We need to do something. He's fading fast!" Raymond said. "Those two won't be able to handle his death. At least not now, they're just beginning to get a grip on sanity."
"Why do I feel so useless?! What's the point of thinking? If I can't do anything, you probably can n--"
"Stop rambling for a moment and let me think!" One-eye snapped, shutting Raymond up. It was clear he was panicking. But that wouldn't help one bit.
"Agnar, you fool." One-eye proceeded to touch his chest. A glow began to emanate from it.
"Don't." A very pained voice said stopping One-eye.
"Don't.. you dare." Agnar said. He could barely keep his eyes open and kept gasping for air. "I, I'd rather die than t-take that fr-from you. Garh!" He turned to his side.
"Agnar, it's you I'm trying to sa-"
"He's right. Your life in exchange for his won't do." Raymond sighed and placed his palm on Agnar's forehead. "You always act so rashly."
Raymond stretched forth his right arm. A fog circled around his arm, but then grew and formed a staff with a crystal on its top.
He raised his hand and the room was filled with dark fog. It moved in circles enclosing all three of them.
"Take them outside!" Raymond ordered.
One-eye seeing what he was doing hurriedly took the twins to the back of the house.
"Wh-what's happening?" Kiyan asked, grabbing onto his uncle's shirt.
"Why are we suddenly outside?" Raten asked. "Is father okay?"
"Just stand here and don't move." One-eye said and disappeared into the house.
The twins saw a dark cloud appear over the house and just stayed there doing as they were told. They didn't move at all. The sun was almost gone and darkness began to creep in, they still stood in wait. It got colder, but nothing they didn't have to bear before.
"We are being obedient, father. So you won't leave right?" Raten held onto the gold chain that dangled from his neck.
After a long while, One-eye came out with a blanket.
"Sorry for keeping you out so long. It's cold, there must have been mosquitoes too." He put it over their cold skin providing a little warmth.
"Is he okay?" Kiyan asked.
"Let's go inside." One-eye said and walked off. They followed him quietly but a bit hastily.
They walked into Agnar's room and saw him looking well rested on his bed. Raymond had passed out from exhaustion in one corner of the room. He was snoring quite loudly.
The twins sat by Agnar's bed watching him with a look of relief on their faces. Still, worry lingered.
"He's fine now. Won't you go to your rooms?" One-eye asked. The twins shook their heads in decline.
"We might as well all sleep here." One-eye sighed.
He left the room and returned with sheets, blankets and pillows. He threw it on their bodies and said,
"You still need to sleep well." He smiled at them.
The twins spread the sheets on the floor. They covered themselves with the blankets and lay staring into the darkness before eventually shutting their eyes to the world and opening them up to the land of dreams.
The next day, after they all had awoken from sleep, Agnar, One-eye and Raymond were discussing a serious matter, as usual. The three of them were in Agnar's room while the twins were sent out.
"Agnar, you believe me right? You know what I'm saying isn't made up or a lie. Demas is responsible for this." One-eye said, still standing on his claims that Demas almost took Agnar's life.
"Here we go again." Raymond rolled his eyes. "You don't keep accusing a man just because he stole your porridge once."
"I'm being serious here! Agnar say something." One-eye urged them to listen to him.
"The man may have acted strangely but that was because he was trying to save his wife, nothing more. He did nothing to Agnar." Raymond defended Demas.
"How can you say that?!" One-eye hissed.
"One-eye, did you see something?" Agnar asked calmly.
"The illusions, Grace and loss of control over your own self! That's enough reason to pin this on him." One-eye listed the major things that had happened the day before.
"Yes, we can say anyone can make the illusions but, not one of us could see through it. Odd, isn't it? Agnar, we were blinded from the start, before we even got there!" He continued to state his reasons.
"Do you think any one of those people would try to use her death as a way to mess with your barely stable mind? They didn't even know you are the Agnar Teferi! Neither did they know you have the family's blood. Come on, this is as clear as day. While everything bad that could happen kept happening, he stood there just fine."
Raymond began to see reason with One-eye's words too. Agnar was quiet.
"Still, would Demas...?" Raymond was finding it hard to believe. Just then they heard a knock on the door.
*Knock knock knock..
The twins thought it might have been Jarett or Lecter, since no one else comes there, so they opened the door. Instead, they saw Demas standing on the other side of it.
They immediately took a step back.
"Kiyan, Raten, how are you doing? Is your father home?" He asked with a small smile as usual. Although he didn't look okay, he looked almost worried. But was it genuine?
"What are you doing here?" One-eye said, moving the twins behind him. "I should just end this." He pulled out a short blade from his shirt and aimed at Demas' throat, moving swiftly to slice it open.
"Don't." Agnar's single word halted Demas' demise.
Demas gulped seeing the blade just a few inches from his throat. Worry lines showed on his forehead and he began sweating. He was completely shaken. One-eye moved so fast, Demas couldn't even react.
"Boys, upstairs now." Agnar said and his sons immediately ran up to their rooms.
Demas stood outside the house. In front of him were three of the four men that were considered the world's greatest power and these men did not look happy.
"I, I j-just... I was worried about your safety, Agnar. I wanted to see if y-you were okay." Demas stuttered. Looking at the three of them, it would be a lie if he said he wasn't scared. At that moment, he felt his soul slowly leave his body.
"Bullshit! Why do you let him breathe Agnar?!" One-eye questioned. He clenched tightly onto his blade again itching to shed some blood.
"Demas," Agnar said softly. Looking directly at the man. Those grey eyes were as menacing as ever.
"Y-yes? S-sir?" Demas shakily responded. He could barely bring himself to meet Agnar's gaze.
"Do you know..." Agnar took a step forward, looming over Demas. "That dying by my hands..." He kept walking towards him. Demas began taking small steps back looking up at him. "Is the worst way to meet your end?" He bent forward to Demas' height.
Out of fear Demas fell to the floor.
"N-n-no Agnar I, I didn't do... It wasn't me. I would never try to hurt or kill you! That would be very foolish. Agnar, I would never!" Demas shouted. It was almost as if he was begging for his life.
"How pitiful." Raymond shook his head tapping on the hilt of his sword that was placed in its sheath by his waist… as always.
"Agnar please believe me, I didn't do anything." Demas pleaded, shaking on the floor.
"Your father, your aunt, these two dead people are the only reason you are still alive right now. I made a promise, so I will keep it." Agnar turned his back on him and faced the house.
"But, if I get even the slightest reason to doubt you again, you won't be begging for your life, but for your death." He said and walked inside.
Raymond followed. One-eye placed his blade back inside his shirt still glaring at Demas. He walked into the house and shut the door behind him.
"A-Agnar?" Demas whispered. He gritted and rose to his feet. His heart still hadn't calmed down and was beating rapidly. "What do I do now?" He stared at the door for a while before turning to leave.
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