[https://i.imgur.com/zweWNHT.jpg]

Levitation and Ventus glided Hood through the room window. A snoring Drac slept deeply in the comfort of his covers. Hood unhooked his sword and sheath from his back and placed them near the bed. His jacket hung on the chair, and his waistcoat was neatly folded away. Boots kicked to the side. The pistol was set in the chest carefully. With nothing but a shirt and trousers, Hood walked close to the bed. And his hand was raised towards Drac.

See you in the morning.

Today was a fun day. Let's do this again.

Hood paused and brought his hand to his mark. The pointed rhombus glowed and Hood winced. Hood walked back to the chest. Tendrils of aura touched a secret compartment and it snapped open. A crystal glowed within, awaiting an answer. Silentium formed around Hood. Hood held up the crystal nervously and tuned.

“Sorry, I am late.”

“Not good, boy. Not good. Update.”

“At heartbrook. Demon minions attacked with Imago. Drac killed a few.”

“Good. He is learning.”

“We met a demon who called himself Kodoku.”

“Fuck sake, another one... Expected. But this is happening so fast… What else, boy?"

“We were attacked by assassins shortly before the Imago attack occurred. My kind."

“I see. What of them?”

“HeartBrook branch is eliminated.”

“Well done.”

"Unfortunately, one of the personas tagged along. Axton.”

“Mmm… Can he hear?”

“No, I have made sure.”

“How is his personality?"

“He needs excitement. He does not care for what I do or why. He just wants to use the skills he has cultivated. I understand him. Someone as strong as him can't be in the shadows forever. ”

A pause.

“Tell him if you wish.”

“I understand.”

Hood looked behind. Covers moved with Drac's heavy breathing and looked back at the crystal.

“He is piecing things together.”

“Ah, of course. He is you after all.”

“The other had tagged Drac. Causing changes to his personality. I don’t know how I could not have caught it until recently.”

“It is not your fault, Four. You deal with unprecedented problems.”

Hood gripped the crystal. “Should I?”

“He is not the same boy on the farm, but a warrior in a league of his own.”

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Hood sighed.

A finger tapped Hood's back. Hood span with a right back-fist. Drac put up a palm to catch it and countered with an uppercut. It was stopped short by a centimetre from Hood's chin.

"Who are you talking to?”

Hood looked down, stopped his Silentium, and held up the glowing crystal.

“Our father.”

Drac's world was rocked. He let his fist fall. He looked at Hood's face. A fierce gaze said he told no lie. Hood chucked the crystal at Drac.

“Tune.”

Drac's hand quavered. He closed his eyes and let his aura fill the crystal.

“Hello, Son. I thought our talk would be here in the capital. Why did you have to be so curious? Haha.”

Drac could hear the smile in the man's jovial laugh. So many questions rushed through his mind and one made sense.

“Why?”

“To protect you. Let you grow how you should. Under proper guidance.”

Hood grunted, hearing all via his connection with Drac.

“I am running out of time. Four will update you.”

A pause, and then the man spoke again.

“Sorry for everything. I love you, son.”

Drac felt a connection cut off and stopped tuning.

"Drac, let's talk-”

Drac threw the crystal at Hood. “Is this how Marina felt? I better apologise to her in the morning.” He rushed to the bed.

“Drac!”

“Tomorrow.” Drac lay in bed with covers tight around him.

“Yes, tomorrow…”

Loving the drama.

Hood rubbed his face and disappeared into flecks of white light.

Music woke Drac. While wiping off the crust from his eyes, he peeked over to the window, where a copy sat. A bow glides over strings, producing beautiful sounds that caress Drac’s ear.

The music stopped. “Morning,” Axton said with a smile. “Since you know now, I thought there was no point hiding that I could come out.”

Drac pulled the covers off. “Keep playing.” Axton smiled brighter and continued Drac stretched and another copy emerged from him.

“Drac…”

“Explain”

“I am interested. As well," Axton said from the back.

“Our father. This was his plan.”

“Meaning?” asked Drac, sitting on the bed.

"He is the mastermind of all this. Of this project.”

“I don't care about the bastard. Who are hiding?”

Hood closed his eyes with his face to the ceiling and exhaled. “Let us meet in the mind space. I will show you.” And Hood dispersed. Drac heard a violin placed down in his chest. “Oh, I can't wait for this!” said Axton as he retreated back into Drac's mind.

Drac relaxed with closed eyes, opening them to reveal the mystical realm that lay inside him.

“Brother.” Axton walked up to Drac, wearing the same rough shirt and trousers from the cave. His prized wooden sword rested on his broad shoulders. With his nose, he pointed at the assassin.

Hood stood in front of his library somberly with his arms behind his back. “Before I show you, do you remember touching any book from here? "Body something. I can't fully remember the name. Ah, The Bodyguard, Vol. 20. I wondered why there were so many volumes.”

“Mmm.” Hood picked through his right pocket of his jacket and pulled out a ripped piece of paper. “This was stuck on you.” He strode to the bookcase by his favourite chair and plucked a book. Like magic, the book opened up and flipped its own page until it reached a potion that was ripped. Hood set the missing piece and with a slight glow, the page mended itself.

“These books are memories.”

“They are WHAT?” said Drac, startled.

“Each book here contains a piece of someone's memory. From what they saw, what they heard, what they touched, and how they felt. Everything. Each second, each day, each year. A whole person’s life.”

Drac and Axton looked around in wonder at the thousands upon thousands of books that surrounded them.

“And you spend your time reading them. Sort of creepy.” Chides Axton.

“I have no choice because I must know him.”

“Become him,” Drac interjected.

Hood quietly nodded.

“I don’t understand.” Axton’s eyes flicked between the two.

“He reads these books and gains a person's memory. A book read, a memory taken. ”

“Wow…” Axton asked.

“Who is this someone? Whose life are you taking away?"

Hood closed the book and slid it back into the bookcase. “Come.”