I couldn’t find it. I’m going to be so dead to my mother if she ever asks for the whereabouts of that coin… It meant so much to her and I. I mean, this is the only thing that reminds me of him… My father.
*Knock…*
*Knock…!*
*Bang!*
— “Just what are you going to do dwelling in your room, young man?! You’ve been moping all night about something! Just tell me what it is!”
I don’t have any excuse. I’m as good as dead.
I turned over to my side and looked her dead in the eye…
— “...I lost the coin, mother. The only memento of my father, I lost it!”
— “Oh come on, Lynn! I don’t care about your father anymore! He left us after having you. At least he knows how to own up to his responsibility by financially supporting you.”
She’s right… I don’t have a father in my life. I never saw a single picture of him besides that carving of him on that gold coin.
***
— “I can’t go back home to cure your mother.”
— “What?! Why not?! Do you not love her like I do, father?! She is in a dire situation, barely holding up!”
— “I would if I could, Minnie. But unfortunately, I can’t go back home. I wish I could do as you wish, my dear daughter.”
— “You’re being vague, father! This is not fair whatsoever!”
It’s so early in the morning. Why is daughter-father drama the first thing I hear in the morning? Whatever.
I went downstairs to see Minnie with her head low on the table with her father on the opposite side of the table all while Leo was minding his own business in the same table eating a full plate of breakfast.
— “‘Morning, Owens.”
Leo spoke with a mouthful of food. Oh, what an uncouth child!
— “Swallow your food first before talking.”
— “Somehow, you sound stingier than Min-Min—and she’s a royal. Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, Owens?”
— “Whatever…”
I took a seat besides him as I don’t want to disturb Minnie from what she’s feeling. I feel as if it’s better if I don’t dip my nose in other family’s problems… But…
— “...What’s the reason why you can’t go back to Aevum?”
— “How do I put this?”
He hesitates… For what? Is he hiding something? Should I press further why?–
— “Yes, father, why can’t you not?”
I could hear Minnie’s voice laced with sarcasm and anger for her father’s ignorance. Who wouldn’t be? Why can’t he help her mother? What’s the reason?
— ‘Pst! Take me to a private room.’
A voice rang in my head, a familiar one. It isn’t Lida so it could only be one thing.
— “I’ll excuse myself from the table.”
No one replied. Leo was busy eating, Minnie kept her head low, and her father was keeping quiet. I got up and went back upstairs to my room and took out that piece of cloth out of my pocket.
— “What do you want?”
— “What do I want? It’s obvious: your money. But enough about me, I know what YOU want.”
— “Go on, try and guess what it is, then.”
— “You wanted to learn why that man has his lips shut, no?”
I’m not surprised. He talked in my head so it’s only obvious for him to somehow read my mind on what I want.
— “I do–”
Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.
It cut me off and I’m guessing it’s going to say something regarding the price for that information.
— “For a price.”
— “I knew it, you greedy piece of cloth. Just what is it? I can’t stand my friends suffering like this. It took us a long time to get into this forest only for the person we need to bring back is refusing. Just tell me the price.”
It went quiet for a while, not responding after I finished what I said as if thinking.
— “I want you to give me a small shard of that giant crystal in the middle of the town.”
Why would I ever do that? The last time I did, I was under the influence of this thing and we got caught and now I’m labeled as “The guy with a perverted smile on his face whilst thrusting his puny looking sword at the crystal”.
— “Why should you do it, you ask? Don’t you want to be of help to your friends? Or are you selfish like me?”
— “Don’t compare me to you, you–”
— “Let’s be real here, come on! Why are you a traveling merchant?”
— “I…”
— “Because you were locked behind doors by your parents for years, right? A pretty-boy like you never was under the sun until you were fourteen. Why didn’t you just obey your parents, huh? Did you suddenly become rebellious?”
That’s a lie! It’s not because I wanted to be rebellious… I… I just wanted to see the outside–
— “You’re selfish. You’re no different from me after all.”
— “Fine…”
— “What’s that? I can’t hear you from that tone.”
— “I said… Fine!”
I can’t stand this thing. How can this piece of cloth have the upperhand on me? You’re just a trapped, helpless boy.
— “As if you’re the one to talk, Owens. You want to be of help to your friends, right? Just accept the deal.”
*Slam!*
The door to my room was opened and there stood Cass.
— “What’s with you yelling ‘Fine!’?”
— “I-It’s nothing.”
And as if on cue, the cloth actually stayed quiet as if noticing her presence. It’s good that this thing knows how to actually shut up for once.
— “Oh, do you have a shard of the crystal outside? I need it for something.”
— “Are you going to sell it?”
What? No. Why would I do that? Is this thing even profitable in the first place?
— “Because you said: “You guys bet that I could make a fortune with these crystals?!” right before you tried striking the giant crystal in the middle of the town.”
— “Come on! Why do you think I’d sell it?! It’s just one piece!”
— “True. But considering your previous behavior, you would probably market it as a premium item.”
Even my friends have started to doubt me because of this thing.
— “Look. What do I need to do to regain your trust?”
—” Now you just sound like a desperate lover, Owens. Are you sure you’re not into me?”
She should be a professional jumper for how fast she’s jumping into conclusions. I mean, what? Where’d she even get that from?
— “I was kidding.”
Thank goodness she is. I really can’t handle anymore of these shenanigans. I just want to get this over with.
— “Here, you can have it. Just promise me you won’t sell it.”
She said after handing me the shard of the crystal and leaving the room.
*Creak…*
*Shut…*
I looked at my left hand holding the shard of the crystal. It’s mesmerizing. I can’t take my eyes off of it. How can this thing be a repellent against fairies and pixies?
The edges of this crystal look sharp like a mixture of obsidian and glass and I feel like it could cut me if I grip it.
The crystal itself looks multi-colored and weird, it’s colored like the color oil makes in water. Most importantly, how did Cass get her hand on this?
— “By gods, you need to stop thinking to yourself and just hand it to me already!”
— “Alright, alright!”
I placed the shard on my right hand on top of the cloth and it suddenly broke it down, cracking it like glass. It’s splitting into multiple pieces before completely disappearing.
— “Now that I’ve given you my part of the deal, I want you to fulfill yours.”
— “Right, right… About that…”
What is it this time? Why can’t this thing be genuine for once?! Why is this thing even with me in the first place?! Just let me help my friends!
— “G-Geez, I’m fulfilling my part of the deal. I’m just telling you the drawback.”
— “What is it?”
— “You know how you can only see through walls when you place me over your eyes?”
— “I do. I only used it once and I can’t see anything that isn’t behind walls. It’s practically useless.”
— “Are you calling me useless?”
— “Just get to the point, damnit!”
— “Fine, fine! You can only hear the thoughts of people and nothing else! Is that what you wanted to hear?!”
— “Much better! Just keep it short, will you? You’re already annoying enough as is.”
The thing went quiet and I placed it over my ears, ready to hear the thoughts of Minnie’s father.
— ‘I can’t drag her into this. That man is ruthless. He’ll get whatever he wants however he wants.’
— ‘I like pancakes.’
— ‘Why can’t my father just understand me?! I’m powerful enough as is! What is there to fear?!’
— ‘That Owens is so strange this morning, what’s gotten into him? What does he need that shard for?’
People really are in their own thoughts in the same table so I’m guessing none of them are talking? Awkward… Like really awkward… Yikes.