Taylor rung the doorbell and tried to put a smile on his face. The door opens and Sylvie greeted him with little Johnny. Taylor looks at him and sees that he grew a little bigger. Taylor gives him a smile, but Johnny sensed there was something wrong and hid behind his mom. Taylor smelled dangerous; his aura was dark and there was a sour smell of blood in the air.

Sylvie immediately pulls Taylor into her arms. “Thank god you're back.” She says with a sigh. “Come inside. Let's talk.” She says as she grabs Taylor's hand and leads him inside.

Taylor faithfully follows and they sat around the kitchen table. Little Johnny had went to his room.

“The family has been watching… They’ve covered for a lot of what you’ve done… You made a lot of enemies, Taylor…” Sylvie explains with a sigh. What am I going to do with this man? She asks herself.

Taylor smiles bitterly. “How have you been?” Taylor asks, hoping to avoid the subject.

Sylvie gives him a teasing smile. “A lot of suitors came while you were gone. You should remember that I’m basically a princess in the Axel clan. It’s not smart to leave me alone for long.” She says honestly.

Taylor gives her a blank stare. “Anyone catch your eye?” He asks, probing for information. Currently, he had no right to be mad. He had left for a couple years like a coward. He couldn’t handle the responsibility of his life, so he ran away. He had the least say on whether Sylvie should leave him or not.

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“Don’t get me wrong, I slept around a little bit. In the end though, I think I've settled on you... Lucky for you, I’m a faithful girl." She says with a sigh.

Taylor cringed at the news. It’s to be expected, I guess… Taylor thinks, attempting to console himself.

“Do you want to rest? You look tired.” Sylvie asks, worried.

“Yes, I very much want to rest.” Taylor says with a sigh.

…

…

Taylor spent the next year readjusting. It was a very weird experience for him. It was like he was a normal person again. All the things he felt were tedious or boring now had a new life; the daily chores and the necessities for tomorrow breathed a sort of youthfulness into his dying soul. He would spend hours gardening and cleaning the house, not worried about the threat of death or enemies lingering in the shadows. This is what I was missing… Taylor thought to himself. It was there the whole time but I couldn’t see it… the reason for living… Taylor thinks, feeling the need to cry.

When Taylor reached the fifth stage, his power had no purpose; it seemed only to exist for the sake of destruction. So that’s what Taylor did with it; he killed until his blade was satisfied. But that’s not what power is for… It’s to protect what you care about… to protect what makes life worth living… Taylor thinks as he inhales a cloud of smoke. He was feeling very dumb right now, and only a cigarette could satisfy his bitterness.

Taylor decided to try harder. For the sake of his life and all that he loved. He wanted to do the best he could. So he tried to rebuild his relationship with his wife and son. He didn’t want to disappoint them again.

Unfortunately his son avoided him like the plague. The stench of rotting death was still very much a part of Taylor’s aura. Taylor could only sigh and hope for the best.

As for Sylvie, their relationship had rounded out. It felt like they got even, and they were now comfortable enough to let their guard down around each other. They would spend most nights cuddling and watching movies to pass the time. The way life was, Taylor was very content to settle down and grow old. But life was never that simple…