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"Not all scars are visible."
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Jason let out a thin scream as he fell out of bed, trembling as he gasped for air. He clutched his chest, sweat glistening off his skin as he didn't make an effort to move from his spot he fell next to his bed.

Jason stared dead at the floor, trying to calm his panicked nerves to be in a more relaxed state of mind. But his door flung open, Sky in nothing more than a pair of pants with bedhead and a sword in his hand.

"Jason?! What's—" Sky looked at Jason sitting on the floor. He lowered his sword. "Nightmare?"

Jason looked ahead, nodding. "Y-Yeah...I'm fine, I'm sorry for waking you," he said. He will admit, that out of all of the nightmares he has had in the past for which there is a lot, he's never screamed himself awaken. Sure there were times when he would talk in his sleep or shout, but never scream. And for as much as he didn't want Sky to know about his worsening nightmares...he can't hide it anymore, especially after this. "T-They're getting worse."

Sky's eyes soften, he walked over to Jason, putting his sword on the bed. "How long has this been going on?" He asked as he sat down next to Jason.

Jason gritted his teeth together, he waited until he was calmer and he was thankful that Sky waited for him to grasp a hold of himself. Jason leaned back, resting against the bed frame as he tried to rack his brain for answers that are both truth and lies. "Ever since the Wither was awakened..." he said before he looked at his hands. "Sky...are you afraid of me?"

Sky paused for a moment. "Honestly? I would be a fool not to be, but I'm not afraid of you as a person, Jason. I'm afraid of the death magic you possess. Your powers...they are scary," he said.

Jason nods, knowing Sky is right. "I know, I just...people don't look at me the same anymore, they don't treat me as they once did," he said.

"What did you expect? Your past wasn't one people expected to learn...but it did answer a lot of questions about you," he said. They sat in silence for a few moments, so Sky decided that Jason needed a distraction. "Jason, do you remember the times when I actively avoided Nasia Kingdom?"

Jason nods and looks at his friend. "Yeah, I always figured that something bad happened you wanted to avoid confronting which is why you would always send either Ty or I to see King Max instead of going yourself," he said.

Sky looked away, pausing for a few moments before he spoke. "Before I met Ty, I...I had this friend. His name was Barney, he is the sole reason why I was able to even make it through my childhood alive. I would say that Barney was naive...but it was a good type of naive...one I needed. You see...my parents, I never knew my parents," he said making Jason look at him.

Ian had told Jason what Sky had said to him about his parents sometime after the Void City attack. Sky had said that his parents left him to die as a baby in the woods, not even bothering to give Sky to someone she could be cared for. They had just abandoned him, left him to die because they didn't want him...because he was a mistake. That story was sad but it sort of reminded Jason of what happened with his parents sort of.

Jason's birth wasn't normal, he was the product of his mother's slave owner raping her. But Jason remembered how kind and caring his mother was towards him, she always protected him, made sure he had food and such. Sure, the conditions they were in were less than ideal, but she did her best with what she was given. She never held the circumstances of his birth against him, never looked at him with disgust.

But Jason's father was a different story, Jason knew what he was. A bastard child, but he didn't care. He was technically a noble since his father is a noble. But he never told anyone that since he doesn't see his father as...well a parent. He sees his father as just a biological parent and nothing else. There is no love or connection because his father never bothered to care. All his father did was hurt him.

The worse part is...Jason knows his father is alive. Jerome and Mitch know about Jason's father, but nothing more. All the two know is that Jason wants nothing to do with him. The fact that he took his mother's last name instead of his father's should be clear to that.

But beyond Mitch and Jerome, who only know so much about Jason is because they were the ones who rescued him from slavery. No one else knows...until Vincent happened of course. But even then, no one knows the details surrounding Jason's slavery past and whenever someone asks, he defects the question and changes the subject.

Sky though...he's always been on Jason's side. Sky has probably been the most patient with him and Jason cannot thank him enough for that. Adam always gave him space when he asked and never asked probing questions about things. The only time he would ask questions was when he was concerned about his health, which was touching to him.

Jason looked away from Sky, thinking. 'He's the one who deserves to know the truth the most and yet I keep him in the dark...' he thought before he let out a shaky breath. "You remember back when we met Lord Richard Hayton?" He asked.

Sky nods. "Yeah, he was...odd," he said. Lord Richard Hayton always rubbed Sky the wrong way. He has been at the Sky Army a few times, always coming with some type of proposition that Sky always rejected. "What about him?"

Jason hesitated. "He's...my biological father," he said making Sky's eyes widen a bit. He opened his mouth to ask but held his tongue.

Sky had always noticed how notably absent Jason was when Lord Hayton was on the base and he always rejected to go talk to him. But when the two ran into the Lord, he remembered how Jason paused and grabbed Sky's arm, dragging him past the lord without saying a word. He had thought that Jason wanted to avoid the lord trying to ask Sky for favors...but now he realizes Jason was trying to avoid the Lord because of their past.

His eyes soften, afraid of what it is that split them apart so much. While he is critical of how Ian treats his family...Jason isn't like that. Jason's past is dark. Very dark. And Adam knows he holds no candle to what Jason went through, so he never tries to judge the man...he only ever tries to help push his friend forward.

"I'm afraid to ask what it is that split you two apart—"

"We never had a relationship and he only wants to be so involved in the Sky Army because of me. Once he found out who I become after the eight of us saved Astina the prompted the creation of the Sky Army...he suddenly started trying to connect with me since all his other kids haven't achieved what I did. After a year or two, he gave up and went after you instead. That's why he is so interested in the Sky Army. He wants to..." Jason paused, not knowing how to say this to Sky. Jason gripped his pant legs for a moment and just decided to let it out like it is. "He wants you to step down from the commander to be a general so he can be the leader. He thinks because he is my father that he is entitled to the Sky Army."

Sky scoffed and looked away. "As that will ever happen," he said.

Jason shakes his head. "No, no, it better not. He...He's a slave trader, and a powerful one too. He's gotten his hands on a lot of independent things like the Sky Army, like town and companies. But those were always so easy for him to obtain because he is a noble...but it irritated him how he could never budge you. He slanders your name, saying how a mere commoner has no right to lead such a force that protects Astina. If he does become the Commander of the Sky Army...I-I'm afraid that he will get rid of everyone that isn't a noble, even the generals and captains will go if they don't fit his image of how things should be run," he said.

Sky frowned. He never liked the nobility system to begun with. Granted, Sky does know a lot of nobles who are nice and great. But there are a lot of nobles who look at anyone who isn't born into the nobility with disgust and Sky hates those people. The Sky Army accepts nobles, peasants, and commoners anyone who wants to fight is allowed in regardless of who they are born into.

Adam made it a point at each orientation that nobility titles and class systems are left at the gate. He made it clear that once you step foot onto the base you are expected to treat everyone equally regardless of their origin of birth.

Most of the recruits excelled at that and that always made Adam proud. But some need to be told that a few times. Most of the times are the nobles who have a problem with such ideals, they don't want to be associated with commoners or peasants of any sorts. He remembers how some nobles even had problems being taught by captains who were commoners and refused orders from the generals, who are all commoners...while that was what Sky always believed. He never knew Jason was in fact a noble.

"Wait, but if he is your father, where did Probst come from?" He asked.

"That was my mother's last name, who was a peasant," he said before he told Sky about the true circumstances of his birth which made Sky lose the very last tiny sherd of respect he had for Lord Hayton. 'Note to self: ban Lord Hayton from entering the base forever.' Sky thought to himself.

Sky nods at him. "I'm glad you told me this, and I understand why you kept it from me. But don't worry, I never had planned on ever associating with him. Lord Hayton always rubbed me the wrong way. He always seemed to have a hidden agenda I could never figure out. Nobles in the past have been interested in the Sky Army before, they would give funds in exchange for protection which I'm always more than happy to give. But Lord Hayton...he was different. Now I know why. Thank you," he said.

Jason gives Sky a small smile. "I've tried telling you in the past but I just couldn't bring myself too. That's why I always told you to never trust him," he said.

Sky nods before he thinks for a moment. "He's a slave trader?" He asked. Jason nods. "Lord Hayton's mansion is in Sacura Kingdom, Queen Jessica's domain. Slavery of all kinds has been outlawed in that kingdom before most of us were even born."

Jason's eyes widen a bit. "Adam, are you suggesting—"

He looks at Jason and shakes his head. "No, Jason, as much as I want to say yes, I have to say no. Even though I have a lot of political influence and we all are known as heroes...our word against a noble holds no weight at all because we are commoners. I know Queen Jessica trusts me but unfortunately, she would believe Lord Hayton over me because he is a noble and I am not. Even with my heroic deeds, to the royalty, nobles are more trustworthy than I am." He said.

Jason shakes his head a bit, smirking. "It is a good thing we know two royals that would believe us without question," he said.

Sky sighed. "I don't want to put Ty in that position though..." he said looking away. He paused for a moment and then nodded. "But I will bring it up to him next time I see him..." But he looked at Jason. "How much do you want me—"

Jason loses his smirk. "Just tell him that Hayton use to own me as a slave and is a powerful slave trader. Please don't tell him about my mother and my connection to him. I...I want to be the one to tell Ty that when the time comes," he said making Sky smile.

He nods. "Alright, sounds good to me," Sky said before he gets up, he goes over to the window, opening it. He smiled a bit seeing the sun on the horizon. "Well, we talked longer than I thought. It's dawn."

Jason looked at Sky, surprised for a bit but looked at the floor. "I...I didn't realize either," he said.

"I'll let you get dress and such," he said before he gets his sword off the bed and heads towards the door. He opened it, stopping when Jason spoke.

"Thank...you, Adam. I...I needed this..." he said looking at the commander.

Sky looked at Jason, smiling at him. "No problem, anytime you want to talk, my door is always open. Now, the first trial for the captains is today," he said.

"Just out of curiosity, what is it?" Jason asked as he gets up to his feet.

"I don't want to waste the Fyre Brothers and Ty's time too much. So the magic trial is first," he said making Jason smile.

"I love that trial, but without Seto here, how are you going to do the magic trial?" Jason asked him.

Adam smiled before he responded, "I'll tell you when we are with the others."