A red thread and the words unspoken

Words held power. Words gave humans the ability to communicate and express themselves. The first words you say to someone left an impression, maybe that is why in this world, the first words your soulmate says to you appear on your body when you turn ten.

As if it had been written with fresh black ink, the words would stay there until the person hears them, then they'll turn golden. It was a happy thing to know that you were blessed with one since quite a few people were born without one.

That's why, when Cale Henituse turned ten, he just looked at himself in the mirror. Pale skin, flawless white skin, no words to be seen. He just stayed there and then....just went on with his life as if nothing. It was better that way, who would really want someone like him? Yes, it was better, he wouldn't drag anyone along to his misfortunes.

He was a little jealous though, people had their words carved in their skin, sometimes more than two phrases, like his father. A little unfair, he didn't get even one, yet there were people with more than one. Still, it was better to just be by himself.

—So? What are your words Cale?

He looked up from his plate, his father looking at him with annoying hope. He was expecting him to have a soulmate, and little him didn't want to hurt his father and break his hopes.

—My words....It's a pleasure to meet you— he blurted out.

—What a pity, that won't give us any hint— his stepmother said with a little frown.

At this moment Cale thanked the gods because the soulmate words were sacred and thus people usually hide them until the moment they would be heard.

—Mm— he continued his food, although it didn't taste quite right after his lie. It was fine, he was used to lying and shoving his emotions where he could ignore them.

It was alright. He would move forwards, play his role as a trashy young master, let his family be happy without him, and go away to live freely on his own as it should be.

That was at least, until he found the diary his mother had left behind. Between all the information he found in it there was something that changed his whole world.

The Thames family however...I wonder why, words won't appear on our skin, but a red thread will become visible at any moment of our lives some time before meeting our soulmate. They'll have their words, but ours won't appear until they have spoken theirs, weirdly enough, not always will it be their first words to us, but those that impacted us the most on the first encounter, like mine.

That was what his mother had wrote. Though, that didn't change anything, he might still not have one, and even if he had, who could assure him that they would love him? He was but a trash, a worthless thing that his only salvation was his family's money and status.

He turned sixteen, seventeen, and no red thread appeared, then, he turned eighteen. And a red line appeared on his ring finger. He paled at that.

How to not be afraid? He had a soulmate, someone that will probably hate him and destroy the link by cutting the words. He was not afraid of being alone, he was more afraid of being rejected by the person that was supposed to love him unconditionally. Cale had to be honest, he was someone easy to hate, even him was unable to like or love himself, why would then anyone else try to care for him?

He was always on guard after that, waiting for the moment the red thread actually connected to someone. It had to be on the worst way possible.

—Are you the son of the count?

He turned around and froze. A red thread dancing in the hair as it made it's way from his own finger to the stranger's. Black hair and eyes staring at him with a dangerous glow in them.