Episode 22: Jace's Truth (Patreon)

After a long walk back to the mansion with Amelia nowhere to be found, Lucas finds himself in distress and restless. He immediately heads to his exercise room after putting away the book, to let out some of his frustration. But he couldn't stop his thoughts from getting out of hand.

PUNCH!*

PUNCH*

'She's gone... Did a Giver find her?'

Punch*

'Maybe she found out about Edward's doing? No, she couldn't have.. It hasn't been that long since I found out... Maybe she got tired of me?'

Punch*

Punch*

'Even if she stayed what could I have done? I'm a useless good for nothing who always causes problems!'

PUNCH!*

'But If she had stayed, I..."

stop..*

Lucas reaches to hold the punching bag from swinging, and rests his drenched in sweat face against it.

'..I wouldn't have been able to let her go' Lucas clenches his eyes shut.

"Where have you been all afternoon Young Master?"

Jace appears from behind Lucas holding a towel

"I told you not to call me that" Lucas without looking back returns to his workout, he couldn't bare looking at Jace

PUNCH!*

"You could've at least told me where yo__"

PUNCH!!!!*

"You know what?" Lucas looks back to Jace and furiously demands "I think it's time you explained to me why the heck I shouldn't be punching you instead"

Jace walks up to Lucas and hands him the towel he was holding "I'll come pick you up for a walk after you wash up" then leaves the room.

Lucas looks at the towel and grits his teeth before taking another swing through the punching bag, gutting the sand out.

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After taking a shower, Lucas decides to study the lock of the book as he waits for Jace.

'Only the four triangles outside each quarter of the circle can be pressed, and can only be pressed at the same time.' He then caresses his fingers against the puzzle in the center of the circle 'But what can you do with these? And these ribbons are impossible to rip no matter how hard I tried... I didn't even have the chance to ask Amelia what's in it...' Lucas spaces out while staring at the book then thinks 'I wonder if she's eating well...'

Knock*

Knock*

"Lucas... I'm here to pick you up" Jace finally calls Lucas by his name from behind the door instead of affiliating him with his uncle. 

This moves Lucas into replying with a gentler voice "I'll... be out after putting on some clothes"

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Jace decides to take Lucas on a walk at the the mansion's garden. Well trimmed trees, bricked floors, a well lit cross walk next to a large beautiful handcrafted lit fountain. But it was impossible to enjoy the scenery knowing what wealth was used to build it. Lucas walks a few feet behind Jace, both of them walking in awkward silence.

'Am I supposed to bring something up first? He hasn't said a peep since I left my room' Lucas looks to Jace's direction, then lets out a quiet "I__" before Jace interrupts him.

"It's been a while since we went out on a walk like this.."

"Hm?" Lucas looks around him and remembers the nights he would regularly go on walks with Jace, whether it was after a nightmare, or a big meal. "It has.."

"The last time we went on a walk like this was when Peter left... You then would disappear for days, and sometimes return with bruises, or even take money from under our noses without telling us what you were doing with it"

"Are you trying to turn this against me?"

"I remember.. the day when I carried you in my arms after you left the hospital in bandages. It felt like you would've broken into pieces had I not been so careful"

Lucas turns away in torment.

"I also remember the day you spoke to me after remaining silent for four months, or when you first reached out to me because you had a nightmare_"

"What are you trying to say?" Lucas asks in frustration

"You will always be like a son to me Lucas, no matter what you do, I will always care for you" Jace turns to take a look at Lucas, who seems on the verge of tears. "I would never do anything to hurt you, or your feelings, and I thought you would have more faith in me"

"But then__!" Lucas yells out

"I was about 8 years younger than you when I met her.." Jace turns to continue walking

"Her??" Lucas springs to catch up

"She had the most beautiful voice I had ever heard, and just as she was beautiful, she was also strong and quite terrifying, and well... I was the little trouble maker myself" Jace smiles faintly.

Jace at 13 took off to the woods after getting scolded by his father. He starts to climb a cliff while ranting under his breath.

"JACE!" His older sister calls out to him from below the cliff "WHERE DID YOU GO YOU LITTLE RASCAL!? DAD IS GONNA BE SO PISSED WHEN YOU COME BACK!" 

Jace tries to climb further up, almost losing his footing, alarming his sister

"JACE! GET DOWN FROM THERE THIS INSTANT!" But he only stuck out his tongue to piss her off "I'm telling mom!!" she yells as she runs off.

"Hehe~" Jace laughs then continues to climb. A subtle voice in the wind tickles his ears from beyond the cliff's top. He scurries to check it out.

A little girl around the same age as Jace, pets a dying puck in her arms after getting shot by an arrow. She gently brushes its fur while singing in an enchanting voice

"When you hear the sound of rain, 

covering your sorrow and pain

When you feel the wind as it blows

drying your dreadful tears

you just whistle, Whistle, hmm and hmm

So that like the wind you shall go

May you dream of happiness and love,

never to watch it disperse to nothing again.

May you hold a warm hand,

that will never grow cold and lifeless again.

Just for you, I'll Whistle, whistle, hmm and hmm

So that like the wind you shall go~"

Whistle*

Whistle*

She whistles and hums to the buck as it passes on, then hears a branch cracking from behind her. Within seconds, she sends vines shooting into the air stabbing the tree Jace was hiding behind "AHH!!" He screams from shock

"If you like your head attached to your body, it would be wise to show yourself".