Fear

The bed was wet from sweat. The moonlight shined through the window on the soundly sleeping Beelzebub in his crib. Some tears fell on the floor, followed by a whole body. A maniacal laughter resounded in the entire houses. The laughter sounded desperate and like he was crying. With time the laughter sounded more and more like a cry than a laughter. Awaken from the noise, the baby started crying too.

The door was slight opened, just enough to peep in, but not enough for someone inside to notice. A soft sigh could be heard, before the door was closed again.

In the next morning, when Alexander cried him to sleep, Catherine sneaked in and secretly brought the baby away. Shortly after she came in again and tried to heave Alexander on the bed, but he was just too heavy, or she too weak. In the end she decided only to lay a blanket over him. She gave him a last glance, before she finally closed the door.

First at noon did Alexander wake up with red eyes. The first thing he did was to observe warily the surrounding, before he relaxed. Then he smiled mockingly at himself.

"I fear my dreams. I fear my Family. I fear the world."

At this realization, he couldn't help, but laugh at himself mockingly.

"I am such a coward!"

Suddenly he remembered something, that the red snake said, "Pathetic! After such a long time, you can't overcome your past!".

"Yeah, I am pathetic."

Immediately after the sentence was muttered a new image appeared, like a response to the muttering.

"… your past doesn't matter to your Future!"

Alexander eyes brightened, while his mouth formed a wry smile.

"It is pretty ironical. The red snake, who putted me in a life of suffering, is now freeing my chain, which bind me in the suffering hell."

With an easygoing smile he stretched his stiff body and yawned. He folded the blanket and laid the blanket back on the bed. As he gazed outside, he smiled even brighter. Catherine was hardworking on her field, while Beelzebub was trying to catch a fly at his own.

As Catherine saw Alexander going out of the house, she wanted rush to him, but calmed down as she saw his bright smile. They just winked at each other. Alexander squatted some steps before Beelzebub.

"Come to Papa, Beel."

"Pa… pa?"

"Yes, Papa."

"Papa!"

While Beelzebub was happily saying "Papa", he slowly walked to Alexander. As Beelzebub has finally reached Alexander, Catherine came to them.

"It seems, it can finally speak."

"Yeah."

"Have you given him a name?"

"His name is Beelzebub."

"For real?"

She glanced at Beelzebub, as he merrily crushed a further fly in his finger.

"Is there any problems with it?"

"No. It is just a bit strange. The King of flies are happily crushing flies."

"Maybe they are bad flies?"

Both of them laughed, while Beelzebub was staring questioning at both of them.

They laughed and played until Beelzebub fell asleep at afternoon. As they brought Beelzebub back into his crib, Alexander's tummy growled.

"Come to the kitchen, I will make dinner a bit earlier."

"Yeah, thanks."

When Catherine was cooking the dinner, the atmosphere become heavy.

"I am sorry for last night."

"It's ok. I shouldn't have asked about your past."

"…"

"We all have our own sensitive spot."

"I believe I should sleep outside."

"Why?"

"In the future I may suddenly cry in the night."

"It doesn't bother me."

"I don't want to disturb you or Beel."

She placed the finished cooked food on the table, and they started eating in silence.

"See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

After the parting, Alexander walked into the forest nearby. The last birds were chirping at the setting sun, while others were hurrying into their own homes, before the last rays of the sun disappeared.

"Let me try to use the red Mana."

He controlled the red Mana, pulled it outside his body and formed a Magic Circle with it.

"Light."

A small light ball was gathered at the center of the Magic Circle, thereafter the Magic Circle was absorbed into the light ball. Then he once again gathered some red Mana and tried to directly convert it into the light ball. At first, it seemed it was a success, but it exploded in the next moment.

"It is pretty annoying to always form the Magic Circle first. How could the white Mana transform directly into Magic?"

As he couldn't think of an answer, he shrugged his shoulder and searched for a cave with the light ball. After some minutes of searching, he finally found a cave. Unfortunately the bear inside was kicked out of his own home. Standing before the entry, he formed several Magic Circles.

"Trap."

Just as the word comes out of his mouth, some Magic Circle shattered instantly, while others imbued into surrounding earth. He grabbed his head and stumbled some steps back.

"Not enough Mana."

He sighed at this once familiar feeling.

"I should assimilate more red Mana into my soul."

Just as he sat down and wanted to enter his consciousness, he felt dizzy and sleepy.

"This snake want to forcefully pull me in my own dream."

He could just smile helplessly, as he was slowly pulled into a dream.

There was a grand and white palace with a lot of green plants. The maids were happily chatting and kids were feeding the underworld horses. The Queen, King, a Concubine and her Children could be nowhere seen for hours, but no one was worried, because they know today was the competition for the position as Fifth Prince or Princess.

In the basement was entering its final stage with just three Children standing. One of the Child was Alexander, and the others were an Assassin and a Magician. Even tough Alexander was surrounded by the other two, it could kill the Assassin.

"Haven't I told you Brother? We would survive together!"

After saying that, he moved to Alexander with open arms.

Alexander walked some steps back, pulled his sword out and shoved it in its sheath. As the Magician saw Alexander walked some steps back, he tried to calm him down.

"You don't have to fear me. I have done it all for you."

At his words Alexander walked to the Magician calmly and stopped as they were four steps apart. Before the Magician could take a further step, Alexander attacked.

"Thank you, for all you have done for me, Brother."

"Why?"

"You should know it the best."

Alexander pulled his sword out, as he kicked his Brother away.