“Eveline, explain to me. Tell me there’s a good reason for all of this… Perfect timing of yours” I asked her quietly. She looked at the blood on me, and the cleaver in my hand with the dead Wolfman on the floor. “Lucian, there’s no time to explain, we need t-”

“No time? NO TIME? There was plenty of time, the twins told me to stay in the base and went upstairs and never came back! I waited, and maybe if I had not, they would still be alive and not dead with their heads stacked along with the towns people as some fucking trophy piece!” I yell at her, letting it all out.

Picking up the adorned ear and putting it into my pouch, bloody or not. Can turn it into gold later.

I looked her in the eyes, seeing fear in her eyes as well, pointing at where my mother remained, and continued, “My mother is dead, Eveline. Maybe if I had not stayed put like the twins asked, we could have saved her together too. My father and I defeated this Wolfman, but there is still who knows how many more! He is going to be dead soon, and I can tell not even your Tier 6 Water magic can heal him. He is alive on pure willpower at this point”. My father stayed quiet, but was holding on as long as he could.

I bent down and used my Healing Hand on him, to ease his suffering if anything. “Don’t tell me there’s no time to explain, Eveline. You will explain, or I will activate the abyssal power with every fiber of power I can muster, and start forming my core to take out the town and the remaining Wolfman with me. Everyone is fucking dead already, so what is the point?!”

“Lucian, I rushed back as fast as I could! On patrol a group of strong mages ambushed me and left after buying enough time for me to get back to everything destroyed! Owen and Alex are dead, and we can not save anyone else! I thought you were dead too! We need to leave before it is too late!” Her rage was apparent, but not at me. The look in her eyes was guilt, and it became clear that I misjudged the situation.

She feels the same as me right now.

“You feel powerless to do anything too, huh?” I asked, and she didn’t answer but that was enough to know the answer.

“Give me a minute and I will listen to your plan, Eveline”. I turn to my father, and smile at him as if to pretend I was still the loving child he carried on his shoulders. “It’s almost time, Dad?” Grabbing his hand and squeezing it.

My father who has been quiet this whole time says, “I was worried about you being alone in this world, Lucian. I was in the yard, performing maintenance on my gear, and the Wolfman charged out of the forest and we fought” his voice was starting to shake and lose its strength. He continued, “Your mother tried to support me in the fight, and the Wolfman targeted her and was faster than I was to stop him. It was over so fast, and it was all I could do to stop him causing her body more damage… I failed, son”.

I squeezed his hand tighter as I felt his weaken, not letting the strong feeling in our grasp lessen, as if it would change anything. What should I say? Don’t worry about me? Go rejoin with mother?

My father noticed my conflict and said, “Your mother and I have always known you were different, Lucian. You always have done what was necessary, whether in combat, or to try and pretend to be a normal child for us. Don’t forget to protect this” he puts a weak fist my chest where my heart is, “Don’t lose this in the pursuit of power, son. It is normal to feel rage, especially in these circumstances, but don’t let it control who you are as a person”. He bumped his fist against my chest. “You will grow strong, just need to give it time, Luce. I can see the desire for revenge in your eyes, but promise you won’t try anything like that until you can confidently do so”. He looked into my eyes one last time, and I couldn’t lie to him.

“By my name as your son, Lucian Eldritch. I promise to not foolishly seek revenge before it is possible to do so. I also promise that I will bring a high class mana beast meal to your graves one day like we swore years ago”. He smiled and I leaned him back against the remnants of the wall in the house.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

As he started to fully fade away, he looked at me with the most pride and love he could fill his gaze with and said, “Most importantly, don’t forget that no matter what, your mother and I love you more than anything in this world. Take care of yourself, son. We are sorry to leave you alone”. I nodded to him one last time, and he closed his eyes and he was gone.

“Eveline, I don’t suppose you have a way to freeze the bodies, do you? There’s no time to dig graves..” I asked her, and she shook her head. “The closest option would be making a beacon of our location from the mana fluctuations. Wolfman mana beasts are especially sensitive to high tier magic”.

“I’m sorry to ask, but could you move my mother’s body next to my father’s?.. What remains anyways. I am going to collapse the house on them to avoid their bodies being savaged by the Wolfmans anymore than has been done already”. Eveline looked at me sadly, and said “Of course, Lucian” and she picked up my mother and put her next to my father. A loving couple like them deserves to be together at the end.

I’m only sorry that I can not bury you properly right now. Our home shall serve as your grave until I am able to do you both justice.

Eveline and I walked out of the door, verified that we were in the clear for the time being. I channeled mana into both my hands and legs and cast the strongest Tier 1 Earth spell, Tectonic Tremor and used the last of my rage to slam my feet into the ground, and then my fists. Cracks quickly formed into the ground and surrounded and went under my home and started to collapse in on itself.

Goodbye, Mom and Dad. I don’t know if what I feel for the both of you is love, but I like to think that it is… In my own way. I will remember our times together fondly, and vow to wipe out the ones responsible for this sin one day.

I looked at Eveline, who has waited patiently for me and nodded to give her the all clear, and she cast a Wind spell that wrapped the both of us in a windy storm, and we took off faster than I have ever moved the opposite direction of Seastrand, or what used to be Seastrand.

----------------------------------------

What felt like a few hours passed, and Eveline and I had both been silent. Neither of us were great at communicating it seemed.

“I… Am sorry, Eveline. I let my anger take control over me, and I lashed out at you when you only did the best you could. I wasn’t the only one who lost people tonight, and I want you to know Owen and Alex were brave and rushed to help the people when they first felt something was wrong. They are the reason I am still alive, despite the possibilities that do not matter anymore because we can’t change it”.

It felt nice to get that weight off of my chest, and Eveline smiled at me and said, “You are handling this like someone who has lived through many battlefields, Lucian. Thank you for trying to comfort me”.

I could only look away from here and quietly say, “Maybe Selene’s nickname of ‘little monster’ is more accurate than we thought..” and Eveline did not respond. She doesn’t lie to me, and I appreciate that.

Seastrand has been my entire experience in this world thus far, and I only had a vague understanding of surrounding areas. Was she taking me back to the capital, Solara to report what had happened?

“Selene does not want you to be well known in the capital at this time, so I will be reporting back there after taking you to her for safety, per her request if something went wrong in Seastrand”.

“I see… What will happen when you report back, Eveline? Surely they have to understand that it was out of your control?”. Eveline let out a bitter laugh and said, “They only understand the results, that being that I failed, and lost two of our strongest members of the Squad in the process. At best, I will be demoted, and at worst…” she didn’t finish the sentence, so I did.

“Execution?! They would execute someone as loyal and strong as you over something you could not change?!” The mana inside me started to get excited, and I had to quickly take control to prevent it going to my chest. Keep it under control, Lucian.

Yeah, I know.

Eveline waited until I had calmed my agitated mana and said, “The price for this failure was a loss of a city population, and a potential conflict arising in the Everlasting War after it has been relatively quiet besides a few small skirmishes in the Wilds. If they decide they need a scapegoat to appease the people… I’m the first choice”.

“If you did not try to find me, would others in the city have survived, and your life would not be at risk?” I asked quietly, wanting to be wrong.

I rarely am…

“Yes, Lucian. I chose to save your life over the remaining civilians in the city because that is how special you are. Selene has taught me a lot through my life, and you are the first one I have seen her eyes glow with anticipation for. She believes you will be a major figure to change the fate of this world, and that is all I need to risk my life to protect yours”.

Now was not the time to be childish… A little ironic to say in this body.

“Thank you, Eveline. I will do my best to live up to the weight of everyone’s expectations of me and make you all proud”. I wanted to be selfish… Tell her to stay with Selene and I… But that would only cause more suffering for everyone involved.

“You are the most talented student I have had the honor of teaching, and I believe you will stay true to your word, for better or worse”.

More time passed, and I saw a forest in the distance that was covered in a purple fog so dense you could not see inside of it.

“Is that?...” and Eveline nodded, “Yes, that is the entrance to the Fae Realm”.