Pin Faux

"Pin Faux."

A name that had many people confused if he was immortal or just a regular guy. A name that had many humans curious about the 'prince of darkness' with many questions and even more stories. And as the centuries passed his story was spread throughout the rest of the world.

It was only a matter of time before Pin Faux decided to take action.

He lived in a dusty house made of aging bricks that held him up from a very young age. There were no lights in the room but it had enough air for his lungs to move in comfortably. He knew how to use these little things and could make them light without magic just by thinking of them.

It was simple magic. One step and he could easily create all the lights he wanted. The house was one thing he never got tired of seeing. As much as humans liked living in small cramped homes, they also found the lack of space fascinating. The house itself was old enough to still hold secrets.

Pin watched the fields below with eyes that saw everything at once. This was one such field where he had spent many days alone with nothing to distract himself from boredom. But today was an exception. Something had caught his eye out of nowhere, something that caught his attention so much

He couldn't help but stop. His heart raced in excitement and curiosity. This was what he hadn't seen in years. There was a child out there and she was moving. She had fallen over and started to cry. Pin didn't know this yet, but soon he would find out who she was.

Her long white hair flowed in the wind and her eyes were bright green, sparkling like emeralds under the sunlight. It took all of him not to run after her as she struggled to stand up, but he stayed put, hidden in the grass and leaves. He waited patiently. Eventually, she got up on her feet.

"Who are you?" Pin asked.

The little girl stood silently and her hands were clasped together with hollow eyes. Her dress was tattered and worn. Pin wondered if she came from anywhere else. The girl looked lost, lonely, sad, and helpless. Pin wanted to comfort her but he couldn't risk anyone finding him here.

"Are you human?" Pin asked again.

She revealed a translucent orb in the palm of her hands as she held up to him before he realized the shackles around her neck and the chains holding her arms. It wasn't until now that he noticed that they were silver chains that seemed to be alive. They twisted and turned to form complicated patterns that resembled stars as they glittered with magic when she released the orbs from her grasp. Pin stared at the glowing balls, fascinated and confused.

"My lordship needs you…your eternal magic fascinates him," She whispered.

"Lordship?" He questioned.

Pin could feel an unnatural air emanating from her. It was different from the others but the energy coming from her didn't hurt. In fact, it felt...nice.

"Please, don't bother with my name. We need your help…your magic…." She muttered.

"Wait, what is this?!" Pin shouted.

Similar metal shackles appeared on his wrists nearly burning his skin, but he hardly cared. The magic coming from the girl seemed familiar, so very familiar to him. And it reminded him of something...He was a prince of darkness, one of the oldest and strongest beings on Earth. So naturally, he was known to have powers. He could see through the shadows to their innermost hearts.

Turning his head he noticed the little girl now fully grown in ill-fitting clothing smiling up at him with a soft look in her eye. He stared at her for another minute then nodded.

"Alright. I'll help you, but not for free." He growled.

Her smile widened. "I'm going to tell you some things and you will listen. Do you agree?" She giggled.

The woman held his plague doctor mask against her chest while gazing into Pin's eyes with a gentle expression.

"I do agree. Now begin. What can you tell me?" Pin questioned.

Her face broke into a mischievous grin as she stepped closer to him and slowly moved his cloak away from his body.

"Pin Faux, you are forcibly going to meet my father," She smiled.

"But how the hell did you even find me?!" He yelled.

"We have our ways, but your peaceful days are done," She celebrated.

"Lightning Lance!" Pin cast.

The shackle took his ability throwing it back at him pulsating pain ran through his body. It stopped abruptly as his eyes rolled into the back of his head. He collapsed to his knees and let his weight drag him down. The woman grabbed his shoulders. Pin tried to push her away but she held onto him tightly.

"Now you will listen. Listen well and do as we ask," She said softly.

"If I am eternal then you won't be able to hold me forever…" He muttered.

"Let's get this show started shall we?" She asked.

She snapped her fingers and Pin Faux screamed in agony as lightning shot up his spine, blinding him for a moment before it disappeared. He felt the witch release him and fall backward. His body fell onto the ground with a loud thud. His body ached as he sat up slowly and tried to figure out what just happened to him.

"I am known as the witch Rania!" She announced.

[Pin Faux: Mage.]

The shackle started to talk shocking Pin and he stumbled to his feet, stumbling a few steps backward as the words flowed out.

"It talks?" He asked.

"You have lived far from humanity far too long," Rania laughed.

Without needing to even cast more of the translucent orbs flew from the palm of her hands and hovered in front of them. The orb's glow was similar to a candle flame. Pin could feel the warmth radiating from it. He stepped forward and reached out a hand to touch it. To his horror, the orb went right through his hand like glass. He gasped and yanked his hand away.

"Time to meet your new home!" She shouted.

The orbs quickly grabbed Pin absorbing him whole and pulling him into a ball of flames. Pin thrashed trying to escape and get out of there but they held firm until the light died down. He fell limp onto the ground coughing and gasping for breath. The orbs flew off him and formed a ring around Pin, surrounding him and the girl and disappearing from sight.

He landed somewhere completely new to him. Pin lay flat on the floor and rubbed his forehead

scrubbing off whatever remained of the orb's spell. When he opened his eyes and blinked, he was surprised to see the place he had been transported to. He was lying on a bed of red and pink leaves.

A row of women dressed in maid outfits were running around cleaning. They wore strange-looking hats and carried buckets full of water. The girls were busy working but every once in a while, they would stop and stare at Pin. Pin looked around and saw the same kind of flowers he had been seeing the whole day everywhere.

Pin was amazed to see the large mansion in front of him, but he was slightly afraid. He knew what these people were capable of. If he wasn't careful, they could kill him or torture him. He could lose his soul and return to a life that wasn't his own. A life where he didn't exist.

He had forgotten to take his mask with him, gentle eyes showed to the world after many years of hiding as he brushed his beige-colored hair back that was stuck in a small ponytail. He looked like he didn't belong here. That's why he wanted to leave, to leave this beautiful world behind. He wanted to become a normal human being. So, despite his fear of strangers, he stood up, stretched, and left.

"Have you forgotten why you are here?" Rania asked.

"I don't wanna even be here!" He argued.

They could hear stomping behind them and footsteps grow louder with each step. Rania chuckled.

"Well, you are here. You need to stay. For your sake and hers. For her sake, stay. You have to play along, you know this." She cackled.

"How is it playing along with someone you've never met in your life? Why should I trust them?! Why should I believe anything they say!?" Pin argued.

The witch sighed and gave him a sympathetic look.

"I'm sorry, Pin. But this is for your best," she said softly.

"Welcome, Pin Faux!" An elderly man shouted.

He didn't look a day over fifty or sixty. His brown hair was combed neatly to the side of his face with a grey goatee. His clothes were simple and clean. There were no servants or guards with him. He walked over to Pin and held out his hand in greeting. Pin accepted and shook it firmly.

the old man spoke. "I'm glad you arrived safely."

'Why did you take me from my home and shackle me?" Pin asked. He couldn't understand what he had just heard. Did he hear him correctly? He glanced at the witch. She nodded.