Ein sits in the car, planning to meet the others in Mexico. Something seemed off about the world lately, but he couldn't place his finger on it. As he gets lost in thought, his phone begins to ring, and he starts to panic when he sees his father's name on the screen. His mind goes blank as he decides whether to pick up or ignore the phone. In the spur of the moment, he presses the answer button and feels his heart rate go up as his father's voice comes through the phone.
"EIN LYNN WOLFIER, YOU HAVE SOME NERVE DISOBEYING MY ORDERS AND LEAVING THE SANCTUARY." Ein has to think of a response 'think think think!' He says to himself repeatedly. "Care to explain yourself!?"
"I-i uh umm i-i umm," he couldn't get a single word to leave his mouth correctly.
"You don't have a reason, do you? This better not be about that Lyiora girl. She is not our concern, Ein, and you know this."
"Dad it's-"
"I don't want to hear your excuses! You're going on a suicide mission, getting in way over your head! I kept these rules in place to protect you and the others from that psycho man!" Thomas says, trying to get his point across to Ein. "I just want to keep you and the others safe, even if that means restricting your freedom to a certain degree."
"Dad," Ein calms himself enough to speak. "I know you care for me and the others, but this is something that I feel needs to be done. She was a kid just like me with her childhood ripped away, and every night in my dreams... I can hear her screams and her pleas. In my memories, I see her smile and laugh as I chase her through the bioluminescent trees. I need to get her back home or, at the very least away from William somehow, and if I die doing so, then so be it."
"I know you liked her and were very close, but you don't know she's still the same person. Being around that man and suffering from his actions changes people like it did to Atlas. Eventually, you'll realize not everyone has a happy ending." Thomas tries to show that he sympathizes with his son but also tries to get Ein to see reason.
"I know not everyone gets a happily ever after, but I'm going to try and get mine and even if I can't, may I at least have it in the afterlife someday when my journey comes to an end." With that, Ein hangs up on his father, leaving Thomas both angry and disappointed. He just couldn't seem to get through to his son. "Nobody understands me," Ein sighs in frustration. Arriving and entering the airport, Ein carries the potion bag Carlile gave him, going through it only to look up and see some guards there.
"There's no way," he whispers under his breath. By the looks of their outfits, the guards belong to William and are standing near security. "How am I supposed to get by them?" He looks around anxiously, looking for another option. He spots a unisex bathroom and goes inside, locking the door. "If i go through security, they'll know who i am, and they'll spot the potion bag... how do they even know I'm here?" Was William already aware of his movements? Ein notices a familiar plant on the sink counter.
"Perfect!" He whispers, excited that things are looking up. He makes a small cut on his arm while chanting under his breath, and once the blood flows towards and makes contact with the Philodendron Cordatum, it begins to grow. "Time to go for the only option I have." the leaves of the Philodendron Cordatum sneak under the bathroom door and along the airport floor, avoiding people's feet. "I'm sorry to have to use you like this," he says as one of the leaves makes contact with a working detection dog.
He takes control of the dog's mind and muscles and makes it pull the leash out of the worker's hand and run around the airport barking. This catches the eye of the guards, who are quick to help chase down the dog. Ein uses this chance to have the Philodendron Cordatum lift its leaves off the ground and trip the guards as they chase after the dog. Ein quickly unlocks the door and runs out of the bathroom, hearing the guards behind him.
"There, stop him!" They yell, and Ein dodges the more minor airport security using the Philodendron Cordatum leaves to block their path or wrap around their legs and hold them in place. Ein then uses the dogs to bark and growl at those who try to stop him in a threatening manner. Hopefully, nothing terrible will happen to the dogs as a result. He keeps running, finding the tunnel to the plane he needs, and he quickly locks down the gate, blocking off the guards who curse. "Come back, little boy! We can get you a lighter punishment if you come willingly!"
Ein turns back to them and flips them off, sticking out his tongue as he does so. He hurries onto the plane, going to the captain's quarters despite the crew trying to tell him not to. "Excuse me, sir?" The captain turns to look at him.
"Can i help you? Passengers are supposed to be seated."
"I know, I know, and I'll go take a seat, but I need you to take off like right now, and before you ask, I'm trying to rescue someone in a horrible situation, and I have bad guys trying to stop me right now so please believe me and take off as soon as possible." They lock eyes for a moment, and the captain nods, determining Ein is telling the truth.
"Alright, but go take a seat." Ein bows grateful to the captain and goes to take his seat. It is only moments before the captain signals to everyone that the plane will leave ahead of time, and the take-off begins. Ein sighs in relief and watches as the plane lifts off the ground. He can barely see William's guards exiting another exit and cursing, kicking at the ground as the plane takes off, which makes Ein smile.
The guards are quick to call William, knowing they are going to get scolded by him. It doesn't take long for Willaim to answer the call. "Did you catch him, or were you so useless against a teenage boy?" The guards look back at the Philodendron Cordatum and dogs that are still wreaking havoc on the guards inside.
"Boss, before you get angry, you really should've been here. It seems the boy's core has also awakened, and he hasn't discovered his full potential." William was silent and sitting on the other side of the phone in his study.
"This isn't good. That boy is Nyx's counter, and the last thing I need is him getting in the way. Shit!" William runs his fingers through his hair, frustrated. "Did you find out where he's headed?"
"Mexico, sir." The guards reply.
"Chase him down, and I don't care how you do it, just deter him from coming here till I can tap Nyx into her full abilities, so what I'm basically saying is FUCKING STALL" he hangs up the call and tosses the phone onto his desk. "I will not have my plans ruined by some idiot teenager." He gets up and walks over to one of his many bookcases, removing an old book from the lower shelves and brushing off the dust. "Everything i have built has been for this."
~flashback~
"William," a vague figure of a man, stands next to young William approximately 13 years old.
"Yes, father?" William says in a monotone voice.
"I hope you realize just what our family was made for? Come with me." William quickly follows his father out of their estate in the middle of the night as they exit the gates and walk along the empty streets of Moscow. "This entire city and all its people are ours to use and mold as we see fit. Nobody here can disobey us even if they want to, and the best part is that if they try, you can decide their punishment!" His father leads him to a building near the center of town.
Inside were many guards and a few dark rooms where people were chained and looked as if they hadn't eaten or slept in days. Their clothes were dirty, and they definitely hadn't bathed. The smell was awful, and William tried not to puke. "F-Father, it smells awful," William barely manages to say, trying to keep himself from gagging.
"That's the smell of successful torture, William. If you don't torture people, they will think they can betray you, go against you without consequence, and some might even be brave enough to stab you in the back and bring you down from your staple of power."
"But father, what if not everyone is like that. Surely there are nice people in the world, right?" His father laughs and pats him hard on the back.
"Ah you sure are a riot, my boy." William laughs awkwardly along with his father. "You must never have that mindset. Nobody is to be trusted, not even for a moment, and if you have children, you must teach this to them early on. You are the only person trustworthy in your life and theirs. You have to break their soul and make them kneel and worship you. You must make them fear you and cower at the mere mention of your name!"
"But mother said in order to get people to respect you, you must earn that respect in a good way and build trust with your people-" William is cut off by his father.
"That woman you call a mother is dead for a reason, William. Women are nothing more than useless cows. All they are good for is carrying and raising the heir; you must never allow them to cloud your judgment. The minute you fall in love with them is the minute they'll ruin you." William looks at the stone floor, unsure what to think. "You are my son, my heir William and I'll teach you how to be my pride and joy my successor to our wonderful mafia city."
~present~
William shuts the book in his hand and places it back on the shelf. "I took over just like you wanted and i'll make our family glorious again. Nobody will dare to disrespect us again and i'll take out that damned Wolfier family starting with Ronan!" He leaves his study, ignoring the ever-growing voice of Melody in his head. He has gotten used to drowning her out over the years, but sometimes, she still gets to him.
"You're a psychopath, a monster who cares about nobody but himself! Our son doesn't deserve this, and your granddaughter doesn't deserve this! This world is so pure and so beautiful if you would just open your eyes, William! I know your father was harsh, I know he was cruel, but it's not too late to allow yourself to feel and help those who have suffered before of you!" Melody says as she appears before him.
"You damned woman," he hisses, glaring her down. "You don't have a right to lecture me when there wasn't an ounce of loyalty in your blood!"
"I loved you, William!" She yells at him. "I loved you since we were young, but I hated seeing you turn into an exact replica of the man everyone feared and hated! I loved the way you saw the world through your mother's eyes! You used to speak so fondly of her and the world around you, and I missed that, so I looked for that in him..." she says through tears. William stands there for a moment, not a change of expression or sign of emotion on his face.
"I don't care for your excuses, Melody. The younger version of myself was weak and naive, but now I will have everything I ever wanted and deserved for so long. This is my time, and I won't allow you or anyone else to stop me, for I am William Lyiora."