Confessions

Arc 2: Inferno

"Tell me everything. Now, boy," said King Midas.

If I tell him everything, I might get in trouble. But if I don't, and he finds out by himself, then I'll be in even bigger trouble, thought Harry. Considering my options... Telling him myself is better, I could even ask for a lesser sentence.

"Fine. I'll tell you everything Midas," said Harry frustratedly. "The only way I knew the Beast, or Ben for that matter, was just as a customer."

"So Ben was your customer? That's quite interesting. Tell me more about that," commented King Midas.

"One year ago, I was just messing around with some chemicals. I was trying to create something. Something that would enhance humans. I was eventually successful.

I got some customers, but many stopped returning due to the high price. Except Ben. He always came back. And yes, I knew at that time that I was making a type of steroid and I feel really guilty about that.

Two days ago, he came back as usual. I made some fatal mistakes in preparing the steroid and accidentally invented something new. Something that could turn people into monsters. It was the Beast Serum.

Then at the battle field where me and the Beast both had disappeared, well I had just run off to a hotel to hide.

I was only hiding because I knew that if I was caught, I'll be in big trouble.

I don't really know about where Ben went but I have a pretty solid idea. Considering the fact that he had a Beast Serum with him in the fight today, I would say that he had went back to my lab and taken the remaining Serum left in the vial as I always make extra. And you know the rest," Harry told King Midas.

"See? Telling the truth wasn't hard. I shall decide your punishment later," answered King Midas. "Now, Flame. What about you? Tell me about yourself, and that sword of yours."

I guess there isn't another choice, thought Flame.

He sighed and lowered the cloak from his head, revealing his face.

He had narrow eyes, black slicked back hair, and a white headband wrapped around his forehead.

"For starters, my real name is Kaito," Flame replied.

He took a deep breath and relived his memories.

It all started 15 years ago on a winter morning, when Kaito was born.

I'm late, I'm late, I'm late! Thought his father as he was rushing to get to the hospital.

He was driving as fast as he could.

Afterall, his first child was about to be born.

"Pull over," a cop said using a loudspeaker.

Cops? Oh man, I don't have time for this, he hit the pedal and drove as fast as he could.

I can finally see the hospital! He rushed his car to the parking lot just to realize that the brake had failed.

He crashed his car in the parking lot and passed out.

The cop that was tailing him, went to his car and took him to the ER.

He woke up a few hours later.

He noticed that his head and right arm were bandaged up.

He immediately left the ER and went to look for his wife.

Once he reached the operating room the doctors told him something that he would regret for the rest of his life.

"Congratulations Sir! This here is your son," said the doctor, handing him the baby.

"What's his name? A-And where's my wife?" he asked the doctor.

"We regret to inform you that your wife has passed away. She did not get the chance to name him. The only thing she left was this white headband for him," the doctor answered.

Tears rolled down his face as he took the baby in his arms.

"D-Did she say anything else?" He continued.

"Till her last moments, she kept asking for her husband," the doctor told him. "Now if you would have a moment to talk about the fees and charges..."

No matter how loud the doctor spoke, he couldn't hear him.

He was fully zoned out.

Nothing mattered to him anymore.

He couldn't process what was happening.

This is all my fault, he thought. If only I had been there earlier.

Many years later, he was now raising his son, Kaito, all alone.

He was putting on his shoes, fixing his hair and was getting ready to leave. He asked Kaito, "You sure you'll be okay by yourself kiddo? I could hire a babysitter if you want-"

"No babysitter! I can take care of myself Dad! I'm six now. You can go and teach your fencing classes," replied six year old Kaito, cutting off his father mid-sentence.

"Alright son, take care! I'll be home soon," said his father as he left and shut the door.

I wish he would take me with him, thought Kaito. But he said I'm not old enough.

He looked to himself in the mirror.

Kaito went and finished up all his homework, before his father came back home.

"I'm back! I hope you finished your homework because we're going for some ice cream!"

said his father after coming back home.

"Dad... Do you think I can go without my headband?" asked Kaito.

His dad got extremely furious at that question.

"NO! You cannot take it off! How many times do I need to tell you that!? Never, I mean never take off that headband. Do you understand?" he barked. "Now get ready. We're going out for ice cream."

Ever since that day, he never questioned his father about his headband.

At age 8, he was enrolled into his father's fencing school and excelled at it.

At the age of 11, he had become a master of swordsmanship.

He was even able to beat the adults.

Due to this, his father enrolled him into a national swordsmanship competition which consisted of mostly adults.

Of course, the winner was Kaito.

In the car ride home, his father said, "Your mom would be so proud of you. You look just like her," a tear rolled down his face.

"Dad, why don't you ever talk about mom? I don't even know what she was like," said Kaito.

"I told you to never talk about that! You aren't old enough to know!" barked his father.

A year later, Kaito was home alone.

He was cleaning the entire house and thought to clean his father's room too.

When he went in the room, he noticed that the drawer under his father's study table was open.

He went to shut it, but he saw an interesting folder titled Research Files.

That's weird... What could he be researching on, thought Kaito as he opened the folder.

In there, he saw newspaper cutouts talking about demons, names of locations where demons were allegedly seen and notes related to something called a Realm Gate.

The center of all of it was about a sword.

It was called the Ember.