81: Illusions

(..... POV)

I was floating in complete darkness. Was I?? I could not guess. Was I falling?? Was I in water?? I did not know. I had no senses whatsoever. I could not see. I could not hear. I could not feel it. Where was I?? I had no idea. Even...… who was I…. I had no idea. For how long had I been there….. I had no idea. How long was I going to be there??? I had no idea.

(Who am I??? wait even before that…. What am I?? I... I….)

All my thoughts were jumbled. I wanted to get out of this place. But then go where??? I had nowhere to go. I was all alone. But how did I know that...….. What was going on?

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON." That felt like the first time I was hearing this sound.

(Is it mine? It did feel like coming from my mouth.... Wait.... I can feel again)

I was slowly gaining my senses back. My hearing and speaking were back but I still could not move. And there was still no memory of my past. I still did not know who I was or what was going on. How I got here or anything else??

But then suddenly I saw a light. At first, it was just a speck. It was the tiniest bit of dot. And then it started to grow. Slowly t first and then increasing its speed, it grew infinitely. Until all the darkness around me had vanished. I had to shield my eyes because the light was so bright. And then I heard the warmest voice I had ever heard in my entire life.

"Found you, Nathan...." And then what appeared in front of me was the most gentle and beautiful simile I had ever seen.

(Ahhhh that's right...… I am Nathanial Morningstar and I was playing hide and seek)

"Awwwnnn Mom...… You are just too good at this." I replied while giggling. This was the best feeling.

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(Nathan POV)

"Can I have seconds mother….." I asked eagerly. Mom's cooking was just that good. I could not help wanting more even though I was full.

"Yes, you can. Why not dear….." She spoke with the same gentle smile.

My mother was a really pretty woman. She had pretty white hair that came down to her hips and she had deep black eyes.

I took the bowl from her hands and started to eat again.

"Slow down Nathan no one is going to take this away from you..... " She grabbed a tissue and cleaned my face with it.

"No mom I need to do this fast. Brother is also coming today. I am going to have a really busy day today. And also, I need to eat more. I am a growing boy you know." I puffed my chest.

"HAHAHAHA.... " She laughed at that and for some reason, I felt happy. Why was I feeling happy? I should be angry. If she is making fun of me then why is it that I feel so happy whenever I see her smile? She had been with me since...… forever. then what was this feeling inside of me? Every time I looked at her, I felt this uncomfortable feeling that I just did not know how to explain.

"Okay okay, Mr. Busy." She poked my nose while smiling. "Just take care not to get hurt." She got up from the chair, but I grabbed her from the side

"You will play with us too, right??" I made the best puppy dog eyes that I could.

"That won't work you little rascal." She spoke. "Your dad is coming home with your brother today. So I need to cook something extraordinary. Now off you go little one. Outside. Mother needs to work. Now sho." She shoved me out of the kitchen.

"Hmmm" I crossed my arms on my chest. "She always does that. I know that dad is coming back with big brother but still. Why is mom so busy all the time? I also need someone to play with me. It was right at that moment that someone knocked at our door. I immediately forgot about all the worries and ran towards the door. Shouting

"Dads here brothers here... Dads here, brothers here." And without even asking I opened the door and hugged the first person "I missed you so much." And the both of us fell.

"Hey.. watch it…." But the voice was feminine.

"Huh?" I looked up and my eyes met a face that was not that of my father or brother. It was a girl I had never seen before in my life. She was almost as pretty as my mom. She had deep blue eyes.... A really cute and round face. She was taller than me. And her hair which came down to her shoulders was tied in a high ponytail. It was also white just like mine.

(Wow… who is she.)

"Ummm can you please get off me?" Immediately I realized that We were still on the ground and I was laying above her.

"Oh sorry!!" I apologized.

"What happened? Oh my god," mom came from behind. "Are you okay Nathan... Anastasia..." She asked the both of us.

(Wait…. Anastasia...) It felt as if.... I knew that name….. but I had never met that sister in my life. So how could I have heard her name? I tried to focus on her face. she also looked at me.

"Ummmm...….. is everything alright?" She spoke with concern in her voice.

"You" I pointed at her.

"Me," She asked with even more concern. Even panic.

"My mother is more beautiful...." I spoke in a deciding tone.

(Yes definitely… OW)

"OUCH" I cried when mum hit me in the head. She was laughing.

"Why did you hit me," I asked her.

"Don't mind her Anastasia. He is just a little possessive about ...…. His things." She ignored me and spoke to the big sister. Her name was probably Anastasia. I thought as I looked at her.

(That is kind of a funny name...… waaah??) As my eyes met her face, I saw tears in her eyes. She was going to cry. I

"NO NO NO I am so sorry sooo SORRY please don't cry." I panicked but there was no stopping what was about to come and the big sister started to bawl her eyes out.

"AAAANNNNNHHHH I ...….. *sob* .... Was so scared...… AAANNNNHHHH" She sat on the floor and mom had to sit with him.

"NATHAN, OUT, RIGHT NOW." My mom scold me and I ran outside. Mom closed the door behind me.

"That was...… she is...…." I spoke "She is just a chile.... HAHAHAHAHAHAHA" And then fell down laughing.

Our house was on top of a hill. It was a small cottage. There was grass all around and on the backside was a forest. I loved going there. All the animals in there were my friends. So that was where I was going to go. I got up and started to skip in the grass. Slowly I made it to the backside of my house. Once inside I blew a whistle. There was no sound but I knew that the animals would hear it. And yes, sure enough after a few moments, a lot of small animals came outside to greet me.

"Hello, guys…. How are you all." I asked them and as if they were understanding me, they all nodded their heads. "Let's play," I said and ran inside the forest with the animals following me.

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When I opened my eyes it was already past noon. The sun was almost down. I had slept while running around in the forest.

(Oops... Mom is going to be worried.) I got up and saw the animals also sleeping around me.

"Okay, guys…. I will see you tomorrow. Stay safe till then…. Okay." I whispered to not wake up the sleeping animals. And then I sprinted towards the cottage.

(Dad and brother should be here by now….) I thought as I ran at a normal pace but then I heard it...….. a heart-wrenching scream.

"What" I came to a halt. The screams were coming from the cottage and the voice belonged to.

"MOM" I picked up the pace and in moments I was by the house. The horror I saw there was enough to make a grown man faint. My brother was nowhere to be seen. But what was in front of me was the headless corpse of my father.

"Dad...." I said with a trembling voice. "dad…. W…w...w...what happened." You were coming to meet me right.... What ... how?" The lifeless body did not respond. How could it?

"NATHAN" I heard my mother scream. As I turned around..... I saw the scene that was going to remain in my memories till the end of my days. I saw many men surrounding my mother and big sister Anastasia. Their clothes were in tatters and even as young as I was... I knew what those men wanted. I could see the lust in their eyes as they approached my mother.

"STOP IT ALL OF YOU...….. HOW DARE YOU DO THAT TO MY MOTHER." I screamed in rage as I ran towards them as fast as my little legs could carry me.

"Someone shut that twerp…. His annoying voice is ruining the meal." I heard one of them talk.

(How dare they.....) And then in a blur, one of those bulky men picked me up like a paper and smashed me into the ground. The world around me blurred. I felt something hot and liquid trickling down my face. It was probably blood but I did not care. The world was spinning but I did not care. I got up and ran towards them again.

"I'll KILL YOU ALL IF YOU SO MUCH AS LAY A HAND ON THEM...." I shouted but before I could reach them, my line of sight got distorted. And then I saw the floor right before my face was pasted into it. Then it became dark. My eyes stung and there was a taste of dirt and metal in my mouth. Probably one or two teeth were broken. I tried to get up but someone was holding me down.

(LET GO.....) That was what I was trying to say but what came out was a simple muffle.

"MMMuuuuUFFFF"

"What the hell are you saying...." I heard the man holding me say and then something hard hit me back in the head. "Just shut up and let us do our thing. You will know once you grow up what women taste like. It's addicting. Only then you will understand how our hands are tied. I'll ask you then... that is if you live long enough.... Hey boss…. Save a piece for me as well, please. I am holding this brat….." He spoke after punching. It took all the willpower vested in me to stay awake. But hearing his words made it easier.

"How dare you..." I used all my power to get up.

"Just give up it's no use kid...… I am doing you a favor or the boss will kill you." He pushed me back down.

(Damn it not again...) I thought….. But that was weird.

(What did I mean by again? This has never happened before….)

But that was not the pressing matter as of now.

(Why am I soo weak)

|Yes, that is right….. You are weak.|

I had started to hallucinate.

I once again tried and looked up. I could see the men ganging up on my mother and trying to hold her. She was resisting and then it happened. Our eyes met and the world seemed to slow down.

"Only you can save us...… Please, Nathan, listen." The voice was soft. I should not have been able to hear her considering the distance but somehow I did.

(What did she mean that only I can save her? What can I do? I am weak)

|Yes, you are weak...…|

This time the voice was really clear. And somehow, I knew that I was not hallucinating.

"What do you mean... who are you….." I shouted but no answer came and then I heard them say once again.

"Please save us, Nathan. Only you can do it. Listen to him."

"Listen to who MOM... PLEASE TELL ME I WILL DO ANYTHING YOU ASK." I shouted. No one responded. Only the screams of both my mother and Anastasia.

"PLEASE WHOEVER YOU ARE..... IF YOU CAN HELP I WILL DO ANYTHING JUST TO SAVE MY MOTHER....." I shouted as I saw an ugly man try to kiss her and then everything froze.

|So, you will do anything? | The voice appeared again and then the world turned to shades of black and white. The only colors in front of me were my mother, Anastasia, and all the other men trying to rape them. And then some other colors also appeared in front of me. It was smoke…. Cladded in white, blue, and black. And then out of the smoke stepped a man. He was tall and looked like me. But all his hair was black. And then the man above me just vanished and I was free to move.

"Who are you ?...….." I asked him.

"That is not the important thing is it..." He spoke. His voice was hollow and seemed to echo. It was weird. "What you should be asking is whether I can save them or not?" he spoke.

"PLEASE SAVE THEM. I WILL DO ANYTHING JUST TO SAVE MY MOTHER AND BIG SISTER ANASTASIA." I shouted as I tried to get up. But then I realized that I could not. My legs were not responding.

(Maybe something inside me broke)

"Anything you say?" He smiled. "Then please remove these." He raised his hands and that was when I noticed all the chains that were around his body. His whole body was wrapped in chains. I was impressed. How was he even moving with all that weight?

"How do I remove them" I did not care about anything else.

"Just touch them and will them. They will remove themselves" He smiled.

"Okay, I will do it." I said but then "But I can't move." And then I rose in the air and slowly started to float towards him.

(What how is he doing that….. It feels like magic.)

And then I got close to him.

"Now touch them...…." He ordered. His tone was changing. He was getting excited. I could tell but I did not care.

"Touch them and will them to disappear." He completed his sentence.

I wanted to do as he was saying but for some reason I...….. I could not. I was hesitating. Why?? I wanted to touch them so badly but my hand was not moving. But I asserted all my force and moved my hand towards moved towards the chains.

|STOP...….. MY MASTER...…. STOP|

And I stopped at once.

(What was that….)

And from the looks of it, he also heard those words. He was looking panicked.

"Don't listen to that thing. And quickly touch the chains. You want to save your mother or not."

(HE IS RIGHT)

I extended my hand but before I could touch them, I heard it again. This time louder. As if the creature was getting closer.

|MASTER DO NOT LISTEN TO HIM. IT IS ALL A LIE. MY MASTER ITS ALL A LIE. HE CANT HELP YOU AT ALL. IF YOU DO THIS, MY MASTER, YOU WILL BE RELEASING A DEMON.|

"JUST SHUT UP YOU DAMNED CREATURE. JUST TOUCH THE DAMN CHAINS YOU ASS HOLE." He was literally shouting. Now I was confused….. who should I trust and who should I not?

|FORGIVE ME MASTER...….|

That was weird. Why was he asking about forgiveness? And then I knew why..... There was something impaled inside my chest. It was a claw. And then that thing….. whatever that thing was pulled its claw out. I fell to the floor like a broken twig blood spreading on the ground. There wasn't much pain.

"WHAT DID YOU DO.... YOU DAMN CREATURE….. YOU SHIT...…. YOU" he was screaming a lot. But for some reason my heart was calm, and I felt at peace. I looked in the front and saw my mom and Anastasia turn into particles and disappear. As the world and all the sounds disappeared around me... I slowly remembered everything.

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I opened my eyes and saw the clear sky above my head.

"THAT SHIT...… PIECE OF...… FUCKING….." were some of the words I heard when I woke up.

(He seems frustrated.)

I closed my fist and felt the familiar grip of my sword in my hand. I took the support of the ground to get up.

"Calm down you shit face," I called him out.

"NO, YOU SHUT UP. He ruined my plan. THAT DAMN CREATURE RUINED IT ALL. I ALMOST HAD YOU. JUST A TOUCH AND I WOULD HAVE BEEN FREE." He was stomping his feet and shouting. And then he pulled out his swords. "No matter. I will just kill you over and over again till you just let me have your body." He pointed the swords toward me.

In a usual case, I might have been scared but right now I was not. That was because I had talked with him.

"Just telling you. That is not going to happen." I smirked.

"And why is that…." He spat.

"That is because my master has finally summoned me to aid him." A third voice reverberated through the garden. It was a deep and heavy voice. Pride and superiority oozed out of it. His head turned towards the coming voice.

"No…." I could clearly see the horror on his face. "You..... why are you here."

"I am wherever master wishes me to be." He spoke.

And then it moved slowly until it was standing behind me. A cloud of black smoke, covered with sparks of silver. The only visible thing was the two red slits looking out of the smoke. Then without looking back at him I raised my swords and asked.

"So shall we begin?"