Darkness was his friend once more. Was he awake? In a dream, maybe? Sunny's consciousness was taking back what's his, like a hand slowly wearing a glove. The feeling of touch started to come back to his back, and then, as it spread through his very flesh, an eerie sensation emerged as well. This was too soft. He couldn't feel the hardness, the coldness of the junk that he used to call his "bed." No pointed edge that crushes against his kidney or between his ribs. Instead, warmth and soft tissue were wrapping him.
Not too tight but just enough to be comforting, his body was heavy for no real reason but still moved instinctively. Taking hold of this ..."thing", his little hands closed as he turned around. Now that he was in it, he knew that he was craving this. This securing and haunting feeling, one where he could just sleep again and again without a thought to spare for the world around.
His eyes were not open; he didn't want to know or to think right now. The reality of his situation was still in a distant future, one he didn't want to face yet. No, he wanted to know, but he wasn't able to. Something inside him was melting, pressing him in a weird way. And yet, tears started to flow in silence; only his shaky breathing was betraying his state.
It was only for two years, but it felt so long… He missed his family, his joking father, his caring mother, and his innocent baby sister laughing in his arms. All that was to him like ages ago, and yet, he was yearning for this.
Time goes by, and sadly, what was cold before started to freeze again. Weakness is a sin, a sweet and addictive sin. But he needed to move; after all, Rain was waiting for him. If Sunny wasn't strong enough to help and save his parents, he would die trying to save his only remaining family. His body was now as awake as it could be, and so, he finally harnessed the courage to open his eyes.
In front of him was a window, moonlight shining through it like an untold promise. Mountains and distant streetlights were the only view offered to him. Under the blanket, his arms moved, trying to push his light body. The first time was a failure, and so was the second, and the third too. Only at his fifth attempt did his body curl up as he sat down in this giant bed.
Everything seems like it's out of this world, or at least out of his. No word seemed to be worth saying except one: regal.
Around him, the furniture and the wall themselves looked like they were from a stereotypical castle. One where he was the princess who needed to be saved.
He hated it. His situation, the way his body was acting, and not knowing where he was. In short, a nightmare.
No light was turned on, and yet everything was his to see. The natural brightness was largely enough; any ray coming from the star seemed to be reflected more than it should be. Still, one question remained:
What was that?
Sunny wasn't some beast; he had his cunning and instinct working alongside each other, and they told him not to react. Someone was watching him, or at least had been watching him until now. The only door of this room was not entirely closed until now. He was in no position to impose anything; on the contrary, he was almost a hostage.
No, a hostage had value—someone close to him for the ransom. Why would someone take a kid from the outskirts like this? Not only that, but his injuries were gone. So, on top of being taken alive, he had also been healed… No good reason was coming to his mind, so that left him with only the bad ones.
Finally, the sound of footsteps broke the suffocating silence. His exhausted body stiffened. What could he expect? He had an idea of who was coming, but from that, what will happen? His eyes narrowed as the heavy door moved again. And from it, a beautiful woman appeared.
A long, single braid was formed from her gray hair, reflecting the moonlight elegantly. She was wearing a white nightdress that reached for her ankle and covered her arms up to the elbow. Her presence here was only amplifying the feeling of not being in the right place. Her aura was what one could imagine from someone of the royal family. And that same elderly woman was looking at him with her deep blue eyes. Even with enough light to see her expression, he couldn't decipher it.
-"I'm happy to see you awake, my little Elios…"
Silence was his response, and the air around became denser, and yet her expression only deepened. As she moved, no sound was made, closing up the distance between the two of them. The kid, on the other hand, tried to stay as immobile as possible, flinching slightly as he restrained himself from moving away.
She was a danger for him. Everything and everyone was one. The woman looked as if it was enough of a sign to stop her march. Sunny didn't know if she was respecting his boundary or not, but he needed to know more about his situation.
His voice sounded cold, opposing the welcoming aura of this mysterious woman. The same old hag as before...
- "What happened?"
The question may have surprised her, but if it was the case, she didn't allow herself to show it. Only a sigh escaped her lips; by the sound of it, he knew she had expected it. Her arms, which hadn't moved from her side, suddenly appeared to be crossing across her chest.
For him, she looked almost sad from the situation. But sad for what?
- "How much do you remember?"
For the first time, he looked away. His eyes stared down, at himself and far beyond, searching for his truth. His eyebrows furrowed as images flashed through his mind.
- "I was hiding… In the dark with my ration. I was found; I tried to run…"
A shiver runs along his spine, one of his hands reaching for a forearm. His jaw clenching, he remembers now that much, for better but mostly worse. He knew that he had been assaulted, but now the details were clear. He didn't want to accept it, his fear as he was railed by countless blows. As he tried to keep his bag against him to protect his future...but…
`I failed.`
The one that once called herself Grandma hadn't moved. She listened in silence. It was weird to be seen, to be heard as someone for once… but it didn't shake off his feeling, especially one in particular. She was not to be trusted; being seen equaled being usable. But he was intrigued; he didn't remember anything after that. Just some vague sensation and emotion, and even those were blurred.
He looked back at her, asking a mute question. Grandma stayed immobile for a moment, only to soften up her posture as she answered.
-"From what we know, after the beating, you stood up despite your injury and walked out from the outskirts to the closest police station to call the number I gave you. The only thing that shocked me more than anything is the fact you walk all that distance to begin with. Your body was beyond broken at this state. You could have died, Elios, or should I call you Sunless?"
The subtle equilibrium between them was suddenly extinguished. Sunny was already thinking of a way to flee this room, a fight lost in advance but one he would take without any hesitation. If he was shocked and on his guard more than ever now, Grandma only seemed to smile gently at him. She even moved a step back to appease him. He wanted to ask her how, but she spoke the answer just before a sound was made from the mysterious old woman.
-"It's only natural to do some research on someone if you want to take them to your home, don't you think? And for the question of how and where, it's quite simple, to be honest. I just took a look at every listed kid from the orphanages around this part of the outskirts. And for the why…"
But didn't she already answer the "why" at the beginning?
- "The complete answer is that my clan possesses more foe than friend. And so, doing a total background check is the norm. So, it is not against you, my child. That's just the routine here when we encounter someone."
Now, Sunny felt like something was not right. An incomprehensible choice that maybe saved his life but still was not normal. If you have so many enemies, could you really allow yourself to help someone else? Even worse, is there now a chance that those foes in question would see him as a pawn to use? Or to target …?
With every part of his body screaming at him to leave now, this same body just refused to do so. If he stayed here, he was doomed. For two reasons: the first was the fact he was surely already seen with them, and the second...that he was in debt. His life was saved, and even if he wouldn't risk his life for them, he could only repay it by standing with this old lady. He was out of one hell but only to be pushed into another one.
Grandma's expression suddenly appeared to be more...worried? Following her gaze, he saw his knuckle being white, with no blood passing through. Sunny was a bit surprised himself and tried to calm down a little bit.
After a deep breath, he started the discussion again.
-"Can I ask...what do you want from me? And who are you?"
He was doomed to be part of something, so the least he could do was to take as much information as possible. Even if this time, it was more a question of pure curiosity than of prevention. Except that…
-"Nothing. I want nothing from you, Sunless."
That was not something he could trust. Everyone had ulterior motives, something selfish and egocentric. No one in this world was truly selfless, and his eyes were enough to convey his point of view, not that it was truly a surprise from someone who had survived two years alone. Sunny's irises were piercing her; he was in no mood to joke. A fleeting smile and a small chuckle came from the woman to bless this conversation.
-"Okay, okay, I knew I couldn't fool you. You little smart sprout. I do wish something from you. I want you to bloom, to become someone happy. You see, I feel sorry for you people. My generation had failed you, and in repercussion, the outskirts had become a necessity for a greater good. I despise that. So, you're my way to make me feel better about myself."
Now, that was truly a surprise. Going from being half honest to too honest in one go is not something that people usually do… As he wanted to comment, he was yet again taken aback. He felt like he was just an open book for his "savior."
-"And for the future questions, no, you're the first one I took in but surely the last. I helped you because you had potential, and more importantly, you had a will to go forward. Gods, even now I can feel that you want to accomplish something. You radiate a determination to reach a goal. So I saved you to give you a chance. No, I'm not forcing you to stay here, but if you had to go, it would be in one month. You still need to regain your strength, and if in the end you really go, I won't be able to help you like I did yesterday. Why did I feel like I was forgetting something…?"
-"I asked about your name…"
-"Oh, true! Sorry, at this time of the day, my focus seems to wither away."
The contrast between the start of the discussion was wild, to say the least; the unknown woman went from calm and serene to playful and lighthearted. She even started to mimic what looked like a curtsy, only to stop midway and brush it off with a quick movement of her hand. She was just...more energetic, full of life.
Like a weight was pulled back from her. Without noticing it, a handkerchief appeared in front of his eye; a mythical bird on fire was sewn on it.
-"For Spell's sake, I hate courtesy. So, we're saying, Ah, yeah. My name is Ashe, actual head of the Immortal Flame clan…"
-"… "
-"Oh dear, I think I broke him."
His eyes were wide open, his mouth stuck before he could say anything. Of course he knew about the Immortal Flame Clan; they were the ones to show the world that humans can fight against the Nightmare Spell. The first master and the first saint were from this clan. But now, they were more like a legend, a remnant of what they used to be. So to resume...in front of him was standing the most important woman in history.
So yeah, she broke him. How come somehow this prestigious being could be like...this? She was calm and everything, but wasn't she too...normal?
-"You..."
-"Sunless, my dear… You can call me grandma, you know?"
-"I won't."
Even now, she reacted with an exaggerated sadness, moving like his word was hurting her at her very core. There is no way that she was who she claimed to be. But yet again, who else would have helped him? Which Legacy families would have saved him if not for the Immortal Flame? It was maybe crazy, but in his mind, that was the only option. The lighthouse of humanity could only be the best in the role of a savior.
But now, if she was really from the Immortal Flame clan, why would someone be their foe? Worse, why would they have more enemies than friends? Sadly, he could feel like even if he came to ask the question, he would not receive any answer.
At least for today. Ashe was still acting like a child, laughing at his expression, without an ounce of judgment. She just seemed to love his reaction. It was only after taking her time to regain her calm that she sighed. It was late at night, and someone had knocked on the door.
-"Now I've done it; she will be grumpy if I don't go now. Ah, you little devil, life would be tiresome without you."
He didn't know who she was referring to, but Ashe seemed relaxed as her gaze moved back from the door to him. She was shrugging her shoulder when she came to put her hand on his hair. Or at least she tried; Sunny was like a wild beast; no one was touching him. No one. Dodging her hand had taken away her easygoing attitude. Like she remembered that he wasn't what she wanted him to be.
`Don't you dare… `
Ashe's voice, which was once a synonym of joy, was now tainted by an ounce of melancholy, one she tried to hide without real success.
-"Now, my sweet child, take rest. We will resume this discussion later... If you need anything, use this bell, and I'll be there in seconds. Good night, Sunless."
A bell? What bell? Turning his head, he could only be surprised to see that a golden bell was now resting on the closest nightstand. How did she keep doing it? She even left her handkerchief on the bed. Not that Sunny didn't try to warn her, but she was already closing the door, talking to someone else.
-"I know, I know, sweetheart. No need to—"
Clac
…
Alone in this room, Sunny was only able to look at the ceiling. All that hollowed warmth had dissipated in a second. How long was it? Since the last time he heard someone wishing him a good night. It felt strange; for once it was not his own voice wishing it within the darkness. A thought was destroyed before it could be entirely formed. He had better things to do than daydreaming...in the middle of the night. Likes to process all the information that was given to him.
`Crazy old lady…She think I want hugs and kiss goodnight. I will not be your next pet.`
It was hard to believe. In 24 hours, he had moved from the outskirts to a mansion. Or was it a manor? What's the difference to begin with? It didn't matter in comparison to the biggest fact here. How, in this damn world, was he saved by the head of the Immortal Flame Clan? Did she lie about her identity? He could leave in one month if he rested enough…
For him, he couldn't allow himself to have much comfort, not with them. They were too caring for his own taste. He doesn't know what they want from him, not that he could change anything in his current state...
The situation was bleak, but with time, he will find his way back to his sister.
Out of the two pillows, one had to suffer his embrace. The handkerchief was beside the bell; usually, he would have to inspect his ration, but tonight, there was no need to do so. Skipping one of his routines, he started the second and last part. Like a whisper, his thoughts were vocalized once again.
-"Mom, Dad, Rain… I love you…"
Moments later, he was already asleep, using his memory of a distant past to find a subtle peace in his dream as tears were rolling in silence into one of the pillows.