SIXTEEN...

His words were true.

Theodore waited for an explanation but it didn't come, looking into his sons eyes, it wasn't the type his siblings had, they still had expectations from their father, to receive something...be something, in his eyes.

However looking at Amon, the child did not seem to have that nor did he seem to want it either...

"Throw a punch" Theodore said as he raised his right hand as a gesture for where to hit...

Without hesitating, Gates stood up from the bed and threw a punch with half his strength, making sure not to use everything because of his plans for the future.

Hitting its mark, The family heads' hand did not budge absorbing the attack as though it was nothing...

"Hmm...makes a bit of sense how you could do that to your sister, however" Theodore said looking down at his hand, pausing as he reached out to grab his son's throat, Gates saw it even as fast as it was but decided to see where this was going.

Taking him by the neck and lifting him up just as easily as Gates did to Anne, He looked his son in the eyes again, continuing his words,

"Do not kill any of your siblings...Are we clear?"

Gates let out a bit of a laugh,

"No, no family head, we are not. If they wish to die by coming near me, I will fulfill their wish and send them to meet their maker. It is only right after all I had gone through, don't you think?" He said as he looked into his Theodore's eyes, the smile on his face disappearing.

Looking at this child saying such things Theodore had nothing left to say, even the royal family's children kill eachother to ascend the throne...he wasn't them, he allowed petty squabbles amongst his children but not one of them was allowed to kill the other.

"I said, Are we clear?" Theordore asked once more, putting more pressure into his hands that gripped immensely on Gates throat.

"And I said, No." Gates said stubbornly as he continued resisting.

"Where were you for the past two years? When I was thrown around like a rag doll, used as a mannequin for testing spells, endured verbal, physical and mental abuses, hm? I see, so because I did not Awaken, I became useless right? That I understand, so I never voiced the misfortunes or ill treatments I received from your precious sons and daughter. But now that I have awakened, you think that I would forget any of what I had endured? No kuhb-" Gates said as the grip around his neck tightened,

"Hahah, No I can not...everyday till I leave for the magic academy, will be a living hell for those three. I think you better go back to where you were hiding before old man, if they're so precious to you, you can either kill me now or find someone to protect their lives just before I'm about to extinguish it. Because believe me, I will." Gates finished his words as the hand around his neck tightened due to the many words he said directed at the one who owned said hand.

Listening to the ramblings of his youngest child, ramblings indeed but the mere malice in those words and the loon in his eyes reminded Theodore of himself years before he met their mother, his wife.

Letting go of the child's neck, he falls to the floor on his feet, massaging his neck as he breathed in deeply and exhaled all the same.

"Just how many times am I going to be chocked in one morning... that fucking assassin and now this." Gates said letting that bit of information slip intentionally as he made a face that gave the assumption that he was not meant to say that.

As though the temperature rose in the room, He looked towards where the source of that immense feeling of dread and wraith came from. Theodore stood there with a spaced out look before looking down to his son,

"What do you mean by, Assassin?" The words came out feeling like a knife cutting through butter, the anger in his words felt.

"Yeah, long story short, I woke up in the woods where I found out I had been poisoned and left to die, unfortunately for me the Poison wasn't enough and I didn't die...There came the Assassin, Ghost? I think that's what he said his name was, in any case I awakened then and was able to escape. No biggie " Gates said elaborating on the parts that would easily infuriate any parent, especially the Lion King and Boogeyman Theodore Gates.

These two nicknames held significant meanings, Lion King in the past before he had met the mother of Amon and the Boogeyman after that, both names held their history to those who lived to tell the tale, a story for another time.

"I see..." Theodore said as he took his leave, he had seen, said and done everything he came here to do. His mind preoccupied by the last thing his son just said to him.

His youngest had almost been killed and he would not have known, nor would he have known about it now if it had not been for him coming here on his own to know if he had awakened or not.

"There's no need for you to look that way, I was useless to the family anyways. The wider the smile, the harder the frown, my death would not have mattered. This, you and I know, Family head." Gates said as he turned his back and walked towards the balcony of his room, he was not Theodores son, Amon. He was someone else, but his son Amon had long since passed away from this world, not once getting to see his Father since the day of his failed awakening.

To Gates, Everything he had said, done and will do to anyone in this family is just to avenge Amon... Once that is done, he would have no reservations on being in the body of this character anymore.

Theodore whom had stopped his steps and turned to see the back of his son whom had said the words before, said nothing as he left the room.