PART 19 :-
THE SMELL OF EMPTINESS
Bond perspective :-
[At the party, Bond and Dex are standing together.]
"Excuse me… will you dance with me!!??" A girl asks me to dance.
"It's an honor, but I'm really, really sorry. I can't."
"Oh… alright."
"That's the tenth girl you've rejected. Don't you want to…!!?? You even rejected a royal princess!!!"
"Well, no. At least, not with them. Don't you want to dance!??? You've rejected girls as well."
"I don't know how to dance. I don't want others to find that out. Besides, I prefer food over girls."
"You know, you and Bright are the same when it comes to food."
[Dex leaves him to eat once again.]
"So, most people are dancing, huh. That's good. Looks like he's enjoying himself."
[His gaze suddenly stops at someone.]
Iras is standing there, watching everyone and clapping for them. Why isn't she dancing!!?? Now that I think about it, I've never heard anything about her family.
"I've never seen a man reject girls before."
I hear a familiar voice again. It's Athena…
When did she get here!!?? I didn't hear her approach.
"Maybe I'm waiting for someone else."
"Oh, come on! There's no way I'm going to dance with you."
"I never mentioned you, though… Now that I think about it, you're not dancing with anyone either."
"I hate dancing with men."
"Why do you hate men so much!!??"
"Because they deserve it. They use women as tools, treat them like trash, and throw them away once they've served their purpose."
Well, she's not entirely wrong, though.
"It's unusual to see you with him, Athena." Iras comes over and joins our conversation.
"No, I just noticed him rejecting girls. I've never seen anything like that before."
"Well, you look beautiful today, too. How could he reject you…?"
"I didn't even ask him…"
"You're growing up so fast, just like my lady. It's been a while since I last saw you like this."
"Do you think so? It really has been a long time since we last talked, Iras."
"You should talk to my lady as well."
"Noooo! It's her fault. She needs to apologize to me first."
Looks like some kind of girls' fight. It's better if I leave them to it.
"Where are you going now!!??"
"Oh, me!!?? Yeah… Ahh, you two enjoy yourselves."
"Don't you want to dance!!??"
"I'm not good at dancing like Bright. I might make my partner uncomfortable."
I pause for a moment before asking,
"You're not dancing either. Is there a particular reason!!??"
"Ahh, no… It's not like anyone wants to dance with me. I'm too old for this kind of thing now."
"Old!!?? Aren't you still in your thirties!!!?"
"Hahaha… You still remember that!!"
"Of course! Why don't you teach me how to dance!!!?"
"Me!!!?"
"Yeah, yeah… That way, I can dance with any girl I want…" I say, glancing at Athena teasingly.
[Bond and Iras head to the dance floor, leaving Athena behind.]
[As she teaches him how to dance.]
"Hey, why have I never seen any family members of yours!!?? Weren't you married? Don't you have any children!!!?"
"Ah… no, I never married. Although… I always wanted to. I've always wanted to know what it feels like to be a mother. But I never got the chance."
"Did you love someone!!??"
"Yeah, but unfortunately, he never chose me." She says it with a smile.
"What!!!? Someone didn't choose you!!!? He must have been blind!!!"
"Hahaha… Thank you for saying that. But I never told him how I felt. The situation back then wasn't that simple. It's complicated…"
[Somehow, he realizes who she is talking about.]
You want to know what it feels like to be a mother, and I want to know what it feels like to have a mother again…
[His expression reveals the emptiness he has been carrying inside him.]
"You miss your mother very much."
"How did you figure that out? Did I say it out loud!!!?"
"You shouldn't follow that path. If you do, you'll lose yourself. You need to let go of the past."
"How can you be so sure of that!!!?"
"Because I'm the past. I've seen so many terrible things. I always dreamed of having the life I wanted, but I never got it. And look at me now. Because of my cowardice, I've lost everything. Everyone I ever treated like my own child… I lost them."
She's hurting inside, too. There's an emptiness in her that I can understand.
"I don't want to let go either… but the thing is, flowers don't smell sweet to me anymore…"
"Maybe they still do. You just need to smell them again."
"Maybe you're not alone either. You have Bright, who sees you as his aunt. You have Minidra, and Dex…"
"Hahaha… They're not mine. They belong to someone else… someone I know."
"Then, how about me?"
"You!!!?"
"You said they aren't yours. I don't have anyone, either. So, how about becoming someone I need? Someone like an Ona."
"Ona!!!??"
"From now on, you're my Ona!!!"
"KRAK—BANG!!!"
[A loud crashing sound interrupts their dance and conversation.]
.........
*[Ona :- a trum to address gratitude or respect to a woman by giving the place of a mother.]
.........
PART 20 :-
HOW'S THE PARTY?
Mc perspective :-
"They are coming… The destruction is coming… Everything will be ruined beneath their feet…
The Doomwalkers!!!!! They are coming…."
Doomwalkers!!!!!?????
So, they weren't lying about that…
"What happened there!!!? Tell us everything in detail…" Mini's father asks him.
"I'm afraid you're interfering with the wrong things, Valen. He will come with us first."
The royal guards appear, led by a scar-faced man. They intend to take Lemon away, but Mini's father refuses to let them.
"Look, Scar. You and your guards are standing in my palace right now. And here, only my orders are followed. Even if you intend to…"
He draws his sword.
"I've told you before. Leaving the battlefield doesn't mean forgetting how to fight."
"Relax… Do you really intend to ruin your daughter's party?"
"I don't want to, but neglecting my own people isn't an option. And when it comes to Lemon, there's no way I'll allow you to take him. After all, I know what would happen to him if he went with you."
"Look, it's the king's order. That's why I'm here. If you really want to know what happened, why don't you hear the whole story yourself? You can come with me as well…"
"He's going to tell us everything here. After all, I know what you'll do once I leave the barrier surrounding my palace."
Does he want me to hear this as well!!!??? It certainly feels that way, though.
[Lemon begins explaining what happened to him and his group.]
"When that shadow finally appeared, I confirmed that it was the same presence I had felt before. And after that…"
[Lemon's past memories.]
"Welcome…"
"…to the celebration of death."
"What just happened!!!!??? I'm pretty sure Red attacked him."
"Yeah, but somehow, his attack affected him."
"Everyone, listen carefully… We can't take him lightly," Boss warns us.
"Hahahahahaha... Carefully or not… what's the point when you're all going to die… Hahahaha."
He may be laughing, but his actions prove we're in danger.
If only everyone would listen to me…
"Let me tell you something interesting. You've already attended my celebration. So, either you die, or…"
"Just shut up…"
"Wait, Vax!!!!"
Ignoring Boss's warning, Vax attacks.
"Poison of Mercy!"
He can create various poisons using Heka. His poison is so dangerous that it can penetrate any barrier.
What!!!!!???
[Blood spills from Vax's mouth.]
"There's no way my own poison could affect me. How is that possible?"
"Hahahaha… Are you guys stupid…? Isn't one death enough for you!!!! Hahaha…"
It's as if our attacks are being reflected back at us.
"Now, let me finish. My celebration has begun, and only the last person alive will survive it. Kill each other before it's too late. Hahaha."
"What is he saying!!??"
"Why should we kill each other!!!?"
"We won't do that…"
"Ahhh…"
[Another person is cut in half, just like the first.]
"This time, no one attacked!!!! Then how!!????"
"Do you think you can survive without knowing the rules!!!!!???? Gahahahaha…
If you don't kill each other, the same deaths will repeat until no one is left. It's your fault for attacking first. Kill everyone before my sadness grows and things get even worse…"
"I don't want to die…"
Everyone starts attacking each other to survive, except Boss and me.
"Boss, what should we do…? Everyone's terrified."
"Without understanding what's happening, we can't win. Try to escape!"
[Two guards attempt to flee but die the same way as before.]
We're killing each other, yet people keep dying the same way.
"We shouldn't leave a celebration until the party is over."
[Present time.]
"So, what happened after that!!!? Were you the only one who survived!!!?"
"No… it gets much worse than that…"
.........
PART 21 :-
DEATH IS PAINFUL
[Lemon's past memories.]
[Lemon continues describing what happened in the forest.]
Only five of us remain. Everyone else died by their own attacks.
"Lemon, listen. I know this is difficult, but can you enter his mind? He has no physical form, so our attacks are useless. But if we…"
"You don't need to explain, Boss. I understand, but I need time. It's a high-level technique."
"Alright, listen, everyone. Only five of us remain. Rather than dying like idiots, why not give it a try…?"
"It's alright, Boss. We're on it."
"Instead of attacking him, use sealing magic and barriers to protect Lemon. That way, he'll at least have a chance."
I sit on the ground and concentrate.
[Meanwhile, Boss swings his sword in a circle, attempting to seal the shadow.]
"Just as I thought, we can seal him…"
[Two others create a barrier around Lemon to protect him from the shadow, while the fifth person begins sealing it.]
"Don't enter my mind, or you'll regret it…"
Focus, focus…
[Lemon finds himself in a black space.]
Am I finally inside his mind!!!!???
There he is… I can see his red eyes. I just need to defeat him from here.
[A chill runs down Lemon's spine.]
"What presence is that!!!!? Another shadow!!!?? Is he sleeping!!!???"
"Don't awaken him!!!!! I'm telling you, death is better than facing him."
He clearly fears that presence… I shouldn't interfere with it.
I summon my Aura and create light to weaken the shadow mentally, making it easier to seal.
"Ummm… uuummm…"
The sleeping shadow begins crying, his eyes still closed.
"What's that noise inside my head!!!??"
He opens his eyes. They're deep red, darker than the other shadow's.
He looks at me.
"Ahh… ahhh… ahhh…"
[Lemon escapes the shadow's mind, gasping for breath.]
"Lemon, is the job done!!!?"
"Leave him alone…"
"Awaaaa… ummm…"
"The laughing shadow has started crying!!!"
"You're so weak that these people can seal you. You should be grateful I awakened before it was too late."
"What is he talking about!!!??"
"Does he have different personalities?"
"I'm sorry on his behalf. He enjoys himself too much, but there's nothing enjoyable about death."
"Are we safe now!!? He doesn't seem as dangerous as before."
"Safe???"
"It's much worse than before," I tell them.
"The deaths have stopped, so we can leave now."
"Leave??? I think you misunderstand. I don't enjoy celebrating death. After all, it's so painful. Awaaa…" he says, crying.
[The shadow's black hand presses against a guard's chest. His body is brutally torn apart, and blood bursts from his mouth, eyes, and ears. His death is far more painful than the previous ones.]
"What was that just now!!!?"
"I hate talking… Aaaahhhwaaaa…"
He kills two more guards while crying. Only Boss and I remain.
"Lemon, the situation is out of my hands. If death is inevitable, I'll die fighting."
"But Boss, he's a monster… much worse than before…"
"Lemon… it seems the previous game has ended. Otherwise, we'd already be dead. You still have a chance to escape. I'll buy you some time. Run!"
"But…"
"Hey, that's an order. My final order. You must survive at any cost. Your life is important…"
[Boss immediately attacks the shadow.]
If only we knew how to defeat that shadow…
He blocks its hand with a light shield.
I have to go…
What the hell!!!?? My own shadow won't let me leave. It's holding me in place!
"Do you think I'll let you escape!!??"
[The black shadow's hand reaches towards Lemon.]
[A brief pause.]
Boss steps between me and death. The black hand pierces his chest.
"Just tell her… I'm sorry I missed her birthday. Papa loves her."
[The hand smashes his head completely. Blood splashes across Lemon's face and clothes.]
[In the present time.]
Dex perspective :-
[There is silence in the air.]
"Emi is dead!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Mini's father is shocked after hearing the news.
The sound of a glass breaking echoes through the air.
A woman stands there with her daughter, having overheard the conversation.
"Mommy, are they talking about Papa!!!???"
The woman hugs her daughter. The child's head rests against her stomach.
The woman looks shocked. She doesn't say anything, as if she is still trying to process what's happening. Only a tear rolls down from her right eye.
She continues to stand there without making a sound.
.........