The room was full with the smell of expensive cigarettes, whiskey and the chatter of men talking among themselves, bragging about their business deals or their encounters with woman. Among them, but hiding away in the far dimly lit corner of the man’s social club sat a man just staring into the flames of the fireplace in front of him while drinking his whiskey, trying to forget the harsh realities of his life that is, until his dark thoughts were interrupted by a deep rumbling voice…
“Don Micah Santorini, it has been a while, how are you doing?” the to Micah unknown man asked while taking the empty seat on the other side. Micah looked up at him, his eyes red and shallow.
“Do I know you?” he grumbled his respond, unwilling to talk to anybody, especially to strangers.
“Maybe you don’t remember since the last time I saw you was at your father’s funeral years back but I still remember how your old man was grooming you to take over the business”
“Really? What is your name again?” Micah asked a bit curious but also alarmed at the same time.
“I’m sorry, Pablo Castillo, I was your father’s friend until…well let’s not speak I’ll of the dead shall we! Anyways you look like somebody just murdered your cat?” Pablo said while glancing at Micah who poured himself another drink.
“Yeah something like that yeah” Micah muttered before finishing his glass in one go.
“Micah, please whatever it is, don’t do this to yourself! Don’t end up like your father Micah, it’s not worth it, look what happened to him, please don’t do this to yourself for whatever reason, look for happiness even though that’s not easy to find in this damn bloody world but try to look for something or someone that can at least make you smile once a while!” Pablo whispered in concern.
“Why do you care, I don’t remember you, you are a stranger to me so why should I listen to an old man like you?” Micah muttered.
“Because Micah, I know you better then you think, I know your family and I have seen this behavior before and it worries me to see the son of and old friend of mine in such unhappy state of mind, that’s why Micah!”
Micah swallowed, as a big lump of emotions formed in his throat.
“I’m sorry, I…I don’t know anymore, maybe I have seen you before but my head is so messed up that I can hardly think straight these days, thank you for your kind words, I appreciate but may I ask you how exactly you know my family?” Micah replied.
“Yes of course, just let us get out of here first because this place his eyes and ears” Pablo stated while his eyes scanned the room.
“Sure, I’m done anyways” Micah replied with a shrug.
While Pablo paid Micah’s bill, Micah answered a call from home.
“Boss, where are you, your tracking device just stop working.
“Yes Dimitri I know, because I shut it down myself”
“Oh okay…why, are you alright?”
“Yes I just want to be left alone for a while Dimitri, I will on it again when I am coming back, talk later!” Micah says before ending the call.
As Micah followed Pablo outside the club towards the parking lot an uneasy feeling crept up his spine somehow but his intoxicated mind ignored it and focused on trying hard not to make a fool of himself by falling on his drunken head.
“Get inside Don, let’s get you cleaned up and some coffee in your system, so you can think better” Pablo said while helping Micah inside his car. Once he was spelled in he walked over and hit in himself and started driving.
As the slowly made their way out of the city due to traffic Micah felt his eyes growing more heavier by the minute until he couldn’t fight it anymore and gave into the lurking darkness that was swirling around him like the ocean. Pablo looked over and a small smile appeared on his battered and scarred face.
“Micah, Micah, you don’t have any clue where you have gotten yourself into!” He mumbled while facing the road ahead again, letting Micah sleep. Minutes tick away while the city skyline slowly makes place for the rural countryside, with lots of trees, a forest on one side and mountain on the other side as they drove on to for now destination unknown…
Two hours later Pablo parked his car with a still sleeping Micah next to him, in front of a small wooden cabin which was hidden, tucked away between the trees. As the car came to and abrupt stop Micah woke up with a jolt.
“Snow!….” He yelled before he realized where he was and he closed his mouth again, feeling embarrassed.
“Let’s get inside where it’s warm and dry Micah, them I will make you a strong coffee and we can talk some more if you like” Pablo offered to which Micah only nodded.
Once inside Pablo but the lights on and started the fireplace before going to the kitchen to make some snack and some coffee while Micah slowly walked around the place, looking at photo’s and artwork. Them his tired eye caught sight of what looked like a family picture so he took it up but when he looked closer a gasp escaped him upon recognizing the people in the picture…
“So you really knew my father I see!” Micah said while still starring at his father’s image who was looking much younger in the photo, while standing next to Pablo with a small smile.
“Yes I told you I did right” Pablo answered back while laying his hand on a sandwich.
“Yeah well it’s not like I live in a world where honesty tribes Mr. Castillo so yeah, but tell me why am I here, what do you want from me?!” Micah asked while sitting down on one of the two sofa’s.
Pablo did not answer him right away but waited some moments and finished up cleaning the kitchen. After that he put the rag away and takes the plates with sandwiches and paces them on the table and went back for Micah’s coffee and his water.
“I brought you here because here you are save, nobody knows this place but me and what I am about to tell you should not leave this cabin, at least not for now” Pablo explained before taking a bite out of his sandwich.
“Thanks for the food and coffee, but still you are talking in riddles, anyways it also might be the alcohol, it probably is but do explain what is going on because I already feel like I am losing my mind!” Micah muttered with a deep frustrated sigh.
“Okay, I will tell you but you have to promise me that for now you just listen and that you keep this conversation between us ok?¨ Pablo asked serious.
¨You know who i am right? then why ask me?¨
¨Because if this information gets out and it lands into the ears of certain people then we have a BIG problem and i do not want that right now, when the time comes of course we have to deal with things right now my only concern is you, understand?¨
¨Riddles…..all riddles…anyways i have nothing better to do so speak!¨ Micah ordered.
Pablo stood up and poured himself a strong drink because he felt like he needed a bit more courage to confront the Don with the monsters of the past and of the present. When he finished his shot of liquor he sat down again, facing Micah and took a deep breath…
¨I introduced myself as Pablo Castillo…..but that is not my real name….¨ He started making Micah to frown.
¨Why would you…?!¨ he started but Pablo put his hand up and his words died in his mouth…..
¨Like i said….Pablo is NOT my real name……my real name is Avius¨ Papblo/Avius stated.
¨Avius what? no sir name or title or…?¨
¨No Don Micah, because from where i come from we do not use such thing as a sir name that you humans use….¨
One that last note Micah´s mouth dropped sightly open…..
¨Come again?….humans?…..are you not a human as well?¨
Avius cocked his head slightly while he watched Micah who was trying to process his words…
¨Not in the sense you think¨ he replied Micah who´s jaw dropped even more lower after that.
¨What are you saying man?! not human….come on now….what did you put in my coffee huh?¨ Micah muttered while eyeing his coffee cup suspiciously.
Avius chuckled softly. Poor Micah! he thought by himself.
¨Okay, okay relax i am not the enemy here ok, i know you are not a man that trusts easily but i think right now you don not have much options Micah¨ Avius said in a low rumble that startled Micah somewhat.
¨Than spit it out man!¨ Micah growled already regretting his decision to follow this man and to shut down his tracking devise.
Avius sensed the sudden upcoming hostility in Micah and shook his head. He know this was going to be a though one but Micah being not in this state when he had still alcohol in his system did not make it any easier. So he decided to change a bit and stood up from his seat and went over to where Micah sat down and took the place beside him on the other sofa and placed his hand on Micah´s shoulder.
¨I am very sorry that i am upsetting you Micah but i need you to listen and to be patient or at least try to be, i know what i am telling you and what i am about to tell you sounds like you are going crazy but you are not ok! now, i know you know about our world, you know it because of a shared friend……the Snow Queen or Snow as you call her¨ Avius explained.
¨Snow? you know Snow?¨ Micah gasped in disbelieve.
¨Yes Micah i know your beloved Snow! and i also know your family, how you might ask well it started a long long time ago, when Snow´s parents met and came to the human world. I knew Snow´s mother since she was a child and i teached her magic when she grew up but beside her teacher i was also her guardian. I was as to her daughter Snow that is until Snow´s mother send me away, back to the frozen lands but i did not go and decided to stay in the shadows of the human realm and made a name for myself and started to blend in so at least i could keep watch over Snow. Unfortunately i did not foresee the murder plot against Snow´s parents of which i still feel guilty because maybe i could have done something to prevent it and i could have helped Snow how to deal with things more but alas here we are, anyways that´s for the part of that side now your family. Well like i said i tried to blend into the human world and i encountered your father in a nightclub one night and we started talking. In short i ended up becoming his friend and confidant until a little before his dead. I am sorry Micah but the next part is going to be more painful for you to hear but i think it is finally time for you to hear this ok?¨ Avius stated while watching Micah with hawk eyes.
Micah just nodded his head, still in a daze of this revelation of this man knowing Snow and being not human.
¨So…i do not exactly know how to tell you the next part without making it sounds less hurtful Micah so i just put it out there for you to digest ok?…..your late father Micah, Luca Santorini, is, sorry was not your father¨
¨Sorry come again?!¨ Micah growled wide eyed.
¨Luca was not your biological father Micah!¨
After that Micah gasped for air as he feels black dots starting to appear in his vision.