Zoombieverse - Memory 2: The Knife

Part 2: The Key - Interlude 1

A few hours later...

"The boy surpassed my expectations. He managed to pull himself out of the Key's enchantment all by himself."

"I see... That's good and all but just how smoothly did things go?"

"Oh, that's not important. The boy did something no one has ever done before and at a far earlier age too."

"Focus, Master. I heard you shouting at the boy near the beginning of your session."

"Yes, well, that was a minor hiccup. We eventually made a lot of progress afterwards."

"Minor hiccup? What really happened in the beginning?"

"Well, I pulled a prank on him. You should've seen the look on his face."

"Yes, I heard that. It was hilarious. What happened afterwards?"

"We started talking about souls and I slowly guided him into forming the correct conclusion but he was rejecting it too much and I might have lost my temper."

"Might have?"

"Fine. Did have. I did become impatient and lost my temper and I ended up handling him too roughly. It scared him and it scared me to see him so scared of me like that. I almost lost my resolve when I saw him like that."

"You're too soft to handle this by yourself."

"That's why I asked for your help to keep reminding me of what I need to do."

"How did you manage to get back on track?"

"I apologized to him but he had already given up fighting. Seeing him so broken like that was painful but I kept going. I started again by giving a lecture just like I did every time I had something to teach him when he was still a child. He was more receptive to that. He always liked studying and listening to my lectures."

"And? Did he accept what he's supposed to do?"

"I told him he had a choice."

"I thought you said that he would do this one way or another, that he won't have a choice in this."

"I did. And he will. I saw it. It's inevitable. But forcing and rushing him would only drive him away from me. I have to allow him some freedom."

"Won't this affect your plan?"

"No. He's more exceptional than anyone realizes. He managed to figure out what the Keys are all by himself and he managed to get himself out of its pull."

"Just how deep did he get pulled in?"

"Deeper and faster than anyone. He almost lost his sense of self."

"Isn't that dangerous? It meant that he craved and chased after the power that thing holds, right?"

"Yes, but he eventually got out. I'm sure he'll be able to figure things out even if I let him be and get back on the right track on his own should he ever lose his way."

"So you're going to stop guiding him now?"

"No. I'll just have to do it from much farther. He's progressing much faster than I can anticipate."