Souken raised his head from the ancient text he was studying.
"Oh no."
It was happening. He'd hoped and prayed the legend was false, that this day would never come, but the pulse of energy was unmistakable.
Auswählen had begun.
It was then the screams began. Fleeing the library, he ran towards its source. With adrenaline rushing through his veins altering his perception, he seemed to be moving incredibly slowly though the family compound. He soon had to leap over the fallen bodies of the gemischt servants who lay twitching in the hallway as their lives was drained away. He couldn't see their faces or recall their names as he ran. At the moment, they were just objects to be avoided or ignored. He focused on moving, trying to get to that one screaming voice. He knew he would see his fallen servants later as people when this was all over. He would see them and know them all as he relived this moment over and over again in his nightmares. He accepted this price. One more sin in a lifetime of sacrifice.
More time, he thought to himself, if I only had more time!
Entering the dining room, he saw Ryuuken on the floor holding his dying wife. He was the one calling for help. He was the only one who could. Souken's wife was slumped face first on the table, unconscious. He had prayed it wouldn't happen, but the hollow attack she had suffered had made her vulnerable. Her echt birth was no protection.
"Help me, Father!" Ryuuken shouted. "Do something!"
A thousand decisions flowed though his brain in an instant. There was something he could do. But he could only do it once. Possible outcomes based on his actions presented themselves one after the other. As he discarded scenario after scenario, he found only one would best serve the future. May the powers that be forgive him his choice.
"Where's Uryuu?" He demanded.
Ryuuken stared at him, unable to comprehend.
"Where is Uryuu?" Souken repeated. "Where is your son?"
"Upstairs." Ryuuken forced out. "He was taking a nap."
Turning his back on his son, Souken sprinted to his grand child's bedroom. He had very little time. Even now it might be too late. He arrived to find Uryuu laying in bed whimpering. He was pale and barely breathing. Souken laid one hand on his grandchild's head, another over his heart. Closing his eyes, he allowed his energy to merge with the boy.
The agony was indescribable. He had to gnash his teeth together to keep from screaming. He could feel Uryuu's pain, feel the life force being sucked away. Worst of all, he could feel…him.
"Sie alter Teufel!" He snarled. "I won't let you have him!"
He poured his strength and his energy into Uryuu, buying time by using his own life force to feed the monster. Cautiously, carefully he pulled back as much as he could of Uryuu's essence doing his best to mask his actions from his ancient enemy. He recovered quite a bit, if not all. He hoped it was enough. Next he created a shield to camouflage and protect Uryuu. It wouldn't last long, but it might be enough to keep him safe until Auswählen was complete. Finally, he used his rapidly fading life energy to create an energy doppelganger, a copy of Uryuu's essence. Unless he made a mistake, the foul creature preying on his own people would only know that he had fed and would be satisfied. This last act brought so much pain, Souken's vision turned white. He knew he screamed then. It seemed to come from a thousand miles away. After an eternity of white hot knives flaying his brain, Souken's last act was to release the doppelganger. Feeling it being consumed and the vile creature's influence fading, he allowed himself to succumb to blissful unconsciousness.
Ryuuken was shaking him awake.
"Father!" He shouted. "Are you all right? Father!"
Souken pushed his son's hand away.
"I'm alive." He rasped getting up on one elbow. "How is Uryuu? Is he all right?"
Ryuuken took a moment to look at his son. He touched the sleeping boy's face, saw color return to his cheeks.
"He's alive." He said. "You saved him. You saved him father. Now we can save mother and Kanae."
Souken made himself sit up. He shook his head. "I can't. I could only save one. I don't have enough energy to save another, even if there's still time."
"Then teach me!" Ryuuken demanded. "Show me how to do it!"
Tears began to stream down Souken's face as he continued to shake his head.
"There's not enough time." He wheezed. "It took me decades to discover the technique. I barely mastered it myself. It's impossible to learn instantly. It takes years of practice. I was hoping to find a way we could all protect ourselves, or at least make the process easier and quicker, but I was too late…too late."
With a cry of despair, Ryuuken charged downstairs to his stricken wife. Souken was too weak to follow. He looked at his hands. They were now shaking, wrinkled and covered in age spots. Forcing himself to his feet, he saw his reflection in a nearby mirror. His tear streaked face was haggard and worn, his hair completely grey. He had given up much to save Uryuu. If only he had been able to save them all. The faces of his wife, his daughter-in-law, his people, they would haunt him forever, reminding him of his failure.
"More time." He muttered to the bent, ancient figure in the mirror. "I might have found a way to save them all if I had only had more time."
His body now a mass of aches and pains, he turned around to stand over his grandson's bed. Uryuu was looking a lot better, his chest steadily rising and falling as he breathed without difficulty. He'd probably be a sickly child for a while, but he lived. Souken had hoped to confront his terrible ancestor with a properly trained team of his own choosing. Now he was permanently weakened, almost crippled. Only Ryuuken was left to carry on their traditions. Ryuuken, and this one small, frail child. He stroked Uryuu's hair. It wasn't fair to place put the weight of their future on his shoulders. He was gambling everything on Uryuu being not only strong enough to defeat the Wandenreich, but also that he would want to take up that burden. Once Uryuu was old enough, he would explain everything to him. The truth about their history. The tyrant that soiled their honor. His plan to set things right. He would be asked to decide then, to follow the path of the quincy or to leave.
He pulled the blanket up to his grandson's chin. He needed his rest if he was going to recover. He headed downstairs to call the police and summon ambulances. No doubt this horror could be blamed on a gas leak. So much pain and suffering still to come all thanks to that evil old despot. He stopped to look back at the boy now peacefully sleeping. He was sure once Uryuu knew the truth, he would make the right choice.