There's water everywhere. Endless.

But I am not drowning. I can breathe.

This... is it a dream? Most likely...

Who is this next to me? He looks like me. But not me.

He is just somehow familiar.

Wait! Where are you going?

I...I want to go with you!

...

Anciel awoke suddenly, a bit sweaty and cold. He realized he was grabbing on to something. A head? Blond puffy hair under his palm.

“Hello?” a familiar smile greeted him.

“Label? You are awake!” Anciel hugged him tightly.

“Hey, slow down, hahaha!” the blond fellow was hurting a bit from the hug since he was bruised and bandaged all over.

“I-I-I......” the boy was so happy he didn't know where to start.

“Yo, tell me something. It's important. Where's Marco? Is he alright?” Label obviously also awoke just now.

“Yes, he's not hurt, although he's quite shaken with what happened to you guys,” Anciel was saying when he was interrupted by a knock on the door.

“May I come in?” Father Ferguson let himself into the room, dressed in a different attire than usual. “Oh, up already? It seems you really like it here at our humble nursery,” he came closer.

“Hi. Yeah, kinda..” Label managed an awkward smile.

Anciel suddenly stood up “I better hurry then and—”

“Stay. I insist,” he looked at him a bit differently now and his voice wasn't as gentle as usual.

Anciel sat down, not really happy, but he figured it would be even worse if he tried to force his way out.

Label looked at one and then the other with a confused look on his face. The last time he saw them together everything was fine.

“Ehh.... by the way, how did I get here?” he scratched the back of his head.

Ferguson looked at both of them seriously, then his gaze shifted to the storm that raged outside of the church window.

“Yesterday evening…you were brought to the church…”

* * *

A hard knock on the door woke up the man. Ferguson heard hurried steps going down the staircase.

“Merlotta! Wait!” he yelled as he put his coat on, “Let me get that.”

The sister stopped, then moved out of the way. More knocks could be heard as he was passing her and going toward the entrance. As he opened the large wooden door, he saw a small silhouette in front of the church.

A flash of lightning revealed a girl with a mask of the fox holding a blond unconscious boy. He was bruised and bleeding.

“Marcus…” Ferguson pointed his right hand toward the girl.

“Moi wouldn’t do that,” the girl said in a completely calm tone, then adding, “Also…we both know the boy’s name is not Marcus, but Label.”

“How do you know that?”

“Moi knows a lot.”

“I’m trying to discourage him from using it, though. It’s not a name to be taken lightly.”

“Oh…toi has no idea how right toi is.”

“Who are you?” the man eyed her suspiciously, “Did you do that to him?”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Toi has little faith for a priest,” she chuckled under the mask.

“Moi is bringing Label to toi, along with a message.”

“What kind of message?” Ferguson asked, taking the boy off of her small arms and wanted to bring him inside for treatment, but the girl grabbed his sleeve.

“He will be alright. He is not a normal boy.”

Ferguson stopped for a moment but decided to give Label to Merlotta, who was behind him.

“Take care of him. I’ll be right there,” he said to her and the nun left carrying the injured boy, while Ferguson turned back to the mysterious girl. She took a step closer toward the entrance.

“Listen well…and make sure to let the boys know…”

“The boys?” Ferguson lifted an eyebrow.

“Oui, Label and his… friend. They are nomads. They will be hunted.”

“Hunted by whom?”

“The Serpent Forces.”

As he heard the name, Father Ferguson felt a shiver down his spine. It was one name he didn’t want to hear spoken in this village.

“Are you…one of them?” he asked carefully.

The girl nodded.

“Then why should I trust you?”

“Moi has brought Label to toi, did moi not? Besides, toi will understand soon…”

She stepped closer to the man and he felt as if he was inside a shark’s mouth. He was considering whether to try and do something about it. Maybe just close the door for now and think about it later... And yet, as if she read his mind, the girl repeated her warning from before.

“Toi doesn’t want to proceed down that path. Trust me.”

He hesitated, but in the end, decided to hear her out.

“Alright…I’ll listen to what you have to say. I feel that if you really wanted to hurt us, you would have already done so,” he finally relaxed a bit, but her presence was still very overwhelming.

“Label is not an ordinary child.”

“Yes, obviously he’s a—”

“He is not an ordinary nomad either,” she continued in a serious tone.

Ferguson’s brows lifted. He was hearing something he was not familiar with at all. The girl then asked him a question.

“What do you know about the Serpent Forces?”

“They are an elite Emnikatian unit. The rumors say they target nomads specifically, either recruiting them, taking them to Emnikatia as slaves, or… killing them,” he frowned.

“True… but does toi know what our real goal is?”

“Do enlighten me.”

“To find and kill anyone bearing the name…Label.”

A thunder struck and the rain picked up. The storm was lashing out, getting the duo wet from head to toe, but their conversation was more important than any of that. Father Ferguson felt like it was his duty to listen to the girl to the very end. He felt as if giving away that information was an act of mercy on her behalf. Maybe she was a person that for some reason didn’t see eye to eye with the Serpents. Maybe it was the guilt… he couldn’t know, but he did know that what she was saying was of utmost importance.

“Why though?”

“It is not something toi can understand, but moi will try my best to explain.”

He didn’t like that insult but kept on listening anyway.

“The name is not given to the boy. He knows it from birth. That is how moi and the others can recognize him. And it is that boy that needs to die. Every time.”

“What do you mean by ‘every time’ ?”

“Once killed…he will be born again…and again…endlessly.”

“Even if that were true… isn’t it pointless then?”

“Non. If left alone to mature, Label could become…unstoppable. And the Serpents, as well as the Emnikatian King, don’t want that. Maybe nobody wants that, in reality, but a single person in this world.”

“Who is this person?”

“Milenia, the orgriash Queen.”

“Why would she want that?”

The girl turned away, refusing to answer.

“Let moi tell toi this instead… the leader of the Serpent Forces, Anguis… he wants Label dead no matter what it takes.”

“Does he…fear him?”

“Precisely.”

She turned around and started walking away.

“Wait! What’s in it for you? What if I refuse to tell them?”

The girl stopped and turned her head halfway.

“Toi will tell them.”

She then disappeared into the dark.

* * *

“Wow…that is…a lot to take it,” Label’s eyes were wide open as he was chewing on the information he had just heard.

Hunted by murderers and slavers that are the Serpent Forces? Being a target of the whole Emnikatian Kingdom and an orgriash Queen?
Being reborn?

It was a hard pill to swallow.

All of it… because of… a name?
…I hate it.

“I hate it…” he whispered, clutching the bed sheets.

“Label…” Father Ferguson put his hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“Hate is not the answer. Isn’t that right, Anciel?”

The green-eyed boy remained silent.

“I know what you did yesterday. I can’t say I wouldn’t do the same in your shoes,” said Ferguson.

Hearing that, Anciel couldn’t help but look the man in the eyes, curious to hear more.

“Believe it or not, I’m also a nomad, like the two of you.”

Both boys now had their attention on the man.

“Us nomads are not welcome in all parts of the world. Here in this village, we tend to hide our heritage and refrain from using our power.”

“Couldn’t our power help sort out many problems though?” Anciel stood up, spreading his arms.

“Perhaps. But they also bring in new problems with them. Wouldn’t you agree?” the man retorted.

Anciel sat back.

“Listen to me,” Ferguson turned to Label, “Emnikatia knows there are nomads in this village. But the Serpent Forces are looking for you specifically, Label.

You should leave. Not only for your own sake, for my sake, or for the village’s sake…by staying here, you’re endangering your mother, brothers, and sisters… I’m aware it’s not something I should be asking of children like yourselves,” Ferguson’s voice was shaking with guilt.

Label’s head hang and his brows furrowed.

“The orphanage…if I stay, I’m putting them in danger. But what happens when I leave? After all, that girl said I’m a—”

“A nomad? Reincarnation? A god? Embrace it. Get to the bottom of it. Find your strength on the way and fight for what you believe in.
And… if you ever start doubting your path…remember those who believe in you.”

Label’s clouded eyes regained some brightness. He was quiet for a while.

“Label, listen…maybe there is a way,” Anciel put his hand on his friend’s shoulder and told him all about the orgriash he met yesterday. The lynx with the giant sword that offered to teach them both about the Cosmic States and how he was willing to teach them to take control of their powers.

For a boy of his age, Lebel’s reaction was as expected. He was conflicted. He knew what he had to do, but leaving his home was not an easy decision to make.

“I don’t want to go… But I want to protect my family. I want to protect the orphanage,” the blond boy squeezed his fists.

“And this should remain your goal.” Ferguson leaned forward, “Don’t change the way you are just because of something someone told you. Follow your own path in life, and stay true to yourself.”

Label, although with a heavy heart, decided right then and there that he will have to leave his home and find this person. In order to save his family now and in order to be able to protect them once he obtains the strength to do so.