"I got your letter," Philza said, barging into the throne room where Techno was talking to another vampire, Phil held a scroll with a ribbon tied around it and a broken wax seal, "whatever you're planning please reconsider Techno."

"I wouldn't have reached out if I didn't think you would listen to me and what I have to say," Techno said, waving away the vampire, his gaze drifting from Phil to the neighboring room.

"Don't turn this into a 'I wouldn't be here if I didn't care'," Phil said, trying not to let Techno's stubbornness get on his nerves, "I'm here because you need someone to knock some sense into you. A second opinion."

"Or maybe, Philza, I already have a second opinion," Techno stood up letting his cape spread out behind him, "and I just wanted the support of my father. Everything I'm doing is for us, our family. For Tommy, he was forced to grow up too fast."

"Tommy's dead!" Phil snapped, "he died on the battlefield!"

"And who killed him?" Techno said, then answered his own question, "a member of the assassins' league, a form of power over people. The very thing I'm working to be rid of."

"What," this information caught Phil off guard, did Clay know this?

"You're not the only one with inside sources," Techno said, sitting back down.

"If you're trying to get rid of those above the people then why do you sit on that throne," Phil said, trying to recover, why hadn't Tommy's death fazed him?

"Because unlike the Count, I'm not ruling alone, I have someone else by my side making sure that neither of us stray off our original path," Techno said, but if Tommy did he didn't think there was anything he could do to stop him, "everything I do goes through the council first, unlike the Count I do not have final say in what we do."

"Then I guess you-" Phil started.

"Something's wrong," Techno muttered, his head shot to where Tommy was, he got up and hurried to the room.

"His wound opened up, it's not as bad as originally but I can't figure out why," Ranboo opened the door just as Techno was about to.

Inside Tommy was laying face down on the bed, groaning in pain, the white tunic he had put on that morning turning black. Techno brought out his knife and cut the tunic off him, he no longer cared what Phil did, all that mattered was not losing Tommy, again.

"Get a fire started," Techno commanded, he gripped onto Tommy's hand to let him know he was there, "you're going to be okay. I promise."

"Tech," Tommy said faintly, his face was pale and he grit his teeth together, telling himself that Techno would make sure he was okay. His breathing was shallow but he refused to black out, afraid of what would happen if he did.

"You're going to be fine, just talk to me," Techno's voice softened, he needed to make sure he stayed away, if they could stop his bleeding now they wouldn't need to risk using the spell on him again, "what's on your mind?"

I feel cold, Tommy transmitted, his internal voice stronger than his voice just showed that he wasn't ready to go, he still had things he needed to do, a mission to fulfill, Tech, I can't feel my legs.

You're holding on and that's all that matters right now, Techno told him, What happened?

I was reading the guy's mind like you wanted me to, when he started talking about me I saw a memory flash through his mind and it triggered one of mine, Tommy told him, Techno tried not to think about how Phil didn't even know he had managed to save Tommy, Who is he? He's familiar. Tommy didn't even remember who Phil was to him, to both of them.

Outside Phil couldn't take waiting anymore. He had stayed when he saw that without hesitation Techno had raced in there. Whoever it was they had to be important.

"Tech, can I he-" Phil stopped when he saw Techno sitting on the floor, at Tommy's side, "how? How are you alive?" Tears came to his eyes, he came for Techno and here was Tommy, alive but not well.

Who is he? Tommy asked again, he didn't want to peer into Techno's mind unless he had to. He winced as Ranboo pressed a cloth onto his wound, how could something so small be causing so much pain.

"He's our dad, Philza," Techno said, he didn't want to hide things from Phil, but it seemed that Tommy didn't trust him.

"Dad?" Tommy croaked out, but the word felt foreign on his tongue. Techno stood up, looking over at the bright fire.

"Yeah," Phil knelt where Techno had been and took his hand. Techno took his knife from the side table, cleaned it off with a cloth, and held it above the coals, the fire licking his hand.

"Hold him still," Techno said as the metal started to turn red and he pulled it out of the fire.

"What?!" Those words sent Tommy into a panic, and he tried to get up, away, "you're not gonna put that on me!"

"Tommy this is the best way to close the wound without magic," Ranboo said as he and Phil held him down, he put a fresh rolled up cloth in front of Tommy, "bite down on this."

Tears started streaming down Tommy's face when the hot metal connected with the edges of the wound. In three second increments Techno pressed the knife to Tommy's skin and slowly sealed the wound, constantly wiping away the sizzling blood. It was a painfully slow process with Tommy wincing and trying not to thrash around out of instinct. Techno let out a sigh of relief when he finally finished the messy job and let the knife clatter to the floor near the fireplace.

"You know I think I'm gonna lie here for a bit," Tommy said as his breathing steadied, Ranboo chuckled and spread an ointment elixir on the sealed wound, "I don't think I could move if I wanted to."

Techno cracked a smile, wiping off his bloody hand on a cloth. This, this was the Tommy he remembered, a light in the darkness of this world.

"Well I'm glad you're okay," Phil said running his hand through Tommy's tangled hair, "and so will Tubbo."

"Can we not try and trigger more memories right now," Ranboo said, "I've noticed that he's been getting burns whenever you two have done your whole mind reading thing."

"So I shouldn't be asking who Tubbo is," Tommy joked, but he knew Ranboo was right, it was a memory that did all this.

"It's okay, I'll tell you as soon as that is fully healed," Phil said, as Tommy sat up against his own better judgment.

Are you sure he can be trusted? Tommy asked Techno.

I trust Dad with my life, he may have made some mistakes but we've moved past them, Techno thought, if he couldn't trust Phil, he couldn't trust anyone.

I just don't get why I remember you and Wilbur but not Phil, Techno flinched when he heard Tommy call Phil by his name instead of Dad, that was something he expected him to do, not Tommy.

I'm sure you'll get all your memories back one day, Techno reassured, but why don't you trust him?
I saw someone else in his mind, two people actually, Tommy transmitted, and they're the ones who betrayed me, so what's to say he won't do the same?

You're mind is confused, he won't, Techno shrugged off the thought.

But what if-

He won't, Techno insisted, I hear what you're saying but because he's family I have to ignore you just this once. He already knows what we're doing.

Fine, Tommy severed the connection.

I honestly can't believe this hit 1000 reads. Thank you all so much and I'm glad you've stuck with this story. This is alot better than my first finished book on this platform and well better thought out. No teasers or questions today just me being thankful for all of you guys and especially my friends on here and on Discord. As alway please vote and comment!

Peace out YouTubers from around the world!