Jonas woke up in the middle of the night. It was dark, and only firewood offered light. It was cold, but the warmth of the clothes and blanket around him made it bearable. He is out of the woods now.
The first thing he thought about was his parents. He sat up straight. He realized he was in a bed. He noticed the four walls around him.
Where am I?
Then the image of the petrified girl flashed before his eyes, and his heart felt a pang.
I killed her! He choked. His every breath was heavy.
Then a tall shadow loomed over him, which startled Jonas.
But he looked carefully, and he lit up. The figure before him was lanky and familiar. The weight pulling Jonas down was suddenly gone, and he was glad, but tears ran down his cheeks.
"Hello, Jonas," a tall man said as he came out of the ajar door and slowly approached him. He looked at Jonas with sincerity.
"Dad," Jonas said, his voice cracked. He wiped off the tears and snot on his face.
"Hush now, boy, you're safe, you're home."
"I was so scared," Jonas sniffed, "I thought I would never see you and mom again!"
Jonas deeply loved his parents in this world. In the old life he lived, no one bothered to give him the affection he desperately looked for. When he was reborn, the memories of that old life slowly faded, but he would have nightmares about it.
"Jonas, don't be afraid," his father gently patted his back.
"Where's mom?"
"Your mother is fine. She is asleep. We carried you after all, all the way here. But something happened, Jonas. You must listen to me."
His father sounded warm, but there was a tinge of sternness in his voice. His eyes were pleading for Jonas to be steady. Jonas nodded and wiped off the last of his tears. His father explained what happened to the town of Vechta and the annual ascension ceremony, which was supposedly attacked by the heretics of the east.
Huh? Jonas knew the truth, at least what he remembered, but he continued to listen.
His father told him the story of how he and Jonas's mom saw an enormous mushroom cloud that almost reached the height where birds flew.
At that time, they were at the side of the road to catch their breath. They took their time to follow Lord Hans' carriage. Jonas let out a staggered sigh. His anxieties retreated to the back of his head, but worry was still stamped on his face.
"But, what happened to Lord Hans?" Jonas genuinely asked. He had no real recollection, only fragments of it.
"Lord Hans perished, they assume, Gods rest his soul," his father said as he did the sign of the Triad, a religious ritual where believers trace the shape of a triangle from their shoulders to their forehead.
"They?"
"The Empire, son."
"The Emperor's Legions?"
"Yes," his father answered, "And as of now, they are conducting investigations into whatever happened at Vechta. It seems it rattled the High Lord that heretic terrorists reached this far. I can't hide my worry, too."
Jonas watched as his father's face grew sullen.
"Selfish, it may sound, but I am glad you're alive, son. You survived, you were so brave!" his father continued and wrapped his arms tight around Jonas.
Jonas reciprocated the gesture and burst into tears once more.
Then, his father continued. Geisfort, the castle Lord Hans held, was seized by the High Lord to accommodate two Legions, since the deceased lord had no other sons or relatives to inherit the land and title he once held. His wife, Lady Greta, was sent back to her family, as was imperial law for landless widows.
"So where are we now?" Jonas asked, looked around, and thought he had never had a room to himself or even blankets.
"We are in the capital," his father smiled, "You're a Mage now, Jonas. The Empire gave us accommodations for the time being. But, we're not slaves anymore."
Jonas beamed when he recalled some parts of the ceremony. He remembered that he had ascended. But Jonas and his enthusiasm faded immediately, his shoulders slumped, and his body retreated.
"What's the matter, son?"
Jonas looked at his father in the eyes, "Dad, there is something I need to tell you."
"You're a Geisler," his father didn't skip a beat.
"What?" Jonas bolted and sat straight again, "You knew?"
"Of course, I knew. I knew about it before I married your mother. I knew all about it before the pain and humiliation. I knew the responsibility that I'd signed up for, I never looked at you or your mother differently, I knew all about it and still carried you in my arms when you were born."
"Then, why didn't you tell me?" Jonas suppressed himself, but tears welled in his eyes anyway.
"Does it matter?" his dad huffed and smirked, "You're my son."
Again, Jonas and his dad embraced, and they shared a tender moment in silence, with the occasional sniffle.
Only when his father remembered the tea he was about to prepare for Jonas did they let go of each other. He left the room and promised Jonas that he would answer every question he might still have when he got back.
Jonas lay back on the bed, finally comforted and free from any agony he might have had. But the truth won't let him forget: the dead eyes of the girl gazed, and the horrors he witnessed still weigh him down.
Wait a second, what happened to my body? Didn't I look like a monster back there? Was it all a terrible dream?
Jonas felt his skin. It was smooth, normal, and not the charred scab he remembered.
He stared at the ceiling. He tried to remember, but the memories only came in fragments. Troubled, he closed his eyes to calm himself. He did his best, but the only thing he could recall was hearing the announcement that he had ascended.
Jonas, ascended, atomic affinity…
Then everything went back, all the horrific deaths he had unknowingly caused. His breath was heavy, then he passed out.
His father came back moments later, but Jonas was already deep in sleep. He gave a soft smile and closed the door behind him.