Like I had a choice to begin with.
I couldn't even argue with him.
Because I knew the place in and out, and if I didn't do it, I'd just die anyway.
So I had to go there, because according to him, father would be spending the whole day in the office.
Leaving the whole place for the security.
And for us.
"What's the item I'm going to take?" I asked, twisting my fingers.
I was anxious.
Picking pockets from regulars in the street was one thing.
But stealing from Octavius Blake, was on a whole different level.
He was the owner and CEO of Dawn guild, one of the most prestigious wielders guild in the country.
The only knight's guild in the whole country.
Not to mention, that he was a pretty strong wielder himself.
Probably B rank, or even A.
But since he'd be away for work the whole day, if I readied myself properly, there shouldn't be any issue with his guards.
"It looks like the fragment of a crystal, you'll see it when you enter his office."
Fuck!
I was a coward, and I wanted to keep on living for as long as possible.
Even if it was at the expense of such a crazy gig.
"Sorry, Nikolai." I said, as I went through his things to get some stuff that could possibly help.
With a shiver, I also touched my holowatch on Nikolai's, soon hearing the beep of a transaction being made.
[13.897 CREDITS RECEIVED] The holowatch signaled.
Holy shit! I knew Nikolai had money, but to think that he carried credits by the thousands in his watch?
That was insane.
That amount of money would make my life in the next few weeks.
But only if I made it out alive from Blake's mansion...
So I took everything I found that should be useful.
Which came to three stunning grenades, and a variable density baton.
Not much, coming from the man with thirteen grand in his holowatch, but it would have to do.
"Okay... I'm ready." I said, fastening the grenades in the belt under my hoodie.
"Good, I knew you were a smart kid. Now, get going." He smirked.
"What?"
"What? Did you think I was going to give you a ride?" He laughed. "Don't push your luck. Now go, and if you don't show up here by night with the crystal, I'll find you and kill you. Got it?"
"Like I have a choice..." I grumbled, and started walking.
My appetite went to shit, but I had to grab a bite, or else I'd end up passing out halfway to the mansion.
So I bought a coffee and some snacks, and shoved it down my throat.
One hour later, I was in the outskirts of the mansion.
In front of me was the main gate, through which, of course, I wasn't going.
I took a detour, and ended up in the far east wall, which would do.
I threw some meat, that I bought earlier from the butcher, to the other side of the wall, and waited for a few moments.
Luckily, it didn't take too long before the guard dogs came sniffing for the free breakfast.
It gave me three minutes to walk a bit more and jump over the wall.
And as soon as my feet touched the ground, I started sprinting towards the mansion.
I knew how long the guards would take to notice that someone had broke in, but it wouldn't be such a big deal.
They had detecting and fighting abilities, but were all D rank, since C ranks and above, worked all directly to the guilds, in raids and other stuff.
With the help of the baton, and the grenades, I could take some of them down.
I hoped.
But I kept running until I got to the office window.
Not only Octavius, but also his guards thought that no one would ever be stupid enough to break and enter in the mansion, so it wasn't protected with magic.
It turned things way easy.
Too easy...
I used a lock pick to get the window open, right when the dogs sniffed my smell, and started barking.
My skills allowed me to crack the window open in no time, and before the dogs arrived, I was in.
The office was silent, but it wouldn't be for long.
The guards would soon notice the dogs behavior and come to check, so I had to be as quick as possible.
"Crystal fragment, crystal fragment..." I murmured, going from drawer to drawer, and then for the bookshelves.
There was an odd-looking book in one of the shelves, and when I tried to take it from its place, I heard a voice behind me, as the door to the office blew open.
"HEY, YOU!" One of the guards said, as I took the book. "No, you won't!"
"Try me." I grinned, tossing one of the grenades, and covered my ears, turning back.
KABOOM
The grenade exploded in a muffled sound through my covered ears, and one second later, I turned to face the guards again.
They were all rolling on the floor, blind and most definitely deaf.
Time enough to check the contents of the book, in which I was most certain that the crystal was, as I shook it, hearing a solid rattle.
I opened the book, and as I heard another voice, way too familiar for my own good, I saw it.
A thick shard of a bright, clear-red crystal, shining faintly in my hands.
"I thought sent you away, so that I would never see you again, son."
Fuck!
Didn't Quintus say that father would be all day in the guild's office today?
"It wasn't me!" I stuttered.
I held the crystal tight in my hand, even though my first thought was to give it away to him.
I looked at my father, Octavius Blake, and his eyes shone in a bluish glow.
He wore a suit, even though he was one of the few paladins in the country, and looked me straight in the eye.
"See, father? Once a piece of trash, always a piece of trash." Quintus' voice sounded behind him.
"You traitor..." I said, my voice barely leaving my throat.
Quintus entered the office and stood beside Octavius, and I knew my life was over.
"No hard feelings, brother." He said, with a wicked grin. "There's no honor among the thieves, isn't that how the saying goes?"
And he pulled a badge from his uniform's inner pocket.
The Shadow guild's badge.
My eyes went wide in shock.
"Did you think you picked all of those pockets in the morning because you were good at it? Come on, little brother... You took them because I let you."
Father stepped forward, and I felt the ominous presence of his ability surrounding me.
Freezing me with horror.
I felt angry, furious for letting me fall into that trap.
But I was also completely helpless.
Powerless, as father kept moving towards me, and one of his hands wrapped around my neck.
But he was still deadly quiet, just staring at me, with those bluish glowing eyes.
Staring into my soul, as my brother kept speaking.
"I knew you took shelter in the black market after all these years, and I needed some killing, so I put my association emblem in your pocket."
He took a breath, and finished his sentence.
"That's why, father, we shouldn't spare him one more time."
"You're right, son." Octavius said, holding me by the neck, as I was nothing but a rag doll.
"I should've killed you when you turned sixteen, and didn't awake. But I'll fix that mistake right. Now."
He wrapped the other hand around my neck, and I couldn't do a single thing, as I felt the air escaping my lungs.
As I was completely unable to move.
And then, as I felt the life leaving my body, my hand burned hot.
The crystal was still in my hand, how did I forget it?
But it didn't matter.
Everything went dark and numb.
I was dead.
***
[DO YOU WANT REVENGE?] I heard a robotic voice asking through the darkness.
What? Am I hallucinating?
Is it a dream?
[DO YOU WANT REVENGE?]
Of course, I want revenge!
If only I was stronger...
If only I was a wielder...
[WILL YOU ACCEPT THE SYSTEM?]
The... System?
[WILL YOU ACCEPT THE SYSTEM?]
If... If it means a chance for me to pay them back... Yes.
I'll accept the system.
[INITIATING SYSTEM BOOT]
[ALL MEMORIES WILL BE STORED]
[INITIATING REGRESSION PROCESS]
And my conscience slipped away through the darkness.
Into a light that wasn't there before.