Looking after each other

Back at their portable home, Kai lies unconscious in the bed of his room. Lirika sits by his side, casting a spell to ease his mind. Tien uses his exorcist arts to inspect his body, searching for any sign of the demonic disease. Nicholas and Asai patiently wait outside.

A few minutes later, the mage and the exorcist leave the room.

"The good news is that despite finding signs of corruption in him, it’s minimal and stable. It’s not related to his mental breakdown, and we don’t need to worry about it for now," Tien calmly explains.

"As for the bad news, we have no idea what’s wrong with Kai. I’ve tried a few spells to help, but I’m no healer. His mind and soul suffered intense damage and are very fragile for some reason. When he wakes up, the agony he felt will probably come back," Lirika speaks, hiding her worry for him.

"Do you know someone who can help him?"

"Guava!" Asai says, trying to get everyone’s attention.

She pouts for being ignored.

"I’ll get in touch with some old contacts. Can’t promise anything, though."

"Thank you, Lirika. What about Pia?"

"Although her situation is somehow better, it is no less concerning. Pietra's loss of sight is a consequence of recklessly using a power beyond her imagination. I don’t know what she found in that palace, but, upon closer investigation, I could feel an enormous amount of energy coming from her sword now. With a single command, she was able to erase all memories of an extraordinary foe. A mortal body can’t handle such power without proper care or preparation," she tries to be as didactic as possible.

"Can we recover her eyesight?"

"Consequences of abusing ancient magic can be severe, often irreversible. She should be ready for the worst."

"I… I should be the one to tell her. I’ll go to her room."

Tien stops him.

"You should clear your head, Nicholas. You look worse than they both. I’ll see her and use some of my talismans again. Try new methods. It’s worth another shot."

"You have my thanks, too. I’m glad you decided to come with us."

"There was nothing left for me in Fesolgu. Here I have something to protect. Don’t lose faith."

They nod to each other, a silent exchange filled with hope, and Tien takes his leave.

"I'll head back to that fool's side. I'll make him spill whatever he's been hiding from us so we can get a better understanding of his condition."

Nicholas smiles.

"I've noticed that you've become quite fond of him."

"Shut up. I can’t let him die before I pay my debt," she scratches her head and looks away.

"Of course. I’m counting on you."

She rushes back to Kai’s room.

He sighs deeply as he leans his back against the cold wall and slowly slides down to the floor.

"I need to do something…"

Asai pulls his shirt gently.

"Guava."

"Sorry, little one. I’m not in the mood to play."

She puffs her cheeks and pushes his shoulders. Her pout deepens as she repeats the same word, louder and more urgent, hoping he'll finally understand.

"Guava!"

"Hey, sorry. I get. It’s important. I’ll assume you are not talking about the fruit. What are you trying to tell me?"

"Asai?" she tilts her head.

"Okay, let me try to guess…"

Nicholas' thoughts drift away, wondering what she means. Does she know a place that can help Kai and Pietra? A someone?

He is violently shoved back to reality by an unexpected sound. A cheerfully normal “ding-dong”.

"Do we… Have a doorbell?"

Confused, he walks towards the main door and opens it. A small figure looks up to meet his eyes, slightly startled by the height of her greeter. She is a female elf, so similar to Asai that she could be considered her twin. Even their clothes are almost identical. She wears the same dress in a palette of spring green adorned with pink details. The true differences, however, lie in her eyes and hair. Unlike her counterpart, this elf's eyes are a deep, dark green, detailed with patterns of leaves and plants, a mirror of nature itself. Her hair is just as long and white, but untied, flowing freely. Also, in place of a silly hat, she wears a crown of flowers.

"Greetings, human. I am an envoy of the elven clan that lives in the mystic Forest of Ossau, sent to search for a missing member of our own. I've been incessantly following her tracks for months, and it led me to this location. Have you seen any of my kind recently?" her voice is calm and gentle, though a slight tremor betrays her fear.

"You are so cute!" Nicholas, ignoring everything she said, cheerfully lifts her like a child and brings her inside.

"Eek! I’m being kidnapped!" she squeaks, tearing up.

"Guys, look what I found—"

He stops mid-sentence.

"Oh, right… I almost forgot about it for a moment."

Getting instantly depressed by remembering the state of Kai and Pietra, he gently lets her down. As she was about to flee, a joyful call made her change her mind.

"Guava!"

"Asai! I’ve finally found you!"

The two childlike elves run to each other and hug warmly.

"I missed you so much! The elders will be relieved to know that you are okay."

"Asai."

"What do you mean, I appeared in the best possible time?"

"So you are Guava," Nicholas joins the talk.

"Eek! Stay away, perverted human! Be aware that touching a deity like me is strictly forbidden in—"

He lifts her again.

"You look just like Asai. Are you sisters?"

"Ekk! Release me at once! This is sacrilege!"

"Asai," she speaks to Guava.

"He saved you from a trap and has been taking care of you ever since?!"

"Asai."

"He is the bearer of the sacred item for which we have been looking for?!"

"Asai."

"You like him more than me?!"

"Is she really saying all that with a single word?"

"Of course not."

Nicholas puts her on the ground and pinches her cheeks.

"Please, spare me! I do understand her by reading her mannerisms and the subtleties of her voice!"

After that, Guava explains that she must bring Asai back because she’s an important deity to the elves. She also insists that Nicholas should go as well to confirm if the sword he carries is what Asai claims to be. It seems she is certain that it's the key to revive an ancient Goddess that is hibernating at the heart of Ossau. The reason she snuck out in the first place was that she felt its power from afar.

Nicholas replies that Asai can leave if she wishes. In his case, he makes it clear that he cannot simply abandon his friends, detailing their desperate situation. Guava convinces him with a hopeful promise: her people will offer their aid, and the Elven Goddess, if successfully awakened, can heal any wound.

"Okay, we have a next destination. I guess it’s only me and you this time, little one."

"Asai!"

"Let’s not waste any more time, then. The Forest of Ossau is a week away from where I found your door."

"We have a better travel method, actually. And that just reminded me, there is someone else I can bring with us!"

As Nicholas led them to the passageway for Suzuki's domain, they came upon the unexpected sight of Zalaxander, dented and completely frozen in a hallway.

"Oh, if it isn't Master Nicholas, Miss Asai, and Miss Light Green Asai! Good evening."

"Zalaxander? What happened to you? I haven't seen you since we came back from Fesolgu."

"Worry not. I’m just chilling."

"Tien did this to you?"

"Precisely. He mistakenly took me for an enemy, attacking fiercely for about twelve minutes before I could introduce myself."

"Will you be okay?"

"He said the sacred ice bounding me would be of no harm since I’m not a demon. He also said that it would melt in no more than three hours. That was seven hours ago."

"I can ask Lirika to—"

"I would rather not, Master Nicholas. I fear Miss Lirika lacks the finesse to distinguish my metal from the ice itself."

"She would certainly do so if she heard you say that."

"Indeed. Gladly, this is not the case, I hope."

"Of course. Be safe, Zal. Take care of the others for me."

"As you command! Safe travels."

In Suzuki’s domain, the surroundings are remarkably silent.

"Wow. So beautiful…" Guava is delighted.

"Hmm… Let’s find Suzuki," worried, Nicholas picks up the pace.

As they walk deeper within the place, they are surprised by a marvelous sight. In her hand-painted home, Suzuki created a gigantic golden archway. Its angelic architecture, modeled after Renaissance sculptures, lends a truly divine air to the structure. Nothing else in the endless scenario is as magnificent. Yet, the archway opens to a dark, gloomy portal, a terrifying unknown.

A petite figure lies by its base, crystalized by her own tools of creation in a pose of contemplation. Nicholas runs, fearing for the worst. As he approaches the delicate being, a confirmation. It’s Suzuki, entirely consumed by her Goddess blessing. Her hair levitates in a watercolor tone, resembling a beautiful paintbrush. Her arms appear to have melted, yet they are, in fact, a constant flow of fresh ink. Her legs are petrified, looking like a sculpture carved from marble. From her back sprout wings made from the detailed scribbles of a pencil. Her torso is now an unrecognizable mess, a chaotic tangle of sketches rendered in various techniques. To complete this insane work, her face has become a fragmented caricature of what she once was.

"Oh, God. Look at you… Suzuki…" he tears up, inconsolable.

"Nicholas…? Just in time to see my finest work. I used every crumb of my soul… Burnt through every cell of my body … It is done… A portal to the afterlife. A way to bring back those we lost…" her voice is faint, distorted.

"Have you done this for Isaac?"

"I miss him, yes… But it’s not only because of him. Goddess Foheste is so loud and scary… We’ve been losing fellow corrupters the past few weeks, and she doesn't stop demanding I find a way to help… Thankfully, it is quiet now… Maybe I did well enough this time for her to shut up. What do you think? Can you describe it? I can’t see it…"

"Oh, Suzuki… I’m sorry. I should’ve insisted on bringing you with us. I should've been here to stop you," he hugs her tight.

"Can you repeat that? Ugh… I’m feeling so tired…"

"Suzuki?!"

No answer. She is gone.

"In a self-destructive attempt to achieve the impossible, she succumbed while failing to aid those she cherished the most. May she rest in peace," Guava whispers.

"She died for nothing?"

"It pains me to say that this portal leads to nowhere. A hollow, empty room awaits on the other side, for a gate to the afterlife is nothing but a dream."

Anguish, regret, sadness. Despair consumes Nicholas. Why is he never there when they need him the most? Why does he always notice important things too late? Even when given the power to heal, he couldn’t save anyone. All he did was infect Kai with a demonic disease. Useless. Meaningless. A failure.

"It’s not your fault, you hear me?"

"But Gio… The kitty… He’s not breathing anymore…" he sobs uncontrollably.

Nicholas is holding a small kitty in his arms. He and Giovanni were on their way back from high school when they stopped near an abandoned soccer field to greet Nicholas’ new friend. Unfortunately, when they arrived, it was lying on the grass, motionless.

"Yeah. It is with God now. C’mon, I’ll call the others. We should bury the poor thing," he pats him on the back.

"I’ve been coming here to give it food for almost three months now. I should’ve noticed it was sick. I could’ve taken it to an animal hospital."

"Brother, don’t you dare blame yourself on that. You treated the little guy well. Better than most would."

"It was female. I didn’t even pick a name for her."

"Then, let’s choose one now."

"What is the point?"

"For when you meet her in heaven, of course!" Giovanni states, playfully.

"Do animals go to heaven, too?"

"I don’t know. I hope so. Better safe than sorry, don’t you think?"

"I guess so. Am I going there, though?"

"Why do you think that?"

"I didn’t notice when Kai was being bullied and left him to go to the soccer club. I didn’t notice you needed some time because your grandma died, and I insisted on your helping me study for the last exam. I forgot Pia’s birthday and went on a date on the same day. I only think about myself."

"What a foolish thing to say. We all make mistakes. Also, if I remember correctly, you made up for all of those you mentioned."

"How am I supposed to make up for this?" he asks, referring to the animal in his arms.

"Some things you just leave to God’s will. Maybe there was something you could’ve done, maybe not. Regardless, it happened for a reason, you get me?"

"But what if it's meaningless?"

"It’s never meaningless as long as you learn from it. Take the time you need to mourn, to cry. Then, reflect on what happened, find the lesson, and move forward, focusing on the things you still have."

"Sorry, man. Your philosophical talk is starting to get a bit too difficult for me."

"I’ll put it in a language you will understand."

He dials a number on his phone. Kai answers, annoyed.

"What is it? The premiere of the new season of that magical girl anime I like just dropped, you know?"

"Grab a shovel. Nicholas needs our help."

"W-Where?" his tone suddenly became serious and tense.

"That abandoned soccer field near school."

"I’m on my way."

He hangs up.

"You forgot to mention some very important details to him."

"Even when I let it sound shady, he chooses to come. For you. Now, the other idiot."

He dials a number on his phone again. Pietra answers the call, angry.

"Giovanni! I told you I would be at karaoke today with the girls!"

"Nicholas is in trouble."

"Pray to your God for whoever did something to my boy, because blood will be shed."

She hangs up.

"You didn’t even tell her where we are."

"She’ll find us. She always does. Anyway, do you get it now?"

"No."

Giovanni sighs.

"You are the heart of this team, you moron. You may think you are not a good friend, but look how much they care about you. It’s not without a reason. This is what you have. What you need to remember when you think low of yourself."

"Oh… I get it now."

"And that God loves you. That’s quite important too."

Giovanni’s abrupt mention of God makes Nicholas let out a chuckle.

A few minutes later, Kai shows up holding a shovel and wearing a balaclava.

"S-So… Where is the body?" his hands tremble in anxiety.

Nicholas wakes up. He is back in Suzuki's domain. Asai holds one of his hands.

"Mirai… Her name was Mirai. Simple, yet symbolic. Thanks, Gio. I won’t forget it again," he whispers.

"Hmm?" Asai looks at him, puzzled.

"It’s okay. I’m fine now."

He gazes one last time at Suzuki.

"I’ll make it worth it somehow, I promise."

With his motivation renewed, he exclaims:

"Guava! Do any of the scenes around remind you of your home?"

"Ah, yes. At the horizon, a landscape of a forest with a huge tree at the center."

"That’s our gate to the Forest of Ossau! My friends, wait for me. I’ll be back soon!"