Chapter 37 - Walking Shadow

"I hope you are aware of the responsibility you are taking, but I am still not sure that we have to tell him about Jiren." 

Ilin was still hesitant, her face was becoming sweaty and unsure, Serlin pulled out and lighted his cigar and puffed a breath, and filled the room with light scented smoke.

"I do, and Jiren  asked to meet Aaris as a condition." 

"What are they talking about? What Condition and who is Jiren?" Still confused and dumbfounded, Aaris didn't have any idea what they were talking about.

Ilin Sighed and said,

"Fine".

"So Aaris you don't remember after getting trapped in Dustin' spell right?" 

"Yes...kinda" Aaris replied.

So after Sir Defeated Dustin, what should we do about him was the problem, we didn't have any idea about how to avoid the troublesome investigations, so we treated him, and before he could wake up, we threw him in the city.

--One day ago;--

Ilin was sitting in her office while Serlin was standing at the corner and smoking.

"What should we do about Dustin? It won't take long for him to wake up, either if we somehow prevent him from reporting everything that happened here to The Ravens by capturing him, Raven will come to Investigate his sudden disappearance, and here you are smoking as nothing happened aren't you worried about Aaris?" 

"I am, ever since I saw his strange appearance, I can't keep my mind calm. The case for Dustin is critical but his sudden growth in power worries me more." Serlin said

"You said he wasn't himself while he fought Dustin, why do you think that?" Ilin asked.

"I know that boy, his eyes tell everything about him, but at that time, the only thing I saw at that moment was bloodlust"

Ilin gazed down and rested her head on the table,

"Looking at him this concerned, I don't know how I should react, I already have so much what should I-" Ilin was in turmoil.

Abruptly, Ilin 's subordinate rushed into her office, and said,

"Pardon me, madam Jiren wants to see you"

"Jiren!?" Ilin stood up.

"Yes, he said he will help you." She replied.

-- Present time;--

"So Jiren helped us to get rid of Dustin by stealing part of Dustin's memory and rewriting it," Ilin said.

"Stealing Memories!? Isn't this a forbidden trait?" Aaris.

"Yup but it isn't his trait he is suffering from the Curse of Lohtaak" Ilin replied and moved close to the glass.

"Wait...wait….wait isn't he suffering from Curse of Luix, but he has the same face?" Aaris followed her and looked at the boy in his bed behind the glass looking down silently.

"Jiren isn't the one suffering from the curse of Luix," he said.

"So who was it?" Aaris asked.

"Vernon, apparently most of the children and staff can't see him but few kids have told us that he has talked to them, so we don't know if he is real then something happened that convinced us about his existence," Ilin said.

"What happened?" Aaris.

"Soon after Dustin was defeated we all were picked and treated by the staff here then after that, what should we do about Dustin was the real problem, we thought to kill him, but that would create greater issues then, so unexpectedly Jiren offered his help because Jiren condition we isolated him from interaction but, on one condition and that was to meet you." Serlin moved close to the door and replied.

"But why?" Aaris' head filled with commotion and questions, "who was this kid? Why did he help me? How does he know me?"

"You can ask him by yourself, " Dustin said.

Ilin slid her finger on the glass spell markings followed her finger in the glass then 

The glass started to crack then an opening appeared like a curtain was folded on the glass.

Aaris slowly and cautiously entered his room, 

"Make It quick or your memories will be erased too if the Curse starts to go havoc," Ilin said from behind.

"Are you Aaris Ralkier?" Jiren raised his eyes and looked at him.

"Yes, but how do you know me?" Aaris asked.

"I don't" Jiren averted his eyes as he ignored Aaris.

"Then why do you want to see me?" Aaris snapped on him.

"Because Vernon told me to help you," Jiren answered calmly.

"Vernon?" The same name of the Apparition Ilin told Aaris.

"Yes, also when I erased Dustin's memory I peeked at his memory there I saw you, and your mother too, do you know-" Jiren looked at Aaris and asked.

"Yup he framed us then killed my mother, I know that," Aaris replied.

"So why did you leave him alive then?" Jiren asked.

"I left him alive?" Aaris.

"I see, so I am done, now you can ask him whatever you want" Jiren looked at Aaris.

"Who are you talking to?" Aaris tried to ask him but a childish voice from behind interrupted him.

"Hello Aaris big brother"

Aaris looked behind but before he could turn around the boy came in front of Aaris and stood beside the side of Jiren's bed. Aaris looked closely at him, he looked the same as Jiren but unlike Jiren he was smiling at him.

"Wait- who are you? Why do you have the same face?" 

"Hmm, well Ilin told you my name already, I am Vernon, and about-face, I don't remember mine," Vernon replied.

"Why?" Aaris was getting hectic with each passing second.

Suddenly Vernon closed up to  Aaris smirked,

"That's a mystery too, but before you leave, I want to ask you a question and favor, the question is if you had the power to 

Either save the world and destroy the Magus leverage, or 

Destroy the world and save the Magus leverage, what would you choose?" 

"I-" Aaris didn't know how to answer that he never thought about such a thing even in his wildest dreams.

Again Vernon walked close to Jiren and turned,

"I don't want an answer, your story won't be written by you only so I want you to choose the answer when the time comes, now about the favor, since Jiren helped you to get rid of Dustin, I want you to save them in return."

"But how can I help them? I don't know what I am suffering from, I can't produce any mana. How could I help them?" Aaris clenched his fist.

" You still don't get it, it's not about what you seek freedom from, it's about why you seek it, now my time is over, I'll take my leave now, I don't know when we will meet again but I hope the day I meet you again you will have an answer with you." Slowly Vernon started fading and finally, he vanished into thin air.

"Wait-" Aaris shouted. "Do you know what he-"  

"Get out" Jiren again averted his eyes and cracked at Aaris

"What?" Aaris tilted his head in confusion.

"As I said Vernon was the one who wanted to meet you, now get out!" Jiren shouted at Aaris.

Aaris hurried and left his room, and Jiren laid on his bed covering himself from foot to head.

"So what did he say?" Ilin closed the glass and asked Aaris, 

"Nothing much just a few things"

*"maybe he doesn't want to talk about it, I shouldn't pry much"* Ilin thought, gently she patted his head and said,

"Well if your done talking let's go back"

Three of them left Jiren's room and then the second building, when Aaris was leaving, he noticed that now the whole playground where kids were playing before was filled with ominous silence. a while later they reached Ilin's office, and Aaris saw the void crate where he kept his things.

"Alright! Now we don't have much time, the Ravens can arrive anytime to investigate Dustin's incident and about his peculiar memory loss." Serlin opened the door and looked at Aaris, "Boy, get your things we are leaving now, say your goodbyes and come outside, I am waiting at the back door."

"Now!?" Aaris shouted and looked at Ilin. He didn't even get a chance to thank everyone and he wanted to stay with her a bit longer. "Miss Ilin-"

Before he could finish she hugged him tightly and her warm tears dripped on his head.

"Stay strong!

Whatever happened don't lose hope,

Sir. Serlin will always be with you and protect you, 

Eat and sleep well, I- no Everyone here will pray for you and wait for you, so work hard and return stronger than ever, and-

An…" she was sniffing with wet eyes and weak voice, looking at her state Aaris was not able to persuade himself to say goodbye to her, he grabbed her sleeves and smiled at her.

"Thank you! For staying by my side, and I'll miss you too and tell everyone that I am thankful to all of them, and I promise that the day you'll see me again I'll be stronger than ever so till then please wait for me." He said.

He picked up his crate and ran over to the door and waved at her, she waved at him with a smile and teary eyes.

Serlin brought two-horse a black and white and waited for him, Aaris marched close to the black horse and climbed on the white horse, and held his reins. 

"So shall we go?" Serlin climbed to the white horse.

"Alright." Aaris nodded.

"You've grown a bit stronger already, I think." Serlin's started trotting on his horse,

"Why?" Aaris followed him on his horse.

"You stopped throwing tantrums over going to The Garden." Serlin turned his head and grinned and whipped his leash, and his horse galloped and started running, following him Aaris' horse began to run like a wild beast.

"Fuck I forgot about that."