"If you really wish to continue with this, I can't stop you, but I think it's more of a death sentence," Carlile says.
"If you get a glimpse of my fate, can you please contact me? I want to know if I have a chance at winning this thing." Ein holds out a slip of paper with his number on it. Carlile sighs and takes the slip of paper in his hand.
"I think before you go and decide to take William head-on, you need to learn the extent of your abilities. It's clear that you can control life forms such as plants, but that's as far as you've gotten." Ein never tested his abilities on anything other than plants cause he was too afraid of causing damage.
"Do you know what else I could possibly do?" Ein asks, hopeful that Carlile may have some answers.
"No, I don't, but if you harness them properly, I think you can twist your powers to do things outside of control. You and Nicolette are two extraordinary beings compared to the rest of us, and your powers are unknown as those who have experienced them to the fullest extent always died before they got to fully write about them."
"I have one more question."
"Let me guess, you want to know just how dangerous Nyx is?" Ein's mouth shuts immediately, caught off guard by Carlile guessing his next question correctly.
"Uh.. y-yeah." He manages to say.
"Nyx on her own is not dangerous. A bit cocky, yes, but dangerous, no. She is only dangerous when placed into the wrong hands, and in this case, it's William's hands, so yeah, you might be fucked." Niko leaves the two to their conversation, exiting the floating house. He takes the cobblestone path back down to ground level.
"I can't help you any further, little brother." He says quietly. He takes one last look at the floating house before leaving the town and going back through the barrier.
Ein looks around the house for his brother. "Niko? Niko!? Where did you go, you ass!" 'Did he really just leave?' He thinks to himself. Ein didn't know his way around Paris, and Carlile wasn't going to help him. He takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "We've got this. Nothing to be worried about."
"I'll have another chauffeur meet you outside, but before you go." Carlile enters another room and comes back out, holding a satchel.
"What's that?" Ein asks as Carlile puts the strap of the satchel over his head.
"It holds a few different potions, each with its own unique effect. I also left a few notes of places you could go to to learn more about yourself and Nicolette." Ein doesn't know whether to be worried or thank him.
"Are you sure I need this?"
"You may not use it, but it's there in case you need it, and that's better than not having anything at all." Ein nods, understanding Carlile's good intentions.
"Thank you, Carlile." Ein takes one last look at Carlile before exiting the house.
"Don't thank me... I couldn't tell you everything you needed to know." Carlile says under his breath as he looks at a glowing white jar on his workbench. "I couldn't tell you your fate 'cause you wouldn't be able to handle it." He picks up the jar and stores it away in a cabinet under his workbench. "Push forward, Ein... the ending may not be what you want, but the results are worth all the pain you'll go through."
Ein makes his way through the town, exploring it a bit further, fascinated by everything he encounters. "I always thought science was a bit lame, but this gives me a whole new opinion." He says with a smile. He opens the satchel and takes out one of the notes that reads, "There is someone in Tepito who can help you understand yourself a little better. His name is Jason Voye, an old friend of your mom."
"Tepito? That's in Mexico according to this Google thing! Ugh, I have the feeling I will be popping my ears a lot in the future." He takes out his phone and gives Charles a call. After a few rings, Charles finally picks up.
"Ein!? Thank Myenna. I was worried Niko would ditch you on some unknown island." Ein chuckles nervously.
"Well, he did sort of ditch me, just not on an unknown island. I need you and Leroy to meet me in Tepito, Mexico, as soon as possible."
"Tepito, huh? Alright, I'll gather up Leroy if the ladies will let him leave."
"Castrate him if you need to." Charles laughs.
"Will do Ein see you in a day or two." They hang up, and Ein walks through the barrier, spotting the chauffeur waiting for him.
"Perfect!" Ein climbs into the back and takes out his phone, purchasing a ticket from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport to Mexico City International Airport. "My dad is so going to kill me when he sees how much money I've spent if he isn't planning on killing me already for leaving.
Back in Stitem, it took Tony three days to get the vines to let go of the guards. "What were they thinking, Thomas!? The outside world is so new to them!" Thomas was already fuming on the inside.
"Don't pretend you don't know Tony! I know you gave him my damn book. I found it missing the morning we discovered these idiots wrapped in vines!" Tony hangs her head, ashamed of herself.
"I didn't do it to irritate you, Tommy..." Thomas takes a deep breath, trying to extinguish the anger building up inside him.
"Where would they get the idea to leave in the first place!? Charles has always been an obedient kid. I highly doubt it was his idea to leave the sanctuary." Tony shuffles her feet in the dirt, catching Thomas's attention. He leans in his face inches from hers.
"What do you know, Tony?" Tony can't hold back anymore.
"They went after Nicolette, and it was Ein's idea." The anger Thomas had managed to lower was now boiling back up.
"Fucking dammit, I knew it! I always kept an eye on that boy for a reason, and I thought that he had finally forgotten about that girl! I should've never let him out of my sight." Tony hugs Thomas, trying to calm him.
"You know how close they were, and it seems Ein has a small grasp on his powers. I'm sure he can handle himself out there."
"That's not the point, Tony! The point is he's going to get involved in something he shouldn't! Not only that, but he's dragged Charles and Leroy into this." Thomas hears footsteps and looks in the direction they are coming from. "Shit," he mumbles under his breath.
"Thomas, you have some real explaining to do!" It was Bruno Russo Charles's father. "What has your son influenced mine into this time? Was it not enough that he convinced Charles to duel with him last year!? My son's arm was broken!" The last thing Thomas wanted to hear was Bruno's bitching he was reaching the end of his rope.
"We're looking into it now. Calm yourself."
"No fuck you. I am tired of my son getting caught up in your son's shenanigans!" Thomas can't take it anymore and finally snaps, grabbing Bruno by the collar of his shirt and meeting face to face.
"I said calm down! I am trying my hardest not to send you to the infirmary at the moment! My son is out there, and so is yours, and if you want them to be found and possibly brought back alive, then shut your dumbass mouth, or I'll shut it for you!" He lets go, dropping Bruno onto the ground.
"You've got to learn to control your temper Wolfier." Bruno snaps.
"Oh, that's rich coming from you, Russo." Thomas retorts. Bruno gets up, brushing the dirt off of his clothing. Atlas, despite hardly being sober, stands nearby, listening in to the conversation. He thinks back to how close Nicolette and Ein used to be and knows it was only a matter of time before Ein set out to find her. He swirls the glass of Bourbon in his hand and takes a swig before walking back in the direction of his place.
He enters his home and looks at the living room floor, where Alice is playing with some makeshift toys. He goes into the dining room, setting down the now empty glass, and stares at it momentarily. Zayne can be heard coming down the stairs, having just added white dye to his hair after bleaching it. "Dad?" Atlas's attention is diverted to his son.
"Hm? What did you do to your hair?"
"I told you I was going to change it from black to white today." Atlas can hardly control his thoughts and can't remember Zayne mentioning that to him.
"Alright, just make sure it looks neat and not like an absolute mess," Atlas says, mumbling the last half.
"You're drunk again, aren't you?" Zayne has watched his father slowly spiral down into a depressed drunkard since the death of his mom and his missing sister.
"I'm not drunk, Zayne." Atlas's words slur a bit, not convincing Zayne at all.
"Don't lie to me." Zayne has had just about enough of Atlas's antics. "I may be eleven, but I'm not dumb."
"Yeah, well, an eleven-year-old shouldn't be dying their hair either." Zayne rolls his eyes and forces Atlas into the dining room chair.
"Ever since that day, you've been an absolute mess, and I'm tired of it! You can barely make a meal for me and Alice, and I've had to pick up the slack! I'm supposed to be a kid, not doing all this!" Atlas's expression turns to one of guilt. Thinking back on it, Zayne has had a hard time trying to keep everything in order.
"I'm sorry, Zayne," Atlas says, his voice shaky. "I just..." Zayne's expression softens, and he hugs his dad tightly.
"Please, Dad... I don't want to see you like this anymore." He starts to cry as tears form in his eyes and stream down his cheeks. "I want my dad back..." Atlas wraps his arms around Zayne, pulling him into a tight hug and allowing him to cry.
"I'm so sorry" he rubs Zayne's back, attempting to comfort him. He looks over at the empty glass and back at Zayne in his arms. He had to make a change but had no idea where to start. He lets out a shakey sigh and continues to hold his son in his embrace. "I'm going to fix this... somehow I am going to fix this, and you'll be able to live a happy and normal life." Atlas wanted nothing more than for his children to experience the outside world safely.
"I don't want you to drink anymore..." Zayne mumbles, his face buried in his father's shoulder.
"I won't... I'll try my hardest to ensure I won't. You deserve a father who's here and present and not off drinking like a coward. I'll try to be better for you and Alice Zayne... I promise." Zayne and Atlas hug for a few more minutes before Zayne finally steps back, giving his father a reassuring look and then leaving the dining room. Atlas gets up and takes the glass to the kitchen, cleaning it in the sink. He opens the cabinets, looking at the different bottles of alcohol.
"I promised to make a change... you can't hide behind the alcohol anymore, Atlas." He tells himself as he reaches up and grabs the bottles one by one, safely disposing of them. This was just the start, and he knew breaking his habit of alcoholism wasn't going to be easy. He tried to ignore the voices in his head.
"You're my son, and no son of mine is to be weak and kind-hearted! I don't care how your mother tries to influence you. You will not end up like her!" William's voice boomed around him. Atlas covers his ears, leaning against the kitchen counter.
"Mom... why couldn't you have left dad... why'd you have to pass on and leave me with him?"