resurrection, I managed to reanimate the group a year earlier than in the ‘normal’ timeline.

While the claims I had forwarded in that paper should’ve been regarded with strict scrutiny from the leading members of the association, the fact that these people just wanted a purpose to reconvene proved to be too much intense to actually throw away my letter at a first glance.

The man spared me a surprised look, still failing to digest how young I was, but still giving me a nod and leading me inside the large house, taking just a moment to exchange introductions and pleasantries.

He was still a resourceful medic in this time period, quite nervous and still tentative over starting a writing career out of the various issues correlated to the job. Yet Arthur proved to be capable of offering a pleasant conversationalist with his own perception of the paranormal.

Still, my real problem was manifested by the two figures that represented the leadership of the Ghost Club: Stainton Moses and Alaric Alfred Watts.

Both men were… experienced in the occult. To be fair, I wasn’t much trusting of these two specific individuals, knowing perfectly that they weren’t the true founders of the Club as they’ve stated multiple times in their own circles. There was also something that I found uneasy over the strange way they had both replied to my letters.

Quite curt, terribly polite, but, worst of it all, desperate for something to help their efforts to revitalize the group. Real-politick is nice until I’m the one giving orders rather than receiving them.

And this is why, with some careful planning, I decided to limit my ‘claims’ to just a single element I knew they would’ve never been able to use against me. Or at least, not without incurring in my wrath and dying by trying any sneaky move on me.

The two elders were sitting one beside another, while the rest of the Club looked… dull. Everyone was bored and discouraged from the fact that the ‘grand reunion’ had yet to begin. The moment I entered their sight, some looked incredibly irritated at the fact a ‘young boy’ was here at this important gathering.

I didn’t spare this minority much of a simple glance, with my attention quickly fixing at the men that were the most important. I approached the table and Stainton sported a quick smile.

“I suppose you’re the one that sent us the letter detailing quite the impressive study on a possible paranormal energy,” The old man mentioned with a nod. “Please, do come closer.”

I blinked at the tone, feeling rather unnerved by the attention I was receiving, but still sporting a strong outlook as I knew that the moment I displayed any weakness, I was going to get exploited by these dangerous individuals.

They were all for the ‘good cause’ of spiritualism and paranormal, but they weren’t certainly going to step up their level to talk to me with a proper intellectual tone because of my age and height. They didn’t know better and they had yet to experience what I’m truly made of.

“That’s correct,” I politely remarked. “And I suppose I’m talking to Stainton Moses.”

The elder nodded, his smile barely changing as he turned to address the man sitting beside him. “Yes and… this is my associate-”

“Alaric Alfred Watts,” The fellow old man interjected coolly, his stare setting on me. “I’ve read your letter with certain interest, young Dio. And I find it ironic that your name is… correlated to the figure of God.”

I nodded. “My mother believed in the Lord. And her belief was fueled by the truth within this world. That things are beyond what they seem to be.”

He blinked. “Is that so? Then please, do enlighten us about this… truth,” Watts pressed on with some insistence. “You mentioned this energy, but surely you understand we can’t believe at some baseless claims.”

“I’m sure you’ve also received the drawing attached to my letter. The one which would help understand the process behind the production of such an energy.”

A nod, and then he placed by the table the precise drawing of the golden rectangle. At this point, some of the members were sparing interest over this development. I knew that some had some scientific basis, and they were aware of what the ‘golden ratio’ was.

Without offering any other words about the matter, I proceeded to bring out from my jacket’s left pocket a small wooden ball. I showed it to the rest of the group around, gaining their attention as… I started to spin it.

At first there was silence, then some individuals tensed up as the effects of the Spin entered in motion. Shock reigned supreme within the minds of those assisting at this spectacle of light.

The two leaders were both stomped at the sight, with Stainton having lost his smile as his jaws dropped low at the scene. His associate was digesting the situation better, with only his eyes widening at the revelation unfolding before him.

Soon, I could feel the power of controlling the room where I was. No one moved, silently staring as the sphere finally ended with its Spin. I blinked, a small smile spreading on my face as I regarded everyone in that room with a sigh.

“I hope that this was a good enough proof,” I inquired calmly. “For I too believe that proof should be manifested with this kind of claims, as only with proof we can know for sure what is true from what if wrong.”

They were mesmerized- no, they were allured by my speech because of the shocking sight I have given them. I could see it in their eyes, in their souls. I could see some already praising me quietly as their Lord reincarnated.

It would’ve been nice to let them profess me as God reborn… but I wasn’t really hoping for that. Fanatics weren’t what I was searching there, or at least not the ones of the religious kind. I needed servants, faithful and trusted minions that could influence society thanks to their own circles.

Instead of letting the confusion dwindle out in a moment of spiritual zealotry, I merely sighed.

“Of course, I think it’s best for me to not let a thought manipulate you to think me the wrong way,” I confessed quietly, giving another look around as to make them understand I was talking to all of them. “For it would be wrong to label me as the Lord, or even Jesus Christ. I’m neither of them… but I feel close to their message.”

Their moment of religious stupor was dashed away with these words, but they still listened as I was yet to finish and… because I was being honest in a moment of genuine honesty.

“I believe that the world can be better. That we can make it better,” I continued with a sigh. “A world were war is a distant memory, where hate can be resolved through talk rather than with violence. That the word shouldn’t be shied away from because of how soft it sounds like,” I said, pausing just a moment to check on their fascination over my words. I had them hooked up. “And I understand those that find my words idealistic, foolishly so, and I respect them for being this much distrustful. People can abuse trust in the worst of way, because in this world we’re implicitly taught to exploit emotions, manipulate minds...”

I made a sharp turn, looking on the opposite direction. I needed to masterfully use all theatrical gestures I could muster up ‘without sounding too fake’. And I was succeeding by the way things looked like.

“But I don’t care about people as tools. I can see their worth, I can understand their concerns, but I would never go further than using my own body, my own mind, to deal with my own problems,” I commented, feeling my heartbeat picking up a little at how much I was winding out this speech. “Which is why I believe it’s about time, now that the entire world is known to mankind as a whole, to start taking steps towards the heavens. A just world to match with God’s ultimate design.”

“World peace,” Someone muttered in a whisper.

“Equality,” Another whisperer added.

“Justice,” A third man echoed from behind some of his colleagues.

I felt the collective thought resonating with my speech with just a handful still looking skeptical. But I was glad of the results as… I knew that words weren’t going to be the only thing that were going to prove my vision as the proper one.

It could always get better, but for now the one I actually yearned for was enough to satisfy the occupants of this very room. I could already feel it in the air, as people soon started to ‘crave’ for answers to their own questions.

My smile widened as I was more than willing to offer them my wisdom, and to show them the right way to follow. While I hadn’t gained some cult with the same undying loyalty as Dio’s original one, mine was already shaping to be a decent one with the positive reactions I was getting from the all.

For I, Dio, had but just taken the first step in influencing not only the capital, but also the nation as a whole. And my job here was far from done…