003 A Father’s Love

  “Leaf… wake up…”

  Leaf? Ah, that was me…

  I used to wake up to the sound of birdsong and the rustling of leaves as the wind whispered through the trees. My life was simple, but it was good. Each day, I would climb trees, look for prey, hunt for game, and bring back my catch to the vilge to share.

  I would tease my wife, py with my daughter, and never worry about a life of discomfort.

  "Leaf," my wife called to me again, her voice warm and familiar.

  Yes, my name was Leaf.

  I would turn to her, seeing the soft smile on her lips and the way her golden hair framed her face. "What is it?" I would ask, knowing she always had something to tell me.

  "Wake up," she would say.

  The words were strange, out of pce.

  Wake up?

  The scent of burning flesh filled my nose. The sound of screams drowned out the birdsong.

  I… I… Who am I again?

  I stared at my daughter. She was stripped of her clothes, her tiny body trembling as the hot iron was pressed against her chest. Her scream tore through me, raw and piercing. I tried to move, to reach for her, but I was helpless. Chains bound my wrists, my legs.

  I could feel tears streaming down my cheeks as I screamed for mercy.

  The Terrans only ughed.

  Visions of my wife's death and my daughter's suffering fshed through my mind. The warmth of our home, the ughter, and the love were suddenly all gone. Taken away.

  I… I…

  My eyes nded on a figure standing a short distance away. He wasn’t one of the Terrans. He wasn’t an elf. He wasn’t anything I had ever seen before.

  He had a pained expression, as if he was hurting too. His dark hair framed his face, and his clothes were strange—pure bck, as if he belonged to the night itself. But what struck me the most were the fresh, bloody markings on his throat, a great wound that refused to heal.

  His eyes… For a moment, I thought they glowed red. But no, they were bck. Deep, endless.

  I had heard stories of spirits. Of the mischievous fae, of evil things that lurked in the forest. I didn’t think he was one of them.

  But what choice did I have?

  I prayed to him. Wished to him.

  "Please… save my daughter.”

  Oh, my sweet little Mindy.

  “Please… save my daughter, Mindy."

  I repeated not once, twice, and I didn’t stop at thrice…

  The strange man continued to stare at me.

  And then I blinked.

  And then…

  I was no longer me.

  Ah.

  Who am I again?

  I gasped, my breath ragged, my vision blurred. My body… it wasn’t mine. I could see from my peripheral vision the stringy golden hair that wasn’t supposed to be there. My arms and my legs. They weren’t mine either.

  I became him.

  I became Leaf.

  The realization struck like a hammer to my skull, but there was no time to process it. The heat of the fmes, the smell of burnt flesh, and the sound of a child’s whimper anchored me to the moment.

  Mindy.

  She was there, trembling, small and fragile, her bare skin slick with sweat and tears. The Terran holding the hot iron had just pulled it away from her chest, leaving behind an angry, smoldering mark. Smoke still curled from her wounded flesh.

  I tried to move, to break free, but a man behind me gripped my shoulders, forcing me to watch. My breath came in sharp gasps, and my heart pounded in my chest… no, in his chest. My mind was my own, but my body…

  Leaf’s emotions swelled inside me, raw and consuming. Fear. Grief. Pain. Remorse. Hate. Anger.

  But buried beneath it all… was love.

  I clung to that feeling. Held it close. Wrapped myself in it.

  This was a father’s love.

  My breathing shook. The man behind me, the Terran, pressed a hand on my shoulder, almost casual, as if he had all the time in the world. He muttered something to the soldier holding Leaf’s daughter, my daughter.

  Yes, I’m Leaf now.

  "What do we do with the elf?"

  His words rang clear in my ears. The nguage barrier was gone. I understood them.

  “Of course, kill him,” answered the man holding my daughter. “Isn’t that obvious?”

  The man pinning me down tightened his grip, brandishing his dagger and reaching for my throat.

  Shit.

  Before I was Leaf, I was Non Cruz, a mass communications graduate, and my only fighting experience came from a few street brawls and my short-lived time in the high school arnis club. Yeah. Fighting wasn’t an option.

  I swallowed my panic and searched through Leaf’s emotions for fear. It was everywhere, saturating his heart like poison.

  I tched onto it.

  And I pushed it out.

  "Please!" My voice cracked, raw with desperation. "Mercy! Spare my daughter! Take me instead!"

  The Terrans smirked. They weren’t moved.

  I forced more fear into my voice. "I have treasure! Gold! Jewels! If you spare her, I’ll tell you where!"

  The Terran holding the hot iron hesitated.

  I caught the flicker of interest in his eyes.

  Good.

  I just needed more time.

  Laughter. Cruel, mocking.

  The Terrans didn’t believe me.

  The man behind me tightened his grip, twisting my arm at an unnatural angle. His boot pressed down harder on my leg, pinning me to the blood-soaked earth.

  “How do we know you’re not lying, elf?” he sneered.

  I swallowed hard. My mouth was dry, my throat raw. The sensation of being in this body was strange and disorienting. It felt like I had been Leaf for a long time, as if his memories were mine to flip through at will. I could pull from them as easily as recalling my own childhood.

  And so, I lied.

  Not entirely, though. Half-truths were more convincing.

  "Our vilge… we often had visitors," I stammered, my voice trembling with the raw terror that gripped me. "Bards, schors, artists… they sought our songs, our stories. Some even painted our portraits!"

  The Terran’s grip loosened slightly. He was listening.

  "They paid us," I continued, forcing myself to keep eye contact. "With gold, with treasures. Trinkets, jewelry. It is hidden, not far. If you let my daughter live, I will take you to it."

  I didn’t need to fake the fear spilling out of me. It was real.

  But I knew it wasn’t mine.

  It was Leaf’s. His terror of losing his daughter, of losing everything. His fear of death.

  I clung to it, but I also imposed my will upon it. I was Non Cruz. I wasn’t some helpless man awaiting execution. I had a chance, even if it was small.

  I pushed down my own rising panic and focused.

  "Please," I let my voice break. "I swear it."

  The Terrans exchanged gnces.

  They were considering it.

  I just needed to push a little more.

  The Terrans argued.

  The one pinning me down wasn’t convinced. “You really think this tree rat has anything worth taking?” he spat. “We already got more than enough.”

  The other hesitated, gncing toward the fmes that swallowed the remains of the vilge. “If he’s telling the truth, we could have even more.”

  I muttered weakly, voice hoarse. "Please… mercy… I swear it… treasures… just spare her…"

  The man pinning me down growled. “Shut up.”

  A boot smmed against my head, grinding my face into the dirt. My skull throbbed as the rough earth scraped my skin. Ash and blood filled my nostrils.

  I watched helplessly as the vilge burned. The fmes roared, consuming homes, devouring lives. The smoke stung my eyes, but I couldn’t look away.

  The raiders were retreating. Their spoils from sacks filled with stolen goods to elves bound in chains were dragged along as they made their way back.

  A man on horseback shouted over the crackling fire. “We got a big haul! Time to move!”

  And then I saw her.

  Mindy.

  She was draped over a Terran’s shoulder like a sack of rice. Her tiny arms filed weakly.

  "Papa! Papa!"

  My teeth clenched so hard my jaw ached. Mindy!

  She wasn’t my daughter. I knew that.

  But my heart rejected that truth.

  She was mine. Leaf’s part of me told me so, and I had no resistance left to fight it.

  The Terran holding her adjusted his grip. “I’m heading back.”

  The man restraining me yanked me to my feet. “And you…” He shoved me forward, his dagger pressing against my ribs. “Show me the treasure.”

  The cold steel pricked my skin, a silent threat.

  Don’t do anything stupid. Don’t make this harder than it has to be.

  I swallowed hard.

  I had no pn.

  But I had to do something.

  I dug into Leaf’s memories.

  It was strange. I knew I had access to them, but there was a barrier, a thin veil separating me from them. I wasn’t experiencing them. Instead, I was watching them, like a screen pying scenes from another life.

  Leaf was a hunter. He was experienced with a bow, skilled in tracking, and had incredible agility.

  But none of that helped me now.

  I had no weapons. No bow. No arrows. No knife.

  And even if I did… would I even stand a chance?

  The Terran behind me kicked me hard in the back, forcing me forward. I stumbled, barely catching myself before falling face-first into the dirt.

  "Move, elf!" he barked.

  I turned, just in time to see the gleam of steel thrust in front of my face.

  A spear.

  The Terran in front of me had switched weapons so fast I hadn’t even noticed. The tip hovered just inches from my eye, close enough that if I so much as flinched wrong, it would skewer me.

  "Lead the way," he ordered, his voice ced with amusement. He flicked the spear slightly, making me flinch. "Or do you need another kick to get moving?"

  I clenched my fists, turning away without a word.

  I saw her again.

  Mindy.

  She was still crying, reaching out for me, her tiny voice barely audible over the sounds of retreating raiders. The Terran carrying her barely gave her a gnce as he rejoined the others.

  I gritted my teeth, but what could I do?

  There was nothing.

  The man behind me wore leather armor, and judging by his bulk, he was much stronger than me. Even if Leaf’s agility was incredible, it wasn’t enough.

  I needed more than just speed.

  I walked, forcing my feet to move even though every instinct screamed at me to turn back, to run to Mindy, to fight. But I had no weapons, no advantage. I needed time. A pn.

  Behind me, the Terran suddenly called out.

  “Stop.”

  I obeyed immediately, my body stiffening. I turned slightly, just enough to see him out of the corner of my eye. His grip on the spear was steady, the tip still aimed at me.

  “Where the hell are you taking me?” His voice was ced with suspicion.

  I took a slow breath, forcing myself to stay calm. “There’s a well. Just beyond the trees,” I said, my voice trembling. “That’s where I hid the treasure.”

  The Terran scoffed. “A well?”

  I nodded quickly. “It was the safest pce I could think of. No one would search there.”

  Silence stretched between us. Then…

  “If you’re lying…” The man chuckled, low and cruel. “If you so much as think of running or cheating me…” He leaned in close, voice dropping to a whisper.

  “I’ll rape your daughter.”

  My blood turned to ice.

  He tilted his head, watching my face, drinking in my horror. He grinned. “And if you’re really lying, I’ll make sure you watch.”

  I felt sick.

  I couldn’t believe the words coming from his mouth. The sheer barbarity of it.

  I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to swallow the bile rising in my throat. I wanted to kill him. I wanted to tear him apart.

  But I had nothing.

  No weapon. No pn. Just a spear at my back and a monster trailing behind me.

  “Keep walking,” he ordered.

  I obeyed, each step heavier than the st.

  The walk to the well felt like an eternity.

  With every step, my mind raced through countless scenarios, each more desperate than the st. Could I run? No. He was faster with his spear. Could I fight? Not likely. He had armor, a weapon, and the advantage. Could I stall? Maybe—but for how long?

  Nothing.

  I had nothing.

  And yet, I kept walking, hoping, praying for something—anything—to give me an opening.

  I knew it was bad timing, but the only thing I could count on was my ghost constitution, whatever that even meant. If I still had some part of me that was supernatural, if there was even a shred of power left, I needed it now.

  The well came into view, an old stone structure standing alone, just beyond the trees. The air was thick with smoke from the burning vilge, but here, away from the fire, the night felt eerily still.

  I stopped in front of it.

  The Terran halted behind me, his spear still pointed at my back. “Now what?” he demanded.

  I exhaled shakily.

  Okay, Non. Show time.

  I dug into my memories, both mine and Leaf’s. Every bit of acting ability I had from school presentations, every scrap of fighting experience from street brawls, and my short time in arnis. It wasn’t much. It wasn’t enough.

  But it was all I had.

  With a trembling voice, I let my knees buckle and colpsed onto the ground.

  "Please…" My voice cracked, weak and pitiful. I pressed my forehead to the dirt, turning around just enough so he could see my tear-streaked face. "I beg you… Before I show you the treasure, let me see my daughter. Just once… just let me see her."

  The tears came freely.

  I didn’t have to fake them.

  They weren’t even mine.

  They were Leaf’s. His grief, his desperation, his love for Mindy, and everything he had lost poured through me. It was raw and suffocating.

  The Terran sneered. "You think crying will get you sympathy?" He nudged my shoulder with his boot, just shy of kicking me. "Show me the treasure first. Maybe I’ll think about it."

  I remained kneeling, trembling, the spear’s tip just inches from my face.

  My hands were raised, fingers shaking, as if in surrender. But in reality, I was closing the distance—slowly, subtly—between my hands and the spear’s wooden shaft.

  I couldn’t overpower him.

  But I didn’t need to.

  I bit my lip, staring up at him with hollow, broken eyes.

  With a sudden sp, I struck the spear’s shaft, throwing off his aim, and lunged forward.

  I tackled him at the waist, arms wrapping around his legs, my fingers digging into the back of his knees. He let out a startled grunt as his bance gave way, his body crashing down.

  For a moment, I thought I had the advantage.

  Then his elbow smmed into the back of my neck.

  The force sent a sharp jolt of pain down my spine. I barely had time to raise my arms to block the next blow, catching his strike against my forearms. It still sent me flying back.

  I hit the ground hard, rolling over dirt and stone until my back smmed against the well.

  I gasped for air, my vision spinning.

  The Terran scrambled to his feet, his face twisted in fury. “You little shit!” he roared. “I’ll gut you myself! And I’ll make sure your brat suffers for this!”

  I barely heard him.

  Something inside me shifted.

  I suppressed Leaf’s emotions: the fear, the sorrow, the desperation. In its pce, something cold settled in me. A chill that numbed everything.

  I made my decision.

  I could do it after all.

  The Terran charged, spear poised to impale me.

  I moved before he could react.

  He missed.

  I was faster.

  Dodging a long-range thrust was easier than reacting to one up close. I sidestepped, his spear slicing through empty air.

  And I was already inside his reach.

  His eyes widened in shock.

  A bde glinted in my hand.

  The dagger. His dagger.

  In that brief moment when I tackled him earlier, I had stolen it.

  I didn’t hesitate.

  I drove the dagger upward, right under his jaw.

  His mouth opened, but no sound came out.

  I leaned in close, whispering into his ear.

  “Suffer in hell, you monster.”

  His body spasmed, the spear slipping from his grip. Blood gurgled in his throat as he colpsed, lifeless, at my feet.