Chapter 1
I wake up in a dark room on a hardwood floor with a carpet in the middle. I have no memory of how I got here. I sit up and look around. The room is dark the only light is coming from a window near the corner of the room.
"H-hello?" I hear a voice that sounds like a child's behind me. I turn around to face the bed and cross my legs. A child around the age of 10 or so is staring at me with yellow cat-like eyes, not unlike my own which are blue instead.
"Yes?" I answer straightening my coat and fixing the collar on the front.
"Umm, do you know where we are mister?" The child asked timidly as he walked over to me. I stand up and look at him.
"I'm afraid I have no Idea where we are." I sigh hanging my head slightly then look back at him "What's your name?" I I should at least know his name.
"N- Niko my name's Niko," He said nervously rubbing his sleeved hands together. I give him a smile.
"Nice to meet you my name is… huh... I forgot my name." I finish confused on how I've forgotten my own name.
"You forgot your name?" Niko says looking just as confused as I am
"Here let me think for a second it might come to me," I say as I sit down again and try to see if I can remember. "Nope, nothing," I say as I stand back up. "Well, we might as well look around and see where we are."
"Okay." He said nods and shuffles off through door in front of the bed. I look around there's a bookshelf, a computer, a bed, and a remote on the floor. To my left there is another door. I go over to the door and try to open it, but the knob won't turn.
"Ok, the door's locked. let's try the computer." I mutter to myself. I walk over to the computer and see that it's already on. On the screen it says Input Password: 0000
"Goddammit. Couldn't have been easy could it." I say quietly as I run my hand through my hair. This is getting frustrating fast. Niko comes back into the room with something poking out of his pocket. It's dark so I can't clearly make it out
"What did you find?" I ask Niko. He takes the thing out of his pocket.
"I found a stick." He said with a smile. I take it, it looks more like a dried twig than a stick, but it could be useful.
"Nice job Niko," I say smiling. He smiles back. "What did the other room look like?" I ask him.
"Oh! it was a bathroom but nothing worked." He said. I nod.
"You wouldn't happen to know the password for the computer here would you?" I say gesturing towards the computer.
"Umm no. sorry." He said quietly. I pat him on the head
"Nah it's fine. I can just guess till I get it right. which hopefully won't take too long." I tell him. He nods happily he walks off to the right of me I put my attention back to the computer screen
Input Password: 0000
Input Password: 8973
…
Access Denied.
"This is going to take awhile" I mutter to myself as I try another password with the same result.
*Many password attempts later.*
I have my face on the desk "How have I not gotten it on accident by now" I groan into the desk. I feel a tap on my right shoulder. I look up and to my right to see Niko standing there with the remote in his hands.
"I found the password!" He said excitedly as he hands over the remote. I look at the remote and see that all the numbers are gone except 9, 8, 1, and 4.
"Nice job!" I say ecstatically. Patting him on the shoulder. He looks very happy with the praise. I look at the remote again I see the number 8 next to it is a small engraved 1 and next to 9 there is a small engraved 3. That must be the order I need to put them in. I look at the other numbers to see what order I need to put them in. an Engraved 2 in next to 4. Ok, I got this. I turn back to the computer with Niko looking over my shoulder
Input Password: 0000
Input Password: 8491
…
Access Granted.
The screen goes to a blue background with some basic shortcuts on it.
{You found me} pops up in a window on the screen. confused, I click OK.
{...Why?}
{You're already too late. Not much of the world remains.}
{This will be apparent once you go outside.}
{This place was never worth saving.}
{...Do you still want to try?}
{Then. remember this.}
{Your actions here will affect them.}
{Your "mission" is to help them leave.}
{And most importantly…}
The screen turns off after it says that
I turn to Niko confused on what that was about
"Do you know what that was about?" Niko asks me looking a mix of confused and worried about what showed up on the screen.
"No I don't but it's probably nothing to worry about right now." I say to reassure him. it seems to work. We hear a clicking sound coming from the door behind us. I get up and walk to the door with Niko right behind me. I try the door again. It opens into a dark room. We walk into the room with Niko grabbing onto the back of my coat and peeking around my left side. Not that I minded, in fact it was actually quite nice that Niko was that comfortable around me already. Now that I think on it something about him seems familiar. As we trekked into the opened room I maneuvered Niko to my right side because on my left a TV was broken and sparking dangerously. As we move further into the room I nudge Niko out from behind me and further into the the back there was a kitchen but my focus was on my backpack on the table counter
"My backpack!"
"Mama's backpack?"
Niko and I say at the same time. we look at each other.
"Umm, that's my backpack," I say pointing at the said backpack
"No that's my mama's backpack she always has it in the corner of the living room" Niko reaffirms.
"I suppose there is only one way to find out and that's to look inside." I go over. Niko right behind me. I open the front pocket and pull out a locket. My locket that I got from… someone. On the back is are inscribed initials E & S. I press a button on the top and the locket flips open there is a picture of a younger me and a woman who looks familiar. we are holding hands.
"Hey that's my mom in the picture!" Niko exclaims. I look at him
"Really?" I ask. If I know Niko's mom, then why don't I know Niko at all
"Yeah! Except she looks younger." He squints a bit when he says that
"Niko do you know your mom's name?"
"I think it started with an S."
"Sarah?" I say involuntarily suddenly remembering the name
"Yeah! Wait how did you know that?" Niko asked me looking confused
"I think I remembered. Look you can see me in the picture too ." I say pointing at myself in the picture
"You know my mama?" Niko asks me.
"I guess so. But I can't remember anything else."
"Oh." Niko sounded disappointed
I put the locket back in the pocket. I open the backpack and find a letter. The front says.
To: Ethan
From: Sarah
I open the letter curious about what was inside. It was a picture of a visibly pregnant Sarah. The back of the photo says
I'm sorry you're stuck working in the city while I'm here taking care of little Niko.
I hope you come home soon!
Love, Sarah.
"It says my name!" Niko exclaims
"Yep, this is probably when your mom was still pregnant with you."
"Ah... What's pregnant?" Niko asks me. Oh boy I do not want to give him that talk
"I'll tell you when you're older," I reply
"Aww, that's what all the adults say." Niko pouts.
That name Ethan must be connected to the initial on the back of the locket which has a picture of me and Sarah… wait THAT"S MY NAME! MY NAME IS ETHAN! And that means… NIKO IS MY SON! OH MY GOD I HAVE A SON!
"Hey you okay." I hear Niko ask. I calm down.
"Yeah I'm fine." I answer "But I have to ask something."
"What?"
"Did your mom ever tell you about your dad?" I ask
"Only that he was working in the city and then disappeared." Niko quietly informed me. I saw another letter I take it and see the same heading as the previous. I open the letter inside. Is a birth certificate. Not just any birth certificate. Niko's birth certificate. And on the certificate, I see the final piece to the puzzle. At the very top, it read.
Name at Birth: Niko Blade
Biological Parents: Sarah Blade (Mother)
Ethan Blade (Father)
Well then… he is my son… I have a son…
"Are you crying?" I hear Niko beside me again.
"Here look at this Niko and keep in mind my name is Ethan" I hand him the birth certificate.
"WHAT!" Niko yells upon seeing the certificate. He drops it in shock. He turns back to me "you're… m-my dad?" He sniffled looked on the verge of tears
"Yes. yes I am Niko." the moment after I said that he latched himself onto my coat and cried into it
"I-I have my dad back!" He cried happily into my shoulder after I had leaned down and pulled him into a hug. We both stayed there hugging each other and crying for a while
"Dad," Niko says softly after we had calmed down.
"Yeah?" I respond pulling back from the hug to look at him.
"Are you going to be coming home?" Niko asked quietly. What kind of question was that?
"Of course I am Niko I have been gone for far too long," I respond, rubbing the top of his head.
"Does that mean that you remember mom and everyone?" he asked me giggling from me messing with his hair. Now that I think about it I can remember. I remember everything that was previously lost to me. But still, I was gone 10 years… 10 years… fuck.
"Come on Niko let's find a way out of here and back to mom," I say standing up and shouldering the backpack after putting everything back inside of it.
"Ok!" Niko said excitedly. wow. he got really energetic all of a sudden. I walk over to the fridge to see if there is anything inside. There is a bottle of unnamed beer. I open it and try it. Ehh it's okay I guess. There has to be a way to get more light in the room… wait… I look at the TV to see it sparking. Next to it is a fireplace. I got it.
"Niko could you come over here for a second," I call over to Niko who was inspecting a door around the wall.
"Yeah dad?" He asks me
"Could I see that stick you found."
"Sure here." Niko handed over the stick. I dip it in the alcohol letting it soak for a bit. I walk over to the TV. Niko following curiously behind me.
"Niko could you back up a couple steps please," I ask him. He nodded and backed up a little bit. I put the stick near the spark and it catches almost instantly. I quickly toss it in the fireplace. The room is lit in a blueish glow from the fire.
"Hey dad, look." I hear Niko say. I turn and see him on the floor grabbing something out of the gap in the floorboard. It was a key. Niko walked over to a door not that far from the fireplace. He put the key in and turned it. The door unlocked.
"Yes! It was the right key!." He said ecstatically. I chuckle at his enthusiasm. With me leading we both go down the stairs behind the door. At the end of the long hallway is a… Giant light bulb? With Niko behind me, I pick it up. It glows brightly, but not overwhelmingly so. Well, this is a thing I have now.
"Dad! Dad!" I hear Niko say excitedly beside me. I turn to him.
"Yes?"
"Could I hold it! Please!" He said still awed at the bulb I shrugged and figured why not. So I hand it to him. It stays on. We walk back up to the living room area. I start toward the door I saw on the other side of the room. When I arrive at the door it I take a look at the strange indentation in the door.
"Niko could you put the bulb in the hole of the door please," I ask him, He nods and does so. A bright light engulfs our vision and we feel a strange sensation suddenly we somewhere else.
if you liked it please follow it and give a review.
if you have a question on anything related to the story PM me.
I'm always open to criticism!
-Eclipse