Beyond?

“The pale, haggard bodies which we recovered from the tombs under the university definitely don't belong to our ecosystem. They completely lack any reptilian features which are shared by all higher lifeforms on this world.

It's clearly visible that their bodies were formed by strong exposure to high amounts of mana. From their muscle and bone structure alone it can be told that they have to be extremely strong. We have yet to determine how they reproduce, because we found only male individuals so far.”

-Biology Report

***Free City States of Nict, Capital***

***Zana***

“And this is your little brother, Zadkiel.” Stella places another little child beside Sariel who is my new sister. Apparently she thinks that she can make me forget about my parents by welcoming me in her family, but I'll never forget about my real parents who died for me.

I watch the twins who are staring at me very carefully. Both of them pay the utmost attention to me, not taking their piercing eyes from me. “Are toddlers supposed to act like that?” I raise my tail and move it around in front of them. Both follow the tip of my tail in a very creepy manner with their eyes.

The problem isn't that they are focusing on my tail when I move it. The reason why I think that it's creepy is because they are doing it in a perfectly synchronous manner.

“They are very special.” Stella smiles and hugs me. “Just like you. I promise that you don't have to worry about anything. Do you want us to sleep together tonight?”

My face turns red as I imagine something as embarrassing as that. It's already been long time since I slept with my mother and I don't want to trample on that memory. “I... I am old enough to sleep alone.”

Finally Stella lets go of me. “Okay. If there is something you need, Azir's and my room is just down the corridor like I showed you. Don't hesitate to wake us.” She stands up and takes Zadkiel in her arms. Sariel is entangled by her tail and lifted without effort. “You two go to bed in your own room.”

I wait until she has left with the twins and then I cuddle myself into the bed of my new home. Not being able to sleep I continue to think of my mother and father. How could they both leave me alone like that? Why did they have to die by the hands of those southerners!

My eyes wander throughout the room. It's nice and tidy, but not as big as my old one. As a single child I had my mother's full attention. I guess that's going to end now. I sniff and try to keep the tears at bay.

After a while the door to my room creaks suddenly and opens just a little. I see a little light from the corridor outside and something scurries into my room. The door closes shut with a bam!

No way! Do they have monsters in this mansion!? The first two floors are off limits to me, are there some kinds of wicked experiments going on there? Or ghosts? Are they the black magicians my mother was always warning me of?

Pulling the blanket higher I back off into the centre of my bed. Suddenly two pairs of golden-silver, glowing eyes appear at the edge of the bed. “Hiii.” Pulling the blanket over my mouth I let out a muffled scream as two small shadows jump onto me. After a moment of shock I realize that the eyes belong to the twins and that they are hugging me from both sides.

Moments later they start snoring with glee. I simply lie there, not knowing what to do and too itchy to sleep. I am also too afraid to move. What's wrong with those toddlers to sneak through the mansion so late at night?

After a long time the tiredness overwhelms me and I finally fall asleep.

***Free City States of Nict, Capital***

***Stella***

I tug at Azir's clothes and whisper while we are watching the sleeping Zana with the twins at her side. “Aren't they cute?” Apparently they made their way to our new addition to the family and snuggled up to her.

“Yeah, cute. We have to do something about their unnerving mobility, but it might not be so bad that they chose her as their new sleeping pillow.” Azir yawns and closes the door carefully. “If they sleep with her, then it means more together time for us. Right?” His eyes light up.

“You'll never change.” I sigh and walk back down the corridor to the kitchen. “Though I wish that you could undo her mother's death.”

“I hate to say it, but it's unlikely that I could've saved her even with my clock.” Azir follows me closely. “The time reversal spell is limited in how far you can rewind time and my clock only allows protection inside a certain time frame. Even if I cast time reversal several times in direct succession, the clock wouldn't protect me if I go back further than an hour.”

“So you can't save her at this point in time any more.” I press my lips together and try to swallow the bad news. “Then we have to be good parents for her!”

Azir grabs my tail and starts playing with it. “Are you sure that you don't want to do something else right now?”

I try to protect my appendage from his advances. “Stop that! What if they wake up?” But he doesn't let go and puts the tip into his mouth instead.

A shudder runs down my spine and I let out a small, muffled shriek which I try to suppress with my hands over my mouth. “Cheater! Don't go for the weak spot.”

He shoulders me and carries me off towards our bedroom, not letting go of my tail and touching me at an inappropriate place! I'll pay it back to him at some point! My revenge will be so horrible! I promise! A lifetime isn't enough to punish him for how he is treating me.

If it wouldn't feel so good!

***Free City States of Nict, Capital***

***Jeremiah Draco***

I am in a small, dark cell and only a little hole in the ceiling is shedding some light. How can they do something like this to their ancestor? Sealing my powers wasn't enough, they even threw me into this dirty hole.

Have they forgotten about me? Helen stopped paying me visits long ago, but now even this Lucas character isn't showing up any more. They are treating me like a mass murderer. I am the Saviour!

The only one who pays a little attention to me is the gaoler who sees to it that I don't die of thirst or hunger. If my brother could see me like this he would laugh for sure. I stand over my pee bucket and release myself with all my might.

Time to continue with my plan. “HEEEEEYY!” I call for the guard who is almost always at my door.

The small shutter on the door opens and the eyes of the guard peek into my cell. “Shut up. What is it?”

I hurry to get the bucket at the corner of my cell. “My pee bucket is full.” I hold it out to the guard.

“Wäh! Don't sprinkle that around you senile old man!” The voice from the other side of the door answers disgusted. “Push it through the port and I'll deal with it.”

I do as told and push the bucket through the small hole under the door. It's the same one through which I get my food.

The bucket disappears and I press my ear to the door, listening to the slowly fading curses of the guard. When his curses aren't noticeable any more I start sanding the magical shackles on my hands against the rough stonewall of my cell. The only reason why I am still here is that they are sealing my powers.

Working like a madman I give everything I have while I am counting the seconds. The scratching sounds are loud and annoying, so my only chance to do this is while the guard is away. “... twenty three, twenty four, twenty five.”

I return to my listening post at the cell's door. The guard's returning steps echo through the corridor just a few moments later. Everything went as planned and he didn't find out this time either. My worst fear is that he is generally a slow one and might return too fast one day.

If he hears the scratches, they might decide to investigate what I am doing inside my cell.

Returning to the small hole which sheds me some light, I inspect the few new scratches on my magical shackles. Tears of joy well up in my eyes.

If I continue doing this once or twice each day it's just a matter of years until I get to be free again!

.