The Ghost's Shadows

Chapter 38

Ajax POV

"Argh! Come on!" 

Looking at my reflection through a random glass shard I found on the floor, I tried to open my injured forcefully left eye. I could barely open it, revealing a pitch-black sclera and a white dot where the pupil would be. When I managed to open it somewhat, everything seemed blurry, and dark smoke fluctuations floated and twirled around me.

"You won't heal it if you keep forcing it open..." Jester could be seen leaning on a tree smoking his black cigarette. 

I sigh. "Something is going on with it. I know it." 

"I believe in your techniques," Zack added to my chaos. 

"Please do not make him indulge in dangerous activities, Zachary. Bare in mind, Ajax, that you were under the influence of the Carrion Veil, Hana's semblance, and my shadows. Who knows, maybe your eye only works with the Carrion Veil."

As I let go of my eye, the wound reopened, bleeding slightly.

"It's bleeding again.." Zack emphasized.

"Fuck..." I wipe the blood off with my sleeve. "Why isn't my Aura healing it?"

"Perhaps it's not protected by it."

Zack intervenes.

"G, where are we going again? I don't have an idea since I just tagged along." Zack questions looking around the woods.

"We're going to my old house," I answer with a hint of annoyance from the memories held there.

"Why though?"

"I knew my father kept secrets from us, so maybe he has answers for my eye or something related to it."

Zack's cheery attitude quickly shifted to a more serious one. "Do you think that's a good idea?"

I shrug. "I don't see why not?"

"G, your father was a serial killer. Do you think it's a good idea to look around his stuff?"

"He's also my father, unfortunately. I need to. I can't just go around with one eye fighting Grimm," I inhale and exhale sharply. "There are people out there for me."

"Ajax, are you sure you want to face what may lay there?" Jester lobs his cigar on the ground and squishes it. "You know your father wasn't the safest person out there. He kept many secrets, some of which may be best kept buried."

"I am very aware, thank you," My voice getting more annoyed by the moment. "It's something I have to do to understand how I work.

"Alright," Zack's attitude changes again back to his cheery one. "Whatever your father kept hidden is nothing against me and Sirius!" 

He takes swiftly Sirius out from its sheath and raises it pridefully. My annoyance was quickly replaced with a slight smile. 

"I don't know how you're always with that energy, since day one. How do you do it?" I ask Zack, whose face suddenly tensed up.

"I have always been this way. Believe it or not, I used to be a mercenary." I looked at him with a puzzled look. 

"Suddenly your skills make sense..." Jester murmurs.

"Is that so?" I add

"Yeah... Since I was a kid I had been in that sort of business. My parents weren't harsh to me, but they fell victim to the job."

I put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Zack." 

"It's fine! I kept doing jobs since that was the only thing I knew how to do," he pauses, "I figured that dwelling in the past wasn't an option for me, since I was a small bean."