The Earth After Rebirth

Sekani turned to look where the clapping came from, with their contact lenses they could see the man but it was his silhouette as he was far into the shadows.

Nikolai felt an invisible icy cold hand reach from inside, from within the deepest parts of himself. Yanking his insides in any and every direction, making him sick.

"Father..." His voice didn't show any hints about how he felt, instead everything he felt over the years towards his father was carried out by that single word.

Nikolai wouldn't have mistaken him for anyone. Even though it was a silhouette, that was a silhouette that haunted his sleepless nights. He knew his father's footsteps, he knew his voice, his smell, so this was nothing for him.

Arnold stood at the hall, arms folded. He was a big man, not the kind of big that was just big for show, he could fight, Nikolai knew this well. Part of the reason why he never made a move until now.

He was angry at the man but he was smart enough to not bite more than he could chew. Initially he didn't care if this revenge killed him in the process but Felix had managed to change his mind here. He wanted to live, for his friends. But he still wanted to kill his father.

The laugher that came from the man echoed throughout the hall.

"Oh my, do you hate me." He reached out to the side and the hall was suddenly lit.

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They didn't have electricity here, Sekani raised an eyebrow at seeing the torches that used batteries embedded on the walls of the walls. About ten of them.

"I don't know if this is my lucky day or my worst one. I wasn't supposed to be here tonight you see..." He sighed, talking casually as though they hadn't just caught him in a slave mine.

"What are you being so casual for? You'll be lucky if you walk out of here with your life." Sekani said looking intently at the man, he definitely had more muscles than him but Sekani was a head taller.

Arnold laughed, "I could hardly think my own son would allow that. Isn't that right Nikolai?"

They could tell that he was not saying these things seriously, he was mocking and playing with them. Sekani didn't know if he was conceited or he was just that good.

"My mother died—" Nikolai was starting to say when he was cut short by his father.

"Your mother was a whore." He said smirking.

That felt like a gut punch to Nikolai, he closed his eyes, trying his best to keep calm. If he let his emotions run rampant, he was sure he would be throwing his one chance in the garbage bin.

"I don't care that you didn't love her, not anymore, she didn't care either. But I am your son, why didn't you come for me?" Nikolai had tried to keep his voice from shaking but the last question made it waver.

"Come for you? The battle of the heirs is a normal custom of the Black household."

"I was ten! Ten years old and forced to endure what I did. Do you have any idea what they did to me there? Huh? Who else in the Black house had to go through what I did?"

Arnold's face shifted ina disgusted expression, "you're alive aren't you?"

Nikolai couldn't hold onto his tears anymore they fell on his cheeks and he quickly wiped them away. He didn't need this man thinking he was weak.

"I'm alive because of myself." He said proudly.

"You're alive because what you went through made you stronger. I've let you run wild long enough, you should come home."

Nikolai was shaking with anger, the fact that his father knew that he had been sold to slavery but did nothing to rescue and help him made the young man see red.

Sekani just stood there, trying to piece everything together. But they weren't saying anything concrete, they were beating around the bush. Though he imagined whatever Arnold did was big for the fact that his son despised him this much.

Nikolai looked at Arnold with tear filled eyes, his hatred for the man growing by the second they stood talking about this.

"I was ten years old and I was sold to that revolting man. Today Arnold Black, you will pay for your nonchalance and neglect." He finally said it out loud, his two knives were in both his hands, his resolve as strong as ever.

He didn't care if Sekani thought him less after this but this was his truth. An experience that he went through, something he would never wish on his worst enemies.

"That's it then, you're going to try to kill me?" Arnold still had a stupid smile on his face.

"Try? Ask me again when my knife meets your jugular." Nikolai said with finality, he didn't want to talk to the man anymore.

"Nikolai," Sekani called out, making the young man freeze.

"You can't stop me." His voice came out low and resolved.

"Do you need me to help?"

He couldn't have imagined this was the secret Nikolai held close to his chest. It was an insane thing to think about, he lived in the slums before but he couldn't think of a single person who went through something as horrible as this boy right here.

Sekani now understood why he hated his father so much, why he begged to come, this was a mountain he thought he had to climb on his own.

"This is my fight Mister Waynworth."

"I told you before Nikolai. Don't be like Kiro, don't carry the weight of the world on your own. Allow people in your life to lessen the burden, especially those who ask."

He sniffed and wiped his eyes again. Even though Sekani was truly a good man, he wasn't sure he'll ever get used to letting people help him.

"Can I do this alone for a while and see where I'm lacking?" He asked not having taken his eyes off his father.

"Of course."

And so Nikolai walked toward his mountain.Nôv(el)B\\jnn