Chapter 6

  It was grim. William never stopped thinking about that event, his family, and every other memory involving them or her. They were precious, even if they did hurt and turn.

  Luke could see and understand his agitation, but he didn't get the rest in the slightest, or why it turned into... this? Turning around, he tried to finish what he started without asking further questions. That was his duty. His blunder too.

  “Your father was a Walker, boy,” He said and shot a bullet-like word to Williams' heart, pushing it to skip a beat and his mind swayed.

  He barely blurted out some words, before leaning on the wall, shaking.

  Luke grunted and looked away as he shook his head.

  “Damned tongue of mine. This answers some things. Maybe more than I know. Anyway, this confirms the news coming from this orphanage which has been gathering pieces of information and sending them to the Federation. Some people were looking out for you, no matter how you find it believable or worse. Some facts have been forgotten and... well, it is kind of normal for things to turn like that. In death and destruction, surviving was never clean and you were... gone, believed to be dead or eaten. Odd. I... well, not much of I. I am glad to see you alive. For the sake of others.”

  William hesitated, half looking at Luke's appreciative nod, and half noticing his own trembling hands. The crimson was trying to escape once more, heating his clothes and body, and he didn't want it, or pay it attention. He couldn't stop it. It wanted to go out. Devolve. Sizzle. Go onto a rampage because it just felt like it.

  The voice? It wasn't coming up. Good.

  William thought for his sake.

  Miss Anderson stepped aside and pointed at Luke. “Mind your tone, soldier. He is still my child and what you are talking about is sensitive. He has no idea that I went ahead of myself and informed that young Pillar of yours of those findings. Be mindful even if he is of age.”

  “Now, now. Calm down, Miss Anderson,” Luke begged to differ; his authority was stronger than hers by dozens of times, so he could be as inappropriate as he wanted to be. It wasn't a matter of seniority; his purple uniform was enough for him to enter all camps without issues. “I thought the situation would be different after learning some details, but it seems to be worse than mud. He has no clue about anything, his father included, so what about his mother, hm? Should I...” Luke shifted his attention, crossed his arms, and glanced at William who snapped after hearing a bad word.

  His mother was never fine.

  He cried out and his sleeve sizzled to dust, revealing a crimson bright storm that whipped and swirled around his forearm, looking like a ghostly snake or a whip.

  Luke visibly frowned, stopped speaking, and stepped back. “Uh, this is... interesting. Alright. I apologize for your mother's sake and see my wrongdoings. I was wrong.” He didn't sound all that sincere, forceful, or playful. It was as if he spoke to a wall.

  William felt this coming and could only breathe and lean on the wall, clutching his right arm in an attempt to stop it.

  [Leave no stones unturned...]

  [You heard that... You hate it!]

  He watched how it happened again and didn't manage it. How long ago was the last time? How long had it lasted for? How much for the satisfaction?

  Less than a year was the latest bad outburst, or would the one from two years ago count as the worst? How about the experiments happening in the past year? Dann remembered the worst outcomes to this day; a timeless day in an emotional journey, filled with shadows, steps, and deaths.

  Luke turned to Miss Anderson, who wasn't aware of all the details for the sake of her work and her ideals. She never witnessed William be like this, but she knew what these kids could be like. Young Walkers would never be like normal children because of their Emblem and state of mind, or... the Emblem itself was the worst.

  In her mind, they were still children. She stepped back, knowing that this moment was Luke's fault.

  William wasn't the wrong kid. He might appear dangerous, but he wasn't willing to do this. Wielding some weapon capable of doing nonsense magic wasn't fine right now. He was just angry at Luke, who disregarded his bark, while his Emblem correlated to his emotional state. Miss Anderson knew it wasn't instability. It was... weirder.

  Quite recently, she informed the operational management of the Federation about William and gave most of his reports out because of his appropriate age. Those included new bits of recent news and past stories, followed by his Emblem's details and anything he could say, or had said years ago. It was a thorough procedure that she had done numerous times, yet not for him recently, so she was much more insistent this time around.

  Her orphanage could not possibly operate without some big names supporting it. Yet when some bigger name sent back a message asking for all possible and impossible details about William and his past, looking for more, it ended up like this. She sent back every little bit she was aware of, which led to Luke's visit.

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  Was it not because of his age? Miss Anderson thought it was that, despite knowing it wasn't that simple.

  It turned out to be about family and some bonds. One was worse than the other and she was kind of pissed no one informed her about it.

  Young Walkers close to the Awakening weren't often sent from this orphanage like eagles, ready in mind or body. They usually got out years beforehand. She swore to do her best for their sake regardless of their coming of age or a better life in different facilities. Not only did she care about their mental and physical states, she was preparing them for what they ought to feel as children.

  Adults should have that responsibility, but only so much could come out of her, for she was just a regular human.

  Still, Miss Anderson made it worthwhile and many organizations would have significantly reduced recruits if it hadn't been for her. William witnessed numerous times how important people arrived, looking to buy, borrow, or adopt young Walkers. Ten years old was the usual age when one would go out.

  And William was around fifteen years old, yet still here.

  Future generations were coming. They always do. Outside had it a little uncertain because... well, it was Outside. It wasn't a lofty Federation, where young Walkers had better ways and options to gather their potential, knowledge, and skill. Regular people simply didn't know what was better.

  Ready their mental health and skill was the least they could help with, second to physical training, and common sense about Darks, Outside, or this shitty world as a whole. None of that would influence their Emblem, as this matter was more distant, hiding behind the Awakening. Usually, of course.

  What was happening before the eyes of two people and one Walker, wasn't usual. William was very angry but something sinister was furious.

  There were rumors about how recruiting Walkers could see some quality in young Walkers. They would adopt them as guardians, straight-up parents, or masters. Miss Anderson wasn't aware of what differences these children had over the others; she knew some were different. As they should be.

  Because of that, a good information network was important. The Federation was acting as their large guardian since what place would do it better? Miss Anderson knew how to act and do this business. She expected such a proxy, but this wasn't that. Luke was suspicious and looked as if something was right.

  It should've been different, yet a purple uniformed Walker surprised everyone while he was even personally involved with William and his father. He should know more history than her, or... even William himself.

  What details had she sent days ago? Miss Anderson didn't think William was aware of any clear details, let alone facts about his past. It was expected and traumatic. Loneliness was a regular story, either when a young Walker was born, tossed away, forgotten, or led into a terrible situation. Some had it better than others and such cases hardly ever ended close to Miss Anderson.

  There were no differences between them, but the world disagreed, obeyed by Walkers and those needing them.

  Even her superiors in the camps were the same.

  “Sir Irwin, I must apologize, but any kind of information about children and their past is up to luck or their minds. I do care for the goodwill of your mission, though I do not need, nor care too deeply about your greater cause. I sent what is enough, so don't go around and disturb this child. By my name, health, their places of origin, and nation, it is all that is needed. That boy had seen enough so don't take it somewhere bad. You can see him.”

  “I see, pardon my initial gaze then. Better than that, you might want to leave since it won't be pretty. I thought the boy would know something, but he showed nothing. At least he is Gale. His father was the same, so...” Luke glanced at William who was shaking and trying to calm his right arm and an overrunning mess of crimson misty light that created a rough whip. It was curious how it acted and trembled, looking as if he was fighting against himself.

  His Emblem was wincing and crying. Luke was intrigued because no blood came out of that, resembling a wounded beast, or...well, he was like an angry puppy for Luke.

  Luke scratched his chin and felt he underestimated this mission far too much. He should've asked for more details when he heard a name Gale mentioned, or... not be here to begin with. “I knew she should've come instead. Whatever, since he has this Emblem, an apple couldn't fall far from the tree. Yep. Yep. I will do it.”

  “What about my father!?” William demanded, still managing to quench the storm in his hand. The circling whip was still stirring closely, with the tip becoming crisper and more real. It was still foggy like a mist glowing in crimson light. It was seeking and feeling things, looking for dangers or a body to pierce.

  Luke wasn't concerned.

  Dann was.

  “Listen,” Dann said awkwardly to both adults as he backed even further away. “Don't agitate him too much, I tell you. Step back and talk through it. If you won't, I warned you, so don't blame anyone for what is to come. William can become crazy with very little.”

  Luke ignored him and rather spoke to William “It is in the forearm, boy, but it is more about the crimson, sizzle, and it is hurting like a flame but it isn't flame, is it? I am Walker myself, so don't fret. I can show you what it means to be a Walker and show you how to control it. It is strength; not weakness.”

  Luke revealed a bit of his chest, pushing his upper uniform around his neck down. There was some azure luster shining, but it was nothing crazy.

  William had seen enough Emblems in his life to not care about this.

  “Alright, this doesn't work. Frankly, it doesn't matter what will happen to me. I have a mission. I am not your father. I know the truth, while you... well, I am not good at this. Fuck! Just know that I know your father and that you are found and soon to be collected. That is what is important.” Luke stated, cursed, and walked toward skeptical William.

  “How to trust it?” Miss Anderson suddenly said. “I distrust it. It isn't the first time I sent such details forward, you know. Who found him this time? Is it related to someone, or something? Overseers? Academy? Assembly? Some foreigners?”

  “It conveniently fell to a good person in the Assembly, Miss. And.... yes. It seems luck snatched him to my kin. After a decade of looking past that destruction and time. It slipped right past everyone, eh?” Luke said coldly and closed on William, who was contemplating to forfeit all stops.

  After looking at Luke and hearing him more...

  [Let me...]

  William flew across the room, destroyed a wall, and fell like a broken kite behind some furniture. After a cheap little fluke, Luke barely swung his arm and made his move.

  “I said it won't be pretty.”

  Miss Anderson got in his way, frowning and quenching her fists in rage. “That was uncalled for.”

  “Yeah. Yeah. Get out of my way. I am testing and he is more than lively. See?” Luke said, bored, and pointed to that rubble. Crimson light didn't decrease and... it worsened. Hiding behind a couch and lying on the floor, William wrestled with his arm.

  

  “Fuck you...” William cursed as the world turned dark.