How to Make a Sinner Sleep - Chapter 57: Chapter 57

It wasn't a surprise that nobody had been in much of a mood to talk on the way back after burying the child. The haunting wails had faded into the wind, and the long hallways revealed no ghosts.
Holly had leaned against Nicola, aghast and wondering. "What happened to the father when he returned..."
Nicola patted her friend's back with a soft smile. "It's best not to think of it. Whether he despaired, whether he closed his eyes and accepted that fate—it isn't for us to know or learn."
"You're right, yeah, as always, Pres. But even if we can never really understand or know it, shouldn't we think about it? The 'what if' this became us one day? Because Pres, that cursed woman was a Blessed wasn't she?"
"...I cannot explain anything to you, Holly. I don't know anything."
"That's the issue! What exactly does it mean to be who we are? Why haven't we questioned anything—especially after that ominous lesson that the Prof gave!"
Everybody had stared, all thinking the same thoughts. Indeed, the catastrophe of being Blessed, the horrors of the Reversal had been shown to them in the form of a mutilated body, printed on paper.
But to imagine harm inflicted on oneself, and harm inflicted on those beloved, were two terrifying and different things.
When they returned, they continued with their daily lives as if they hadn't buried the ashes of a child. They continued, mundanely, as time continued to pass.
Kaden's inquisitive gaze had pierced through Professor Alexander and Professor Raymond, the former who'd ignored him entirely, and the latter who kept sneaking glances over as if wanting to answer any questions asked.
Of course, both had the feeling that whatever their student wanted to inquire, was not a thing they could easily answer.
Kaden already knew that, sighing in his seat. As his mood simmered, a long, fluffy tail smacked him in the face, and he raised his eyes with a vague smile. Your Majesty sprawled over the top of his head lazily, attached like glue with no intention of moving.
The Ghost Feline enjoyed disappearing and reappearing at random, and most of it's return would be spent stubbornly sticking to Kaden as if attached to the man's body.
Kaden twirled the tail gently around his finger, feeling the beast purr with a noble air that seemed to ask for more attention. When Kaden stopped, a small head popped over impatiently, nibbling his finger.
"Hey, no biting."
He said that, but didn't move his hand away.
Your Majesty's words were his command, after all. Kaden had always been loyal to the Crown, and this noble feline was a royal he'd much rather listen to.
After receiving feline therapy, and debating the logistics of adopting another dozen animals or beasts in the future, he felt a little more relaxed.
The classroom had mostly cleared out while he was thinking, and only Professor Alexander remained. The man pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, peering at the lazy feline, and then at Kaden.
"Ask whatever it is that has been weighing you. However, I cannot guarantee an answer."
Kaden spun a pencil between his fingers, coolly raising his gaze.
"If I ask, would that put you in a troublesome position, Professor?"
There were times, Alexander realized, that his particular student felt peaceful and young as all the others, and times where every movement he made carried a slight of dangerous promise.
Alexander wondered if he said yes, what would the person before him say? Would saying yes incite the man into asking more questions?
That was wrong in itself to think. He shouldn't be suspecting students, even if their aura became dangerous at times. Ray would scold him for doing so, and likely directly ask the student what they intended to do.
The man's eyes closed slightly, snorting internally at that thought.
"I'm making the offer to answer your questions. It isn't something you should worry about—if there were consequences I couldn't bear, I would not offer. There are reasons I still need my life, aging as it is."
"You're implying that there are consequences."
"Correct."
"Why? For information that we have the right to know—information that involve something we've never asked for—"
"Knowing is not always better, Kaden." said the man sternly with resignation, with a voice that told of consequences he knew first hand. "Knowledge is indeed power, but knowing too much can be more of a consequence than a benefit."
Kaden frowned, slightly impatient. Your Majesty seemed to sense his mood, leaping off his head and sitting quietly on his lap as it stared up. Kaden brushed its head, shoulders relaxing slightly again.
"Despite that these are dangerous times—"
"It has always been dangerous times. For you and I both. It's only the difference of the danger being in front of us, and the danger hiding behind our backs."
Silence fell in the space between them, between rows of desks and a lack of bodies. Alexander waited for a response, observing the student before him.
Kaden was mature—as was Noah, as were several others. But they were still young and lacking patience, eager to act out, to protect or to destroy, Alexander didn't know and didn't want to know.
It was only when one was older, that they could see how young others were. When he was 20, he felt old and wise, and embarrassed for his actions in his teenage years.
In his 30's, he lamented on the choices he made in his 20's.
In his 40's, he would likely do the same for the choices he made now.
Alexander sighed to himself. These students of his were still young, still able to make choices that they'd regret, and yet continue to move on because wrong decisions didn't mean an ending, but only a different path.
He did not want the bloodshed and madness of the past to chase after again, in an irreversible cycle of tragedy.
"Professor," begun Kaden as Alexander looked up. "Could you leave the room?"
"Pardon?"
"I would like some time to collect my thoughts. I'm asking nicely, so won't you do me a favour?"
"...certainly. Should you want to discuss anything further, I'll be in a meeting with Ray, but do not hesitate to interrupt us."
The door closed, and Kaden closed his eyes. Then, a second later, the door open again and a particularly sharp pencil flew to the door, stabbing into the wall. The visitor glanced sideways, unbothered.
Plucking the pencil from the wall, Lux strolled past the desks and stopped by Kaden. He placed the pencil down.
"Now, what's gotten you in a sour mood?"
"Your presence, clearly. You'd think you'd be smart enough to realize."
"I think I've soured your mood, but if you were similar to the candies sold to children, you'd now be closer to a lemon. I'm asking what made you into a sour candy."
The description was so ridiculous, Kaden shot a look over at the man, who looked away. The disdain was a little too strong for Lux to remain shameless.
He sat at the edge of the table, and opened up a bag of sour candies. Holding one to the light, he leaned his head back and smiled. "Look, I'm holding your family."
In a deadpan voice, Kaden responded, "And you're about to kill them."
"They're about to go to a better place."
"I pray they erode a hole through your stomach."
"I'm made of a unique quality, unlike normal humans. It's impossible."
"That makes sense. Why you seem so inhuman."
Lux's smile curved wider as he placed a candy into his mouth, chewing. "You realize my otherworldly charms—"
"Inhumanely foolish." Kaden looked at the man calmly. "I praise you for your confidence in yourself though. Your overconfidence is also inhuman. Otherworldly."
"...you're really charming."
"And you're—"
A sour candy was placed into his half-open mouth when he wasn't looking, and he jerked his head away but it was too late. The sourness steeped into his tongue, and Kaden grimaced, scrunching his eyebrows.
However, spitting it out would be a waste of food, and the chances of Lux poisoning him when he was still useful to Reed, was unlikely.
Therefore, he moved the candy between his teeth and chewed.
Lux stared, the deep red eyes observing the bitter expression of chewing with great reluctance, but somehow seeming a little obedient.
'Tsk, Reed. Why don't you feed your little brother better? He's a little dangerous, but if I had a brother like him, I would mess with him like crazy.'
Lux raised another piece of candy, and Kaden glared at him viciously.
"Come on, now, I don't bite."
"But I do."
Kaden gnashed his teeth together, quickly demolishing the candy in his mouth even as his face scrunched. That was something akin to poison, how could little children be eating something so horrid?
Having been exposed to very few candies and foods, the explosion of sourness had been a startling experience. Lux crossed one leg over, leisurely sitting on the table with an expression of wanting to torture Kaden more.
Kaden looked at him bitterly. "I'm certain you're aware of my capabilities, fellow servant to His Highness."
"...I'm nobody's servant."
"Really? You could have me fooled."
"I am royalty, if you're still not aware."
"Are you flaunting it off? Unfortunate as it is, but I really don't care." Kaden's lips curled slightly as he leaned back, lifting his gaze. "In fact, it's the royal blood that I'd like to see writhe and choke."
It was spoken lightly, but there was no humour in the cold green stare. Lux felt goosebumps ghost over his skin.
He laughed. "You aren't scared that I'll report to Reed that his little puppy is misbehaving? Tossing around threats?"
"You could." shrugged Kaden nonchalant. "It will end in his indifference, or a punishment for me to take."
"You aren't scared?"
"Scared? Why should I be scared of the inevitable? There's nothing I can't bear."
Lux scoffed. "A young brat like you thinking he's experienced all there is to life is hilarious. What were your punishments? A slap to the hand? No food for a day?"
Silence fell between them. It stretched, to a point that Lux had felt something was wrong, and frowned. He opened his mouth to continue speaking, wondering if it would help to mention he was joking, or to change the subject.
Then, Kaden lowered his head, pale pink hair hanging over his gaze, as his fingers quietly went to his buttoned shirt. One button was undone, and then another.
Lux jerked up, straightening. "Hey, hey. Interesting as you are, I can't say—"
His words caught in his throat as the fourth button came undone, and skin was revealed underneath. The curves of his muscle, recklessly built, and both the faded and the healing scars that stretched across his skin.
Kaden tilted his head, smiling. "You're right." Ice laced his words, cold and unfeeling. "Just a slap to the hand, or no food for a day."
A dozen lashes to his back, or starvation for a week.
"Kaden," Lux's mouth drew into a deep frown. "Reed did that to you?"
A mission to murder, or to be locked in that room—the Room—for a month.
Kaden's body was listless, dull. "Does it matter?"
The man jumped off the table, taking tall strides as he slammed his hand on the table. Red eyes ablaze and frightening, Kaden felt as if something snaked around his throat, slowly constricting.
He flinched, but didn't look away, responding by staring directly back.
"Careful," Kaden warned. "You're going to reveal your true nature. Carelessness suits you more."
"Pray tell, little puppy, why you think that you can show me your scars, and that I would say nothing about them?"
"Because it's none of your business?"
Lux sneered, spinning on his heels as he strode to the doors in powerful movements of his long legs. If he went outside with murder wrapped in his gaze, he'd end up terrifying the passing students.
"Lux."
The supposed royalty stopped in his tracks, hands curled into fists. Even Kaden wasn't blind enough to not notice them.
He just didn't understand why. Why, if Lux reacted in this manner, did he choose to remain by Reed's side? Why Lux reacted at all to old scars, the pain long gone.
Gone, Noah would likely scold, but once there.
He would reprimand Kaden for speaking so carelessly about his injuries, new or old. Kaden's body curled into the seat, feeling the ghost of slender fingertips across his skin, brushing over each hideous mark.
He brought his attention back to the present.
"Lux," he said again, voice barely a hiss of a whisper. "I don't need nor appreciate your abrupt pity or justice."
"It's not just pity, it's wrong, it's not how a sibling should treat their—!"
"You'd be mistaken to think of Reed and I as normal siblings. We neither bicker, nor protect. The relationship is master and dog, and for one by his side, you should be aware of it. What has been done to me is the least of the evil that's to come."
"....." Lux sighed deeply, exhaling all the anger that had latched onto his body. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair, shaking his head. "As stubborn as he was."
Kaden didn't miss the implication. "He?"
"As you've been fond of saying today, it doesn't matter to you." His shoulders relaxed, and he waved carelessly. "I'll come play again another day, little puppy."
"Can you stop calling me—"
The man ignored him, stepping out of the room after ruffling Kaden's feathers. The sinner stared, dumbfounded. Your Majesty,—Jest, Kaden decided to nickname in the irony between royalty and fool—curled on his lap, meowing loudly.
Kaden slumped back in his seat, stroking the soft fur as Jest' tail wrapped around his wrist in a low purr.