There were many memories Petyr had with his father, Gregory.

The ones that dated back to the early days were the best, though he also wondered how real they were. After all, the father he knew now didn’t seem like the type of person that’d be taking his kid to the park and walking hand in hand with anyone.

Then there were the dark times right after his mother passed away. Petyr barely remembered much of them, and was glad for it. The one thing that stuck with him was how, one night—he must’ve been four—he had slipped out of bed because he heard a strange noise coming from the kitchen. When he got there, he found Gregory sitting by the table there, drink in hand, crying in silence, with the occasional sob escaping him, moonlight reflecting off his tears.

Gregory never noticed him and so Petyr never mentioned the incident. But he’d never forgotten it.

After that, life had more or less been what it was now. They made the move to Windust, Gregory set up his lab, Petyr got accustomed to the lack of civilization, and then one day Alis showed up and became his… well, something inbetween a stepmother and a good friend.

And yet Avesta wanted him to believe that in all this time, for at least a decade, Gregory had spent much of his day in his basement lab elaborately processing drugs for the bandits.

It was natural to be averse to this thought. It wasn’t that Petyr found it morally reprehensible—only unbelievable…

Strange to consider that for all this time, while he thought his father was a boring old man obsessed with paltry potions, he had secretly been at the center of it all.

It couldn’t be true.

Definitely not.

It can't be. He's not that kind of guy.

But the more he thought about it, the more he had to wonder…

How come Nik was always so good to us? So nice to me? Petyr had never seen him hanging out with any other kid. So far, he had wanted to believe that he was just that special. But maybe he wasn’t special at all.

Maybe he was just the son of a man who was special.

Then there was the extreme secrecy with which his father worked down in the basement of the house. Though he technically invited Petyr to join and work alongside him, this was always something that needed to be planned in advance. Scheduled.

Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

Normally, if Petyr wanted to go down into the lab, he’d find the door locked. Gregory always said, “I need my concentration.” But was that truly the reason?

Avesta is right, isn’t she? Petyr began to think, a strange satisfaction coming over him. All this time, all these years, he’s been doing this work in secret!

It was a truly amazing thought. No wonder Gregory made such a point of insisting that Petyr follow in his footsteps. Of course. It was never about the alchemy per se. He’s just grooming me to take over the family business.

To anyone else, all of this might’ve been the kind of revelation that caused them to rethink the light in which they viewed their parent.

But to Petyr? This was cause for celebration. He was going to be fine. And he had purpose! Why hadn’t his father mentioned all of this before? To think that they could’ve been working together all this time.

We could’ve been making double the amount of drugs and gotten double the coin. Gods! Dad, you should’ve told me!

Does Alis even know? There were so many questions now. Questions he would have answered…

…assuming he ever got away from Avesta alive.

The ear-cutter was staring at him. “Are you beginning to understand?”

Petyr suppressed his inner grin. Ah, life is looking up again! “Yes, I do. It’s… unacceptable. I had no idea my father was doing this. Had I known…” I’d have joined in a lot sooner. Oh, yes! Money, money, money, thy place is in my pocket. Just imagine the coffers to be filled. By the time I get back to Astra, I’ll be one of the wealthiest men there.

Visions of important men trying to get his attention and hot women clinging to his arm burst ouf of his imagination and filled him with a sense of wonder.

Soon. Very soon...

The only problem was, again, Astra. How do I get her to let me go?

“You should kill me!” Petyr said theatrically, lowering his head. “I don’t… I don’t want to continue knowing this. I can’t. To know that my father is…”

“Don’t say such a thing!” Avesta shot back. “I of any person you’ll meet understands what it means to lose a father to greed and evil. But we have a responsibility to the world and to others to make things right. Our privileged positions invests us with a duty we cannot run away from. Whatever the cost, we must redeem our family’s names.”

Okay, so that’s not the right approach.

Petyr began to nod instead. “Yes, yes, of course, you’re right… I’ll wash his the earth with his blood.”

Avesta clicked her tongue and crouched before him. “That’s no solution, Petyr.”

But then, it happened.

The miracle.

Without any prompting from him at all, she pulled a key—seemingly out of thin air, going by how quickly and smoothly she moved—and unlocked his cuffs.

Then her eyes swiveled up and locked on his. “I am sorry to have behaved towards you the way I did. But you must understand that, from my perspective, I thought you must have surely been in on it. What sort of father wouldn't tell his only son? And you must admit that you should have known. Whether you like it or not, you are complicit. I do not say this by means of insult, for I am as well. But we will work together to undo what we can.”

Petyr didn’t give the slightest shit about anything she said right now. No, she was not forgiven, and she’d never be forgiven. Nor did he consider himself complicit. And why exactly did she say she was complicit?

Just who was this Avesta in the end, exactly? Why was she doing any of this?

If this had nothing to do with a Soverni invasion or with the pirates...

Why is she here?