I know. I saw that little troublesome sack of bones whispering stuff to the Echo flower. So 'she' won't worry 'her papa'. How adorable.

And disgusting.

But I decided to make it even more pressuring for Alter. So, I went over and gave my own message to the flower. Then hid so I could enjoy the spectacle.

Oh, the moment he showed panic and anxiety! It was so precious! I don't think I've ever seen him be like that. And then he started sprinting ahead.

I don't even want to help him. I want to see him struggling and suffering. Especially now that he can't use his magic. How is he going to save his 'baby' if he's wearing a real magic blocker?

The moment he flinches his magic towards the danger he will get damaged.

I must not miss this. I must see how this plays out.

Wish you not, a quick and painless death Alter. If you die. Because if you don't, have fun dealing with your guilt for not being able save your friend~

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOW2cKWQZrc

No one's POV:
-

The black flower dissappeared under the ground.

How can you talk about yourself like that...

Where Geno is almost getting swallowed by a mirror, but Alter has none of that. The consequences of such experience don't take long to show after...

"EUGENIAAA!"

More than half the population of Vilanterna stopped talking and froze in confusion and fear by that scream. The rest started talking more quietly, fear and surprise almost taking away their voice, most likely now wondering what the hell did they just hear.

Geno stopped walking and looked behind him, freezing in shock hearing that voice which sounded so familiar and at the same time as if it was coming from the depths of Tartarus. Immediately all his curiosity vanished, all his will to follow the stranger dissappeared.

Everything felt once again very wrong, way worse than what he first felt. Alter's voice had brought him back to reality. He heard the fear and worry in his voice. And he realised that he did wrong leaving. He was ready to run back and forget he ever followed in that dark alley.

But little did Geno know, he wasn't going to leave just like that.

"I'm sorry Geno..." The stranger said and the very next moment the skeleton felt something wrapping around his ankles. He fell down prone and looked behind him shocked. "... Even if you won't trust me by this, I can't let you go now. But once you know the truth, you'll understand." The stranger continued in a cold voice. He had threw at Geno a purple aura hand.

It was what was holding him tightly and not letting go of his ankles. Pulling him towards the mirror. The first thing Geno did upon his panic was to start scratching the ground, try crawl away from the mirror and break free from the aura hand. The only thing he succeeded with that was to make his fingerprints start bleeding.

"ALTEEER!" He yelled upon his panic, forgetting to call his friend by his fake name. But on the situation he was, he didn't think of it. After all it wasn't his first concern at the moment. Curse himself for saying the right name and not the fake one instead of focusing to escape from the kidnapper's hands?

If it wasn't obvious by someone, learn prioritize better depending on the situation what is more important! Back to the current situation. Geno suddenly felt a 2nd aura hand closing his mouth and he fought to take it off. In vain. His hands also had gotten tied by the first hand which had wrapped around him like a snake.

Almost any attempt to struggle had been taken away from him. And as if it wasn't enough, the hand that had closed his mouth moved so his whole face was covered. He couldn't see anything, he couldn't say anything. And he could barely breath. He was loosing his strength and senses.

He let out a muffled growl, summoned bones and blindly tried to throw them at the kidnapper. He was pretty certain he hadn't hit sh*t. With every single second passing, he slowly stopped struggling, he stopped throwing his head in all directions trying to take the aura hand off his face, trying to free his arms.

The few movement he was trying to do to break free was even more futile. It was as if pythons were wrapping around his body and the more he struggled, the more they strangled him to death. Geno was near to accept defeat, loose consciousness and let the nothingness swallow him...

"V ¤ € ê æ € æ δ ¤ υ đ ə m ə χ ə r € ¤ m œ ρ υ æ r đ ι ã ¤ ə r r æ đ ¤ æ m ι ρ ¤."

As said, the moment exactly Geno felt his strength abandoning him and succumbing to nothingness, he felt a wave of heat flying above him. It made his back sweat. At the same time he felt the aura hands that were holding him tight, relaxing their grip, retreating and letting go of him.

Geno gasped in the oxygen he so craved -one of the very few non logical things i'm gonna let them pass, anyways- and then coughed holding his chest. He slowly managed to sit on his knees with his hands still pressing the ground, his vision blurred. He wasn't daring to look around, the attempt was making him dizzy.

But soon, he couldn't help see the person standing a few steps away, near the opening of the alley. He raised head and observed better. Tall. Legs on stable, ready for combat position. Their one arm stretched towards Geno's direction, with opened palm. The hand was kinda shaking.

And as the small skeleton's vision cleared more, he saw more features of them. Clenched teeth. Where the eyes were supposed to be, he could only see 2 dark blue holes, sometimes emitting cyan, grey and white alternatively. In front of them square glasses. Geno rubbed his eyesocket and finally, his vision cleared completely to properly recognise his savior.

"Alter..." He said simply, trying to get up. With the help of the wall he managed to stand on his feet and soon enough keep his balance without the need of support. Alter slowly lowered his hand and looked down. Geno looked behind him hesitantly. The purple mirror was gone.

The stranger had dissappeared. No sign of him. It could seem as if never anything happened here. But there was something clear as day that was saying otherwise. The wall had broke. Bricks had fall on the ground. They were all black now. Smoke was coming out of them and the atmosphere was much warmer. What had happened?

Geno felt something grabbing his wrist and turned surprised. For a moment he thought there was danger again. But it was just Alter who had grab him. And this time not gently or friendly by the hand. Geno looked away, expecting the priest to start lecturing him for how he acted.

"Let's just go..." It was the only thing the tall skeleton said as he turned his back and started dragging Geno, who followed without much resistance.

They got out of the alley and suddenly the smaller felt many pairs of eyes on him and Alter. Staring in surprise and shock, confusion and maybe fear. Alter didn't seem to care. But Geno lowered his head. Even if the taller hadn't say much yet, his instinct was telling him that later he would get a lecture soon.

???'s POV:
-

Um.

Wow!

That was a blast!

¡No, literalmente!

Ho. Ly. Wow.

...

I should have expected that. No, I expected Geno's guardian would come up to save him. What I didn't expect was that they apparently have or had anger issues. The guy almost burned me to crisp! And I would end up like that if I didn't stoop and be forced to not only let go of Geno but also close the mirror.

Oooh mama! Why was he gifted like that!

Now, Bernard's about half office is destroyed. The door has burned down, the walls are black and the paintings have turned to ashes. The big mirror has fallen down prone, broke to pieces and the chandelier from the ceiling has fallen down too, breaking and scattering in even more pieces.

I place hands on my hips. Yup. I'm in so much trouble once Bern hears about all this mess. And even more when he hears the whole story about how his office ended up half burned and destroyed: because I tried to approach Geno. Luckily his desk and library didn't burn, they were quite behind the mirror and the fire just couldn't reach them.

In there he keeps the most inportant documents and if these were destroyed, I can only guess what would he do to me if he wasn't a chill dude. But I don't think it would last for long anyways. He hasn't hold grudges for way worse things people did to him in the past as he said.

...

I'm not dissapointed. Nor sad I lost Geno. Was I close to convince him come with me before his guardian called? Yup. Did I almost got him before a literal tongue of fire becomes my demise? Certainly. But it's ok. I guess it's ok for now. Despite it might was my only chance of finally meeting him-.

"O que aconteceu aqui?!" A small kiddo's voice makes me turn. To the opening is standing Bernard's youngest boy, staring one around the burned environment, one at me, blinking many times from surprise and shock. Welp, how do I explain this to a 3 year old?

"Uuuh... fogo aconteceu?" I say, awkwardly smiling and shrugging my shoulders.

No one's POV:
-

Geno could only secretly and for a very few seconds stare up to Alter, who was walking fast and barely managing to keep up with him. He didn't have much courage look up at him for long. He hoped he would see his expression softening, or say something. Anything. No.

The priest's expression was cold and plain as ice. There was nothing warm or tender on it. His grip on Geno's wrist wasn't gentle but clenching like handcuff. They entered the elevator that would take them back to the surface. As long as they waited, they kept their awkward heavy silence.

Except Alter wasn't gripping Geno anymore and had walked in front of the painting of Jesus. He putted his hands together, lowered head and closed eyesockets, most likely praying silently. Meanwhile, after a few seconds of Geno standing awkwardly doing nothing, he looked at the painting of the 3 Aces absent minded.

Eventually he walked closer and nailed his eyesocket on the frame of Aster. He focused and observed everything all over again carefully. He raised hand and gently touched the painted diamond monster soul ring. What a mystery. This land, these leaders, everything. And whatever happened 4 years ago. What truly happened though?

Something about Aster. As the smaller understood, Raymond seemed to despise him more than the other 2 Aces together. What did he do to frame him? How come by bringing him his demise, he almost doomed also the other Aces and the monster kind? How? So many questions.

And as much as Geno didn't like it, he wasn't going to learn anything about it anytime soon. As the prophecy had said, it wasn't his business to interfere. He looked up, where the face of Aster was supposed to be if it wasn't ripped just like Aristo's and Arhana's.

"Who are you really Aster?"

"Let's go." His thoughts were so suddenly interrupted by Alter's voice he flinched.

He looked at him. He had his arms crossed and his face still seemed strict and cold. Instead of approaching, Geno looked away and intertwined his fingers in front of his chest, clenching and relaxing them. He heard the priest's steps approaching closer to him and closed eyesocket.

From the time he got saved he wasn't feeling well. Worse than when he first thought there was threat in the air. He was agitated. He really was expecting Alter to start lecturing him, express how angry he was or anything. And that was only making him feel nauseous.

"What were you thinking?" He heard his voice hitting him like a big punch of ice. But he wasn't yelling. Despite Geno could hear the anger in his voice, the priest was still keeping it under control. For now. "Back there. Why did you leave? What were you thinking?" He asked again and he sounded a little angrier.

Geno looked at him. He had kneeled so his face was on his level. Honestly, he couldn't muster a single word, excuse himself. He heard the priest exhaling loudly from his nose, with the edge of his eyesocket he saw him pinching the bridge of it. Now the smaller's hands had started shaking.

The taller stood up and looked away. Geno dared to look at him. His hands were shaking too. Despite the mood right now, the smaller started wondering about something else. Definitely Alter had used magic. But he didn't seem hurt, despite wearing magic blocker. How did he make the kidnapper retreat?

"A-Al..." He hesitantly started. The other didn't look at him. He approached, stood closer and tried to hold his hand. "How did you use magic if-?"

"Æ r ə ¥ ¤ u § Ə R Ī ¤ U § Ł ¥ æ § k ī n g M Ə t h æ t?!" Alter snapped pulling his hand so abruptly it made Geno almost fall. He quickly stepped back seeing his friend's irises alternatively changing colors, from blue, to grey, cyan, white and all over again. "It's not about me Geno! It's all about you now! Seriously, ₩ H ¥?! What made you think it was wise follow a stranger and get away from me?! Do you realise what would have happen if I wasn't preventing to find you?! Đ ø ¥ ø u?!" He asked.

He was flailing his hands fast and abruptly. Geno looked down, the words hitting him like a whip. His expression was showing shock, his eyesocket was wide open and the iris in it had shrinked.

His mind had started going fuzzy, hearing Alter as if he was more far away than he truly was. But then suddenly, the guilt got replaced by an emptiness, familiar to him for many years and a feeling that hadn't come inside him from the time he met Alter and actually started getting along a little bit with some of the pirates.

He raised head again to look at the priest, this time cold and serious. That lecture had brought up to the surface an old depressing conclusion and idea of his, all wrong as he would realise soon it was with Alter. Except that there was more to add ever since he remembered his past.

"If I am nothing but the one you have to guard, because my mother putted you for that role, you shouldn't have agreed in the first place then..." He scoffed placing hands on his hips. Alter froze as if a lightning had hit him. His empty eyesockets were nailed at Geno. "... I've been for the biggest part of my life nothing but a burden for anyone who has know me one way or another. Something way worse than bad luck. I've caused nothing but trouble to anyone who wanted to stay close to me and I dared to care for. Something always happens to them. My dad died so unfairly because of me. My mother left me and my brothers, even if it was to protect us. Later Error and Fresh were gone because I couldn't protect them. And now, you're no exception Alter." On the last word Geno death stared at him, his small iris nailed at him and placed hand on his chest. "You've got hurt because of me, you're loosing your sh*t because of ME and what do you get in return? More trouble and anxiety ahead. Up to this point I wouldn't even be surprised or disappointed if you're fed up with me and don't want to protect me anymore or have the slightest relationship with me. I know it. The symbol is forcing you to protect me. If I've been nothing but trouble to ya, if you feel obligated and that you're doing something against your will, then stop it. Everyone always at the end leaves me. Both because I tend to push them away and at the same time to protect themselves. It had better if ya were letting me get kidnapped by that stranger. Aaal your damn problems would fly away like a bird. ₩ ø u ł đ n " t t h ə y?" He paused smiling sarcastically and bitterly.

Alter stared at Geno even more pale and as if he was at that moment Lot's wife who disregarded the angels' warning and became a pillar of salt for turning to look at Sodom and Gomorrah while God was raining sulfur and fire on them. His mouth was slightly open from what he heard the smaller saying about himself.

Geno was now staring at him with crossed arms and his smirk grew bitter, the melancholy in his eyesocket became more clear and the mood even heavier. He waited for Alter to snap out of his shock and say anything. He was so certain that what he said was true and would come true once again.

Everybody he ever cared for left him, why would it be any different now? Alter looked away slowly clenching his fists. Geno sighed quietly and closed eyesocket while lowering his head. Him talking for so long had make him even more dizzy. The conversation was almost over, he really wanted to rest now-.

"Is that how you think of yourself?" He suddenly heard Alter's cold voice. Geno looked again at him. The taller had his left hand in his face now, shutted tightly eyesockets, turned at the opening of the church.

"It is how I've seen it all my life Al. Now how about we return to the Infernals and pretend none of that happened eh? We can always ignore each other after we leave this place-."

"H ø w đ æ r ə y ø u..." Alter interrupted and his voice was pulsating with rage. Geno's eyesocket widened up as he looked at Alter now surprised, snapping out of his previous bitter sarcastic and macabre state. But that would turn to shock when Alter would turn to face him completely. His green irises were wide dilated in his eyesockets. With many tears running down his cheeks. "How can you talk about yourself like that son?" He asked, his left hand covering his mouth. Geno took a step back as he felt his vision blurring for a moment. "You've reached such point, to think that no one should care about you? That everyone's pretending. That I'm pretending? I'm protecting you not just because I was chosen as a guardian for you. I don't feel obligated. I'm doing this because that's what friends do Geno. Just because I'm getting mad, doesn't mean it's all over, that I can't afford to care anymore. Back there with the kidnapper, what was bigger than my anger at that moment, was fear. Fear of almost loosing you."

Twass. That broke Geno completely who threw aside every sarcasm and bitter thoughts completely. He stared at Alter absolutely shocked, seeing him crying as he was staring at him with a pained and troubled expression. The taller looked away wiping more of his tears. "I'm sorry..." He heard him mumbling and then sniffing quietly. Geno really wanted to say something at that moment.

But exactly then, he felt a sharp pain striking on his chest. Even though he opened his mouth, no sound came out. He held his chest leaning forward and stumbled, almost falling. His iris dissappeared seeing a few cyan drops of his colored blood falling on the floor. When he managed to somehow keep his balance, he slowly took his hands off his chest.

With terror he saw his palms stained in his blood. His vision blurred even more and he felt almost loosing his senses as he took 2 steps back. But the last straw came when he coughed roughly 3 times and saw more blood coming out of his mouth. His bottom jaw started shaking in terror.

"Not again, no..." He mumbled.

"Geno?!" He heard Alter's voice, but as if it was coming from really far away. As he fell backwards he saw Alter running towards him, still able to see the terror in his eyesockets. He kneeled near him, staring at the small skeleton from top to bottom, his hands and bottom jaw shaking badly. "No no no... No! GENO!"

Geno felt Alter's arms scooping him up fast yet carefully, him standing up and next walking ahead with very fast steps, exiting the ruined church. All icons were blended to nothing in Geno's eyesocket. He couldn't distinguish a house from the street, a pole from a monster.

The sounds were barely reaching his ear holes. Screams of panic, worried conversations? It all sounded like murmurs to him. He felt one more time a very sharp sting in his chest and this time in his soul too, which was enough to finally let the darkness swallow him.

One last thing he prevented to feel though. It was Alter's tears falling on his cheek. And one last thing he prevented to hear:

"HELP! MI EUGENIA! MI BAMBINA! PLEASE HELP!"

And finally all his senses shutted down.

um, anyways. looking forward meet on the next chapter again. like i said from "The first Royal Ocean Prophecy" chapter, i've tagged my apprentice's account, rexo_trew, it is here now too, go and check out their story i help them write! their first and only for now, "Emotionless Freaks" is called.

_Asra-, just like the others, may you have a splendid day👌🏽

before you go out, for anyone who needs some therapy after reading this chapter, here's a photo full of fluff i guess:

(for reasons i better not show much my parents' faces. but enjoy me and my sister as babies. you may not see my brother here, he is still in my mom's tummy)

3743 words-

???'s POV:
-

...

I don't get it!

How? When?

I didn't even prevent to see him using his magic. And yet from what I saw, he managed to save his little idiot unscratched!

Was I not fast enough to prevent see Alter on action? He didn't seem hurt at all after walking away with the shortie!

...

After all, there is indeed something different about him. He's not the same skeleton I knew before I died.

More specifically before getting murdered.

But then how am I still talking and observing whatever happens? Well you weirdo who is just hearing me talking, unexpectedly even for me, that sick in the head Raymond, who commanded his soldiers to get rid of me, the 'weak link', got the job half done.

What does that mean? I'll just let you with your questions to rot, knowing that whatever theories you make to try and answer will never be satisfying enough. Arrivederci~

...

3900 words.