Crimson Eyes

Chapter 20

The funeral ended in two hours, it was quick like Deruth had ordered. He couldn't take the lost of his dear wife. It was too hard for him.

The sky was black and the twinkling stars were barely visible thanks to the strong rainfall earlier that afternoon.

Deruth was walking his way to thier room, he had his hands on the door knob. He wish, that beyond that door, his wife would be sitting as usual reading books while drinking her favorite tea. He wished so bad. But he never could bring himself to open the door and look what's beyond.

He's scared of the emptiness Jour had left him.

"Father?" It was Cale, behind him was his butler Ron. Cale walked up to him and stare at his eyes.

Deruth couldn't handle the truth. It's just him and Cale now.

Tears started to flow down his eyes.

"Father? Not daddy?" Deruth asked laughing bitterly thinking his son would just ignore the tears.

Cale didn't answered.

"..."

"..."

The awkward silence fill the corridor.
Deruth smiled and turned back a lite embarrassed. "It's late, you should head to bed now."

"Father," Deruth turned back, Cale purses his dry lips, "do you need a hug?"

Deruth, not being able to control his emotions, dropped on his knees and cried. Tears flowed down his eyes like waterfalls and Cale embraced his father.

"It's going to be alright, not now, but soon we'll be able to accept it." Cale said in a tiny voice. His father hugged him back.

"It's going to be okay..."

After that encounter, Cale didn't saw his father again. Not in meal times, hallway, or even outside. When he tries to visit him, Hans would tell him that the Count is busy now Jour's works are handed down to him too.

You need to be strong.

Cale didn't looked for his father again. Instead he focused on his swordsmanship and trained hard. He kept the king's words to his hearth. He doesn't want to be a burden to his father, so he tried his best.

"Ron, have you seen father eat his meals?" Cale asked as he stare at the white roses.

"Yes young master, my son said Hans would go there on time to get the Count's food." The old man flashed a smile. The smile looked strange to Cale but he brushed it off.

"I see," Cale spoke and smiled a little. "That's a relief then."

"Did you know? There's a rumor that a young man living in the Forest of Darkness. I heard he was very strong," One of the maids whispered to the other servants.

"Yeah, I heard he was very strong and good looking!"

"Really? How does he look like?"

"He looks foreign I heard and..."

I need to be strong.

Cale didn't listened to their chattering. He made his mind up. He's going to the Forest of Darkness and ask the man to teach him how to get stronger.

Later that night, Cale had packed up a small knife for defense and wore his most comfortable clothes topped with a cape.

He sneaked out, luckily not getting caught. His butler Ron was out to the Capital City by the Count's order to get some business done so it was a perfect chance for him.

I need to get stronger.

Cale didn't looked back at the his house and headed to the Forest of Darkness with only his lamp giving him directions.

Inside the Forest of Darkness, a white creature wondered around killing monsters for fun. Then it heard a rustle of the grass. Those people with black Capes had been chasing him. They already injured him badly on their last face off and once again, they're after him.

The creature bared it's sharp fangs and claws, ready to attack the prey, but instead, a small child appeared.

"H-hello?" Cale spoke out in fear. His knees were shaking from fear. He regret entering the forest, he wanted to go back but due to the darkness, he only got lost on his way out.

A white giant creature appeared Infront of him. Cale yelped and fell on his butt. The lamp broke and the gas started to spread on the grass. In just a moment, Cale was surrounded by a giant flame.

But he just stared at the creature Infront of him.

Two words came out of his mouth.

"Pretty dragon..."

The white creature scoffed at the cute child.

"You're not scared?" The dragon spoke. It's face was being lit up by the flames, yellow eyes staring at the brown tiny orbs, both were full of curiosity.

The child shook it's head and the hood of it's cape fell revealing a red hair that suited the flames behind him.

The dragon laughed a little and blew out the huge fire behind Cale.

The child's red hair fluttered with the strong wind and gasped. He didn't realized the fire was getting large.

The creature just smirked at sight, it was adorable.

"Are you a dragon?" Cale asked standing up.

The dragon then was surrounded by golden glitter and disappeared-no he turned into a beautiful man with white long hair and glowing golden eyes and visible long lashes. He was the most beautiful man Cale had ever seen. But what caught Cale's attention the most was the wound on its legs and multiple scars in the man's arm.

"You're hurt..."

The man tucked his hair behind his ear, something about the child smells good and familiar.

"I'm Cale Henituse..." Cale introduced after observing the human form of the dragon.

The man smiled and placed it's hand on Cale's red hair. "I'm Eruhaben."