บท 44: You Can Always Say Goodbye

Bowen shifted uncomfortably as Daniel's weeping continued to echo through the empty stall. He had never been good with emotions, especially those of children. "Stop crying," he said, his voice gruff. "Where is your mother?"

Daniel sniffed, wiping his tear-streaked face with the back of his hand. "I don't have a mother. She died when she was giving birth to me."

Bowen sighed deeply, feeling the weight of the boy's sorrow. "Do you have any aunts or uncles? Someone who can help you?"

The boy shook his head. "My father and mother settled in Salem City before I was born. I don't know anyone apart from my father."

Bowen pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. The controller had taken so much from these people, turning Rektar's children fatherless, making Daniel an orphan, and wreaking havoc on countless other lives. He looked down at Daniel, who was still crying softly, and felt a surge of helplessness.

"Did your father ever show signs of madness before?" Bowen asked, trying to piece together what had happened.

Daniel's eyes furrowed in anger. "My father was perfectly fine until early noon when a woman came to our stall to buy buns. She didn't pay after eating all our buns. My father chased her to get the money. He was gone for a while, and when he returned, he began acting strange. Everyone started to run."

Bowen's mind raced. A woman who had caused a perfectly sane man to go mad within a short time frame?

Daniel sniffed and said, "Everything happened so fast, it feels like a dream."

"So the controller is a woman and not a man. What does she really want?" Bowen mused, pacing the room. He turned to Daniel, who was still sniffling but had managed to compose himself somewhat. "Can you describe the woman to me?"

Daniel thought for a moment. "She is quite heavy, but when she started running, she was like a deer. They went in the direction of the alley, I think."

"Can you give me more details?" Bowen pressed. "Like the color of her hair, her eyes, her overall appearance."

Daniel nodded. "She had brown hair. She was clearly human."

"A human with a strong dislike for vampires," Bowen thought. "What else?"

"Her eyes were a bit drippy, like she wanted to sleep," Daniel added.

Bowen considered this. A tired-looking, heavyset woman who moved with surprising agility. She didn't fit the typical profile of a controller's agent, but that might be the point. "Did this person see you?"

Daniel furrowed his brow, thinking back. "I'm not sure. I was standing behind the barrier when she arrived. I only became curious when she and my father started arguing, and I caught a glimpse of her before she ran away."

As Bowen had suspected, the controller targeted lone vampires, luring and attacking them. Her mistake was her downfall—she had left witnesses. "I don't know how to comfort or take care of a child," Bowen said, feeling awkward. "But I promise you that you will never lack. You will live with me in my castle. It may not be like the life you had with your father."

Daniel's eyes welled up with tears again. "Can't my father be cured?"

Bowen's face hardened. "Unfortunately, there is no cure for blood madness. If left unattended, your father will eventually die. But before that time, he will be in pain and will start eating himself to stop the pain. You will only prolong his suffering if we don't end it today."

Daniel looked up at Bowen, his expression a mix of hope and despair. "Did you ever have a father?"

Bowen's jaw tightened. "No."

"Then you don't know how it feels to lose one," Daniel said, his voice breaking.

Bowen felt a surge of frustration. This boy, this innocent child, was asking for something impossible. And yet, Bowen couldn't bring himself to refuse outright. "I will let your father live," he said finally.

Daniel's eyes widened in happiness. "Really?"

"On one condition," Bowen added, his tone firm. "You both stay in one room together. I can't afford someone else getting infected."

Daniel's happiness turned to fear. "Stay with him? But what if he—"

"That's the risk you take," Bowen interrupted. "If you truly want your father to live, you must accept the danger. It's the only way."

Daniel hesitated, looking at Bowen with wide, frightened eyes.

Bowen laughed, a hollow sound that echoed in the small space. "I may not know how it feels to lose a father, but I know how it feels to lose a captain. My captain, Rektar, was infected by the blood madness. Do you think if I had left Rektar to roam about with the blood madness, he would have been pleased with me?"

Daniel looked up, confused. "Why would he?"

Bowen's expression softened. "I'm not being selfish. Sometimes, you have to let go. If I had refused to put him down, he would have infected more people, causing more deaths. I know Rektar was happy with my decision. He was selfless, and I did the right thing for my people."

Daniel sniffed back tears, his small body trembling. "I never knew my father would die like this."

Bowen knelt down beside him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You can always say goodbye."

Daniel's lip quivered, but he nodded. "Can I see him one last time?"