Gilbert’s Memories
“Who are you? What do you want?” The Baron’s voice wavered, feeling the blade of the dagger press against his neck. His crooked finger pointed to the small cabinet at the end of the room, peeking between the closet and the entrance door. “Is it money? You can take whatever you want! The safe is right over there...!”
Gilbert chuckled at the man’s foolish assumption, causing him to gasp as a piercing, excruciating pain travelled through his nerves. The dagger had penetrated his skin, sinking into the flesh of his right shoulder, tainting the expensive white shirt with the vividness of bright red. With a rapid movement, the kid removed the blade, causing the man to groan in pain.
“Money can’t buy what I want...” His voice was soft and tender, as if his soul wasn’t burning with pure hatred. With a push, the man’s body fell on the floor, allowing a pool to form on top of the cracked wooden surface, drops sneaking into the cracks. At that moment, the moon escaped its captors and peaked into the greed of a man, seeing an act so atrocious it willingly sheltered itself again.
“What do you want then!? I will give you anything!” By the tone of his voice, the nobleman was finally understanding the gravity of the situation - that money wasn’t all a human soul yearned for. Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to understand how such a small child could be blinded by sinful thoughts, homicidal tendencies.
What did I do to deserve this...? The Baron thought, not remembering any of his previous sins.
“I want my mom back.”
“Papa...?” A girl no older than seven pushed the door open just to see her father laying on the floor, blood pouring out of his body. Her bright eyes then glanced at the boy standing above him, in his right hand a dagger tainted red. “What’s happening...?”
“Pumpkin, go back to your room... Papa will be with you soon.” The Baron tried to keep his composure, noticing the lack of awareness of his daughter who had yet to fully awaken, still patting her eyelids gently with her fists, yawns escaping through her lips one after the other.
“But Papa... I’m scared...” She said, slowly starting to grasp the situation unfolding before her, realizing this was but a silly nightmare.
“Do you want to help your Papa?” Gilbert’s voice was gentle, causing the young girl to be lured into him, as if Divinity had granted him such a perfect gift. “Then come here, let’s help Papa together...”
“Esther! Don’t!” Attempting to get up, the young boy pushed the noble’s wound firmly, causing him to groan back into place. He would not interfere with the will of God.
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“Come, Esther... come...” The boy’s kind smile made the girl’s feet move on her own, as if in a trance. But the truth was, she didn’t like this dream, it was too confusing, too painful, so she simply wanted it to end quickly.
“Please stop! Anything but my daughter! Please!” At this moment, tears flew down the man’s flushed cheeks, praying he wouldn’t lose the sole thing in this world he treasured the most.
How could he lose his precious flower when she hadn’t even been tainted, living in the bliss of ignorance of kindness and warmth? How could he bear to lose the sole thing that was far more precious than a lifetime's worth of gold?
“Now help Papa up.”
Esther stood in front of Gilbert as she steadily stretched her empty hand towards her father, the other holding a light brown teddy bear with beautiful fur who had already tasted the red fluids coming from the man’s body. When their hands touched, the Baron smiled, relieved but such moment was short-lived.
“Pa...pa...?”
The brightness of a blade piercing her torso reflected against the faint moonlight just before the item was consumed by a pouring bloodstream coming from her frail figure. Her hands dropped the bear on the floor, and she fell on top of her father, losing all the strength in her body, feeling her soul grow colder. Slowly, the stain of red in her attire consumed the pink dress, yet her eyes continued to lose their shine, losing the life within.
“Esther!” The nobleman grabbed her falling body in his arms, feeling her soul slowly leaving her body alongside her faint heartbeats and warmth. “Why!? She was but a child!”
His figure slowly rocked the girl back and forth, keeping her figure close to his torso, praying for the angels to return her soul to this house, to regret taking her away from him so soon. A soft lullaby left his lips as he tried to ease the pain flowing from his heart.
“It’s alright pumpkin... everything is going to be alright... Papa’s right here...” His fingers passed through his child’s golden hair softly as she rapidly coughed chunks of blood, staining everything surrounding her. Tears fell on her flushed cheeks as the girl hiccupped, struggling to breathe.
“You took something from me and now I took something from you. We’re even.”
And with that, Gilbert left the room without a shred of guilt lingering in his icy heart, just to hear the Baron’s desperate scream. He felt satisfied, as if a debt had been paid, yet a part of him wished for a love just like that, a father that would rather sacrifice himself for his own flesh and blood - not like the one destiny had given him. His mother, may God have her soul, had used up all her love with unknown men, leaving nothing but scraps of what some could consider kindness.
But the worst part of it all wasn’t these idle thoughts. Deep down, in his core, taking away that girl’s life sparkled something in him, causing a thrill to run up and down his nerves at an uncontrollable pace. Gilbert enjoyed the feeling of planting the knife in the bodies of another, of seeing them beg for despair, humiliating their souls before entering Blasphemy. He wanted to see it again, so many more times.
That night, a killer was born. Murdering souls who didn’t deserve to be alive was the calling of God, the job they had prepared for him, and he gladly accepted such fate, such will of the ethereal beings that guided the kingdom with their merciless ruling.