112 CHAPTER 111-REUNION

"Father" Alex exclaimed and leaped forwards to hold the man, but he stepped back, using his free hands to signal the fact that he was on an official business and some kind of family reunion.

"What are you doing here?" He said, without a trace of friendliness in his tone. 

Alex bit his lips and paused in his wake. If he were to regret his actions, then it would be because he had run away from home without William's concept. The man had been nothing but good to him and his sister ever since they lost their parents to the HT. William was the arms they shed their tears, their comfort in the cold night, and their abode in the tempest of difficulty. He had fought against all odds to keep them, especially because they were from the gold Lineage and often discriminated against by the others. Most citizens despise the Gold. Some believe that they were arrogant and harasses people because they were immortal. William had helped them blend, cutting their hair so that no one would notice their golden hair.

But what did they give him in return? Alex bit down the anger. He could not retrace his step, and there was no guarantee that things would be different if he had the opportunity to. Saving a man's life was always the priority, no matter the people involved.

"We need your help," Alex said, dropping his head, not able to look at the man. 

His muscular features still hung on the edge of his clavicle bones, making that triangular shape—from his shoulders to his neck—which Alex was fond of. There was no hair on his head as usual, and his eyes seemed too small for his head. Nothing much had changed about the man but for his skin, which was beginning to bear crinkles. From the scepter and the blue-collar on his patch clothe, it was obvious that he was the Regent now. A position he had rejected for years.

"You will find no help here." Mr. William said, "Why have you come back? You betrayed the family and chose your path. You and your sister. Why have you come back now?"

The pain in William's tone made Alex lift his eyes to meet his. The coldness that once lurked on them was no longer there. It was replaced with regrets and sadness and old age. They held the gaze for what seemed to be an eternity until Anabel spoke.

"Hello, my name is Anabel Peters." Anabel stretched out her hands for a hands shake. William looked down at the hands but did not take it.

"Who are you?" He asked instead. The coldness in his tone was back.

"Oh, me?" Anabel chuckled, "I am the mother of the boy you tried to execute because you thought he was the Blaze and all"

William's brow elevated to his skull, but he remained quiet while Anabel continued.

"Let's get this straight" She chuckled, but the seriousness in her eyes was imminent "How would you feel if, Jeff was your son and some evil maniac tries to kill him but couldn't because Alex rescued him?"

Mr. William grunted but said nothing, giving Anabel the edge to continue. 

"How would you feel when you are standing in front of the very person that tried to kill your son and they are ranting over their regrets for not succeeding the first time?"

"Please, this is above—

Mr. William staggered backward as Anabel slammed his nose as hard as her feminine fist could allow.

"You are a fool. A big fool" She shouted and was about to launch another attack, but couldn't because Nimrod was holding her back, "Why not take your own son and turn them to some historic, Blaze? You can kill them for all I care, but not my son. Not my precious Jeff." She jerked Nimrod's hands away from her and strode back to where she had been standing.

Alex was speechless. A part of him wanted to laugh at the woman's behavior, while the other part was grieved. No one touches the Regents and live to see tomorrow.

"Don't" William shouted as the guard standing beside him made his way towards Anabel. His Candor was already beaming with a blue, white flame, burning in the same grace with the anger in his eyes. 

"She is right," William said, surprising Alex, "We were the fools. If we had not been too carried away with what the prophesy had said, perhaps we could have seen the bright side in all of this."

"But my Lord Regent," The slim man exclaimed, still looking confuse and angry at the same time, "He is going to break the world. The prophecy said he was going to release Lord Vortex into the world"

"To hell with you and that prophecy," Anabel shouted from behind, but her words faded when William began to speak.

"The prophecy has said too many things, Kim. They had said too many things that were false." 

He wiped his nose with the back of his hands and straightened his cloth, smearing blood on them without knowing. The hardness that lined his face initial had waxed into concern, and it made relief spread through Alex's body. His father was not totally gone. The man he knew as his father was still alive.

"Alex," William said, "Where is your sister?" 

"She is not with me at the moment," Alex said as his eyes began to blur with tears.

Turning to the man he had called Kim, William said. 

"Here, take this. I forfeit any claim to be the Regent. I am not fit for this post. The council should pick someone else." He handed the staff to Kim, but the slim man would not accept it.

"You took it from them. You will give them yourself." He said and returned to the door they had come.

"You must be tired." William said, wrapping his muscular arms around Alex. "why not come inside."

"Does that mean we would not be flushed out from the mountains or compressed to death?" Nimrod asked as he hurried towards them.

"Flushed out into the mountains?" William said with question lining his brow.

"Yes, Alex said that anyone who was not accepted by the regent was flushed out to the mountain."

"Alex, you still tell lies?" William said as he picked up Alex's clutch as he made it up to his feet.

"Just a little sir, a little" 

"Alex?" Nimrod grunted with anger, "What else did you lie about?"

Alex grinned, "You will not believe me if I tell you" 

They turned to leave but paused in their wake when Anabel suddenly stepped up towards Mr. William.

"I am sorry about your nose." She said, "Shouldn't have taken it all out on you"

"It's okay," William smiled sadly, "I understand. I would have done the same if Jeff was my boy. He is a good lad."

"Yes," Anabel nodded, "He is, and I hope he remains so."

"You don't have to worry. The boy is much stronger than you could ever imagine." 

Anabel looked at William but dropped the eyes almost immediately. Alex frowned. She was wearing those dark expressions again, and sadness loomed around her like a tendril of hot fibers. 

"There is a truth to what you said." Anabel coughed and remained quiet until the electronic rat passed. "There might be some iota of truth in what you said," She whispered. "I am just too emotional to accept it."

"I know," William said, looking over his shoulders to make sure none of those rats was eavesdropping. 

"Wait, you mean this story about the Blaze is true," Nimrod asked. He was standing beside Anabel and his eyes seemed to have widened in his face.

"Keep your voice down." Alex shushed, "Where have you kept your ears all these why?"

"Jeff is more than the Blaze," William said and returned his attention to Anabel as if the two boys did not exist. "He is much more powerful than that. I thank the heavens that Alex had rescued him. If the other Regent and the council had laid a hand on him…" William heaved regrettably, unable to finish the last part.

"He is far away from here, and safe. Especially now that he was with his sister."

"His sister?" William's head darted backward, "Jeff has a sister?"

"Yes, Louise, also known as Ema," Anabel said.

"I—I—never knew Max Peters had a daughter." William swallowed. The surprise on his face was still glowing. He seems not to believe his ears.

"Yes, she had been lost for years. Anyway. They are safe now. I sent them away to the snake mountains. They will be safe until the time comes for the great manifestation."

"Safe?" William hissed with confusion, "What are you talking about? Where did you send them?"

"Don't worry your kind brain, good sir," Anabel mumbled. She was sounding tired now and would really need a good and sound sleep. "You will know when the time comes." She said weakly and exchanged an uneasy look at Alex.

"Alright," William nodded, obviously not satisfied with her answer, but not willing to push it either, "This way please," He gestured to the open door.