Listen to me. Don't ignore the sounds which push for your salvation. This burden is not yours alone to bear. Please, come find me.
Isaac: "Huh?"
The world seemed to crumble around Isaac. Was this constant feeling inside of him, this feeling of dread, stemming from a heart which could not feel? To bring death to a perfect family, was that his goal? If so, he should go— far, far away from everyone here.
Eleanor: "Although I truly doubt that that is the case. I can see it in you."
Isaac: "See what?"
Eleanor: "Those emotions you show, they seem too real. I've heard dolls are impressive at mimicking the emotions of humans, all except one."
Heiman: "Those tears..."
Eleanor: "Exactly. Dolls are incapable of feeling sad. They do not have the ability to cry at will. So, when I see you, constantly searching for your past, always yearning for bonds you wish you had, I can tell that it is all genuine."
Isaac: "I—you don't know that. I don't even know what I am capable of. If... if I were to hurt any of you, I would never be able to forgive myself."
Heiman: "Well, I'm willing to bet that my intuition of yours is correct. In fact, even if you were a doll, I wouldn't mind sharing this body with you."
Axel: "What a weirdo. Don't say those kinds of things to someone ya barely know."
Isaac: "Thank you, everyone. I'm grateful that all of you trust me enough to offer me shelter, but the last thing I would want is for me to do something to you."
Eleanor: "Even if you say that, I won't let you leave. You are no older than my son, and it is my duty to protect anybody too young to live on their own. Even if I let you leave, you have nowhere to go."
She was right. Isaac had nobody else to turn to but them. Even if he had only been with them for 2 days now, that was longer than he had been with anybody else. He wanted nothing more than to stay.
Eleanor: "Say it."
Isaac: "Huh?"
Eleanor: "I am too kind to turn down the offer of such a young boy. So, if you were to ask something of me, I would have no choice but to say yes. So, say it."
Isaac: "But I don't think Hagen likes me very much."
Eleanor: "That's no problem. I know that if I were to ask him, he would have to say yes."
Isaac: "Well then, if you don't mind... would you be so kind as to let me stay here a little longer?"
Eleanor: "Welcome home sweetie."
Home. What a nice word. Even if temporary, even if for a moment, Isaac would cherish the time he had with it. But even so, there were things he could not say, even to those he trusted the most.
Isaac: "Gyuh."
A month has passed. The current climate of the area was terrible, making going outside almost impossible. In that month, Isaac learned a lot more about the surrounding area. The country of Tabit, other than currently being in a civil war, was completely surrounded by a mist that could not be traversed. It was said that the few who managed to get past the fog never came back. Therefore, in this world, the residents only knew of one country. He also learned more about the surrounding area and the Umbral Forest. It covered the entire southern coast of Tabit, and very few people lived in its vast lands.
Isaac sat in his room, enduring the pain of what he had just done.
Isaac: "Shit. It didn't hurt that much last time."
I should tell them. But if I do, will they still accept me?
He had injected himself with a fluid. When he first awoke, the first thing he saw was vials placed on a table very close to him. Although many had shattered, 5 of them remained intact. Before running off, he grabbed them as he felt they would be important later on. Attached to each one, the vials bore three simple words—
Isaac: "To stay awake. I don't know why, but something inside of me tells me that I must stay awake."
It was something that he couldn't show the others; it was a burden he alone had to know of. Each vial lasted for about a week, so he knew that his time to leave was coming up.
Eleanor: "Isaac, sweetie, can you go outside and help Hagen cut some logs. He sent Heiman to the city earlier for medicine, so he's not here to help out his dad."
Isaac: "Of course Miss Eleanor. Sorry for taking so long to get ready."
Eleanor: "Oh my, are you okay honey? You look completely exhausted."
Over the weeks, Isaac's body was becoming more and more worn out, with the bags under his eyes becoming extremely noticeable.
Isaac: "Sorry for worrying you. I'm fine… I've just been thinking about my future — whether I really belong here, or if it's time to leave. After a lot of thought, I've decided I should go before the week is over."
Eleanor: "Umm, ok. Is it something we did to make you feel uneasy?"
Isaac: "It's not like that at all. I've had a blast over the past month, but I think there is much else I still need to do."
Eleanor: "Of course. We wouldn't want to keep you here against your will, so if you think now is the best time to part ways, I will fully support you."
Isaac: "Thank you so much. I honestly don't know where I would be without all of you."
After a short discussion, Isaac would head outside to talk to Hagen about his decision. From the beginning, Isaac always felt a bit awkward around him, feeling as if there was a divide between the two. Even so, it is true that they had spent much time together, which meant their relationship was ever so slightly closer.
Hagen: "What a surprise to see you up so early. We were low on medicine, so I sent my boy out there to fetch some from the city."
Isaac: "About that. Why did you send him alone if the forest is so dangerous?"
Hagen: "For most, that is the case, but I sent him off with a bit of my power."
Isaac: "Your power?"
Hagen: "I guess I never really had the chance to tell you much about myself. This old man may look past it, but back in the day, I was quite the asset during the war. My ability is that of stealth, allowing me to apply a form of camouflage on anything I designate."
Isaac: "So you used that ability on Heiman so he could traverse through the forest?"
Hagen: "Well, not exactly. I can only use the ability on myself or on inanimate objects, so I sent him with a heavy coat imbued with it."
Isaac: "Wouldn't there be a range limit on how far you can keep the ability active?"
Hagen: "Nope. Which is why I was such a valuable asset at the start of the war for the West. It was incredible for spy work as well as stealth attacks. Only problem is that I can only use it on 3 things at a time."
Isaac: "So I'm assuming the reason why your house is so safe is due to your ability as well."
Hagen: "Correct. I was able to imbue the entire house with my ability, but that alone wouldn't be enough to ward off the demons."
Isaac: "Why not?"
Hagen: "The biggest downside of my ability—and the reason it never worked in large-scale attacks—is the single condition it requires: I must be stronger than the person it is used against. After years of training, I can confidently say I am stronger than all the demons that reside in this area. As long as I am stronger than you, I can never be seen. That is why I was always so distrustful of you."
Isaac: "..."
Hagen: "From the beginning, it should have been impossible for you to find this house. It wasn't just that, though. When you first entered the house with Heiman, I used the ability on myself and grabbed my hatchet, yet you were able to see me and react appropriately."
Isaac: "Are you saying that the reason I saw you, in that moment, was because I was stronger than you?"
Hagen: "Not just stronger. With my ability, I can stack it up to three times on one thing, making it considerably stronger for a short period of time. When I grabbed the hatchet, I dropped the activation on the house and focused all on myself, yet you still saw me. That means you were at the very least 3 times as strong as me."
Isaac paused for a moment. Up until now, Hagen had not trusted Isaac due to the seeming disparity in strength. Even so, not once did he ever try to force Isaac to leave.
Isaac: "So why didn't you force me to leave. Someone of my strength, without their memories, why would you trust someone like that to be around your wife and children alone?"
Hagen: "I didn't leave you all alone. Despite telling my wife I was heading out to town, I was secretly watching you the entire time, trying to see if you would do something strange. Even so, not once did you do something to make me think you were of any danger. After that, I grew to care for you as much as you did my family. Saying that, I feel as if I should apologize for acting so cold to you. I'm not good at talking to people, and I felt extremely guilty for doubting you this whole time, so it was extremely difficult to try to start a conversation with you. Just know that I really am happy you decided to stay here the time that you have."
Isaac, shocked that he had never noticed he was being watched, sat in silence. This whole time, he believed that Hagen was trying to distance himself from him, but in reality, it came down to both of them being inept at speaking."
Isaac: "So do you trust me now?"
Hagen: "I feel as if we are a little past that now. Although there is something I've been wanting to ask you for a minute."
Isaac: "Ask away."
Hagen: "Why do you refuse to sleep?"