Innocent And Flame

Karl sat in his crib, surrounded by the familiar sounds of his mother's laughter and the creaking of the wooden floorboards. Her blond hair was tied back in a bun, and her bright blue eyes sparkled as she played with his dolls. Mr Brown and Bad Bunny danced in front of him, their straw bodies swaying to her gentle melody. Her voice was soothing in a manner that Karl couldn't ignore—he loved it when his mother sang him to sleep or when she would giggle over something stupid he'd have done.

"Who will win, Karl?" she teased, making the dolls clash in a mock battle. Karl squealed with delight as Mr Brown emerged victorious. But when Bad Bunny won, his face crumpled, and he let out a wail. Mr Brown was his favorite doll, and he hated it whenever he lost to Bad Bunny. It made him feel something, something like his heart was being shattered into a million pieces—and it made him wish he could avenge his friend.

The room fell silent. His mother's smile faltered, and she backed away from the crib, her eyes wide with fear.

"Henry! Henry!" she cried, her voice a sharp shrill.

Even though he was still too young to understand, Karl always wondered why his mom always called his father whenever something bad was happening? Was it because dad was their protector? Or was it because mommy was too weak to face anything on her own?

Henry, Karl's father, burst into the room, his brown hair disheveled, and his fair black eyes scanning the space for danger. "What's wrong?" he demanded, his gaze locking onto the crib.

The air was thick with tension. Karl's wails turned to screams when he saw Bad Bunny, his beloved doll, engulfed in flames. Henry rushed to stomp out the fire, his face set in a determined expression. Karl liked this about his father—he was always too quick to act, too active for a father....and it made Karl wish he could grow up to become like his dad.

As the flames died down, Henry scooped Karl up from the crib, cradling him in his arms. "Shh, Karl, it's okay," he whispered, his voice soothing. Karl's tears slowly subsided as he nestled into his father's chest, feeling safe.

Karl's mother watched them, her face pale, her eyes haunted. But what Karl couldn't understand was why she looked so terrified when this wasn't the first time she had seen something like.this happening around Karl? Henry's eyes met hers, and for a moment, they just stared at each other, the only sound Karl's sniffles.

"His magic is growing stronger by the day," she whispered, her voice trembling.

Henry's expression turned cautious. "We can't be sure it's his magic," he said, his voice measured.

His mother's eyes flashed with a mixture of fear and desperation. "I know you love him, and you'd do anything for him... but I don't want your love for Karl to blind you," she urged.

Henry took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling. "I know," he said, his voice low. "But I'm just trying to keep him safe."

His mother's gaze drifted to Karl, her eyes filling with tears. "I think it's time for us to give him up," she said, her voice barely audible. "He'll have more value at the Market."

Henry's face darkened. "No!" he exclaimed, his voice firm. "We are not selling him. He's my son, and I won't let him live the rest of his life as a slave!"

Her expression turned bleak, her voice laced with despair. "Look at what he's like... he has the blood of an elf running through his veins, and you know what they'll do to him if they find him."

"I'll protect him with my life," Henry said. "I'll keep him safe."

Karl's mother gazed at her son, nestled in Henry's chest. Her eyes lingered on Karl's tawny blond hair, his slightly arched ears—a reminder of his mixed heritage. Karl, oblivious to the tension, played with his father's shirt buttons, babbling softly.

"He's just a baby," she whispered, her voice cracking. "But this village isn't as safe as you're making it sound, Henry. Karl won't have a good life if he stays with us... on this farm."

Henry's expression remained resolute.

"He has a talent for magic," she continued, her words spilling out in a desperate rush. "And I doubt we'll be able to give him the best education he might need... Either way, word will get out that we're housing a... a demon child in our home. What if we end up getting burned in our sleep?"

Henry's jaw clenched, and he clicked his tongue. "Let's not speak into this matter anymore," he said firmly. "We'll keep Karl safe. He deserves to be with us... I'm his family, you're his mother, and that's all that matters."

Karl's mother looked away, her eyes welling up with tears. She just wanted what she thought was good for him—she didn't want to see him getting into danger because of their own selfishness. She bit her lower lip, trying to hold back the sob that threatened to explode her throat. She knew he was too young, just two years old and a part of her never wanted to let him go in the first place.

*

For the rest of the days, everyday—Karl knew that he lived in a constant routine. His mother would play with him, and when she was busy, she'd leave him with his brothers. Yes, his older brothers. Karl had grown to understand that he wasn't the only child to Henry and his mother. He was in fact, the third youngest down the line. The oldest of them all was Darrel, with his brown hair and bright blue eyes. He was naturally tall, a bit taller for someone his own age and he had a fierce look in his eyes that always made Karl feel threatened. Second after him, was Lucid. He was pretty much like mom, with his blond hair and piercing brown eyes. His sharp cheekbones made him appear like a different creation all together. Unlike Darrel, he was talkative and he loved chasing after goats for going to the gardens.

Spending time with his brothers taught him so many things—things he thought he was too young to know since he was eight years by then. He could still remember this one day when their parents had gone into town to sell their crops and he was left with his brothers. Darrel brought a girl home, she wasn't as beautiful as their mom, but she was worth the attention. Darrel had told him that she was a friend, and that he didn't want anyone disturbing him. He went with her in their room, and she was just giggling over something.

"What are they doing in there?" Karl asked, unable to ignore the sound of her giggling voice. Lucid got up from the chair, a terrible grin visible on his face as he said, "Do you wanna see?"

Karl cocked his brows. "But Darrel said...."

"Darrel my ass." Lucid said. "You shouldn't always do what you're told. Sometimes a little rebellion can earn you a little entertainment."

"Entertainment?" Karl didn't quite understand.

Lucid just patted his shoulder, before he started tiptoing. Karl couldn't help the curiosity that bottled inside of him, and he saw himself going after his brother. After a few seconds, they were both standing in front of the door to their bedroom. He could hear his heart pounding in his chest, wondering if this was the next best thing to do. But Lucid didn't seem bothered. Since he was taller than Karl, he just peaked into the room through the key slot. There was a terrible grin on his face, his tongue peaking and sliding across his lower lip. Karl could only remember his brother making that face whenever he saw something yummy. But what was so yummy in their bedroom?

Quickly, Karl looked for a crack along the door and after a while, he managed to find one. The crack was small, but it gave a clear view of what was going on in the room.

The girl was standing in front of Darrel, when she slipped her dress off and it piled at her feet, revealing her naked body. Karl cocked both his brows, curiosity flooding his mind because he had never seen a girl naked before. He watched her open Darrel's trousers, and slid them over his hips, past his thighs.

"Let's make it quick," Darrel said. "We don't have all day..."

"Alright alright...you don't have to keep reminding me..." As she sank to her knees, Karl quickly slipped from the door. He could feel blood rushing down his cheeks, burning them up with a heat he couldn't quite understand. He was young, too young to be seeing something like this. But for Lucid, he seemed too invested with what he was doing.

Later that night, when their parents had returned from selling their crops—everyone was already seated on the table, about to have dinner. Their house wasn't very big—it was big enough for them to stay as a family of five and Karl doubted they'd be room for another baby. They were all sitting on the table, their mother serving her infamous recipe that she cooked almost eighty percent of the week. It was turkey, with smashed potatoes and pancakes. But as their mother served the food, Karl couldn't help the question that clouded his mind.

"Father...." he said.

Henry quickly looked at him. "Yes?"

Karl took a deep breath before asking his question. "Is it okay for a boy and a girl to be naked together?" he asked, his voice innocent and curious.

The room fell silent. Everyone's eyes widened in surprise, and for a moment, no one spoke. Darrel's face turned bright red, and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He glanced at Henry, then at their mother, before looking away.

Henry's expression turned stern, and he cleared his throat. "Karl, where did you hear about this?" he asked, his voice firm but controlled.

Karl looked down, his voice barely above a whisper. "It was Darrel. He brought a girl today... and they were taking off clothes together."

The room fell silent once again. Darrel's face darkened, and he slammed his fist on the table. "He's lying!" he exclaimed, his voice loud and defensive.

Henry's eyes narrowed, his gaze fixed on Darrel. "We'll discuss this later," he said, his voice low and even. "You and me, Darrel."

Their mother walked from the coal stove, carrying with her a jug of water. "Let's just eat dinner, shall we?" she suggested, her voice strained.

Karl looked down at his plate, feeling a sense of unease. He knew he had said something wrong. As they ate in silence, Karl couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. He glanced at Darrel, who was staring at him with a mixture of anger and hatred.

Suddenly, Lucid spoke up, his voice barely above a whisper that only Karl could hear. "You shouldn't have said that."

Karl's heart skipped a beat. Why was everyone acting so strangely?