Cale Henituse: The Seven Sages (An Origin Series)

Extra Chapter [1]

B - narration in first person

I - narration from the memories of an omniscient perspective

N - narration from the outsider's perspective

~

"Dad!" Eight years old Cale Henituse's head popped from the door frame of his father's office.

"Hm?" Is what Deruth replied, looking up from his paperwork only to see Cale smiling at him. 

A bad omen.

"What is it sweety?" He asked again.

"I love you!"

A really bad omen. 

Deruth's gaze fell to his aide who turned away not meeting his eyes. 

"Cale Henituse what in the world did you this time?!"  The count's voice was stern, but the worry was evident as it laced his tone. 

"I broke a vase in the hallway... I'm sorry." 

He's not sugarcoating what he did this time. Deruth squinted his eyes. His wife's dissapearance enabled him to interact with his kids more, and at this rate, he now knows them like the back of his hands. 

"You are forgiven." He started. It's nothing much, it was just a vase anyway. "What else did you do?"

But there is more to that smile than what's meets the eye. That smile is something horrid. Way horrid than how his Cale would smile.

"Dad do you know how to remove a broken shard of sharp porcelain that stabbed straight through your feet?"

For the love of-

Before Deruth could even process what is happening, he already has his son hoisted on his hips as he ran straight to the family doctor's office. And much to his surprise, or not, his other son's hand in the process of being wrapped with a white cloth. He was still in his training clothes, one that indicates, whatever injury he had, it was from his obsession of wanting to be strong. 

"Would it kill you two to sit still for like a minute?!"

"Yes!"

"No. I would even do it for a day!" 

The two separate response nearly killed the remaining energy the count has left as he decided it was now time to just dangle his youngest son from his outstretched arms, hands on Cale's torso like his son is just some kind of a cat. 

"Remove whatever porcelain is stabbed in this brat's foot. and Carlos will not be seen in the training room until that hand is bandage free."

Carlos' protest fell deaf to his ears as he put Cale beside his brother who immediately coddled the youngest Henituse, cooing him with cookies and candies. 

"And no dessert. For both of you." 

"What?!" 

"No Way!" 

"That's not fair!"

"Oh, but it is." Deruth looked back to his sons with a big grin. "I'm the dad here after all!"

~

"Surprisingly his hair is not white yet." 

"Pffft-" Violan held back a laugh upon hearing the gold dragon's thoughts in passing. 

"But with two out of control children like these. I'd be dead by now." 

Deruth could only look at his younger self from the book. "I'd be dead too."