“Time is our essence. And I haven’t had much of it now. Besides, I can’t keep depending on you to spare me your energy,” he coughs and dry heaves.

With only his cane to support him, he makes his effort to push open an arch double door revealing a room big enough to fill it with hundreds of lives. In the middle of it sets a flat stone that makes it appear as a stage.

On the floor of the room, twelve runes are designed in twelve sectors as if forming a large clock on the floor. Up on the ceiling is a large opening that casts down the light from the sun onto the flat stone.

“The Blood Moon is almost upon us and when it does I shall be reborn,” he stands on top of the stone looking up into the sky. “She is the key. I need her ready by then,” he coughs again and his legs buckle underneath him. He kneels on the floor gripping onto his cane.

“Master,” he rushes over to help him up but is waved away. “You need to go easy on yourself especially in this state. You are not strong enough,” he moves to hold him steady as he stands. With raging breath, he slaps his hand away and glares at him through his lashes. A smile suddenly splits his face and a low chuckle comes from his throat.

“Don’t pretend as if you are concern of my well-being. I can tell that you’re enjoying the sight of me weak,” he says quietly but his tone is flat. L stands there lowering his head apologetically as if he had done him wrong. “You hated me since the very beginning. But there’s no denying that you needed me as much as I needed you,” he continues walking pass him and back to where they had entered.

“Tell me, do you remember that night when I saved you?” he asks out of the blue. He looks up at him in surprise and his expression changed from shocked to cold.

“I remember it very well, Master,” he follows him suit closing the door behind him.

He recalls back to the day when his parents was murdered. Yes, murdered. And it was planned. The parents of the other children wanted him dead. So they began tracking him down. After hearing rumours about his family was in the capital, they took it as their only chance to strike.

Both of his parents were killed cold-heartedly by an assassin right in front of him. He watched them died in horror. Their screams were filled with agony and he was too afraid to even react. He was too petrified to even notice the assassin making his way towards him. He caught something flashing from the man’s hand and caught a glimpse of a dagger and he had raised it for a strike.

Stumbling upon his feet, he made a run for it and headed into the woods. Running as fast as he could. He could here footsteps chasing after him. He heard the words of a threat coming from behind him but he blocked them out knowing that if he stopped he too would share the same fate as his parents.

The sharp edges of branches and tripping over a few rocks had made a few cuts on his skin. Leaving behind a trail of blood and a sting of excruciating pain.

He ran and ran until somehow he found himself standing in front of a rocky wall. By the time he turned around, it was already too late. The man had reached him before he could think of another move. He was trapped. He took a few steps back until he reached the side of the wall.

“I got you now, boy. There’s no way to run,” the man hissed. Twirling the blade in his hand as if he was taunting him. His eyes were wide and filled with tears. His heart was thumping hard against his chest. He backed up against the wall, hoping that somehow in would magically open up into an escape. But in this case, he was too afraid to even come up with an escape.

He closed his eyes and dug his fingers at his sides as the man launched himself towards him with the tip of the dagger aiming towards his heart. A moment passed and even with his eyes closed he could see a faint light shining in front of him. Cautiously, he opened them to see a hooded figure standing before him raising the assassin up in the air by the neck and his weapon was dropped to the ground with a clang sound.

“Now, why would someone be so cruel as to attempt to kill a child in the middle of the woods? Well I never,” the hooded figure said. “I can’t possibly imagine it. What had this boy done that is so terrible? Care to explain yourself?” he continued mockingly.

He gripped on the hooded man’s hand, choking out his words. He loosened his hold on his neck giving him the opportunity to speak.

“They hired me to kill him and his parents. I’m only doing it for the money,” he said breathlessly.

“Who?” the hooded man demanded raising him up a little higher.

“The rich folks in town. They wanted him dead for what he did to their brats,” he replied. Struggling in his grip.

“And what exactly did he do to them?”

“I don’t know. I heard that he almost killed them after they beat him up in a damn stable.”

“Almost killed them? Meaning they are still alive. Now, I don’t think that that is even remotely fair for them to want him dead. Not to mention that they were the ones who started it.”

“Whatever you say, man. Look, I was only doing what I was paid for, okay?”

A low chuckle escaped from his lips. He lowered him down close enough so that he could hear his whisper.

“Imbeciles like you amuse me,” he laughed. “It’s a shame I have to kill you,” with a flick of his fingers, the dagger was drawn straight through the man’s chest making him gasped. He released him from his grip, letting him fall to the ground and laid on his side with the blade planted in the middle of his chest where it is now stained with blood.

The hooded man his heels making him backed himself up against the wall once more. He knelt in front of him and drew back his hood while he just stood there not knowing whether he should thanked him for saving his life. That is if he really attended to save him in the first place.

“I’m sorry you had to see that,” he said. He looked at him from head to toe examining his wounds. He looked at him as if asking for permission and waved his hand in front of him. The cuts were healed without a scar in sight.

“There. Good as new,” he said with a crooked smile. “A man needs to be brave and stand up for himself even if the whole world turns against him. Never show them that you are afraid.”

He looked down on his hands and legs that were all healed up as if he didn’t tear the skin open before. His expression was unreadable.

“What is your name, boy?” he asked him bringing him back to reality. There was a long pause before he spoke.

“L,” he looked up and their eyes met. “My name is L.” The man’s expression was blank. He wasn’t sure why. Perhaps he didn’t really care what his name is.

“Get out of here, L,” he said as he stood up. “The woods is no place for children.” As he was about to walk away, L had called out to him.

“Wait,” he said. “That thing that you just did with the dagger. How did you do that? Do you have powers too?” he asked him.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about kid,” he ignored the boy and kept on walking.

“I know what you are,” L said following after him until he reached his side.

“Do you now?” Even in the dark, he could see that he wasn’t looking at him.

“Yes. We are alike. I can do that too,” he said bluntly. The man had finally stopped on his track and towered over his small frame.

“Believe me. I am one of a kind. There is no one in the world that can do what I do,” he said with pride.

“I can prove it to you,” L replied. Persistent to convince him of what he can do.

“By all means. Prove it,” he said folding his arms over his chest. He looked around him and caught side of a boulder just a few feet away. He held out his hands in front of him and tried to lift it up. Unfortunately, it didn’t budge. He tried it again. This time he pushed himself a little harder but failed. He dropped his hands to his side feeling beads of sweat trickling down at the side of his face. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see him before he straightened himself up.

“Perhaps, another time,” he said before turning to leave once again.

“I am an outcast,” he said aloud making him stop at his track. “All my life, people look at me like I’m a freak. A monster. Just because I was different from them. They all hated me. Every day I would wake up wishing that what I had would somehow disappear overnight. But here I am. Standing in the middle of the woods. My parents are dead and I was chased all the way here by someone who was paid to kill me. Just because I was different. Well you know what? Screw them. I don’t care of what they think of me anymore. I will make them pay. I will make them suffer for what they did to me. For what they did to my parents. I will kill them all if it is the last thing I do. You know that I speak the truth about us being alike. You heard him said it himself.” He pointed at the dead man that was lying in his own pool of blood.

“Mark my words. They will share the same faith as he did once I am strong enough. And I will be strong enough.” Once he had finished, the boulder had suddenly split in half as well as the wall behind him. His breathing was raged and his hands were balled up into fists at his side.

The man stared at him and his expression was unreadable. He looked as if he didn’t see the large crack that was now visible on the wall. He just stared at him as if he was trying to get more out of him.

“That all sounds great, kid. But why are you telling me this? A stranger that you’d just met. For all you know, maybe I’m a paid assassin too,” he said as a matter of fact

“If I’m wrong about you having powers like I do and that you are an assassin, then go ahead and kill me. I’m tired of running,” he said with a stern voice. “But if I’m right, I want you to take me in as your apprentice.” They stared at each other the longest time before the man began to speak.

“You’ve got a lot of nerve, don’t you, kid?” he asked rhetorically. “Look, kid. I’m not interested in getting myself an –“ he paused. He tilted his head to the side and scrubbed on his stubbles. After a few moments of silence, there was a smile carved up on his lips. The kind of smile that clearly radiates evil intentions. “Hmm. I may have a use for you,” he mumbled to himself.

“Come. We have much to do and so little time,” he said. L was taken aback by his sudden agreement. “Oh and by the way. Before we begin our little adventure together. I am the one they call Garrowix,” he flashed him a wicked smile. Without a single doubt, he followed him from behind and they vanished among the trees.

Once they had reached back to his mansion, he told Hanjoon of the tragedy that had struck them. Altering the truth by saying that it was an animal attack instead of a murder. He didn’t want Hanjoon to know of his plan and it would be better if he could keep him out of it. It was their secret and theirs alone. In exchange for his coaching, L had sworn his loyalty to him and would assist him in any way he can. Including, literally sparing some of his energy for Garrowix every now and then by letting him channel his powers to keep him going.

Despite the fact that L grows stronger every day, the channelling attempt is too risky to the point that if he exceeds it he would eventually end up dead. But most of the time, it only weakens him. He would usually return home with his skin pale, bleeding nose and a high fever. Nevertheless, he manages to hide his condition from his housekeeper by coming up with excuses.

He would always return late at night or early in the morning while everyone is still asleep and leave out instructions for Hanjoon like leaving his meals in front of his room and etc. It has been that way for so long that Hanjoon had grown not to ask questions and just do as he is told.

She finds it hard to sleep lately. She often stays up late exercising her powers or read a book until she drifts off to slumberland.

Lying in her bed with a spell book on her lap, she is just about to let her drowsiness take over until she heard a noise. A cricking sound of an open door and the squeaking of the wooden floor. She hears the sound of footsteps and looks at the clock on her bedside table and her brows furrow. It’s 3:08 am. Why would Hanjoon be up this late? she wonders.

She pushes the covers off of her and goes out of her room.