The being twisted its smile as Hezekiah held the pen between them.

  He dismissed the rule sheet again after the creature emerged from the smoke, already having another rule prepared.

  Good thing the handwriting doesn't have to be neat.

  Reed clasped the blade that impaled his thigh, gently withdrawing it, sharply grunting while blood spurted out.

  "Daddy! Stop! Just let it go!" Sally snatched his hand, not wishing to see him in any more pain.

  "Pull it out and you're dead, idiot!" Hezekiah warned after shooting a glance.

  Reed froze, clenching his teeth as his leg trembled with burning heat.

  "Are you truly worried about their survival? Weren't you the one willing to evaporate them if they inhibited your escape?"

  "Evaporate?" Reed whispered, clasping his daughter's hand, searching for anything to drown out the pain. Was he planning to kill us?

  "You talk a lot," Hezekiah muttered, observing the daggers encircling him after locating his next stone.

  The creature balled his fist, firing the daggers in a chain-like fashion. Hezekiah dashed towards the incoming projectiles, aiming for the rock ahead.

  The daggers struck his forehead with pinpoint accuracy, one after another. Nevertheless, Hezekiah persisted, snatching the stone and beaming it with no issue.

  The child-like being frowned. Startled by what he had just witnessed, he raced to set up another barrier, but the stone closed the distance too quickly in his confusion.

  "Damn it!"

  Flames and sparks burst from the rock, swallowing the creature once more. Hezekiah wiped water off his face with his gown, keeping his sights on the smoke.

  Having daggers turn to water when touched was definitely the right choice. The wording of the rule probably helped as well.

  A figure stumbled out of the smoke, its flesh scorched and spiked with stone fragments.

  "That shouldn't have been possible. How was something like that allowed?" it groaned.

  Just what in the world is he? How did he survive that? Reed questioned as he steadied himself on his daughter's shoulder.

  "Sure takes a lot to kill you," Hezekiah stated, already having a couple more stones in possession.

  "Gaining confidence? Perhaps I'm still being too nice."

  This isn't worth the hassle. Further delay and I'm sure that pesky lunatic will come swinging any moment. It would be helpful if I was a full created being by the rules, so I would at least know what all the rules are.

  The creature noticed the black sheet lying on the desk.

  Now that I think about it, that paper shined a bright light after he got done scribbling that pen around. Could it be...

  "Looks to me you aren't as special as you thought." Hezekiah mocked.

  The creature dryly laughed. "As someone who only understands the surface of things, your ignorance is understandable. However, the prowess of an Abna is nothing to be mocked."

  "An Abna? Weren't you created by the rules?"

  The creature lifted its thin scaly fingers in displeasure.

  "Corrupted would be more accurate, thanks to you," it corrected. "Not much different from the woman whose memory you erased."

  Reed lifted his head at the creature's words. "What do you mean by that?" He asked, before eyeing Hezekiah.

  Hezekiah lightly breathed. "This is all a tactic to rile you up, Reed."

  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

  "I don't care about that! What are you hiding!? What did he mean about you evaporating us!? Why is he calling you master!? He even claimed you're responsible for teleporting me here! And after everything I saw, you think I should believe everything you say!?"

  "Then don't."

  Reed twisted his expression, squeezing his daughter's shoulder.

  "My wife, her mother, is dead! You think I don't deserve an answer!? Is that what you're trying to tell me!?"

  "Now's not the time for any of this!" Hezekiah shouted.

  "There would have never been a time. As if he had any intention of telling you to begin with. He sat back and watched the entire thing between you and the pseudo-military personnel, which also stemmed from his creation, and what did he do? Feign ignorance as if he knew nothing."

  Why does he know so much? Was I being watched the entire time? Do all rule-based beings know my situation at all times?

  "Didn't you want to confirm your suspicions earlier, Reed? You saw her too, didn't you?" the creature asked.

  "You mean... you mean she was actually there, where you took me?"

  "I did say someone wanted to speak to you, didn't I? Why don't we go see her? You can even bring your daughter as well."

  Hezekiah spiked another stone towards the creature. The creature leaped, dodging the explosion before planting its feet into the wall.

  So she actually was alive. Then I'm not exactly sure what that syringe did to her. But as far as why Sally still remembers her, that is no longer a question.

  "So it wasn't that Sally was exempt from the rule—Elaine never died in the first place. But it seems like Elaine may have gotten her memory back. Why? And this still doesn't explain why Reed still remembers Sally," Hezekiah whispered.

  He checked the live feed where Elaine had died, only to find her corpse wasn't there anymore.

  Is there a pattern somewhere?

  "Is Mommy alive? She's still here?" Sally spoke, looking at her father. She tightened her fists with a hopeful expression, hoping she wasn't hearing things.

  "Knat, if they decide to follow me, would you stop them?"

  Hezekiah pressed his lips. Regardless of whether he's actually speaking the truth or not is irrelevant. What good can one expect from listening to him?

  "You're essentially asking me if I'm willing to let them walk to their deaths."

  "Of course not. Not that it would matter to you anyway."

  "I want you to bring her here instead," Reed interjected. "You still hurt my daughter. You can't expect me to believe you're actually trustworthy, do you?"

  "Can't argue that my kind was a bit rough. They struggle with delicacy and care in their mental capacities. If I truly held malicious intent, then both of you wouldn't have corpses left behind."

  "Doesn't sound very assuring," Reed's response tinged with doubt. "Nevertheless, I see no reason why she's unable to come down here."

  "I think I know the perfect arrangement." The creature sprung off the walls and landed on the front desk, where the manifested copy of the rules was left.

  Hezekiah knitted his brows, gauging what its intentions were.

  "It's as I thought. The list of the rules is on this strange document. I see, so you're able to detonate rocks with your mind after setting it in motion, and any dagger you particularly touch liquidates to water."

  Hezekiah firmly gripped his remaining rock. "Took you that long to figure out?"

  "Are you upset?" it questioned. He attempted to lift the manifested copy, only to discover his nails glided across the edges. He continually scraped at it, met with the same result.

  The manifested copy remained unaltered, like it had become one with the desk itself.

  You’ve got to be kidding me. Did it think I wanted to officially place the rules there?

  "Damn it," he whispered.

  The creature rose a smile after seeing his expression. "I find a couple of your rules interesting, particularly your sixth one about a particular type of Abnas, but your tenth one—I'm sure Reed is after. It is, after all, how you brought him back. And I wonder if the same will happen for Elaine."

  "What are you really after? Aren’t you evil?" Sally weakly asked, fidgeting as soon as his eyes met hers.

  "It's not like I chose to be this way."

  The small being hopped off the desk, but before he landed, a stone slid beneath his feet.

  A red barrier immediately manifested between them, the surface cracked containing the explosion.

  Hezekiah tsked, now cleared of any stones in his immediate surroundings.

  I had to. It doesn't matter if she's alive. I already have to deal with this thing. Why would I give this creature a chance to bring someone who's more than likely had their mind twisted by the rules?

  "You're still determined to keep them separated?" The creature's wrists began splitting like a zipper. "Why am I surprised? Making loved ones disappear was your job, after all."

  "What of it?" Hezekiah frowned.

  "Oh?" The child monster tilted his head back, a bit surprised by his response. "And here I thought you had a change of heart."

  Clouds of mist slithered from his skin, forming into distinct tiny limbs. Blood-colored creatures took shape, none of which Hezekiah could make heads or tails out of.

  About a dozen or so surrounded them. The child himself now wielded a double-sided axe, which was twice his height.

  Reed's skin grew cold at the sight. Some stood a few feet away from the two, their wet breath curling around their noses.

  "The Nurse told me about your flames. I'm sure this is no threat to you. But I wonder what would happen to those two if you unleash such a thing."

  "Are you testing me?"

  "Maybe. But you have a decision to make: allow me to fulfill their request, or send them to the afterlife."