"...so I'm back here again."
In an endless sea of white flowers, where white petals adorned each stem that bloomed with dignity, Isaac laid down as he gazed up at the bright blue sky above.
There wasn't anyone else here for as far as the eye could see, and only Isaac was aware of his existence.
In truth, Isaac had been aware of this space for quite a while now. It's just that, every time he departs it, he would inevitably forget it as if it were nothing but a mere dream, destined to dissolve in his mind.
Yet now, after so many encounters, he had finally grasped awareness.
It's just that, now that he's become aware, he doesn't actually know what to do with this free will he got for himself.
So he just laid there, motionless. Leisurely.
The susurrus wind blew past the field of flowers, bringing with it the warm breeze and new beginnings, of stories planted in the wind and cultivated with time.
Isaac breathed heavily, taking in that fresh, warm breeze, before exhaling.
He felt at peace here.
Just then, the system window popped up in front of him, disturbing his leisurely sky gazing.
[Wake up.]
"...?"
Isaac looked at the floating screen window with puzzlement, before conjuring a wry smile. "That's new... since when did you start talking like that?"
However, the system didn't respond to his question, or at least had given an appropriate response.
[∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎∎ is tempting you.]
"What...?"
Still puzzled by what the system was saying, Isaac wanted to inquire more, but was interrupted by a sudden change in the environment.
- Thud!
A sharp sound pierced through his ears.
Isaac shifted his gaze and saw that the world around him was crumbling, with the sky fractured. It was as if someone had dropped a mirror that shattered into many pieces.
Fragments of the sky, or this realm, slowly fell, revealing a deep darkness behind up in the sky. It was as though the curtains of a show were being pulled, revealing the stage behind it.
The darkness behind was deep and lightless, yet also seemed like something horrifying was shifting and crawling inside it.
'...!'
Instantly, Isaac felt an immediate dread upon seeing that darkness, as if its very existence threatened every single cell in his body.
All of a sudden, something from within that deep darkness seemed to have also noticed Isaac. The darkness parted and shifted, and something from deep inside of it attempted to crawl out of the fracture in the sky.
But before it could, the system's prompt windows suddenly appeared all over the fracture, as if mending it with itself like a seal.
Following that, while still blocking off the fracture, another message appeared in front of him.
[Leave now, and forget this nightmare.]
[Just like how you've always had.]
Seeing this, Isaac stood up and tried to grab the system.
"Hold on...!"
He wanted to resist and ask more questions, but before he could, he suddenly felt like the whole world was also shattering.
Before he knew it, he was already falling into a void.
But before he left, one final message from the system popped up.
[You've already gambled with Death, no need to see her once more.]
Isaac blacked out.
---
"Mmghm..."
Isaac's eyes slowly fluttered open, as he was met with the sight of what seemed like a bed with a blanket over him.
His eyes shifted and looked around the room, but it didn't take long for him to see someone else with him.
"You're finally awake."
Sitting not far from his bed, the Captain spoke with his usual even tone, neither too emotionless nor too indifferent. He still had that helmet of his that obscured his face, albeit he wasn't wearing his winter coat right now, presumably hanging it.
"Ugh... What happened...?" Isaac said with difficulty, feeling his head throb intensely. "I feel like a sledgehammer is pounding my head..."
He tried to sit up but was stopped by the Captain. "Lay down. Continue your rest. As for what happened, it seems like you were overrun with abyssal energy during our fight, which resulted in you losing control and suffering from a great backlash of using it."
Caressing his temples, the memories had just begun to trickle down and return to him. "Mghm... Yeah, I remember. I went a bit overboard... I apologize."
The Captain quietly nodded with understanding, completely glossing over the fact that Isaac had somehow been able to use abyssal energy.
Following that, the Captain remained silent for a bit longer, as if he was observing Isaac's expression, causing the atmosphere in the room to turn a tad bit awkward.
'...what's happening?' Feeling the weird tension, Isaac looked around a bit, trying to figure out why the Captain was looking at him so intently. 'Did I do something strange while I was out of it?'
Surely he didn't do anything or say anything strange at all during their fight, right?
Wishing to break this odd atmosphere, Isaac cleared his dry throat before speaking with his usual manner.
"So, erm... How was our fight? Was it up to your standards or do we have to redo it?"
The Captain seemed to have snapped back from his trance and shifted his head to level with Isaac.
He then replied candidly, "No, there's no need. What you've done is enough. Although there were unexpected variables, it didn't change the outcome."
"The outcome?" Isaac echoed.
The Captain lightly nodded. "The core of your resolve is noble, Isaac. But it lacks what makes it strong. A strong will alone isn't enough to make a change, and strength must always accompany it to execute it."
"So our fight was basically just to measure if I can do what I can say? That's pretty straightforward..." Isaac murmured to himself.
But the Captain shook his head. "That's only partially true. Power and the ability to fight for your aspirations are indeed important factors when it comes to pushing an ideal."
"But the truth is..."
The Captain then raised his hand, covered in a black gauntlet, and pointed at Isaac.
"Can you protect those close to you once you start?"
"..."
Isaac lingered in silence, unable to reply immediately. He had a lot of people he cared about, and thus naturally wanted to keep them safe too, but what the Captain said struck him true.
He tried opening his mouth to come up with some clever quip to retort, but was unable to conjure up anything. He closed his mouth again, hesitating, before making up his mind.
"That's the point, isn't it? I... I want to protect them."
"That's why I have to do this. If I can't, then they'll only suffer from my own selfish actions."
"You're justifying yourself." The Captain's time sharpened.
Isaac flinched.
"How can you protect others when you can't even protect yourself?" The Captain continued. His voice didn't rise, but it struck like a hammer all the same. "You burn yourself for their sake, thinking that's noble, but what happens when there's nothing left of you to give?"
"I..."
"You call it sacrifice, but I see it as neglect. You'd throw your life away for others, and in doing so, leave the ones who truly matter behind."
Isaac's eyes trembled. "That's not true..."
His friends, even if they're not close, are just as important as any other person in his life. Even though they see each other much, just the fact that they're friends makes them a part of Isaac's world.
...at least, that's what he believed.
The Captain continued.
"Isn't it?" The Captain leaned forward slightly, his voice lower and more cutting. "You take every burden as if it's yours alone. You think saving others will cleanse your sins, that it'll make you worthy to stand among them. But all you're doing is running from what you truly fear, which is losing them."
'That's...'
Isaac's lips parted, but no sound came out. The words clung to his throat like thorns.
He couldn't refute him.
"What are you even fighting for, Isaac?" The Captain pressed. "To be a savior? To atone? Or just to feel like your suffering means something?"
Isaac clenched his fists. "...It's not like that. I just—"
He hesitated.
"Then what is it?"
"I..."
Isaac couldn't give a solid answer. His words wavered, breaking apart before they could form. The more he tried to justify himself, the more hollow it sounded in his mind. Every sentence he could think of was being shattered before it could take shape due to the Captain's words.
A moment of silence passed.
Then the Captain spoke once more.
"Do you even know what it is you want?" He asked, quieter now, as if the weight of years weighed in his tone. "You keep saying you'll protect everyone, but the more you reach out, the less you're able to hold onto anything."
And as if he was speaking from experience, had seen it with his own eyes, he continued, "If you don't decide what it is that you want, you'd only end up losing everything, and be left with little to none."
Those words hit Isaac deep, which was followed by a defeating silence.
Isaac stared at the floor, his vision blurring. His thoughts felt like they were caving in on themselves.
Finally, barely above a whisper, he spoke. "In truth... I just want..."
"...To be with everyone."
"To be with my friends..."
"With my customers..."
"My employees..."
"To be with Furina..."
"In that café."
His head hanging low, Isaac's eyes moistened but no drop fell. He held everything together, yet his voice betrayed him.
"I want to keep living this life, with all that is beautiful in it."
The Captain said nothing for a moment. The helmet turned slightly, as if studying Isaac through unseen eyes.
"I see." He said finally. There was no mockery in his voice, only a quiet understanding, tinged with regret.
"Then you already know what that will cost you."
Isaac didn't answer. His throat ached. He already knew.
The Captain then walked over to the coatrack and took his winter coat. "I'll give you some time to calm down."
"...thank you." Isaac meekly replied.
The Captain didn't say anything else and left the room, leaving Isaac alone with his thoughts.
That day, in a pub in Nasha Town in Nod-Krai, the howling winds of the north heard nothing but the somberness emanating from a certain room, carrying with it a quiet sob.
---
After some time passed, Isaac left his room and walked down the hallway.
His eyes were tinged with moisture and red, and he had a somber look on his face. Yet his deep amber eyes radiated more enigmatically than ever before.
He then noticed the Captain standing down the hallway.
Noticing here young man coming, the Captain looked at him before speaking. "Are you alright?"
"Yes." Isaac replied with a hoarse yet steady voice. He lingered, before continuing, "That talk... really helped. Thank you. I won't forget your words."
The Captain regarded him in silence for a moment, as if gauging whether those words came from the heart or from habit. Then he spoke, his tone even but faintly softer than before.
"What I did wasn't guidance, Isaac. It was merely perspective. In the end, it's you who must decide what to do with what you've learned."
Isaac lowered his gaze for a moment, then smiled, not the careless grin he used to hide behind, but something more fragile, trembling at the edges. "I know. Still... I won't forget your words."
"Good." The Captain gave a slow nod. He then shifted his stance slightly. "You must remember that what you're feeling right now, that confusion, that ache... it's what makes you human. To question yourself, to falter, to mourn, all of it. It's part of growing."
Isaac's eyes flickered upward, quietly listening. The Captain continued, his tone measured but sincere.
"There's no shame in doubt. Nor in wanting to protect others. But you can't lose yourself doing it. Learn to live with what you feel, not against it. That's how you become stronger. Not as a warrior, but as a person."
Isaac nodded faintly. "Yeah... I think I understand."
The two of them stood there in silence for a while, the only sound being the soft hum of the wind pressing against the glass. Then, the Captain asked, "So... have you made your decision?"
Isaac looked out the window, to the faint orange light spilling across the snow-covered fields outside. His eyes reflected the distant horizon, flickering with uncertainty, but not without warmth.
"I'll think about that plan some more." He said quietly.
The Captain studied him for a moment longer, then gave a short, approving nod. "That's enough for now."
Isaac gave a small, tired smile. "Yeah."
The Captain silently nodded before turning around, intending to leave. But before he did, Isaac had one more question to ask him.
"By the way..." Isaac followed up. "Can I ask you about one more thing?"
"What is it?"
"About Inazuma... I have a friend that's arriving there soon, and I'm wondering if the Fatui's operations are still undergoing?" He asked, remembering Lumine. Then, remembering a certain someone, he continued. "Also, has the Balladeer been showing any sort of oddities lately?"
The Captain looked at him silently for a few moments before giving a candid reply. "The Fatui are still doing operations as usual. However..."
His words then became slow, as if a tinge of uncertainty were laced onto them, before continuing.
"Who is the Balladeer?"
Volume 3: The Darkness One Held—End.
* * *
A/N:
Another one down the drain.
I think I'll end this fic in like... let's say under 150 chapters. Much lower depending on how busy I get irl which could damage the pacing ngl.
Anywho, that's it for now. Thanks for staying 'till now my pookies.
With love, your lazy college freshman author.