Raizel sat with the book Fraein had given him, flipping through its pages with the level of enthusiasm one might reserve for reading the terms and ditions of a software update.
The i behind this little gift was still a mystery.
Maybe Fraein thought Raizel enjoyed reading. Which, to be fair, was a reasonable assumption—sidering he'd been buried in books tely.
Or maybe—just maybe—this ology gift. A subtle way of saying, "Hey, Master, I may have doubted you for half a sed, but here, have some literature, no hard feelings?"
That would be very Fraein of him.
Raizel sighed.
He tried to focus on the book, he really did.
But the words blurred together as his mind wandered.
Which meant it was time for a tactical retreat.
Shutting the book with a quiet thump, Raizel decided he needed a walk. Something to clear his mind before Fraeiurn.
Luckily, he had a cellphone now. Teology! Old thou!
A ve little device that prevented Fraein from having an aneurysm every time Raizel disappeared without warning.
Not that Raizel had ever disappeared without warning.
(He absolutely had.)
With a flick of his fihe window slid open, because using the door was for people who wanted to get lectured.
And Raizel?
Raizel had no such desire.
Without hesitation, he leapt through the window in one smooth motion, nding on the soft earth below like a shadow slipping into the night.
Behind him, the window obediently locked itself.
---------
Raizel walked.
Not because he had anywhere specifibsp;to go, but because something about this dire felt… iing. Or maybe he was just tired of standing still. Either way, he moved.
Funny, wasn't it? He and Raizel had something in on. Or did they? He didn't quite remember. We had something on… what was it again?
Lost in that train of thought—which, much like his current path, had no real destination—Raizel followed the sound of rushing water. A river, maybe some cascades.
The sound was nice.
Peaceful.
A perfect pce to enjoy some solitude.
Naturally, this meant fate would not allow it.
Uionally, Raizel had wandered into Quileute territory, along the Quileute River. He wasn't trying to trespass. It just happened. Much like most things in his life.
Soon enough, the river came into view, its waters flowing over smooth rocks, f gentle cascades. A sight that, for some reason, made him pause.
It had been a long time since he had bathed in a river.
Now, unburdened by the responsibilities of his past life, nothing was stopping him from indulging in such simple pleasures.
Well.
Nothing except for the two people standing on the riverbank, staring at him as if he had just materialized out of thin air.
Raizel noticed them. They noticed Raizel.
Then, naturally, he did the most logibsp;thing.
He leapt across the river in a single bound.
The rea was immediate.
The elder among them wasted no time.
"MONSTER!"
Ah.
Well. That escated quickly.
The younger man—likely the old man's grandson—looked absolutely mortified by this procmation but was too stuo say anything.
Meanwhile, the old man did what all wise elders do in the face of inexplicable supernatural horror—he threw himself in front of his grandson like a human shield.
It was almost toug.
Almost.
Except Raizel was fairly certain this was all a misuanding.
The elder's st, his wariness, his immediate jump to monster—Raizel could piece it together. The man had seen things.
Shapeshifters. Cold Ones.....
And now, staring at Raizel's red eyes and unnatural grace, the elder had e to the perfectly reasonable clusion that he was about to be devoured.
Raizel sighed internally.
This is already annoying.
Still, it wasirely their fault.
....
"Hello."
It did not help.
If anything, the elder looked even more terrified, while his grandson remained frozen in pce.
Raizel tried again. "Are you both from the Quileute tribe?"
A tense silence.
Then, after a long, relut pause, the elder swallowed hard and nodded. "Yes," he admitted.
He kept gng at his grandson, as if worried the boy had been hexed into silence.
Raizel sighed.
"There's o fear me," he reassured them. "I'm not the monster you may have thought me to be."
That, too, did nothing.
They still looked at him like he was about to rip their throats out.
At this point, Raizel genuinely debated just leaving.
But then they'd talk.
They'd spread rumors.
And suddenly, he'd have aire tribe of people vinced he was some blood sucker in the woods.
't imagine more...
Raizel really wasn't in the mood for that.
So, with the patience of a man who had endured less than 25 years of life… effit approach.
His eyes glowed red.
In an instant, his telepathic powers ed around their minds.
Fear vanished.
Their emotions dulled into bnk pliance.
Raizel tilted his head.
That was… disappointingly easy.
Weren't these people desdants of spirit warriors? He'd expected at least a bit of resistance.
How… underwhelming.
Oh well.
At least now he wouldn't have to deal with more screaming.
Raizel sidered just wiping this enter from their memory and walking away.
But then again… there was ohing they could be useful for.
Turning to the elder, he spoke with finality.
"Take me to Billy Bck's home."
--------------
Fraein had barely stepped foot ihe mansion before his phone buzzed.
A message from Raizel.
"Going out."
…That was it.
ails. No text. Not even a full sentence.
Fraein sighed.
Well, at least this time Raizel had the courtesy to inform him before vanishing into the unknown. That rogress.
Baby steps.
Shaking his head, he set his coat aside and made his way to his study. There was work to be done. Specifically, anizing everything he had gathered about Antigen.
A mutated-human-run pany with questiohics? Fasating.
As he sifted through the reports, Fraein couldn't help but feel a small sense of satisfa. Not about Antigen—oh no, that was a disaster waiting to happen—but about Raizel.
His master had ged.
After turies of dull solitude, of spending his time doing absolutely nothing beyond staring outside, Raizel was finally… doing things.
Going out. Expl. Texting.
Okay, that st one was barely an achievement, but still. Baby steps.
Fraein could only hope this ge was good for him.
But then—
Something shifted.
Fraein's breath hitched.
His eyes widened.
He whispered to himself, disbelief creeping into his voice—
"Master removed… his seal…"
