that's good I guess, Having spent more than half an hour tidying the table and putting every decoration in place, he curled his lips satisfied with his feat. He thought about Rozalia as he tidied the surface, how would she react upon meeting Ray and how would they get along. Even though Rozalia was the type to get along only with those she was familiar with he knew she would push herself hard to gain Ray's trust… She was so excited to meet him after all. She bought whatever she thought Ray might like and whatever she liked for him, clothes, video games, books, and even underwear.

Marshal let out a faint giggle as he recalled her confused face when she bought them all…

Marshal looked around again, and with a short sigh, he entered the house.

When Marshal set his foot on the ground floor laughter entered his ears. He looked at the corridor and saw his woman Rozalia sitting in the corridor, her back against the wall, and talking with Ray who had the same position.

"And Then Marsi said that he will kill me if I complain again."

"And what did you do?"

"I complained and he wore the annoyed look, then came and hugged me apologizing, even though it wasn't his fault. He's always dishonest really."

Marshal peeking head turned white as he witnessed his dignity and picture getting shattered by this woman, and most critically in front of Ray, the one person he wanted to always appear cool in front.

But…

He didn’t want to interfere. Wet and bloody, both of his eyes swollen, and even his smile felt so heavy and conflicted…

Ray was in a miserable state.

And Rozalia was lightening his mode successfully. He shouldn't purge with his temper exploding, at least, he should put a smile up.

"Rozalia have you done your work? I've completed everything," Marshal said entering the corridor, on the other hand as Rozalia heard him a shiver ran through her spine as she bolted up, two sweat beads dripping down her face.

"What did you hear?"

"A series of prideful lies," Said Marshal, and Rozalia looked at Ray with a broken smile, "Marsi is always like this, dishonest," she said, "How about you have a shower? we will have dinner on the surface tonight, the weather is pretty good and somehow romantic."

Ray nodded yes as he approached Marshal, he looked up at him as if he waited for something. Marshal noticed Rozalia looking at him while hugging herself and flying kisses on air.

I'm not dumb you know, he thought as he squatted. He gripped Ray by the shoulder and looked on his eyes, "Good job."

And hugged him.

What did he need, and what had he wanted? False ambition? 

Why? 

Why would his ambition be false? wasn't it pushing him forward? wasn't he having enough plans for the future? like having a stroll around the areas and supervising Crake and the other guards, or like killing bad demons and cleaning the place for only the good to exist… Only good? Were there good people to begin with?

He thought, but the picture of his old man appeared and he exhaled in reliefe.

Ray was still young and clueless, but for a second, even he felt how unrealistic his goal was… Bad guys weren't only demons but humans as well… and he didn't even kill the bad guy this time.

In the end, Ray left the bathroom with more doubts than when he had entered.

Out he found Rozalia waiting, one finger curling her hair down as she looked at his sleeping pajamas.

"Have anyone told you that you will grow to be a fine man Ray?"

Ray looked up at her, even for a young boy like him he admitted Rozalia beauty, she looked so elegant and graceful… She looked out of this world with her silver hair and gentle voice.

"Thanks," Said Ray looking downward.

"Now let's go!"

Rozalia pulled his hand and walked toward the stairs fiercely, and somehow excitedly. Ray behind looked a bit puzzled as he widened his eyes staring at the delicate hand pulling him up. 

"I was so excited to meet you, and I can't believe how stressed I'm now," Rozalia said, "It's like, I no more want to leave this house, it's like I'm satisfied staring at you growing up Ray."

Rozalia looked at Ray with a smile.

"Ray."

"Yes!"

And the stairs came to end, Rozalia got out first then pulled Ray out to the Surface…

"Happy birthday dear," Rozalia Said her teeth shining in a wide smile.

Ray froze on his position and widened his eyes not knowing what to say. On that small table was a cake with an '11' shaped candle on top. The old man behind the table giggled as he clapped for him. 

"11 huh? I don't remember what I did when I was 11 but I think I was manly enough," the old man said giving the knife to Ray, "The wrinkles under your eyes make you much manlier I believe."

"Yea, Ray's face is that of a man and an angel. Sometimes feels cold sometimes feels bright… Its moods give off excitement. We will never be bored by his side." 

Ray's heart skipped a beat to Rozalia's smile… What was this smile? It was out of this world, a smile he had never seen, in any human, in any demon, in any creature…

Rozalia's smile kept sending waves through his heart, and before he could notice he was on his knees with both eyes sobbing. The knife hit the ground as his grip softened along with his heart.

watching the situation Marshal noticed the wave as well, "Rozalia, your Siren aura is leaking."

"Really? I'm sorry, but I can't control it when I'm so happy."

Yea, Rozalia wasn't lying, everything she had said, every smile she showed in this small fraction of time, were real…

That made Ray's tears flowing stronger. Happiness warmed his heart, her gentle voice relaxed his stressed mind and body… Ray was being flooded with love and attention.

Rozalia, the old man, and the small table in between… were the things Ray never felt before, were the things Ray had forgotten since his childhood…

What was this???

Really, what was this?

Why his eyes keep on crying? they shouldn't. He promised himself not to cry. For the old man, for himself and, and now for Rozalia.

He shouldn't cause them trouble, shouldn't let them wear sad faces… They were his family, and the people he will forever belong to, of course, he didn't want to cause them any troubles.

Ray tried to wipe off his tears, but Rozalia held both of his hands, looked at his eyes. Both of their blue eyes glowed to each other, safety transferred from her heart to his and his eyes sobbed even further.

"When you feel like crying, just cry. Emotions are manly too. Even Marshal, your dad, cried in his life. Just let your sadness out."

She closed her eyes, approached her lips to his forehead. And as they touched each other, a picture of a priestess flashed through his head and he pulled back his face. 

Rozalia opened her eyes and looked at his frozen face, she understood the trauma behind that expression, she was a siren, after all, hearts were her specialty.

She whispered into his ear, "did they lie to you?" And the boy's hands trembled. His heart pounded hard as he recalled theses moments of betrayal and lies, and hot exhale came out of his mouth.

"y-yes..."

The word trembled out of his mouth. He was weak against Rozalia, it wasn't a battle he could win, it wasn't a fight in which he had the superior hand. Since he had met her a few hours ago, Rozalia was reading him like her palm… and he truly loved that, and couldn't afford to reject her in anyway… because he couldn't afford to think ill of her.

"You did well, Ray," she whispered, "And you came eventually to the people who will never lie to you… I'm Rozalia, Marshal's wife, and your mother… give me your trust and rest assured, I will never lie, I will never tell lies… And here is the truth..." Rozalia took a deep breath, "I love you."

Ray's eyes widened, and he no more resisted. She kissed his forehead and hugged him, and as she left him he fell into her arms asleep.

"I really miss your siren abilities, use them on me later." 

But Rozalia didn't answer Marshal’s question. She looked at him both of her eyes sparkling with tears, "Isn't it sad?" she placed Ray's head on her lap, "Ray is still a child, but he never got what every child wanted. And what hurts the most is that he doesn't even know what he wants."

Marshal didn't understand what Rozalia was saying, but he asked to ease his doubts, "is he not comfortable with us?"

A vein popped on Rozalia’s forehead as her sad expression never changed, "You can be an idiot sometimes Marsi, how can Ray grow healthy with only you by his side."

Marshal didn't get angry, he didn't feel bad as well. actually Marshal had just witnessed how much Important Rozalia would be to Ray. That's why he touched a sensitive point, "Then stay here. Stay by my side, and by his side. You said it, he needs you."

Rozalia looked at Ray, with Marshal's words stuck in her head, she pondered his face for a minute, but then looked back at Marshal…

"Malize will be sad with no one by his side," said Rozalia, the edges of her eyes curling down in a gentle frown.

"I see,"

Marshal never pushed the matter further, Malize was his son too after all. He went and sat beside her, grabbed her shoulder closer to him, and watched the stars.

In less than hour Ray woke again.

They handed him the knife and he cut the cake. They sat together gazing at the stars, each of them gained a thing had lost long ago. Their smiles shimmered amidst the night and their laughter lightened their hearts.

Ray was gifted clothes, Gamestation, a portable computer, and a smartphone.

His heart hardly followed his happiness, but he didn't wish to go to his room and start them, never the slightest.

He only enjoyed the moment, and later the dinner, he stayed with them happy and light-hearted, as if the last events never had existed, as if the blood he had dived in was a simple dream.

And at the end of the night, Rozalia told him to go to his room, as they went to the old man’s room.

In his room, he plugged the phone to the charger. Thankgod he knew their router's password because he used Crake's phone many times before, he also had sent the old man messages through that phone so he had basic knowledge about how to set up an e-mail.

After creating an e-main account he went and downloaded Typebook.

He then created an account, wrote a bio, and snapped a selfie to set as a profile picture.

The first thing he did in Typebook was searching for Emily's account. In a few minutes, he found her profile and added her. He scrolled down her timeline and found the quiz result about the Mental age.

He entered the quiz, wrote down his name, answered the question, and then a result popped up.

55 years old.

His mind was really old, he felt somehow proud of his head.

He scrolled down to read why his mental age was this old and as he finished reading the short article a list of suggested quizzes appeared. 

One of them grabbed his attention…

'Find out what you really want'

Ray pressed it, and a list of multiple-choice questions appeared. A total of 25 questions.

He answered each one with care and deep thought.

And in half an hour he answered the final question.

He was transferred to a new tab that requested his e-mail to send him the result.

Ray’s heart grew fast as his thrill to know the result grew more.

He typed his e-mail and checked it twice before submitting it.

In a few seconds, he received an e-mail.

 

'Dear Mr. Ray,

Thanks for using our platform for your quizzes. Because this test is very loved and there are hundreds of new answers every day our psychologists work their hardest to bring you the result within a week from the submission. If you are in a hurry, consider signing up for our pro plan. This way your quizzes will be instantly reviewed and you will receive the results in less than an hour after submission.

Regards,

Quizzino Team.

 

P.S: if you wish to stop receiving e-mails from our platform just click here and follow the instructions.'

 

Reading the e-mail to the end, Ray gave off a sigh as he thought, I hate Typebook.