Sitting on the destroyed terrain were two men.
One had black hair with white patches and greyish blue kaleidoscope like eyes.His pristine white formal clothes destroyed and burnt leaving him with only his white pants with a single light blue line on each sides tracing his sides.
The other had extremely light steel green hair and orange eyes. He wore a simple black robe with Royal badges fixed near the chest.
The man with the black and white hair, ̶S̶e̶p̶h̶a̶i̶e̶s opened his mouth to speak.
"It's over. "
He laid back down on the rocky terrain with a content and exhausted face and let out a long sigh.
'He's..'
The man sitting right in front of him, Zolka continued.
"I-it is in fact over. "
He tried to act like his usual prideful self but had failed spectacularly at doing so.
"Now now what's with ya' acting so shy an' stuff. Bein' a tsundere's Nez's job. Ya're gon'a leave 'er homeless, jeez." Said ̶S̶e̶p̶h̶̶̶a̶ie̶s whose words felt like an embarrassing slap to his pride but he made no efforts to correct him, instead..
"There you go with that dialect of speaking, truthfully it is annoying, truly. "
"Aha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! "
̶̶S̶p̶e̶haies laughed loudly at zolka's whinning.
*𝙲𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚔*
Cracks spread through ̶̶S̶̶e̶̶p̶̶h̶̶a̶̶i̶̶e̶̶s'̶s arm as it slowly started withering away.
Even though Zolka fully knew that ̶S̶e̶p̶h̶a̶i̶e̶s was beyond saving, he was not able to just sit back, so like the fool he is, I started to pour all my mana into him in a vain attempt to heal and restore his core.
Why? Why can I not do it?
"-ka"
Why am I not able to save even the last one of my family?!
"-ey"
They all died because I was slothful. If only IF ONLY I COULD DO SOMETHING!! IF ONLY A USELESS PIECE OF WASTE LIKE ME COULD DO SOMETHING!!!!
"Hey! "
*𝚂𝚕𝚊𝚙*
"Huh? "
It stings...
I rubbed the cheek that had been slapped just now
"The hell are you thinking bout? "
̶S̶e̶p̶h̶a̶i̶e̶s asked a tad bit worried then continued
"You're the same pain in ass you were all those years ago. " My eyes widen at his words as I pursed my lips but I knew that, those words held nothing but the truth.
"There ya go 'gain, huff, honestly... Why am I surrounded by so many people with so many issues is it like a gag or somethi-Oh wait. I was worse even than you. I guess it all makes sense now! Aha-ha-ha-ha!"
I was bewildered. How can this man still laugh after losing so many things in just a single days. What the hell is wrong with him? It's almost like he.... Doesn't even care.
I grit my teeth against each other in an attempt to hold back my fury.
"But ya' know? I think... Today might just be the bes-no 2nd best day I've ever had and I've lived quite a long time t' say tha' ya know? "
"What? ".This man has officially lost it. 'Best day'?!
I was angry but I tried to keep my cool.
" Why your.... Best day is today? " I asked.
"Ah I see. So that's what your mad bout ha? Tch tch. What a shame, a dying man still has to explain things to everyone hah what a pain in the ass"
I lost my cool.
"Just answer me dammit! Why even in your last breath you must keep things quite?! Am I that untrustworthy? Am I that useless? If yes then just say so ya asshole! Why? Why didn't you tell me about anything ANYTHING ABOUT THIS PART OF THE PLAN! ALL OF YOU! LADY LYRA! ARS! SUEMI! NAISOE! EVERYONE... sniff... Everyone.... Everyone... "
I was reduced to a sobbing mess, gone was the prideful and confident mask I wore.
"I was right in fact" ̶S̶e̶p̶h̶a̶i̶e̶s said.
"About what.. sniff.. that I am indeed unreliable? That I am truly so useless that not sharing the plan was the correct thing? " I didn't even bother looking up. I stuffed my head in my knees and tears fell with no end.
"No. We didn't tell you not because we didn't trust you but 'cause we knew you wouldn't agree"
"What? "
"This was the only way we would've won. "
"What are you trying to say?! "
"Because we knew"
I looked up and saw something that I would remember forever.
̶S̶e̶p̶h̶a̶i̶e̶s mouth slowly turned upwards. It was not a frown, nor a fake attempt to manipulate someone's feelings. Nor a mocking one.
It was a smile, a big smile, a warm smile, a comforting smile but all above all, it was, a smile. The first smile that ̶S̶e̶p̶h̶a̶i̶e̶s gave someone and the last smile he'll ever make.
"We knew you wouldn't have agreed. "
"How are you so definite about that fac-?! "
"Because we all knew, how much you loved everyone. "
"Wha-". My breath hitched. I was left speechless.
" We knew you wouldn't have accepted to the future where you're the only one 'live. "
̶S̶e̶p̶h̶a̶i̶e̶s smiled as he continued on.
"We knew you wanted ta' live wit' us, the future where we all lived without fear, together, like the family we are, turns out fate was much more cruel than we imagined. "
His smiled never twitched nor even wavered.
I couldn't bear to hear anymore.
"Th-then sniff it should've been you who should be alive! Or maybe lady lyra! Or anyone! Why do you think I can do it?! When have I ever done anything right?! "
"You're right, but hey, look at lil ok me. I was truthfully worse than you even. If someone like me could do it, then why can't you? Who knows what the future holds. "
"I ..snob..I can't. "
"What makes you think you can't? "
"I-"
*Crumble*
Both of ̶S̶e̶p̶h̶a̶i̶e̶s's hands crumbled and disappeared into dust.
"No! "
"Stop it. Let's not interrupt our convo' ova' tryna stop the inevitable. "
I tried to hold the falling hands before they could fall but he stopped me.
"No.. "
"Zolka..."
My eyes well with even more tears until they started falling like rain on the Rocky ground.
"D-do not leave me.. Please sniff please sniff I don't... want to be alone... Please"
I grabbed the last remaining part of his shirt and held onto it like a life line.
̶S̶e̶p̶h̶a̶i̶e̶s truly wanted to pat this child's head, he really did but he no longer had his hands so his only last remaining method of consoling the poor child was by-
"Hey Zol' look up at me once"
I didn't even register anything into my mind anymore so like a broken doll, I looked up at his face, the smile still remained but it had now softened.
"Ya know why I called today my best day? 'Cause this the first minute in my entire life I do not have to worry about anything. And you made it even better because I think this is the first time you have opened up to me like this so... I guess I'm super happy by that. " He said with an embarrassed smile and then continued.
"So please.Tell me why do you think you can't do it? "
"I-i always mess things up. "
"So do I. In fact lyra helps me with nearly all of my work so ya' just have t' find someon' you can count on."
"I loose control of my emotions all the time. "
"And? What's wrong with that? You know I once destroyed an entire village just because I got angry. "
"Wha-"
"See I've messed up more times than you. Quite too many times so I guess I shouldn't be proud of that. That is why I say. "
The cracks spread from his shoulder to his chest.
"It's okay to get angry. "
The cracks spread to his abdomen.
"It's okay to think you suck. "
The cracks spread to his Legs.
"It's okay to not be the best. "
The cracks spread to the base of his neck.
"But do never ever let that stop you because...that is what makes you a mortal, a simple mortal with a purpose and also because... That's how Sephaies moved ahead with his life! "
The cracks spread to his chin.
"That's why I- no WE believe that you, who's so similar to me, is the best option to put our bets on! "
The cracks spread to his cheeks then to his eyes as his lower half finally started to become dust.
"So as for my final words id like to say. "
His face started to disappear into the dust too.
"I really did.. Enjoy my time with you all! "
As those final words he vanished from the world. A smile and some words...and a mountain of work was all he left me. Jeez that really is like him.
I looked up at the ashes that flew high in the sky and then, a smile.
A smile that he taught me.