The Florist: This Tree Requires Scary Offerings!

Chapter 4: Fifteen Years

“Surrender quietly, General!”

Ivy raised his hands above his head. “I surrender.”

He walked on the black carpet into a tall iron building. Along his path stood agents holding guns aimed at him.

He stepped into a dark room that turned blood red as soon as he entered. He gazed at the iron shackles that hung from the ground. “General Ivy. Your service for our great alliance will never be forgotten.”

Ivy felt someone hugging him from behind. His eyes followed the hand that slid down towards his lower belly. “But you made a mistake.”

The man smiled, taking his chin. “It’s such a waste to kill you at this point, but there’s no helping it. You’re a proud peacock that I could never tame.”

Ivy gazed into the man’s white eyes, unwavering. The man leaned back. “Time for your execution, General Ivy. You will always be a hero in our hearts.”

The chains grabbed Ivy and hanged him midair as the floor beneath him split in two to reveal a pool of lava. Ivy shut his eyelids as the chains lowered him gradually towards the lava. He smiled as it swallowed his legs. He heard people laughing and clapping. Some were throwing money at the spectacle to prove his point.

“We are already dead.”

The lava boiled in anticipation.

“Humans cannot die twice.”

“General Ivy has left us, regrettable!” The man with white eyes screamed. “He died honourably in battle! We will remember him forever!”

He ran to a golden-eyed man that rushed into the room to find everyone sobbing as they sat on the floor, no lava or chains in sight. 

“As regrettable as it may seem, General Ivy left us a message before he died!”

The man with golden eyes picked up the black letter with a frown. “Make... Hyacinth... the next General?!” He glanced at the white-eyed, surprised. “I see... This is indeed his handwriting...”

“It was quite the shock!” Hyacinth narrowed his eyes. “But we must move on. We must prepare for the ceremony as soon as possible! This is your duty as our emperor!”

“Then... Let’s make haste.”

“Your name... What should I name you?”

He blinked slowly and felt a gentle touch on his cheek.

“Your hair is so dark... It’s darker than black. Your eyes are like an ocean under the starry nights.”

He saw bright red hair and smiled, his gaze softening. 

“Ah! You smiled! You’re really adorable! It’s... regrettable that your parents didn’t make it. I’m... sorry. But... But, I promise that I’ll be the best parent ever! Y-You don’t have to call me papa or anything... I know... I can’t replace your parents... But uhm... I... I have also lost my children so m-maybe we...”

The red-haired felt tears on his cheeks, and he wiped them away quickly. “Maybe... We can... be... family... We... We don’t need blood to link us... We... Ah... Ah... What am I doing, crying in front of a baby?!” 

He sniffled and wiped his tears quickly. “I’m so sorry.”

The baby was sat in the man’s lap, playing with his hair. The man smiled warmly. “My name is Amaryl. I will take care of you from now on. I hope we get along. There are so many other children here, so I’m sure you will make a lot of friends in no time!” He patted the boy’s hair. “And you... You’re... Hm... Let me think of a name.”

He clapped. “Right! How about Cain?”

The baby looked up to Amaryl and tilted his head. “Ca?”

“You like it? Okay! That’s your name then!” Amaryl grinned, lifting the baby up. The baby clung to his arms and gazed into his crimson eyes in silence. Amaryl frowned, feeling his heart throbbing. He looked away from the baby and put him down. “I will give you milk now...”

He helped the baby drink from a bowl and petted him as soon as he finished. “You should take a nap now. I will see how the other children are doing, okay?” He left the room.

Cain rubbed his neck then scratched it, his blue eyes growing frigid. “As expected.”

He poked the wooden cradle then gazed at his hand. “But it’s too soon. Too soon...”

He sat in the cradle until it became too big for him. He turned fifteen, watching the same boring scenery. An endless forest with endless greenness, a sun that he could never reach, and the same dull wooden house that seemed too fragile to the touch, that’s all Cain knew. He would often practice climbing and train using a wooden stick, but the other children didn’t understand what he was doing. They called him odd and crazy, and only Amaryl defended him. Amaryl didn’t change at all in the past fifteen years. Not a single white hair appeared, not a wrinkle. He remained the same cheerful parent Cain always knew.

“One thousand,” Cain yelled and turned his wooden stick behind him to attempt a new attack he was developing. His eyes widened, stopping himself before it hit Cain, who tripped and fell, trying to dodge the attack.

“Amaryl...” Cain sat beside the red-haired and helped him sit, worried. “Are you okay? Oh...”

He touched the wound on Amaryl’s face. “Let’s go treat it.”

Amaryl smiled at him and patted his head. “I’m all right. I’m sorry. I interrupted your training. I just... You didn’t come home in days, and I was getting worried. Did you eat?”

“I borrowed some fruits from the forest and whipped something up.” Cain’s gaze softened. “I’m fine.” He hugged Amaryl, burying his face in his chest. “And don’t apologize. I missed your cooking. Let’s eat.”

Amaryl smiled brightly and prepared a spot for them to eat. 

“Cain... You’re really impressive.”

Amaryl sipped his tea. “Already training so hard... Do... you want to join the army?”

“Yeah. You will see. I will become the strongest general in the world! You never know, I might become a king, even!”

Amaryl laughed, amused. “It makes me happy to watch you talk about your dreams.”

“Amaryl. Tell me, why don’t you grow old?” Cain asked, “Do you know how to use magic? Are you immortal?”

Amaryl’s gaze saddened. “Well... Sort of...” He pattered the red cloth on the ground. “I... A strange man... He had blue eyes and snow-white hair. He killed my queen, and then... When he looked into my eyes, I felt... strange. I spent days after that feeling ill. Then, I couldn’t age beyond twenty-seven. It has been so long since then... I can’t believe it. It still feels so vivid in my memories.”

He smiled and shook his head. “You probably don’t believe me. Don’t... Don’t listen to me. I’m just a little crazy.” He blinked, seeing the serious look on Cain’s face.

Cain held his hand. “This man... Do you remember his name?”

“Ivy... His teammate called him Ivy...”

Cain frowned slightly, squeezing Amaryl’s hand. “Train with me. From now on, you must train with me.”

“Huh?” Amaryl shook his head. “I... can’t. I’m...”

“You’re from the Southern Fraction, right?” Cain glared. “That’s why you always cover your face.”

Amaryl stood up. “I... don’t want to talk about this.”

“We have to.”

“No...”

“Listen to me.”

“NO!” Amaryl’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scream. I’m so sorry!”

Cain clenched his fists. “What can I do to make you listen to me?”

Amaryl’s shoulders sank. “I feel tired. I will go rest.” He walked towards the house.

Cain lowered his head and winced, feeling his heart aching. He fell to his knees, gripping his chest and coughing blood. “I... know...” He raised his eyebrows. “I know... I will... do it... I will... But just... him... He’s the only exception... Please...”

He shut his eyelids violently and lay on the grass, scratching the soil. He looked up at the trees leaning down upon his face to wipe his tears.

“Perhaps a thousand years ago, it is said that a strange object appeared in the sky.”

Ivy sat beside him. “Like a moon but not quite like it, it was round but flawless. The moon appeared one night, big, massive, gigantic, stretching as far as the eye can see. The night reigned for nine months and nine days. Countries fell, and nothing remained. Only darkness and madness. Just like birth takes nine months, so did death, the jealous, despicable–oh so despicable twin.”

“But was it death, really?” whispered Cain, “Is it not... me?”

Ivy touched a blade of grass and caressed it gently. “Yes. Maybe it was. Humans are quite unlikeable indeed.”

He took a blue sphere in his hand and threw it skywards. “But maybe it wasn’t. How about we blame it on the devil?”

“Hah.” Cain laughed, slapping his face gently. “You say the funniest things.”

“Uhm... Why are you talking to yourself?” He saw Amaryl standing beside him, worried. “You won’t come back?”

Cain smiled and stood up. “Sure. Let’s go home.”

They walked in the forest in silence until Cain pulled Amaryl’s sleeve. “Tell me... If I do something really bad... Something terrible, will you cut me off?”

Amaryl knelt in front of him and hugged him. “What do you think?”

Cain smiled weakly, burying his face in Amaryl’s chest. “Thank you.”

Amaryl closed his eyes, caressing Cain’s hair. “It’s getting a bit chilly. Let’s hurry up.”

They returned back home and found the other children eating. They ran to Amaryl and hugged him. “Father! You’re back!”

Amaryl grinned, hugging them back. “I’m sorry for interrupting your meal. Let’s eat together, okay?”

“Yes!”

Cain folded his arms behind his back. “Amaryl...” He picked up a mushroom with his wooden fork. “Did you know? We are already dead.”

Amaryl frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

Cain smiled. “I really like you a lot, Amaryl.”

Amaryl stood up. “What will you do?”

His eyes widened as his house was blown away instantly. Glancing around, he saw all the children around him maturing up at a great speed.”

“Huh?!”

“And because I like you...” Cain stood in front of him and picked up a wooden plank. “I won’t let you understand the meaning of what I just said.”

“C-Cain?!”

“Amaryl. You are the true emperor of the Southern realm.”

One of the children that had matured up spoke. “You’ve successful hidden your identity and turned that woman into a temporary queen so she gets killed in your stead. However, we kept you under supervision until our powers returned fully. You’re a dangerous individual that must be eliminated.”

Amaryl shook his head. “No... You’re... the children... in the eggs...! I...”

“We killed all of the children and took their spots. You’re as naive as always...”

“Now, pay for your stupidity and follow along the path of those who tried to protect you.”

Amaryl fell to his knees, panting. He held his head in his hands and screamed in pain. Cain stood in front of him, cracking his neck. “Let’s have some fun.” He smirked widely. “Kids.”

He took a step forward and disappeared. The agents glanced around, confused. “Where did he go?! CATCH HIM!”

They screamed as Cain stabbed the ground with his wooden plank, causing a shockwave that sent them crashing against the trees. The trees then swallowed them into their trunk until no sign of them remained. Cain pulled his tongue out. “Stuuupid. That’s what you get for destroying our house.”

He turned to Amaryl and found him unconscious from shock. Cain sat beside him and patted his head. “You did well.” His gaze softened.

The next morning, Amaryl found himself sleeping under the shade of a tree. Glancing to the side, he saw Cain meditating under a waterfall. Amaryl watched him, confused. “What are you...?!”

He gasped as the water of the lake beside the waterfall formed into chains and captured him. He threw him in front of Cain. Amaryl looked up at him. “C-Cain?”

Cain opened his eyes and sighed, tilting his face back. “That felt refreshing. I cooled my head.”

He looked at the confused Amaryl. “You really don’t know anything, do you?”

Amaryl’s eyes watered. “Then... What happened yesterday... It’s really...”

“Yes.”

Amaryl held back his tears and nodded. “A-At least you... You’re not like them...”

“No. I’m exactly the same.”

“Huh?”

“I only can’t control my age as they do. For several reasons...”

Cain stared at the fear on Amaryl’s face. The red-haired tried to run away but screamed as more chains tied him up.

“You still don’t recognize me.” Cain smiled, raising his eyebrows. “Well, it doesn’t matter. Someday, you will.”

He sat in front of Amaryl. “You know the story of how the moon appeared in the sky and all?”

Amaryl winced as Cain took his chin forcefully, nearly snapping his neck. “Have you ever been to the moon?”

Amaryl frowned, confused. “I... don’t... No... I haven’t.”

Cain stood up. “That’s not a moon. It’s another planet, but definitely not the moon.”

He lowered his head. “But I know nothing. I don’t know enough...” He turned to Amaryl and shrugged. “In time, all will be revealed.”

Amaryl sat up, looking down sadly. “I don’t understand... What are you talking about?”

Cain slapped the wall. “This is a game. This is what I’m saying.”

“Game?!”

“It’s a game with only two contestants, the Northern hemisphere of the planet versus the Southern hemisphere.”

Amaryl looked away, pursing his lips. “So... Will you kill me now? Then, The North can win.”

“You finally stopped playing the idiot.” Cain smiled, amused. “But I already told you. I like you. I won’t kill you.” He poked the water surface with his toes. “In fact, a little conflict happened between me and my fraction, and we no longer get along.” His gaze darkened as the water went pitch black. “I also have someone very precious there, and I must save him. Even if it means I must destroy the entirety of the Northern region.”

“So... That’s why you spared me...” Amaryl sighed.

“No. You’re not asking the right questions.” Cain caressed the water surface, and the darkness started clearing away. “But to answer your question, no. That’s not why I spared you.”

He turned to Amaryl and stared at him for a moment before his lips parted with a small smile. “I know you. In our world, I knew you. I know you, but you don’t.”

Amaryl raised his eyebrows, confused. “I don’t... understand.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Cain cleared a spot on the ground and started drawing a circle on the soil. “After that moon appeared, humans fought for nine months and nine days. In the end, only nine survivors remained. However... The issue was that these nine survivors were all male. Reproduction wasn’t possible, and the human race was to go extinct at that rate. The nine males thought for months about how to solve this dilemma, but then, the unexpected happened.”

Cain threw a blue sphere in the sky. “Balls fell from the sky.”

“Balls...”

“The balls came in three colours. Cyan, Magenta and Yellow.”

“Oh...”

Cain caught his dark blue ball and threw it again. “The men were confused. Why so many eggs at once. They fell like rocks for one hour every week. Then, one of them thought of something. What if they tried to fertilize those balls?”

Amaryl frowned. “So... Did it work?”

“Yes. That was the right answer. The balls were there for that very reason. However, the men were so desperate that they didn’t ask a simple question. Why did the balls only come in three colours? Why not just one? Why not more than three?” Cain stared at the dark blue ball in his hand and threw it at Amaryl. “Catch.”

Amaryl blinked and caught the ball, falling backwards in the process. “You have the same ball, right? What colour?”

“Um... Magenta...”

“Come with me. I will show you something.”

Cain held out his hands. “Quickly.”

Amaryl caught his hands and gasped as the space around them warped suddenly. He looked around, bewildered. “Wh-What?!”

“Don’t fret. This is only my power.”

Amaryl nodded slowly. “And... What are you trying to do?”

“Look underneath us.”

Amaryl lowered his gaze to the ground and raised his eyebrows, seeing cyan and magenta lights covering the ground beneath their feet. “What is this?! What? I’m... I have never seen anything like this!”

Cain’s gaze softened as he watched him. “Those are the eggs that fell from the sky. They’re still here.”

“But... I didn’t see any... I could only see them now!”

“Yes. It’s because I fixed your eyes a little.” Cain poked the outer corner of Amaryl’s eye. “So you can see what I see.”

“You... could see this all along?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Look closely, Amaryl... Do you see anything out of place?”

“Over there!” Amaryl touched a golden light. “That’s... a yellow egg? It’s the first one I see... Why is there only one?”

“You’re finally asking the right questions. Good.”

Amaryl tilted his head backwards and gazed into Cain’s ice-blue eyes. “Asking...?”

His vision went blurry suddenly as he held his head in his hand, panting.

Cain’s gaze saddened. He hugged Amaryl protectively. “Listen to me very well, Amaryl. Whatever happened in the past fifteen years wasn’t a dream. You mustn’t doubt it, no matter what.”

“Huh?” Amaryl clung to Cain’s chest. “What are you... saying?”

“No matter where you go, we will definitely meet again, so don’t fall in despair. No matter what happens... Don’t.”

He gasped in pain as three spears stabbed his back. Amaryl’s eyes widened, feeling blood on his face and neck. “Cain?! What’s going on?”

Cain forced a smile and kissed the top of his head. “Take care,” he whispered with a faint contained gasp.

“Cain...?!”

“Where did you go?”

“Cain...”

“I’m... scared...”

“Why did you leave me?”

“Cain!”

“CAIN!”

His eyes flashed wide with a gasp. He gazed at the white ceiling above his head, panting. He heard machines beeping and sat up, feeling restrained. He removed the mask from his face and looked down at him shaking hands. His bright red hair fell on his face, and he exhaled slowly. He tilted his head to the side and saw the door opening. A nurse ran inside. “Please, dear patient, don’t overexert yourself. The doctors will be here soon to examine you and make sure you’re okay.”

He opened his mouth to speak but chose silence. He lowered his head obediently. The nurse smiled nervously. “You have slept for... fifteen years.”