The Deceitful One

It was the season of spring. The birds chirped happily as they sat on the branches of trees that had verdant green leaves, radiant flowers, and fruits flourishing on them.

The people walked on the streets in a cheerful mood as they went about their day. Bryan found himself standing near the farmer's market as he looked around in confusion.

But the bright smiles on the people's face was contagious and soon he found himself smiling too. He walked along the footpath and observed everything around him in a jovial mood.

Bryan then stopped in his tracks and looked ahead in pleasant surprise. In front of him, standing by the burn barrel were Jamie and his elder sister Ella. However, the burn barrel had no fire burning within it.

"Boss, here!" Jamie waved both his hands vigorously as he called out to Bryan enthusiastically.

With a gentle smile etched on his lips, Bryan walked towards Jamie and asked out of curiosity, "Jamie, what are you doing here?"

"I was just about to leave. So, I thought I'd say goodbye to you one last time." Jamie smiled bitterly, a hint of regret flashing across his bright innocent eyes.

"Leave?" Bryan furrowed his eyebrows, feeling perplexed, "But where are-"

However, he was cut off by Jamie, "Boss, I know it's a lot to ask but can you agree to one request of mine?"

"What is it?" Bryan inquired, "I'll do my best if it's within my capabilities."

Jamie nodded his head and pleaded earnestly, "Boss, I hope you can look after my siblings. Sometime's they can be a mess but I promise you, they are good kids."

Bryan was now even more confused, "Look after your siblings? Where are you goi-"

The next moment, however, his words got stuck in his mouth once more as Jamie rushed towards him and gave him a tight hug, "Thank you for everything, Boss!"

Bryan was slightly taken aback but he soon smiled warmly as he hugged Jamie back and ruffled his hair.

"It's time, Jamie," Ella called out from behind. She then looked at Bryan and smiled gratefully, "Thank you, Mister."

Jamie let go of Bryan and ran back to Ella. He held her hands as they started to walk away from Bryan.

"Jamie, wait!" Bryan reached out with his right hand as he called out to Jamie in a loud voice.

Jamie stopped in his tracks and turned around. He smiled with a hint of melancholy and yearning as he waved his hand, "Goodbye, Boss!"

His eyes started to redden a little as he looked at Bryan one last time, "I'll miss you."

With that said he turned around and walked hand in hand with his big sister Ella as they disappeared into the crowd.

"No, wait!" Bryan screamed as he ran after the duo, "Jamie!"

However, the next moment, cracks started to appear around him and soon the scenery and the people around him shattered like a mirror, everything breaking into thousands of pieces.

Disoriented, Bryan opened his groggy eyes as a drop of tear slowly slid down his face. An emotional sigh escaped his lips as he thought in his heart, 'A dream? No, I guess I was just hallucinating.'

He propped himself and sat up on the bed. He instantly recognized the room he was in. It was the infirmary at the church.

Beside him sat Robert, who was calmly looking at him.

"So the boy's dead, huh?" Bryan asked.

Robert simply nodded his head.

Bryan shook his head as his shoulders drooped, mirroring the grief in his heart, "How long was I out for?"

"A little more than a day," Robert replied. He then looked at the bedside table, upon which two items were kept. One was Bryan's silver pocket watch and the other was the brown scroll that he had found on Anthony's body.

"Care to explain?" Robert asked as he pointed at the scroll with his chin.

Bryan looked at the bedside table. When he saw the items on it, he sighed. He decided to be honest about everything because he knew that Robert would instantly find out if he tried to lie.

The man was a Rank 2 Transcendent of the Wisdom Path, after all!

Bryan recounted everything that happened that night. From finding Anthony at Jamie's house to chasing him all the way to the outskirts of Damascus, and finally the battle he had against the four Blood Path Apprentices.

He told him how he had found the scroll in Anthony's clothes after he gained consciousness after the battle. However, Bryan refrained from talking about his pocket watch unless Robert asked him about it.

Robert carefully examined Bryan's expression as the latter continued to recount the details of the night. After the latter finished telling everything, he looked at him deeply for a few moments and then finally nodded.

"Bryan, I hope you don't embark on the Theft Path," Robert stated solemnly.

Bryan nodded but he still inquired, "Yes, Captain. Although I won't, may I ask why?"

"The Theft Path is a cursed Path, just like its founder and his family. Any person who embarks on this Path cannot advance past the Low-String." Robert replied.

'Cannot advance… This probably has to do with them not being descendants of Medici. Mother had mentioned in the letter that only people who had the blood of Medici flowing in them, could embark on the Theft Path.' Bryan thought inwardly.

However, this was a tightly guarded secret of the Medici Family. Hence, he did not have any intention of disclosing it to Robert.

Bryan looked at Robert solemnly and replied, "I understand, Captain. I will either embark on the Wisdom Path or the Fate Path."

Robert deeply looked at Bryan for a few moments and then he got up from his seat, "It's good that you understand."

He then proceeded to walk out of the infirmary as he thought, 'How strange. I couldn't read his memories or thoughts at all!'

While Bryan was still unconscious, he had tried many times to read his memories. And even now, while talking to him, he had tried to read his peripheral thoughts but he failed!

Meanwhile, Bryan was thinking in bewilderment, 'How strange! He didn't ask me about my pocket watch?'

He then picked up his pocket watch from the bedside table and caressed its silver surface, 'Does he already know that this is a space-type storage artifact? Or did he not notice anything at all?'

Both parties wandered in their own thoughts as they tried to guess each other's mystery.