I wake up in the morning, not even fully remembering falling asleep. I turn to my side and see Nis sleeping next to me, soundly in the bed. I smile and look up at the ceiling. Today is the twenty-second of December, and I still owe fourteen million and nine hundred thousand.

Maybe the Patron can help me out with a few million today, but there's no telling how much that will cost me. I look over at Nis again and get up, making my way over to the door. She shifts in her sleep and mumbles something about her father leaving. I pause and look over at her. I thought she didn't know her parents.

I gently close the door and walk down the steps, arriving in the shop as the sun starts to rise. I look around for Mr. Giles; I suppose he isn't up yet. I bundle up and step outside. The streets are surprisingly empty; the last week of Christmas shoppers aren't even up yet. I enjoy the peaceful walk, deciding to take the long way around (Just to avoid a certain shop). I pass by the doctor's office, looking at the spot where I met Nis last week, although it feels now like a lifetime ago.

I glance over to the edge of town and smile, changing directions, heading on the main path. The mountain air this time of winter feels so relaxing. I stand at the precipice of the mountain, looking over the vast snowy plains. I look down, staring at the patch of roses at the bottom of the mountain; they're withered and crushed by the snow, but even in death, they hold a certain beauty.

I hear the crunch of snow behind me, and an unfamiliar voice speaks up behind me. It's sweet and soft, reminding me of my mother's own voice.

"Winter is my favorite season to come out to the edge here," The voice says.

I turn around and see a middle-aged woman with silky black hair and bright lavender eyes. She wears a white kimono, bringing out the natural hue of her eyes and hair. She smiles and approaches me, bowing slightly.

"Yeah, same, the mountain air is the best around this time," I respond.

"Yes, my name is Anshi. May I ask what yours is?" Anshi asks.

"Kyne, nice to meet you," I respond, holding my hand out. She smiles and takes it with a light shake.

She stands at the edge of the mountain with me, and a comfortable silence washes over us as the wind blows gracefully through the air. She takes a deep breath in and closes her eyes, enjoying the cool breeze.

She sighs and looks over at me, placing her hand on my shoulder and looking into my eyes with what can only be described as a mother's gaze, one filled with affection and care, the kind of look that tells you everything is going to be okay.

"Kyne, I feel a terrible weight has been put on you. It's okay to feel overwhelmed. Whenever you feel like the world is crashing down on you, take a moment to look at the sights like this," She says softly, extending her arm out as the breeze seems to follow it, kicking up snow across the horizon.

"How do you know? About the weight, I mean?" I ask.

"Those who walk on the same path can sense one of their own," She gives me a small smile.

"I see. What's weighing you down?" I ask.

She frowns and brushes off a spot on the ground. Sitting down, she looks up at me and pats the spot next to her. I join her, keeping a respectable distance away from her.

"I recently became a widow. I lost my husband a few days ago, just before Christmas; he was all I had left," She says solemnly.

"I'm so sorry for your loss," I respond, and she smiles at me and shakes her head.

"It'll be okay. Who did you lose?" She asks.

I open my mouth to respond "nobody", but before I can respond, flashes of Zahla leaving enter my mind, a tight gripping feeling takes hold of my heart, and before I know it, the tears are already falling from my eyes. Anshi smiles and nods, leaning over and hugging me before allowing me to continue.

"Someone I didn't know how much she meant to me, until she was already gone," I respond.

"A lover?" She asks.

"Kind of, it's complicated," I respond, not sure how to explain it.

"Love is complicated," She responds, laughing.

"I guess that's true," I laugh along with her.

"So, why come out here?" She asks me.

"I'm not sure, I just wanted to see the mountains, they're beautiful. What about you, for the same reason?" I ask.

"No, I was originally planning to end my life," She says, matter-of-factly.

My heart drops in my chest. How do I even respond to something like that? That was so sudden, I stammered a bit, not knowing what to say. Instead, I just look at the ground, whispering.

"I'm sorry to hear that," I say, quietly.

"I don't feel that way anymore. You have a sort of calming feeling. Talking with you makes me feel better. Sorry that I disturbed you," She says.

"It's okay, I always enjoy a bit of conversation," I respond.

"Will you stay a bit longer then? I don't want to be alone right now," She says, her eyes pleading and tired.

I nod and look over the mountain with her. We sit in silence, not wanting to break the moment. The wind picks up slightly, and Anshi sighs once more, wiping her clothing and standing up, offering me a hand. I take it and stand.

"Thank you, Kyne," She says, kissing my cheek before continuing.

"You're a good man, never forget that," She bows once more and walks away.

"Goodbye, Anshi," I respond.

I touch the spot she kissed, it's cold but strangely warm. I watch as she disappears into the snow, the wind following behind her, howling. For some reason, her words make me think of Mr. Giles and the Patron. Yes, to protect Nis, and for my own humanity, I have to keep being a good man. Murder is wrong, no matter how you justify it. I refuse to take a human life.

I clench the snow in my hand and nod, that's another promise to myself I must keep, my humanity. I step back into the snowy street, walking towards Sinbad Park, where I know the Patron must be waiting for me. I look towards the street Anshi took and for a moment debate with myself if it's worth chasing after her. I shake my head and carry on. I have my own problems to focus on.

I arrive at the park and see the Patron throwing bread crumbs on the ground. There are no birds around, but he continues to toss the crumbs rhythmically. I approach him and he gently nods, acknowledging my presence but not saying anything to me. It seems all the light has been drained from his eyes.

"Hey, what are you doing?" I ask.

"Feeding the birds," He says.

"There aren't any birds," I say, looking around.

"I know, isn't it sad? Even the birds don't come here anymore, and the snow is so filthy. What a horrible park this is. I never understood why Sylna took you here as a kid," He says.

I raise my eyebrow. Suddenly, the memories come flooding back. That's right, the man I see before me is her brother, my mother's brother, which makes the Patron my very own uncle. I stand there in shock for a moment before taking a seat.

"I had forgotten about you," I say, solemnly.

"That's okay, Buddy. You've always had a problem with memory, must be your brain's way of defending you," He looks over and offers a sad smile.

"What happened to you? Are you...in the mood to talk?" I ask, careful not to drive him away.

"Yeah, sure, ask your questions," He says.

"I have a lot, but I guess the thing on my mind the most is this debt. How come my parents left me so much debt? How'd they acquire so much?" I ask.

"We were kids back then, your parents and I. The Organization was just taking off, and your father Zirk didn't want any part of it; neither did Sylna, of course, but since she was my sister, she'd always get dragged in." The Patron rips off a chunk of bread and stares down at it.

"And then?" I ask, digging deeper.

"As I grew older, I understood the ways of the Organization, so I started selling off their supplies. I got a lot of money, but they found out that I owed them all back, so...I ran away. They were furious, and eventually, Mary ordered the capture and death of me. After your parents refused to give me up, they shifted my debt to your parents, and executed them so the debt would fall to you, all in hopes of finding me," He says, crushing the bread in his hand.

I take a moment to process this. Technically, this is all his fault; this debt is his own, so he should be paying for it, not me. I take a deep breath and sigh. No, this is the Organization's fault; they're pure evil, no question about that. Even so...

"Why do you put me through all this pain then?" I ask.

"It's necessary, it'll make you grow stronger and able to do what needs to be done," He responds.

"What needs to be done?" I ask.

The Patron stares up at the sky, watching the snow fall, his eyes fill with tears and cascade over his eyelids, he turns to me, his soft orange eyes glinting in the teary mix.

"We're going to be going our separate ways pretty soon. I hope you learn to take action and do what needs to be done," He says.

Before I can speak another word, he sets down two briefcases, one of which has an image of a finger, and the other is blank. I stare for a moment as I wait for him to say something. After an uncomfortably long, eerie silence, I speak up.

"What?" I ask.

"Pick one, nine hundred thousand and no cost, or nine million and chop off one of your fingers," He says.

Nine million is extremely tempting, and I could always chop off a pinky finger, but then again...no, I can't do that. Nis worries about me enough as it is. If I came back missing a finger, she would be heartbroken. I should try to avoid noticeable disfigurements like that.

"I'll take the nine hundred thousand," I say.

The Patron looks at me, and a brief smile spreads across his face, not a cruel or sick smile, but instead one of warmth and what seems to be relief. He nods and hands over the suitcase with the nine hundred thousand. I stand up to walk away, but he grabs my wrist and looks up at me with a haunting expression.

"Listen, Buddy. No matter what they make you do, don't end up like me. I lost my humanity ages ago, but you're still pure. Keep yourself and Nis out of trouble, or I won't be just asking for your body parts, I'll be taking them by force, got it?" He stares at me with a look that digs deep into my soul.

"Yeah, I got it..." I say, shuddering.

He nods and lets go of my hand, and stands up, and without speaking another word, he walks off. I linger in the park a while longer, processing the information he left with me. It seems like his personality shifts on a dime. God only knows what that man is thinking.

I look down at the suitcase and nod to myself, slowly but surely, I'm getting to my total goal, and then I'll finally be free. As I start the walk back, I look over to the street Anshi took and the street that leads to my place. Nis and Mr. Giles are probably already waiting for me, even if it is early.

I take a few steps on the street that Anshi took and stop. What am I even doing? I have a family to get home to. This isn't important to me. I take another step. This is tempting fate; who knows what I'll discover down this road.

"Never walk down an unfamiliar pathway; stay out of trouble."

Those words echo in my head. Someone told me that when I was younger, but who? I take another step, the snow picking up as I continue. The memory starts to surface again. That's right, it was my mother who said that. I was walking home one day from school, and I got lost, so she was scolding me.

"Kyne, I thought I told you this! Never walk down an unfamiliar pathway. Stay out of trouble!" My mother says, putting her hands on her hips and staring down at me.

"I'm sorry. I was following the truck," I murmur.

"What truck?" She asks.

"The ice cream truck," I admit, looking down at the ground.

Her stern expression relaxes, and she sighs, kneeling and pulling me in for a hug. I feel her body tremble and her shaky breaths as she comforts me.

"I understand, but you can't run off like that, you scared me. There are things you aren't meant to see in this world, so stay on paths you have already traveled with us, okay?" She asks.

"Okay," I say, nodding.

"Good. Now wipe that frown off your face and let's go out!" She smiles and hoists me up.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"Let's go get some ice cream," She beams.

I look down at the snowy street, a blur of some red shape sits at the far end of the sidewalk. Looking back at that memory, my mother was never mad at me, just worried. I squint my eyes to see the red shape better, but the snow and wind make it impossible.

I bite my lip and shake my head, turning around to walk back to my place. Never walk a path that's unfamiliar, right, mother?

I head back into the shop, and Nis is already at the door, ready to strike. In a practiced, swift motion, she jumps and wraps her arms around my neck, causing me to stumble back and almost trip. I laugh and hug her back. She looks over my body for any injuries and smiles when she doesn't find any.

"I was so scared when I woke up and you weren't here," She says, squeezing tighter.

"Hey, I said I'd never leave you and I meant it. Now come on, how's ice cream sound?" I suggest.

"Oh? So early?" Mr. Giles chimes in.

"Ice cream sounds amazing!" Nis giggles.

"Outvoted, old man," I say to Mr. Giles.

"Old man! Why I ought to..." He grumbles, attempting to hide a smile.

"What's your favorite flavor, Kyne?" Nis asks.

"I prefer cookies and cream," I respond.

"That's the best flavor ever!" Nis beams.

"I like mint chocolate chip, nobody asked, but just saying..." Mr. Giles says.

We laugh and grab some ice cream, talking about good memories and staying inside as the wind picks up outside. For the rest of the night, we bunker down and ensure we have proper supplies for the upcoming storm tomorrow. I look out the window at the setting sun, and an unexplainable, overwhelming dread consumes me.

Something is wrong.