24 YEARS AGO

12.06.1618

21:14

"Years pass and I get more used to this idea of a respected man that everyone follows. If it wasn't so important, I would've just got this idea over my head and started doing the same thing I was doing when I was teaching the idiots of the above a lesson. But I couldn't just be that cruel to those that actually wished to work for me without any kind of trickery involved. No, I am just punishing them when they do something wrong. I am not cruel, I am just right.

The Council on the other hand... Oh, boy, I always hated it. When I just started, I wasn't really the person to talk during the meetings, I was rather observing and taking some notes on my own head to know what I have to do when it came to my side of the deal. Nothing too complicated, but I was a beginner so it was normal. But once I got to be more experienced and had to be involved in the conversations... Well, let's just say that many conflicts were started because of my presence alone.

To be honest, the Council was not as bad as it is in the present. It was more of a... business meeting, if I can call it like that. Though this is not really a business, so I do not know if I am allowed to associate these subjects. Still, it was rather peaceful. Everyone was saying their side, explained the problems and the possible solutions, but we weren't really that close when in came to relationships. I couldn't say we were friends either, just partners. Now, everyone fights because it became more of a personal relation between each member of the Council ever since M4TTH3W's kids appeared in our lives and got a bit older.

But if we are in that subject, the young brothers were actually a mystery to us from the very beginning. Especially the C born one. They appeared out of nowhere into our lives and had no reason to be here to begin with. Yet M4TTH3W continued being a strange individual and didn't explain what exactly does He want to do. I remember how at some point He started avoiding the meetings of the Council 21 years ago, and whenever He decided to come, He always looked tired, saying things that had nothing to do with what any of the members of the Council asked. It was as if He was talking in His sleep, but while being awake. Or rather half awake-half asleep. Or I don't know, really. All I know is that it got so bad to the point of being unable to contact Him in any way.

Yes, we were unable to talk to the Great Leader for whatever reason. He didn't come to the meetings for some days, then he stopped coming to my base to work on whatever He had to, and then I didn't even manage to see Him anywhere around the city. Because of that, I had to go to the apartment in which He lived and see if I can find Him. Knocked a few times, no response, but I couldn't open the door anyway. Tried in a different day to do the same, got a response in the end. But the response was vague, telling me to not enter the apartment at any cost and avoid Him for a long period of time.

Did I do that? Nope. I came knocking other days until I managed to catch Him enter His apartment and rushed to not let Him lock the door. Just so that I can find out what was happening."

And that's exactly what happens. When M4TTH3W got inside His apartment and wished to shut the door, a leg has stopped the movement of the door, forcing Him to keep it open and noticed Leader AL7AN looking rather serious.

[AL7AN]-...Hello, M4TTH3W.

[M4TTH3W]-I'm afraid I have forgotten, when exactly did I tell you that you can come?

[AL7AN]-Oh, no need to tell me. I am just inviting myself in.

[M4TTH3W]-What do yo--

After that, AL7AN opened the door forcedly while the Great Leader was trying to keep him out. All in vain though, because the moment he managed to get inside, he pushed aside M4TTH3W and started searching for whatever He was hiding. Still, the man continued trying His best on getting him out of the house.

[M4TTH3W]-...AL7AN! You cannot just enter the house whenever you feel like it! Please, get out and leave me alone!

[AL7AN]-I will after you tell me what are you hiding from us all of a sudden. You know I am sick of forever hearing the Council telling me what to do to get you back in the game, right? So if you do not wish to co-operate, then I am pushed to take other actions.

[M4TTH3W]-AL7AN!

Still, no matter what the Great Leader said, AL7AN continued searching around the house until he gets closer to the door of a room to which M4TTH3W quickly pulls him out in order for him to not enter.

[M4TTH3W]-...AL7AN, get out of my house, now!

No response again, but the Leader sure got annoyed. Yet in no time, there is a strange sound coming from the room that quickly takes AL7AN's attention, escaping the hand of the ruler and entering to see what is happening. Seeing that He has failed, M4TTH3W only stood in the door, putting His hands on His head as if He was regretting His biggest mistake of His life. But what AL7AN discovered wasn't something that he expected. Instead... he found two newborns, one in the deep sleep which every newborn suffers of in this universe for a few months, but the other... being awake?

AL7AN looked rather shocked at his discovery, but also analised the very C born baby that was able to be awake unlike any other newborn, even if he was the same age as the other.

[AL7AN]-How is he--

--But before he finished the question, he looked at the Great Leader and saw the way He was looking at him.

[AL7AN]-...I don't understand you. This is the only thing that you didn't want us to see? Why do you make it such a big deal? Good job, you adopted some kids. Why do you act like a demon now?

[M4TTH3W]-...You don't understand, AL7AN! Just get out!

[AL7AN]-I would've understood if you calmed down and explained it to me, genius. They are just some kids. Is it something related to the one awake? You know that the Council will--

[M4TTH3W]- --NO! You can't tell anything to them about these kids! Did you hear me!?

[AL7AN]-Why not? You are just continuing the tradition of the title. What's such a big of a de--

[M4TTH3W]- --AL7AN, I am the last LENKOV of this world! Nobody will take my role after my death! NOBODY! I have made a mistake by taking them into my house! They will not be the descendants of the title! They will not be my kids!!

[AL7AN]-...Then why did you do it?

The ruler didn't respond, but He looked so stressed from this whole thing as if something was truly happening. But while not giving a response, He also just left the apartment and shut the door heavily without saying anything about where He is going. Only AL7AN remained behind to look back at the lively kid near the unconscious one. He took the hand of the child and stood on the floor, talking to it gently while also being confused on the whole situation.

[AL7AN]-Your father is an idiot. Yes, He is...

"...When I found out that He adopted some random kids was rather amusing to me. But the reaction He had was actually more confusing. He seemed to hate them, or at least just dislike the idea of having them. So why would He adopt them in the first place?

I never actually managed to get an answer, but I did keep the secret away from the Council for a few months. Still, they did find out what was happening at some point when they came to visit Him for the same exact reason why I came. Even to them was rather shocking to see one of the kids being conscious, but M4TTH3W didn't treat the visitors the way He treated me. Maybe because He feared what the Council might think of His gestures.

Still, the kids remained with Him for some years until the second one gained consciousness and both of them were able to think on their own. Well, not make decisions, but to be aware of themselves. After that, M4TTH3W did plan on letting them at a shelter and be forgotten there, but for whatever reason, He decided out of nowhere to keep them. It was somehow more surprising than the moment I saw how much He actually didn't want them. But that was the same moment they also got their names: RY4N and CHE5TER.

I didn't manage to see them often though during their childhood while they were still growing, but when I heard the fact that M4TTH3W's C born kid, CHE5TER, actually wanted to join the military from such a very young age and he wanted to train in order to be a great soldier one day, I did feel rather proud to be the very option of his father to be the teacher. Even if I had no idea how exactly was I suppose to teach a six-year-old child something that you learn after you graduate in this city.

Still, years pass and I have treated him the same as I would've done if it was for him to be my child. No matter how old he got to be later. I taught him everything I knew, whether it was about skills or even about life. I did wish for him to become a great man some day, to be able to live on his own just like I did in my youth, and never let anybody use him. But... I did fail in teaching him how to accept a loss or be ready for the unpredictable. Maybe because I wasn't ready for the future myself."

3 YEARS AGO

17.02.1639

The City of Above

50:07

[AL7AN]-...Six years ago, you have gone to the City of Above with the excuse of a possible information related to the General, which eventually led to your death. But it wasn't because of the General who wished to execute you, rather a natural or something that we simply cannot understand. To this very day, I still don't know why have you died before the bullet hit your head and why didn't you tell anybody about what was going to happen. And after your death, I was... obligated to make a decision about who was going to take your role as a ruler, before retiring as I told you the last time we managed to discuss about our plans of the future. Yet somehow...

AL7AN now seems rather closer to the very present that we know, hiding under the club he owns, with his hair dyed white, sitting on the chair in his room. But on the desk in front of him, the box that is suppose to get in the possession of the brothers stays untouched, watched by the former Leader.

[AL7AN]-...I still didn't manage to solve every debt that I had to you. Though I have promised on it being given back, your children still didn't manage to get their hands on the very last thing that you have left on this world. I just hope that they will manage to get it whenever the right time comes.

Then, AL7AN stops looking at the box, rather closing his eyes as a way of rest from his own thoughts, before he smiles a bit and begins talking again.

[AL7AN]-...Heh. You were a strange man, M4TTH3W. No matter how much I thought I knew you, you always managed to make me feel like I really don't know anything at all. You have kept so many secrets away from me and all the others, secrets that are still hidden deep into the ground and which you still refused to explain. But I guess you were just trying to give us a bit of hope, just like a ruler should. After all, this was your title's purpose... Still, curiosity sometimes just doesn't let a man live in peace. All you did was to feed me to my own demons that seek the truth. But maybe this is life after all. You do not need to run your entire life to chase the truth. You will just scare it away. No...

"...You just need to wait for the truth to be revealed on its own."