They didn't say anything; they simply watched over the pond as it rippled when passerby's skipped rocks into it. From children, to teens, to adults, to even those who seemed to be Professor Julius's age — they all stopped by the pond and skipped stones with a joy he couldn't understand. What was so fulfilling about simply skipping a rock?
"I heard about your friend. I'm sorry things had turned out that way.. the dream realm is truly a cruel place."
He looked at Professor Julius for a second before turning back to the pond. He stole a few breaths from the world before a sad smile appeared on his face.
"It truly is, isn't it?"
Professor Julius let out a chuckle — one that wasn't happy nor sad, just a chuckle. He peered past the pond to those skipping stones, the smiles painting their faces.
"Sunny, did you know that during my entire time of teaching I've only had around sixty students?"
That was something that shocked him. After all, despite nobody being in his class now, with the amount of years Professor Julius must have been teaching and how useful his class was, it was completely ludicrous.
The wrinkles on his face dropped with his eyes, a sad smile clearing the wrinkles up, unlike his usual happy one which brought them out more.
"Out of those sixty.. only ten have survived."
He gave him a look — one of pride, like he was looking at his student who won the championship for who knows what.
"They didn't die in the dream realm becoming awakened; rather they died after.. and the thing all of them had in common was that the only ten who survived were the ones to send me letters after becoming awakened."
Sunny felt his hands trembling; after all, he had no plans of surviving.
"They succumbed to the pressure, with nobody at their side to lift them up when they fell. Yet for some reason.. despite reading your letter and despite me seeing you surrounded by caring individuals, I can't help but feel..."
The Professor looked at him, his eyes looking like he was seeing all of those fifty students' faces.
"That your letter will be the sole exception to what has happened."
"So tell me, Sunless, are you planning on dying at the end of your journey?"
His body froze. What should be his answer? But before his mind could think, his heart did before it. As if talking to this man released his true emotions, words spilled from his mouth without pause.
"Yes.. No! Well.. I feel as if to complete my goal dying at the end would be the only way, and yet.. I don't wish to die, God's I want to live so badly.. and yet, for some reason I can't imagine myself being able to do so. Even if I figure something else out, even if I accomplish everything I set out to do and live.. do I really deserve that life? After the lives I've taken, the lives I willingly sacrificed? If an afterlife exists, could I really let them watch on as I live a happy life! Would that be fair?! Why do I have the privilege of living and yet have the burden of living as well!"
He buried his face in his hands, sinking down. What was he even doing anymore? In the end it was all pointless chatter about an inevitable future.
"Did you know back when I was even younger than you, and when the spell fell.. my mother and I would hide in our small apartment. I could never fall asleep, scared a nightmare creature would eat us alive while we slept! So my mother forsook her sleep and told me a story every night."
---
Once upon a time there was a monster. Every time it walked by a body of water it ended up seeing its reflection. Horrified of its own appearance, it scrubbed its body with water to no avail.. one day a noble lady saw the monster scrubbing away at its body.
She ran out of fear. Wanting to explain himself, he chased after her. He followed her all the way to her kingdom. Seeing the monster, all the citizens panicked — they ran, screamed curses, and threw objects at the monster. The monster, ashamed of itself, ran, and ran, and ran.
Yet this time, it was being chased — chased by the humans who ran from it. They threw their pitchforks in the air, raised their torches, and charged at the monster.
Before it could be caught, it fled into the water, sinking deeper, and deeper, until it hit the bottom.
The water that it had fallen in had finally cleaned it. It didn't know how, but it knew it was clean. Swimming back out of the water, it saw the villagers were still there. They didn't attack it — their pitchforks were let down and their torches dimmed.
When the monster turned around, it noticed that its appearance was exactly the same.
So what exactly did the monster wash off? Well it's simple.. it washed off..
---
"So what's the rest of the story?"
By the time Professor Julius had finished, the sun was setting.
With a laugh he exclaimed, "Well I don't know! Whenever she got to that part I ended up falling asleep!"
He smiled at Sunny, a big grin spreading across his wrinkled face.
"It's not a story a young child should hear, is it? But still.. would you do me a favor?"
Standing up, he turned his back to the sun. It looked like beams of light were reflecting off his figure, like he was being sent down from the sun itself.
"Give me the last part of the story.. I know if it's you you'll be able to do it."
With that exchange they gave their goodbyes and parted their ways.
Well, Professor Julius left.
Sunny stayed.
Walking up to the pond, he picked up a rock before skipping it.
"Ah.. that does feel good."
With that said, he jumped into the pond.
Sinking deeper, and deeper, and deeper.