“So what do you mean for me to do?”
I sat outside the door, listening to my father and the other men talking. They were talking about me; not very nice things either. Not that I was surprised. Halfbloods like myself were always looked down on. Lower than humans.

“It will come down to him or you,” one of the other men said, “He’ll become a danger to himself as well as others.”

“What kind of life could he possibly lead anyway?” another added, “Even if you were to leave him here, he’ll find you again.”

“I wont kill my son,” Father said, but I could hear uncertainty in his voice, “I brought this on myself, I’ll accept my punishment for it.”
I knew this was an act, if he’d agreed too easily it would’ve looked even more suspicious. I had known for a long time how ashamed of me my father was. After all, I had the iron band around my throat to prove it – the thing that made it impossible to speak no matter what. Forget speak, it was hard enough to breath; but because this was always covered with a cloak, father would just tell everyone I’d been mute since birth. He didn’t want anyone to know what I really was. Such a shame, then, when my eyes changed colors – turning from iron gray to the color of honey. He couldn’t hide his mistake any longer.

“The price will be your life,” They insisted, “It wont be long before he goes mad like all the rest of them!”

“He’s a child!” Father insisted.

“That doesn’t matter,” they told him, “He’s reached the age when the magic would wake up in him – if he possessed it – instead they’re driven insane by the absence of it! Do not try to argue his case, all Mahnx are the same!” I winced sharply, how I hated that word. Even though I was getting used to being called a filthy halfbreed, it didn’t make me hate the word any less.

“So what do you want me to do?” My father asked again.

“He’s half Rai, isn’t he? The solution should be simple enough.” One of them said, “That race has their hearts contained in glass, making it possible for them to live without it – unless it is broken and completely shattered.”

“He’s my son…”

“He’ll kill you if you don’t kill him first.”

“I know…you’re right.”

***

‘Burning! Something’s…burning!’
There was pain everywhere. Something was burning my throat. Couldn’t scream. Couldn’t breathe. It hurt! I opened my eyes to see my father standing over me; his face was completely expressionless as he held a candle to the metal band around my neck, heating it enough to make it feel like a branding iron. I had heard them talking about cutting my heart out – so what was this – plan B? Beyond the heat there was a kind of cold, hallow feeling in my chest, which I now noticed hurt unbearable as well. So that’s what it was. Father had been afraid that if he went straight for my heart I’d do something to protect it, so he used the candle as a diversion. Before I could attempt to do anything, he reached out and tore my heart from my chest.
I screamed.
I’d never spoken a word in my life and it took me a moment to realize that the sound rupturing from my throat was being made by me. And I couldn’t stop. The sound kept forcing its way out until I felt blood run down my throat.
The sudden disturbance had caught my father off guard and he jumped back from me in alarm, dropping my heart on the ground. It landed with a hard thud and rolled across the floor.
‘Use the knife,&#146 The thought slipped into my mind before I had realized it. I wrapped my hand around the handle of the dagger, still protruding from my chest. ‘I’ll kill him.’
There was a blur where I can’t remember anything that was happening. All I recall was a single scream and the feeling of something being removed from around my throat. My vision cleared and I found myself still holding the dagger and one hand and a strange object in the other. It was a clear glass orb a little larger than my fist. I looked into it and saw a small read heart inside – not an anatomical heart – but the shape of a locket or pendent. It was warm and I could faintly feel it beat through the glass. I knew at once this was my heart that had fallen on the floor, though I couldn’t recall picking it up. I wasn’t sure what to do with it, for my body had a tendency to regenerate inhumanly fast, and the wound in my chest had healed already. To keep it safe, I slipped it into a leather pouch that was hanging from my belt, and as I did I looked down at myself, my clothes.
Blood. I was covered in it. What had I done?
I dropped the dagger from my trembling hands and ran out of the house, not looking back at my father’s body. As soon as I got outside I felt someone grab my arms on both sides. I looked up to see the three men my father had been talking to earlier that evening. Two were holding me, making it impossible to move, and the third – my father’s brother – was glaring at me with disgust, holding out his sword.
“We tried to tell Marcus keeping the boy alive was dangerous, and now see what’s happened?” They were talking about me as if I wasn’t there, even though they were all looking at me with revulsion, “It cost the fool his life!”
I felt the strange presence that had driven me earlier creep back into my consciousness try to take control again, but my captors grip wouldn’t give, even with all my struggling. Despite it having been torn out of me, I suddenly heard my heart beating loudly in my ears, muffling all other sounds.
I felt the tip of my uncle’s blade touch the base of my throat and his voice cut through the noise in my ears.
“I’m going to paint this town crimson with your blood, you filthy halfbreed,” he growled. My heartbeat kept getting louder. “An inhuman monster like you – a blood lusting creature who kills all in its path – such a thing has no excuse to live.”
Louder.
I looked up at him and met his eyes. Softly, my throat still raw and my voice almost nonexistent, I said, “Y’know…the real ones who aren’t human…”
Louder.
“The real one’s who are monsters…”
Louder.
“- ARE YOU!”


      Blackness.

~*~

iSo what if you can see the darkest side of me?
No one will ever change this animal I have become
Help me believe it's not the real me
Somebody help me taim this animal...