[IMPORTANT ENCOUNTER]

Leon:(image)

???: Look, I’m just trying to find my son.

Leon: ah, finding Nemo

Aaaaahh yes

???: * S L A P *

Leon: dang bro, just trying to make a joke...

???:

Leon: neither will I, my grandfather is trying to kill me because he’s a racist f**k...

But on the other hand my great uncle and clone are on my side, and I am part cardboard, and my mother is part cardboard as well-

???: I can help you with that-

Leon: thanks but no, your gonna kill yourself

???: Oh really?

Leon: yes.

???: Hello-

Leon: AAAAAAAAA-

*rui intensifies*

???: Uh..

Leon: oh wait I wasn’t punching anything-

???: Who the HECC-

Leon: *confused*

???: First of all who are you, and second of all, where am I?!

Leon: I’m not gonna tell you

And I don’t know where you are

???: That is yesn’t an answer.

Leon: I know.

???: Well frick.

Leon: plus you need to go find your son in that weird dentist office-

???: ...where are you, Adam...

Leon: the Adam is dead

???: W H A T ? ! It was the Y U Z U .

Leon: YES! HE DIED!

???: *shoots Leon* YESN’T.

Leon: * w h e e z e *

???: How are you not dead.

Leon: bcuz

???: .-.

Ehlfen: .......h-hello?
*he pulls out his scythe*

Jace: Grr...

Ehlfen: *he points to Adam's body on the ground*
I know it hurts. It really does.
But there's hope for him.
*he shows Jace Adam's soul*

Jace: ........

Ehlfen: It had to be done. You'll thank me soon enough...

Jace: .......................

Ehlfen: *he puts his hand on Jace's shoulder*
I'm sorry, Jace...forgive me for that...
...he's actually a friend of mine, and I just wanted to help.
Now where'd Adam go...
*he looks around for Adam*

Adam: I’m right here, idiot.

Ehlfen: ...I'm so sorry, Adam...
*he hands him the soul*
This should bring you back to life...
*he puts away his scythe*

Adam: *comes bacc* I AM BACKETH!

Ehlfen: *he hugs Adam*

Adam: T a k e o f f t h e m a s k .

Ehlfen: *he walks by Adam, trying to avoid the question*
I p-promise that it's a nice p-place, Jace! You'll see...
...
*he starts humming the Beatles song "Martha My Dear"*

Adam: W A I T

Ehlfen: *he stops humming*
...hm...?

(Oh boy it’s game theory time.)

Adam: *inhales* According to my music knowledge that song is “Martha My Dear”. And you also said you have a child to protect, R I G H T ?

(lol yes)

Ehlfen: ........that's correct...

Adam: So, Ehlfen, or should I say... CHRISTOPHER.

Chris: ....I...um...
*he slightly nods his head*

Adam: *rips the mask off of him*

Chris: *he turns away from Adam*
.......sorry.

Jace: W h o ?

Ehlfen: Oh, some ghost I met named Adam. He's dead and his soul was taken by the guy I'm looking for.
Do you know him...?

Jace: Yes. He’s my s o n .

Ehlfen: Wait, really?
I just saw him earlier...
If I would've known he was your son I'd have tried to help bring him to you.
...Oh and about the "dead" part...I've been trying to help bring him back to life.
...I know who we need to find...

Adam: *appears* Hey I brought my so- ..........

Jace; .......

Ehlfen: .........Um...
Well that was unexpected...
Adam. I think Jace over here wants to talk with you...
*he tries to smile but his mask covers his face*

Jace: Kid? Is that really you...?

Adam: F-Father...?

Ehlfen: Yeah, It's him, Jace...
...he's a bit different but I can fix that. For now, I'm happy to reunite you two...

Adam: *hugs his father* ..........

Ehlfen: *he seems to be happy, even though his mask hides his face*

Adam: Possibly...

Chris: *he seems nervous yet enthusiastic about the idea*...maybe all he wants is somebody to care for him...and he just needs to be freed from the centuries of hatred and despair which were brought upon him when he was cursed all those years ago!
...That has to be it!
Just enough to get Martha's soul back...

Adam: Chris! Your a genius!

Chris: ...too bad he's such an unforgivable piece of sh*t.
I don't even have a bit of sympathy left for him...
*he jots something down on a small notebook*
I must find someone who cares for him...that's the next step...
...I'll have to learn more about his past for that...
Ah, well. Thanks for the idea though!

Adam: Oh, of course.

Chris: *he smiles*
...This idea seems flawless...
*he puts his mask on, pulls his hood over his head, and grabs an old journal off of the bookshelf*
I'm feeling inspired...I'm going to go find out more...
...Make sure my daughter stays safe, Adam and Jace.
*he opens the door to leave the house*

Jace: With all of my power.

Adam: Dad, he’s already gone.

Jace: Oh right-

(I'm gonna go to sleep, goodnight man! I just got a new idea for an OC that I'll probably start drawing tomorrow...they're gonna be very important :D)

(Okay, gn!)

Jace: Adam...

Ehlfen: So much has happened here to Adam...
...but I'm sure things will turn for the better...
Hopefully, that is.

Jace: Well, I’m here now!

Adam: But how tho...

Ehlfen: Yeah, how are you...
...alive...?

Jace: Well... it seems I had a bit of life left inside of me when your ex shot me, Adam.

Adam: Wha-

Ehlfen: Oh...you survived the shot, didn't you...
I heard about your story from a friend. I'm glad you decided to return to find Adam.

Jace: Yep, and I continued my job as an assassin. Until I got this one job, to investigate what is inside some portal a person found.

Ehlfen: Hmmm...well, I I've seen someone come from a portal before...
...they really seemed confused.
So you did too?
I wonder why these portals are here...

Adam: Right.

Ehlfen: So...Adam...
...I was looking for you before I met with your father. I wanted to show you something...

Adam: Hmm?

Ehlfen: *he holds out Adam's soul*
...I had an encounter with Samuel...er, Sir Soul...

Adam:

Ehlfen: ...some demon boy helped me fight him, and I thought I stole Ma- I mean, I thought I stole my wife's soul back from him...but it turns out it was yours.

...Now you just have to escape that body...
*he pulls out his scythe*

Adam: A-

Jace: ADAM!

Ehlfen: I don't want to hurt you...just, let's make this quick...
*his face goes dark*
...and I still remember how fast you killed her...
*he swings the scythe at Adam as hard as he can*

Adam: Killed who- *d e d*

Ehlfen: ....*he wipes his scythe with a cloth*
Ahem. Sorry you had to see that, Jace.
Trust me it'll be for the better.

Jace: YOU MONSTER! *pulls out his pistol*

Ehlfen: Oh, Jace. I'm doing it for Adam...to help him.
....Though I must admit I took full enjoyment in killing him...it just helped me overcome what I saw him do to me earlier.
Don't make me have to hurt you...my scythe can take the soul of whomever it kills...

Adam: ........

Ehlfen: .........what about your son, Adam...?
*he picks up his scythe and puts it away*
...Is he ok...?

Adam: Oh, he’s still trapped somewhere... no idea where...

Jace: You had a son?

Ehlfen: Oh...
And yeah, apparently, he has a son...I overheard about that sometime in the past...
...I don't know much about him, however.

Jace: Oh wow.

Ehlfen: Do you guys want to head home? I'm sure the castle will welcome your dad, Adam.
But not me, because I'm just a simple peasant. They wouldn't let me near the castle grounds...
*his voice seems oddly familiar to Adam...*

Adam: *gets a sick idea* Hey... what is under that mask?

Ehlfen: .........it's just my...face...
Nothing important...*he brushes his hair out of his eyes a bit, revealing more of the puppeteer mask*
...the mask hides my identity...

Adam: Then why the heck do you sound like me?!

Ehlfen: Sound like...you....?
...m-maybe the mask muffles my voice a bit?
*his hair seems to be similar to someone Adam's met before...*
...W-we should just go to the castle now...
*he begins to walk towards the castle*

Adam: Well... Dust would freak out... so would the others... can we stay with you for a while? You may need some company.

Jace: Who’s Dust-

Chris: ....Dust is the king of this Kingdom, Jace. There's a lot of people that Adam has met since you last saw him, it would take a while to explain it all. And Adam, Thanks for the offer...I'd be glad to have you guys stay over! I could use the company...

Adam: Great.

Chris: *he walks toward the village*
I live over there in Tranquilville...you know, Adam.
This place was where my parents went into hiding all those years ago...
...and where I met Martha...*sigh*
Memories...
Just follow my lead, Jace.

*Both Adam and Jace follow Chris*

Chris: *they walk past the pearly white fountain and head towards the secluded building nearby*
We're here, guys. *he opens the door to the small house, which is lit up by a small fireplace*
I hope y'all find it nice here...I still try my best to keep the place cozy and welcoming! *he smiles warmly*

Jace: I must say, you have I nice place.

Chris: Thanks, sir. Please, make yourselves at home. *he sits on the couch by the fireplace, where his child is sleeping*
Shhh...*he picks up the child and holds her gently*
I'm still so young, and I don't know if I'm fully capable of being an amazing father for her...but I'm going to try my best...
...You two have been dads for longer than I have, I assume.

Adam: I guess.

Jace: Mhm.

Chris: Ok, so...I'm interested in hearing about how you had a son, Adam. Don't you think you're a bit young?
I mean, I'm also very young. But I just am curious to know.
It also seems your father doesn't know about your son yet either-

Adam: Oh hi-

Ehlfen: Hey, Adam.
...see, Jace? I needed to kill him in order to bring him back to life.
I should've explained before I did that so brutally...sorry about that...
...I don't know why I reacted so harshly...

Jace: I am alive, why the heck would you need to kill me?

Ehlfen: I said I would hurt you if you attacked me...
...again, I'm so sorry...I...just overreacted over a past event...
I really didn't mean to-
*sigh*
...*he readjusts his mask*

Jace: I DIDN’T ATTACK YOU!

Ehlfen: ...........you pulled your gun out and I got scared...
...I know I don't deserve to be forgiven...I just...
....
...
What have I become.....*he drops his scythe to the ground*
You didn't deserve to be treated the way I treated you, Jace. I...
...............I just can't get her out of my head...

Jace: ...no... My beloved died too.

Ehlfen: ...That's why I'm sorry...you don't deserve what I did here, you've already lost much more than you should.
......I just know that if I perish, there will be nobody left to protect my child...

Jace: .....

Ehlfen: ...I'm just glad that I got to help you two, even if you won't forgive me. I did it poorly, but I did it nonetheless. I'm sure your friends will be happy to see you again, Adam!
...Especially Cherry...

Adam: Why... THE HECK.

Chris: ...I w-wanted to help you...

Adam: By hiding yourself?

Chris: ..........I'm not hiding Chris.
I'm hiding Ehlfen.
...
Christopher Ehlfen.
...it's why Sir Soul made you possess Martha...
*his eyes turn watery when he says her name*

Adam: ... *hugs chris*

Chris: *hugs him back*
Sir Soul wants my family dead...
...by forcing you to possess her, he not only obtained her soul but also made it so you had to kill her to escape...and now he's trying to murder me and my child...
*a tear runs down his cheek*
I just wanted to raise my family with Martha in peace...

Adam: I’m sure that you can save your family.

Chris: ...I hope so...
...I just need to kick Sir Soul's a*s once more...and I'll find his weakness soon, I hope...
to rescue Martha...
...*sigh*...that's enough about me...
I'm so glad you're alive again, Adam.
*he smiles a bit*

Adam: Well then...

Chris: We should head to the castle to let the others know you're alive!
Unless your father has other plans.

Adam: I do NOT want to talk about that.

Chris: Oh, I'm sorry...I just thought it was relevant...but I guess I lack proper judgment.
*he rests the baby on the couch in a blanket*
Hey, while you're here, I can show you a secret that nobody knows about me and Martha...
...as long as you won't let anyone untrustworthy know of it.

Adam: ...

Chris: ...*he walks to a bookshelf and turns a small knob hidden behind a book*
Hopefully it still works...
*a small opening to a dark stairwell opens up on one of the walls*
....just as it was supposed to. *he walks down the stairs into the dark corridor*
...

Adam: *walks downstairs*

Chris: *opens a door at the end of the stairwell*
.....okay....I haven't been down here in a long time....but it'll explain more of my family's situation.
*he walks in a small room with Adam, which is split into two sections, one has a engraving which says "EHLFEN" and the other side says "MAJISHION".
Okay...this here is my family's refuge. Me and Martha are the last left of our kind...and that's why we've gone into hiding...

Adam: What do you mean “Your kind”?

Chris: Oh...yeah. We might seem as if we are just ordinary peasants who live a simple life.
But we're not exactly mortals...and that's why we were hunted by people like Sir Soul. Our families, mine being the Ehlfen family and hers being the Majishion family, harnessed magical abilities. Her ancestors comprised of wizards and mine of forest elven. However, the world we live in has shot down all people who have any sort of magic in their genetics, leaving just us and our daughter now.
...It's quite a mess of information, I know it might be confusing...
But yeah...

Adam: ...strange...

Chris: It's very strange. But you're the only one who knows, and it doesn't matter that much. as long as Sir Soul doesn't find me I'll be fine.
...A bunch of the magical equipment and potions that I sold in my shop came from here as well, as Martha knew how to create many different types of them. I still have a bunch...but I don't sell them anymore, really.
...so that's a bit of my history...though I really want to be just a normal person, without this stupid mess that I was born into...*sigh*...I guess it must all be for a reason.
.......let's go back up...
*he walks to the stairwell again*

???: Hello.

Ehlfen: W-who are you....?
I'm looking for someone...and...
...

Jace: My name is Jace Smith. I am looking for my son.

Ehlfen: Ah, I see. My name is Ehlfen...I personally am searching for the soul of my wife, which was stolen by some maniac...
...*he puts the scythe away*
And I'm also trying to keep my family from being wiped from the face of the earth by the same man....

Jace: Ah, okay then.

Ehlfen: I mean, I won't tell you my real name...
...So, your son's gone missing?
What happened to him...?

Jace: It’s a long story...

Ehlfen: ok...
...You seem genuine...
By the way, have you seen anyone named "Sir Samuel Soul"?
I desperately need to find him...

Jace: I just got here... I know nothing.

Ehlfen: Ah, ok.
I promised to help some guy named Adam get his soul back-
*he looks around*
Ah, damn it, he's gone. Anyway, yeah....
...Is there a way I could help you...?

Adam: ... *goes back up*

Chris: ...what do you think Sir Soul's weakness could be...?
He seems like such a cold and emotionless being, it would be almost impossible to find one though...
...Nevermind, you don't need to worry about that. It's my problem to fix, not yours. You have much more important matters to attend to.
...So, Adam, do you know what happened with that Yuzu girl? The last I heard of her was when Sir Soul conveniently snatched your soul from her, and he almost decided to crush you permanently.

Adam: Oh, I Uh, she actually wasn’t really in control of her own body.

Chris: Oh, really? So how is she now...?
...And what was controlling her...?

Adam: Her own dark side.

Chris: .....oh.....dang...
It seems everyone has that dark part of them that tries to take over sometimes...yet I wasn't aware it could completely overthrow one's conscience.
...How'd she overcome it...?

Adam: My help.

Chris: ...You helped her...?
I mean, since all she wanted was you...you are really to only one who could help her overcome that.
...But how could you get yourself to do that?
She wanted to crush your soul...

Adam: Because I knew that it wasn’t the Yuzu that I knew, so with the magic I had left inside of my body I decided to use the last of it to send Yuzu’s dark side to the void, keeping it there forever.

Chris: ....oh wow...
So you don't have any magic left now. But you saved her...
...You really do have a kind soul.
..........Hmm...that gives me an idea...
You still being able to care for Yuzu despite all she had done is what led to her being rescued...even if you had to sacrifice your abilities.
...
What if Sir Soul's weakness is similar...?