Zeke

". . ."

Clyde couldn't bring himself to ask.

" Oh right. . ." Ethan stood up and jumped off.

"?!! W-what?! Y-young master Ethan!" Clyde, without thinking, clenched a fist and all the things in the world stopped, he stopped the time but he wasn't able to stop Ethan from falling, he gasped in shock, in panic, he jumped off and catched Ethan.

' Can you not call me Young master, you're younger than me.'

" . . . So it is true. 'Space is my home, time is my domain, and shadow is my servant'. That is how you introduced yourself to me." Ethan said as a black portal opened beneath and swallowed them, sending them to the place Clyde call home. A dark space with only a single small star as light.

" M-mister founder?!" Clyde shouted in surprise and shock.

Mister founder was the person who was known as an information broker, an adviser, teacher, friend, mother, father, sister, and so on. A person that will be what, who, and when you want him to be, a person that either gives you anything for better or for worst. He was famous, mostly of the worlds' population know him, about ⅞ of the world, and even until now, he's still famous. Though he took a break three years ago.

" S-so when. . .y-you said I will soon be your shadow if I do as you say, this is what you meant, young master!?" Clyde stuttered, still can't believe he's looking at the full-fledged Mr. Founder right in front of him, or rather, right in his arms.

" Shouldn't you put me down first? We already landed but you're still carrying me like a princess. My dignity is starting to crumble. . ." Ethan said, and so, Clyde awkwardly put him down and calm himself. " That is right." Ethan said in a low voice, as if whispering softly to a baby before starting to sing a lullaby.

" Come . . . Again?" Clyde asked cluelessly at Ethan's last two words.

" I said you're right." Said Ethan as though it wasn't anything big, meeting the anonymous person famous for something unthinkable. "Well, forget that. We need to get back, don't tire yourself up, the fun is not even that close to start. " he added.

" Ehh. . .?" Clyde asked cluelessly, looking at Ethan with eyes of admiration and bliss rather than unknowingness, smiling like an idiot to his idol, desperately thinking about asking for an autograph.

" If telling you that I am him is equal to loosing your IQ, I should not have said so" ' Well, that's what I said but. . . It's a must' Ethan sighed as he face-palmed. " The time in our world is still stopped, if it's kept like that, people who are strong enough to be immune to your power like me might hunt you down and use you." he added. ' Besides that, I still need to find her.'

" Ohh. . . " Now that Clyde thought about it, he felt like something or someone is staring at him, something from afar. He punched the air and the space shattered, in it was a place near the park next to a payphone where he first talked to Mr. Founder by dialing number 3. " Y-young Master Ethan, s-shall we?"

" . . ." Ethan first stepped in the portal and walk away from Clyde. Clyde who felt ignored, returned to Ethan's shadow, well, rather than returned, it's more like he took a free ride. Ethan continued walking until he reached an ordinary looking store, he went straight right in.

An ordinary store on the outside but a slave auction in the inside, or rather, in the basement, a few kilometers underground.

An ordinary looking store clerk welcomed him.

" Can I have a mask?" asked Ethan and took out from his pocket a button with the Hedrix's family emblem on and showed it to the clerk. The clerk was speechless to see it, it is the emblem of the family they're under of after all.

" Would you like us to make one that suits you, young master?" The clerk asked as he leave his pose and lead Ethan to the hidden grooming room. Although he asked, it doesn't seem like he's in need of an answer.

" Please do not take this as doubting your identity as a member of one of three most respected family by the black flowers, but if you are someone who's just trying to impersonate them, you won't leave this place in one peace." The clerk warned.

" . . . Got it. Why are we here?" Ethan asked as he step in a luxurious place with tons of machines for only one purpose: to relax. There is only one person the tons of hostess are serving, a man with bloody red hair, sharp closed eyes, pale skin, a distinct yet familiar feature, and an ominous yet again familar aura, an atmosphere nearly the same as Harold, the only difference is that, it seems wiser than Harold that one can tell that the appearance of him is far from his age.

" Apologies, a child came and I cannot help but ask if the Boss know of him." The clerk spoke, putting a stop on the hostess' serving (massaging). The man opened his eyes slowly and an even more bloody-like color was presented in his body, his eyes are sharp, as if they're blades that can cut a whole mountain into half.

" This is odd, the family I know I have would always run away from me, why is someone like my grandchild would visit me?" Zeke, the red haired man, Harold's father and Ethan's grandfather asked as he gesture Ethan to come closer.

Ethan came closer and looked down on Zeke who's sitting. Normally one's knees would tremble if they look at Zeke's glowing devil-may-care eyes but Ethan found them interesting, interesting how they glow but never seem to reflect a light, it interest him how they seem to see through a person in a glance too.

" Well, yeah. . . But sorry to burst your bubble, I'm here for someone who isn't you." Ethan said, making the hostesses and the clerk's face go pale.

" haha" Zeke chuckled from Ethan's guts to talk back. " Funny boy." He grabbed a scissor from his side table and charge it towards Ethan. Ethan didn't even flinch because he knew it'll miss his skin but not his slightly long hair. Zeke smirked.

" Quite brave. May I know who your parents are?"

" One of them is your child while the other is better not known." Ethan answered as he watch from the side of his eye the hair of his falling to the floor.

" This conversation is getting nowhere. . ." Zeke once again chuckled, chuckling his complain. " Shall I personally groom you?" Zeke asked with a smile. Like a pet owner asking his pet.

" I would like that actually. You seem more trustworthy than your people. " And with that as Ethan's answer, the hostesses and the clerk's face totally lost their color.