WARNING: BLOODY IMAGERY

Loukas slowly opened his eye allowing them to gradually adjust to his dimmed room. It was exactly five minutes before his alarm rang. He used said minutes to stretch his arms and legs. Letting out as much as possible tension from his muscles and tendons.

His droning buzz of an alarm then finally went off by the time he finished, and he pressed the snooze button, putting the clock back to its original state. He was not sure why he even kept an alarm clock at this point. Other than to make his room appear less empty. He woke up on time anyway, no matter how late or early he slept the night before. All he had was his wardrobe and some simple red curtains. The only thing he would note as anything distinct was the crimson imagery of hounds on his wall over his bed.

He got up from his bed and immediately went for his hot shower before the maids and servants had time to prepare his bath for him, along with providing clothes and hair care for him.

Thankfully, instead of immediately hounded by these concerned men and women, he had his hot shower and grooming in peace.

As Loukas dressed in one of his buttoned-up shirts, his mind went to his tasks for that day.

Check on all of his brothers.

Take a moment to work on a new language. He was certainly at his 3rd by now.

Cook up that stew for his siblings.

Get to that meeting.

Hang out with Hide and Carole.

He nodded his head at the list, although censored the certain words that crossed his thoughts on a second review through his mind.

He gave his tired reflection a nod and went for a good cup of coffee to begin his day. Looking through a few new marriage proposal letters. Some with even picture of the girl and everything. He at this point was not sure how they even knows what he looks like. He could guess from those private parties where he simply had to smile and nod his head at the many guests and thier children. He was not exactly sure what to do with these other than to keep them around, out of politeness. Once he was done with breakfast he began his day.

Enok, of course, wanted help with his homework. Using his lacklustre mathematical skills, Loukas got his younger brother halfway done before disappearing as soon as the equations included too many letters within them. Enok will forgive him later.

He got involved with Erna in his argument with one young nurse assistant and what Loukas believed to be a university scout about whether he should travel that far to study at a higher level. Loukas tried his best to calm everyone down as they all have a point about Erna’s health, but Loukas personal opinion on this was that Erna had every right to travel wherever he wanted to go. He would be better off anywhere but here.

Loukas tried his best, but the argument grew more heated between Erna and said assistant to the point Loukas could only stand uncomfortably to the side and watch this all unfold. The conflict ended with everyone calmed down and nothing was resolved.

Holger, as much as Loukas tried to speak with him, was the boy who would not talk with him about much. Other than a simple yes, and sure.

He deserved it, but Loukas needed the guy out of his room, at least for some short amount of time. As challenging as it was, he succeeded with an offer of some homemade cream puffs.

Cherly had to come to him interrupting their time together to complain about the latest mishap with the gardeners and how he is so going to fire all of them. To prevent this massive layoff, Loukas offered to handle it himself and somehow found himself outside weeding the garden with Holger not lifting a finger and Cherly muttering about "he did not have to do that himself."

He later that afternoon began his studies in learning the basic phrases for commerce in german. Asbjorn had many business partners who speak this, thus it would not hurt that much to learn a third language of that sort.

In all honesty learning, a new language was the few things Loukas could say he was good at in any capacity. Mathematics, science was difficult for a guy like him

By the time his allotted study time was up, he got up from his seat and went straight to the kitchen to cook up that stew from yesterday and serve it as dinner to his siblings.

All were smiling, chatting, laughing during the meal as he too chatted and laughed, even as his eyes glanced at the clock on the wall and that paralyzing anxiety gripped its talons into him as he knew what was to come next for him once this meal was over. Yet he kept on that relaxed smile for them.

A meeting...one of the rare times he might see his father.

He had to spend time with… them.

Cherly glanced at Loukas, noticing his brother staring at the meal before him this entire time, not even eating just pushing the bits of food around on the plate. Loukas snapped back and joked around. He should be more careful, no matter what, no one should know about this.

He eventually stood in front of that door. A door of fine hardwood and gold, with that painting of the red hound on it.

Loukas instinctively felt a shiver run down his spine as he came face to face with the door he was more than familiar with.

He knew just standing there and not immediately entering would just make things worse for himself, but his feet felt heavy and he did not want to move to this next task of the day.

Forcing his feet forward, he went up to the door and pressed his ear against the wood. He listened to the muffled voices from inside as they spoke in their usually harsh tone.

“Of course that boy’s late,” a deep, smooth, gentlemanly voice spoke, “At this point after what he did with my wife, I’m thinking he’s doing this on purpose.”

“You worry too much,” another rougher one spoke back, “Let’s be honest here I doubt he has so much as single intelligent thought in his head. At this point, I surprised he even knows how to speak.”

“Hmm… If he’s not the brightest blood carrier, then why did that thing even bother to keep him as host?.”

Sir… always called Orbis’ gift a demon, a thing, a... parasite. As blasphemous as it was. Loukas sometimes wondered how he could have gone on this long with no backlash... The only reason he could think of was Sir being HER younger brother.

“Ricky, keep it down... Well, his age is the first reason, so it's faster to get him to take the gift compared to Cherly, who still needs a few more months to mature. Although let's be honest... That wouldn't even let us so much as touch him, even though he's more compatible.”

When he heard Cherly’s name, Loukas’ heart froze.

No, they cannot... They could not make him go through this.

Sir spoke up, “It’s the sunk cost fallacy they have with that boy. If I’m to be honest, that other child would make a better heir regardless of how little grooming was done with him. Less-”

Loukas could not stand to hear anymore, he slammed open the door revealing a 5 foot 10 middle age gentlemanly individual with softly greying hair staring back at him with surprise and barely hidden scorn and a younger, darker-haired male in dark robes as he looked back at Loukas with concern. His father was not here.

Figures...

The man probably could not even bother with even the bare minimum contact at this point.

The gentleman quirked his eyebrow, noticing Loukas’ presence and asked, “You’re late... You know that?”

Loukas dumbly nodded as he slammed his long arm against the wall, vibrating a loud crack from his bones as he squeezed his eyes in pain. He let out a gasp as Sir looked at his nephew with indifference, and the hooded figure looked at him in a way similar to a scientist observing a new creature.

“I… I” He wanted to prove to them they only had to use him, “I... I c-c-can ha-han ...Handle it... I.... can do this.” his mouth stammered

“I-I can take it all,” was what he finally said as this next round began.

Many years ago, he would have run away before it would get this bad. A twelve-year-old making a bed rope to escape through his bedroom window, similar to all the adventurous heroines of his novels. He was free during those months away from it all, homeless yet free... he regretted it.

His mouth filled with the copper tasting blood.

If he had known about his mother’s wish he would have bared it all a lot earlier, he probably would have been more used to this treatment.

He clutched the ugly deep gaping gash in his belly. It would be just like his wrists, they would have a nasty scar despite the healing.

He had a goal now, so he will bear it.

He limped out of the room, holding his jaw to keep it in place as he held the gaping wound. He passed by a mirror as if it was there to mock him for being such a pathetic mess.

No matter if he healed flawlessly with not a scar on him.

He would always get to see the ugly thing they created from the mirror.

His mom... that’s who he will keep trudging through this hell for. For a woman who went through the same, he will fight tooth and nail to make it.

No matter the cost.

Once his injuries healed enough as he waited in his bedroom, he covered the still nasty scared skin with a clean long sleeve shirt. He wrapped a bandage around his abdomen. His jaw still had a Glasgow scar but he hoped it was not too noticeable.

He was curious how she got her scars, but that would be rude.

He finally did the only thing he looked forward to anymore.

With the leftovers from his brothers' meal, he went out to the balcony, with not a maid or servant to follow and question where he was going. Under the red smog-filled sky, he heard the familiar voice that made his heart skip a beat, “Loulou! Finally, I thought you would never come out here. Sheesh, what’s with the holdup?”

A voice that comforted and warmed him similarly, “Maybe he had actual work to do… unlike some people.”

“Hey, I work with computers. Your lizard brains can’t comprehend how hard my work is, admit it.”

They, despite their reasons for the meetings, made his life more bearable. They gave him a reason to look forward to another day.

“So what do you guys think?” Loukas asked as Carole’s eyes focused on Hide’s laptop screen, watching the movie displayed.

Her exposed wings did a small flutter as if in thought and said, “The film or your soup? I have... two very different opinions on either.”

Hide let out a scoff, “Let me translate, Your soup was tasty as fuck, your movie was as shitty as a portable toilet.”

Carole rolled her eyes, “Thank you Hide for your translation… I needed one.”

Hide gave her a grin and a thumbs-up as he wrapped his arm around the stoic angels, “Aww, you're welcome Carly,”

“... You know I can decide to throw your laptop off the balcony? Right now...”

“Loulou Carly’s bullying me again!” Hide faked cried wrapping his arms around Loukas' waist and sticking his tongue at Carole. The contact caused Loukas to blush but he just laughed at it.

The three most different people in the world continued the night as jovially as it started. Laughing and Joking as if everything between them was okay. Like they were a group of well-adjusted friends, who met at the right time and hit-off.

Loukas was fine. He liked to pretend moments like this can last forever. Even as his head hit that feathered pillow and he fell into a deep sleep, he still enjoyed pretending.