Mary's reaction was a mix of horror and disbelief. Yet, the intensity in Sebastian's eyes, the detail and conviction with which he spoke, lent a credibility to his story.
"So, this... all of this," she gestured vaguely, encompassing not just their current conversation but the entirety of their lives, "is your second chance? To save us?"
Sebastian nodded, a solemn affirmation of his purpose. "Yes. I've been given a chance to change our fate, to protect you and Lucius from the dangers I know are coming. That's why I'm taking all these measures, why we need to move, why I'm doing everything in my power to ensure your safety."
The surrounding night seemed to press in closer, a silent witness to the profound bond and heavy burden shared between mother and son.
"After what happened, my life's mission became one of vengeance," he said, the shadows of the night mirroring the darkness of the memories he recounted. "And I succeeded, at least partially, until I faced Erika Luttrell."
Of course, Mary knew who that woman was. She was one of her tormentors, someone who did everything she could so that Mary couldn't find work. It was because of her and the others that her life had been miserable.
He paused, the name evoking a torrent of emotions. "She wielded strange black flames, against which I stood no chance. I was killed. But the pendant awakened and saved my life, pulling me back in time."
The story of his death and miraculous return through the pendant was beyond comprehension, yet the sincerity in Sebastian's voice and the evidence of his experiences were undeniable.
"This brings me to my main point," Sebastian said, keen to share the discoveries that had shaped his current path.
"Over the past few months, I've discovered that it's possible to use the system's skills without the system itself."
To prove what he was saying was true, he showed her his favorite spell, the Cinder Blast. A tongue of fire burst out of his palms and illuminated the surroundings.
At this, Mary's skepticism crumbled entirely, replaced by belief. Her son couldn't be lying.
The manifestation of the spell before her eyes was irrefutable proof that was Sebastian was saying wasn't a well-crafted story, it wasn't a joke.
Her son had embarked upon a journey that defied the very fabric of their world, and her husband likely did it for many years.
"Because of all this, I've managed to buy the house I was talking about earlier. For you and for Lucius, I set aside some money. In a month, you'll be able to leave."
Mary, overwhelmed by the magnitude of the situation, found herself at a loss on what to say.
"How... how did you get this money?" she asked. For sure, he wasn't working somewhere, or she would have known.
Sebastian shifted the topic slightly. "Have you heard about the unrest in the slums lately?" His question hung in the cool night air, charged with unspoken implications.
Mary, piecing together the fragments of conversation and the news she read, suddenly realized the connection.
"Wait, are you... are you the Slum Reaper?" The name was on all the news channels. They talked about him as a maniac killer who went about and around destroying criminal organizations. But it has been a while since his last appearance came.
Sebastian nodded, confirming her suspicion. "Yes, I am. I'm the Slum Reaper."
He then looked at her, his resolve firm. "On the 25th of December, you and Lucius must leave Starhaven."
Mary, taken aback by the revelation and the enormity of the decision before them, felt a surge of reluctance.
The thought of leaving everything behind, of stepping into an unknown future based on such extraordinary circumstances, left her torn.
She was caught between the desire to cling to the semblance of normalcy they had and the understanding of the necessity of Sebastian's plans.
Without a word, grappling with the cascade of emotions and revelations, Mary turned and went back inside the house. Her face was pallid, her thoughts swirling.
The door closed behind her, leaving Sebastian alone with his thoughts under the night sky.
As Mary reentered the house, the weight of the night's revelations pressed heavily upon her shoulders.
Her son, Sebastian, the child she had raised and loved, had confessed to a past—and a present—soaked in violence.
If what he said was true, he had been marked as a butcher in another life, a term reserved for those whose hands were stained with the blood of many.
And yet, this nightmare was a chapter from a story she was never been a part of, a life she had not lived to see, for she had been long dead by then, according to Sebastian's account.
But the revelation that struck a deeper chord was learning that Sebastian was the Slum Reaper in this current reality.
Even in this second chance afforded by the mysterious medallion, he continued to tread a path marked by death.
Mary understood the harsh realities of their world, where violence often lurked just beneath the surface, waiting to erupt.
It wasn't the act of killing that unnerved her, something she did too back in Somnium—it was reconciling this truth with the son she thought she knew.
The Sebastian who had played in these very rooms, laughed, and cried, now confessed to being someone capable of extinguishing life with calculated indifference. He confessed to being a cold-blooded murderer.
Mary's mind raced, attempting to bridge the gap between the son she knew and the man he had become.
It was a struggle to align the image of Sebastian, her boy, with the reality of his deeds. Yet, beneath the shock and the moral quandary, lay an unshakeable foundation of maternal love.
She realized that Sebastian's actions, however extreme, were driven by an unwavering commitment to their safety.
It was a bitter pill to swallow, acknowledging that survival in their unforgiving world sometimes demanded unthinkable sacrifices.
Meanwhile, outside, Sebastian wrestled with his own tumultuous thoughts. His paramount concern was whether his mother would leave Starhaven, to uproot her life on the basis of a danger she had yet to see.
Would she understand the gravity of the threat looming over them? Would she understand that her only escape from a predetermined fate was to flee and leave him behind?
Doubt gnawed at him, even as he clung to the hope that she would trust in his warning, in his actions driven by a desperate need to protect his family at all costs.