Using the walking stick Kael had made for me, I moved forward, not wanting to make my back hunched to give the appearance I was an elderly man. Lanterns were scattered through the village, giving enough light to ensure that me and him knew where we were going. When I first arrived here and was taken away, I briefly heard a conversation between Kael and a few village-people.

  "They seem to like you," I suddenly said, looking up at him.

  "They like me and my charity organization." Kael looked down at me, smiling softly.

  "Right, your charity organization. You mentioned them when we first met; are they also here with you?"

  Kael paused for a moment, contemplatively tapping his chin. "Sometimes they are, other times they aren't. What matters overall is what they do for the people here."

  "What do you do exactly?" I felt a little curiosity run through me.

  "Well, you see those farms over there, the ones with the large, ripe melons?" Kael pointed to his right, where a small cottage could be seen. Beside the house was a small, fenced-off garden. Ripe, green melons peeked through the snow, showing their round hides.

  "Me and my organization gave them those melons when they were just little seeds, having them be meticulously planted at a specific angle. That way, the frigidness of the winter won't affect them, and they can grow all the food they need for the harsh months ahead."

  I suddenly thought of something, my eyes widening. "Why not help the kingdom like this? You can send your organization back there and my friends can have all the food they need!"

  "Your friends?" Kael scoffed. "You know you don't have friends anymore. You're Silas now, not Isaac."

  Kael waved his hands, illusory crimson flames condensing to form a small short-rimmed straw hat. He put it atop my head, tilting it back and ruffling my now slightly-long black hair.

  "But... I-I want to help them; they need me!" I retorted, taking the hat off.

  At that moment, Kael sighed softly. "This is your first lesson as a new person. Forget the old, forget those who have abandoned you."

  "They 'abandoned' me because of you."

  My remark sat in the air for a while before Kael waved it off dismissively. His voice suddenly lowered, grabbing me by the hem of my shirt. "How did you feel the moment you killed those men?"

  "W-what?" I felt my face pale, recalling the nauseating mixture of blood, screaming, and violence.

  "I want you to remember who those men were, Isaac. They wanted you dead; they didn't like you because of those pretty little things on your head." Kael grabbed my horns, gently tugging them.

  "The moment you didn't hesitate, letting those emotions out, how did you feel?"

  "W-why do you want to know?" I pulled backwards, but Kael's grip remained insistent.

  The man's voice lowered, taking on a dual-pitch, guttural form. "The moment your weapon did harm, that was Silas speaking. Silas is a being of purity—of reverence; he wants you to embrace him because he knows you felt relief doing that."

  "Y-you used his voice to taunt me!" I spat through gritted teeth.

  "Who's voice?" Kael's voice shifted again, taking on one I thought I buried a while ago.

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Before I could retaliate, I paused, looking down at the ground. "Why him? Why use my father?"

  The man abruptly let go of my collar, stepping back as he sighed under his breath. "Humans try to trick themselves with miracles of bliss and happiness, but an illusion is only an illusion when you wake up, not when you open your eyes, but when the vision you've been seeing fades all away."

  "H-how do you know that?" I felt my blood run cold; Kael had recited my thoughts word for word.

  "Because I truly understand you, Isaac. They don't understand you because of your powers, because of the turmoil inside you. Think of all the times you've sat alone, crying and wishing your situation was better. Back home, you had a cruel, indifferent father who hated you for not doing what he was told, your mother tried, but she couldn't stop your fate because she was weak..."

  Kael's voice dropped even more, his collected voice brushing the hairs behind my ear. "I'll help you become an Angel, once you do, you'll learn more about yourself... because now, you are Silas.

  "Through your power, you can gain whatever you want, have whatever you want, command those who defy you. Doesn't that sound fun?"

  I shook my head, repulsed by his words. "Hell no! That's control—I-I'd never want that for anyone!"

  "But you know you do, Silas. Think back to your father. Wouldn't you like to put him on a leash, commanding him around as if he were a dog? Once you become an Angel, you can have enough power to go back home and do whatever you want."

  "N-no! That sounds awful!"

  Kael scoffed, tucking his hands in his pockets. Looking down the road, he pointed to a particular building. "We're going to get something to eat; that wolf meat probably was contaminated with something."

  "What if I'm not hungry; what if I don't want to eat?" I pouted.

  Kael took me by the arm, his neatly trimmed fingernails digging into my skin through my thin shirt. "Then you'll watch me devour your meal for you. If you're hungry by then, I won't get anything else for you."

  He immediately moved forward, basically dragging me into the small building. It wasn't a restaurant, but rather a stalled-off market inside a building. Since it was too cold to continue selling outside, they had to move into this building to ensure they and their crops wouldn't freeze. The moment Kael and I entered, everyone turned their heads, smiles on their faces as they began to clap and cheer.

  "He's back!"

  "The Great Gardener is here!"

  Countless cheers and rallies came from every corner of the building; everyone seemed to love Kael, down to the very presence of him.

  "They really love you, huh." I rolled my eyes, feeling both flustered and agitated from the attention.

  "Soon they'll love you too, Silas."

  Kael dragged me forward, taking me to a fruit stand. I saw apples, watermelons, and fresh apricots. They were at a very low price, something that would make the average Seraphis noble recoil and dart from. The vendor, an older man, smiled as he swiped his hand through the table, amassing a large collection of the miscellaneous fruits, handing them to him.

  "They're free of charge!" The vendor exclaimed as he handed the leather sack to Kael.

  "Inson, my fine fellow! You know you don't have to do this, right?"

  Inson replied with a smile. "You saved us from starvation; why should you have to pay like everyone else?"

  Kael reached into the bag, taking out an apple and tossing it in my direction. I caught it in my hand, taking a small bite. My eyes widened as the taste dissipated on my tongue—it was juicier and riper than any other apple I had tasted.

  As if sensing my emotions, Kael turned to look at me and chuckled. "Tastes good, doesn't it?"

  I nodded, swallowing. "It does, did you put something in it?"

  Kael suddenly turned around, looking up at the crimson moon. Black smoke began to emanate from his body as he began to shrink, black feathers emerging from his body and clothes.

  "I have to leave for a short while; you can return to the safehouse I've commissioned for you."

  "S-safehouse?"

  Before I could have my question answered, Kael turned into a raven, flying off.

  ...

  Ambassador Charles, positioned at his desk within his private quarters, scribbled down notes regarding economics and the current status of Seraphis Kingdom. In the corner near the fireplace, his black and white fluffy cat was curled up on the tiled floor, purring with content. He looked at the empty food bowl in the corner of the room, feeling a little pity.

  He hadn't been able to feed the cat much for the past three weeks, often giving it his own food. He didn't know whether or not it would cause serious health concerns, but he cared more about whether or not the cat actually ate to begin with.

  Charles raised his head the moment three knocks were heard on the thick wooden door.

  "Enter, please."

  As the door slowly opened outwards, Kael's silhouette could be seen in the dark hallway, pupils flickering with a faint crimson hue. He clasped his hands together, smiling as he looked around the spacious bedroom.

  "I like what you've done with the place."

  "I-I didn't do anything; the servants simply kept it as it was." Charles stood up, approaching the taller man.

  After a quick handshake, Charles brows furrowed. "Why are you here so abhorrently late?"

  "Because you were awake; if you were asleep I wouldn't have wanted to talk with you."

  "Well, you know me and my night terrors. Did I ever tell you the one with the demons?"

  "I'm afraid not," Kael said as he sat down in an armchair, conjuring a pipe and taking a quick huff.

  "Well, I'd wake up chained to my bed, and a large, ugly demon would begin to consume me, slithering into my body, feasting on my organs."

  "Are you sure it isn't a wet dream? Because that creature sounds an awful lot like your... ninth mistress, I believe?"

  Charles' face flushed a little as he coughed under his breath, adjusting his vest. "Let's not dive into intricacies."

  "Though, I would like to hear the updates regarding your notes and reports you've been sending back to the Katshin Empire?"

  Upon hearing this, Charles scoffed. "The ones you make me write?"

  "Indeed, those ones." Kael poised one leg over the other, now smirking.

  "When you originally told me your plan, I had second thoughts. Don't assume I've changed just yet."

  "Well, the wisest of scholars always said that change is the best outcome for all situations."

  Kael suddenly snapped his fingers. Charles' breath hitches as he felt a cold, choking sensation engulf his throat, silently closing his windpipe until his face turned a sickly blueish hue. Kael stood up, approaching him as he fell unconscious.

  "I'll tell your majesty there's a traitor amongst our ranks."