In a small, rectangular garden in Clifton, an elderly farmer—a man with a wrinkled face and tan skin from the sun, put on a pair of working gloves and walked to a spot in the soil. He knelt down, brows furrowing in concentration as he dug his hands into the dark-colored soil, making digging motions with his hands until something came into view.

  It was a watermelon, ripe and green in color. The sun-baked farmer smiled as he tore it from the ground, savoring the large delicacy of his own creation. He made his way from his small house garden, down the snow-covered streets, and entered the market building. After getting everything set up, he leaned back in his crooked rocking chair and awaited the newest customers.

  Not long after, the door opened, perking his attention. He saw Kael, clad in casual attire, brush the snow from his black boots and walk forward, shooting him a dazzling yet refined smile. The crimson-haired man reached into one of the pockets of his coat, digging for a moment before taking out a few silver coins, tossing them into a rusty bucket sitting beside the stand.

  Without any hesitation, the elderly man smiled and handed Kael the watermelon, patting him on the back and wishing him a good day.

  …

  In the safe house, a few members of the charity organization had already woken up, randomly split among the main lobby. Some played early-morning cards to wake their brains up, while others were engaged in friendly, civil conversation.

  When they saw Kael, everyone in the room ceased with their actions and gave him friendly smiles and nods, showing signs of respect and gratitude. Kael continued to wear his charming smile, waving back with his free hand—the hand that wasn’t holding the watermelon. He spotted Head Chaos, also named Ice Eyes, sitting by the bar with a glass of reddish-colored water in hand.

  “I’m going to wake Silas up, see if you can handle a good meal for him.” Kael put the watermelon on the counter beside him, the impact sending small tremors across the surface of Ice Eyes’s drink. The man with signature light-blue eyes gazed at the watermelon for a moment.

  “A watermelon for breakfast?” He felt a surge of hesitance, scoffing at the sheer abnormality of the proposition.

  Kael shook his head, scoffing. “He’s a growing chap with a growing, small body. Maybe whip up some tartines or griddlecakes.”

  “Shouldn’t that be fit for a chef?”

  Kael grabbed the taller man by the collar of his shirt, pulling him close. His voice came out low, yet not dangerous or provocative.

  “Please make him breakfast; he needs energy for today.”

  “What are you going to do with him today?”

  Kael paused for a beat, sighing. “We discussed his Apocalypse pathway capabilities, correct? I’m working to hone them for our cause, alright?”

  Ice Eyes nodded, a small sheen of sweat coating his now red face. He scooted back on his bar stool, nervously sipping his reddish-colored water. Upon seeing Kael’s persisting gaze, he immediately shot up from his seat and darted to the nearest kitchen with the watermelon in hand.

  …

  I abruptly awoke the moment Kael put his hand on my shoulder. I let out a low, shaky gasp, my eyes widening for a moment. My heart stopped racing after a few moments as I adjusted to my surroundings. The room was brighter now, as Kael had opened the curtains and allowed the bright sunlight to filter in through the windows.

  “You need energy in your small wormy body, Silas. We’re going to hone your abilities today—or at least begin to.”

  Kael ripped the blankets off of my body, rolling them up and tossing them to the other end of the bed. Before I could react, Kael grabbed me by my arm, pulling me to my feet. With the snap of his fingers, crimson flames materialized on my bed, taking the form of a new set of clothing—a casual shirt and trousers and a black vest.

  “T-thanks…”

  Kael nodded before leaving the room. On the way out, he told me to be downstairs in under five minutes. As I took my clothes, I made my way to the bathroom and stripped to my undergarments. When I turned around to gaze at my back in the mirror, I noticed the bullet wound had mostly healed, the blood having dried on the bandages.

  My black hair was tied into a messy ponytail cascading down my left shoulder. My previously swollen eyes, adorned with dark circles, were now brighter than usual. Overall, I looked a lot better than usual, even if I didn’t exactly look like myself. At this moment, The Umbridge appeared in the corner, seemingly nodding in approval.

  “You look better,” they complimented.

  I could only give a twitching smile in return, buttoning up the shirt Kael had given me. Following a small period of silence only permeated by rustling clothing did The Umbridge speak again.

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  “I feel your thoughts… running away from your friends back in the kingdom.”

  Hearing his words, my gaze drifted back to the mirror, back to my entirely different appearance. I didn’t look like the boy I once was in Seraphis Kingdom, but here I was surrounded with people who helped others and helped me. Kael may be somewhat… ambiguous, but he’s offered to train me and help me cultivate the power to get home and get stronger.

  “I know, but I kind of like it here.”

  The enigmatic figure walked forward, their reflection placing a bony hand on my shoulder. “You once said that humans try to trick themselves with miracles of bliss and happiness, but an illusion is only an illusion when you wake up, not when you open your eyes, but when the vision you’ve been seeing fades all away.”

  That was the second time anyone had recited my thoughts in that exact manner. I thought about those words and their implications, my thoughts diving elsewhere.

  “I remember when I’d read under the trees in the park, when I’d cry and complain to myself every night. I felt sorry for myself, sorry that I wasn’t able to do anything about… well… anything in my life. And the moment I did, Garry insisted I leave his store when I tried to call the police, and I nearly killed my father in anger.”

  I blinked slowly, recalling the journal entries. “I had written to Silas about this matter before… and now I am Silas, or at least… becoming him. What if Silas doesn’t necessarily crave violence, but agency? Even after getting these powers, I still complained about them. I'd still want to do good with them even if they were forged for evil.”

  My gaze remained on my reflection in the mirror, and I couldn’t help but chuckle self-deprecatingly. “What if this illusion I’ve made for myself has been ‘me’ all along? I dream of faces I don’t recognize yet I feel like I’ve seen them. I see the same scenes over and over play out differently as if the truth is a subjective thing. The illusion that my current self is… the one I need to break free of. Silas, Isaac, the names I’ve heard, seen, and the roles I’m now playing, make me feel different things and open new doors.

  “If I want to find out who exactly I am, following the trail of this power yet honing it as my own is the best option. With Kael’s help, I’ll be anything I want to be!”

  I finished changing, stepping out of the bathroom with a smile. As I walked downstairs and stepped into the lobby, I saw Kael and Ice Eyes sitting by the counter with a large plate of food. On the plate was a small stack of sliced watermelon, a slice of bread with jam on top of it, and a small stack of pancakes drizzled in maple syrup.

  “Eat up.” Kael stood up, stepping back while smiling.

  Ice Eyes remained in his seat, watching me sit down a few meters away from him to begin eating. As I began to eat my food, I could feel the man's gaze slicing into my neck. In the corner of my eyes, I observed his grip on his drink subtly tightening, his hands beginning to tremble. His breath, previously light and collected, began to tremble, growing heavier and more prominent.

  “Are you alright?” I turned to look at him, arching an eyebrow. My tone carried something more harsh than usual—as an adult looking at me in such a way would be considered creepy by any corner of the world.

  Upon hearing my question, Ice Eyes’s breath hitched, his face turning pale. His light-blue eyes darted elsewhere, down to his lap as he set his drink down, pushing it away. I then looked at Kael, my voice dropping to a whisper.

  “Is something wrong with him?”

  Kael exchanged a glance with the gaunt man, noticing Ice Eyes’s peculiar demeanor. A tense silence filled the air, which was abruptly severed by Kael clearing his throat.

  “He’s quite… restless at times. Now, shall we get going?”

  The crimson-haired man approached me as I finished my breakfast, pushing the dirtied plate away and placing a hand on my back. He guided me to my feet, helping me to the door. As we left the safehouse, the cold air of the wilderness assaulted all my senses, making me wince slightly.

  “We’ll journey into the woods, somewhere private where prying eyes won’t scope unwanted sights.” Kael spoke, a small, serene, and placid smile forming on my face.

  As the two of us walked, Kael suddenly cleared his throat and said with a smile. “Do you remember that story I recited for you last night?”

  I nodded, recalling the story in detail. “Yes, I do.”

  “Well… what lessons did you take from it?” He arched an eyebrow, tone filled with curiosity.

  “The boy lied about the stuff he did so they stoned him to death. But… the other children did much worse things.”

  “Ahh…” Kael acknowledged my words, folding his hands behind my back as he kept walking, approaching the edge of the forest where the snow met the dissipating leaves and patches of grass that stuck through the snow.

  “No one likes a liar, Silas. Like the book said, it’s better to reveal the harsh truth than to conceal the best of intentions behind lies. Cruelty in this world is like an itch—it’s an irresistible scratch only few can resist.”

  The tips of Kael’s fingers exploded with crimson flames as he raised a hand, clenching his fist while looking forward to the forest.

  “Now tell me, when you sought my help, were you lying? Do you still want to go back to those who reject you?”

  I paused for a moment when I heard this, my fists clenching. I recalled what I had thought about back in the bathroom, sighing.

  “A small part of me does, but the larger part of me who strives to understand who I am, wants to stay with you. You understand who I am… you can help me.”

  I smiled softly. “If my friends do come back, they’ll be hap—”

  Kael abruptly turned around, his flame-covered palm finding my neck. The moment his hand slapped across my neck, my entire body seemed to erupt with pain as the flames began to char and burn away at my flesh. My body habitually darted down, rolling in the snow to ease the wound.

  “W-what the hell?” I immediately shot back up, my vision turning red as the Apocalypse sigil flared to life, a crimson burning sensation on my forehead.

  Kael only smirked in response, throwing his head back and laughing. “Heh, quite the performance."

  He took a step forward. “How does this feel? You’re finally acting, gaining that agency you’ve wanted all along. Normally, you would have cried out and ran away, but because you’re so… alive here, you didn’t hesitate to use your abilities.

  “Back in Seraphis Kingdom, you would have been captured and tortured by the Requitors, but here… you’re free with me.”

  I felt the Apocalypse sigil on my forehead sizzle down, the realization washing over me. Here, I can use my abilities freely. No one here can and will judge me. Here, with Kael, I can find out who I am. I can do good here, I can help this place.

  “But… use your abilities sparingly. Reliance on the mystical isn’t omnipotent.”

  Kael walked forward, turning back to look at me as he entered the forest. “Come, your first session begins now.”