A Promise in the Dark

Ethan looked at the man with a look of confusion. "How could I be your son, mister, when you are not my father?"

The man let out a rough chuckle. "Don't worry about that, kid. The real question is... do you want to keep living in this literal hell, or do you want to be my son?"

A single heavy tear rolled down Ethan's cheek. He stared at the cold floor. "This place, is nothing compared to what I have faced."

The man's eyes narrowed into a calculating smirk. He leaned in closer. "And what exactly have you faced?"

Suddenly, a violent torrent of memories flashed through Ethan's mind. He saw Sam bleeding out on the floor. He saw his biological father's fangs brutally digging into Sam's neck. He felt the burning sting of the slap, and heard that awful word echoing in his head: Half-breed.

The trauma completely broke him. Ethan dropped to his knees, burying his face in his hands on the filthy orphanage floor, sobbing horribly.

"I lost... Mister Saaaaaam!" Ethan cried out, his voice cracking with pure agony. "Wahhhhh! My father... my father hated me! He killed him! Aaaaaah! Waah!"

He clawed at his chest, hyperventilating. "If I hadn't went to his office that night... Mister Sam would still be with me! Waaaaah! He saved me... even at the very end, he saved me!"

The man's smirk vanished. A rare look of genuine shock crossed his dangerous features. "Lift your head, Ethan."

Ethan slowly raised his tear stained face.

"Who was your father?" the man questioned sharply. "And who was this 'Mister Sam' to you?"

Ethan sniffled, his chest heaving as he looked up. "My father... he was a monster. A real monster." He wiped his nose with their sleeve. "And Mister Sam... he was the most important person in the world to me. He was the one who raised me."

To Ethan's surprise, the man reached out and pulled the crying boy into a firm, unexpected hug.

"No more bad memories," the man murmured into his hair, his voice deep and commanding. "Be my son. Become the son of a hero."

Ethan froze in his embrace, whispering trembling words. "Mister... will you kill me too?"

The man went completely silent for a moment. Then, he pulled back, looking Ethan dead in the eye. "Of course not."

"Then... I'll go with you."

The man gripped Ethan's small hand and led him out of the dark room.

The moment they stepped through the heavy front doors of the orphanage, the bright morning light hit Ethan's face. It had been five agonising months since he last saw the sun.

He shielded his eyes, whispering in absolute awe, "Are... are mornings always like this?"

The man looked down at him, surprised. "Didn't you know?"

"I only ever saw the nights inside that room," Ethan whispered.

"Well, no more of that," the man said firmly.

He lifted Ethan into a luxurious, ornate carriage and they set off. Inside the moving carriage, the man pulled Ethan onto his lap to sit. Ethan grew a little stiff, looking up at the sharp, menacing jawline of his saviour.

"You look a lot like a villain, mister," Ethan said honestly, his voice small.

The man looked down, a shadow crossing his face. "Call me father, Ethan. From now on, you are my son."

Ethan hesitated, his throat tightening. "I am sorry... but I don't think I will ever be able to say that word."

The man frowned. "Why? Are you scared of me?"

"No," Ethan whispered, his eyes dark with memory. "It's just... I hate that word."

The man didn't push him further. For the rest of the hour long ride, silence filled the carriage.

---

Finally, they arrived at a massive, towering castle. it was incredibly grand, fancy and bustling with life. As they walked through the towering front doors, Ethan looked around at the glittering chandeliers.

"Am I really going to live here?" Ethan asked.

"Yes," the man replied.

Ethan, exhausted from months of sleeping on a hard floor, didn't waste a single minute. "Where is my bedroom?"

The man turned and called out into the hallway. "Solin."

A polite, middle aged maid quickly stepped forward, bowing deeply. "Yes, Master?"

"Take this child. He is my adopted son now, and you will be the one in charge of him."

"Understood, Master." Solin replied smoothly. She turned to Ethan with a warm smile. "Young Master, please come with me."

"Yes, ma'am."

Solin began leading him through the maze like corridors of the beautiful estate. But halfway to his room, a tiny whirlwind came rushing down the hallway.

A little girl, exactly Ethan's age, rushed up to Solin, eyes bright. "Mom! Mom! Mom!"

Solin stopped dead in her tracks, her face tightening with worry. "Iris! Why are you screaming through the hallways? If the Master sees you acting like this, we will be in big trouble!"But Mom, I'm so hungry!" Iris pouted.

"Okay, okay, I will feed you later," Solin whispered frantically. "But first, let me finishes leading the Young Master to his quarters."

Iris blinked, her curious gaze shifting over to Ethan. "Mom... who is he?"

"He is the Master's newly adopted son. Your Young Master."

Iris stared at Ethan for a second, then gave a bright, cheerful wave. "Hi! I'm Iris! What's your name?"

Solin's face flushed with anger at her daughter's lack of formality. "Iris! Speak with proper respect! You must address him as Young Master!"

Iris looked down at her shoes, her shoulders slumping. "Okay, Mom... Hey, why don't I lead the Young Master to his room? You can go finish your other work!"

Solin looked back and forth between Iris and Ethan. Seeing that Ethan didn't seem to mind, she sighed. "Fine. You may lead him, but you must behave yourself. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mom!"

Solin turned and walked away, leaving the two children alone in the grand hallway. Iris turned to Ethan, tilting her head. "Young Master, you don't talk much, do you?"

Ethan looked at her, his voice a whisper. "I do talk..."

Iris burst into a melodious laugh. "Oh! Well, I'm Iris. What is your name, Young Master?"

"My name is Ethan."

"Oh, you have a really nice name, Ethan!"

Ethan looked at her features, noting how small she was. "We are the same age... so why do you keep calling me Young Master?"

"Because my status is lower than yours," Iris explained simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Ethan felt a wave of shyness wash over him. He rubbed the back of his neck. "It's okay... You can just call me Ethan."

Iris's eyes lit up with pure joy. "Haaa! Wow, that's such a relief!" She stepped closer to him, her smile widening. "Hey, Ethan? Let's become friends!"

Ethan's eyes widened in surprise. His heart fluttered. "You... you want to be my friend?"

"Of course!" Iris cheered, clapping her hands. "Finally, I'll have a friend in this boring old mansion. I was getting so lonely here!"

Looking at her bright, happy face, Ethan felt a sudden warmth in his chest, and a small blush crept onto his cheeks. "Okay... I-I... Iri—"

"Iris!" she finished for him with a giggle.

She led him the rest of the way, stopping in front of a large, beautiful bedroom door. Before she opened it, she leaned in and whispered directly into his ear, "Ethan... I'll come back to see you tonight."

Ethan's heart skipped a beat. "You... you will come back for me?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Iris smiled, sticking out her pinky finger. "But it's a secret. Don't tell my mom or anyone else, okay?"

Ethan stared at her small finger, then slowly wrapped his own pinky around hers.

Iris grinned, bringing a finger to her lips as they locked hands. "Shhh... our little secret."

With a final wave, she turned and scurried down the hall. Ethan opened the door and entered his brand new room. He sat down on the edge of the soft, luxurious bed, staring at his hand.

"She said she will come for me tonight..." he whispered to the empty room.

A genuine smile broke across Ethan's face for the first time in five months. "Finally... I have a friend."

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[Chapter 2 Ended - To Be Continued