Bad cop

Night had fallen, and as usual, it veiled many things within its darkness. Only when certain conditions were met could the night feel this long. This was one of those nights. Despite being so awe-inspiringly huge, the castle was held in complete silence with but one exception.

Unnatural darkness consumed one of the most central rooms not far from the throne room. An abnormal sound would be heard if that room was approached. It was the sound of intense breathing that started to invade the silence of the castle. It took only a short while for the breathing to turn into a soft whimpering as the atmosphere of the room was warped with fear. Soft whimpering then turned to a heavy and relentless bawling that echoed throughout the castle's walls.

"Please No no more why me, someone else should".

"Because it's only you that can do it, fool."

Two voices, if listened close enough too, could be heard where not even a flicker of light shone. At odds, the voices fought intensely for the silence held by that of the castle.

"So many times. So many. I've done enough already, so why, why should I-"

"How can we hope to fight if we don't even know what we're up against? You must keep looking; you must keep learning. It's necessary to save her, to save all of us."

The struggle of voices ended with an abrupt surrender.

Somewhere far, far away, a shadow scoured the ocean floor.

Its meagre presence hid amongst the darkness of the deep depths. In its solitude, it would carefully drag itself across the seabed as it clung to the darkness that allowed it passage. Today was not the first time it would be forced to make this journey, nor would it be the last. Only a light that it had not seen for many years gave it the strength to pursue the mysteries of the depths. That very light would sadly become its undoing.

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Light trickled in through the curtains, illuminating Perses' room and allowing him to view every inch and corner. The wall opposite his bed was plain and most certainly housed no small intruder. Perses sighed at his confusion, sitting upright on his bed. He had likely imagined the whole thing, yet a trickle of nostalgia and longing persisted. He was left alone to ponder this in his all too familiarly silent room.

"Knock Knock"

As if to answer his vain misgivings, a loud knock rang out. Before Perses could think to answer it the door was swung open, revealing an aged and eerily tall man that leaned into the room. Upon spotting the boy, he displayed a vivacious wide grin that matched his strong, broad frame that only narrowly fit through the door.

"Good morning, Perses, was it? I've come to, show you around a little."

The bluntness of the enormous man estranged Perses, betraying his expectations. 

"Oh, um is Machia-"

"Machia. Won't be around today. I'm taking his place, understood?". The man gestured towards Perses, indicating for him to follow him before bluntly turning and walking out the door without pausing for even a moment.

The brief silence of the man's absence was all the persuading he needed. Realizing the forthright man had no intention of waiting, Perses chased after him, eager to learn more about where he would be living.

Catching up to the man hadn't been easy due to his extreme height, which stretched an intimidating 8 feet. His strides were slow and patient, but due to the height difference, it took significant effort for Perses to match his pace.

"This building or whatever is the orphanage and is only a small part of what we refer to as the Cathedral. These days, the Cathedral is not only the largest building in the inner walls but also the whole kingdom, excluding the castle, of course. So do your best not to get lost."

During his rambling, the man turned to grin at Perses cordially. However, his eyes betrayed this as they darted around, inspecting every inch of Perses with excitement.

As he led him around the extravagant hallways lined with sophisticated glass windows, an additional pair of footsteps could be heard echoing around the ensuing corner. As they approached, the daunting, delicate sound increased until a far shorter man turned the corner.

He was adorned in white robes which were laden with gold lining. He had a stiff, fixed smile, and his eyes remained half closed even upon meeting Perses' gaze for the first time. His eyes peered out from those slits as he scanned the two in front of him. After a short pause, an amusing bafflement crossed his features as he looked back at Perses again.

"Oh, I was just on my way to come fetch you. What...?-"

Looking at the astoundingly tall man slightly closer, the small older man's eyes widened only slightly. The old man straightened up and bowed, "I am Reverend Kaliya, but you, my boy, you may call me Father".

After his standard greeting, he made brief eye contact with the tall man for only a moment before continuing, "I will be your caretaker for the foreseeable future. Would you please tell me your name, young man?" The old man's smile was warm and natural as he kneeled to Perse's level.

"I'm Perses"

"Ho Perses is it, to be named after a god of destruction, er what an impressive name. You should be proud of such a name." With a gentle hand, he patted Perse's shoulder with a subtle hesitance.

"But you would do well to remember there is only one true god. As your educator, I will permit no adoration to fake idols." To soften the blow of his harsh words, he gently patted his hand on the boy's shoulder once more before turning back towards the tall man.

"Thank you for your help. I assume you intend to... right of course, then I hope to see you this evening, Perses. Your food will be waiting in your room when you return". Without pressing the sturdily built man, the priest took his leave in a similarly calm manner as he had entered.

"Come", the man who hadn't uttered a word for the duration of the conversation commanded Perses as he headed down the opposing corridor.

The tall, imposing man continued to lead Perses out of the Cathedral's grounds through a back entrance, avoiding the bustle of the inner walls. A grassy exterior of the Cathedral's grounds is where the man paused.

It was a secluded plain surrounded by trees that hid it from the eyes of others, like a garden. This location reminded Perses of the one Machia had led him to the previous day. In this extended period, Perses spent pondering about such things he fell.

His hands caught him as he fell forward.

A light push had sent him down to his knees as he looked down at his muddied hands. A little disoriented, he steadily returned to a standing position. As he looked around, he failed to notice who it was that had pushed him.

In front of him, the elderly, burly man stood facing him a distance away. He had his hands in the pockets of his pristine white suit that served to magnify his giant frame. His smile was an entirely natural grin, one that refused to change and gave no indication he had done anything at.

Yet once more, Perses would fall.

Pushed backwards, he lay completely flat on his back in confusion as he stared up at the sky. He didn't even attempt to stand as if dazed. Despite surrendering to his current position, again, he began to move. Gradually, he was suspended in the air, segregated from the close, safe confines of the ground.

But soon, he went higher, then even higher, until the ground became unreachable. Finally aware of the danger, Perse's face tightened in shock. His body spun and rotated in the air ever so slightly as he lost sight of the ground. He did not cry, and he didn't yell. Instead, he simply yielded to the strange phenomenon with a shocked but naïve curiosity.

However, his childish notions were short-lived. His gentle rotating stopped, and gravity quickly gripped Perses tightly. He was then pulled mercilessly towards the earth. The grassy ground so out of reach now appeared to jump towards him, and his genuine curiosity ceased. In its place was a gut-wrenching fear that turned into a yell as he fell.

"Smack"

The boy had honestly expected to be caught, to be saved from what he feared, like the time with Machia. However, after recovering to his knees, his right arm betrayed his expectations. His arm flopped on its side, the bone crookedly edged out of the sleeve of his skin, staring straight at Perses. Even being armed with only his minute experience, Perses instantly knew that something was dreadfully wrong.

"AUGHHHHHHHH!"

Perses let out a scream as he gripped his arm tightly. Frantically, he rolled around in pain on the grassy outdoor floor. Satisfied, the man casually watching approached with jovial steps. Perses was too distracted by the daunting sight of the bone protruding from his arm to notice the man's outstretched palm.

Perses' body was sharply flung backwards. He landed and bounced across the floor, kicking up vast dirt before slamming into the nearest tree. There he sat, slumped across the sturdy, undamaged trunk, wheezing, his eyes rolling back in confusion as he desperately struggled to breathe.

Without him noticing, the tall man approached as his shadow loomed over Perses. He watched the boy struggle nonchalantly. Once Perse's senses returned, his eyes wavered and rolled until he eventually made eye contact. Still gasping, he shielded himself from the sun with his single working arm whilst the other hung loosely and bloodied.

The man waited for the boy to speak with a mixture of anticipation and appraisal. Perses' mouth quivered through the tears as he hesitated to talk in front of the terrifying man.

All he could manage between restless gasps was, "Why?".

The man looked dismayed and bored by this question, and he turned to share his disappointment with no one. After a sigh, he explained. "Well, if I have to answer, then I guess it's better to be feared than loved. You see, I'd like to do both, but it's a little tricky, you see? So, for now, just be scared, ok little Blessed."

Perses stared blankly at the man, bewildered. He couldn't help but think if only Machia were here.

The man sighed, realizing his words wouldn't be understood by the boy, and once more, he outstretched his palm towards him with a grin. Seeing this, Perses flinched as his fight or flight response kicked in as he desperately sought an escape. Shutting his eyes, he hid from the inevitable, ... warm sensation.

Opening his eyes, Perses noticed a strange green light coating his body. A throbbing sensation could also be felt throughout his body. Confused, Perses looked towards the older man's prominent figure that cast an enormous shadow over him. He realized the man had that same sinister smile still plastered across his face again, which scared Perses.

However, by the time he looked back towards his broken arm, the pulsing had ended, its state had reverted entirely, and his arm was no longer broken, no longer pain. There was no agony, no shocking sensation, only awe at the miracle that had been demonstrated before him.

Seeing the boy's face angered the man, and he lost his smile for once. "Don't go looking all amazed now. That wasn't the point of this."

The man huffed at something before continuing, "I don't know what Machia told you, but I need you to understand something. You are property, the king's property. This was a demonstration of power, and it was for your own good. Even you should get that much, right? You guys are supposed to learn fast, right? Just do what Machia says, and I won't have to harm you, little blessed."

After finishing, the man's uptight, enraged features fell, replaced by a familiar jovial grin in direct contrast. As abruptly as the man had arrived, he quickly left. The man strolled contently back towards the rear entrance of the Cathedral and was soon nowhere to be seen.

Perses opted not to follow the man. The fear he left behind remained ingrained in him. Despite this fear, he got back up. Indeed, Machia would explain everything to him. Staying here would not solve anything. Standing in the grassy courtyard, he cautiously approached a separate nearby entrance. Assuming the man was long gone, he entered the Cathedral.

It was not long until Perses arrived at a dreaded truth... he was lost, and like that, his typical, positive attitude was dampened only further.