Ruins: An Omniverse Story

The Father and The Son

   Cypher is sure he's dead. He's never been surer of anything. Well... perhaps the fact that his sister was the favorite child, but nevertheless. He was dead. The vines had killed him like the king and the guard and who knows how many others. 

   Then why does he feel the need to open his eyes..?

   Cypher resisted the urge for ages. There was no need to open his eyes. He's dead. He knows that. He's dead and the rest of his family followed suit. He didn't save anyone. He just delayed the inevitable. He never proved himself. He was never going to be able to anyway.

   The urge to open his eyes was a deeply rooted yearning. It filled ever fiber of Cypher and wouldn't stop pestering him. He had to do it. He had to open his eyes. 

   The light stung a bit. Is this the afterlife? Is there really such a thing? No he hurts to much for that. He was so sure that he was dead... What happened?

   The infirmary. He was in the castle infirmary. And it wasn't stained with soot and ash. It was the normal old infirmary he knew and loved. He pushed himself up. These old hospital gowns were scratchy. He remembered Peter complaining about wanting new ones all the time. He couldn't blame him. 

   How is Peter?

   His head felt fuzzy still. How is he even alive? Those vines consumed him. He saw what those things did to people. Cypher looked around to check over himself. Everything looked in order. 

   He turned his hands over. The veins in his hands running up along his wrists and all the way to his elbows were black as night. A side effect of the vines. That had to be it. 

   The door opened and caught Cypher's attention. He looked up carefully. Gosh his neck felt so stiff. How long had he been here pretending to be dead?

   Cypher locked eyes with the person that entered. His father had redness around his green eyes as if he had been crying for a very long time. Neither spoke for a moment.

   Cypher wished he had stayed dead. He wanted to go back to the nothingness. He should be dead. Those vines should have killed him. He shouldn't be sitting here right now. 

   "Cypher..?" Matthew's voice was soft and tentative, like he expected his voice to break the trance and for his son to be laying in that bed half dead again. 

   "Father..." Cyphers voice was hoarse and scratchy from disuse. 

   His father sucked in a break as tears escaped under his sunglasses. He reached up and wiped them away before crossing the room in two bounds. He enveloped his son in a hug. "You're alive!"

   Cypher went stiff. He was stunned. What in the world? His father was hugging him. Why? What did he do to deserve this horrible trick?

   Cypher shoved his father back. "What are you doing?"

   Matthew stared at his son. "Cypher..?"

   "What was that? What did I do to deserve that trick? I know I was with Charlie but that was the best course of action. I saw the angles. I did what you always said. Pick a plan and stick to it. That was my plan and it didn't work and it almost got you all killed. Why did you feel the need to make it worse by playing this trick?" The point didn't get across as good as Cypher wished but it was close enough. 

   Matthew was stunned into silence,. He opened his mouth several times but no words came. Finally he paused and tried again. "Why do you think this is a trick...?"

   "Because I didn't do anything to deserve it. Rune is the one that should get this." Cypher had no clue what had happened. As far as he knew this could still be the afterlife. This could be his own personal hell for his crimes. 

   Matthew gaped. He had no idea his son felt like that. Oh stars... Had he really been that awful? He didn't mean to make Cypher think he was any less loved than his sister. Rune was hot headed and brash and too powerful for her own good. She needed more guidance. Cypher always seemed so calm and put together. he was so so smart. Smarter than even Matthew himself. How had Matthew missed this?

   "Cypher... Do you not know what you did?"

   Cypher was silent showing that he did not, in fact, know. 

   Matthew gave a soft watery grin as he set a hand on his sons shoulder. "You saved everyone. When you pulled the crown away Rachel managed to get it and put it on. She's Queen now. You did it. You do deserve this. I am so proud of you for taking care of Peter. For staying safe. For playing the long game. For managing to come up with a plan that must have hurt so much. We were all so angry and hurt at the news of you joining Charlie but it was brilliant! You're brilliant. Stars Cypher I don't know what else to say..."

   Cypher stared at his father wide eyes with his mouth half open. He did that? He actually did that? His father was proud of him? He felt tears slip down his cheeks. "You're proud of me..?" 

   Matthew pulled his son close again. "I'm so proud..." He pressed a kiss so his sons soft hair. Gosh his baby boy. How could he have been so neglectful of him...

   Once the tears started... there was no stopping them on Cyphers part. He had never imagined... Never imagined that he could do it. Everything was always so bleak. So hopeless. He just picked the best course of action and stuck with it... And it worked. He did it... He actually did it.

   "You can rest now... my son..."