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"I cannot forgive them… and I will never forgive them."
The words clawed their way out of Jetrin's throat, ragged and raw. His chest burned with fury, but the wound in his heart cut deeper than the blade in his flesh.
"After all this time… they were nothing but traitors. We shared joy. We shared suffering. We bled together—and yet it was all a lie. A foul, festering lie!" His voice broke, trembling between rage and sorrow. "They took Akanna… they took my comrades… and for that, this grudge will never fade. Not with time. Not with blood. Not with anything."
He staggered, clutching his chest, his body screaming for him to fall. Instead, he pushed against the weight of death, dragging one foot forward.
"Aghhhhhh!"
The cry split the air, torn between agony and defiance.
"Do you think stabbing my heart will end me, Mavis?" His voice was hoarse, but his fury carried it like a blade. "I have lived my life without thinking of myself. I don't care if my body fails me—as long as I can bring peace to this world. Even if I must move inch by inch… I will drag you down with me!"
Jetrin forced his body upright, every muscle trembling as though the earth itself pressed him down. And then—light.
A brilliance swelled before him, too fierce for his eyes to bear. He shielded his face, blinking against the searing glow.
"W-what… what is this?"
The radiance pulsed, and within it, a voice spoke—strange, deep, not of man nor beast.
[ Close your eyes, for I am here by your side. Fear not—I will not harm you. I am but a messenger of the unknown. ]
Jetrin's teeth clenched. "Unknown…? A messenger?"
[ Do not be afraid. I am only a messenger. ]
"Afraid?" He spat the word like poison. "I have nothing left to fear."
He opened his eyes. And there it was.
A creature stood cloaked in white armor that shimmered like moonlight. Vast wings stretched from its back—avian in form, yet dreadful in their immensity. Its body was both leonine and draconic, a paradox of strength and grace. Jetrin's breath caught, but only for a moment.
"Enough!" His voice cracked with fury. "I don't care what you are—step aside! This has nothing to do with you!"
But when he turned his gaze back to his former comrades—the ones who had betrayed him—he froze.
They were motionless. Every one of them, caught as though carved from stone.
"W-what…? Why don't they move?"
[ Fear not. I have halted time in this place. My stay in your world is brief, Hero Jetrin. I came only to deliver a message. ]
"Then speak quickly!" Jetrin snarled, though his blood dripped freely onto the ground. (Damn it… the wound won't close. If I fight this creature now, I'll never reach Mavis.)
[ You have my gratitude. ]
The light shimmered, and from it shapes began to form—figures, vague at first, then clear. Jetrin's knees buckled. His heart stuttered.
"No… no, this can't be." His eyes brimmed with tears he could not stop. "This is impossible. I saw you die. I saw your bodies with my own eyes. How—why are you here?!"
One among them stepped forward. A girl with silver hair and silver eyes, her dark skin luminous in the glow. Her long ears marked her bloodline, her beauty sharpened by sorrow. She smiled softly.
[ It's been a long time, Jetrin. ]
"Akanna…" His voice shattered. Her name was a wound all its own. He clutched at his chest as if to hold his heart together. "All this time I thought… I thought I fought for justice. I thought Cain was to blame. And yet—I was wrong. I was blind. Forgive me… forgive me. I only wanted peace, but I found no peace without you all. Gods… I miss you. I miss you all so much! You were my only family—my light in the endless dark. Don't leave me again… please, not again!"
Their faces softened, their smiles gentle and warm—like the embers of a fire he thought long extinguished.
[ You are still the same, Jetrin. That alone gladdens us. We have no regrets—only joy, that we once walked beside you. ]
"But why? Why now?" His voice trembled with desperation.
[ Our time is short. Before we died, we gave our power to you. In doing so, we encountered an existence far beyond us. He offered aid—aid we begged him to grant you. ]
"An existence…? What did he demand in return?!" Jetrin's fury flared again, though his body swayed, blood spilling from his lips. "Tell me! Was it your freedom? Your souls? Did he turn you into his slaves?!"
The silence between them was heavy. Then Akanna's gaze dropped.
[ As we feared… you saw through us. Yes. In exchange for your salvation, we gave him our souls. ]
"You… you fools!" Jetrin's vision blurred with tears and rage alike. "How could you throw yourselves away for me?!"
They only smiled. The kind of smile that tore deeper than any blade.
[ Because we believed in you. Because the world still needs you. ]
His breath trembled. Slowly, he bowed his head.
"Then… damn it all… I'll accept it. If it cost you your souls, then it must be worth something. But if it isn't—if this existence betrays me—then I'll drag him down myself."
[ Thank you, Jetrin. Remember—we will always be with you. ]
He tried to laugh, even as blood trickled down his chin. "In my heart? That's rich. You all know I barely have one left."
[ Then keep us in your thoughts. ]
[ No—better yet, keep us in your brain. ]
[ Hah! As if Jetrin has a brain to spare! ]
They laughed together, faint and fragile, like the echo of a home long lost. And in that laughter, Jetrin's eyes closed. A smile lingered on his lips. His body went still.
Some wept. Others smiled through the sorrow.
[ At least… we saw him one last time. ]
[ Yes… I'm glad. ]
But Akanna fell silent, her shoulders trembling. Tears slipped down her cheeks.
[ I wanted to tell him… one last time… That I loved him. That I still love him. But I couldn't. And now… I've lost him again. I cannot forgive them. I will never forgive them. Jetrin… please… bring peace to this world. ]
The light faded. Only Jetrin's body remained—standing as if held aloft by sheer defiance, a smile still etched on his face.
Thus ended the tale of Jetrin, Hero of the World.
He died smiling.
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