The Clockmaker's Shadow | ONC 2021 | LGBT

17. Reveal

(Author's Note: This chapter is dedicated to MochaVonBee and her ONC story, Northworld Girl , a sweet romance set in a dystopian world)

"Who is Jaxon?" asked Ned.

"My brother," admitted Rik. A small furore ensued as Aron and Ned began to pepper him with questions.

"Your brother?" cried Aron. "How the Hell could you have a monster for a brother?"

"What does that mean? Following you from world to world?" That was Ned.

Rik looked up at the two agitated men standing over him. Aron's face was red with stress and his fists were clenched. Ned looked calmer but his brows were raised, demanding answers.

Rik took a deep breath.

"I'll tell you what I know, but can we all sit down, please? Perhaps Aron would like a glass of brandy, too?" he asked, attempting to lower the emotional intensity.

"Of course," murmured Ned, his host instinct taking over. He crossed over to the decanter and poured a glass for Aron. Then he topped up the other two glasses, before taking a seat opposite Rik.

Aron stayed standing for a moment, radiating tension, before he dragged a chair back from the fire and sat, his left foot bouncing uncontrollably. He swallowed the drink in two gulps.

"Let me start with what I know, and then we can try and make sense of the rest."

"But-" Aron interrupted, full of impatience to get the answers he needed.

"Please. Just listen for a moment. As you said earlier, this is going to sound crazy to anyone who hasn't experienced it for themselves. For a start, I was born on another world, or perhaps to be more precise, a different version of this world-"

"Another world? That's ridiculous! How can you expect us to swallow this fairytale?" This time it was Ned who interrupted, his face flushed with annoyance.

Aron however was nodding, slowly. Bizarrre as it sounded, this fitted with what he had already gathered from the monster inside him.

"Just listen. Please." Rik was prepared to be patient. He understood how incredible his story must sound, which was why he had never tried to tell anyone else before. "Imagine that there are numerous versions of this world, all existing at once but in different dimensions. Each world has its own history, its own technology and its own people. They are all independent and no-one knows that the others exist."

"Except for you," interspersed, Ned, in dry tones.

"Except for me," agreed Rik. "For some reason, I am able to travel from one world to another."

"But how? Do you have a magic bicycle to ride between worlds?" Ned asked with more than a touch of sarcasm.

Rik swallowed, feeling unreasonably upset by Ned's antagonism. To his surprise, Aron spoke up in his defence, frowning at the other man.

"Be quiet, Ned, this isn't helping. Carry on, Rik. Please."

"I don't have a special vehicle, or a device, it's just something I think I was born with. A talent... skill... power... whatever word you like to use. It developed as I grew up. And if I'm right, Jaxon developed the same talent later, except that in his case, evidently something went horribly wrong."

Both men were quiet, waiting for him to continue.

"Well, look at me," Rik pointed to himself and stood up, spinning around on the spot. "I look like everyone else. I'm a man just like you, flesh and blood that you can see and touch. This is how I was in my own world and I haven't changed, except to grow a bit older."

"But your brother... J-Jaxon? Was he-?" Aron stumbled over the name.

"Human, just like me. He was twelve years old when I left and a normal boy. To become... to look like what you have described... " he turned to Aron. "All I can think of, is that something terrible happened when he tried to use his talent. Something that changed him into what he is today."

Until that moment, Rik had been feeling oddly detached, while he struggled with trying to explain himself to the other two men, but now the import of what he had been saying, struck him like a punch to the stomach.

This was his brother they were talking about. His little brother, who by all accounts had turned into some sort of terrifying monster. And suddenly he knew, with sickening certainty, exactly who had killed Nat and Ari. He sank back into his chair. He thought he was going to be sick.

He jumped as someone thrust a glass of brandy into his hand.

"Drink this," said Ned, gruffly. "You've gone as white as a sheet."

Rik swallowed, grateful for the distraction.

Aron was staring at him intently, as if waiting for an answer and Rik realized he had zoned out for a moment.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"So how do I get him to go away? I was hoping you would know. That's why I came."

His face twisted in anguish as he saw Rik's expression of dismay.

"I can't bear this! He has to get out of my head and leave me alone!"

Aron's voice rose with every word and his hands fisted in his hair. Before Rik or Ned could react, he leaped forward and thrust his face toward the fire.

"What are you doing?" cried Rik, even as he saw Aron draw back almost immediately, panting.

Aron closed his eyes for a moment. Ned and Rik held their breath waiting for him to explain.

"He doesn't like the light!"

Aron's face relaxed and he opened his eyes. He gave a tentative smile.

"I think he's gone..."