I reached for the bedside table and someone handed me a skin. I grabbed it hastily and brought it to my withered lips. The sweet and sour taste of wine chilled me to the bones. I gulped the entire skin in one go. It was refres.h.i.+ng. It felt as though I was drinking life in liquid form. When I drained the skin to the last drop, I turned to look at who handed it to me. 

Omega was sitting on a wooden chair near the bed. His eyebrows were arched, and his forehead heavily creased. He seemed troubled, and angry. 

"You're an idiot," he said as he took the skin back from me. "You can't tell the difference in power between you and the others, can you?" 

I shook my head. 

"I want you to lie on your back now," he said. "Follow my instructions. Maybe this would help you understand the extent of your folly." 

I closed my eyes and lay on the bed. Omega asked me to breathe steadily and focus on my core. "You're only alive because of what you'd done to reinforce your core," he said. "Take a look at it now." 

I followed my conduits toward the now familiar marble that is my core. To my dismay, I found out that it had shrunk. It was now smaller than a grain of rice. On closer inspection, my conduits seemed to be suffering too. They looked on the verge of collapse. 

"Don't ever try something as foolish again!" Omega snapped. His voice made me shudder. "You're an ant. And you tried to lift a mountain?! You're now closer to death than you've ever been. You're collapsing. Soon, your soul will crack. You'll be a walking bundle of Fragments, alive but dead at the same time. Can you imagine how agonizing that is?" 

I silently nodded.

"I don't think you do," Omega said, shaking his head. "As we speak, you're hours away from becoming your mother." 

My heart skipped a beat. "You know what happened to her?" I asked. 

"Her soul collapsed," Omega replied. "We call it Decay. It's an illness even G.o.ds can suffer from. You'll soon experience pain you never thought existed." 

"Is there a cure?" I asked. My heart was pounding against my ears. I knew there wasn't. I just hoped a powerful being like Omega would know something everybody else didn't.

"I could save you, before it's too late," Omega said. 

I could already taste bitterness at the back of my mouth. I brought this onto myself, might as well deal with it. "It won't be for free, will it?"

"Of course not. I'd honor our agreement, naturally. I'd still teach you if that's what you're worried about." Omega was grinning from ear to ear. 

"You want Stalwart's location," I said. I winced. Sharp pain pierced through my bones. It felt like they were breaking into smaller pieces. I inspected my limbs but they were still intact. 

"You're running out of time, boy," Omega said in a calm tone. "Give me what I want. I'll save your life and still help you become stronger. Decide now, before it's too late." 

Pain flattened me on the bed. Thousands of lightning bolts shot through my brain. My limbs stiffened, and my heart stopped for a brief moment. My conduits were already deflating. I felt weaker than I've ever been before. 

"In... the Fragment..." I said with extreme difficulty. "He's... prisoner there... find... him... flake!" The pain intensified, and I couldn't utter another word. 

"Hang in there, will you?" Omega said then stood. "I'll save your life after I get my prisoner." 

I screamed but only m.u.f.fled groans came out. Omega let out a mocking "humph!" then left the room. I tried to call out to him, beg him to wait. He could have at least eased my suffering. 

I don't know how much time had pa.s.sed, but it was the longest, most agonizing time of my life. How did my mother manage to live through this? And to think we looked down on her as a weak woman...

It was all I could do to divert my mind from the pain. I drifted back to a time when our house was still a joyous one. Father was an aspiring hunter. Mother was still strong. She was pregnant with Lyanna at the time. Perhaps that was what broke her back then.

I guess I really didn't know anything about my parents. 

My body stiffened once more and my heart stopped for a second. I felt death brush near me, almost felt its cold kiss on my burning skin. I was drenched in sweat, and my body was pulsating uncontrollably. I gritted my teeth as more pain shot through my bones. Even if I wanted to give in, I didn't know how to. There was only suffering with no end in sight. 

I groaned every time those hateful lightning bolts scattered through my brain. It was agonizing. I found myself wis.h.i.+ng for death, although it was the last thing I ever wanted. I'd finally found a master who would help me become as powerful as my grandfather. 

Why did I feel the urge to show off? 

The door to my room creaked opened. I struggled to look up, hoping it would be Omega. I was dismayed to find the maid's head peeking through the gap. 

"You're dying," she said. She timidly approached me. "Do you want me to ease your suffering? I can do it you know." 

When she got closer, I saw that her face was contorted. Her shoulders shook terribly. She looked troubled, sad and angry at the same time. "Master Omega would leave us alone then," she said with a trembling voice. 

Then I noticed the kitchen knife she was holding. My eye darted from her to the knife. I tried to shake my head, but pain flattened me to the bed once more. 

"Death would be better than this, wouldn't you agree?" she asked, wincing as I groaned. "I'll make it quick. I promise. One swift slicing motion, like I usually do with the sheep."

She leaned in toward me and looked me straight in the eye. "Blink, and I'll end you here and now. Master Omega won't miss you. Believe me." 

My heart pounded against my chest. I could feel my brain pulsating too. My heart would beat once, then my brain would immediately follow. Every beat could cause me to wince, to blink…

The psychotic maid stared at me with her wide, hazelnut eyes. "All you have to do is blink," she said in a soft, inviting voice. 

Lightning bolts flashed through my brain. I repressed a groan. I concentrated on my eye. I had to keep the d.a.m.n thing open. I felt it itch from the inside. Tears welled up in my eye. It felt like my body agreed with the maid too. Death would be better than this…

I directed my entire willpower into two tasks, each one more difficult than the other; suppress the pain and keep my f.u.c.king eye open! 

The maid got closer still. I could feel her warm breath against my neck. She smelled of flour and fresh baked bread. Her full lips brushed against my left ear. 

"Blink!" she whispered. "It's not hard. Just relax your eyelids. Let me show you." 

She brought her fat fingers toward me. I tried to get away from her, but my suffering had reached unprecedented levels then. I groaned and closed my eye. My back arched, then my body started convulsing. 

"What's happening here?" I heard Omega's voice right before I lost all control.