Until the day I'm forgiven...

Short Story: Back in the day (II)

The Caged Canary

Back in the day before many reapers woke up from a sleep they never thought they would again in the halls of the Department. Before the Great Wars or the colonies gaining their independence. Long before Gakushu committed his unforgivable sin or was even born, one had done so as well.

And this one joined the ranks of the Department at ten years old. He whose hair is dark as night and eyes once shone the colour of the deep ocean blue.

Noct was a sickly child, bed-ridden and guilt-ridden in his human life. He was one of four sons and the youngest of six in the family of highest nobility. His voice seemed to be blessed by the angels, it was the same of his gentle beauty. Black hair soft as silk, his pale white skin like porcelain made him look like he was out of this world and lost. Almost angelic in a way.

His only friend was a servant that tended to his every needs, a boy with almond blonde hair and eyes of the forest. Someone who was only three years older of Noct.

Noct would like to describe himself to be a canary, small and fragile, a gentle voice with the need to sing. He was a caged canary, his home and room was a cage, he needed to be watched over of his every move as if he would hurt himself with a small toy block.

Like a caged canary, through his selfishness and his clouded mind, he thought that his servant and friend Ignis would be freed with his death.

But how to do it was the question. He was stuck in his room, so he couldn't go into the kitchen and grab a knife or some poison. And if he tried, he'd just be caught and sent back to his room if he could walk at all with his leg braces before collapsing. A noose also was out of the question, as dear Noct could barely even walk or properly stand. The muscles in his legs had shrunken due to no exercise, and he could only take two steps before falling.

Then one day, his prayers were answered when his mansion was broken into. The robbers were paid by a jealous nobleman, who envied his parents' wealth. One such robber came to his bedroom, thinking that the boy was asleep, but clearly he wasn't.

"What is it that you want?" The 10 year old boy spoke of the person in shadow. Obviously, he surprised the robber as he jumped, he sharply turned around and was held at gunpoint.

But Noct had no fear, he knew what he wanted. He glanced over the person with his deep blue eyes with an unreadable expression.

"You didn't see anything." The robber growled, holding his gun tight. "This is only a dream kid, you are only dreaming."

"Then what am I looking at? Because I'm seeing an old looking man clad in dark clothing with a weapon aimed at me, in the middle of my bedroom." Noct slyly spoke back, and the masked man bit his lip, bested by a child. Not exactly the greatest thing to boast about.

"It's not like I could do anything anyway with these legs of mine. So tell me, what is it that you want?" He asked once more.

"You nobles." The robber darkly muttered with annoyance, he lowered his gun and ran his free hand back through his dark red-purplish hair. Noct observed his robber and found an empty dirty sack in his other hand.

'Oh, I know now.' Noct being a bright boy, he quickly connected the dots.

"Ah, you want money? Take what you want, and shall we make a trade to be fair?" The boy proposed, and the robber looked at him, confused.

'What on God's name?' That was the thought that immediately came to the robber's head. "For what?" The robber asked with confusion. 'What a strange boy...'