Kybernetik: Pater

The rush of blood ringing up inside your ears. That cold sting within your throat when gasping for fresh air.

"That was uncalled for."

"You're his father. Teach him how to behave and act like a boy!"

"Ugh, let him be. He's just a child.."

"Tell me, honestly. Jack, do you find that behaviour normal for a boy?"

"This doesn't justify what you did just now! Smashing glass into his face because he's not being your boy?"

"Oh please, I knew this was going to happen again. You know what I said last time, Jack. One more time and I'm done. Done with you. Done with this house and done with whatever you're going to raise that thing to become."

"Please don't. Don't talk about Leo that way."

"I'd rather free myself than to deal with that thing and his cursed father. I can't live withn this shit anymore. Understand that, Jack. Goodbye."

"Wait!"

.

.

.

.

"She left. She left, huh? Listen Leo, it's not because of you that she left. This whole thing is complicated and none of it is your fault, please try to understand.

Leo's tears were filled with a heat that only flames could resemble. It was like his body was left frozen when his mother had passed through the doors pushing Leo's head against the wall. It was so hard, he could barely process the pain. To his mother he was alike a rose that she hoped would die soon.

His father held him with a comforting hug, yet the boy was still too shaken and the rush of blood began to fill up to his ears again.

*Thud*

Passing by, people were looking at Leo and tried avoiding him. He'd been wandering with a lowered head bumping into other shoulders. He felt cold. Yet somehow there was this fierce heat inside his heart. He hated it. The feeling of grief or anger staining his thought and mind.

He gasped, he felt awakened again. It was something special.

A strong atmosphere that held warmth over friends yet bestowed coldness upon the unwanted.

The people had made way for their King.

Silence depressed noise and created pressure.

The people understood and with the king's nods they started leaving King's Way. It was dark; it had begun to rain and pour and the wind was more than just a breeze.

Jack looked at Leo. He saw his child. He saw another adult.

"Leo."

One could feel the raindrops smashing against the ground.

"I. Uhm.. I-"

Leo extended his right arm, opened his hand and closed it with force.

His eyes expressed frustration.

His movements caused the street's level to drop into the ground. It was cracked everywhere and the people were running away in fear. They fled.

He demonstrated his rage towards his father.

It pained Jack Roseblood to see his child had become aware of wielding Will.

"I'm here to take the crown." "I'll do nothing but look, Leo." "Then, make sure to take a good last look at your failure of a son, King." Jack looked at him but couldn't recognize him. He heard a loud click in his heart and his body started to feel heavier and heavier. Imagine having a weight hung onto your heart that is dragging you down as you're in constant fear of having it ripped open and your life flung out. His own body had been manipulated to listen to Leo's Will. The king had been outclassed there and then.

His people watched carefully from a safe distance.

"Hey, you stop this right now!" "Call for help, even if it's the WM!" A middle-aged woman, enraged and entitled, walked up toward Leo,

but it would take only a few steps for her to realize that it was the king's own son

which had run away ten years ago. Everyone about the same age as the king would recognize Leo's remarkable face from when he was younger. Although his body bore new wounds, his face kept the same sweet charm from back then.

She told the others, fast. And everyone decided to leave Leo to his father, for he had warned them that this day would have to come, eventually.

The storm had finally too, reached Londinium.

Jack smiled at Leo. "What. What are you smiling about?" "Well.. they're gone now and with that I think it's my turn."

Leo puked out blood. "Wha-" His insides were ripped out and stained the street red which was then mixed with the rain and he finally hit the street with his head, landing it in one big reddish puddle. The king was considered the one who wields the strongest Will.

Leo knew that. And he still wasn't dead. In fact,

nothing of the sort had happended since Jack manipulated Leo's imagination to bring down the boy himself.

He felt awful, yet amused, a scent he smelled too often for his own good, which he showed by smiling back at his father. "Why do you want the crown?" Leo stood up, his legs were kinda shaky but he got a hold of himself fairly quick. And he moved slowly towards Jack, knowing that his entire Will would always be overpowered by his father's as he saw when he protected his people without breaking a sweat whilst fighting.

"Must be nice to have someone to take care of.

How about you try it with your damn son, for once. Huh?"

Jack used the same trick again, to force Leo to collapse on the ground, making him lose consciousness and planned on apologizing to him for everything later. For now, all Jack had wanted was to calm Leo down and explain everything to him, preferably in a quieter setting.That was Jack's plan. But not Leo's. A rebel's heart had been born after it was set free by another's. He fell a few more times but always got back up again. The young's knees were getting redder. Oh how he wished to cut his throat open to breathe freely. Jack was slowly getting nervous about this conflict. He was confused and slightly amazed at the strenght his son had acquired. Normally everyone would have gone down by now, in his past that is but apparently not his own flesh and blood.

Then, in a moment's second Jack pulled back and revealed his right arm, a pitch black arm, which seemed to blossom from his caucasian body, sprung forward with a leap and tried to grab Leo's head who countered just in time by grabbing and pulling Jack's extended right arm toward him, leaving traces of blood flowing and forming a steady blade in mid-air which he pushed against that black arm. Jack's eyes widened and he finally got serious. Everything which was in his vision,

he used as factual support to strengthen his Will. The airflow, the shattered ground, the causation leading them to have a fight out here, on King's Way.

And then Leo's blade broke, and with the help of the added extra force Jack's white hand was made to smack Leo's face.

"No!", Jack's mind understood immediately what just had happened, just as he could foresee how this would affect his son. "Please, this curse has to end.", Jacks voice muttered away.

"Ah.", Leo covered his face with his hand whilst standing up. Blood ran slowly out of his nose, "I almost forgot what being hit by a parent felt like..."

Fear filled the father's knees. It wasn't his usual style to be so but it was good that he had noticed the foreign Will controlling his before hurting Leo any more.

Leo felt his slight injury perish and said afterwards: "I don't want your pity, really."

"I know. I know, you're filled with rage and you have every to be so but please. Don't hurt your fellow people, hurt just me instead, if you have to."

"You knew where I was, right? The whole time I was being tortured there, inside that building that was seen as a mere church, do you understand that?"

"I know. I know. I know, dammit, please let me explain. I'm sorry this had to happen to you, L-"

Jack broke down. A king was on his knees, in pain and grief.

That mixed feeling of heat and cold was swirling up in Leo's heart again. The storm broke halfway, splitting into clear white clouds on one side and dark, frustrated and growling black clouds on the other.

The sun shined right onto him. The storm was cleared on his side. He slowly opened his eyes and saw the scarred back if his son. Three deep, dark red scars ran down his pale back.

"The pain, the hellish suffering and you just couldn't care for that thing, right?"

The father had been brought down, he was able to keep his people safe, as well as himself but as a parent, he'd failed. Utterly. Seeing his child's scarred body reminded him of vulnerability, of how his former wife scarred Leo's face.

In his wishful thinking he'd been trying to reset time since Leo had run away, hoping to somehow fix the situation. This curse reigning over his Will limited his powers to do so however. He was being chained to Londinium and the role given to him. If he wasn't held back, he could have been a better father for Leo, or be there in times of need in general.

He would have given up everything to become a normal parent. But the past chained his Will down. It was simply to weak.

Why?

"They called me a few names but they all decided on only one in the end."

"What were you called?"

Jack looked up to his son who had turned around to reveal his face again.

It was a smile. A painful one.

.

.

"Satanael."

The sky broke.

Pieces were divided then crashed into each other forming thunder that echoed across multiple lands.

It was the Devil's rage manifested.

A natural calamity screamed.

Wind so loud that it hurt your ears,

Rain that if caught your eyes you'd go blind,

Lightning was dancing around alike wildfire.

Jack was forced to protect Londinium entirely; the curse abused by Leo this time.

-"Leo, what do you want to be when you grow up? You can be anything you want to be, you know?"

"Then.. I want to... uhm. Become a king!"

"A king?"

"Um yeah! So I can protect other people from getting hurt!

So no one has to fight over things."-

.

.

.

"Orlando, are you happy now?"

And thus, the crown was taken, the king dethroned.

"For fuck's sake, Ray, a boy? You're kidding me, a boy?" Thunder and lightning shook Ray who was standing in the entrance hall of the Blackwood's Church, having hoped to avoid this reaction of his father. The scenery had been burning due to the ongoing fight between father and son. Yet, another conflict. "Could be happy for your son, at least if you ask me. To make his own decisions once in a while." "Ahh, I see. Did Charles give you these ideas, huh? Fuck no, son. You're not going to be a fucking h-"

His father was interrupted, by having his tongue burned, this time without the helping touch of Ray's hands. Instead, they were now striking forward with expolosive movements as the boy ran up to his enraged father, summoning forth a flame shaped bird. It flew into the eyes,

blinding Christoph Blackwood, followed by punch in the face. But the man was still standing.

"You sure grew up, Ray.", he spat. "Just the other day I was wiping your ass- Just look where that got me." He was watching his father standing, bleeding, provoking.

"I won't let you have it your fucking way, boy. I am your father. Without me, you wouldn't be in this world to begin with, don't you fucking forget that, you hear me?!"

The flames blossomed into a brighter colour,

making the church glow up and crumble. The rest of the gang were standing outside, observing the fight from all the cracks and new 'windows' by order of their leader. Only Charles was missing out on this discord.

The fire extended; it grew into a blue sea of hungry despair. It was getting hotter by second. Ray was astonished and frightened by the power, more and more as he was getting unconscious by the blue flames crawling up his body and burning to the protective layer of his own flames. His father had grabbed him by the throat, lifting him up into the air. Fear. Anger. Hate.

"To think I raised a little rebel, all this time. To hell with you and your friend, then! Who would've thought you were turning out to be such a shame for the Blackwood-family!"

"Think outside the box, Ray."

Daniel's words were swimming into Ray's ears. This was the final card he was going to play to take control of his life for once and for all. Even if it hurt him so much already, his Will was his to wield, to bend the flames of rebellion and cut himself free off of his father who had forced his son to commit murder for his dirty work. The final intake of air. So the tips of his blond hair turned jet black. They were awaiting the end of the battle and so the end came. Suddenly, the fires went out. So did the air. No oxygen to breathe in anymore, all was cleared out.

The grip loosened, Ray touched ground again.

And then, without wasting the breath remaining in his throat,

he jumped towards his father, arms behind his head flung out at his father's face, setting both their bodies alight with what air was left in their bodies. Pure force made the oxygen heat up to a degree where it damaged internal organs by burning them. Flames were covering skin now, too.

See who had the stronger Will to survive. It was alike thousands of needles pinching through your skin, getting deeper and deeper. The blue heat was swirling in circles inside as it gre louder and louder. Compression broke the windows, walls and what furniture was still standing as two beautifully shaped wings of fire broke out of Ray's bladebones. A Phoenix. Though normally air would have entered the church again by having holes all over the walls by now, as well as countless shattered windows and melted icons,

Ray was well aware of the antithesis and thence, suppressed those situations from actually happening. So much pressure. A bursting firestorm was trying to be contained within one building but would soon devour it entirely, even with no natural oxygen to fuel it, Ray willed it this way. His room had surely caught on fire already as well. Another way of saying goodbye to the past. Bits of pieces of skin turned as black as nightfall as they peeled off of your skin and

the firestorm went on until it turned everything to pure ashes. Christoph Blackwood having burned to death and fallen to ash, carried away by wind. Ray would follow that fate soon at this rate. His still glowing body had hardened and came to a stiff stand engulfed in the white moon's shine raining upon his last minutes of life.

"RAY!" "Man, hold up!" "We'll help ya!"

The gang members were hurrying towards the dying blonde whose skin was rotten by fire and wounds leaking blood rapidly, all while being exposed to the cold and fresh air that felt like one swift knife cutting into you. "Fuck, can we help him?!"

"Shit. Shit. Shit." "Argh, can't touch him!" "Fuck!"

Ray's consciousness- or what little was left of it- was barely able to comprehend what was happening around him. Within him though,

he understood, he'd die eventually now.

"Leo", he thought. "I'm sorry, that I couldn't tell you- That I really lo-" His vison turned white.

"RAY!" "NO! Don't die!" "Call Charles! PLEASE!"

The fire finally died out and darkness and silence were filling the place. Having all noise cancelled out of your ears, faced with brutal reality, nothing to paint over the painful truth. Even the heavy rain and crushing thunder were forgotten.

When the sky split, so did time, so did room.

And suddenly it was snow falling down, covering this part of the country in white cloth.

The flakes fell onto the burnt body, melting into water covering it's wounds. Flowers were blooming, suddenly, next to Ray. It seemed like Winter but Spring at the same time? The body was heating up again, a faintly visible smoke escaped upward. But ashes don't burn anymore? No, but newly awakened life does. Alike the Phoenix, Ray rose from ashes which peeled off of his skin. Leaves flying away from branches; the storm had vanished completely it seemed.

"RAY!" "Fuck me, I thought we'd-"

"It's a miracle, no wait, it was Charles!" "I don't care who it was, I'm just thankful.."

He sat on the snowy ground, buck-naked. Eyes halfway opened, he felt that his heart was beating in a regular beat pattern. He breathed very slowly. He understood when he looked up to the sky crying snow flakes in forms of roses upon him. Once he let himself fall back into the snow, he realized life. Was death beatable? Or was this the end of a reality he'd been freed from? Everything hit him at once and he understood again. His head hurt. The death of his father, reuniting with Leigh and his promise to Leo. He coughed. As the church had finally lost its being, Ray was able to leave his past behind.

"Ray, what's the plan?" As the successor Ray had now gained the strentgh of four strong men who'd follow orders with loyality, the others had left their earrings behind to signal that they'd leave the gang in order to start anew.

Ray managed to stand up on his third try and noticed his new height. He felt as if this was another reality he'd been thrown in, this time he was sure.

He grew a little, indeed.

"Listen, everyone. My head really hurts, so bear with me, here. I only wanted to be free of all of this.. that life. You won't have to follow any Blackwood anymore, so go do something else, something better. You're free just as I am, now." "Ray, do allow me speak up against you this time, but we all know you since your birth. We never really had any purpose before your father took us in and taught us how to survive. I don't mean to say that he was a good man, no. He even manipulated some of us to stay in the gang." "But I don't wanna lead a gang. I wanna be on my own, with my friends, you know?" "Of course, we understand that." "Yeah no worries about that." "Then, how about this: Whenever you're in need of support, be it a battle-" "Or relationship advice, haha-" "Or be it financially..give us a call, eh?" "Guys..", Ray smiled back at the four men. "I think..is it okay if you escorted me to Londinium?" "We'd glady do so, right?" "Let's get ya some clothes first, however.", they all shared a laugh, though Ray was covering himself all this time. "Gentlemen, we're going to Londinium, then", Ray spoke while only having Leo on his mind.

The men had noticed the change in his tone of voice and responded with respect towards him.

Together they had made their way to the king's city. Looking out of the window, Ray observed how the passing land had shined with magical beauty. It was snowy,

of course, howerver the flora seemed healthier.

It was spring just now, had it become winter that easily? It seemed eerie, considering how some parts of land weren't affected by the change anymore after a while. The skipping seemed to die away bit by bit, returning the world to its natural time.

The Blackwoods had an easy time buying new clothes and train tickets for four. As mentioned earlier, the Blackwoods were one of the most feared gangs in the world, which they owed to their criminal activites and their infamous Charles Blackwood.

Jack had feared for this to happen for Leo. He feared the day they'd meet each other, fearing his son's rage, fearing to die by his son's hands, even. The power his Will emitted was of great force which could protect an entire capital, win battles in an instant and teach others about life. To have his son running away from him truly resembled a tragic change in his life. It was a turning point to begin with, but being chained down to only help those within the capital and have your Will 'banned', in a sense, was the work of another. Thus, he decided to lay low and wait for time to pass on, it was his only hope to make up to Leo.

The people of Londinium knew about the history of the Roseblood family.

They knew about Jack, his wife and his

son. Leo was very popular when he was young

due to his cheerful nature and him dressing often in girly fashion and getting ridiculed for it at school quite often. Leo'd usually shake it off and take it as a compliment to not get upset about the other kids. In any way, he stood out, was greeted by the people in the streets and was known for lending a helping hand, though people told him not to work too hard or he'd lose his beauty.

After the incident with his mother and his father getting more and more distant, Leo chose to run. Run and run far away. He skipped through the whole town, flashing memories popping up in his head as his eyes began to tear up. Coincidences are unreal some say, the same people are the ones who talk about how everything in life is already planned out and we're only following a oneway. Unluckily, young Leo got himself into one big mess. Followers of their God who were in belief, if they found the root of all evil and be able to kill it, it'd bring peace into the world and end all suffering.

When they abducted Leo outside of Londinium, it all tiptoed from there, downwards, that was.

Jack knew. He knew and decided not to act.

He ignored his son but knew he would come again one day and feared facing his son again after all those ten years. Inside that fake church in the woods, they weren't allowed to kill but made sure to prohibit escape and so Leo's feet got one long, deep cut each, to keep him from running away and three long ones on his back to keep him from comfort when he was made to lay on his back and given no food. To this day, after the endurance and duration of years after having the scars repeatedly cut open again, it hurt. The memories were blurry but maybe that was for the better for now. This white bedroom smiled with a realxing atmosphere. His elboes rested on the sill, eyes closed, the pure face was exposed to an opened window which let a gently breeze carry over it. Dreamy was the best way describe what the boy had felt like at that moment.

"I'm fine from here on. You guys should enjoy yourselves"

"We'll see ya until then, Ray." His vision was greeted with a new, sunny day and the smiles of townfolk, some of whose gazes were drawn to Ray's figure. His blonde hair was a little messy but in an attractive way. His green pupils of emeralds' decent were exotic to gaze into. Furthermore, his height was something a lot of people seemed to take notice of- in a good way.

"He's just upstairs. Go up one floor and you'll see a double door."

"Thank you!"

"So, that's him?", one of the servants asked another. "Looks better, than I'd thought", she nodded. "Our little Leo's got good taste, even though he 'is' a Blackwood."Ray ran up the stairs leaving behind the woman's warning shout not to run. It was staircase you'd take a few steps before the way parted left and right with a 180° sway but would both ways lead to the same upper storey. Marble flooring. Nearing the double door encased in elegant brown wood which stood out because the rest of the walls were a pure white with a simple but fantastic, black floral pattern that didn't steal the show and was quite a nice addition to the vases filled with roses, hanging picture-frames and old-fashioned furniture complimenting the antique design of the hallway and white banisters with a golden crowning on top. He couldn't care less for the interior design, stopped a moment to collect himself, breathed in, breathed out, got a hold of the door knobs. Pushing the doors gently open and slowly coming into white bedroom he saw him. Leo was still in a daydreaming manner, facing out the window, elbows still in their stabilizing place.

Ray took a few steps. He was illuminated by the sun, the colours of his eyes and hair were given an enchanted shine of life.

The long brunette hair danced with the flow of the wind in harmony, the white, oversized tee was reaching only until under his buttocks, leaving his legs bare, he scented after summer's fresh sweetness. He stood behind him now and Leo turned around, finally, finding his face being close to Ray's. "Uhh", Ray's lips were- Both had to laugh."Naw, we hesitated", Leo said, wrapping his arms round the blonde's neck, unexpecting of still getting that first kiss. Leo's eyes relaxed and closed after this surprise, letting himself indulge in their first kiss, still feeling so dreamy. But it happened, sun shining on them and Leo's mouth began to form a strong smile which released both boys' lips, when Leo laid his face on Ray's chest, realizing how tall he's gotten. Ray was happy and so was Leo. He was almost taller by a head but it didn't bother him personally.

"Ah, I just woke up, you know?", Leo whispered. "I actually just got here, myself." "How are you feeling, Ray? Your body should be in way better shape now, after those flames burned it black." "Those white snow-roses were made by you, then?" "I kinda had an intense fight with my father, to be honest." "Oh tell me about it, it was same for me. Wait your father is the King?" "Was.", Leo's hug loosened to grab Ray's hand, leading him to his white bed which was full of big pillows to cuddle with and warm blankets. "Leo's scent..", Ray noticed and found it immediately comforting, took off his shoes and let himself sink into Leo's arms on the bed. The only one plushie that stood out from all the pillows, had to be the lion sitting with a big smile and its tongue out on top the pillows. "I guess, I'm King now", Leo spoke softly. "Ah, there was one thing I wanted to tell you, before actually falling asleep on you like this, my king." "Oh, what is it, my dear subordinate?", Leo joked. "It's kinda weird, saying it just like that I think." "Don't push yourself, after all, we just had an exhausting night." "When I was dying, the last thing I thought of-" "Was how I wasn't able to tell you that I love you", Leo poked out his tongue as Ray looked at him, smiling. "Sorry, I really wanted to be first one to say it-" "Since I was the faster one to kiss you?", Ray poked out his tongue in return and closed his eyes, finally.

End of "Kybernetik"