The sound was clear and cold in my ears, echoing in them as I did not move, did not turn in its direction, since I already knew who it was. There was no way I would mistake that voice for anyone else.

  It was my father.

  Standing near the edges of the trees that formed the boundary of the Sherwood, my father leaned on the blunt side of his bloody, rusted axe, panting and breathing heavily.

  As he wiped blood off of his cheek, his eyes never wavered from Cidris— he didn’t even stop to look at

  Why, father?

  No— this was a good opportunity.

  I swallowed my nerves and stopped thinking— I just listened.

  Stepping back unconsciously, Cidris smiled thinly as usual, waving his hand slowly and greeting him. His robes fluttered in the wind as he snapped his fingers, letting all the and around his body dissipate into nothingness.

  Like a child hiding from his parents.

  “Ah, Iyad. I was wondering when you’d show up.” Cidris didn’t take a tone that someone would usually have with their It wasn’t light, it wasn’t comforting.

  Instead, it was dark. It was heavy.

  My father didn’t answer right away.

  Instead, he looked at me, eyes laced with worry.

  “Are you alright, Amir? Were you hurt?”

  Shaking my head slowly, my vision darted between the two. I was unsure of how to answer in any way except the truth now— I just didn’t have the to think right now. I could only

  Now, I know many new things.

  Am. Yu. Parables. The Mark. Gods.

  It connects to all I’ve heard previously, but it was still ambiguous.

  Smirking, Cidris moved to pat my shoulder, but my father sent a death glare in his direction, sending shivers down my spine and making Cidris tense up. He shook his head.

  “I didn’t hurt him, Iyad. You can be sure of that.”

  “Then why did you bring him here? If you wanted to scare him away from looking for Sara’s secrets, I understand. But why did you feel the need to take him here, knowing I was fighting, and explain to him… things he couldn’t possibly understand? Things he wouldn’t know?” With no regard for sugarcoating, my father launched an assault of words at Cidris, who winced.

  It was clear who had the upper hand right now.

  Cidris didn’t even reveal his presence.

  “That… I don’t know.”

  “It was like someone me to do it.”

  My father sighed…

  Really? Hell.

  “Amir, Amir, Amir…” He muttered under his breath, staring in my direction. Glancing up briefly at the night sky, he took a single step forward— vanishing from my sight, he reappeared at my side, lifting me up into the air easily.

  Like he had teleported.

  But his arms were comforting and warm.

  Looking at Cidris, it was hard to read my father’s expression.

  “You knew, didn’t you? From the very first day, that fateful day in the courtroom when we met Cuswoth, things would turn out like this, right? That we would be here, having this conversation?”

  My father didn’t seem like he was joking.

  His eyes were set. He was dead serious.

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  “I’m your best friend, Cidris! You’ve been through hell and back with me together! Why can’t you still… ” My father’s expression was pained, and I just knew Cidris was feeling guilt in his heart right now. If he didn’t feel that, I could no longer acknowledge him.

  But it looked like he did.

  His face was twisted a certain way.

  “Iyad, aren’t an Heir. haven’t been walking the Parables since the day you were born. father isn’t a king. uncle isn’t a myth. What could ever know about life? patron? Mark?”

  I felt… out of place here.

  Like I didn’t belong in this conversation.

  Yet nobody asked me to leave.

  Or stay, for that matter.

  “Cidris… Fourteen years, Cidris. For a fucking dragon like you, that might be nothing, but for me? For That’s a Cidris. A damn long time. Can’t you understand that?!” My father roared, yet his voice didn’t contain any anger— just disappointment. In himself…. Not anyone else. Not even Cidris.

  Why must he always take the burden?

  I wanted to ask.

  Cidris’ eyes widened.

  Stammering, Cidris opened his mouth— then closed it.

  His fingers twitched helplessly at his sides. For once, he had no more words.

  “You don’t have to apologize, Cidris.” Wiping away his infractions with the whisk of a hand, his calm, overbearing smile returned back to his face, illuminated and clear in the dead of the night. Somewhere near the cottage that was just out of view, I was sure… they were asleep.

  My ‘Mark’ began to pulse rapidly.

  Nnngh… it was uncomfortable…

  I held my breath.

  “I promise you Amir, there’s a reason for this. Why I fight. Why he believes. Why Cuswoth hates. Why Sara hides. Why your mother is ignorant. There’s a reason for everything, Am-Am.” His voice began to crack slightly, but nobody dared point it out. “And I hate to say it… but now, the is ”

  The reason is…

  Me?

  My birth?

  What the fuck did I ever do?

  Nothing much.

  I had tried, as much as possible, to not do much.

  To simply focus on bettering myself.

  And father?

  You’re telling me that it was all… me?

  My father probably noticed how my face was twisting with rage, so he quickly patted my shoulder, embracing me with his chest as Cidris scoffed, staring at something far in the distance.

  I calmed down quickly but…

  My questions were still unanswered.

  “Understand that I’m telling you this because I that you’re mature enough to learn. Because I love you as my son. That’s why… I’m telling you this.” My father sighed as Cidris waved his hand in the air, trying to ward something off, barely glancing in my direction.

  “Remember the day you were born, Amir? No… you probably don’t. But it was that day that I noticed something was Yes it was then, that I noticed the feeling of clinging to you— it didn’t ”

  He was getting awfully thorough here.

  Energy that wasn’t mine? Could it be that child’s?

  Hah… how would I know? I didn’t know anything now, it seemed.

  “It’s why I was so apprehensive about going to the Because I knew you would be exposed. It’s why I about my story. I told you about my past as a soldier because… well, at that time, I trusted you.”

  “Whether or not you were my real son, it didn’t matter.”

  I was going to break down if he continued any further.

  No, those weren’t tears in my eyes!

  Father… I’m not your son. I’m a reincarnated amnesiac.

  I might have stolen the body of what could have been his son.

  But how could I tell him that?

  “Yes… father.” I tried to suppress the waves of tears.

  “In the end, there was no way to skip the Dowsing. Not when Cuswoth still watched. Do you ever wonder why we live on the outskirts? It’s because Cuswoth’s influence doesn’t reach here. My power is sealed. And Cuswoth— is trapped here with me. I am his warden, and he is mine.”

  “Do you know why?” My father asked, looking deep into my eyes.

  I didn’t rack my brain at all.

  Instead, I just slowly shook my head.

  “It is his not being able to leave the Sherwood, forced to follow the commands of Aldeous and Remi. And I’m sure you’ve already noticed this, but Cuswoth is a He was sent here by something much darker…”

  “The Raikai?” I asked timidly.

  My father’s eyes widened.

  They were tinged with disbelief.

  “How do you know that— no, I’ve mentioned it before, haven’t I?”

  “Observant, aren’t you?” He chuckled painfully, ribs exploding in what looked like a relentless, numb pain.

  “Yes… the Raikai. An organization I know nothing about. All I know is its name. And Cuswoth is the only lead I have.” My father sighed with difficulty.

  “So I left with you and Millie for the Dowsing. And as the Dowsing commenced, guess what? It went just like I’d suspected. as a reincarnator, and being given a ‘Mark’.” Glancing at Cidris, who was now invested due to Millie’s mention, my father continued speaking.

  “Cidris and I didn’t think much of it. Our fates were strong, so our children’s fates must be naturally strong as well, right? Although an apostolate reincarnator and an unknown god’s tether was a strange way to begin writing your stories, it wasn’t that difficult for the likes of to stomach.”

  I knew… that my father was about to say something.

  Something big.

  My muscles tensed in anticipation.

  “Until, I learned that there was something more. Not just to this whole situation, but to this as a A mention of a plothole in my life, something I had glanced over completely.”

  “... And what is that?” I asked.

  I really didn’t understand where he was going with this. Of course, Cuswoth’s consequence was interesting to hear about, and hell, it was a good thing as well!

  Yet this didn’t seem like what my father wanted to tell me.

  My father… wasn’t a very straightforward man.

  It took him time to get to the point.

  But now…

  Tracing their vision, I glanced upon hidden in the shadows.