It didn’t take long to reach the house. Surprisingly, it was rather close to their own. Just down the street if anything. They didn’t park in the driveway however, instead down the street, leaving for them to walk the rest of the way.

It wasn’t all bad. They kinda looked like they were trick treating even. That was exhilarating. Maybe they could actually go after this. Terra wasn’t dressed up, but again, he was apparently too old despite being only about a year older than Ven. What a baby.

But right first thing’s first.

Turning the glow on for his outfit, Ven motioned for Terra to move back. “I’ll keep my phone on a call with you so you can hear. I think it would be suspicious if you came with so I’ll go it alone.”

“So brave, Ven, but what if he’s a creep?”

“That’s why you’ll be on the other end of the line so if I’m getting molested by a creepy teacher that calls me adorable, then you’ll know to come in.”

“I don’t like the sound of this if he calls you that.”

“He calls me dear friend and adorable friend despite me never having met him before so it was a little creepy, but I was a bit preoccupied the first time so I didn’t say anything. Now it’s making me shiver with dread.”

“Could also be the cold air, but you might be onto something.” Terra remarked. “Are you sure you don’t want me to go in with you so you don’t end up getting harassed?”

“I’ll take my chances. I don’t think it’ll work if you’re with me. Unless you’re also one of those masked guys anyway, but I don’t want to chance it.”

“Well if you’re getting molested, I’m coming in to stop it, plan or no plan alright.”

“It’s cool, I brought my gun.”

“When did you both find that and sneak that out?!”

“When you were taking forever in the bathroom and I have cameras everywhere in the house so I knew where you put it.” He mused. “Garbage, really?”

Holding his hand out, Terra insisted “Give me the gun, Ven, you’re not supposed to have it.”

“But I don’t want to get raped!” He hissed back in a hushed tone.

“Then you use pepper spray! Not a gun!

“I’m not Aqua.”

More deadpan than before, Terra remarked “And we both know damn well that she doesn’t need pepper spray.”

“Yeah, I’ve seen her crush a watermelon with her thighs and I worry when she has me in a headlock.”

“That can’t be where our watermelons go.”

“I saw it in her room on the cams I put in there.”

Terra just about sputtered out in disbelief “You have cameras in your sister’s room?!”

“Terra, I have news for you, I already said I have cameras all over the house, and have access to the school and hospital surveillance too. Nowhere is safe from me.”

“Except in front of a gentleman’s house it seems.” A third voice spoke out to them. The two looked up to see the smug face of Constantin in the opened doorway before them.

“Why’d we both go up to the door.” Ven huffed, scolding himself as he slapped an open palm against his face and dragged it down with disappointment.

Looking the other up and down, Constantin remarked “Well I know very well you’re not with your memories right now. Otherwise you’d be spouting about the end of renaigse and humanity and going on ridiculous little missions with your cohorts.”

“So I am Jack then?” Ven perked up. Was that something to perk up over though. That sounded like a bad thing if anything. Meant he was a psychopath and all.

The elder blond pointed a motioning finger along Ventus’ attire. “Did you not wear this on purpose? Did you forget the vision Ava helped show you already?” He leant forward, cupping his hands along Ventus’ cheeks and having him look up at him. “Are your memories regressing and degrading now perhaps?”

Ventus grunted and pulled back, slapping the older man’s hands off him. “My memories are just fine! I remember that dream perfectly, and at this point I think it might just be that. A dream or nightmare and I’m just dumb for thinking it was anything more than that.”

“No, my dear friend, that was a vision of the future. That’s an ability you’ve had for countless years. Even before I came to have magic of my own.”

“I have a lot of questions, comments, and concerns for your well being.”

“So do I.” Terra chimed in with a raised brow.

“Ah yes, you’re unaware of your abilities. Comes with the memory loss and new incarnation.” Waving them in, Constantin just about insisted “Come in, come in.” The two boys looked to each other with uncertainty. “Come along.” He called once again, prompting them to give hesitant steps inside.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

The abode was rather normal, quite a bit of flora around. Well that was an understatement actually. There were potted plants of course, but the plantlife didn’t quite get the memo to stay inside the pots, leaving the home to be overrun with flora. Actually it was rather beautiful. He couldn’t help but be jealous. So maybe it wasn’t so normal after all.

“Would you fancy some tea, as luck would have it, I’d just made a pot.” He called with a jovial laugh from the kitchen, or where they assumed was the kitchen. They’d stopped to admire the overrun home just outside it, instead in the living room.

“Aren’t you afraid of bugs or other things crawling around with all...this?” Terra needlessly motioned to the vines and roots that lined the floors, walls, and ceiling.

“Oh heavens not, I’ve learned to coexist with nature millenia ago and learned to appreciate it thoroughly.” He assured. Constantin returned then, three dainty white cups plated with two in hand and one resting on a curved arm to keep it in place. He handed them off one by one. The man didn’t seem to have any difficulty with it which was impressive. Ven almost wanted to clap. Almost as he was still a bit creeped out by all of this.

Plopping down in an arm chair overgrown with further vines, Constantin took a sip of his tea. Meanwhile, Terra and Ven had yet to sit on the decorated furniture. Something about sitting on weeds and plants bothered him. That much was evident on their faces.

“That right there is how I know you’re not Jack right now.” Constantin pointed to the two. “Jack wouldn’t have any hesitation in drinking my tea as you have or relaxing in my home.”

Ven looked down at the tea, still apprehensive but cursing how little he knew about these characters. Still, it was worth a shot, leaving him to look back up at Constantin. “Who exactly is Jack and why do you know him so well? I don’t know anything about you so how do you know more about me than I do?”

Constantin shifted while Terra sipped at his tea. Judging by the look on his face, it wasn’t bad. Terra might be a trusting dolt though, but Ven wasn’t so he set the plated tea down on an emptied spot on the table and remained standing alongside his brother.

“Jack, as you call him, is you, my dear Ventus.” He explained though it wasn’t much of an explanation if that was already obvious. “What I mean to say is, he is you when you have your memories of your previous life back, and let me say, you’re not too fond of the way you died and suffered back then. Not that I’m one to blame you. I completely see where that mindset is coming from so I haven’t bothered to halt you in your more nefarious endeavors.”

“Previous life, you mean like reincarnation?”

Pointing at him with joy, Constantin smiled past his tea. “Exactly that, my dear friend.”

“But why do I have memories of my previous life and others don’t?”

“Ah, but because, you’re not fully human. You’re a nadaig, meaning that you are a guardian of the earth. Nadaig Awelasamen to be exact.”

“Wind guardian.” Ventus stated with awe and Constantin nodded with a grand smile.

“Exactly that. You are the guardian of the wind. And more importantly than just that, you are the wind, my adorable friend.”

“Hang on.” Terra jumped in with a shake of his head. “You’re going to fill his head with stories about being a god. Do you have any idea what you’re doing? He’s actually susceptible to those thoughts. Don’t make him crazier.”

“Oh don’t call your brother crazy, Terra, it’s uncouth and unwarranted.”

“But you’re the one telling him that he’s some kind of god of wind.”

“That’s because he is. I chose him to be the guard of wind when we stole the powers from his old god together.” Constantin leaned back, gaze off of them, almost as if reminiscing. “It used to be the four of us. Me for earth, Ventus for wind, Tya for fire, and Amelia for water. And then your mother having already had them all along with even more amazing powers.. We were to make a better world as the new gods.”

“I think I’ve heard enough.” Terra scoffed, putting the tea down besides Ven’s. “C’mon, Ven, there’s no point in listening to all this. He’s clearly crazy. I mean, his house even shouts it.”

“But wait, Terra, how am I supposed to stop Jack?”

“With medicine. Obviously your pills aren’t working well enough. You still hallucinate and have fits anyway.”

“The way to put a stop to Jack is by showing him to love the world once more. Do that, and you shouldn’t have anymore problems with him.” Constantin insisted. “But do come by again if you want to learn more about your past and old friends. Though perhaps it wouldn’t be best as that might trigger Jack’s memories.”

As much as he would have loved to stay, Terra dragged him off to the door and out. Whether Constantin said anymore, he couldn’t tell. Out of earshot probably. At least for him.

Outside now, Ven huffed at Terra, crossed his arms and pouted. “Why would you do that, Terra?! I wanted to hear what he had to say!”

“Listening to him will only put you in a mental hospital, Ven. You’ll take it to heart and try to jump off a building or something and get yourself killed.”

“I wouldn’t do that!” He practically squeaked, pulling against Terra as the other dragged him off towards the car. Terra opened the door for him, awaiting a bit impatiently for the boy to enter. Terra always was secretly impatient and to top it off, he had rage issues. They were never fun to see. He didn’t want to deal with them though so he got in the car without issues, allowing Terra to get into the driver’s seat the same.

Terra sighed when he got into the car, hands on the steering wheel, gripping tight only to loosen and start again. After a moment, he turned to Ventus. “I’m sorry, Ven, but I don’t think it’ll help your mind to listen to something like that so let’s just go trick or treating and get our minds off of what just happened. Let’s pretend it never did happen.” Ven opened his mouth to speak only for Terra to cut him off. “As for the whole Jack business. There is no Jack. You must’ve been dreaming what you thought you saw. And it doesn’t help that you talked to someone else that’s clearly not right in the head.”

Tears stung at his eyes as his brother failed to believe or understand him. He kept his gaze down as Terra pulled out, never once bringing it back up even as they pulled in at home. The most Ventus did during their silent ride was wipe at his eyes with his sleeves, careful of the led bits.

He didn’t have much intention of getting out of the car either. Terra did sigh and regard him again, but it was just as painful as the rest as he said “I’m sorry, Ven, but you need help.” And then Terra left and returned inside. Considering how fast their father came out, it was more than likely to retrieve him, then again, he said they were going trick or treating so maybe not.

He kept the door locked and window up even as Eraqus knocked gently on the glass to get his attention. He didn’t care though, Ventus merely opted to take his hearing aid out to ignore him further. That wasn’t going to work though was it? He’d just get in more trouble then. And what was he supposed to do now? He couldn’t just knock himself out anymore. They found everything and there was no time to get more.

It wasn’t long before he put his hearing aid back in and finally opened the door to a struggling to remain calm father. He didn’t stop for him, just marched towards the house, hissing out with an ever increasing tone “You might as well just put me in a mental hospital. That’s what you all want anyway isn’t it?”

“Ventus, we are not throwing you away because we want to.” His father scolded.

“Oh but you’re going to? That’s nice to know. I’m glad all it took was me being stressed out once at a party for you guys to decide I need to be put away for being a nuisance.”

“That’s not it and you know it, Ventus.” His dad was struggling for sure. What? Did he ruin the perfect family look with doing drugs? Did it get around already? How dare he want to be calm apparently.

“Look.” Ven turned back around to his father. “I don’t want to be around anyone right now so go ahead, lock me up. You’ll be doing me a favour anyway.”

Eraqus clench his teeth and hands only to calm a moment later. “I just think that maybe you weren’t ready to face so many people at once after all so we’re pulling you from school.”

He looked to his father with disbelief, tears streaming from his eyes and falling from his cheeks. “You gave me two weeks.” Ven breathed out. “You really expect me to assimilate in two fucking weeks?! Are you kidding me?!” Stomping against the ground with gritted teeth and clench fists of his own, Ven shouted “You were setting me up for failure this entire time weren’t you! You just let me think I was going to have a chance so I’d stop bothering you, but you set all this up so I wouldn’t want to go out again didn’t you?! That’s why it went so badly!”

His dad opened his mouth to speak but he didn’t want to hear anymore lies so he stepped back from his father and pulled the gun from his pocket and aimed it at the man. “You set me up!” The boy cried, slouching with despair only to straighten back up to aim the gun more properly at his father.

“Ventus.” Oh he sounded so much more obedient and frightened now. It actually made Ven feel a bit bad, causing his aim to waver. Before he could even lower the weapon and apologize for his actions, he felt a sting in his neck. Ven turned just in time to see the needle get pulled out.

“Terra?”

“Terra!” His dad yelled with disapproval.

His body felt sluggish already. The gun fell from limp hands and his body collapsed against Terra who hugged him close. He wanted to cry at such a betrayal, he couldn’t help but feel calm though. It was like an invasion, and he both hated it and loved it.

If only it was more though.

“I hate you, Terra.” The boy mumbled out, deaf to his own ears. His gaze moved to his father then. “I hate all of you.”