The Fallen Child

Chapter 2

"Brother!?" I squeaked. "Who's your brother?"

"You. You're my adorable youngest brother who was stolen from us soon after birth. To think you would be the one who saved me." Casimir answered.

Woah, hold your horses dude. Not only are you a person who was chased by weirdos, but also a person with more than three screws loose in your head.

"I'm an orphan. I don't have a brother." I argued.

"An orphan? To think you had to go through all of your life alone... I'm ashamed that I couldn't even keep my cute little brother safe, even with guards."

Guards? This guy was a weirdo, but a high class one at that. No normal person would need, or be able to afford guards. Who exactly was this Casimir Nefertiti? I'd never heard of him, but maybe he was some rich guy's unknown, bastard child?

"Why do you think I'm your brother?" I finally asked.

"Because of that necklace. Only those with royal blood could ever wear such an item and survive."

Okay, way more than three screws loose. More like ten.

"What would happen to someone who wasn't of royal blood if they wore this choker?" I asked.

Even if it was probably just some nonsense, I was still interested. Curiosity killed the cat, and maybe even the Yami.

"It would incinerate them until nothing was left, not even their ashes."

"..."

What could I say to that? If in a one-in-a-million chance, this Casimir dude wasn't lying, then I was glad I was of this royal blood or whatever.

"I'm not buying it. I know insane things have been going on with me, but this is just ridiculous. I saved you, after seeing you in a dream and suddenly being transported to wherever the heck you were. Oh, and then I suddenly transferred back into my dorm with you, after escaping whatever invisible things those Green Cloaks had put on us. Even if all of that happened, I'm not some random royal, and certainly not your brother."

"You're definitely my brother!" He said matter of factly. "You should be eighteen this year, and on June third, you'll turn nineteen."

"I will, but how did you know that?" I questioned. "Are you a stalker?"

"No! I'm not a stalker. I would never commit actions of lowlifes. I would rather kill myself with poison."

"Intense much." I muttered under my breath.

"You may think so, but such actions are inexcusable." He stated. "Also, since you're my brother, it would be weird for me to not know your birthday. It was a day of celebration in the kingdom after all, the second child of the king was born."

"I still don't believe you. I'm not your brother. For as long as I've known, my family died when I was an infant. I don't have a family, not living at least."

"We aren't dead. You were probably told that because the orphanage caretakers were fed fake information. You were stolen on your second day of life, and taken to this world."

"This world? Are you implying that another world exists?"

"Yes. Another world does exist, however it is hidden from this world, hence the lack of knowledge about it."

I shook my head in disbelief. I could get on board with things like magic existing in the corner of the world, but the existence of another world? That just wasn't fathomable. It couldn't be real, it just couldn't.

Casimir kept his eyes locked onto me, and while his face was stoic and calm, his eyes proved otherwise. He looked... relieved. I felt a connection to him, but I had brushed it off to the side. The only thing I had for him was a slight feeling of familiarity, but that was it. I held no affection for him, much different than him who had affection for me.

"I know this may be a lot for me to ask on our first meeting, however I am going to be pushy, and ask for something that may seem ridiculous. I ask for you to trust me. Even if it is only a slight bit, I need you to trust me so that I can show you the life that was robbed from you, and offer you a chance to live that life."

After saying that, he stared directly into my eyes. I could see it, his desire. He truly wanted me to trust him, yet I couldn't allow myself to do so. I was happy with my life, and had no desire to change.

"I'll pass. I already did enough when I saved your life and paid for all of your medical bills." I stated.

I made it clear that I wanted nothing to do with the chance he was giving me. Or at least, I refused to allow myself to take the chance. I didn't know where it would lead, or if it was safe. I couldn't-- wouldn't-- embark on a journey with a stranger for sweet words. I'd already learn my lesson earlier in life when I had been abandoned by my first foster parents. I wouldn't accept someone's sweet words again.

"Bye." I said as I left.

"We will meet again, I can feel it. I hope you will rethink your decision during the time we are apart." Casimir called out.
I closed the door, choosing to remain silent instead of reply. My mood was sour, and my mind had been filled with uncertainties. I was at war against myself, torn between decisions, truths, and lies. As much as I wanted to disregard what Casimir had told me, I couldn't. Something within me wouldn't allow it.

When I arrived at the waiting area where my friends were waiting, I was a walking ball of negativity. They clearly wanted to ask what had happened, but were polite enough to wait until we had left the E.R.

Keiba paid the bill, and I was freed from all of my attachments to that person who had called me brother. As soon as we got in the car and drove off, I knew it was time to tell them what happened, or at least parts of it. I couldn't reveal the magicky, otherworldly nonsense, but I could reveal some parts.

"You guys want to know what happened, right?" I began.

I told them what I could, which left them silent for a few minutes. It was hard to process, I knew first hand since I was still in the middle of processing all of what happened.

"So, this random guy Cashmir Nef-whatever-" Keiba started.

"Casimir Nefertiti." I corrected.

"Well, this guy, Casimir Nefertiti, thinks that you're his younger brother and invited you to live with him?" Keiba continued. "Clearly, he's got a couple screws loose inside that head of his."

"Yami, like Keiba said, that guy has some... issues. I don't think that you have a bad life, and there is no reason to risk everything over the words of a stranger, who I bet you is a foreigner." Cecilia reasoned. "Just think of his words as the ramblings of a madman."

"Yeah, my sister's right. His words are of no importance to you. You're about to go to college, and dip your feet into adulthood. You have no reason to leave everything behind for some sketchy guy." Ivan added.

"You guys are right."I concluded.

I knew they were right in a sense, but I just couldn't put his words away and disregard them like I would the musings of Marcus. It didn't seem like my conflict would go away.