“Merida?!”Jorgon shouted, as he carefully examined the living room. It was as he had left in the morning, no change whatsoever. Yet Jorgon’s heart was pounding even worse now. “Merida.” He shouted once again yet only silence replied back. Jorgon frantically searched for any sign of Merdia or intruder in every possible place.

Nothing had changed, which worried Jorgon even more, the house had a deliberate similarity to the state which he had left in .

Jorgon could hear his heart racing, his body was shaking terribly, his body was losing balance as sprinted to his bedroom. Still the Same. “Merida.” Jorgon shouted one more time, his voice too was trembling.

His ears had begun to ring, no it wasn’t same, there are some footprints, Jorgon followed the footprints which had come from garden which was connected to the bedroom, the intruder then went to the kitchen, there was some dirt in the basin, how the hell could I miss the footprints Jorgon thought.

Then the intruder went inside the bath, he hadn’t checked the bath. Shit, Jorgon thought, all he could hear was his heart beating faster and faster, as he rotated the door knob. It was locked.

The intruder was hiding inside the bath, Jorgon was about to kick open the door when the door unlocked itself.

Merida jumped in shock, “What the fuck Jorgon. You could’ve knocked.”

Jorgon sighed, relief washed over him, as his body lost all the pent up tension, “And you could’ve locked the door.” Jorgon said but there was no anger or frustration in his voice, which he had been building since last night, just concern.

“I thought I had locked it.” Merida replied as she hugged Jorgon, she could feel his tiredness, they hadn’t had a good talk since last night. It had been weighing her down too.

“Had a rough day?” Merida asked as they both sat on the sofa, Jorgon’s mood had elevated and maybe just for sometime he can try to forget about the letter.

But the question reinforced the letter, should he tell her? Jorgon again was being eaten by doubt.

He wanted to make her aware of the danger, but maybe telling her of it would put her in even more danger. He was confused. He looked at her.

At her eyes, at her smiles. The doubt was still there, but confidence far overpowered it, confidence in his love, in Merida.

Jorgon smiled to match with Merida, “I was having a rough day, not anymore.”

Merida chuckled, “And you saying that made my day better too.”

Jorgon could’ve spent his entire life in this conversation, and maybe talking about the letter would ruin the atmosphere, he thought.

Merida could see that Jorgon was hiding something, the way he shifted uncomfortably, the pauses he took before speaking, it was unusual, but it was best not to pester him after a tired day. She just smiled at whatever he said, and he smiled in return.

***

Alex got love and recognition from his father, it was what he had been yearning for, but it didn’t feel nice in his heart. He felt wrong doing what he had done, but he had done this since he could remember. It was habitual to dispose of people his father didn’t like or those who might become a threat.

But this time, no, not this time, Alex had always felt wrong, but he could never express it. He was too weak to express it.

Alex saw his reflection in the very river where he had just disposed of the fisherman’s body, he had grown a lot since he had started as the ‘Master of Lethe’ then he looked at his father, he always had that smirk, it was not a smile, his father had never smiled towards him.

Ever since that bastard Zachary had beaten him, Alex had realized his worth too. He was not special. He was just as insignificant as everyone else on the island.

This should have justified the world hating him, he was not special at all, but it didn’t, why did the world hate him if he was so insignificant? Why did his father hate him?

The King turned towards Alex, “Good work boy. Though, I was afraid for no reason.”

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The King left Alex all alone by the river and moved towards his occasional home.

“Father?” Alex asked, making the King stop midway, the sheer abruptness indicated the King’s infuriation, but by the time he turned his head, the infuriation had been replaced with a smile, a smile which was always used to deceive others.

“Yes, son?”

“Do you love me?” Alex asked, there was no ounce of sincerity or love in those words, just sheer coldness, words said to spite the man in front.

“Why you ask? Of course, I love you. You are my son.” The King replied and turned back towards his mansion.

Was that fear? Alex thought. He focused on his father, on the King, whose words can make a man shudder, did he just shudder at his failure son’s words?

Alex looked at his hands, they had never seen a proper fight, rather a fight which they had won.

His teacher, had never taught him to fight, they reasoned that a King should never get his hands dirty.

But a different kind of power surged within them, untapped, raw.

However to utilize it he needed a better teacher, someone who himself was well versed with the variety of power available.

There was a teacher, but Alex wouldn’t learn from him, after what Alex had done to him, Alex couldn’t bring himself to ask for a favor, it wasn’t fair.

Maybe returning a favor would equate the balance, a favor which couldn’t be compared to, to return a life.

Alex looked back at the river, not much of blood was left, nor of the fisherman. But maybe, he might be still breathing.

Alex spirit gazed in the water, there were many lives in the river, but by taking the blood as an example he was able to look past every other useless life forms.

The fisherman was on the verge of death, if not stopped, his body will be lost forever in the sea.

Alex looked at his father, he was still afraid to face that man, but seeing that man shudder even for a brief moment was worth doing anything.

He wouldn’t notice my absence, Alex thought as he sprinted across the forest towards the Noble Estate, towards the residence, towards the school.

Alex was panting, the guard saluted him, Alex didn’t bother to see that man, he ran past all doors as they opened before him.

His hands were shaking and his throat felt dry as he asked for Harz.

What if I fail? A thought rang in Alex’s mind, he had never done such before, what if the father got a whiff of my action? Alex was being pulled down by the doubts, and the presence of Harz didn’t relieve him at all.

“What’s wrong your majesty?” he asked.

“A man. A man in the river.”

“What?”

“A man is on the brink of death and his body is in the river.”

Harz didn’t listen to whatever offer Alex would’ve brought, for he ran towards the river.

Nothing seemed to matter when life was on the line for Harz, he ran and jumped to reach wherever the dying man was to save him.

The man, he knew that man, Harz had seen him, he had come asking for shelter.

What tragedy might have passed, which caused the man to be in such a condition?

But it didn’t matter, as Harz pulled the man with all the strength he had got.

The Prince followed his path and arrived at the spot.

He looked at the fisherman, he will make it out.

Though the fisherman will lose his memories yet again, but he shall live. Aoyama will live.