III

Tay didn't know how much time he had spent sitting on the marble steps of the staircase, he had taken off his mask, but when he saw someone sitting next to him he looked up and realized that Edward Bras's body was no longer in the hall. It was Will.

"How are you feeling?"

"I… I hate normals, but I didn't want any of this to happen "Tay indicated the dark spot in the center of the room "if I'd acted sooner, I could have stopped it.

"You think it was the Bathorys, right?" "Yeah, I heard your argument with Elisabeth. Tiago and I know very well what kind of thing they are up to, but unfortunately they can only do little about it, about today's attack, I don't believe it was them, but that will certainly be investigated.

"Will I be like that man when I grow up?" Tay whispered the question, for it was such a heavy weight for him at that moment.

"No, you don't like normals for one reason, and that man for another. You're good, Tay, I know that, and one day I'm sure you won't think that way anymore. Don't think you're a bad person for feeling the way you feel now, I believe it will still take a little longer for you to heal from the emotional wounds that opened that night. And know that I will never regret doing what I did to save you, and if I had to, I would do it again.

Tay nodded slowly. The memories of the night when her life completely changed were vivid at times and confused at others. Sometimes he didn't know if what he saw in his mind was real or not, the fact was that they still hurt him.

- Thanks.

"Okay, we're all going to be okay, got it?" Tiago and I will always protect you, always.

"I don't think I'll ever celebrate this New Year's thing, Dad." Tay tried to change the subject before he started crying.

"Never say never." Will laughed.