I was a murderer.

I did not deserve anyone's kindness anymore.

I have followed the footsteps of my siblings and let Ecgtheow define who I was.

After eradicating the Mocksians and piling them up, I have regained my consciousness and finally took control of my mind and will. Shock overwhelmed me and fear for my capability to slaughter mercilessly caused me to run away.

But absconding only made me frustrated. I couldn't run away from the killer for I was the executioner himself. My actions will always attach themselves to me and I can never return the lives that I have taken.

I have locked myself inside my pod and waited for the authorities to come to put judgment on my acts. Wrongdoers were always sent out of the planet and were to serve the ships containing the Paragons. It was already a great punishment for an Aechean because Aecheans were born with the attachment to planet Aecha.

Paragons can bring a part of their birth trees to lessen the risk of developing SAD or the Space Apprehension Disorder. Xiu-mow and Hunse-mow always wore a necklace with a little jar containing a leaf from their birth trees to comfort them during their trainings out of the planet. Wrongdoers were not allowed to bring anything from planet Aecha so they do not have any means of preventing the development of SAD.

A buzzing sound from the buzzer was made and a complete visual image of the people at the other side of the pod door appeared beside my bed. Their upper limbs were already transformed to their weapons and their faces were familiar to my system. The one standing ahead of the other three had braided hair. He was the shortest among them all.

The four of them were the champions of the Kia Brawl Competitions and were instructors of Paragon-to-be Aecheans.

"Aecha-mow, please come out, we mean no harm," Typhi-ssu spoke. He addressed me as an equal. That was humble of him. But I would appreciate it more if he treated me as a criminal. I deserved it.

Aechean Profile

Aechean name: Typhi Amoz-Elil

Birth Tree: Elil, tree of the brave and passionate children

Age: 31 years old

Threat level: High to Severe

Achievements: Have done 111 S rank missions, 201 A rank missions, 299 B rank missions and 333 C rank missions. He became a champion of the Kia Brawl Competitions for 55th time together with his team.

End of Profile

Typhi-ssu was shoved out of the way and the visual image was interrupted for a second before it reappeared again with Saek-ssu in front now. He had a scowling and a demanding expression.

"Oi! Aecha-mu, get out of there and surrender! You have nowhere to go! We have you surrounded!" he snarled before getting hauled away and the visual intercom was interrupted again.

Aechean Profile

Aechean name: Saek Con

Birth Tree: Con, tree of the cheaters, the boastful, and the mischievous children

Age: 28 years old

Threat level: High to Severe

Achievements: Have done 69 S rank missions, 169 A rank missions, 269 B rank missions and 369 C rank missions. He became champion of the Kia Brawl Competitions for 55th time together with his team.

End of Profile

The intercom returned with a different man smiling in front. His bangs covered half of his face and he waved at me. His name was Dryp.

My system profiling was cut short when Trux, another member of them blasted my pod door with his Grenade Launcher. My pod trembled and was blown away leaving only the flooring as it was turned the other way with its arch lying behind its original place. A wall of smoke replaced the walls of my pod and I was now completely exposed to the four of them. My helmet like Pod continued with its rocking motions in attempt to balance itself from being unexpectedly blown away.

"Trux-ssu, what did you do that for?!" Saek-ssu questioned.

"He wouldn't come out," Trux-ssu replied lazily. "And that was my weakest launcher for your information."

"Ugh! Gilmos-Ssu will kill us!" Saek-ssu groaned.

Typhi-Ssu emerged from the wall of smoke and cautiously approached me. They do not seem to intend harm towards me despite their intimidating weaponry and green bulky uniforms. They have destroyed my pod home which was only fitting for me.

How considerate of them.

I did not deserve such home anyways. I was a murderer.

I was sitting on my cradle and raised my arm to signal Typhi-ssu to stop. Even if he was skillful in combat, I do not want to engage in a fight with any of them. Typhi-ssu halted and withdrew his weapons. His limbs transformed back into their original form and he knelt in place.

"Aecha-mow, you don't have to be afraid of us. We are here to take you into custody. You'll be safer with us."

Saek-ssu was supposed to add on that statement but Dryp-ssu hauled him back and clamped a hand over his mouth before grinning widely at me.

They did not understand. I was not afraid of them, I was afraid of myself. This was the very reason why I contained myself in my pod. I didn't want to be near to anyone because my presence will endanger them.

"Typhi-ssu, I am scared. I fear for the life of the people around me. I am afraid of my own ability," I confessed to him.

Typhi-ssu's expression was sympathizing. "I will not lie to you Aecha-mow. You are indeed a threat to Aecheans however; you are still hope for us. You are the only one who can destroy Necron and if you do not help us now, this year might be the last year for Aecha."

He was saying that planet Aecha will be destroyed if I didn't help them. Our home will be gone if I didn't come with them. Many Aecheans will suffer because of me but even so... if I did come out to the world, won't I hurt them as well once I have lost control of myself? I didn't know what to do. What was the right thing to do?

"Don't pressure him," I heard Dekmuth-ssu's voice which bewildered me.

What was Dekmuth-ssu doing here? 

A cloaked figure approached us and he removed the hood covering his face revealing the leader of their well-known group, Gilmos-ssu, who I now found out to be Dekmuth-ssu. He raked his fingers through his bright red hair and nodded at me.

I was being monitored after all. They knew.

Aechean Profile

Aechean name: Gilmos Devasur

Birth Tree: Devasur, tree of triumphant children

Age: 30 years old

Threat level: High to Severe

Achievements: Have done 150 S rank missions, 220 A rank missions, 400 B rank missions and 555 C rank missions. He became champion of the Kia Brawl Competitions for 77th time.

End of Profile

"He is just six months old. We can't expect him to understand and make accurate decisions," Dek- rather, Gilmos-ssu stated.

When he began to approach me like what Typhi-ssu did, I began to panic. I did not want to lay a finger on Gilmos-ssu. He had done so many things for me and I was indebted to him.

"Do not come any closer!" I snarled. My hostility startled him and the others. "I do not want to hurt you..."

Gilmos-ssu's expression softened. I cannot believe that I had been interacting with someone as great as him and he had been kind to me.

"I was ordered by the President of the Paragons to observe you. You thought that no one knows that you are Ecgtheow's child?" he asked me.

Gilmos-ssu fearlessly sauntered towards me and I further scooted away only to fall on the floor. Dryp-ssu picked me up by the armpits and stood me up. By this time, I was tensed. Every part of me was trembling with the thoughts of being brutal to them. I began to struggle in Dryp-ssu's restraining hands but in turned out that he was strong enough to oppose my strength.

"Why did you conceal your identity for the past months?" he asked.

He was right in front me and looked up with no fear instilled in his eyes. Their laxness around me made me feel normal and lessened the anxiety that I was feeling.

"Aecha, are you afraid of how you'll end up?" he questioned and grasped my cheek gently with his leathery gloved hand. "I won't let that happen to you. I have been working with you for this long and I haven't seen a single ounce of malice in your actions. You are pure...unlike Saek-mu here," he joked which elicited a protest from Saek-ssu.

"Hey! I heard that Gilmos-ssu!"

I stared at Gilmos-ssu's anticipating gaze and felt Dryp-ssu slowly patting my back for comfort. They were being too nice to a murderer. I cannot accept that but at the same time I didn't want to die yet for there were many people needing of my aid.

"I only wanted to help," I whispered. "As many people as possible."

Gilmos-ssu grasped both of my cheeks  and prevented me from looking at anything besides him. "You can help the whole world as a Paragon Aecha. You can even help people from other planets. You and your siblings might come from the same tree but you are different from each other. When I look at you, I see a hero. I see a Paragon who can save not only the people from Aecha but also people from other planets. Don't let the actions of your siblings dictate your life. Don't let them restrain your potential," he firmly told me.

Gilmos-ssu's words started to carve deeply into my system. I repeated his words over and over again until my lack of struggle signaled them that Gilmos-ssu's little speech won me over to their side.

We walked back to the Open market with Saek-ssu's and Trux-ssu's argument as our background. Something was bothering me.

"Gilmos-ssu how did you figure that I was Ecgtheow?" I asked.

How did they know that it was me? Did that staff who bathe me told them? Did he realize that I wasn't Eggtho's son?

"It was simple, Eggtho's child died inside of his womb. The child wasn't able to ascend to the surface like the rest of you. The staffs always do a check-up to their respective tree and one had announced that Eggtho's child died. We looked for the newborn who claimed to be Eggtho's child and because you were registered under that birth tree, we immediately knew that you were the missing newborn."

Eggtho...I did not know and here I have used him in a way that was most cruel.

"Gilmos-ssu, please wait for me. I need to do something first."

I stood in front of the small tree with dark blue leaves. It looked healthier than the last time I saw it. I placed my hand against its trunk and then embraced it. "Eomma...I am sorry for pretending to be your child for my own benefit. I did not mean to hurt anyone; I did not mean to hurt you."

I did not even ask its permission. I have selfishly claimed to be its child not even knowing that its real child died.

"Thank you for being my Eomma. Even when I have been discovered, I will not stop visiting you. You will always be my Eomma because you have accepted me even when you were grieving for your real child."

"You have always made him happy with your visits," someone said from behind me which interrupted my apology conversation with Eggtho. I turned around and found the staff that cleaned me up when I was born smiling at me.

"Staff-ssu, hello," I greeted and bowed at him.

The staff chuckled and walked closer to me. "Usually, birth trees that lost their child in their womb wither and die but your presence made Eggtho live. I am sure that in his next pregnancy, he will make a child in the image of you."

The roots of Eggtho began to move and wrap themselves around me. Eggtho embraced me against its trunk and I stared at the staff that was amused.

"He must be showing you something. Although I did say that he was an Artisan tree, Eggtho is also a special kind of tree. He is considered as a Sui Generis tree."

Sui Generis trees were unique trees that were said to have connections with other worlds. 

A man's voice resonated in my ears and I leaned my ear closer against Eggtho's trunk. "Hey, dumbass, that's not how you do it! Idiot! Idiot! Ugh, Christ, I thought humans were stupid but someone is much worse now huh?"

Eggtho released me from its  hold and left me in confusion. Whose voice was that and why did it make me feel elated even when he was obviously angry at me? He must need lots of help. I must find him and aid him with his troubles. I was sure that we can be good friends.

I bid Eggtho and its caretaker goodbye and then went to my real Eomma. I have never been with Ecgtheow since it gave birth to me. Will it strangle me with its roots once I step foot on its territory?

With my long train of thoughts, I did not perceive that I was already standing in front of the tall and mighty tree. As they have said, Ecgtheow did not look good. I have not visited it and it might have saddened it. It was ungrateful of me.

As I have looked at it, I was left speechless. I usually have lots of stories when talking to Eggtho but now that I stood close to my real birth tree, I did not know what to say but I want to aid it especially because I was the reason of its gloom. I sat at the base of its  trunk and stayed there.

I did not see a single movement of its roots but I could still feel that bond that we had though it was weaker now. I mustered up the courage to speak to my eomma and I have realized how easier it was to talk to my employer.

"I have done something horrible ...I'm sorry. I admit that I am afraid because I am your child. I am not afraid of you, I am just afraid of what I can do. I would I like to ask for your guidance now. Please raise me eomma, please don't let me end up like my siblings..."

After my statement, a seed had fallen from above between my legs and bounced forward. I rose from my spot and picked the pink seed that had fallen. Was this the answer that he had given me?

It must be.

"Eomma...this is..." Unbelievable. 

"I can't understand, please explain."

In the end Eomma did make a move but that was to hit me with a strong force. I guess you could say that It was a sort of punishment but I did not hold any grudge for I love my eomma.

I went back to the Open Market and the others waited for me beside their black ship. They have taken me to a floating land and once we have stepped out of the ship, Bish-ssu, my employer in the potion shop, was waiting for us.

"Bish-ssu, what are you doing here? Are you a traveling merchant now?" I asked. Bish-ssu's relaxed face became distorted into an annoyed one. Gilmos-ssu and the other ssus cackled at my statement.

"What do you mean a traveling merchant?! I am the President of Paragons!" he snarled.

With that information, I bowed at him and then clapped my hands. "That is superb Bish-ssu, you must have bribed the previous one with your excellent sale's talk so that he can give you that position!"

That was amazing of Bish-ssu. I can learn so many things from him.

"Someone restrain this blabber mouth or else I'll expel him even before he can enroll!" Bish-ssu snapped.

He must be really stressed. Having two demanding jobs at the same time must be really taking a toll on his health.

"You seem stressed Bish-ssu, would you like to talk about it?"

"Aechaaaaa!" 

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A/N: How waaas it? By the way, I'm writing a new vampire story. Please check it out. It's called Blood and Venom.