Episode 21

Lesker found himself floating in a dark space. There was only one source of light that seemed to be a cluster of stars that was neither near nor far. The space felt vaguely familiar but he couldn't quite remember.

"What do you desire?" a quiet yet loud androgynous voice asked. Lesker was startled.

"Who are you?"

The voice chuckled and the cluster of stars suddenly seemed closer. It formed the vague shape of a person whose eyes twinkled. The mouth shape moved and began to speak.

"This is the second time you've asked me this question, beloved of the cosmos. Frankly, I can't believe your spell succeded. Well, since you asked me for a favor, I suppose I must fulfill my promise. If you want to find that which you seek, take my hand"

Lesker looked at the outstretched hand made of various interconnected stars and hesitated. He took the hand the next minute and a bright light blinded him. The next thing he heard was the cry f a baby. He shook his head and a scene appeared before him.

A woman laying on the bed, exhausted. A man rocking a crying baby. The man looked like an older version of Lesker with the prominent reddish black hair and blue eyes. His ears were a bit different with the pointed tip and the golden flame on his forehead. There was a golden line that extended from the middle of his head to meet the golden flame.

His mother had the same mark and ears but her hair was red. Her teary blue eyes were fastened on the baby, a feeling of happiness emanating from the depth of her soul.

"Leira, you did well" Yoni said with a smile. Leira nodded and collected the child from him.

"What shall we name him?" Yoni asks his wife with a mischievous smirk. Leira rolled her eyes when she saw his smirk. Then she gasped in shock when she examined the child.

"Yoni, he doesn't have the mark neither does he have any spiritual signature. In fact, I can't feel his bloodline or his existence. What is going on?" Leira says in shock. The smirk falls of Yoni's face as he examines the baby with his magi.

"Hold on!" Yoni exclaims and runs out of the small house. What he sees astounds him. Above the house is the same golden flame mark, glowing in the sunlight. It emits a powerful aura that forces Yoni to his knees. He painfully retracts his magi and the mark disappears. He staggers inside the house, blood dripping down his neck from his mouth.

"What's wrong with you? What's wrong with our child?" Leira says in fear as she sees the blood on him.

"Our son is someone beyond our reach Leira. He has the ancient bloodline. We have to seal it"

"But if we seal it, he wouldn't have any magi and the only way to undo the seal is if he becomes a god. How is that possible?"

"Let's go to the god's dimension first. We have to leave. If the clan elders find out that he has the ancient bloodline, I fear we may never see our baby again. We have to hurry"

"Yoni, this is dangerous. What if...?"

"We'll handle it. The gods right now are more reliable than our clan elders. Let's go"

The scene wraps and the next scene is one he's seen before. Lesker's memories come back in full force. It was the time that Burmi came to visit. Lesker didn't look in his parent's eyes well before but now he could see the wariness hidden deep in their eyes. The golden flame was completely covered up, their bloodlines sealed. They felt like normal immortals.

When Lesker was put to bed, his parents were still awake.

"You think he saw it?" Leira asks, worried.

"He saw the divine spark but he can't sense the bloodline"

"Do we have to run again? I know a place we can hide in a relatively obscure continent. He'll be safer there"

Yoni sighed deeply.

"We can't leave. We'll have to give Lesker to him"

"Why? Are you out of your mind? You'll give our child to that god?!"

"Leira, calm down and listen to me. He can't die. Let Burmi dig out the divine spark"

"He's just a child! How can you suggest that?"

"I'll manipulate both their memories and use my magi to minimize the pain. Burmi would not defile our child. Afterward, we would launch a rebellion using that as evidence and retreat. Burmi would send our child to one of his temples so we can easily run. I will also use the opportunity to steal the god artifact. What do you think?"

"As long as our child doesn't get hurt"

"I promise you he won't"

"Go ahead"

The scene wrapped and the next scene made Lesker's heart hurt. It was both of his parents, severely hurt and surrounded by people who proudly wore the golden marks on their forehead. They pointed golden spears at them and forced them to their knees. His parents were proud and unyielding, giving him a small amount of pride.

An older man dressed in red robes stood at the center with his parents, looking down on them with a sneer. His white hair made his golden mark stand out more.

"Keep them imprisoned till they talk. I want to know everything" the elder said, flung his sleeve and left.

His parents were dragged through huge golden gates with the big golden flame as their lock. On either side were clouds and the ground they walked on was also made of clouds. Beyond the gate was a heavy mist and even in the vision, he couldn't see beyond the gate.

His mother, as she was dragged through the gate, let out two drops of tears from both eyes, her heart full of sorrow.

"Lesker.." she whimpered.

Everything finally made sense. The vision cleared and his full memory returned. The seals placed on him, like heavy chains, broke. His body burned hotter than any flame in the world but it couldn't burn him. It was the eternal flame.

He appeared back in the Grey and looked at the body made of stars.

"Thank you"

"You must fulfill your promise to me"

"I already have. I will send that piece of soul up to you"

"You may leave then"

Lesker's eyes closed and when he opened them, he was back in Leioni's lab.