He's one of you?!

LANCE

"Magnus, what are you doing? That's my Dad!" I grabbed both his arms to forced him put down the swords. He didn't budge.

"I ask you a question Ranker. What do you want with my son?"

"I won't answer. Not until you state what you are." Magnus crossed his arms, holding the hilt of the swords inverted.

"Not what. Who." Dad corrected.

Both of them are tense. Dad slide his foot forward, his hands both clench to fists. He draw them in fighting stance position. A move he sometimes pulled against me during knuckle training.

"I'm Dan Augustus. A former resident of Pisces Kingdom. Banished from the land of my forefathers - I seek refuge in the human realm. I have lived like a normal human in this world. Kept my mouth shut for the existence of the other realms. So you have no business with me and my son. Leave him alone."

I don't know whose more stunned to hear this. Me or Magnus. For all the years I've known Dad... it never - not even once did I notice him acting strange or found any evidence about... about - about him not from here - on earth.

Magnus lowered his weapon. Then it retracts to wherever it disappeared to. "You're one of the Gifted People?"

Dad slowly relax his fists and stepped down. "Yes." he admitted.

"But that's impossible." Magnus said, incredulous. "Because if you are you're memories should -"

"Erased. I know." Dad finished.

Dead silence captured the air around us. Devouring the tense atmosphere. I marched towards Dad and pushed him out.

"Lance I -"

"Finish your bath first Magnus. Then we'll talk. Dad?"

Dad looked over his shoulder.

"Let's prepare the dinner first. We have guest so...we won't eat in the sofa."

Dad subtly nods and we're on our way. Closing the bathroom door. I head to the kitchen, following Dad's slumped figure.

Questions after questions rapidly crossed my mind. Like grenades lit and are stuffed inside square soundproof container room.

I removed the plastic bag where Dad kept the roasted chicken. It's no longer hot so I kept the aluminum foil in place and took out the microwaves' tray. Setting the timer, I closed the glass opener and the roast chicken is slowly heating up.

Dad and I awkwardly sat at the dinner table in silence. For the most part, I grew up with only him supporting me throughout the way. There were no secrets. No lies.

I accepted his paranoia like I accepted his torturous training every morning. I kept my promise and have done whatever he asks me to. I put up with his constant moving from place to place compulsiveness.

Yet here he was, telling a perfect stranger like Magnus possibly the biggest secret he can't even tell his son. Dad must have figured I can't be trusted. That it's stupid and pretty much useless to tell me because what would he gain anyway? Comforting words from a riffraff fifteen year old kid who can't even protect himself from old shifting bat men?

"Lance, before anything I should tell you that..."Dad seems to get lost in his words. I stared at him. My eyes involuntarily narrowing, I can't keep my emotions in check. I'm sure the scowl is evident in my features right now, telling him I felt betrayed by this. What a big failure I am.

"I never lied to you." he bottled up his breath. Then slowly exhaled the air. As if I pulled a thick horn protruding in his stomach.

"I always have these dreams you know. About your Mom dying. In the hands of some makeshift human."

My body turned rigid. Makeshift human he said...was that the humanoid I saw in my dreams?

"That was the first. And when she actually died, the dreams begin to become more frequent and vivid. This time the monster who killed your Mom is after you. And it just got worse when every time I came outside, I keep seeing green ugly people with pointy ears and slimy tongue."

Green ugly people? I'm suddenly reminded of that 'Auf' kneeling in front of the 'Twylyth' creature. It couldn't be... he's talking about her, is he?

"That's why I insist we moved across cities. Across countries. I have some funds. Money your mother and I saved up for your education. But most parts of it was her inheritance from her parents. I figured that if we moved around these green disgusting people will disappear. But on your eighth birthday...you talked to this suspicious shriveled old hag in the side street. Just the sight of her massive frog like hand let me know she's one of them. And she almost took you - almost."

My Dad's voice cracked. He's curling his body in lethal position. And I recognize it. He's always like this when his paranoia kicks in. When his worries somehow overtake his reasons. I know he sometimes crossed between insanity and rationality. I know his worries are taking over his reason to think clearly.

I'm instantly on my feet and grab his shoulders.

"Dad. I'm here. It's alright. I don't hate you. It's alright if you didn't tell me who you really are. I won't hold it against you." I wrapped him in my arms and he leans his head on my chest. Panting and choking air on his throat.

"It's alright Dad. You'll gonna be okay. I'm here. We're gonna pull this through. Nobody will hurt me. You see Magnus there?"

I patted his head to look up at me.

"The Ranker?" he asked. His eyes are slowly coming to focus. I grinned.

"He's not just any Ranker Dad. He's the Seeker! The one you told me about!" I announced, my grin has spread to the tip of my ear.

I thought he'll be happy too. Instead, his face turned ghastly pale. Like his skin is a thin mask worn over to hide a hideous face. I gulped when I saw his eyes turned completely black. Soulless, dead, desolation. Every part of my blood cringe at the sight of his face.

When I blink, the black eyes disappeared. Replaced by his usual mouth gaping expression. Was that my imagination?

"Dad are you alright?" He suddenly clamped my shoulders.

"Are you sure he's the Seeker? Hundred percent?"

"Yea-"

"What? Still doubting me?" Standing on the wall, leaning his body with dripping hair and wearing Dad's bathrobe is Magnus smirking.