Chapter Fifteen:
Trouble Knocked, and I Answered
Nicodemus
“When reaping a soul, there are three main things you must always remember. Firstly, compassion; a lot of Humans do not understand they are dead, and the ones that do are usually quite scared. We need to make sure we are always empathizing with their situation, and treat each case as if it were our most important one.
Secondly, efficiency; when you become Reapers, you will be tasked to collect at least a hundred souls a day, and depending on what is happening on Earth, that number could fly to astronomical heights. War, disease, civil discourse… the benefactors that lead to spikes in deaths can hit at any moment, so always be prepared for the trends to fluctuate on the dime.
The third and final objective is accuracy; I cannot stress enough how imperative it is for you all to always stay on top of your reaping lists. I cannot tell you how many times Reapers have taken the souls of innocent people who were meant to recover, or placed their souls in the wrong places. A soul is an incredibly delicate and important thing, and if we cannot handle them properly, then who will? It is not Grim’s job to hold your hand all the time, and only so many strikes are allowed before you are deemed unworthy of reaping.
Now, I believe you’ve suffered enough for today, so let’s wrap up early. I appreciate your concentration and attention, and ask that you finish reading chapter seven about characterizing the three types of souls. Please write a few bullet points for each type, good, bad, and trapped, and we’ll break them down throughout the rest of the week.
Keep in mind that trapped souls are a massive category, and come in many different variations. They have several subcategories, but for now, we’ll just take down some basics. Have a wonderful rest of your day, everyone, and good luck with training!” Seraphine called before setting her marker down.
Commotion erupted as the class collected their things and began exiting the room, desperate to get a break from her lecture. I was busy staring out the window the entire time, and was last to stand and stuff my binder into my backpack. Seraphine was staring down at her own, scrawling down some additional thoughts as I passed by quietly, moving to slip a headphone in. “Mr. Crawford? A moment of your time?” She called without looking up from her notes.
I swallowed and slowly sunk to the back of the line, waiting for the class to leave before quietly shutting the door. “Um, yes, ma’am?” I stammered, turning back to her desk.
She looked up at me over the bridge of her glasses, then tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, “You seemed quite distracted today. Is there something bothering you, or are you having a hard time with the assignments?”
I was still spaced out slightly, and blinked hard at her question, “Hmm? Oh, no, I’m fine. Guess I haven’t been sleeping well or something. Am I doing poorly on anything?”
“Of course not, but it’s your in class attentiveness I’m worried about. I know you’ve been doing well in training, but rumors have been floating about over Galaxy setting up teams to start doing field missions. You wouldn’t be considered had you not had so much training in the past, but you’re at the same if not higher level than your peers, so I’m sure he’ll give you a spot. I just worry that you’re overwhelmed with everything going on?”
I smirked and shook my head, “No, I’m ok. I’ve been trying to focus on training as much as I can, but I will admit, it’s a bit redundant. I learned a lot of this stuff years ago with Magnus and Dad, so I’m kind of, bored? I don’t want to say it like that, but it’s the truth. Akira and I are working together on small stuff on the sidelines, but for my bulk training, I pass each obstacle within minutes and get stuck beating up test dummies all afternoon. I don’t want to sound like a snob, or act like I’m so much better…?”
She sighed playfully and pulled her glasses off, rolling her eyes teasingly, “You’re killing me, Nicodemus, I hope you know that?”
“How so?” I hiccuped.
Seraphine took a sip from her coffee mug and cleared her throat, “I figured this was the case, and I wish I was able to take you aside to train on your own, but unfortunately I’m not allowed. I suppose I can try and suggest to Blaine that we move you up a level or two, but I believe you outshine most of our fifteenth year at this point too. This is to be expected for someone in your position, so don’t feel guilty admitting this. You have four Shadow Walkers, and the Grim Reaper is your father; I don’t doubt for a second that you are too advanced for these remedial courses.”
“Why can’t you train me?” I asked, titling my head sadly.
She tsked and poked my cheek twice, “Don’t bug those eyeballs at me, you little devil!” She laughed to make me smile, “Your father and I disagree on how to train an Elemental, to say the least, and he believes I would be way too tough on you. To give him credit, I definitely don’t sugar coat, but I also am trying not to get between him or Blaine. He is the God of Death, and your father, and I must respect that he has authority over you and your training…”
“What if I asked him?” I blurted.
She turned pale, and slid a hand over her mouth to hide the scowl forming, “I wouldn’t advise it, my sweet. Your father has enough going on right now…?”
“So it’s better to waste time smacking around a wind machine when I could be helping him track demons or reap souls? I’ve been hunting demons with him for years, and I know that there’s been an explosion of them lately…” I paused, then smacked a hand to my hip, “Galaxy is making me slow down, isn’t he? That’s why he and Dad are fighting?”
“Try the other way around,” she snorted.
I blinked angrily, scoffing, “Dad’s the one holding me back? What for?! He dragged me all over when we were on Earth, and now I’m trapped in a cage at Valyce?!”
“I understand your frustration Nicodemus, truly I do, but I don’t think this is something to bring up right now. Your father made his decisions based on what he felt is best for your wellbeing, and you should allow him the right to do so.”
“Maybe I should get someone else to convince him…?” I mumbled slyly.
Seraphine raised an eyebrow, “Young man, don’t get yourself into more trouble!”
“You heard nothing!” I cried, racing out the door backwards as she laughed and shook her head to herself with a smile.
╪
I had rarely been to the first floor of the academy since administrative offices were more so for teachers than students. Our main welcoming office was downstairs, and all students concerns handled there, so there was no real need for us to roam around this wing unless something serious was going on. I clutched the strap of my backpack warily as I scurried down the hallway to a set of old white doors, that had the word Headmaster etched into them in delicate black writing. I swallowed and knocked twice, my legs trembling slightly as I waited. The door creaked open, and Galaxy’s secretary beamed with a big smile. “Good afternoon, Nicodemus; something I can help with?” He cheerfully sang. I was astonished that he knew my name, but was told that Salem knew every Elemental to ever walk Galaxy’s campus.
“Um… is my uncle, around? More, is he busy…?”
“Is Galaxy Crawford busy? When is he not!” He laughed before nodding for me to follow him inside, “He just got back from a meeting, so I’m sure he’s having lunch? Let me tell him you’re here. Feel free to grab something from the counter!” He slid into Galaxy’s office with a smile, closing the door behind him. My eyes glanced over the assortments of snacks and beverages left out on the counter to my right, but I was in no mood for anything digestible. When the door opened again, Salem gestured to go inside before returning to his desk, where he picked up the phone and began to make some necessary phone calls. I shuffled towards the entrance, and politely shut the door behind myself.
Galaxy was at his desk with a salad and soup before him, scrolling down something so fast I thought his hand would catch on fire. The meal looked to be untouched, though the ticket beside it read it had been dropped off over half an hour ago. When he heard me enter, he shot his blinding yellow eyes up and smiled sweetly while setting the smoking pen down, “Hey there, Nick; nice to have a visit from you?”
I scratched at my arm nervously, “Um, I don’t want to bother you if you’re busy…?”
Galaxy shook his head and clapped a hand on my shoulder, “I’m never too busy for my students, let alone my nephew. What’s on your mind?”
“I, well, wanted to discuss something kind of sensitive with you. I’m not sure how to approach the issue with anyone else, so you were my first guess.”
“Well, I’m glad to help. Come walk with me a minute; I want to show you something since you came by.”
“Um, sure?” I shrugged as Galaxy pulled me gently alongside him to a grand balcony that overlooked the entire school, which was just beyond the large windows surrounding his office. His office itself was technically part of the second floor, but only accessible by the first, which allowed the balcony to be able to be an actual balcony. The air brushed through my hair and made its way across my face, but refreshed me instantaneously. “Wow…” I whispered in awe as he leaned over the rail with a smile.
“Beautiful, isn’t it? This is my favorite spot to come and ease my nerves. I truly love this academy, you know, and cherish it like gold. Had I not had children, this would be my utmost pride and joy,” he lit a cigarette and took a long drag, “What did you want to ask me?”
I crossed my arms over my chest and ground my teeth as I thought of what to say, “Well, it’s… about my training. Seraphine caught me daydreaming today, and I explained to her that I honestly was dreading going this afternoon. It’s nothing to do with Blaine, it’s because I’m just, to put it honestly, too advanced for the remedial stuff. I would like to be exposed to the real meat and potatoes so to speak, and feel like I’m wasting my time going over fundamentals. I don’t want to sound rude or disrespectful, but I also know that Dad’s the one holding me back, and I thought maybe you could somehow convince him to let me move up?”
Galaxy raised an eyebrow, then chuckled under his breath, “You’re asking me to slay a dragon with no sword, you know that, right?”
“Better than me asking him to let Seraphine train me.”
“That, you are correct about,” he chuckled before pursing his lips, “May I ask; how much do you know about the positions Death Elementals take up after graduation?”
I shrugged lamely, “Not too much, to be honest. Geneva is starting to go over it, but anything I know is based off the myths more than the facts. I know we collect souls or kill demons, and that’s as far as I got.”
“Well, let me explain a bit for you, if you don’t mind?” He poured two glasses of water, and this time I took one, “Death Elementals are the Elementals responsible for working under the command of the Grim Reaper if it weren’t obvious enough. Each Death Elemental who chooses to reap souls is delegated into a category, where, when ready, they begin to collect souls for Grim. For example, before your father became Grim, he was an Illness Reaper.”
“An Illness Reaper?” I asked quizzically.
Galaxy nodded passively behind his glass, “When a Human died of an Illness, your father and his team would be sent out to reap the souls. They were, and are, one of the largest division of Reapers, and extremely talented Elementals. Only when he was thirty did the Gods before us recognize that he had powers much greater than just the average Death Elemental.”
“So, like… does Dad chose what kind of job we get? Like, does he pick if we get to be reapers or demon killers?”
“Yes, hence why everyone in your class sucks up to him,” Galaxy chuckled before pouring more water for himself. “Demon killers are equally important, as they act as the police force for the Elemental and Human Realm. They don’t just kill demons; they handle things like pesky spirits who don’t want to cross over, or cause nuisances for Humans alike.” He turned to me curiously, “What job would you like to have?”
“I can do both those jobs, so, I’m not really sure…” I swallowed the lump in my throat, “I know that’s, taboo, for someone to be able to do both. Does that make me, weird?”
Galaxy thought for a long minute about how he wanted to answer. His eyes were distant, miles ahead of us really, but he finally found his voice. “Yes, it is.” He plainly stated.
I tapped the sides of my glass in a rhythmic pattern as I digested what he said. Finally, I decided to press the subject I had always wanted to with my parents, but never dare touched until now. “How did you guys become Gods, all of you, I mean?”
He didn’t seem bothered by my question the way my parents usually were, “It’s a complicated process to say the least. To put it simply, we had to prove our worth by beating out the Gods before us.” He replied casually, as if that wasn’t some insanely grand feat in itself.
“Beating out? Like k-killing them...?” I bawled.
Galaxy shrugged, “I mean, kind of.” He saw my face contort in horror, and took it upon himself to change the subject. “Can I ask a question about Akira? What drew you to him? Most people have told me he’s pretty low ranked as a demon.” He asked, nodding to the sleeping fox on my shoulder, who yawned when he heard his name.
I subconsciously scratched his ears to make myself feel better, “I don’t know really. When I met him he was injured, scared, and alone. He seemed like he needed someone to properly care for him, and I knew I wanted to be that person.”
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“I knew that's what you’d say,” I blinked as he took a sip of water and continued, “I find you quite interesting. You seem to share a lot of qualities your father does, besides the physical ones. You both have extraordinary amounts of power, so much so that its almost intimidating, yet you hold your own personality that is so much more complex than your parents. I wonder where you get it from? Honestly, I’ve dreamed of picking your brain, in an absolutely non-harmful way of course. Your abilities interest me like none other.” He turned, looked around, then pulled me in close. He smelled like smoke and wine, and his eyes glowed beyond the intense fiery yellow they always were. “Please keep what I say next between you and I, Nicodemus.” He whispered seriously.
“Um, of, of course…” I stammered.
“We are coming to the precipice of the next exchange of the Gods,” he began, “Which means that all of the present Gods will be bestowing our roles to the next set of individuals.”
“Really? Do you know who the next ones will be?” I asked. He raised an eyebrow, which made me swallow in shock, “Heh, um, n-no, no way! There’s no way I could be a God! T-That was just some silly dream I had as a kid…?” I laughed awkwardly.
“You say that, yet you yourself have just told me how much more advanced you are than your classmates. Add in the fact that you do have so many Shadow Walkers, and the recipe just culminates to an even bigger dessert.”
“That’s, crazy?” I croaked.
Galaxy turned back to the academy, and leaned against the rail so that he didn’t have to directly face me as he spoke, “Sebastian is right along with you. He is the only Elemental who can summon the Five Dragons, a spell designated for elite Earth Elementals, making him a contender for the God of Earth. Each of our children harnesses gifts that stand out more than any other, and that keeps nagging at me more and more day by day. It’s interesting to think our children are blessed with the powers I spoke off. Usually it has nothing to do with blood relation to the previous Gods, but in your case, you all show signs of these incredible gifts. You have the potential to completely rework the world, if you chose to, or destroy it.” His voice fell slowly. He began to realize he had said too much, and attempted to change the subject. “What do you want to do when you grow up?”
My jaw was still slacked, but I knew if I didn’t go along, I would end up digging a deeper hole that I had already fallen in, “Maybe be a teacher... I don’t really know yet.”
“Just like your Dad, eh? You look up to him?” He prompted.
“Very much. I, feel bad…. about my parents situation, and I try to make things as easy for them as possible. I envy my father’s strong will...”
“What do you mean, situation?”
I swirled the water around in my glass, shrugging, “They’re both very busy trying to keep the world from falling apart. I feel like all I’ve been is stress on their lives.”
“Don’t ever think that Nicodemus. Your parents worship the ground you walk on,” he said in disbelief so sincere that I had to believe it.
“I know, I know. It’s just…” I slowly fell quiet, unable and unwilling to continue.
Galaxy sighed deeply and died out his cigarette, laying his chin in his palm with a roll of his lips, “I’ll try and cook up a way to coax your father into upping your training level. It won’t be easy, but I have a few ideas,” he set his cup down and opened the doors leading to the balcony, “One more thing,” he said, looking over his shoulders, “as I stated, please keep the conversation about the next coming of Gods between you and I. It’s not something I should have said to begin with, and I would hate for a problem to arise between your father and I about it.”
“Why is it such a secret…?”
“Because I usually don’t play favorites, especially when my brothers’ life would be at stake if you two were to battle for the honor of being the Grim Reaper.”
╪
“Breakfast, guys!” Mom called up the steps a few days later. The house had been utterly silent all week, so the sound of her voice was similar to glass cracking when it forced the silence to shatter. I moped downstairs in my uniform, set my bag down, and fell into a seat at the table to wait quietly as she set down a plate of eggs. “Here you go, Love Bug!” She kissed my forehead and pinched my cheek, waiting for me to smile. I stayed deadpan, staring down at my plate.
I hadn’t slept since my conversation with Galaxy. Every time I closed my eyes, the memory of what he said filled my thoughts, and when I began to think about it too much, I got violently stomach sick. I was torturing myself, but I refused to spill my guts to my parents. The thought that, A, I could be a God, and B, I would have to kill my father to become one absolutely terrified me, and I couldn’t look him in the eye since that night. We had barely exchanged a set of words since that day, and since I was sealing myself in my room any chance I had, he was desperately worried about my odd behavior. I knew I would crack eventually, but it was getting to the point that I was sure I would come home from class and find my bedroom door in the garbage.
“Nicodemus…?” Mom worriedly asked.
“Morning, you two,” Dad chirped, kissing Mom’s cheek and ruffling my hair as he grabbed a plate with a soft and happy whistle.
“Morning... Honey…?” She turned away momentarily to gesture to me with her chin, which made Dad raise an eyebrow at her. She shrugged; he turned to me with a fake smile.
“Ready for that test today, buddy?” He tried, shaking my shoulders. I didn't respond whatsoever, just stood from my untouched plate, grabbed my bag, and left the house. “Um, have a good day?!” He tried as the door shut loudly behind me.
╪
I had Magnus first period; I stayed completely quiet as he gave his lesson on the origin myth of the God of Wind. Odysseus wasn’t here today due to a recheck with Lysander, so I had nothing to distract myself, and that made the lecture ten times more mind numbing. Magnus kept looking back at me, trying to read my face, but I didn't give him the chance. My Shadows stayed quiet as well as they knew I was going to be unresponsive while I took time to collect my thoughts, though they were agonizing over my devastated state.
Class ended after a grueling forty-five minutes, and as everyone stood, Magnus snapped his head up. “Nicodemus? Stay for a moment, please?” I fell behind as the last kid shut the door; he locked it before turning me to face him, “Hey, what's going on buddy? You’ve been quiet all day? Is everything ok?” He lovingly cooed. I shrugged as he knelt down and poked my cheek, “You wanna talk about it?” I shook my head as he sighed softly, “Ok, I understand. Hey, take this,” he scrolled out a pass and handed it to me with a fake smile, “If you need me, write down the time and tell the teacher you need to come see me. If they have questions they can call me, ok?” I nodded again, but didn’t provide any further response. “Nicodemus…?”
“Magnus, I’m fine.” I hissed.
His eyes drooped in defeat, and he patted my shoulders awkwardly before standing up once more, “Alright, have a good day, and I’ll see you last period?” I left the room quickly, which made his arms drop to his sides with a look of doubt plastered on his face.
╪
While everyone ate lunch, I sat on top of the wall with my legs propped up, humming softly while Akira nestled into my lap. Sebastian was on the other side of the lawn laughing with Soren and their siblings, while Deveraux, Blaine, and Dad whispered about me from across the yard. Now that I had properly learned to use my element in Valyce’s Realm, my hearing and sight were enhanced fifty percent more than a Human’s, so hearing their conversation wasn’t hard. “He's been like this all day, especially in class with Magnus.” Dad whispered.
“What do you think caused it?” Blaine asked.
“Maybe something Galaxy said to him? Praxis said Nick went to see him before training a few days ago?” Deveraux offered.
“Galaxy better hope that isn’t the case!” Dad snarled. Akira rubbed my cheek; I ruffled his fur before he went back home for the day.
“That would be odd, even for him. Galaxy should know better than to say anything that would upset him this much?” Deveraux whispered back.
“I’m extremely worried about him. He barely ate this morning, and he loves his mother's’ scrambled eggs. He hasn’t left his room in days, let alone spoken a word to us.” Dad sighed.
“He looks pale as well?” Blaine added.
“Good, here comes Sebastian. Maybe he can cheer him up?” Deveraux suggested as Sebastian skipped up to me, holding his lunch box and a huge smile.
“Hey, you! I was looking for you!” He kissed my cheek hard; I hugged him back numbly as he hopped up onto the wall beside me, “Hey, what's wrong with my sweet Angel?” He asked, looking at me under my hair.
“Nothing, just tired…” I mumbled.
Sebastian’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, “It’s seems like it's more than that? I know my best friend... Nicodemus? What's wrong?”
“I… can’t tell you...” I whimpered, my eyes filling as I finally lost the ability to stay calm.
He gasped softly and brushed my tears away, his hands shaking as he did. “Why? what happened?” He snapped in a full panic.
“I, I can’t tell you!” I repeated. My voice broke, and I choked up hard before grabbing my bag and bolting into the school as tears rushed down my face. Sebastian called my name, but the doors had already slammed shut behind me. I knew I needed to hide, because Dad and his torture Nicodemus squad would be after me in minutes. I darted into the gym locker rooms, which were empty, and curled up in a dressing room.
May appeared and wound her arms around me, humming softly to try and help relax me. {Nicodemus? Honey, its ok...?} She tried worriedly.
I coughed hard, trying to catch my breath as the door opened. I held my breath, but Dad opened the stall door with a raised eyebrow. “You may be fast, but I know my son. Now, move over and talk to me.” Dad said, sitting beside me to wrench me into his side. I shook my head fast, letting out frustrated moans as I tried wriggling free from his arms. “Oh stop it you squirmy thing!” He laughed, though I stayed cold and frozen, like a deer in headlights. “Stop being a grouch and talk to me, Nicodemus,” he said, worry thick in his voice.
“Would you let go of me!” I snarled angrily, trying to rip free again.
“Nicodemus, come on, knock it off!” He seriously snapped, jerking me around so I was facing him. “Now I have had enough. You’ve been acting strange for days, and it’s seriously concerning everyone. Stop being so stubborn and let me help you!” I glared evilly at the floor as he brought my face up, “Stop ignoring me when I’m talking to you!” He snapped angrily.
“I don't have to tell you everything!” I hissed back.
“You're my son, and if you’re acting this abnormal, then yes, you do.”
“What, I’m not allowed to have a private life at all?” I mocked childishly.
“Nicodemus Xavier Crawford, stop being a disrespectful brat right now.” His eyes burned with anger; I threw my face into my lap in defeat. “I am trying to help, but I can’t if I don't know what's going on.”
“I made a mistake and got myself into a shitty situation,” I mumbled wearily.
Dad raised an eyebrow, “I don’t understand…?”
The words expelled from my mouth no matter if I wanted them to or not, “Galaxy told me something he shouldn’t have, and it’s driving me insane! Happy, almighty one? You have to know everything, well there you go, now you know, so just leave me alone already!” I cried, standing and grabbing my school bag.
“Whoa, hey, wait a minute young man!” He jerked me to a stop, his eyes crazy with worry, “What did he say to you?” He growled as an unholy rage rumbled behind his lips.
I swallowed loudly, “I asked him if he could convince you to let me train with the higher classes. He agreed to try, but he also said that Sebastian and I… might be next in line to become Gods. That if you and I were to fight, I would end up killing you.” I morosely whispered.
A look of absolute horror filled his face, and he turned seven shades of red, “Why didn't you tell me this?!”
“Because he told me not to, ok!” I yelled angrily.
Dad turned from bright red to ghost white in an instant, “Wha-… What do you mean?”
“Ever since I talked to Galaxy I can barely look you in the eye! I’ve been here for two months, and now he’s telling me I'm supposed to become a God?! I can barely control myself, and now he’s throwing this onto my plate! And to top it all off, he’s throwing me in the middle of your fucking problems, telling me not to start a fight between you two like it’s my job to keep you from killing each other! If I had known asking him about training would lead to this, I would have avoided his office like the black fucking plague!” I cried ballistically.
Dad’s arm slowly dropped, and he looked down to the floor. I slowly regained my composure as a single tear slid down his face. He didn’t say a word, just grabbed my arm, dialed a number, and marched down the hallway towards the parking lot.
╪
“Stay here.” Dad barked before going into Galaxy and Elizabeth’s home with a Gehenna bent fury like none other. My stomach did a flip at the thought of what kind of problem I had just caused, but knew there was no way I was getting myself out of this one unscathed. While he was inside, I saw people moving past the curtains rapidly, their arms raised and their heads whipping as they, what I presumed, was scream at one another. Once in a while I could hear their voices, muffled by the distance, but so loud that I knew the inside of the house must have been Gehenna to be inside. I kept shrinking into my seat every time I heard their voices raise, and could only pray they weren’t going to kill one another in there.
I waited for over an hour before Dad reappeared, bright red with anger and tears that traveled so fast they were soaking his shirt. I flinched into the passenger door as he got in the car without a word, threw it in reverse, and shot out of the driveway like a bullet. The tires squealed so loudly that they sounded as if they would pop off if he hadn’t straightened out the moment he turned. His grip on the steering wheel was hard enough to snap it, and his eyes pure black. I didn’t try and say a word, but knew whatever had happened between them was serious.
At a stop sign I slowly pulled his hand off the wheel, my head hung low as I clasped my fingers around his. He turned from red to pink, his tears trickling to a steady and slow pace that started to fade. When I knew he was the slightest bit calmer, I pulled his arm around me and moved to hug his side. Being this close to him, I was enveloped by the smell of the cologne he had worn my entire childhood, a staple in our household. It was the single most comforting smell in the world to me, and even knowing he was infuriated, I couldn’t help snuggling closer.
We stayed like that for a few minutes before he put his other arm around me and took a shaky breath. “You’re right to ask to train with a higher level class, and I shouldn’t have tried to hold you back for selfish reasons. I will arrange with Blaine for you to join the God’s children on their next mission, to test the waters and see how well you can handle yourself. Regarding what Galaxy said to you...” His anger began boiling again, “If you ever keep something like this from me again, I will make sure you never see the light of day.” His words were harsh, but I knew based on how shaky his voice was that they were meant as a protection.
“I didn't mean to start a problem between you two, or to make you this angry. It was my fault for talking to him behind your back. Please forgive me.” I whispered sincerely, gripping his arms tighter so he wouldn’t let go of me.
Dad nestled into my hair and took a slow breath, “No, no, it’s ok. Galaxy and I will, sort things out on our own.” He sounded unsure when he said this, but I didn’t question it. “Galaxy was completely in the wrong to fill your head with ideas like this. I know that you’re scared, but please try and forget any of that nonsense, and don't ever be afraid to tell me anything, Nicodemus.” He said with a frail smirk before pausing. “Nick, I need to ask you something serious…?”
“What?” I mumbled.
“You know how much your mother and I love you, don’t you?” He begged.
“Of course I do?” I scoffed, “Dad, what is this about?”
“I can’t look you in the eyes... without feeling so worthless...” He choked, tears bubbling in his eyes, “Some God I am, right?”
“Dad...?” I whimpered.
“Nick…I swear...” He paused, then burst into hysterics so wild that I jumped, “I promised I would never bring harm to you, and that’s all I’ve done! I should have brought you here sooner; you would have had a childhood had I not been so cruel! Everything could have been better: your eyes, your loneliness …? I ripped away everything from you, everything, because I was being spiteful! I let my problems with Galaxy ruin your life…! Now, now I can’t even protect you from… from your own powers…!”
His words cut me like a knife, and made me swallow. “From my powers…?”
He shook his and sobbed into his hands openly, truly crying in a way I had never seen him cry before, “I can’t keep you safe, I just can’t. I don’t know how to fix this, how to stop this…!”
“Hey, Dad…? Dad!” I cried, shaking his arm worriedly. He hiccupped a hard sob before peeking up at me, his face full of devastation so hardcore that I teared up. “Gods aren’t invincible...” I whispered.
“I know… and that’s why I hate myself!” He wailed before he became inconsolable again.