The Keeper's Oath

Timothy wanted a quiet life. He's thirty two years old and he thinks living life shouldn't be full of rules that you have to follow. Life is about going with the flow to see where it can take you. For two years and four months, he has been living the life that he wished for. He has a small house, and one of the most sought after cars of common people like him. A Toyota. Yes, that's right. He's living the dream that any Haris descendant could wish for.

Now he's up for his morning routine. There's black coffee on the right side of his table, and there's rice with fried fish and kimchi as his breakfast. He's currently staying in Nam Won---a small rural area in South Korea. And for him, it's the perfect place to settle. Not much people, and if a person have enough land to spare it can be turned into a farm.

He really enjoyed this type of life. As the heavy burden of being appointed as a Keeper was never a choice of his. Timothy was enjoying his black coffee while reading the news on the tablet he just bought yesterday.

Little did he now that destiny has a different plan for him. His attention was diverted when he heard a knock on the door.

Odd, he thought. Since he never had visitors before.

Timothy stared at the door with his brows furrowed and mind wondered. 'Who could it be?'

Again, continuous knocks resounded on the door. He stood up though he was reluctant. Maybe the neighbors who is a kilometre away decided to become friends?

"Yeah, I'm coming!" He voiced out as he paced to the door. Timothy grabbed and turned the knob quickly and opened the door with a smile. But when he saw the person on the other side, the smile on his face fell down. And it's as if a ghost from his past was brought back to life.

"Oh..." He mused as he stared at his unwelcome guest. "It's just you."

The man in front of him was named Dah. A few years younger than Timothy, and unlike the other one... Dah was all smiles. The kind of smile that reaches your eyes. "Hello there, old friend. You don't look happy to see me at all."

Timothy groaned and bobbed his head down. "What are you doing here, Dah?" The taller male holds on to the knob and kept the opening of the door small, a gesture that clearly suggest that the guest is unwelcome.

Dah stood on his toes and was seemingly---trying his best to look past Timothy. The taller male noticed and his temper falls short even more.

"What the hell are you doing?" Was Timothy's impatient remark.

Dah looked straight at Timothy, then went back to looking past him again. "Isn't it obvious?" He blurted out innocently. "I'm trying to see what you're hiding. I guess you have a wife now, huh?"

Timothy groaned and palmed his face loudly, almost smacking his forehead. "I am not hiding anything, Dah! I just want to know what you're doing here."

The shorter man frowned and planted his feet back to the ground. And he kind of felt bad because he never meant to upset Timothy. "I'm sorry." Was his sincere apologies. "But since you really want to know what I'm doing here... then there's no need to prolong your agony."

Dah turned and went straight to the car, he opened the door and it looked like he was talking to someone and is signalling for that person to come out. Timothy on the other hand squinted his eyes to see, both of his arms were crossed against his chest as he waits for whatever is coming his way.

When a boy stepped out of the car, Timothy's eyes widened. And his stare never left the boy as the two were walking towards him. Dah was holding onto a suitcase, and from what this looks like... the Keeper's must've really hated that he went off the radar.

His impatience and temper got the best of him and soon enough he was silently cursing when the boy stood in front of him. A boy with light yellow hair.

"What the hell is this?!" Timothy exclaimed as he directs his hand to the boy and the luggage. "What the hell is this for, huh? Is this the association's way of saying 'FUCK YOU' to me?!"

Dah sighed and looked at the boy next to him. He leaned over until his face was near the boy's and he whispered something. The boy nodded and quickly looked at the tall man standing on the door. And then the boy said.

"Mr. Timothy, maybe you have breakfast to spare? I'm really hungry."

Timothy looked down at the little boy and sighed in defeat. He rolled his eyes and groaned before saying "Fine... I have extra eggs inside." Then he stopped and looked at Dah and pointed at the man across him "But none for you."

Though he frowned, Dah was still happy on the inside. At least he can finally go inside Timothy's house and eat breakfast---if it was offered to him. It was a long way from Florida to South Korea and coffee sounds like a such a delight.

===================

The three of them shared breakfast in Timothy's living room since the dining table was too small for three people. After that, the boy wished if he could wash the dishes and Dah allowed him to. Without creating anymore segues, Timothy grabbed Dah by the shoulders.

"What is that boy doing here?" His question hissed through a whisper.

Dah looked at him seriously. No more jokes this time. "Do you know this boy?"

"I know a little..." Timothy answered honestly. "The boy who inherited Leo's fire..." He paused and felt his throat close in a little. He remembers the chaos eleven years ago. There was a great fire in Florida and it took a whole week to put it out. And the theory is... the boy's anger fueled the fire. "...or so the elder Keeper's assume."

"That's true." Dah answered. "It's still a mystery how he got it..." He paused and took a deep breath, and was preparing himself for the news that the Descendants of Haris were not expecting. "...until Sagittarius appeared on that boy's dream."

Timothy's eyes widened. Only a descendant of Haris---a Keeper has the ability to connect with a Celestial through dreams. "That is impossible!"

"Oh you may think that it's impossible... but that boy can connect with the Celestial in his own way."

"How?"

"Sagittarius taught the boy how to control the fire..." Was Dah's answer. "...those firemen did not kill the fire. The boy did. And it was Sagittarius who taught him how to."

Some how it all made sense to Timothy. For as the knowledge was passed down to them, nothing made by man can kill a fire made by a Celestial. Only the power of the Celestial itself can kill the fire. Hope sparked in Timothy's heart. "Does this mean that there is a chance for the Celestial beings to come back?"

Dah agreed silently. He interlocks his fingers together and rested his arms on his thighs. "A part of that is correct. And the association fears the truth in that."

"Why?"

Dah looked at Timothy and his eyes was filled with worry. "Because in that truth means Aries' warnings is about to come true. Do you remember what our elders talk about every year during the night of the great foundation?"

Timothy nodded. "I do."

"Then you remember the dying words of the First House in the Zodiac. That the Man who never dies may come back to posses the remains of the fallen Celestial beings."

"That was just a guess of one of the elders from the past, Dah." Timothy contested firmly. But Dah refused the other one's words wholeheartedly.

"No, Timothy. A guess is far from dreams. It was a dream, Timothy. You know how important dreams are, specially when a Celestial is involved. Sagittarius showed up at the Elder Keeper's dream. And the remaining Celestial warned all living Keepers back then to beware as he sees from afar the evil plan of the Man who never dies." Dah closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as if he's remembering something important. "The scent of tar and coal will engulf your lungs as well as your children. The heat of the burning fire will consume everything until everything turns to nothing, and life will turn to dust and ash. The man who does not die will come for the remaining relics and try to extract the remaining power from it. But do not fear, for the fire of life is still burning. And the water that brings strength to all is still flowing and the blood of the strong is will continue to flourish... And the Earth will not be covered with dust, but with Life. As it should be."

Timothy remained silent as memories flooded and his body felt a different kind of sensation. Like he was rediscovering his sense of purpose. He looked at the boy with the golden hair and how big he has grown. He was there when that incident happened, and if was being honest... that part of his life was one of the reasons why he wanted to quit. He felt so helpless, so powerless. So scared and his heart filled with panic. The great fire brought sadness to most of them, and he was the one of the few who almost got consumed by it.

"He needs someone to train him." Dah blurted out, distracting the other male from his train of thought.

Timothy groaned and whined. "Why me?"

Dah smiled. "Because you're the smartest person I know and there is goodness in you. The association agrees... and so do I."