Chương 5: Isaac Fafnir

Sarah stared out the window. Then she screamed. Walter's body fell in the street outside the manor, limp and broken among the smoke and ash. For a moment, Sarah could not breathe. Tears poured down her face, and her hands shook against the window frame as her mind tried to reject what her eyes had already seen. Walter was dead. Her husband was dead. Behind her, Isaac stood frozen. Sarah turned to him, forcing herself to move even as her body trembled.

"Isaac, honey." She rushed to him and took his hands in hers.

"You need to hide. Now." Isaac's red eye widened.

"Wh-what happened to Dad?" he asked.

"Is he okay?" Sarah's heart broke. She could hear footsteps approaching the manor.

"Listen to me," she said, her voice shaking.

"No matter what you hear, no matter what happens, please don't make a sound." Isaac stared at her, terrified.

"Mom…"

"Please," Sarah whispered.

"Go hide." For a second, Isaac did not move. Then he nodded. Sarah watched him run from the room, small and frightened, before she turned toward the wall and grabbed a spare sword. Her hands were weak around the hilt, but she held it anyway. The front door opened. The Doctor stepped into the manor first, his plague mask turning slowly as he looked around. Inari followed behind him, silent, one hand resting near his katana. The Doctor's gaze settled on Sarah.

"Give us your son," he said, "and I promise we will spare you." Sarah raised the sword. The Doctor tilted his head.

"There is no need to die when you clearly cannot win." Sarah's tears had not stopped, but her grip tightened.

"What kind of mother would I be if I did that?" She rushed forward and thrust the sword toward him. The Doctor caught the blade with ease. Then he tore it from her hands. The sword clattered across the floor. Sarah stumbled back. The Doctor stepped closer.

"You remind me of my own mother," he said. Sarah glared at him through her tears.

"That is how I know you will not sell out your child." He reached forward and grabbed her by the neck. Sarah gasped as he lifted her slightly from the floor.

"No matter how much Isaac may wish you had sacrificed him so you could live," The Doctor said softly, "you will never give him up." His grip tightened.

"No matter how many nightmares he has in the future, no matter how many times he blames himself…" Sarah's fingers clawed weakly at his hand.

"You will still choose to protect him." Her voice came out strained.

"Sounds like you have experience with your mother being murdered in front of you." A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. For a moment, The Doctor went still. Then he leaned closer.

"Who is to say?" His bare hand pressed against her throat.

"Now sleep." Sarah's skin began to pale.

"I will let you die painlessly." The strength drained from her body. Her hands fell limp. The Doctor released her, and Sarah dropped to the floor. She did not move again. For a moment, The Doctor said nothing. He simply stared down at her lifeless body. Then, as if nothing had happened, his cheerful tone returned.

"Oh, Isaac," he called.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are." The manor was silent. The Doctor walked slowly through the room, his boots tapping against the floor.

"Oh, there is no need to make this difficult," he said.

"We only want to kill you." Inari looked around. Then his fox mask tilted toward a nearby closet.

"Um, sir…" The Doctor paused.

"He is hidden in that closet," Inari said bluntly.

"It is rather obvious." For a second, nothing happened. Then the closet door burst open. Isaac ran. The Doctor sighed.

"If you had simply played along with the theatrics," he said, "he would not have run." Isaac did not look back. He tore through the manor as fast as his small legs could carry him, his breathing sharp and panicked. Behind him, he could hear footsteps. Calm footsteps. Inari was following him. Isaac reached the hall and froze for the briefest moment. His red eye lifted toward the staircase. Isabelle. She was probably still asleep in her room. She had no idea what was happening. No idea their mother was dead.

No idea monsters had entered their home. He had to save her. He had to run upstairs, wake her up, and take her with him. His foot shifted toward the stairs. Then Inari's footsteps grew closer. Isaac's body moved before his heart could decide. He ran. Away from the staircase. Away from Isabelle. That moment would haunt him for the rest of his life. Isaac sprinted through the manor and slammed through the back door. Sunlight touched him. He screamed.

Pain tore through his skin as if fire had been poured over his body. Smoke rose from his arms, and his white hair began to burn at the edges. Isaac stumbled across the yard, sobbing and gasping, forcing himself toward the trees. Toward the shade. Every step felt impossible. Every patch of sunlight felt like death. But he kept running. Behind him, Inari stopped at the back doorway. He placed one hand on the hilt of his katana.

"Martial Arts Technique." The blade left its sheath.

"Wind Blade." Inari swung. A sharp gust of wind tore from the sword and raced across the yard. Isaac heard it before he felt it. He turned his head. The attack grazed his neck. A thin line opened across his skin, and blood spilled down his throat. Isaac choked, coughing up blood as one hand flew to the wound. His knees nearly gave out. The pain, the fear, the sunlight burning his body, all of it crashed over him at once. It was enough to break anyone. But Isaac forced himself to keep moving.

He clenched his bleeding neck and staggered forward.

"Please," he whispered. His voice cracked.

"I don't want to die here." Then his foot caught on the ground. Isaac fell. He hit the grass hard, rolling onto his back as the sunlight burned against his skin. He tried to crawl, but his body would not listen. Through the tears in his eye, he looked up. A man stood over him. He had dark skin and purple eyes. His white hair was messy beneath a white top hat. He wore a white suit with a purple undershirt, and one hand rested neatly on the head of a cane. The man smiled.

"Oh, good," he said.

"I was looking for you." Isaac could barely keep his eye open. The man leaned slightly closer.

"Vessel of calamity." Isaac's vision blurred. Then everything went dark. The man looked toward the manor as Inari's footsteps drew closer.

"This place is far too dangerous," he whispered. He tapped his cane against the ground.

"Let us depart." Green light bloomed beneath his feet. By the time Inari reached the yard, both the man and Isaac were gone. Only scorched grass and a few drops of blood remained. Inari stood there in silence. Then he let out a deep sigh and pressed one hand against his fox mask.

"This really isn't good."