Disclaimer: I do not own Suikoden or any of its corresponding parts.

Luc couldn't understand why the other children hated him. All he had wanted to do was join in on their games. Now, because of him, one of them was seriously hurt. Dr. Liukan said that it wasn't anything to be really concerned about, but that didn't help soothe the young magician's frazzled nerves. He couldn't understand why the other child had gotten hurt in the first place. He had brought along his favorite play toy, a stone golem. Luc would have just had his fun with the creature then banish it to where he summoned it from. At the sight of the golem the child had frozen on the spot. The golem saw its opportunity and took it. The other boy's friends had immediately rushed to his aid.

Derek! Derek, are you okay. Come on let's get away from that freak.

The parents of the other children had threatened to bring this up with his parents.

What would your mother say if she knew you were doing magic behind her back? No respectable parents would allow their children to learn magic at this age.

The other children were right. He was a freak. Luc sat against the Stone Tablet of Promise and cried. He wished that he could have parents so that he could pretend to be a normal child.

I wonder if he feels like this too.

Who feels like what?

Luc looked up toward the source of the speaker. At the door way was the army's military strategist, Mathiu Silverberg. In a feeble attempt to hide the fact that he had been crying, Luc wiped is tears on the sleeves of his robes.

"No one. I was just reminiscing." Luc said hoping that the strategist would leave it at that.

"Hmm..." Mathiu knew that Luc was terribly shaken by the events that occurred earlier that day. Mathiu took a seat next to Luc.

"Dr. Liukan says that Derek will make a full recovery. There's no need to cry."

"That wasn't what I was crying about. Besides, who said I was crying to begin with?" Luc sniffed.

"Okay, why don't you tell me what upset you so much." Mathiu put his arm around Luc, hoping to coax Luc into talking.

"Lady Leknaat told me that I can't get close to anyone. That Even though I'll live, they'll die. Do you know what she means?" Luc looked up to Mathiu hoping that he would know why.

"I'm sorry Luc, I don't know." Mathiu hoped that the child beside him wouldn't see his deceit.

"It gets lonely sometimes on Magician's Ilse. You see, it's just Lady Leknaat and me. The only visitors we have are the messengers sent by the countries wanting Lady Leknaat to tell their fortune. None of them are children my age, either."

Mathiu's heart was going out to the poor child beside him. This child had no idea what it was like to even be a child. He grew up on an island with no other company other than a blind seer...
"When the other child, Derek, got hurt, his and his friends' parents were saying that they'd tell my parents about what happened. How can they? How can they tell parents that don't exist?"

"Luc. How do you know that your parents don't exist? I'm sure that they're somewhere around. Probably sad to have missed out on the life of their son." Mathiu tried in vain to comfort Luc.

"I don't have parents because I wasn't born. I was created. I'm freak of nature. One of two beings created by a mad man, but no one questions him because of his status as a figure head of a society full of idiotic imperialists. Now I see why Lady Leknaat doesn't want me to get attached to anyone. I'll just end up getting hurt because I can never be like them. I can never be normal." Luc couldn't help but cry at his own words.

"Luc, I'm going to make this promise to you. Whenever you need someone to talk to, you can always come to me. I will also keep whatever you don't want anyone else to know a secret. This to you I promise. Try to get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow. Remember, I will always be there for you." Mathiu helped Luc into bed. After making sure Luc was asleep, he headed off towards his own quarters.

The next day, the Liberation army took on the floating fortress of Shasarazade where Mathiu met with his betrayer. Shortly after the siege of Shasarazade, Mathiu Silverberg died. He would not be able to keep his promise.

AN: This was not a slash fic of anysort. Sorry to disappoint you :P. Edit: I've corrected the spelling and, for the most part, grammar.