Later that morning, Eddie was awakened by his grandma. He and Cassandra were resting in one of the guests rooms. Eddie was so weary that he wanted to go back to bed, but the delicious smell of hot chocolate filled his nostrils. Then all the fatigue and ache in his muscles abated and were replaced by a cheeky smile. He jubilantly received the mug of fresh cocoa. He blew before taking several sips. It was delicious. His baggy eyes vanished instantly as he felt a slight surge of energy coursing through his veins.

     “Delicious, isn’t it? The brownies have such a fascinating recipe,” Grandma smiled.

     “Eddie. What do you say?” asked Cassandra. Cassandra folded her arms and looked displeased with him. Eddie immediately recognized his mistake and lowered his head.

     “Thank you, Grandma. For the cocoa.”

     “Oh sweetie. You remind me of your father.” She patted his head.

     Eddie grinned. His mood brightened as the exotic armor set his mother was wearing caught his attention. Cassandra was wearing a suit of platinum armor. She was fully dressed like a knight. And her longsword was sheathed to her back.

     “Wow! You look so super great, Mom!”

     “Thank you, my dear son. It is my battle armor I’ve had since a long time ago. It surprises me that it still fits,” she giggled. “It’s always been standard procedure for me to be suited up at all times when I was expecting a war. There is so much for you to know learn where I came from and the lifestyle I grew up with.”

     “That is for another time,” Grandma retorted. “He should know what is to become of him.”

     “B-but . . . what about me? When are we going to go back home to Michigan?”

     The unhappy look in Cassandra’s eyes made him think twice about asking further. Grandma had a tabloid folded in her arms. She placed it onto the table next to the bed. His heart lurched, reading the title of the front page, Ferguson Family of Two Missing. The photo on the front page was taken at his school with a wanted poster of him and Cassandra. Eddie vaguely could only comprehend the article with the current level of his reading skills and shrugged.

     “It seems that your predicament is the talk of the day around the nation. They believe the horrific events that took place at your school were the result of a terrorist attack. A search and rescue operation has begun all over the state of Michigan. A reward has been posted for those who would discover your whereabouts.”

     “Okay,” Eddie sipped his cocoa. “Now will be the time to tell what exactly all this has to do with me?”

     Cassandra and Grandma nodded at one another.

     “I believe that it’s your responsibility to tell him about what he houses within himself.” Grandma said in a monotone.

     Cassandra sighed.

     Grandma continued. “Did your mother tell you that our family has Viking and Norse ancestral bloodlines? Did she preach to you about the gods of Asgard?”

     Eddie nodded obediently and said, “Yes, Grangma.”

     “Very good,” Grandma smiled proudly.

     “I do not have the time to lecture you all the details," cassandra retorted. "However, you must have the will power to believe in your heart that all those stories I read to you when you were little are not a myth. The stories are very much real.”

     Eddie’s mouth became dry, “For real? The Thunder God Thor for real?”

     Cassandra chuckled. “He once lived and walked among us just before Ragnarok commenced. Ragnarok, the doom of the gods and the universe, has already been destroyed and recreated by your mother’s ancestor, the god Baldur and his brother. There are Eight Worlds besides this one with Asgard remaining in ruins for nearly a thousand of years. Only a handful of people in the world have this knowledge that was passed on to each generation.”

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     Eddie was astonished by this revelation. It was like a dream had come true. Grandma held his hand and traced her thumb over his thumb. Glancing into her frosty blues, he felt very exhilarated and excited. In her other hand, there was an ancient leather parchment tied with a straw in the center. Laying the parchment down on the bed and unfolding it, he caught a glimpse of letters written in ancient Nordic runes. At the center of the parchment was a drawing of a large wicked tree that had each of its roots or stems connected to a list of names. In the center of a tree was the sun. He spotted his mother’s name near the left top of the parchment, connected to a stem.

     “That is a magical contract that grants access to the preserve. We, the Ferguson family, have been caretakers and guardians of this preserve for many generations. Our task is to run and maintain the Nexus that is a waypoint for travelers to cross the universe, to travel millions of light years in a fraction of time.

     “Under normal circumstances, it’s always been a Ferguson traditional that each generation goes on a treasure hunt to solve the mysteries of the preserve and the magical realms of the Eight Worlds of the great world tree Yggdrasil. This scroll was intended to be the prize. However, in the near future, we will face a great danger that started with your missing father,” Grandma said.

     “What happen to Dad? Why did he leave us?”

     Eddie frowned. Grandma had a look of sadness in her eyes. Cassandra paced back and forth uncomfortably. Cassandra had been very evasive about the topic. She had told him his father went missing after a failed skirmish as a soldier and a scout. He stomached the possibility of his father might be dead.

     “Your father went missing eight years ago. You were abducted by a powerful member of a rogue guild that calls themselves Blackhaven and were held hostage for ransom. Blackhaven wanted the Divine Chalice that was sealed in the dungeons on this Preserve. In the Chalice resides a very potent and massive abomination that can easily destroy the universe. Sigmund the Elder Fire Dragon. was released from its prison upon exchange with you.

     “Your abductor was very cunning to fool me and tossed a dummy of you over the cliff and into the sea. I was foolish enough to dive after the fake you, ignoring your father’s warnings. I soon realized my mistake. Upon returning to the surface, I heard a thunderous roar of a dragon. There was no sight of your father. I discovered you unconscious, shrouded in flames. I could feel the demonic aura coursing through you.”

Cassandra paused momentarily and collected her thoughts.

     “I panicked because I couldn’t extinguish the flames even when it rained. Fortunately, the flames subsided. I called out for your father, but he was nowhere to be seen, so I took you back to this preserve and we examined you. We came to a conclusion that your father sealed away Konrad inside of you, rerouting the mystical astral plane from the chalice into you becoming the creature’s prison, and you’re now its vessel and host.”

     So much information was being processed through Eddie’s mind that he could not think straight. Eddie felt like he was betrayed by the woman that brought him into this world, pitied by his relatives. He was hyperventilating. His heart felt like it was about to burst open. He did not know if he should be infuriated or saddened by this turn of events. He was a monster just like his favorite manga character, Ramen Ninja Boy.

     “We kept this a secret for eight years,” Cassandra said with fresh tears running down her cheeks. “We never told a soul about it. As of now, we must assume the worst—that Blackhaven knows that an Elder Dragon resides in you. They will come to collect the dragon. If they succeed . . .”

     Eddie was terrified. Cassandra embraced him with tenderness. “I will not let that happen. I already lost my husband—your father—to them. I will never lose you!” She sniffled. “I had no intention of keeping this a secret from you your entire life. You must understand that I originally wanted to wait until you grew into adulthood. That’s now irrelevant. I understand that you must hate me now.”

     Cassandra could no longer look her son in the eye. Eddie clenched his fist. His stomach ached seeing Cassandra weeping like never before. Quickly, he made a decision not to hold a grudge against his mother. He was right. He was no different than his favorite protagonist. Both of them housed immense, mystical creatures within themselves. Ramen Ninja Boy had colossal Nine-tailed Fox from Asian mythology sealed away inside of him right after birth by his father. The Nine-tailed Fox ravished his village, killing thousands, including his parents.

     Eddie reflected on Ramen Ninja Boy’s life. He grew up being feared and shunned by the villagers nearly all his life. Ramen Ninja Boy was treated like a scapegoat and an outcast before he became a respected Ninja and a hero. It came with great responsibility—being a vessel for colossal creatures. Eddie understood why he liked Ramen Ninja Boy. Most children would probably be so frightened that they would lose their sanity after having such a harsh revelation bestowed upon them.

     “Do not blame her. Cassandra did what was best for you.” Grandma wiped his tears away. “And I do not want to hear you calling yourself a monster! You are not Sigmund nor is he you. Remember that!”

     Eddie chuckled, “Grandma, I am not angry. I am still a little lost as to what is happening and what I am supposed to believe. Mark my words,” he pounded his chest like a gorilla. “I am not scared of anything! Believe it!”

     Grandma chuckled deviously, “You will be, my grandson. You will be.”

     “If you can let me be, I need to tend to the stables,” Cassandra said. “I suggest my son should start with the attic.” Cassandra kissed his forehead. “Behave yourself.”