Dance of the Damned

No Regrets

“What?” Eyes widening, Britton looked at Micah who was busy talking to the man behind him. Why does this man look so familiar? “Are you sure? It’s been years.”

“Is this authentic?” Elizabeth asked, hands shaking.

“The king’s seal is there.” The man beside Micah said, pointing to the paper as Britton watched Micah turn to the man again.

“Are you sure that isn’t the forged one?” He asked, tilting his head to the side.

“I am sure.” The man said, pulling out another, identical paper from his coat pocket. “This is the forged one.”

“Why do you have a forged one?” His daughter asked, worry written all over her face.

“Just in case something happened to the original will,” Micah said nonchalantly. “Don’t worry about it, it’s not entirely forged.”

“Can I see it?” She asked, taking the paper from the man and comparing the two.

“How did you get it, Roshi?” Britton asked, looking at the boy while his eyes grew tired and his voice turned softer. “I looked everywhere I could but it was nowhere to be seen.”

“A little persuasion.” Micah shrugged. “But it is the two from Teri’s group that was able to get it. I didn’t do anything.”

“You told them where to look, didn’t you?”

“I suppose?”

“Then you didn’t do nothing.” The man said, corners of his lips turning up. “I want to ask how you knew but I am sure you are just going to brush it off like it is nothing.”

“You don’t have to concern yourself with things that do not benefit you,” Micah said, grinning as he continued to eat the bread with satisfaction.

Really, I will never be able to understand him. Britton thought, a gasp coming from his daughter. “What’s wrong?”

“You, who or what exactly are you?” She asked, pointing to Micah.

“What are you talking about, Elizabeth?”

“The wills are exactly the same.” She said, holding the papers up. “I can’t even tell which is the real one and which is the fake one if I were to compare. That means that someone has seen the will before and remembered every detail of it.”

“Well that is expected of Roshi,” Britton said, laughing, before falling into a coughing fit.

“Should I call the doctor?” The man was about to ask when Micah stopped him.

“Don’t. If you do, we won't be able to talk to him.”

“That is what you are worried about?” The woman asked as her father finally calmed down. “He could just die. That is what the doctors said.”

“I know,” Micah said, looking at her dead in the eyes, even if his eyes were completely white, he looked like he could see her, for some reason. “That is exactly why I say that you should not call them.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Listen to what Roshi says, Elizabeth,” Britton said, laying back down, gasping for air. “As far as I have known him, he has never been wrong.”

“I have been wrong before, Britton,” Micah said, using his walking stick to walk to him. “Many times actually. But … you can’t dwell on them. Not now anyway.”

“I do not understand what is happening here.” The woman said, looking around the room with worry. “What are you all talking about?”

“Many things.” Micah shrugged. “But I think your father can be the one to explain everything to you. We are just going to be here to answer any questions and fill in the blanks.”

“Is there a reason you want her to know, Roshi?” Britton asked, looking at him sceptically. “Is she to be involved in this?”

“Only if she chooses to,” Micah said nonchalantly. “I am not going to force anyone, but she would be a helpful asset.”

“If she doesn’t choose to be?”

“Then I will like her to act like I never existed or appeared in front of her.” Micah turned to the woman. “Will that be alright with you?”

“I need to know what I am agreeing or disagreeing to before I say anything.” Elizabeth said firmly, “I do not think my father is well enough to be telling me anything. Why don’t you tell?”

“He is well enough,” Micah said turning to the man beside him. “Do you have any more of that bread?”

“Should I get you some more?” The man asked and at that moment Britton finally recognised him.

Carvill. So that is how he looks without the full mask on.

“Carvill,” Britton said as the man turned to him, a smile coming on his face. “I am honoured to be able to see how you look like.”

“Is it really that big of a deal?” The man asked, tilting his head to the side. “But I suppose I can just let it be. For now.”

“Britton.” Micah turned to him, hands over his walking stick as he smiled kindly. “You already know that I wish to employ your daughter into the … family. So I would like to ask you to explain everything to her.”

“Before that, can I have a moment of your time?” Britton asked, looking at everyone in the room. “Just a quick minute.”

“Of course,” Carvill said, walking out of the room, followed by Elizabeth who gave them one last look before she closed the door behind her.

“Now,” Micah said, sitting on the side of the bed. “What is it that you want to talk about with me? Want me to guess? I always wanted to guess.”

“Sure.”

“Hmmm.” Micah tapped his chin, thinking. “You want to know exactly what is going to happen to your daughter and what role she will play, isn’t that right?”

“I suppose you would have gotten it right on the first try,” Britton said, resting his head down on the pillow. “You told me that I don’t have long left. So can you tell me? Lay me to rest?”

The two fell into a comfortable silence as Micah turned to the open window, a soft breeze entering the room.

“You know, people have this misconception that I know the future. That I have this premonition of it, and hence, I am able to prevent things from happening or I am able to ‘redirect’ them.”

Britton watched the boy’s eyes glisten with the lanterns in the streets, in that second, he looked older than his years. Though that must have been something about the shadows and light.

“What are you trying to say, Roshi?” Britton asked, the boy turning to him with a sad smile.

“Sometimes, to know the future is just being at the right place at the right time,” Micah said, brows furrowing. “I am sorry. I don’t think I will be able to fulfil your last wishes.”

“Is it really that dangerous that a dying man can’t even know?” Britton asked, slightly bitter.

“I could tell you,” Micah said, turning to the door. “But I would prefer you rest peacefully.”

“Does that mean something bad is going to happen to h-?” Britton was about to shoot up from the bed when Micah held him down with his walking stick, not even looking at him.

“No,” Micah said, shaking his head. “Listen, the thing about the ‘future’ is that every person’s action will lead to a reaction. There are some things I may be able to predict accurately, but that only happens when I made sure everything is lined up in that way.

“Peoples choices change and that leads to more changes and even more changes. So, I cannot accurately predict what is going to happen to her, if that is what you want to know.”

“Then … what is the best outcome for her? Which outcome? Joining you or not?”

Micah stared at the man quietly for a second before bursting into a laugh.

“What? What’s so funny?” Britton asked, groaning in pain with every movement he made.

“It’s just, you make it sound like you are going to make her choose, as if she does not have the ability to choose for herself.” Micah giggled, wiping his eyes. “You really are funny, Nameless.”

“You know what I mean.” He said, wheezing.

“Oh dear, you really don’t have too long anymore,” Micah said, jumping down from the bed and slowly made his way to the door. “I should call her in before that happens.”

“But I need to know, Roshi. Please.” Britton begged as the boy paused just in front of the door and sighed. “I want her to be safe and live a happy life.”

“Britton,” Micah said, turning to him with not so much as a smile on his face, sending shivers up the man’s spine. “You are not the only one that wants that. So many people in this world wish they could see the future so that they can live their fullest life.

“But what you get is a life full of fear, as I said before. The future is not set in stone. If you wish for her to live a life like that, she would have been better off dead.”

“But … I just wanted-“

“I understand. I do.” Micah sighed, running his hands through his hair. “Fine, I will tell you this, as long as she remains true to who she is, she will be fine.”

“That’s all you will tell me? What about the Lion? What does that have to do with h-“

“Britton!” Micah shouted, glaring at the man. “Remember you are the one dying, the one going into peace. You will be leaving your daughter here to still live, through hardships and happy times.

“I don’t care if you do not tell her anything about the Lion. Or if you tell her that we are not to be trusted and make her avoid us completely.” Micah pointed to the man, still glaring at him. “Don’t you dare leave her looking that frantic. Don’t let that expression full of worries about her be her last image of you.

“I promise, I will look after her, whether she is in the Lion or not. So rest easy and … see her off with comfort.”

Without saying another word, Micah walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.