Raizel sat with the book Frankenstein had given him, flipping through its pages with the level of enthusiasm one might reserve for reading the terms and conditions of a software update.
The intent behind this little gift was still a mystery.
Maybe Frankenstein thought Raizel enjoyed reading. Which, to be fair, was a reasonable assumption—considering he'd been buried in books lately.
Or maybe—just maybe—this was an apology gift. A subtle way of saying, "Hey, Master, I may have doubted you for half a second, but here, have some literature, no hard feelings?"
That would be very Frankenstein of him.
Raizel sighed.
He tried to focus on the book, he really did.
But the words blurred together as his mind wandered.
Which meant it was time for a tactical retreat.
Shutting the book with a quiet thump, Raizel decided he needed a walk. Something to clear his mind before Frankenstein return.
Luckily, he had a cellphone now. Technology! Old thou!
A convenient little device that prevented Frankenstein from having an aneurysm every time Raizel disappeared without warning.
Not that Raizel had ever disappeared without warning.
(He absolutely had.)
With a flick of his finger, the window slid open, because using the door was for people who wanted to get lectured.
And Raizel?
Raizel had no such desire.
Without hesitation, he leapt through the window in one smooth motion, landing on the soft earth below like a shadow slipping into the night.
Behind him, the window obediently locked itself.
---------
Raizel walked.
Not because he had anywhere specific to go, but because something about this direction felt… interesting. Or maybe he was just tired of standing still. Either way, he moved.
Funny, wasn't it? He and Raizel had something in common. Or did they? He didn't quite remember. We had something common… what was it again?
Lost in that train of thought—which, much like his current path, had no real destination—Raizel followed the sound of rushing water. A river, maybe some cascades.
The sound was nice.
Peaceful.
A perfect place to enjoy some solitude.
Naturally, this meant fate would not allow it.
Unintentionally, Raizel had wandered into Quileute territory, along the Quileute River. He wasn't trying to trespass. It just happened. Much like most things in his life.
Soon enough, the river came into view, its waters flowing over smooth rocks, forming gentle cascades. A sight that, for some reason, made him pause.
It had been a long time since he had bathed in a river.
Now, unburdened by the responsibilities of his past life, nothing was stopping him from indulging in such simple pleasures.
Well.
Nothing except for the two people standing on the riverbank, staring at him as if he had just materialized out of thin air.
Raizel noticed them. They noticed Raizel.
Then, naturally, he did the most logical thing.
He leapt across the river in a single bound.
The reaction was immediate.
The elder among them wasted no time.
"MONSTER!"
Ah.
Well. That escalated quickly.
The younger man—likely the old man's grandson—looked absolutely mortified by this proclamation but was too stunned to say anything.
Meanwhile, the old man did what all wise elders do in the face of inexplicable supernatural horror—he threw himself in front of his grandson like a human shield.
It was almost touching.
Almost.
Except Raizel was fairly certain this was all a misunderstanding.
The elder's scent, his wariness, his immediate jump to monster—Raizel could piece it together. The man had seen things.
Shapeshifters. Cold Ones.....
And now, staring at Raizel's red eyes and unnatural grace, the elder had come to the perfectly reasonable conclusion that he was about to be devoured.
Raizel sighed internally.
This is already annoying.
Still, it wasn't entirely their fault.
....
"Hello."
It did not help.
If anything, the elder looked even more terrified, while his grandson remained frozen in place.
Raizel tried again. "Are you both from the Quileute tribe?"
A tense silence.
Then, after a long, reluctant pause, the elder swallowed hard and nodded. "Yes," he admitted.
He kept glancing at his grandson, as if worried the boy had been hexed into silence.
Raizel sighed.
"There's no need to fear me," he reassured them. "I'm not the monster you may have thought me to be."
That, too, did nothing.
They still looked at him like he was about to rip their throats out.
At this point, Raizel genuinely debated just leaving.
But then they'd talk.
They'd spread rumors.
And suddenly, he'd have an entire tribe of people convinced he was some blood sucker in the woods.
Can't imagine more...
Raizel really wasn't in the mood for that.
So, with the patience of a man who had endured less than 25 years of life… efficient approach.
His eyes glowed red.
In an instant, his telepathic powers wrapped around their minds.
Fear vanished.
Their emotions dulled into blank compliance.
Raizel tilted his head.
That was… disappointingly easy.
Weren't these people descendants of spirit warriors? He'd expected at least a bit of resistance.
How… underwhelming.
Oh well.
At least now he wouldn't have to deal with more screaming.
Raizel considered just wiping this encounter from their memory and walking away.
But then again… there was one thing they could be useful for.
Turning to the elder, he spoke with finality.
"Take me to Billy Black's home."
--------------
Frankenstein had barely stepped foot inside the mansion before his phone buzzed.
A message from Raizel.
"Going out."
…That was it.
No details. No context. Not even a full sentence.
Frankenstein sighed.
Well, at least this time Raizel had the courtesy to inform him before vanishing into the unknown. That was progress.
Baby steps.
Shaking his head, he set his coat aside and made his way to his study. There was work to be done. Specifically, organizing everything he had gathered about Antigen.
A mutated-human-run company with questionable ethics? Fascinating.
As he sifted through the reports, Frankenstein couldn't help but feel a small sense of satisfaction. Not about Antigen—oh no, that was a disaster waiting to happen—but about Raizel.
His master had changed.
After centuries of dull solitude, of spending his time doing absolutely nothing beyond staring outside, Raizel was finally… doing things.
Going out. Exploring. Texting.
Okay, that last one was barely an achievement, but still. Baby steps.
Frankenstein could only hope this change was good for him.
But then—
Something shifted.
Frankenstein's breath hitched.
His eyes widened.
He whispered to himself, disbelief creeping into his voice—
"Master removed… his seal…"