Chapter 3: "Thanks, I Almost Feel Loved"

"My Gods, Father! You can see me?!" I asked in total shock. "Oh, no! That must mean you're dead too!"

"Cut the crap, Sage, and sit the fuck down. Now!"

"Rude."

My adoptive father glared at me in a way any other person then I would run away from. He doesn't scare me. Nothing scares me anymore. No, not anymore. I rolled my eyes and sat my ass down on the creaking chair in front of the big, fancy desk in the middle of his office.

"I'm so fucking done with your childish behavior. I adopted you and cared for you since you were seven years old. Do I have to remind you of your life before me?! In what kind of shape I found you?!" I swallowed but didn't dare lower my eyes. I wasn't going to let him intimidate me. To let him make me feel bad about choosing myself for once in my life and getting out. So, I just stared right back into his dark green eyes. "-I shaped you into the warrior you are today! And this is how you thank me?! Pretending to be dead for three whole months?!"

"Thanks. I almost feel loved."

I received a glare in return. I didn't move an inch. He was not intimidating me. I was done with that. Done with feeling intimidated by others. I'm just done with it. I won't let myself feel less than them. I'm not less of a value than others. We're equal. Well, most of us are. Some just… don't.

"Jason, son, leave us." I looked up immediately when those three words left my Father's mouth.

"But-"

"No, buts, Jason. Let my daughter and me be. Now."

"As you wish, Sir," Jason nodded to our Father and left the office. Leaving me all alone with this man. A man I hate more than anyone. No, that's a lie. There were two persons who I hated more than my adoptive father. But… I may despise this man, but I trust him. I trust in his leadership skills; I trust his instincts; I trust him. I hate him, but I trust him.

"So, here you are. My long-lost daughter."

"Adoptive daughter," I reminded him. The only reaction that I got was an annoyed glare. I just glanced back with my blank expression.

"What is it with you and causing trouble, Sage? Is my love not good enough for you?"

"Your love? Ha! Don't make me laugh. You never loved me. You just saw an opportunity and took it. Look I'm thankful that you took me in, protected me, and all. But you never loved me, and I would like to go my own way now. I want to be free."

"Free? From what? Your problems? Your secrets? Those secrets are the main reason you're in this mess. You'll never be free of them. Just like you'll never be free of me. I raised you into the person you are today, Sage. A true warrior. A warrior queen. You don't want to run from that too, do you, Sage?" When I didn't give him any sort of reaction, he rolled his eyes and continued his little story.

"I know how much you hate it here. You took every opportunity there was to make that clear. But I can't let you go. Not without consequences. The next time you take off, Darling, I'll spill all your secrets. All of them. Even the ones you try to run from, the ones you try to forget. So, take that as a warning, Sage. If you ever take off again, your secrets will no longer stay secret. That's not something you want, now is it, Dear?"

"You wouldn't dare," I said in a low, hard tone. My hands were clenched into fists. My knuckles turned white. I was angry. I was so damn mad that he went there.

He let out a joyless laugh. "Do you think I'm bluffing, Darling?" he asked with an evil smirk.

"No one would believe you," I stated confidently.

"Is that so? Then why did you never try running before? Why don't you just run out that door?" His smirk widened because he knew I wouldn't try anything when he put this pressure on me. This was probably the only thing he could do to keep me in check.

Exposing my secrets…

I shook my head. I didn't want to think about that.

"Now, that we came to an agreement which involves you not running away, and me not exposing your secrets, let's talk about your punishment." I closed my eyes for a brief moment before looking back at this wet sock of a human being. "Of course, you move back into your old house. I heard your four roommates missed you. Also, you got yourself a lovely month of house arrest."

You got to be fucking kidding me.

"But, that's not all, of course. The only thing I have to say to you is to be ready because it'll be unpleasant. Really unpleasant, but o so much fun for me."

"How did you find me? How did you know where I was?"

"Did you really think that I wouldn't get suspicious when we cremated an empty coffin? Did you really think that I wouldn't open it one last time to say my last goodbye? Also, your silver hair and apple green eyes are not helping in your case. I know you, Sage if you like it or not. I knew where you would go if you'd ever run. So, I gave this rookie the order to find you and never let you out of his sight. He did what he got ordered to, and just like I suspected, he found you at the place where I told him to look for you. The place where all of this, all of you started. Of course, I didn't tell him why you'd be there, only told him that you'd be there."

I gritted my teeth. I should've known that this would happen. I should've never gone back to that place. I should've just run and left the continent, but I just had to go back. And because of that, I'm back in this hellhole. It was only a moment of time before I got forced to end people's lives again.

And all of this hell for those stupid secrets. But I have to. I've someone found out the truth… I shook my head. It would be bad.

It would change everything.

Maybe for the better, probably for the worse. But everything would change, and I'm just not ready for that. I don't think I'll ever be.