Wants

Theo stood motionless before the door, the wind tugging at his coat as if urging him to reconsider. His eyes traced the worn grain of the wood, hesitation freezing him in place, until the door creaked open. A woman in a neatly pressed maid's uniform stood before him, bowing low, her voice soft yet precise.

"Welcome home, young master."

His shoulders dropped slightly, releasing a breath that had been held too long. "Thank you, Bertha. Is my father in?"

She wordlessly slipped the coat from his shoulders, her touch quick and efficient. "Yes, he's in the study, waiting for you."

Without a backward glance, Theo moved through the dimly lit halls. His steps, usually confident, now sounded heavy, his pace slowing as he approached the door to the study. He paused there, the wood beneath his hand feeling colder than it should. Before he could knock, his father's voice cut through the air.

"Come in."

The door swung open, revealing a room bathed in golden lamplight. Theo's father sat behind the massive desk, his posture straight, his gaze fixed on the papers before him. The room smelled of old wood and leather, the walls lined with towering shelves of books whose spines bore symbols Theo couldn't recognize. Artifacts, strange and ancient, filled the room, casting long shadows.

Theo stepped inside, the door clicking shut behind him. He stood still, his presence unacknowledged as his father's pen scratched across the parchment, the sound grating in the silence. Minutes ticked by, the clock on the wall marking time with a steady rhythm. Theo's hands curled into fists at his sides, but he remained rooted, a statue awaiting release.

At last, the pen stopped. His father placed it down carefully, as if completing a ritual. He leaned back in his chair, eyes locking onto Theo's with a piercing sharpness. A slow smile crept onto his face.

"How was your first day of school?" he asked, the question as casual as a greeting, though his gaze drilled into Theo's every reaction.

Theo's lips pressed into a thin line. His hand twitched. "You call that a school? Everything they 'taught' I learned by the time I was six. It's a joke."

His father chuckled—a low, deep sound, rich with amusement that barely hid something darker. "Ah, the Wastelands are woefully behind, yes. But it's good for you to see what's out there. To understand just how fortunate you are." His tone shifted, hardening. "Perspective is important."

Theo's jaw clenched. He looked away, eyes scanning the artifacts on the shelves. "Is that the lesson? Or is this really about the blessed one just walking around?"

His father's smile faded, his expression sharpening like a blade being honed. He rose slowly from the chair, his movements deliberate. "Sit."

Theo hesitated, feeling the weight of the command. He pulled out a chair and sat down, his father now standing before him, the desk at his back like a barrier separating them.

"Stella," his father said, his voice quieter now, more dangerous. "Certain people from Twilight have requested that I... overlook her presence."

Theo's brow furrowed. "For the right price, I assume."

A flicker of something passed through his father's eyes—approval, perhaps, masked behind indifference. "Naturally. Everything has its price."

Theo met his father's gaze, his eyes hardening like stone. "You sound like those demons from the Overworld."

His father's lips curled upward in a humorless smile. "Careful, boy. Don't mistake me for them. Demons hold nothing close. No family, no bonds. I, on the other hand, have your mother, the rest of you kids and you."

The mention of his mother landed like a stone, sinking deep into the air between them. His father moved from behind the desk, positioning himself on its edge in front of Theo, folding his arms as if preparing for something more serious.

"Listen carefully," his father said, his voice lowering as though every word carried the weight of centuries. "The resurgence of the Wastelands is approaching, and Stella... she is the key. The key to controlling forces that will soon emerge. It's her responsibility to harness that power, the High Humans of old they - failed. Failed themselves, failed the Creator."

Theo's hands relaxed, his eyes narrowing. "And what exactly do you need me for? I can talk to her sure, but how am I supposed to get her to trust me?"

His father's gaze softened, though the calculation behind his eyes only sharpened. "Ah, that's where you come in, the damsel-in-distress routine... it's a classic. Be her savior, draw her in. You know how to play the role."

Theo's eyes flickered with disbelief. He shook his head slightly. "You think it'll be that easy? She's protected. I've sensed at least two Tier 4 guardians around her, and who knows what else."

His father straightened, brushing an imaginary speck of dust from his sleeve. "Do you think those guards can shield her forever? She's years behind in cultivation, no resources, no training, and she's a teenager," he added with a smirk. "She won't follow the likes of us, but people her own age? You have a window, build a circle around her, I'll give you what you need."

Theo fell silent, his gaze dropping to the floor. His father stood there, waiting, watching him as if waiting for the gears in Theo's mind to click into place. After a long moment, Theo raised his head.

"I'll do it," he said, his voice steady. "But I want three things in return."

His father's eyebrow lifted, intrigued. "Speak."

Theo took a breath. "First, I want the blood limiter on me removed; second, I want access to the Dark Forest; finally, when this mission is over, I want you to send me to Mother."

His father's expression darkened. He turned away, his fingers drumming against the edge of the desk. "Your first request... impossible. Not because I won't, but because I can't. The body I'm in right now can't do it. Only my true self could remove the limiter, and that won't happen until the realm doors open. There's a failsafe you'll have to trigger first."

Theo's brow furrowed. "And what's that?"

"I can't tell you," his father replied, his voice almost casual. "It would make it harder for you to achieve."

Theo's jaw tightened, but he nodded. "Fine. What about the other two?"

His father's face twisted into something like amusement. "The Dark Forest? Sure. But you won't last. It's ruled by the Crow King, and with your current power, you'll be dead before you even set foot in it."

Theo's mouth opened to retort, but his father cut him off. "And as for your mother... I could send you to her realm. But if I send you to her directly, you'd die."

Theo's fists clenched, knuckles white. "After the mission, I'll be stronger. I'll be ready."

His father's eyes gleamed, his lips pulling into a thin smile. "Your mother's subjects start at Tier 3. Those who even speak to her, Tier 7. Can you reach that by the end of this mission?"

Theo's defiance flickered, his gaze dropping, but he forced his chin up. "But I'm her son."

In an instant, the room plunged into an oppressive darkness. Cold seeped into Theo's skin, and a force like a tidal wave pinned him to his chair. His breath hitched, eyes widening as his father's voice, low and seething, surrounded him.

"Do not speak such nonsense," his father growled. "Blood alone grants nothing. Power is everything. I've told you time and again—grow stronger. Not for the sake of family, but for your own survival. The weak do not last in this world."

The crushing weight lifted, and the room's warmth returned. Theo gasped for breath, his back drenched in sweat. His father, now eerily calm, moved back to his desk, resuming his paperwork as though the moment hadn't occurred.

"You'll have all three of your requests," his father said, his voice carrying an unsettling nonchalance. "Not because you deserve them. But because through them, you will understand how far beneath this world you truly are."

Theo stood shakily, his legs unsteady as he moved toward the door. His hand hovered over the knob, words forming in his throat, but he swallowed them down. Without a glance back, he left the room.

Behind him, his father paused, eyes lifting to the ceiling.

"Darling... what are we to do with this boy?"

He sighed heavily and returned to his work.