Chapter 37

When I opened my eyes, I found myself standing in a field of daffodils, their sweet fragrance filling the air around me. In the distance, a quaint wooden house stood proudly amidst the blooming flowers.

Inside the seemingly abandoned house, my attention was immediately drawn to a book that sat untouched on the dining table. Walking closer, the book suddenly flew open, its pages were completely empty.

After a few moments, the once-blank pages started to be adorned with inky images and words. My eyes trembled as I gazed at the surreal sight unfolding in front of me, it was monologuing about me. [Samuel sat on the ground as blood gushed out of his arm. Pain was the only thing on his mind as his shaking eyes stared at his detached arm on the ground. Furiousness appeared on his face as he heard the ginger-haired man's words.] Alongside these words, ink-drawn illustrations captured the current circumstances.

The events being recorded had transpired only moments ago, but the writing carried on as if I was still awake in the real world while I was here. 

I read in disbelief as the events continued. ["Kill him." When the Ginger-haired man gave his orders he turned away from Samuel who couldn't move a muscle.] My mind blanked for a moment before I shot into action.

"Let me go back, I can't die like this." With both hands, I quickly snatched up the book. I was worried, scared that I would never know why they took her away from me. I wouldn't even be able to avenge her, it was what I had prepared myself for; it was the reason I still continued, but now I was reading death approaching me and I couldn't even struggle to the very end.

As I read, new words were being overlaid onto the ones that depicted what was taking place. [Do you want to continue?] 

I was quite startled by the book trying to talk to me, but I didn't need long to have my answer. "Yes, if there is one thing I currently want, it is for me to see this to the end at the very least."

[If you wake up now, all you will see is the grim reality of your life being snuffed out. Are you still determined to awaken.] The words in the book served as a stark reminder of my reality, although I already knew that could have been a possibility. "Even if that is all I would experience I would still like to be conscious for it, and know fully well I failed, like always." 

[So, you will face death knowing you have accomplished nothing in this life, what a pitiful end that would be, but what if I tell you I can change that outcome.] My teeth clenched as I reflected on the array of emotions that washed over me while I engaged with the book. It infuriated me that my willingness to know the truth so easily changed to me giving up.

[Do you want my help?] I didn't need to think, even if getting its help would not make it my accomplishment, I was so disguised with me lying down and waiting for death that I didn't care anymore. throughout my life I rolled up in a ball whenever things got hard for me, I lied to myself that things would change and that I would do better, but look at me now. My resolve wasn't steadfast, and that made me wonder what I stood for.

Who is Samuel Ledger That was the question that revolved through my head. What did he love? What did he want from life? What would he do right now? What did it mean to be him? I couldn't come up with an answer for any of these questions, but they all would hopefully be answered over time right now all I needed to know was, what Samuel wanted to be in the future.

"Yes, I'll take your help." I didn't have a complete answer for this either I just knew one thing I didn't want to be like the man I was before.

[Are you absolutely certain you want to accept? Do note that with what I can grant you there comes a liability.]

"Yes, I accept." 

[Then Samuel Ledger, never forget these emotions that you have experienced and those you still need to process, bathe your whole being into them to change into the person you want to be, so you can be there to see the end of all of this. That is what I wish from you.] The book's pages turn back to the cover, while my life written inside of it flashes before my eyes. my body is pulled out of the house and it gets further away until I find myself looking at it, as I stand in the field of daffodils.

From the house, I could see someone. On the front porch of the wooden house, they were seated in a wheelchair. However, they weren't the only ones. Through the windows of the house, I could see five other figures who were also staring at me. All of them had something in common, it was their gray glowing eyes.

The ginger-haired man looked down at Samuel who seemed incapable of moving after the pain he had endured. With his eyes glowing a bright green, he contemplated before opening his mouth. "Kill him."

When he gave his orders the men dressed in white and golden clothes prepared to swing their weapons. The ginger-haired man turned around with an annoyed expression on his face. "Maybe he was wrong." 

As he mumbled under his breath a sudden force threw his underlings to the side. The ginger-haired man glanced over his shoulder and saw Samuel back on his feet. Before his eyes, Samuel's right arm grew back as his now gray eyes stared into his. Without being able to react, he felt Samuel's fist slam into his ribs and send him flying through the air.

While his body slammed into a building a smile appeared on his face. His green eyes focused on Samuel while he defended himself against his underlings onslaught. "Why did I even question them of course there wasn't a mistake." As his eyes remained straight forward a redness became visible in his green eyes.

A sudden vitality and energy had awoken in my body, and I wasn't unfamiliar with it. It was something I had felt twice before, but this time it was overwhelmingly more powerful. Those wings that carried me high as I overcame the odds are like baby wings compared to how free I currently feel. It was to me the only way to describe how it felt to be in control of my life almost like I could fly away from all that bothered me in this world.

My fist swung through the air as the ginger-haired man's underlings attacked me. The people I had to cowardly fight against before didn't stand a chance against the current me. I shook my head, realizing I was getting lost in this blissful sensation, losing sight of my priorities.

A deep red glow merged with my gray eyes and blood headed my command. As it swirled through the air and shaped into whatever I could imagine, I noticed my control over it had significantly improved. I created a sword in my right hand and effortlessly defeated the men who were assaulting me.

In the corner of my eye, I saw something moving my way at incredible speed. I turned my body swiftly, holding the sword in front of me to intercept the claws that were inches away from my throat. I stared at the figure, his red eyes with a green tint glared from under his black hair at me. "Let's see what you're made of." The man's voice sounded familiar to me and so was his appearance, but from where.

As my sword and his claws clashed against each other, it dawned on me. He was there sitting on a small throne when I met Rosalia in the courtroom, but that wasn't all I had seen him from a distance before at Valentine's manor, this man was none other than Valentine's brother. "Why are you here?" At a standstill, I glared at Viktor. 

He didn't answer me instead he smiled. His eyes were glued to my face as cracks that radiated gray energy began to spread over it like I was some porcelain doll. "We don't have time for that." The sword made from hardened blood melted to his touch and turned back to its liquid form. 

I moved my head to the side as his claw scraped over my cheek. The wounds weren't for long, but his onslaught continued. I created more swords to protect myself against him, but I questioned why would I fight her brother it didn't make sense to me. I looked past him, remembering my target should still be somewhere around her, yet I couldn't see the ginger-haired man anywhere.

Another sword was destroyed by his superior control over blood, but frustration had settled in my body. I created an even bigger sword than before and with a powerful swing; it moved horizontally towards him. When his hand touched the blade it didn't melt away catching him by surprise.

"At least explain this, as her brother you must be searching for her killer as well, so why-" My words were interrupted by Viktor smirking audibly at my words. "Why, because I'm the person you're looking for." His words stunned me for a second, but in an instant, I instinctively shot forward, grabbed his head, and smashed it into the ground.

In my mind I could see it, that book, it stopped on a certain page filled with names and a new one was being written on it. [Viktor von Kisher]

Viktor Ran through the castle halls he was completely out of breath but he couldn't stop, Leaving the castle he ran through the gardens until he saw the mausoleum in the distance. inside he could see a coffin in the center and his father standing next to it. Vander emotionlessly stared at the coffin and didn't notice his son arriving.

"Father." Vander moved his gaze and looked at his son. "Why are you still here father, Her burial ceremony had taken place four months ago, she should have already been laid to rest with our ancestors." Vander didn't say a word to his son and turned back to the coffin.

Annoyance filled Viktor seeing how his father acted. "You are a king father, yet you act so undeserving of the title! You have been wallowing in your loss for far too long if you truly cared for her why have you not taken action yet!" Vander's blood-red eyes glared at his son, and Viktor could feel the anger in them, but that didn't stop him."Those filthy humans have wronged us for far too long they treat us like we do not exist and think that we are afraid of them wiping us out! If we want to find solace in mothers death we should pay them tenfold for what they have done! We should march our army up to the surface and wipe them out like they tried to do to us seven hundred years ago!"

Vander stood before Viktor as these words left his mouth, making Viktor think he had gotten to his father, but he was whole-heartedly wrong in that assessment. Viktor could feel his father's knuckles slam into his jaw. On the ground, Viktor stared with shaking eyes at his father who had given him a back-handed slap. "Leave, and never open that mouth of yours again!" The boy hurriedly left the mausoleum, chilled by Vander's cold tone.

In his room, Viktor let out all his anger by destroying his furniture. From his nightstand, he picked up a picture frame and stared at it while seated on his bed. On it, he could see a beautiful woman with long black hair and himself when he was still really young. "Mother." Tears began to move down his face as he thought about her. "Why did they have to take you from me."

As time passed by, Viktor's disdain for his father's behavior increased. He felt his father had become soft and forgot what it meant to be a king. During one of his secret expeditions on the surface, Viktor had found himself at an important location during his mother's death. He stood on top of a building in the Eastern district of Pilantrop staring down at a giant crater below him. The place was completely overrun by enforcers who were still guarding the area. If Viktor wanted to find the truth about his mother's death he felt that he needed to get inside of that crater, but currently, he didn't have the capabilities to do that. 

As Viktor descended from the building, he proceeded through an alleyway until a voice abruptly halted his progress. "What seems to be bothering you, Viktor von Kisher?" 

Viktor turned his head towards a beggar whose green eyes were staring at him. "Who are you?" The man stood up and smiled. "I'm someone who understands your pain and is willing to help you get revenge."

Deep in thought, Viktor reflected on the man's statement before giving him a fierce glare, his eyes radiating a vivid red color. "I'm willing to listen, but don't try to deceive me." Viktor's response brought a wide smile of joy to the man's face. "I wouldn't even dare."

In his office, Viktor stared at his maid. "Was that all?"

"No, my lord, you still have a meeting with Lord Armeth." Viktor nodded his head and placed his quill down on the table. "Have you sent the marriage proposal to my sister?"

The maid nodded at his words. "Yes, my lord and it was put under His Highness's name." Viktor tapped his finger on the table while he deliberated. "If she just were to accept this then we'll have the Valster family on our side." 

Viktor moved his hands through his face. "If only all these fools knew who deserved to be on the throne then I wouldn't have to tire myself like this."

Viktor stood up and walked towards the door of his office. "Let's go meet Armeth."

Later that day, Viktor walked through a forest outside the castle grounds. "Do you have what I want?" Out of a tree came a man with green hair and green eyes. "Of course." The man held documents, and Viktor took it out of his hands. 

"You know I was thinking instead of fighting for the throne why don't you find a way for your father to direct his anger towards the surface?" Viktor who was reading through the documents raised his head and looked at the man. "My father won't ever do that he has become a husk that only wallows in his misery."

"I think I might know of a way." Viktor narrowed his eyes. "How would you do this then?"

In bed, Viktor squirmed around as voices echoed in his head. "Mother!?" Viktor shot awake, his eyes darted around the room in a state of distress. "My lord, are you alright." His maid rushed into his room upon hearing him scream. She stared at him in concern as he held onto his head.

"What have they ever done for you?"

"They don't care about her."

"You're the only person trying to find peace for her."

"They are just an obstacle in your way."

Voices filled Viktor's head, making him unable to think. "My lord!" Started by his maid he looked at her with tired eyes. "Are you having another one of those nightmares?"

"Yes." Viktor sounded worn out as he answered his maid.

"My lord, you should stop pushing yourself so much."

"No, I'm fine, you don't have to worry about me." Viktor laid back down on his bed and stared at the ceiling above him. "From tomorrow onwards, we'll be changing our plans somewhat." As a long period of time passed, the voices never left Viktor alone.

In her study, Valentine continued her work after she had sent away Samuel. It was getting late and she knew she had to stop, but there were a few more letters to go through, that was until someone knocked on her door. "Who's there?"

Nobody answered her, yet the door opened and someone walked inside. Valentine's eyes shook as she stared at the person who stood before her. "Viktor I thought you were taken captive or dead. So tell me what are you doing here?" Viktor looked at her with cold emotionless eyes as fire suddenly spread around the room. "Tonight, I am not your brother." He moved his hand over his face and it began to turn to a ginger-haired man with a thick beard. "I'm your killer."

Inside his bedroom, a man who looked like Viktor paced around. When a window opened he looked at the person coming through with relief. "Lord Viktor, have you finished framing the half-breed?"

Viktor coldly stared at his lookalike. "I have." The man smiled hearing his words. "That's good, you will keep your promise right and help me and Valentine-" Viktor stopped the man's words by walking in closer. "Like I promised you'll be able to be with her for eternity." With a firm grip, he seized the man by the neck. "So goodbye Drekem." As soon as he finished speaking, a horrifying sound echoed through the room as Drekem's neck exploded.

As a fist slammed into my side, I felt the force push me off Viktor. I stare at him remembering what I last saw before he brought me back to reality. I could see it, the figure Viktor saw before he was consumed by their powers. they had green hair and green eyes. 

"What are you?" Viktor stared at me with shaking eyes, and I didn't get what he was trying to say. I was still comprehending all I had seen, It isn't normal for me to see someone's past when I touch them, I guess it could be part of the powers the book gave me, but it was still strange. "What are you!?" Viktor shouted even louder than before.

My gaze fixates on Viktor remembering something important that boiled my blood. the man in physique was Viktor, but in my mind, someone else had already taken over. It was him, the real perpetrator behind all this. 

In fury, I dashed forward, while my hand turned into a claw and stabbed towards him. I didn't want to speak with the man, I would have if I wanted to know the truth, but through Viktor's memories I knew everything already, so all I now wanted was my revenge. 

He defended himself against my relentless assault, but I overpowered him. My leg swung towards him as blood gathered around it and hardened, on impact it threw his body through the air, causing him to crash into rubble. I didn't give him time to recover as both my claw-like hands aimed for his chest. In an instant, an extraordinary amount of energy burst from him, halting my attack, but that didn't stop me for long enough.

When he got back up my fist slammed against his chest shooting him out of the town. Upon landing on the flat terrain, blood revolved around him as I descended from above. Spikes of blood darted towards me, cutting through my skin as I tried to maneuver past them.

A sword appeared in my hand and cut through his body, but was stopped halfway through. His right fist slammed into my face as the sword was absorbed into his body and the wound healed. 

As our fight continued dents appeared in the plain as blood began to cover everything. We fought each other like beasts with rage-filled expressions, destroying each other's bodies, but the wounds would almost always instantly heal back. 

Blood rained down our heads as I trusted a spear inside his chest. Without hesitating, I exerted all my strength in my arms and launched him skyward. While my eyes are locked on his ascending body, pillars of blood stretch into the sky. I was exuding all the power I had in me to make sure I could finish this, but I never noticed the cracks that were slowly but surely completely covering my entire body.

I launched myself into the air like a slingshot, using two flexible strings of blood attached to different pillars. 

As we fought in the air, wings grew out of our backs. Fed up with the situation, I bash into him. Despite his frantic attempts to push me away, I held on tightly and forcefully tore off the wings protruding from his back, causing us to plummet towards the ground. Now, our positions were switched as he grasped onto me while I struggled to free myself. My fingers were in his mouth trying to rip his head apart, but he bit them off. We struggled for a while, but after some time I got out of his hold. 

I didn't want to wait for the wings to finish growing back, so I took action. The pillars arched and moved above my falling body. I stretched my arms above me and created two enormous swords that I sliced one after another toward him. All my might was being put behind these swings, but he still somehow slipped past them. 

Annoyed, I wanted to charge at him again, but my attention was shifted when a loud explosion entered my ears. I stared at the green ball in the air and could feel a change that had come with it. When I looked back down at Viktor the green glow in his eyes had disappeared and tears were now coming from them as he opened his mouth. "Mother."

His words infuriated me even more, my heart felt strange knowing the man I hated wasn't in control anymore, but ultimately it didn't matter to me. If it was the green-haired man or Viktor both of them deserved to receive my anger, they both deserved to die for their actions. 

While I clenched my teeth I kicked myself my feet on hardened blood. While I moved towards him two smaller swords were ripped out from the enormous ones. 

"Die!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as the swords tore through his flesh at this moment I could only feel rage towards Viktor and no remorse. As the swords cut through his body, brutally dismembering him, I screamed until I landed on the ground. 

I stood on both my feet but I couldn't move, my body had given out. This was it I knew it was coming, I was slowly crumbling away and when everything was gone it would be my end. I somehow felt relieved knowing I would die today as if I was wishing for this to happen long ago, but at least I accomplished what I wanted before darkness would be the only thing I could see.

As a gentle breeze brushed against my side, the rest of my body vanished, and I glided along with the wind.

A young boy ran through a field of daffodils. "Father!" his gaze was focused on a group of people in the distance. "Father!" He shouted at them, but they didn't look at him. "Father!" As he moved through the fields he aged up, he went all the way from kindergartener to young adult. "Father, wait for me!" One after another the people walked away until one person was left.

The now mid-twenties Samuel stopped before the man who had his back towards him. "Father, I kept you waiting."

"What took you so long every one already left without you." His father didn't turn towards him as he spoke.

"I'm sorry it took so long, but I finally made it." When Samuel finished speaking the sound of an alarm began going off. "It seems your time still hasn't come."

"What do you mean?" Samuel, with a puzzled expression, scanned the field in search of the source of the alarm while his father continued talking.

"You have to wake up Samuel." The blaring sound muffled all the words his father said. "Samuel!" Distress was taking over Samuel's mind, as the excess of sound was hurting his head. "Samuel!"

When Samuel looked back at his father, he saw his father's hands gripping onto his shoulders tightly, while his face appeared blurry. "Wake up Samuel!"

As I shoot straight, I find myself in bed in a familiar room. The white walls reminded me of bad memories, the constant zooming of cars reminded me of modernism, and the ringing and vibrating reminded me of a date.

"What kind of dream was that." I held onto my head as I turned to my nightstand. With a quick motion, I snatch the phone and silence the annoying alarm. My attention was drawn to the login screen, where the time and date were prominently displayed. 

[11:30][24 March 2023] Today was the day of my father's funeral and I was late.