The Last Crimson King : An Original Story!

Chapter 13 : War

I found out that the mother I had grown up with wasn't my real mother when I was eleven. Claire, my real mother, had told me. She thought I was ready to learn the truth, that I was old enough. Sure, I acted more mature than my age but... I wasn't ready.

I immediately looked for her. Of course, being eleven at the time, I got nowhere. Then, my dad showed up. For the first time in my life. He told me where she was, but to only observer her and not go near her.

I should have listened.

When I knocked on the door of her house, there was no answer even though I had seen her through the window. She had seen me; we'd made eye contact.

Then I found that the door was unlocked. I twisted the knob and pushed in to find that she...
She'd hung herself. The thing is, she was just fine when I saw her through the window. That can only mean one thing : She hung herself because of me.

---

Naomi watched as King retold the story of his mother, the pain and anguish twisting his facial features as he recalled every detail he could remember. He then shook his head after mentioning that his mother had killed herself because of his presence.

"I... She was looking at the door with blank eyes, almost as if knowing that I'd be there. I still see that face when I sleep." King said before grabbing his white t-shirt and wiping his eyes.

Naomi was speechless. She could very vividly see that King was suffering over the past trauma and that he still hadn't gotten over it. She'd wanted to help him, to ease his pain but she couldn't think of anything to say that would help.

King suddenly stood from his place, throwing on a new shirt and using his old damp shirt to wipe his eyes.

"So your adopted mother-" Naomi began.

"Step-mother. My father remarried two years after I was born." King quickly corrected.

"Your step-mother... she's been taking care of you this entire time?"

"Like I was her own kid." King replied. A memory of his step-mother suddenly slid into his mind.

---

"Lance, it's time for lunch!" His mother, Claire, called. Of course, being the age of 9 at the time, Lance hadn't known that the person he had always called his mother was his stepmother.

"On my way!" Lance shouted as he quickly washed his hands under the bathroom faucet then rocketed down the stairs.

"Did you sleep well?" Claire asked, giggling to herself as Lance landed in his chair. The image of Lance's legs wrapped around the giant teddy bear that was 4 feet in height that Vincent had brought home one day popped into her mind. That was last night after both Claire and Lance had finished watching a movie together. He seemed so peaceful, so relaxed that Claire didn't want to move him. Claire also doubted that she would be able to considering his grip on the ginormous teddy bear.

"Mhmm." Lance replied, stuffing his face with bacon and pancakes. Claire smiled at him.

"You know that I love you very much, right Lance?" Claire asked him. Lance nodded his head before swallowing his food.

"I love you too, Mommy." Claire turned back to the stove, wiping her hands on her apron.

"Lance, go and call your sister when you're done."

---

King stopped the memory, not wanting to remember his older sister. He took a deep sigh before several explosions came from Nouva City. Naomi and King's heads quickly snapped in the explosion's directions, both of them thinking the same thing: Nouva City was under attack.

"That explosion... it came from the direction my house was in." King breathed before hurriedly launching himself into the air and flying towards his house. He flew at full speed, allowing him to easily return to what used to be his home. Instead of the large, block-like house that used to stand there, King was met with the rubble and flames. Naomi, who couldn't keep up with King's speed, gently landed behind him.

"Wha..." Naomi gasped. She suddenly noticed that King was slowly walking towards a pile of rubble, his legs moving as if he was scared to touch the floors. As soon as he reached the rubble, he fell to his knees.

"Mom..." King said with a shaky voice, his hands reaching out to hold his mother's hand. His mother's arm was burnt, but still whole. The rest of her body was buried under the rubble.

"King..." Naomi breathed as several more explosions came from around them.

"Nouva City is... being attacked!?"

"Naomi... leave. Now." King said with a stern yet quiet voice.

"Ah... uh... sure thing." Naomi replied before turning around and flying towards Gale's house.

"Mom..." King said as the image of his real mother hanging from the ceiling of her house popped into his mind. He could still see the dead, empty look in her eyes. Then, as he held his mother's scorched hand, the tears poured from his eyes.

---

Naomi arrived at Gale's house, only to find that it too had been reduced to rubble. Gale was standing amidst the rubble, moving rocks here and there.

"Gale?" Naomi asked, a sad tone in her voice.

"They're fine. I was home with them when they attacked." Gale responded as he pulled a ripped backpack from the rubble.

"They?"

"The Demons."