29 years before The Split
I started making my way through the forest, climbing over logs, jumping over mud puddles, and pushing through thorn bushes.
Eventually, I made it to the river where Steve and I met, on the side he was on. When I got there, I sat down and held the sword in my lap.
I tried my absolute hardest to resist the anxiety I got from being near it. Unfortunately, I failed, and eventually tossed it a few feet away to my left.
Why? Why am I so scared of this thing?
...
I've seen deadly weapons before. Heck, I just dodged a freaking tank shell. So why are these swords so terrifying?
...
I sat in silence for a few minutes, not thinking anything. I just stared at the forest below the waterfall, and the battle that raged on just past it.
...
I looked down at my hands, trying to spark the red electricity that formed earlier. It took a couple tries, but I managed to do it after a minute. I looked at the electricity, trying to make sense of it.
Why is this electricity appearing? I know it isn't because of the swords, because I'm able to activate the electricity just fine without either of them in my hands.
The electricity shot rapidly between my fingers; in a random and chaotic order. Though, when my mind randomly thought of a deer, the electricity started shooting between my fingers in a pattern; in a controlled manner.
After a moment, a deer materialized in front of me. After processing it, I thought Did... did I do that?
The deer walked towards me, and when I tried to pet it's snout, it gladly accepted it.
Huh. I wonder if...
I thought of the deer disappearing, and it did exactly that. It popped painlessly out of existence, which gave me a realization.
Is... is this magic? Can I control magic?
"So, son, I take it you've discovered your powers," my father asked, now standing in front of me.
"D-did you know about my p-powers?"
"I didn't know what they were, just that you were going to have powers."
"H-huh?"
"You see, there are a few powers that are shared between Grim Reapers and Knumans, plus some additional powers based on the 'roles' they were assigned at birth," Robert explained.
"R-roles?"
"Each Grim Reaper and Knuman, as they are born, are assigned specific emotions and materials that they can control, and gain powers from."
"W-what assigns them t-their powers?"
"They aren't really assigned anything, they're just born with the ability to control those things."
"D-do you know what I-I control?"
"No, and that's part of the reason why I didn't know your powers. Another reason... is because you're only half-Grim Reaper. You're human as well, and, well, when a Grim Reaper or Knuman has an offspring with a human, the offspring doesn't get the powers regular Grim Reapers and Knumans get."
"Though there are some cases of offsprings getting powers that act as substitutes for their missing powers." As he said this, a black tendril-like thing came out of his back, and he slowly stroked it like a cat.
"B-but I still got magic, t-though. And you said Grim Reapers c-control magic."
"Sort of. Grim Reapers can only use magic, while you seem to be able to make it as well."
"H-how can you t-tell?"
"I just know... son."
...
"W-wait. You said b-both materials and e-emotions. I-I think I understand what y-you mean by m-materials... but emotions... can I control when I h-have the emotion I c-control?"
"No, unfortunately. In fact, sometimes they experience the emotion they control in more extreme ways."
"What h-happens if a Grim Reaper's m-material to control is G-Grim Reapers themselves? C-can they automatically control what they c-control?"
Robert laughed, then said "No. Even if that was a real thing, it'd be useless. It is impossible to forcefully change the form of a Grim Reaper or Knuman, and it' also impossible to gain a Knuman's or Grim Reaper's control over specific materials or emotions while that Knuman or Grim Reaper is still alive."
"Trust me, I've tried to do both," he added.
...
"O-One last question."
"What is it son," he asked, kneeling down to let us meet at eye level.
"W-why am I so terrified of the s-swords of c-creation?"
Robert looked over to the sword that lay on the ground, then chuckled.
"Because you're a Grim Reaper. Well, half one. It's a defense mechanism which prevents most Grim Reapers from using it. I mean, it'd be pretty stupid to let the weapons specifically designed to kill Grim Reapers be used by a Grim Reaper."
"I..."
Robert looked behind him, then said "I need to go. Goodbye, son."
"Goodbye, father," I said, watching as he turned into a black, gas-like liquid and sank into the ground.
"I l-love you," I whispered hesitantly .
...
After a moment, Steve charged through the forest, jumped across the stones in the river, and then ran straight into my chest, his arms squeezing me like I was about to turn to dust in front of him.
"H-hey, what's wrong," I asked him concerned.
"My parents... I-Issac, Dylan... a-all of them."
"Hey, breath," I said, no stuttering present in my voice whatsoever.
I tried to figure out what to do, but before I could my body instinctually grabbed Steve by the cheeks, forcing him to look into my eyes, and I asked him "Please, Steve, what's wrong?"
"I...," Steve sighed, his voice breaking, before he said "They're dead. Everybody. You... you're the only one I have left."
No... Dad, that's... too far. You didn't even leave Issac or Dylan to watch over him, I thought.
He probably thinks that if Steve has nobody to raise him, he'll have to process it all by himself, which'll result in him being emotionally destroyed, Fear reasoned.
I wanted to tell Fear something like it not being worth it if this is was what it will take to emotionally destroy someone... but I instead said focused on comforting Steve, saying "Shh, shh, it's okay. You're with me now... you're safe."
"What will we do," Steve sniffled as his tears finally broke through and he buried his face into my chest.
"We'll survive."
"Robert, he'll try to come for us. He'll...," Steve tried to continue, but all that resulted in was his crying getting more intense.
"Don't worry about that right now. We still have each other, which means that no matter what happens...," I said, my left arm holding him and my right hand gently stroking his hair.
"We do this together," Steve sniffled.
After he said this, I looked up at the sky, and saw a massive yellow lightning bolt streak across the night sky.
Amen, Brother!
YOU ARE READING
Accidents Made Right 1: Pistanthrophobia
Fantasy"Grief can blind us if you let it consume you." Steve Berkan, the smartest man alive still coming to terms with his own sexuality, and Rowan Griggs, a shy soul who believes everything people say about him. As two men on opposite sides of the same w...
