Kariya's Choice and a Fateful Encounter
To be a Mage is to walk with death. That was the mantra that I Kariya Matou had beaten into my head every day since it was discovered that I possess functioning magic circuits. The day I found out that I could carry on the Matou legacy should have been one of the happiest days of my life. My Father who passed away of illness was proud and my grandpa Zouken Matou the head of the family for generations, was finally coming upstairs from his workshop to interact with the rest of us more frequently. Fortune was finally favoring the family and after thousands of years, the family would be on the rise again.
Grandfather educated me about the lifestyle of a Matou magus. The more and more I've learned about this world my grandfather walked in; the more doubts I would have taking on this responsibility. It was after my sixteenth birthday that I found out about the true nature of my family's mage craft.
Up until that point, It has been nothing but flights to England and meetings with the other prominent magi family in Fuyuki city. Grandfather wanted me to learn the ins and outs of the politics of mages. He wanted to teach me which family's held the power and how to observe the flow of Clock Tower politics. The trips had been boring and tedious, the only redeeming feature being my conversations and hanging out with my very good friend Aoi. Of course, nothing in my entire life could have prepared me for the harsh reality of mage craft.
After my sixteenth birthday, Grandfather finally saw fit to take me down to the workshop. I was always used to the aura of fear and creepiness that his presence would bring whenever he came up from his workshop. However, nothing in my entire life could have prepared me for the horrors which lie below.
The workshop was dimly lit. What I could see where holes line around the entirety of the basement. The stench of rotting death filled the room. The smell was so strong that I thought I would throw up on the floor right there. I could see worms going two and from holes. That wasn't the thing that caught eyes. At the center of the basement three cages there. Within those three cages were kids no older then nine years old. Kids, who's clothes were half torn and lying on the ground writhing in pain. Their faces disfigured. Their flesh torn asunder. I watched in horror as a swarm of worms entered one cage and began to devour every bit of flesh of what looks to be an already dead child.
"What... What the hell is this?" I shouted, feeling a mixture of repulsion and horror.
"Sacrifices. It's been ages since I've implemented the crest worms. I wanted to make sure I've still had the process down before before I have you train with them. Truthfully, I would have implanted them in you when you were younger but I'm afraid the details of passing on our craft has slowly dimmed from my memories." My grandfather responded. He was following closely behind me. As always, he was dressed in those blue robes. His eyes were as black as the night and his face possessed an ancient and malevolent air. His face's inhuman features was only further accentuated by his bold head.
"They're kids grandfather! Their parents must be worried!"
"No one will miss them. They're orphans after all." The old man chuckled.
"That's not the point." I shot back. "They're suffering and you're just standing there like its some kind of joke."
"To be a magus is to walk with death. I've told you this many times. You have even heard the mantra many times when we went to England."
"This." I gestured to the cages. "Is sick!"
"Don't be so naïve Kariya. You know the price of our mage craft. Other mages have paid far harsher prices to even use their abilities. There is one family I know of that actually requires that their second child be sacrificed the moment they're born in order to further their research."
"I thought this family was above such practices." I said quietly.
My grandfather gazed at me, surprised at the statement. There was a painful silence between us. The sound of the worms crawling were amplified because of this silence. Finally, he reacted by laughing. He laughed so hard that it echoed creepily throughout the chamber. The laugh wasn't one humor and amusement though. It was cold and cruel and it caused my body to shiver with fear.
"Boy." He responded coldly. "If you knew what some of your ancestors have done for the sake of their research and mage craft, you wouldn't be carrying such an idealistic notion." He turned around and walked towards the cages. "I should probably blame your late mother for shielding you from such knowledge. The damn bitch didn't want you aware of the Makiri magecraft until you turned sixteen. She felt that you should enjoy your life among the mundanes before I train you."
My fists clenched at hearing that slander against my mother. How dare he. My mother had sacrificed so much to make sure I and my brother were happy with our lives. How dare he insult her. That was the last straw that broke the proverbial Camel's back. The sight of those children and the amusement that Zouken Matou derived from my horror was all I needed to reach my decision.
"No." I responded quietly. My grandfather paused from his laughing and looked at my curiously.
"What was that?"
"I SAID NO!" I screamed . I glared coldly at this monster before me. This monster whom I am ashamed to say shares by blood. I spoke further, my voice growing louder and louder by the second. "If the cost of being a magus is to sacrifice innocents like these ones, then I'd much rather die then to become the kind of monster you and the rest of this goddamn community are.
"Watch your words boy. Such insolence would have already resulted in your death. I've killed some of your other relatives for lesser reasons."
"Fuck you and fuck your mage craft." I yelled back. Zouken stared at me silently. His eyes were judging me, appraising me. He let out another creepy laugh.
"That's the most spine I've seen in a Matou in ages. None of them would have dared to stand up to me the way you're doing right now." He turned and walked towards the stairs.
"Where are you going old man?"
"To get some sleep of course. I don't have energy to listen to any more of this nonsense of yours."
"We're not done yet you bastard. Release these kids now..." I bellowed, following him. I was at the other end of the steps when I felt something invisible block me from growing further.
"I created a bounded field to keep you here for the night. You were supposed to remain in one of the worm pits and let the worms implant the crest in you but considering your attitude, I am going to have to have you spend the night here in order consider what path you want to take instead. Embrace the perils that come with magecraft and power or sink into a life of mediocrity and weakness."
"Let me through. I'm not done with you yet!" I repeated.
"Yes you are." He growled. He glared at me. "Boy. I can decide your fate. I can let you live, kill you or do something so horrible that you'd truly beg for death. You are nothing but an insect for me to stomp on."
"So what. You won't let me leave unless I become a monster. That's not going to happen"
"All Magus' are monsters in one form or another. I'm just more honest about what I am then most." He step out of the door leading to the family room. "Accept your fate Kariya. If you do, then you can taste power. Not just taste. But control and wield it as a tool. A tool which can help you attain your desires. I know they're are plenty of things you want. Things like a certain daughter from a minor yet notable magus family. Who was that girl again. Kazuya something."
My blood ran cold at the mention of her name. He was talking about Aoi Kazuya. My child hood friend and my first true love. Although, I haven't really been able to spit those three magic words towards her. If I walk out on this life now, I'd never be able to talk to her again. There was a painful feeling in my chest at the thought of never seeing her.
That painful feeling was stomped out by the sight of the writhing and wailing forms of the sacrificed kids. The cost of being a magus was too high. I could not look myself in the mirror if I forced myself to kill for the sake of advancement.
"My answer still stands. A night in here won't make a difference."
The old man grunted "We'll see." and closed the door.
By the time morning came, I've managed to break into the cages and bandaged up the three kids. They were strewn in a corner, still sleeping quietly. The door upstairs opened, and my older brother Byakuya came down. He was taller then me sporting the same messy blue hair that a majority of our family has. He was wearing his pajamas when he came down.
"Where is he." I called out.
"Gone. There was an emergency he had to attend to so he left early this morning. He told me to let you up. I... was told what went on between you two."
"I see." I muttered silently. I picked up one of the kids. "Call an ambulance. They have to see a doctor."
"I can't." He replied looking away, shaking nervously. "His orders are that the kids remain here until he returns."
"For crying out loud bro, these kids can't be older then ten. They need our help."
"Its grandfather's orders." He replied meekly.
"Screw his orders." I called back, moving forward, one of the kids in my arms. "I'm doing what's right."
"Right can get you killed."
I paused, observing him. He had been a kind brother. We'd often play around and hang out in the shopping district if both of us were bored. Outside of the house, he'd always be this arrogant little toe rag who boasted about coming from a rich family. Inside, he would always be that scared little boy who could be pushed around. He was pathetic.
"No spine." I muttered quietly. I placed the kids gently on the steps. My dear brother let out a sigh of relief thinking I would comply. That couldn't be farther from the truth. I walked up, my hands clenched, and smashed my fist into that pathetic face of his. He stumbled back surprised. Blood was dripping on to his mouth from his nose. "I'm taking theses kids to the hospital and when I do, I'm returning home and packing my things.
"Karbbya." He said, his words distorted by that broken nose. "Whad aboud da famibly."
I glared at him. He turned his head away making sure he doesn't make any eye contact. I wanted to do more to him, make him suffer the way these kids hand. The kids needed help first however. Once I finished helping them, I'd have to get ready and leave. Leave this house, this family, and the life of a magi forever.
I was waiting out at the bus stop, my mind working furiously on what to do. On one hand, I've felt extremely relieved that I'd escaped from a life of tormenting and causing suffering to others. On the other hand, I was about to go on the streets ill prepared for the harshness of the real world. I definitely didn't think this choice through when I decided to throw caution to the wind and pursue a life outside of magecraft. I didn't even finish high school yet. It didn't help that I had this raging headache that's been bothering me ever since I've left the house after ambulance took the kids away to be treated.
"Maybe I should have purchased some aspirin before I left." I muttered to myself quietly, my palm over my head. Minutes went on by as the pain grew worse and worse until a sharpest of pains pierced my head. I fell on to the ground, my body shaking pain. At that moment my vision went white and the for a single instance, I saw something. I saw an older man with a deformed face, white hair and wearing a blue hoodie with white stripes on the arms. He was sitting in the corner of what looked like the basement of Zouken's workshop. He was clutching his arms and gasping in pain. That vision didn't end there though. I flurry of images and visions played through my mind like some broken movie projector. Images of this older man being burned to death. Another of him, confronting a tall man with a mustache and sporting a very old fashioned suite.
"How could you do this to your daughters!" The man in the jogging outfit bellowed.
My vision went white, my breathes grow ragged. I felt like I was going to die a million different times in million different days. Then I heard something.
"Young man. Are you alright." A voice called. The vision vanished immediately, as well as the pain from that headache. When I came to my senses, I found myself on the ground and looking at an older man with a snow white hair and beard. He was wearing a dark suit, and what appeared to be a short cloak around his shoulders. It was very reminiscent of what some of the mages in clock tower were wearing.
"Yeah. I'm fine." I replied quietly, regaining my bearings. "Just a headache..." I said quietly. The old man chuckled offering his hand. I took it and pulled myself up.
"Not surprising. Considering there was a dimensional tear in this part of the city before I've arrived, any magus within this area would have received a vision of one of their alternate selves." At the old man's explanation, I blinked at him confused and not quite sure if I've heard him right.
"I'm sorry. What did you say?"
"This universe had a tear. A rather large one I have to say. You and the rest of this world are lucky that I came here on a whim. Other wise, the tear would have have widened and all of this would have ceased to be." The old man replied conversationally. "Not that it would have mattered I suppose. There is a probably a world nearby where the tear didn't happen. Infinite worlds, infinite possibilities after all."
"I'm sorry. Who are you?" The old man frowned at my response. It was clear that I should know him. Although, now that my vision and head had cleared,he did look really familiar. It took me a minute before I finally recognized him.
"You're... You're Zeltrech!?" I blurted out. The old man smiled mysteriously and nodded.
Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg. He was one of the most infamous mages ever to have graced Clock Tower. He was wielder of the second magic: The operation of Parallel worlds. He is well known for driving a majority of his apprentices he takes in to the point of insanity or death. Death I hear was far kinder then the fate of many of those other apprentices.
Anybody who's even spent a week in Clock Tower would hear about the legends and the myths surrounding the wizards marshal. Myself included. There was also one well known fact about the mage which caused a lot of people to avoid him like the plague. He was also a vampire. A dead apostle if you want be more specific. I've only seen him one other time in my life and that was when I was twelve years old and he interrupted a meeting my grandfather and other mages were holding to demand a new apprentice.
At this realization, I froze. My expression more then likely showing terror. Zeltrech was here. He knew my grandfather. He's probably friends with him. The main conclusion I've come to was that my grandfather sent him here to bring me back to the house.
"I'm not going back." I spoke, attempting to maintain a brave front. Zeltrech gazed at me confused.
"Alright now its my turn to be confused: What?"
"Thats why you've come here isn't it. To take me back to my grandfather?" The older man's eyes widened in surprise.
"My god child. Have you been listening to a word I've said. I've come to repair a tear in reality. Not mettle in whatever feud you have with the Makiri head."
I paused, not quite comprehending what he said.
"Your not here to take me back."
"No!" The old man replied, clearly irritated. I still wasn't to sure what to make of this. I had to be sure.
"Aren't you and grandfather friends." I asked. The old man shook his head.
"Goodness no. Maybe when I was helping the three families in establishing their long desired ritual but other then that I tend to have little to no contact with the three families. I even make it a point to avoid Zouken whenever I can. That man is absolutely disgusting. I don't know why he refuses to die. Its pitiful. Living an existence like that."
The tone in that sentence is what actually put me slightly at ease. I was still on my guard though. The man's still a vampire and therefore not exactly someone I can trust easily.
"Its why I'm leaving." I replied cautiously. "Because of what he is..."
"Oh would you relax." He said, exasperation clearly in his voice. "If I wanted to take you, I'd have done it already. If I wanted you dead, we wouldn't even be talking." His expression then turned thoughtful "Not that I have to even lift a finger to kill you. Your fate was already decided the moment you're born in the world of magecraft."
I frowned at that statement. "What do you mean by that? I'm leaving that life behind."
The old man stared at me and blinked. He let out a deep sigh and a sad smile. "That's right. How could you know. I'm the only one in all the multiverse that can see all the possible realities. All futures. All outcomes of a choice. I'm sorry if I came off as babbling. It has been a while since I've tried to interact with people that aren't my apprentices."
"What are you talking about?"
"When I look at a person. Any person. I can perceive their other selves. The choices they make, have made, and will make. Which choices will lead to their happiness. Which ones will lead them to despair."
"Are you saying you can read the future."
"Nothing quite so simple. I can simply look into an universe far older then the one I am in and look at the results of that person's choice."
"I still don't get it..." I replied causing the old man to sigh.
"Nobody ever does. Not even some of my most accomplished of talented apprentices. I suggest you stick with your future seeing assumption for now. It will be much easier to comprehend."
"So what do you see when you look at me." I asked out of curiosity.
"I've seen what you've seen when that tear was still open."
"I saw a man dying and suffering several times over in several different ways. Wait." I said, my eyes widening. At that point, I came to an realization. "You're saying that he's me? Me from the future.
"The 'you' from an older, alternate universe actually" Zeltrech responded.
"You're saying I end up like him."
"I'm saying every other alternate I've seen of you ends up dead in some variation. Its really quite astonishing to have so many similar and identical fates. A lover of one my apprentices. Shirou I believe his name was. He and his other selves held a similar anomaly to their fate. Many of his choices resulted in him becoming a hero in some shape or form. You on the other hand are quite the opposite. No matter what choice you've made after leaving this city. You've always returned and with your return, your death would happen in every way shape or form. Sometimes you get burned alive, drowned, other times shot in the head..."
He continued on, listing the ways I died in other worlds. I could only stand there and stare at him. He was speaking about my death as if he was commenting on erratic weather. Each death he talked about being more gruesome then the next.
"And you're saying I die because I''m bound to the world of magi. That can't be true. I've already settled on leaving. No way I'd willingly return. I mean; What possible reason could I have to re-join a community of monsters." Zeltrech chuckled.
"You should know that better then anybody else child. Whether you know it or not, there's still something binding you to the Makiri's fate. Some element thats chained you to this world."
"Again I ask: What possible reason could I have to..." I stopped myself as a sudden thought occurred to me. An image of Aoi's smile appearing within my mind's eye. "Aoi. I return here for Aoi?"
The Vampire chuckled as he watched comprehension dawn on face. "I've seen all your choices and the worlds that resulted in your choices young man. Of all the worlds there is but one catalyst for your return and eventual death."
I wanted to say say he was lying. That there was no way Aoi would be the cause of my death. That I would cut all my ties. However, deep down, there was some truth to what he said. I recalled what I saw. The image of the man that I would become in that other universe and many others similar to it. My vision of my other selves grew clearer as I remembered them. Looming over all of them was a shadow. A silhouette of a young lithe female. I don't even have to ponder further who that shadow was.
Even with my resolution to leave the world of magecraft behind, part of me knew that I'd never willingly cut ties with Aoi. A girl who's life revolved around magus politics and plots. Maybe on a subconscious level, I was planning on returning to Fuyuki some day. To visit her and get reacquainted with her. After all, meeting her was the best thing to ever happen in my life. I was at my happiest whenever I talk to her and spend time with her. I'd even die for her.
"Tell me then. The reason I've thrown my life away. Will my death be worth it in the end. Will it allow Aoi some happiness."
The dead apostle smiled as he pondered his next words.
"No." He bluntly stated.
"Wait. What?" I responded blankly.
"Her fate is inexplicably tied to yours, and within every world I've seen she dies just as horribly as you do."
I stared at him stunned at proclamation. Not quite believing what I was hearing.
"What's with that look? Did you think you were destined to be some sort of martyr. Dying for a loved one's happiness. There are billions of stories like that and let me tell you; Half of them don't end as happily. Especially an unrequited romance such as yours."
His words cut deep and hard, causing a sense of desperation to well up within my chest. The fact that she will never return my feelings didn't hurt as much as the fact that she will die regardless of what I may try.
"Damn it..." I breathed, slamming my fists on the bench. "There has to be another way..."
"Oh there are a billion other paths you've taken to reach an alternate answer, including remaining with the Makiri right now to become an heir. None of them have ended well for the both of you. Such is a life of magi in this world and others similar to it. Where there is magecraft there is death..."
The old man's eyes expression changed as he said those words. The vampire it appeared, came to a conclusion. What conclusion, I could not really fathom. Before I knew it, the vampire pulled something from his coat pocket. It was an oversized knife, its handle encrusted with jewels of varying colors. He placed the knife between us.
"What is this?" I asked.
"A key to defy fate." He responded. "Go on take it..."
My hands, reached out to the sheathed knife, grabbing it and observing it carefully. "Why give this to me."
"Because out of all the billions of tragic futures I saw, there was but a small light that I've glimpsed. I saw that my knife can awaken this world. Think of this knife as a key. A key to that world.
"You're saying I'll be able to reverse my fate with this?"
"Maybe. Maybe not." He replied cryptically. "That's entirely up to you."
"Why give this to me? Why help me?"
"Because I want to see it."
"See what?"
"That awakening of that one rare world. That one rare possibility. Considering my field of study I want to see what the awakening of such a world can bring. "
"So what it comes down to is, you want me to help you with you're research.
"I'm a magus remember. I'm not a saint." The vampire chuckled, he pulled a pocket watch from his coat and frowned thoughtfully. "Damn, I've spent to much time here talking to you. Now I'm late for my apprentice's lessons. I'll never hear the end of it from her. That incarnation of Rin is definitely whines a lot louder then her other selves." He turned to me smiled at me. "Well its been an honor and a pleasure young man. I hope that knife guides you to that world."
"Wait! what do I do with the knife."
"Just keep it. When the time comes that knife will grant you a choice. A choice that none of your other selves ever had. It will show you a new path. Whether or not you have the strength to walk this path... well, I guess I'll leave it up to fate."
The old man walked away. Before I could inquire any further, a hot white light seared and flashed, blinding me for a several moments. When I opened them and cleared my vision he was gone. I sat there, pondering what had happened, and I stared at the knife he handed me. The thought of leaving the knife there and just getting on the bus crossed my mind. I could ignore what I've learned today and move forward but considering the most powerful sorcerer on the planet proclaimed that my death was an inevitability and he was literally handing me the very object to defy that fate I'd be incredibly stupid to reject it.
Before the bus came to take me away from this city, I seized the knife and placed it in my bag. Even with this new knowledge, returning to the Makiri was still out of the question. Aoi would think I'm insane if I even mentioned this meeting forget the fact that telling her she would die because we're bound to some sick cycle of tragedy and destruction. Besides, I have trouble enough in trying to figure out what to do with a life outside of the Makiri.
While the knife may be salvation. I don't think it's going to help me out any time soon. For now, I'll have to figure out what to do next. I didn't have much of a plan and in all honesty I probably should have thought about timing my departure carefully but spending any more time with grandfather would have resulted in either me losing my sanity or something worse.
Overall, I was left with only one option. They're is a friend of my mother I could go to for help. She seemed kind enough and willing to help anybody in need. The problem is I was five when I saw her and for all I know she could have forgotten about me. Asking for help would be a gamble but at the moment she's my only hope at making sense of my future.
As the bus came and drove me away from Fuyuki, I looked out the window a heavy weight pressing against my chest. Aoi was supposed to move back here from England today, and I was supposed to welcome her and show her around town. Thoughts of her death being connected to mine played through my head. I'd found myself imagining the worst possible ways she'd die. I had to take a breath and close myself off. No point in thinking about that Kariya. Focus on taking care yourself and then plan for the future.. If there is a way to change this horrible fate then this knife might be a way for me to find it.