Chapter 18

Nightbreed

The term at Milkweed continued, despite my efforts to get Kyle readmitted into the academy. I was reminded that the process wouldn't be remedied overnight, but it hurt to continue my studies without him. I didn't spend much time at Milkweed though. In fact, I'd only been back after the long weekend to release Kyle's evaluation forms to the headmaster.

"Have you signed off on these documents with confidence?" Headmaster Merlin asked me when I'd arrived in his office Monday morning.

At my side, I'd packed up whatever clothing I had left in my dorm and kept the heavy suitcase on the ground. I'd be on the road over the course of the next couple of weeks for my tour, so I'd be studying on the road as well. I wouldn't be back at Milkweed or the realm till after the winter holiday. I nodded towards the headmaster's question.

"Yes, sir. Everything is signed off on."

"Very well then." Merlin smiled warmly. "I want to wish you the best of luck with your show and we'll be happy to have you back in our weekly meetings after holiday!"

"Yes! Of course! Thank you, Headmaster!"

"Take care!"

I bowed out of the office after lifting my suitcase and rushed quickly out the door. I had a car waiting for me up front, but I needed to do one last thing before heading off to the train station. I handed my bags off to the chauffer and dashed back into the school in the direction of the common hall, where the dormitories were. It was still early enough in the day, and the first class of the morning hadn't yet started. By now, everyone should've been awake getting prepared for class.

I stopped at Ivan's door, where Nicolai also resided. Taking in a breath of air, I exhaled and hesitantly knocked. Rocking on my heels as I waited for an answer, I pulled the VIP passes from my vest pocket and looked down at them. I had to beg my manager to give me these passes. I'd been asking to gift them all month long and he was growing aggravated with me over it. The passes sold for a pretty penny, but as of now, my tour was nearly sold out worldwide. They would've never been able to get their hands on these if they tried.

I jumped when the door opened suddenly. Ivan's eyes peeked out from around the door, then narrowed when they fell on me.

"Ugh!" He scoffed, pushing the door to close. I stopped the door with the point of my boot before he could completely close it on me and pushed the passes back into my pocket to wrestle him for access to the door.

"Ivan! Please!"

"What the hell do you want from me?!" He shouted, shoving harder. I pushed back.

"Please, stop pushing the door! I-I have to see you! I'm leaving!"

Finally letting the door open, Ivan crossed his arms and shot me a nasty look. Behind him, Nicolai peered out from their washroom, still in his pajamas with a toothbrush hanging from his mouth. He gasped and rushed back in to rinse his mouth out as Ivan started with me.

"What do you want?!" He growled. I felt myself frown and I was growing annoyed with his attitude, but I was doing my best to stay civil.

"My tour started." I explained to Ivan. "I won't be back at Milkweed till after winter holiday."

"And I care, because?"

"...why are you being this way?"

"You serious? You're the one who up and ditched us! You said you didn't wanna be friends! Now you think I'm supposed to care about your stupid tour?!"

I paused for a moment and felt my shoulders drop. Indeed, I'd said that to Ivan, but it wasn't because I'd been cross with him. Not even in the slightest.

"I said so, because I felt terrible..." I sighed, pushing my hands into my jacket pockets. "I said I couldn't be friends with you, because I felt like I was crap at it. I didn't have time for anyone. I was scrambling. I-I'm still scrambling."

Ivan didn't looked convinced with my answer. Nicolai approached the door with a pout, standing at Ivan's side.

"Ya know..." Nicolai started. "I was gonna say that last time I saw you. You looked stressed out."

"Yeah?" I asked. He nodded.

"Yeah. I don't know what it was about you, but you didn't look as collected as you usually do. Is everything alright?"

I paused. For the first time, someone was actually asking me if I was alright. I didn't know how to respond to the question. I had so many feeling that all came up at the same time, but none of those feelings escaped. It was as if they all got trapped in my throat, lodged in my vocal cords. I was choked up. The only response I was able to give was the shake of my head.

Despite Ivan's angered expression, Nicolai pulled me into a hug. I was surprised by the gesture, especially considering that fact that Nicolai usually followed whatever Ivan wanted him to feel. It meant a lot to me that he'd hugged me and I returned the hug till he pulled back.

"If those people are working you too hard, you should speak up." Nicolai told me. "I mean, what's up with your parents? Where are they in all this?"

"Ah..." I sighed. "There's a lot to explain. Honestly, I don't even see them much these days. I'm supposed to be meeting them in Berlin later, but I'm sure I won't see them. They'll be backstage with management while I'm doing sound check and—."

"You haven't seen your parents?"

"I mean...I saw my mother briefly before I came back to Milkweed..."

"That's terrible. You should've called us."

"Called us?!" Ivan gasped. "After he said he didn't want to be friends?!"

"Oi, arketá!" Nicolai actually shouted back at him in annoyance. Ivan and I both jumped in shock. "JUST STOP ALREADY! You're being dumb!"

"He's the one who—!"

"Just shut up about it! He's clearly going through more than we are, Ivan! Stop this!"

"Nico—!"

"I told you writing that letter was stupid! I didn't want anything to do with that letter!"

"G-guys..." I stammered, lifting my hands up to pause the growing argument. "Please, don't fight. H-Here."

I pulled the passes from my jacket quickly. The sparkling badges in front of them instantly paused the shouting. After a pause in the air, they each reached out and took a pass from my hands to inspect it.

"I wanted you guys to come to my show. I wanted you to see why I've been so busy. I've been working really hard on this tour and it would be a shame if you both couldn't be there."

"New York?!" Nicolai gasped. Ivan's eyes widened in realization as I nodded.

"Ja. That's the grand finale of my tour. That show is the most important to me. I'll arrange your travel, just please say you'll be there."

"Hell yeah!" Nicolai chuckled. "I'm there!" Ivan wasn't so quick to answer. Turning my attention back to him, I chewed at my lower lip.

"I'm sorry I missed your birthday." I told him, sincerely. "You know I'd never do that intentionally. Why would I do that to you?"

"...I dunno..." Ivan shrugged, his eyes not meeting mine. "I was just bummed out because I told everyone you'd be there. So when you didn't show, I looked stupid."

"I understand...I'd be upset with me too. I'm sorry, Ivan."

"Me too." He actually responded, finally looking up at me. "I acted like a bitch. You were right, I was honestly a bit jealous too."

"Jealous?" I gasped. Ivan shrugged, pushing his hands into his uniform khakis.

"Everyone showed up to my birthday party more excited to see you than they were about my actual party. I mean, yeah, I was pissed off about it. I just wanted everyone to be excited about me too, you know?"

"I think I would've felt more awful about showing up then." I admitted. "The attention would've been on me. That probably would've been worse."

"Either way, I should've known you were busy. Your show has been on tv like, non-stop in everyone's dorms. You've been working...so I'm sorry too."

I smiled at Ivan and he returned my smile. Nicolai smiled along with us and finally let his excitement out towards the tour pass.

"New York!" He cheered. "We're going to New York!"

"O-oh, right!" Ivan blushed, looking down at his pass again. "I've never been! Thanks!"

"Late birthday gift from me to you." I smiled. I felt a buzz in my pocket and pulled my phone from my vest. It was an alarm to remind me of my train ride. "Ah! I've gotta go! I have a train to catch!"

"Right!" Ivan grinned. "Go! See you in New York, Nightbreed!"

"See you guys!" I waved. I turned away from them as they finally closed the door and paused in the hall when I came face to face with Klaus. I offered him a smile, but his eyes only peered at me. He looked alarmed.

"Nightbreed?" He mumbled. I paused towards his question, but quickly nodded in realization.

"Oh, haha! Ja, that's my surname. Ivan calls me that sometimes."

"Mine too."

"Huh?"

"I'm Nightbreed too."

It didn't register, until it did. My entire body tensed up. Another Nightbreed? Right in front of me this entire time?! What were the odds that we were related to one another? I wouldn't be surprised if we were, considering the short family history lesson I'd gotten from my father when I'd been sworn in to the board. I knew nothing about his side of the family except for what I'd been told in that brief moment. I knew nothing of aunts, uncles, cousins. Nothing. I didn't know how to respond to what he'd told me. Thankfully, Klaus continued.

"What's your father's name?"

"Freud."

"Freud?!" He gasped, jumping back in shock. I knew why. The reputation behind my father must've made negative stigma rise around his name in the family. I could only imagine what Klaus had been told regarding my father. I nodded.

"I know..." I sighed. "I know everything, but I don't know anyone."

"Of course not." Klaus seemed to scoff. "Because your father went against everyone and disgraced the family."

"He didn't disgrace anyone!" I gasped. I was shocked to hear how blunt he'd been with that dramatized accusation. "What's disgraceful is disowning your family member for finding love."

"He married a normal woman."

"So what?! That normal woman is my mother!"

"You should be embarrassed to admit that." Klaus snickered, covering his mouth with his hand.

"Excuse me?!"

"Your father was supposed to be the successor of the Nightbreed estate here in the the realm. He's a fool."

"Say one more ill thing of my parents. One more."

"Thanks to the two of them, my father is the successor now." Klaus shrugged. "Guessing your father never mentioned his brother, Kaspar, huh? Of course he didn't. My father is more powerful than yours ever hoped to b—."

I punched him. One swift and forceful punch that shut him up. I was infuriated with the wave of insults freely flying from his lips and I wanted them to stop.

He collected himself and instantly swung back at me. He'd managed to punch me back and the force from his own punch pushed me, back first, into Ivan and Nicolai's door. I stumbled to the ground and wasn't able to collect myself before Klaus telepathically dragged me to the opposite side of the hall, where I hit my back on the wall yet again before hitting the floor. I winced as a sharp pain shot up my spine. He wasn't showing mercy.

"A-ah..."

"You want a fight?!" He shouted, quickly approaching me as I held my back. "I'll give you one, you reject!"

I spotted Ivan rushing out from his dorm just as other students had as they walked out for class. Their eyes fell on the battle between us when they heard the shouting and a shock swept across the common hall. I was a bit dazed, but I wouldn't allow Klaus to hit me again. Especially after calling me a reject. That wasn't just an insult towards me, it was an insult towards my father and our family.

I pulled the hall runner out from under him with magic, a move that Kyle had done on me when we'd fought in this very hall during our first term together. As Klaus stumbled over backwards, I pulled myself up the best I could and sent a shockwave in his direction. Unfortunately, I'd missed. The pain in my back was throwing off my accuracy.

Klaus lifted his hand to shock me back, but behind him, Ivan had pulled his wand and beat him to it. My eyes widened as Klaus fell forward.

"You insane?!" Ivan grimaced. "What's going on h—?!"

Klaus returned the zap to Ivan and seeing the exchange had angered Nicolai. I'd never seen his mutant form, till now, but it was terrifying. Half man, half blue beast, he'd grown in size and swiped Klaus with his claws, tearing his uniform. I collected myself from the ground quickly and jumped him before he could hit Nicolai with another zap. I wrapped my arms around his neck from behind and held him as forcefully as I could manage. Kickboxing had come in handy.

"STOP IT!" I ordered as he wiggled under me. Klaus wouldn't give in.

"GET OFF OF ME, REJECT!"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

"I SAID, GET OFF!"

With his hands grabbing at my arms, Klaus shocked me again. The shock had been so forceful that it almost felt like a burn. Though my skin wasn't exposed, the shock pulsed straight through me. I'd never felt anything like that in my life.

"AHHHHHHH!"

"Oh my god, Sigmund!" Ivan gasped as I dropped to the floor again. I felt like I couldn't feel my arms. I grabbed at them, but I couldn't feel them. Klaus laughed at me. It was the most evil laugh I'd ever heard. Other students in the hall looked horrified and a couple had run off to get help while Ivan and Nicolai sprung into action again. I didn't want them to get burned the way I had.

I don't know how, but I'd found the power inside me to block off Ivan and Nicolai with an energy field. The boys jumped in surprise and while Klaus was caught off guard, I grabbed him again. I wrapped my arms around his neck once more, gripped as tightly as I could manage into a chokehold and shocked him back. He shrieked and so did I. I wasn't sure how he'd managed to keep the shock before from hurting him, but I hadn't been able to do the same. The current went from him to me and before long, we were both on the ground.

My friends quickly pulled me up from the floor, but my body had gone weak and I wasn't able to stand up straight. They supported me on both sides and Ivan conjured a paper fan to give me air.

"Open your eyes, Sigmund!" He panicked. "Your eyes are drifting!"

"I-I'm up..." I caught myself blubbering. I couldn't feel anything. Klaus had remained on the floor and had only managed to prop himself up on his forearms.

"He used dark magic on you!" Ivan informed me. "He used it on me too! Idiot! I'm a dark magician! Why the hell is he attacking you?!"

"W-we're related...they disowned us..."

"What?"

"We're cousins."

"Cousins?! Seriously?"

"We're NOT related!" Klaus spat from the ground as he slowly pulled himself up. "You're NOT a Nightbreed!"

"I am!" I spat back. "And there's nothing you can do about it! Nothing!"

"Change your name! You're a disgrace!"

"Oh, I'll change it." I smirked as an idea came to my mind suddenly. "And the entire world will know I'm a Nightbreed. I'll be the most recognized Nightbreed on the planet. J-just you wait! And don't you dare come to m-my show!"

"Don't talk to him anymore!" Nicolai gasped when he caught me swaying again. "Let's go, you were supposed to be at the station."

As my friends helped me down the hall, we passed by upperclassman who'd returned for themselves to collect Klaus. Clearly, he was in trouble, but I hadn't been able to stick around to hear the discipline. My friends told me they'd call with an update as soon as they found out. They sent me off into my car and conjured an ice pack for both of my arms. I was thankful for them in that moment. Hurt to know I was considered a reject by my extended family, but thankful to know I had friends that treated me like family enough to fight for me.

—

"What did you do?! Get into a bar fight?!" My manager gasped when I'd arrived in Berlin.

I still wasn't in the best shape upon arrival backstage. Not only did I have a new bruise over my cheekbone where I'd been punched, but I'd shown up to fitting and discovered literal burns under my jacket. The burns I'd felt during the shock were real. Both my forearms had been scorched and reddened. I was black and blue all over. I didn't know how to explain myself, but my manager hadn't given me the chance to.

"This isn't the time to be causing trouble!" He lectured. "You have to be in the best shape of your life right now! We're touring!"

"I'm sorry..." I muttered. My manager quickly called for hair and makeup to work at covering the bruise on my face and ushered me into my dressing room to wait on them. The show was to begin in about an hour. The Berlin show was the kickoff to my tour.

Walking into my dressing room with a sigh, I jumped when my parents had been inside. I hadn't expected to see them, since they hadn't been present at any of my pre-shows. When their eyes fell on me, they both gasped in horror.

"Sigmund!" My mother cried, standing from where she'd been seated on a lounge chair. She held my hands, lifting them to look over my arms. "What is this?! What happened to you?!"

"Who did this, my son?!" My father questioned me, his thumb brushing over my bruise as he lifted my face to inspect me. I looked away from them. Not only did I not want to upset them, but I also wasn't used to this level of attention from them anymore. When I didn't answer their questions, they paused and eyed me.

"Sigmund?" My father spoke. I hesitated, but decided to answer.

"Klaus."

"Klaus?"

"My cousin...Kaspar's son."

My father's eyes widened and he dropped his hand that had been settled on my face. My mother seemed to recognize the name as well. She glanced at my father, who's expression only read disbelief.

"Kaspar..." He breathed. "He has a son? W-where did you run into his son?"

"He's in my level, at Milkweed."

"Mein Gott..."

"I didn't know you had a brother."

"It wasn't worth me telling you. We haven't spoken in decades."

"Don't you think that's something I need to know?!" I argued, feeling annoyance quickly rising in me. "I know you want to keep me away from them, but I was just attacked! If I knew who these people were, I would've been able to keep my distance!"

"Sigmund, I had no knowledge of Klaus." My father assured me. "My brother and I don't communicate. I didn't know he had a son and clearly his son didn't know about you either."

"That Kaspar was a terrible man..." My mother spoke up. Looking up at her, I was surprised to see she wasn't wearing the makeup she usually wore. In fact, her face looked quite fresh, but her expression was saddened. "The moment he met me, years ago, he'd made sure to know I wasn't wanted or welcomed."

"Really?" I frowned. My mother nodded.

"He didn't want me to be a Nightbreed. He outright said so."

"Well, that's too bad for him." I spat, pulling my phone from my vest pocket. My idea had sprung up again suddenly and I quickly dialed my manager's number. "Klaus called me a reject. He told me to change my name, so I will."

"No, my son—!"

"Father, all my merchandise features my first name, alone. Never my surname. My tour doesn't even have my surname attached. Even Klaus didn't know I was a Nightbreed and bought a ticket!"

"Did he, really?"

"Yes! So I'm changing the name. They don't want anyone to know I'm a Nightbreed, so I'm making it known that I am!" As my manager answered the phone, the style team also walked into the dressing room. I lifted my finger to pause them as I started to speak.

"Steven!" I grinned. "Is it too late to change the name of the tour?"

"Of course it is!" He replied. "The merchandise is already made and the ticket and press passes are already delivered."

"Then change it on social media." I told him. "Add my last name to everything."

"Nightbreed?"

"Ja, this is the Nightbreed Crystal Tour now."

My parents glanced at one another as I finished off my call with my manager. They looked unsure, but I quickly shook my head.

"I want to do this." I told them. "I have to do this."

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to." My father assured me. I shook my head again.

"This is exactly what I want to do." I told him. "When Klaus spoke about our family, it hurt me. We hadn't been together for some time and I'd been upset with you both over it, but hearing those nasty comments from him just redirected my anger. I was upset with you both, but not upset enough to let those comments pass."

My mother frowned. She pulled me over to the lounge chair to have a seat as my father asked the style team for a moment. When they'd left the room, he joined us to sit.

"I told you things would be different before you left for Milkweed and I meant that." My mother told me, holding my hand. "Your father and I have been speaking about this and we agree. We've been neglecting you."

"We've been more involved with your work and the luxuries than we've been with our own son." My father sighed. "Sigmund, we're very sorry."

That was exactly what I needed to hear. My parents were back.

—

My first of many shows in Berlin was a massive success. The arena I performed in that evening was the biggest audience I'd ever performed for to date. Bigger than the baseball field I'd performed at in Galaxy Hills by a long shot. I'd been nervous back stage, but after a pep talk from my parents, I'd felt a lot better about stepping out alone.

"Just do what you've always done." My father had told me as he wrapped my arms in bandages. Beside me, my mother rubbed my back after I'd expressed how sore it was feeling. "You'll do fine."

"I don't want to mess up..."

"You won't, Sigmund!" He chuckled, handing me my leather gloves. Quickly, I worked to pull them on and fasten the buckles at my wrist. "All these people are here to see you because they believe in you! Your tour is sold out, don't you understand what that means?"

"...no."

"It means the whole world believes in you!"

"That's a lot of pressure, Father."

He smiled down at me and helped me pull the sleeves of my jacket on, careful not to interfere with the wiring of the microphone and headset that trailed down my back. Resting his hands on my shoulders, he patted me.

"Put the pressure on me then." He spoke warmly. "All of it. When you feel the pressure, look to the back of the stage. I'll be there."

"And so will I." My mother smiled. "We'll always be here, Sigmund."

I performed with great joy in my heart that night. I didn't look to the back of the stage, not once. Steven had managed to have the graphics on the big screens around the arena changed to fit my last name under my signature. It fired me up that much more. I was determined to be the best. I'd make sure of it.

When my shows in Berlin were over, we'd quickly been packed up, set on another flight and back onto the road towards the next major city. My manager checked the forums for reviews of my show and saw them littered with nothing but positivity. From city to city, my tour was being covered on major news outlets. I'd spotted my face everywhere we went. I studied on the plane, the tour bus and whatever carpools I'd been tossed into from day to day.

Since I wouldn't be back at Milkweed anytime soon, I was sent all my final exams on the road instead and I took those exams alongside performing. My father praised me. He didn't know how I was able to do it all. Seeing the way I multitasked for the first time since we'd finally been back together, he expressed regret for not being around more to help me through all my work. I'd been bitter about it, but right now, I was thankful for the time we'd spent together. The tour had bought us back together.

Together, we experienced places we'd never seen before. Cities we could only ever imagine in our dreams at night. We tried new foods, heard new languages and discovered that the venues were only getting bigger and bigger with every city. Tokyo was shocking to me. The arena seemed to go back for miles from the stage and the sea of fans was illuminated with colorful lights from glowsticks. In Moscow, the fans sang chants that echoed and rattled the theatre as I took to the stage. The audience sang me happy birthday at the end of my show in German! In Beijing, fans showed up with massive banners that I could spot from the stage. Banners that they'd made themselves and hung from the balconies in the arena with great pride. The world was showing me overwhelming love.

Somehow though, I still felt empty inside.