Chapter 12: Unveiling the Past

  The steam from the bath had begun to dissipate, leaving behind a soft, warm atmosphere in the small room. Cassian stood near the door, his eyes following Sky as the boy fumbled with the clothes Cassian had pulled from his wardrobe. The little one struggled with the buttons, his tiny hands awkward but determined as he worked to get dressed.

  Cassian watched for a moment, a smile tugging at his lips before he realized what he was doing. It was strange, but there was something about Sky’s persistence, his innocent focus, that made Cassian feel... lighter. He wasn’t used to this feeling, the sense of responsibility, the pull to care for someone else, and it made him feel awkward, vulnerable.

  Without thinking, the smile on his face deepened, but as soon as it registered in his mind, Cassian froze, feeling the tension return to his chest. He quickly wiped the expression away, as if trying to erase the moment that had snuck through his defenses.

  "Well, Sky," Cassian started, his voice sharp, more defensive than he intended. "Why do you always call me brother? You know I’m not your brother, right?"

  Sky looked up from buttoning his pants, his small brow furrowed in confusion as if the question itself hadn’t fully clicked. His hands paused in mid-motion, the button half-fitted, but the boy didn’t seem deterred. Instead, he looked at Cassian, eyes full of quiet thought, and then answered, his voice soft yet sure.

  "You look like my brother," Sky said, his words simple but loaded with an innocence that made Cassian’s chest tighten. "Your hair color is black, just like his... and now... you look even more like him. You look like him, and your face..., is just like him. Not the angry face you had before." Sky’s eyes glistened a little, but there was no sadness, just the pure honesty of a child who didn’t know how else to express his feelings.

  Cassian blinked, his breath caught in his throat for a moment. He wasn’t sure what to say to that—wasn’t sure if he was ready to confront the implications. The boy, so small, so young, had no real understanding of who he was, what he had done, or the shadow that clung to him. But Sky saw something in him—a connection that was beyond the simple physical resemblance.

  Cassian felt his heart beat in his chest, faster now, his emotions pulling him in directions he didn’t want to go. He turned his face slightly away from Sky, trying to hide the sudden vulnerability that had washed over him.

  "Sky... I’m not your brother." His voice was quieter now, less certain. "I can’t be. You should know that."

  Sky stared at him for a long moment, his gaze unwavering, as if trying to understand the words that didn’t seem to make sense in his small world. Slowly, he finished buttoning his pants and then pulled the shirt over his head, his movements still uncoordinated but earnest.

  "But..." Sky started, his voice soft, yet somehow steady. "You’re the closest thing I have now. You’re here with me. And you’re not like the others... not like the bad people. You protect me, and I know you’re not like my brother, but you care. You really do. I can feel it."

  Cassian felt a knot in his stomach tighten. The way Sky spoke—so pure, so trusting—cut through him in a way that no one else ever had. It wasn’t the boy’s words alone, but the unspoken truth behind them: the understanding that Cassian, for all his flaws and scars, was still capable of something that resembled care.

  Cassian shook his head, the conflicting emotions crashing within him like a storm. "You don’t understand, Sky," he said, his voice barely a whisper now. "You don’t know what I’ve done... who I am."

  Sky didn’t seem fazed by the words. Instead, he stepped closer, his small hand reaching up to touch Cassian’s arm, the gesture small but meaningful.

  "I know," Sky said quietly. "But you’re trying. And that’s what matters."

  Cassian looked down at the boy, his heart sinking a little. He hadn’t expected this. He hadn’t expected to feel the weight of those words so deeply, as if Sky’s simple trust could somehow unravel everything Cassian had worked so hard to bury.

  For a moment, they just stood there in silence, the air thick with unspoken emotions. Sky seemed content, though, a quiet smile on his face as he tugged at his shirt to make sure it fit right.

  Cassian finally exhaled, the tension easing just slightly, though the heaviness still lingered in his chest. "I’m not perfect, Sky," he said, his voice low, but steady. "And I can’t promise I’ll always be... the way you want me to be. But I’ll do what I can. I’ll keep you safe."

  'And I need to keep myself safe', Cassian thought, his expression darkening. 'Survival is everything right now. '

  Sky nodded, still smiling up at him. "That’s all I need," he said, his voice full of that childlike simplicity that somehow made Cassian’s heart ache.

  Cassian found himself at a loss for words, but he couldn’t bring himself to break the fragile thread of trust Sky had placed in him.

  Instead, he just gave a small nod, turning away from the boy and moving toward the door. "Come on," he said, his voice returning to its usual sharpness. "Let’s go find something to eat. It’s been a long day."

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  Sky’s smile widened as he followed him, his tiny footsteps echoing in the hallway behind Cassian.

  As they walked toward the kitchen, Cassian couldn’t help but wonder if, perhaps, the bond between them had already begun to take root in ways he hadn’t expected.

  The quiet of the kitchen enveloped them as Cassian stood over the counter, his eyes scanning the lone omelette on the plate before him. The familiar act of cooking, of making something simple, now felt like a fleeting attempt at normalcy in a world that seemed determined to reject it. He watched the golden edges of the omelette, lost in thought, as an unsettling realization began to creep up his spine.

  Why is this kid here alone?

  Cassian frowned, turning back toward the boy who was standing near the kitchen counter, watching him with that same quiet, observant gaze. He couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to this situation than he had been told, more than just a child left alone to fend for himself in a world full of dangers.

  He had to know.

  "Sky," Cassian began, his voice quiet but firm, trying to keep his tone gentle despite the rising tension in his chest. "When did your parents leave? What happened that day?"

  The question seemed to hang in the air like a heavy fog, and for a moment, Sky didn’t respond. His small frame stiffened, and his gaze dropped to the floor, avoiding Cassian’s eyes. Cassian held his breath, waiting for the boy to find the words.

  "They left three days ago..." Sky said softly, his voice trembling slightly. "Someone was following us… and to protect me, my brother hid me in this house. He told me he'd come back... but they never... did."

  Cassian felt the weight of Sky's words. Three days. In that short amount of time, everything had changed for the boy. His family was gone, vanished, and now he was left alone in a house that no longer felt like home.

  Cassian's mind raced, his thoughts frantically spinning as he pieced together the fragments of information. Someone was following them? Why? Who were they running from?

  His gaze shifted to the boy, whose face had taken on a somber, faraway expression, his small hands wringing the edges of his shirt as he stood there, lost in his own memories. The weight of his grief was palpable, but there was something more, something that Cassian couldn’t quite place.

  Cassian's thoughts churned, but he couldn't push aside the sense that something was missing, that the pieces of this puzzle didn’t quite fit together. He had to act, but he wasn’t sure where to begin.

  "Sky," he said, trying to bring his focus back, "What’s your full name? Maybe I can find out something—anything—about your family."

  Sky looked up at him, his eyes wide and uncertain, but he nodded slowly, as if he had already given up on the hope of finding his parents again.

  "My full name is Sky Starfall," he said, his voice barely above a whisper, as if speaking the name aloud hurt him in some way.

  Cassian’s heart didn’t skip a beat. It should have. It should have rattled in his chest, panic should have seized his lungs. Instead, he felt something far colder—a glacial stillness, sharp and precise. Starfall. The name curled in his mind like a viper, venomous, dangerous. The Starfall family was dead. That what he heard the whispers, just yesterday—soft murmurs in the marketplace, hushed voices weaving rumors of a massacre, a tragedy that had snuffed out an entire bloodline overnight. No one knew how or why, only that the Starfall name had been wiped from existence.

  And yet—

  Cassian’s gaze slid over the child standing before him. Small. Fragile. Alive.

  “Wait…” His voice came out steadier than expected, but his mind churned, calculating at a vicious speed. “You’re from the Starfall family?”

  Sky’s bright blue eyes blinked up at him, unguarded, trusting. “Is something wrong?”

  Cassian’s lips curled at the sheer absurdity of it. Was something wrong? Everything was wrong. This boy—this delicate, wide-eyed child—was supposed to be dead, another casualty swallowed by the abyss of history. But here he stood, breathing, whole.

  A survivor.

  Cassian exhaled slowly. His fingers twitched at his sides, an old habit from years of training himself to act normal. But deep inside, the gears of his mind turned with ruthless precision. If Sky Starfall was alive, then the rumors were only half-truths Or maybe complete false, Which could meant someone had either spared him or failed to finish the job. Either way, it left loose ends, and loose ends were dangerous.

  Sky’s innocent eyes held Cassian’s, unaware of the gravity of what he had just said. "I’m not sure what happened," Sky continued, oblivious to the storm brewing in Cassian’s mind. "I just want to find Mama and Dada... I want them to come back."

  Cassian’s wanted to tell the boy the truth, to tell him that his parents were gone, that they were never coming back. But he couldn’t. Not yet. Not when Sky’s face was so full of hope, so desperate for something that would never return.

  Cassian closed his eyes, trying to steady the flood of emotions threatening to spill over. 'What do I do?' He couldn’t leave Sky here, alone in this empty house, haunted by the absence of a family he would never see again. But he also couldn’t ignore the threat that still loomed over them. The people who had been following Sky’s family, the ones who had taken everything from him.

  He took a deep breath and forced himself to look back at Sky, who was still standing there, waiting for some kind of answer. "I’ll figure this out, Sky," Cassian said, his voice steady but quiet. "I’ll find out what happened to your family. I promise you."

  Sky’s eyes brightened, but there was a shadow of doubt that lingered in his gaze. "Really?" he asked softly.

  Cassian nodded, the motion smooth, practiced—another lie stitched into the fabric of his existence. He wasn’t sure if he could keep that promise. He wasn’t even sure if he wanted to. Promises were fragile things, easily broken, easily forgotten. But Sky… Sky was different.

  The boy had wormed his way into Cassian’s life like a splinter, small and sharp, impossible to ignore. He hadn’t begged for affection, hadn’t demanded trust. And yet, somehow, without even trying, he had lodged himself deep in a place Cassian thought was long dead. Cassian exhaled slowly, forcing himself to meet Sky’s expectant gaze. His hand twitched at his side, torn between the instinct to push away and the unfamiliar urge to hold on.

  For Sky, he had to try.

  "Really," Cassian affirmed, his voice softer now, as he knelt down to meet Sky’s eyes. "You’re not alone, Sky. Not while I’m here."

  Sky smiled then, the faintest spark of hope lighting up his face, and for a moment, Cassian allowed himself to believe in that fragile hope too. But deep down, he knew they were standing on the edge of something much bigger than either of them realized. The truth about the Starfall family, the mystery behind their deaths, and the shadows that still lurked in the corners of the city—it was all just beginning to unfold.