The Overlord Trilogy: The Darkness

6 • Life's Coin

Sixteen Years Ago

Mystery Man sighs as he walks down the dirt path to his home, cherry blossoms lining the pathway to his porch. His son, James, ran outside shrieking with joy at the sight of his father. Mystery Man's heart beat quickens as he approaches his son, moving as if James is a tactical nuke more than a six year old kid. 

"Papa!" James runs over and jumps into Mystery Man's arms, hugging him tightly. Mystery Man winces as the back of James' shirt shifts, part of it cut as one of the spikes comes out. 

"Where is your mother?" James turns and points back towards the house, Mystery Man's wife standing in the kitchen. Mystery Man puts James back on the ground, patting his head and smiling nervously before walking up the porch. 

"Welcome home Jake." Mystery Man, Jake, shut the front door behind him as James ran upstairs acting like he was an airplane. 

"Katherine... We need to talk." Katherine turned off the sink and sighed, drying her hands off on a towel before sitting down at the kitchen table, Jake sitting across from her. Jake kept his voice low as he began to speak, leaning closer to his wife. "He is too dangerous to keep here... He needs to leave." Katherine put a shaking hand to her face, rubbing the bridge of her nose before looking down at the table. "I know it is going to be hard to let our son go but... He is a demon, no normal child has what he has." 

"I-I can't do that to him Jake... We chose to have a child and we need to keep to that don't we?" Jake grabbed his wife's hands, looking her straight in the eye. 

"We chose to have a child, not whatever he is." Katherine nodded. 

"Y-You're right... We'll give send him off in the next shuttle..." Jake smiled and hugged Katherine, tears running down Katherine's face. 

"I know it's hard Katherine but we're doing the right thing. We can have another kid once he's gone, we can have a normal life." 

"Two days... That's all I ask Jake... Just let him be with us for tomorrow and then he can go." Jake frowned but nodded, hugging Katherine. 

"What's wrong Mommy?" Jake and Katherine pulled away quickly, Katherine wiping her tears away as James stood in the doorway. 

"N-Nothing dear, I'm fine. Are you ready for bed?" Katherine stood up and wiped her hands on her pants, smiling and walking over to James. 

"Yep!" James nodded and smiled wide, some of his teeth missing. Katherine ushered him upstairs, walking up after him. "Can I stay up a little later Mommy?" Katherine laughed as she brought James into the bedroom. 

"Sorry honey but you have to go to bed, you need to rest. Tomorrow is a big day." James frowned but got into bed, laying down on his side. 

"Can you read me a story?" Katherine nods, sitting down on the bed. 

~ ~ ~

"I'm off to work." Jake walks into the kitchen, kissing Katherine goodbye and patting James on the head before grabbing a cup of coffee and walking out the door. Before he goes Katherine and Jake share a glance, hundreds of words being spoken silently in seconds. Jake walked outside, shutting the door behind him. Walking down the road in the early hours of the day always brung him peace, the songs sung by the birds in harmony with the world around him. 

The peace was soon interrupted by the bustling city of Overgaard, a new found hub on the planet of Gaia. He pushed his way through the sidewalks of the busy city and stumbled upon his building, walking up to the entrance.