Tales of the Pearly City (Pearly Tales Vol.1) [Completed]

25. The Dark Prophecy

Calloway closed the door behind him and sighed.

He'd casually dumped some of his less valuable inventory just to dress it up. A few swords and shields he never used. Books from quests that he never used again, sentimental trophies from boss raids, and even an epic rare item known as Elfinhiem the Sword of the fairy queen.

I'm a terrible person, aren't I?

Calloway collapsed on his bed in some plain clothes, but he left his eyepatch on for his disguise's sake. But he still beat himself up over all his regrets. How had Ophelia seen right through him so fast?

When he had asked the orphan girl to join his family he was acting as a guild master not an adult! He imagined that he'd be more of the goofy uncle, but when she called him papa there was no way he could tell her she was mistaken.

Was he even qualified to be a father?

The more he thought about it the worse he felt.

What was he supposed to do with a little girl!

Then she went and called Shayley mommy in front of all those people! And then he kissed Shayley and said all those embarrassing things. He was still agonizing about his identity, was he the guy from the human world or the elf named Calloway?

His heart sank.

"And I'm still lying to everyone. Who am I?" Calloway's hand hovered over his eye-patch. "Am I immortal like the elves, or will I die in human years? If I die in battle will I respawn at the guild building?"

How do I confront this world? Why did I enslave those girls? Was it just to test the limits of my ability to customize the laws here? Was it just to help their family in my roundabout way? Am I leading Shayley on because I'm unsure of myself? Am I doing Ophelia a disservice by being a being an inadequate father?

He couldn't help but see the tangents between him and Peter. He thought about what he told Peter, could he follow his own advice? If he tried too hard would it be obvious that he was lying? Would he be caught in his cycle of doubt and what then?

He wracked his brain as the stars crawled across the sky when his door opened.

"Papa." Ophelia's timid voice came from the hall.

Calloway put his shame away long enough to answer, "yes."

"Papa, I don't want to sleep alone anymore."

"You can come join me if you want, or-"

The sound of tiny feet approached the bed quickly and then slowly.

'Well Wendy, it looks like I won this time.' He thought as he pulled up the blanket so that Ophelia could join him.

Ophelia crawled into bed and cuddled up to him.

Calloway's heart felt warm and tingly, is this what it's like to love? Then he remembered something he asked Peter 'How have you been doing with your second chance, have you been living a life full of love?'

He laughed at himself for being so silly, a life full of love? Maybe he should focus on living a life full of love rather than agonizing over his petty insecurities. Calloway put one arm around Ophelia's tiny shivering body.

A life full of love doesn't sound like a bad plan. Calloway calmed down enough to let sleep take him.

.

.

.

Jerking movement awoke Calloway.

"Ophelia, quit moving." He rubbed his eye and looked at her.