Billy's grip tightened on his wheelchair, frustration and fear ing inside him. His gaze flicked between his children—Rachel, standing stood still against the wall, and Jacob, unnervingly still, his fapletely unreadable.
Raizel, ever perceptive, offered a simple reassurance.
"They are fine."
Billy's gaze return ba.
There was zero reason to trust this stranger, but the fiden his tone made Billy hesitate.
"There is no trouble, Billy," Raizel added casually.
Billy very mubsp;disagreed.
Summoning what little ce he had left, he forced out a question, his voice harder than before.
"Who are you?"
Raizel smiled.
"Nobody."
Silence.
Well, that was unhelpful.
Billy ched his jaw, frustration rising. "What do you want from me?"
Raizel's response was immediate.
"Nothing."
Billy's eye twitched.
Oh, e on.
The man was toying with him. That much was clear. But before Billy could press further, Raizel shifted his gaze back to Jacob, still under his trol.
One of the few characters Raizel actually liked in Twilight.
But seriously. What the heck.
The kid wasn't even sixteen and somehow still looked like he ushing twenty-five—just like in the movie. If Raizel had been their age, Jacob would've looked like a adult pared to him.
But as, he was Raizel. He was noble. He couldn't pin.
…Well, he could, but he wouldn't.
With that thought, Raizel finally released his trol over Jacob.
The moment Jacained his senses, his body tensed. His eyes darted to Raizel—
And immediate fear fshed across his face.
But then—
Oh, wonderful.
The brilliant mind of a reckless teenager kicked in, overriding all rational thought. Instead of stepping bad assessing the situation like a sane person, Jacob did the best thing.
He lu Raizel.
Ah, youth. So eager. So painfully unaware of what fear was.
Raizel didn't even try. He effortlessly avoided the punch, snatched Jacob by the neck, and lifted him off the ground like he weighed nothing.
"Why so hurry?" Raizel mused.
Jacob choked, struggling against the grip, his hands g at Raizel's arm.
Billy, oher hand, felt pletely useless.
A lifetime of helplessness crashed over him all at ono matter how much he wao protect his children, he couldn't. He never could.
Desperation won over pride.
"Please—let my son go!" Billy begged.
Raizel g him. Then, with an almost zy sigh, he let go.
Jacob dropped to the flasping for breath, hands gripping his throat.
But it didhere.
Even while struggling to breathe, Jacob gred up at Raizel, anger burning through the pain.
Raizel raised an eyebrow.
Iing.
More iingly, he felt something—Jacob's body temperature was rising.
Phasing.
Ah. So that's how it is.
No other expnation.
Raizel smirked. As expected.
Sihings had e to this point—he might as well help him along.
Slowly, he reached for his earring.
Removing it would drastically increase his presence—just enough to push Jacob into fully phasing.
As soon as the earring came off—
BOOM.
A massive presence desded upon the room like a tidal wave.
Jacob, already on edge, was hit hardest. His whole body vulsed, shaking violently as the transformation began.
But then—
Raizel noticed something new.
Oh?
His gaze shifted.
Billy.
The father.
Raizel's eyes narrowed.
Billy was also reag.
No, he was entering the phasing stage too.
For real?
Raizel had not expected that.
And—oh.
His daughter too.
Rachel, who had been under Raizel's mental trol, was now fighting against it. Her body trembled, her breath ragged, her entire being pushing against his influence.
This was…
A miracle.
Raizel let out a quiet chuckle, watg as Billy, shaking and in visible pain, struggled to stand up from his wheelchair.
This was a first.
The impossible was happening right before his eyes.
Well, o overdo it.
He casually slipped his earring ba.
The oppressive pressure instantly vanished.
Billy's body gave out, and he colpsed onto the floor.
Rachel, no longer under his trol, gasped and rushed to his side, ign her own rising temperature as she frantically helped him up.
She turned—
But Raizel was already gone.
His voice, however, lingered in the air.
"You thaer, Billy."
------------
By the time Raizel returo the mansion, Fraein was already outside, waiting.
Not casually waiting.
Not oh, you're back, Master, wele home waiting.
No.
This was arms crossed, staring like a disappointed parent about to question their child who snuck out at night waiting.
Raizel sighed.
This was bound to happen.
He could feel Fraein's —no surprise, sidering the moment he had loosened his seal, their master-servant bond had alerted him like a warning bell.
And Fraein, being Fraein, had instantly tried to talk to him through their e—
Master! What happened?!
Raizel, being Raizel, had responded in his usual way:
"I'm okay, Fraein."
And that was it.
Fraein, of course, had not been satisfied with that answer.
Now, standing in front of him, looking him over like he expected to find a missing arm or something (as if that would even matter), he let out a deep sigh but said nothing.
Raizel gave him a small, knowing smile before heading inside.
To his surprise, Fraein still didn't ask questions.
Impressive.
Very not human of him.
Raizel took his usual seat on the sofa while Fraein, still clearly worried, did what he always did in times of stress—made tea.
Tea was his ao everything.
A bad day? Tea.
Someone else got ass kicked? Tea.
Master momentarily unleashing his power in the middle of the night for no clear reason? Tea.
As Fraeihe cup in front of him, Raizel's eyes wao the side table, where a file y slightly out of pce. Clearly meant to be noticed.
Hmm.
He reached for it and flipped through the pages.
His lips curved into a small, satisfied smile.
"I'm not te then."
Fraein, who had definitely been sneaking g him the eime, immediately focused on those words.
And Raizel could feel the unspokeion—
What is it? What did you find? Master, don't leave me hanging.
But Raizel?
Raizel simply sipped his tea, still smiling, and said nothing.
Because some things, Fraein, were best left unsaid.
