Chapter Text
The scene changed back to Countess Jour, her pretty pale face covered in tear tracks. Her delicate hands held her son's small face, sobbing as Cale watched her with worry.
"My heart, my heart,
My drowning heart"
All of them silently watched the Countess weep, feeling pity and shame as those who'd labeled the young master as trash blindly now somewhat understood why the young master buried himself in alcohol.
"Oh all the tears I've cried,"
Startled, they watched as older Cale's voice sounded with his mother. They saw the scene fade and was replaced with older Cale singing for a silver haired girl, and he was seen carding his long fingers through a red haired boy's hair. He's leaned back on the beds headboard with the girl leaning on his shoulder and the boy's head on Cale's stomach.
"Oh I may weep forever more,
My love will never die."
On looked up up to their father figure, tears welling under her eyes. It seems like she knew where he's going. To the hopefully last battle.
Deruth felt like he'd been deprived of water with how dry his throat is. He knew the possibilities of his son going home alive is low.
"Cale?" The young lady whispered, tears threatening to fall. "You'll come home right? All of you?"
Cale stayed silent, smiling softly before placing a kiss to the girls crown. "Live. That's all I ask." On sobbed and hugged her father of almost twelve years. "Eat well, get good sleep and help raise your brother."
Cale glanced down at the crying boy, "You too, Hong. Don't let that bastard court your sister in my stead, alright?" He joked, a glimpse of a future he deemed unacceptable. The boy sobbed more and buried his face on Cale's stomach.
Both cried loud and even though Cale felt like crying, he didn't, instead he joked about a future without him.
"Ciel and Nora are cute the father is not, remember that On. And you, take care of her well." Cale smiled as On slapped his arm and Hong blushed.
Violan sobbed along with Lily and many others while Basen looked down clenching his fist. He couldn't do anything, his Hyung suffered without any of them, though he's glad got the two teenagers in the scene. Deruth felt like screaming and demand to see his son but he's frozen in his seat.
The Thames, his mother's bloodline had the ability to see a glimpse (sometimes a full vision) of the future. Cale caught a glimpse of himself though he doesn't know how he died.
At the conformation, everyone fell silent. Many chewed on their lip in guilt. Some sobbed in sadness (mostly children) and many stayed silent.
He coed and coaxed the children to sleep, he doesn't want them awake when he leaves.
The scene faded out, and when it came back Cale was standing in front of his room door. He bit his thumb, smearing the blood on his door thus strengthening the blood ward in the room. Though it is already strong when he set it up to protect the manor and all its people, he just needs to assure himself. His children will live.
Rosalyn and all that is knowledgeable in magic gasped, blood wards. Many looked at them in confusion, not really understanding on what's the big deal of a little blood.
Rosalyn but her nail, "it's keyed to him. I dunno if its set to stay after he... dies or fall."
They stayed silent.
Cale glanced to his right, where Hans had been standing. They looked at each other before Cale stepped forward and hugged the man whom stayed even after all the bullshit white thing started.
Alberu laughed dryly at the curse and misnamed white star. Finding it hilarious though kinda sad. Many did.
"Hans I'm counting on you, one last time." Cale whispered, blankly staring at the knights with their glinting armour on.
Ron gripped his dagger tighter, amused but saddened with the young masters thoughts and implications.
They looked determined, as The golden turtles knights, to die or to live. No one knows. But they'll be the tough shell the others need to be able to live freely. Wether they perish it doesn't matter, as long as their children, wives, mothers and family live that's all they ask for.
They looked on in awe, admiration and determination filling their veins. The war hasn't started in their timeline, they could change everything.
"Take care of them for me, Hans."
The loyal butler bowed one last time to his master...
The scene faded out.
"Is.. is that it?" Lily's voice shook, eyes red from crying.
-Oh, no. HAHAHAHA there is still a few. I'm just giving you a break, most of you got snot trailing down your nose and that bothers me!
Choi Han couldn't help but frown, "Why are you so cheerful, no, how are you so cheerful in a situation like this?"
-Trauma! HAHAHAHA!
"Have you gone to war too?" A child somewhere in the room voiced out.
-uhm, no? If going out and socializing even though I don't want to count as war then yes.
"..."
"Okay! Continue...
What greeted them next is a blood bath, bodies fell left and right as Cale killed as much as he can even going as far as to use his strings to cut up enemies to save his knights.
He could feel the blood drying up anywhere on his body but he didn't care, all he's thinking about now is his children, his people and food. They've been here for almost two days for fucks sake. He wonders if On and Hong ate yet.
"Even in war he's still thinking about everyones well being!" A normal citizen sobbed from somewhere and everyone agreed.
'no one's gonna talk about him thinking about food? Alright.' Alberu talked to himself.
He caught a glimpse of Choi Han fighting with white shit, yeah that's right punch him for me Mr. Choi.
"Yeah, punch that white shit!" A little boy shouted from the back, and not long after all of the children stood up and shouts profanities they've heard from Cale and many others.
"Yeah! Beat the shit out of him!" Aaaand there goes Lily.
Meanwhile, On and Hong whispered encouragement to their future father. Praying that he'll go home alive, fate be damned.
(Somewhere far into the heavens, a certain person sneezed violently.)
Cale slashed another bears throat, cutting off an enemy knights arm and was about to run off and help more when he saw a knight bearing a great sword in hand running fast too Choi Han who's still busy with the white radish.
"I feel impulsive decisions..." a wise man muttered.
Choi Han wouldn't be able to dodge, Cale's mind raced to find a better solution as he ran after the knight. He could use his strings but that wouldn't stop the sword being thrust- oh no. Cale reached his hand out and strings immediately covered the man's body and he placed his own against the great sword.
The children shouting profanities gasped along with many more. Right before their eyes, Young Master Cale has been impaled by a great sword.
Choi Han froze on his seat, his palms leaking cold sweat as he watched the trash bastard whom had insulted his family sacrifice himself for Choi Han.
Deruth can feel his soul slip out of his mouth. He couldn't bear watch one of his family die again.
Cale coughed out blood, glaring right at the bastard currently immobile in his strings. The redhead didn't notice but the white radish stopped along with Choi Han. The latter shook as he couldn't protect anyone again, even if its this bastard.
In his anger, Cale minced the knight. "Fucking hell, it hurts!" He thrust his sword onto the floor using it to steady himself and try not to move too much.
He glanced at Choi Han, thankfully meeting his eyes. -I'm sorry about the misunderstanding, you bastard.-
Many looked on in interest while Violan, Lily, and Basen cried their hearts out. The children cried louder, along with On and Hong.
Choi Han leaned in, wanting to listen to Cale's words.
-I didn't, still don't, hate the villagers. I hated the village. It took something from me.-
Choi Han frowned, remembering the drunken slurs he couldn't quite understand.
-The day I lost my mom, my dad left me.-
Deruth gasped, he didn't- when had he...
Violan watched and cried for her son, she didn't mean to.
-It felt like I was an orphan. Everyone felt like strangers to me.-
-The warm kind hearted maids created rumours, the trash young master.-
A scene played out, of nine year old Cale reaching out to receive a glass of juice before the maid purposefully dropped it. Little Cale's eyes widens, and was about to apologise when the maid suddenly dropped on the floor too. Just in time as Cale's lady in charge came in, the maid cried and apologized to an 'angry' Cale. The lady and Ron looked at him disappointed, and in his shock Cale couldn't say anything.
Ron watched, his heart freezing and felt like it was gripped in iron claws. Had he looked that cruel? He didn't mean to.
-That day, I received twenty slaps to the thigh for misbehaving. Not like the perfect young master I should be. The lovely lady I knew couldn't be found anywhere.-
-Maybe because my mom is dead and no one would protect me, they started taking advantage of it. My work was piled up and I was made to study until my nose bleeds, all my actions needs to be perfect, I should listen to this I should listen to that.-
-I wanted to tell dad but he was so happy with the news of Lily in mothers tummy that I couldn't bare to say it.-
-and so, I injured it. Every time I get punished for protecting Basen, for welcoming Lily, for loving the mother I couldn't speak to. I bottled it all in. I couldn't cry.-
The old maids who've worked much longer and watched the young master grow glare at the new ones, whom looked away guilty. The lady in charge sweats as the old butler, Ron, glared at her.
Deruth felt like stabbing himself, why didn't he notice. He should have but no, there he was being a coward. He didn't notice the swollen eyes, red wrist and thighs even the maids doing he didn't.
Violan cried for all the missed chances she got. She should have been there, should have talked to him. Cale was only a child after all.
Basen and Lily couldn't say anything. The big brother they hadn't bothered getting close to because they thought he didn't want them was suffering for their well being after all this years.
"Is that why the young master refused to study? Is this the reason why he was scared to go?" Beacrox who'd been silent all this time spoke.
"Scared?" Ron asked, quickly turning to his eldest son.
"Yes, he begged me not to tell anyone he's in my kitchen that one time."
All of them thought it through.
-The day you beat me half to death was my mom's death anniversary, I'm sorry I couldn't bottle it all up that day.-
Choi Han frowned, why is he apologising? Choi Han should be the one to apologise, both of them was feeling grief but he let his anger take over.
-So kill that white radish or I'll hunt you for five generations.-
Cale slowly closed his eyes, falling to his side.
The wards around the mansion glowed before slowly falling. On, Hong and all the people under Cale's care for almost twenty years cried but carried on his wish. To Live.
With the enemies occupied in the war, no one followed them and they escaped safely to the mansion Cale had took the time to build and hide under heavy magic.
On handled everything like the little mistress Cale had taught her, and cried like a little girl inside her room like how her papa said it's fine to be.
Hong stood beside his sister like the respectable and reliable young master Cale taught him, and comforted his sister and mourned like how his papa said it should be.
Everyone mourned together, like how it should be.
-uhm..... all of you good? Hahaha I'm sorry. Anyway, take a break for now then we'll look into younger Cale's life!