"Dear brother, you shouldn’t be getting up yet. You’re not fully recovered."
Melissa’s voice echoed from behind as she quickly stepped forward with a worried expression on her face, and that one action managed to break the tension in the room and brought Sicario back to reality. Sicario let out a breath as he wondered what he had been thinking just now. This man was sick and injured, and yet he managed to make Sicario feel like he was in danger? Just how dangerous would this man be if he were at his full strength?
Melissa moved towards the seated man, and she began to fuss over him worriedly, but the man just looked up at Melissa with calm eyes, and Sicario watched as Melissa’s entire body seemed to relax the moment she gazed into those eyes. The man raised his hand up to Melissa’s cheek, and Melissa leaned into his touch lovingly while holding his hand with both of hers.
"Thank you for your worry, sister. But you do not need to worry, your brother is not so weak. Come, sit with me."
The man pulled Melissa down, and Melissa did not argue at all as she sat on the floor and put her head on the man’s lap. There was a loving smile on her face, like a cat that was sitting beside a warm fire, and she let out a calm sigh as the man began to run his hand over her silky black hair gently! Sicario felt like he was watching something that was too intimate to be seen by anyone!
"Sair Carysl O’thysae. I suppose this will be the first time we meet face to face."
Sicario flinched slightly when he heard his full name being called out like that, and he spoke calmly.
"I would appreciate it if you did not refer to me by that name, Gregory. I am Sicario."
Gregory Marc eyed Sicario with a heavy gaze as he easily caught the meaning behind that new name. It was one of the most ancient languages in the Primordial Expanse, and its translation meant ’Vengeance ’. Gregory hummed as he spoke.
"A fitting name for a broken man, I suppose."
Sicario’s fist tightened, and his eyes narrowed angrily, but Gregory didn’t care about his reaction as he continued stroking his sister’s head gently.
"Tell me what you’ve come for. The appointed time has not yet arrived, so you should not be here."
Gregory and Sicario had passed messages between themselves many times in the past, and they had been coming up with a plan to see both of their dreams fulfilled. But Gregory did not think it was necessary for them to meet face to face since it would not affect their plans. The fact that Sicario was here meant that there was something far more serious happening that they could only discuss in person. Sicario thought for a few seconds before he said:
"The balance has not tilted enough for things to align yet. We’ve been moving pieces around the board to cause disruptions in the natural order, but from our calculations, it will not be enough to weaken the celestial."
Gregory hummed.
"You want more."
It was not a question, but rather a statement, and Sicario did not see a reason to respond since Gregory already understood. Right now, Sicario and Gregory were talking about the plans that they had been putting in motion for close to two decades now. Things had already started to fall into place, but before they could truly begin their plans, they needed to create a disruption in the natural order of the world to make sure that their one and only attempt would turn out perfectly.
Gregory finally turned and spoke to his sister.
"Give him the Key and the location."
Melissa opened her eyes, and she looked up at Gregory curiously.
"Are you sure, brother? Were you not saving it for a special moment?"
Gregory nodded, and he looked towards Sicario with a calm gaze as he spoke.
"I was saving it, but I believe this is the moment we must use it. Sicario has shown his sincerity by coming here to speak to me in this manner, so it is only right that we show our sincerity in return. Give him the location as well as an ideal path towards it, and grant him the protection he needs to make sure he does not fall victim. I am sure that he will not let us down after we have given him so much. Am I right, Sicario?"
Sicario bowed his head slightly in agreement. In truth, Sicario did not like this alliance. Sicario knew that Gregory and Melissa were far more deadly than anyone he had ever met, and if Sicario had a choice, he would rather not be in business with them at all! But Sicario also knew that these two were his best shot at obtaining his vengeance. He did not have the strength needed to change the world on his own, but Gregory did, and if Sicario had to work with the devil himself just to achieve his goals, then Sicario would do it every single time!
Melissa turned after listening to Gregory, and she eyed Sicario with an intensity that was different from all her other looks. It seemed like she was almost weighing his worth, and Sicario waited patiently for her to finish. After a few seconds, it looked like she finally found what she had been looking for, and she nodded before getting up and giving Gregory a deep hug and a soft kiss on the cheek.
"I shall return soon, dear brother."
Once again, Sicario felt like he was looking at something he should not be witnessing, but he ignored the strange relationship between the siblings and waited until Melissa told him to follow her before he turned to leave. But just before Sicario could leave the room, he heard Gregory call his name.
"Sicario."
Sicario turned around and gave Gregory his attention, and Gregory raised a finger towards him and spoke in a raspy voice filled with dangerous power.
"You may do whatever you want to the rest of the Primordial Expanse. But the youngest is mine to do with as I wish. If you should encounter him, ensure his life is preserved."
Sicario looked into the deep, deadly gaze of Gregory, and he tried to understand just how twisted his entire family was. From what Sicario had seen between Gregory and Melissa, Sicario knew that they had a great amount of love for one another. But at the same time, it seemed that Gregory had a deep-seated hatred for the rest of his family, and the only other person he had any interest in was the youngest son of his father, Jason Marc.
Gregory had specifically told Sicario to make sure Jason’s life was preserved, and that was the reason why Sicario had gone to support Jason when he was fighting against the [Beast of the Apocalypse]. Sicario had his own reasons for joining that battle as well, but Sicario had a feeling that Jason could have died in that battle, and Sicario couldn’t let that happen no matter what.
But even though Gregory seemed to care about Jason’s life, Sicario couldn’t feel any warmth from Gregory towards Jason. It was almost like the only reason Gregory cared about Jason was because Gregory wanted to be the one to put the knife into Jason’s back himself! It was a twisted family relationship, but Sicario was not interested in trying to figure it out. The only reason Sicario was involved with this family was to achieve his own goals, and Sicario didn’t care who he had to sacrifice in order to reach those goals!
"I understand."
Sicario gave Gregory a nod while saying this, and Gregory hummed in acceptance as Sicario finally left the room.