Zen's POV
I remember back when I was a little boy, around 13 years old, both me and Lucian saw a performer came in the royal's banquet. He call himself a jester, he stated that his job is to entertain nobles by doing some magic.
The moment he said the taboo word, the knights immediately point their swords against him. He didn't flinch nor tremble, he was smiling as if he already know what will happen to him. The King, however ordered the knights to retreat their swords, by his command, they immediately follows.
The jester starts to prepare to his performance, I was captivated at him. He wore a red and black silk with a hint of white pattern, it was unusual to the jester my mother was describing in her diary, he didn't were colorful clothes. However, he was wearing a mask, perhaps to hide his identity?
He pull something in his pocket, it was set of cards with weird symbols on it. I was fascinated the way he handle the cards, tossing it around and catching it perfectly, a truly magnificent performance.
After he shuffles the card, he offers the cards to the King and saying "Pick any card, your highness and I shall read your future..." he said playfully, the imperial knights were skeptical about it and ready to attack the jester, but my father foolishly pick a card.
"Don't show it to me, and I shall find it in my deck of cards!" the jester pull out a table from his small bag making every nobles amazed by it, and I admit, I was too. He scatter the turned down cards in the table he magically pulled. I shifted a little in my seat, anticipating what will happen next.
The King put his chosen card turned down on the table, it was King of spade that he pulled. The jester mix all the card together, shuffles it a lot of time so the card that chosen by the King disappeared in the other cards.
"Is this your card?" first the jester show the card of 4 spade, the King shake his head no. "No?" he put the card on his other hand.
"Is this your card?" he asked again and show the card of 3 clovers, the King shake his head no for the second time. The nobles starts to whisper at each other, it seems this jester is not a good entertainer.
"I don't understand, what could possibly go wrong?" the jester look dejected, he drag his feet and walk towards his bag again.
"Perhaps the King's card is in my bag" he said, as he opened his bag a random pie was thrown in his face making everyone laughs.
"Now you truly look like a clown!" the nobles stated, he blushed in embarrassment.
"Well, third times is a charm!" he playfully said as he pull something in his bag and it was a bunny and everyone laughs again.
"Oh no! where's the King's card could possibly be?" he starts to panic.
"Come on boy! Find the card!" one of the nobles said while the clown pick up his bag and walk closer to the imperial knights.
"Perhaps a handsome knight in shining armor can help me!" he offers his open bag in one of the imperial knights, at first the knight look at him suspiciously but then he put his hand to the jester's bag and pull out another bunny. But this time the bunny kick the knight in the face, making everyone laughs again.
The jester giggles, "Oh no! Our mister handsome knight!" he said jokingly, as the knight pull himself together and glared at the jester. He moves to another knight and offer his open bag again. "Perhaps this sir can pull the right card out!" the nobles cheer as the other knight hesitate to stick his hand to the bag.
The King glared at the knight making him more scared. The knight take a deep breathe and stick his hand inside and pull another card, it was 2 of hearts. The moment the knight turn the card around to look at the symbol, it suddenly exploded and making him showered in colored powder paint.
The nobles once again laughs, so as the King. The imperial knights pride just stomp by a clown, this mysterious jester. "How amusing indeed!" the King loudly chuckles as the crowd starts praising and applause the jester.
"Thank you! Thank you!" the entertainer gladly receive the attention from everyone in the room. Then suddenly he throws his bag in the air and it turns to a colorful butterflies flying in the air making everyone amazed. He goes back to the table and set the scattered cards in one spot. He pulled a card. "Is this your card?" he once again asked the King. "No..." the King answered, it was a card of ace.
"My bad..." the jester flicked his fingers to the card and it immediately turned into the King's card, the card of King of spade. The nobles goes awe in unison and claps, the jester takes off his hat and bow to the audience and to the King.
"Magnificent performance, boy!" praised by my father.
"However, how can that tell my future?" the King asked making everyone fall in silent, the jester only laughs and tossed the cards into the air.
The moment the cards fall down into him, he disappeared. The knights immediately run into his position and he was indeed disappeared just like that.
"Y-you're majesty..." one of the knights stutter, looking down at the cards as if he just saw a ghost. The King finally rise from his throne and look at the cards on the floor. It was bunch of tarot card, indicating death.
...
"You have talent, Aether Lumier!" the moment he suddenly shouted my real name, I felt something pang in my chest. This ghoul, knows me and calling out my name, I suddenly fall down on my knees while grasping for air.
"Remember, if a ghoul call out your name four times at a row while looking at your eyes, he will bring death upon you..." stated by mother in her diary.
"N-no...not my son..." my frail, powerless father called out to the ghoul. "Please...I beg you..." It was the first time I saw my father look scared as he struggle to get out of his bed and kneel beside me as if he was praying to this monster.
"Aether..." my eyes widen when he called the ghoul by it's name, the same name as mine. The ghoul chuckles loudly making the castle shake, my father is begging for my life to be spared.
Before I can react, the ghoul's sharp tentacles drag me by my foot and slam me to the wall and floor. If it wasn't for my 'aura' protecting my body, I would have died the moment he slam me.
The castle continue to shake, no...not just the castle, the whole kingdom were shaking. I tried my best to hold the 'aura' in my body to protect me from the impact. "Come on now...Break!" the ghoul laughs as I tried to pull away from it's grasp. He was toying me around as my father continue to kneel and saying strange words I can't understand.
Slowly, my aura cannot take it anymore, I'm losing my consciousness. My frail attempt to escape weakened and my eyes slowly closing themselves. If gods were real, why don't they save me from this devil? I accept my death.
"Brother!" I heard my brother for the last time. My vision is blurry yet I saw him running towards me. The last thing I heard before losing my consciousness is the ghoul's laugh.
...
I suddenly opened my eyes as I regained my consciousness. Lucian, what happened to him!?
I woke up in the floor with bruised body, the first thing I saw is the cracked ceiling with paintings of our ancestors, I'm still in my father's chamber room.
I tried to regain all my senses, I can't move my body one bit, it was painful. I tried to move my hand at least and I suddenly feel something wet in my hand.
I turned my head to the side and I saw the most terrifying thing. Blood scattered everywhere, the King's head is hanging in the wall. In my hand, a ball of something covered in blood. I squeeze it, it was soft and warm but smell awful. Suddenly, I remember my brother.
I limply stands up from where I was laying. The room were dark and the only light source I have is the moonlight that covered by the clouds. I slowly pull myself together and squint my eyes to look at the dark. My eyes widen as I saw my brother's body, he was unconscious.
"Lucian!" I shouted and immediately run towards him. I can feel pain every step that I take, feeling my broken ankles but that didn't matter.
The moment I finally reach his body, I halted in the scene I saw. His lower body is missing, as if something bite off at him, he's chest is wrecked, it was open, and his organs is were destroyed. The moonlight finally pass through the clouds and give me a light enough to see the whole picture.
I looked at what I am holding in my hands, it's not just any ball. It was his heart. Then I realized that I was holding in my other hand, and it was my sword.
I screamed in agony in my head. "AHHH! AH!" my breathing becomes unstable as I both let go of what I am holding and grab my hair.
"No...No...NO!...this..t-this can't be..." I've seen worse in the battlefields but this is the most traumatic thing I see. It was my brother! It was Lucian is laying down there! I was holding his heart for fucksake!
...
Hundreds of year later, I tried any way possible just to die. Tossing myself in stillwater. Drowning myself, stabbing myself, anything, just anything! Just let me die!
I became something I wished to the gods, but it didn't fulfill me. I should have asked them to bring back Lucian to life in exchange of mine. I was foolish, idiotic and driven by revenge.
Hundred of years have passed and yet I can't find the ghoul who killed my brother. How ironic, now that it was me who's hunting the god of death itself.
I watched the Kingdom grew but it didn't change. I hid myself in the Barrel Zone, because I had my reasons. I just wish to die and see my brother again.
...
"What should I do now?" the Warden asked me, he looks dejected and hopeless.
I saw my past self to him, the strong desired to lead, to shine above everyone else. He was the strongest, I admit but that girl become his weakness, at the same time, I saw Lucian in him.
My son, I raised him as my son and make him take after the position of becoming the leader of the Barrel Zone. I was the oldest and should be the smartest and yet I don't know what should I reply to this boy who is knocking on my door.