The Mystic World

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The four highborns leave the Mystic city in high spirits. The secret of their departure would surely not remain a secret when the sun comes up after which they'd be in deep trouble for disobeying direct orders from the elders. 

But for now they weren't going to worry about that. 

Each one had stocked up on some resources as per their requirements and were carrying them in their backpacks in their road journey. 

Later, they halted for their break in the middle of the forest, near a waterfall, once they were miles away from the Mystic city's border knowing there would be no risk of getting caught here. After setting up camp and arranging for a fire they settled around it in a circle. 

"You know...I've been meaning to ask", Alana tucked her legs close to her, resting her chin on her knee. "How was it meeting your father Dec? You already told us you thought you were an orphan back when you were a human."

Trent and Cora's eyes find Declan's, curiosity eating them up. 

Declan took a few moments before answering. "Um...it's hard to explain."

He looked up, staring at the night sky which he knew would soon be infiltrated with specks of blue and orange when the sun came up. He noticed the days in mystic world seem longer than in the human world. 

"I guess I was...shocked", Declan continued, all eyes on him. "But mostly in disbelief", He then smiled weakly, remembering that day, the second most overwhelming day of his life, the first one being the day he turned into a vampire. "I.. I didn't believe Elder Micah when he told me first."

"More like couldn't, actually."

He then dropped his gaze to Alana. "Your mother was the one who found out first. She told the others about it."

"That part I know. She asked Quintin to match your DNA with Elder Micah, didn't she?", Alana asked. 

Declan nodded. "Yeah. She had a hunch about me and she decided to test her theories. Of course she was right but I didn't believe her. Even when my father explained to me that she was right. I was convinced Elder Sabrina had some selfish motives behind doing this", He shook his head. 

"Why?", Cora asked softly. 

Declan smiled sadly, exhaling deeply. "Because I was scared."

"Initially it didn't make sense, you know. How would it? A vampire with a biological son. It sounds insane. But when the facts were presented to me I was just terrified", He shrugs, choosing to be honest. "All my life I've lived as an orphan. Never had any parents in my life to look after me. Trent knows about it", He said, glancing at the guy. 

Trent nods, his eyes gentle. 

"If there's something I desperately seek more than anything all my life was... parents. A family that I was deprived of the day I was abandoned at the steps of an orphanage. For years I lived in hope to meet them one day. But obviously that didn't happened and I was forced to accept the reality."

"So when you came face-to-face with your father, one you always wanted to meet.... ", Alana trailed off, her expression sympathetic. 

"I freaked out", Declan finished the sentence, staring at the flames of the fire. 

For a long minute no one spoke.

The others continue to stare at Declan with all kinds of emotions. It occurred to them that the man's lived a tough life. So much has happened to him and he still hasn't given up. He's been handling his own problems whilst burdening his duty to the mystic world.