Chapter 20: Farewell
Xander’s last words left behind a heavy silence.
Rudeous stood holding Derek, his mind heavy with worry. ’Is this really the only way to save them? By leaving them behind?’ He looked at Derek, longing in his eyes. ’At least I can save you, son. Until now, I didn’t know what else to do,’ he thought.
Meanwhile, Xander’s eyes never left Rudeous. He was trying to study every flicker of expression across Rudeous’s face, anxiety gnawing at his heart.
At last, Rudeous broke the silence. "Do you have the sealing runes?"
"Yes," Xander answered without a moment’s hesitation.
’If he’s asking for the runes, that means he doesn’t have any. And of course he wouldn’t. Those are only available in the palace. He left us so long ago. Where would he have gotten them?’ Xander’s mind buzzed with these possibilities. ’Maybe... maybe he had already wanted to seal his son’s bloodline power before we even got here, but he simply had no means to do it.’
Rudeous finally released the binding magic, and Xander could move his limbs again.
Without wasting a moment, Xander lifted his hand. A glowing rune bubbled out from the ring on his index finger, shimmering faintly in the air. He stepped forward and held it carefully in front of Rudeous.
Rudeous accepted it, his eyes narrowing as he examined the sealing rune. He let his aura wash over it, synchronizing with its energy. After a brief pause, he nodded in confirmation. "It’s genuine."
Lifting his gaze, he spoke in a low voice. "Come back tomorrow night. I will leave with you then." With that, he turned to go.
But Xander’s urgent voice stopped him. "I don’t think that’s possible, Uncle. We came here by opening a space rift. If I don’t return before forty-eight hours pass, the space currents will pull me into another dimension. Most likely, I’ll die. You only have eleven hours left. Tomorrow morning, I’ll come back again."
"Alright." Rudeous gave a short nod after thinking for a while and then walked back into the house.
Xander lingered in the silence for a moment. Then he, too, turned away and vanished into the darkness.
_______
When Rudeous returned to the room with Derek in his arms, everyone else was still fast asleep.
Arthur and Daisy lay quietly in one room, while Martha rested in another.
Rudeous carefully placed Derek back into his crib, lingering there for a long moment as he looked down at his son.
Derek, too, stared back at his father, his young mind blank. ’What should I do? I can understand you’re in a difficult position, Father... but to think you were once one of them...’ The thought tore him apart.
Rudeous gently ran his hand over Derek’s head. His voice trembled. "Forgive me for everything, son. I brought all of this upon you." Two drops of tears slid down his cheeks.
Derek froze in shock. It was the first time in the past nine months he had ever seen his father shed tears.
"I thought I could escape my past... that I could run from who I was and start a new life." He paused, his gaze distant. "But that was nothing more than a fool’s wish. Still..."
His eyes shifted toward Martha’s sleeping figure, then to where Arthur and Daisy lay peacefully. "I won’t let anything happen to you all."
Turning back to Derek, he whispered, "Grow strong, Derek. Protect our family. You may not understand a single word I say now... but what else can I do? You’re the only one I can speak to."
’Don’t worry, Father. I will protect everyone. And one day... I will bring you back, no matter what.’ Derek’s tiny heart screamed inside him. If only Rudeous could hear those words.
Rudeous then gently pressed the rune against Derek’s chest. It glowed for a brief moment before sinking into his body and vanishing without a trace.
Almost instantly, Derek felt it. The strange aura he had always sensed within him, that mysterious power lurking deep inside, was being shackled. One by one, invisible chains locked around it, dragging it down into the depths of his being until it was buried so far away that he could no longer sense even a fragment of it.
’I can’t sense it anymore. It’s just like my past life.’ Derek told himself.
Rudeous caressed his head softly. "Now... no one from the demon realm will ever be able to find you again," Rudeous whispered, his voice trembling with relief and sorrow.
After that, he lay down beside Martha, pulling her into his embrace as she slept. She stirred faintly but did not wake, unaware of the weight in his heart. Perhaps... this would be the last time.
The night slipped by, and morning arrived with the chorus of birds. Yet, out of everyone in the house, two souls had not closed their eyes even once. Rudeous and Derek.
When the sun rose, Rudeous resumed his usual routine. He led Arthur outside, guiding him through sword drills. But today’s training was different. The movements were slower, each correction and explanation lingering longer. It felt less like sparring and more like passing down the essence of his knowledge, as though every word carried the weight of a farewell. Arthur, innocent and eager, sensed nothing unusual.
Derek, however, watched everything from a small wooden cradle that hung from a nearby tree branch. Rudeous had crafted it days ago, right after Daisy began her healing training, so that Derek could witness these morning sessions without fail. From that cradle, Derek’s young eyes understood far more than anyone imagined.
Soon, Daisy came bouncing out with her satchel strapped across her shoulder, ready for Miss Elowen’s lessons. Rudeous bent down, kissed her forehead, and smiled. "Always focus well on your training, my little healer."
Daisy blinked, sensing something faintly odd in his tone, but brushed it aside. "Okay, Father!" she said cheerfully before skipping away.
Once Arthur’s training ended, Rudeous changed into the formal attire of the village keepers. Before leaving, he wrapped Martha in his arms, holding her tightly. He kissed her forehead. "Take care," he murmured.
Martha blinked in surprise but then smiled. "You too, dear. Come back soon."
Rudeous said nothing more. He turned and walked out.
From Martha’s arms, Derek stared at his father’s departing back, eyes glistening. He knew it. His father would not return.
’Wait for me, Father. I will rescue you soon. I promise.’