Conor didn’t know what he had expected. Perhaps denial. But they would both need time to devour this fact. The boy’s dark red eyes seemed unchanging; indifferent as they never strayed despite the news Conor thought would be mind numbing. But he did not know this boy at all. His firstborn was not even a child anymore. It was with great sadness that Conor had to accept that he had missed out on everything. He had not even known of the boy’s existence until recently. Everything was wricked and wrong about this, but the male couldn’t help wanting to know this individual. While he did not believe any of them could be saved from the madness that ran in their veins, he had to believe that there existed a remedy. He would try to save this forsaken child. Even if this young canine was a stranger to his eyes and mind, Conor already felt paternal affection approach, quiet and real.
Cinnamon ears caught the sound of approach, and though he was reluctant to pull his attention from his son, his instantaneous curiosity would not be ignored. Face turned to let eyes search for the intruder and the rest of his body followed; turning around to watch a dark shaded lady approach. She said nothing, and most important of all she did not seem threatening in her stride. Conor had not come here to cause trouble for anyone. He had been looking for a lost child and had found it. Nothing would be all right again, but all hope was not lost—not as long as he lived and did what he could to make a difference despite the devil living in his flesh.
But then, a sharp, metallic sound cut through his calm and changed everything. It was a sound he was vaguely familiar with; a sound of metal. It was nothing like the heavy clang of metal being bent and formed in Saluce’s workshop. This was sleek and almost elegant in its song. A sharp inhale was taken at a most unexpected stab of pain. Confused, the loner glanced down to see glistening crimson clinging to the sharp edge of metal that had burst out of his own chest. A deep feeling of melancholy sang inside him, for this was the least he had expected. He wanted to turn and face the child he had failed to save, but suddenly there was no more time left to do anything. Knees hit the hard ground, but he did not even notice this. The air had been seasoned with the freshness of rain, but now it was disturbed by red copper.
He hadn’t even gotten the chance to say goodbye to his daughter and her mother. It was with great sadness that he realized that his journey ended here.