The room was quiet after Asher's declaration. Everyone was not only surprised by his outburst, but they were also confused. How could someone die yet be right in front of them? Even if he came back by some miracle, why didn't he tell anyone or throw away the letters?
Asher Pierce and Asher Williams had merged their souls together. So, despite the person controlling this body was primarily Asher Williams, he had gained the memories, feelings, and even some personality traits belonging to Asher Pierce. What Asher Pierce experienced in his past Asher Williams also experienced after merging their souls. Whatever Asher Pierce felt, Asher Williams also felt. Whatever Asher Williams felt, Asher Pierce also felt. They shared the same consciousness, the same body, the same heart.
"My soul left my body. However, I still had my consciousness," said Asher while the memories popped in one after the other.
Asher took Pithos and held him close. Staring into the ruby eyes filled with warmth and anguish for his little human, Asher found the courage to continue. "I was dead. Asher Pierce was really dead. However, I was somehow alive. I wasn't breathing and I didn't have a heart nor a body, but I was still able to see. I wandered miles away from home, visiting places I had never seen before. That was when I found Mikaelis."
What Asher was speaking about was his story; Asher Pierce's story. It was about how he died but was still tied to this world by some unknown force. Or maybe it was his longing and regret what tied him to this world. It was about how, after visiting his family members one by one after his death, he proceeded to leave them behind and find someplace to finally rest. He visited shops, bakeries, houses that other families resided in. He even went as far as to visit mountains, forests, and almost cross the entire ocean just to find a place for his weary self to rest in.
Calming down to some degree, Asher lifted his head. Silence filled the room once more as he stared towards his mother's shaking back before gazing towards Zacharia. Finally, his eyes rested upon Archer. He was, after all, the human that witnessed Asher Pierce's and Asher William's union.
"I don't know how long I was with Mikaelis. Probably a few weeks or so. One day, my consciousness was probed and Mikaelis gave me a choice. I could either go back to my own body and live after merging my soul with the person inhabiting my body or Mikaelis would lay my soul to rest. I thought that maybe if I wasn't alone, I could gather up the courage to live. So, I decided to merge my soul with the person inhabiting my body. Of course, the merging of the souls could only happen if both parties consented to it."
Nikola furiously shook her head. She turned around to stare at her son- or what she thought was her son, with tears streaming down her cheeks.
"I don't understand."
"What can't you understand?"
Asher smiled. He was frustrated, angry, and most of all, he was lonely. He never wanted Nikola's undivided attention. He wanted his mother to help stand up against his father's injustice and cruel ways. That was the only thing he ever wanted and expected out of his mother. He was left disappointed.
Archer, of course, was surprised by the sudden change of events. All of what Asher said sounded too far-fetched. Before reaching his Lord's manor, he had already deduced what was to happen. Nikola would stand tall against his Lord's suspicions and reveal all of the evidence and information she had that proved Asher's innocence. Asher would then explain himself and provide information before his Lord could conclude that Asher was, in fact, innocent from the very start. He didn't expect that the wooden box he had given to Nikola would contain Asher's suicide note.
Walking towards his master, he bent down and whispered, "My Lord, forgive my rudeness, but perhaps we should let this family deal with their personal matters."
"No," Zacharia shook his head. He then said with a voice loud enough for everyone to hear: "If we are to work with the Pierce family, then we must build a foundation of trust."
Asher nodded at his words while Archer had no choice but to bow in silence and stand behind his Lord. Asher didn't mind if Zacharia listened in to his story. They needed to build the foundation of trust that Zacharia had just mentioned.
Asher looked towards Nikola. Her green eyes that shined like emeralds dimmed as confusion and regret made their way into her gaze. Tears flowed freely down her face and fell onto her skirt, the tears disappearing within her navy blue dress.
"I don't understand... if you die- disappeared, then who was in your body during that time?"
The blue-eyed boy could help but smile sadly. "Asher Williams was in my body. He stayed there during the first few weeks before-"
"So you are saying that that person was pretending to be my son this whole time?" She choked out. Nikola couldn't wrap her head around the fact that her son died, that he committed suicide of all things. Now she had learned that the person she protected that day during breakfast wasn't her son, but an imposter. She didn't even recognize that that wasn't her son, but another person.
Nikola couldn't calm down. No, it was better to say that she didn't want to. She felt immense hatred towards herself, her family, and the person that she thought had forcibly stolen her son's body from him. Her son wouldn't just commit suicide, right?
Having nowhere to direct that hatred towards, she could only glare at the person in front of her. Who's to say that that person was still there, hiding in her son's body while spouting some random nonsense?
"Bullshit," she seethed out, her eyes burning with hatred. She grasped her son's- no, that demon's arm and brought him closer to her. "Get out of my son's body."
Zacharia and Archer widened their eyes at the current situation, but they decided not to intervene. While Nikola was one to act on her impulses, she still wouldn't put her son in harm's way. Pithos, on the other hand, was wary. He knew nothing about this woman. He was ready to transform into a panther and protect his little human during any given time.
Asher flinched and frowned while seeing the blatant hatred in his mother's eyes. "I am your son. After I decided to merge my soul with Asher Williams, we-"
"No!"
Water formed itself around Nikola, Asher, and Pithos, trapping them all within her raging elemental power. Now, even if Zacharia and Archer tried to step in, they couldn't. The strongest power came out of one's feelings, after all. And now, with the anger and hatred that was clouding Nikola's judgment, there was no way they could intervene without getting hurt. Despite this, Zacharia commanded Archer into a fighting stance just in case.
"That demon is still inside your body, Asher! I promise, as your mother, I'll eradicate that evil being and bring you back to me."
"Can't you listen to me!" Asher yelled, feeling the same fear and desperation he had felt when up against his father's fireball.
"I merged my soul with Asher Williams. Asher Williams merged his soul with mine. He is not just himself and I'm not just myself. He is me, I am him. We are each other. We share one conscience, one body, and one heart. We are one. There is no longer an Asher Pierce nor an Asher Williams. There is just us, just I. He is your son. We are your son. I am your son."
That being said, Nikola should now understand just what he is and where he came from. If anything, not only should Nikola be grateful for having his son back, but also for knowing that it was all thanks to the person that took over this body once he had died. If it had been any other person, the process of merging the souls wouldn't have been even remotely possible.
Still, these words entered through one ear and went out the other. She didn't care what this demon was saying. He had possessed the body of her son and then made that ridiculous statement that her son had killed himself. He has also planted those fake letters inside the wooden box. She knew her son. He wouldn't have committed such a disgraceful act.
"I will purge this demon that is controlling you, Asher. Don't worry, mommy is here."
The water surrounding them turned violent. It started closing in on them before shinning in a strange, bright blue light. "I will drown this demon out of your body. This demon was what wrote that you had drowned yourself, but I know that this isn't true. I will drown it out of your body, okay? Then you will come out, my Asher," said Nikola, a gentle smile gracing her expression. Her hand neared Asher's neck as he stood still, not expecting his mother to not listen to him and his explanation. However, before her hand could grasp Asher's neck and suffocate the 'demon' out of him, Pithos had already transformed into a panther. With one paw, he pushed Asher against himself to protect him using his body.
"Touch him and I'll rip your fucking head off."
Listening to Pithos' deep and animalistic voice shook Nikola to her core. Was Asher's pet a magical beast? How come she has never noticed?
Seeing as Nikola's torrential water that was surrounding them had weakened in both speed and power, Archer used this opportunity to break through that barrier and place both his hands on her shoulders. Once she felt Archer's strangely cold hands on her shoulders, Nikola turned around and wailed while grasping onto his uniform.
Asher, who was still in shock, stared at Nikola before for a few seconds before moving his gaze. His widened eyes rested upon Zacharia's frowning expression.
"What the fuck just happened..."
Asher whispered to himself turning around to not only give Pithos, who had just protected him fiercely, a warm hug, but to also ground and calm himself down.
All the while this happened, Zacharia looked at the pair of mother and son with a troubled expression. When he had said that he needed to hear this in order to build a foundation of trust, he hadn't expected things to get this out of hand. He certainly didn't expect Nikola of all people to try and take her son's life away while being under the impression that her son 's body had been taking over by a demon of some sort. Despite how little he knew her, Zacharia at the very least knew how Nikola was one to review the evidence before stating her conclusion and taking action. Zacharia felt partly responsible for this mess.
Zacharia stood up from his plush seat and walked towards Asher, who was still hidden in Pithos' black fur. Pithos growled lowly, warning him to not make his little human even more nervous and afraid than he already was.
"Asher Pierce."
"Mm."
"I took part in creating this whole mess, no matter how little or insignificant my part was. So, I'll let you take something. Anything."
"Anything?" He said, his soft voice displaying his vulnerability. Zacharia wasn't one to exploit an allies' vulnerability, so he nodded. His voice softened unconsciously, almost matching Asher's tone.
"Yes, anything. You could even ask for a person and I will find one to gift to you. You and your mother seem rather fond of Archer. So, if you want him, you can take him."
To be honest, Zacharia didn't want to part with his trusty servant. Archer was, of course, one of the best and talented servants he had. If Asher were to ask for Archer, he had no choice but to give him away as he had just promised the young boy that he would give him anything. However, there's also a possibility that Asher will ask for something, or rather, someone else... Zacharia lifted his gaze to look at Pithos. Maybe Asher would rather take Pithos instead of Archer. Opening his mouth to state that he could also take Pithos, he was interrupted by Asher's light and airy voice.
"Oh no, not Archer," he laughed to himself while gradually calming down. "Archer is way too forceful. If I can have anything that I'd like, can I take Pithos? I'm pretty sure he is, in a way, working for you. So, if I ask for him, he will completely be mine and mine alone."
Zacharia paused. Thankfully, what he was about to suggest was mentioned by Asher himself. Smiling a bit in relief, Zacharia nodded.
"Of course. Pithos will no longer work for me and will now belong to you and solely you. However, it would be a good idea if he were to work with you for the sake of catching the Rising Faeries. Would that be okay?"
"Of course! Hear that, Pithos? You're no longer bound to anyone!"
Asher said while raising his head to look into Pithos' ruby eyes. Pithos chuckled, but due to being in his panther form, it sounded more like broken up growls.
"Wait, Lord Zacharia!"
Zacharia turned around and raised his eyebrow.
"I'm innocent."
The little lord nodded plainly before turning away. Almost immediately, a darkly dressed person appeared in front of him while kneeling.
"Asher Pierce is cleared of any and all suspicions."