Chapter 91: Living

Sometimes, breathing is not enough to feel alive.
Because living is not just beating or moving…
but carrying the weight of choices, wounds that never close,
and promises that still tremble on your lips.

Living is staying when everything screams at you to run.
It is staring into the void… and moving forward.
It is trusting others, even when the entire world no longer does.
It is failing, breaking, and still lifting your head, eyes wet but gaze steady.

Some confuse strength with invulnerability.
But true strength… is born from pain.
Born from that instant when you could surrender,
yet choose not to.
From that moment when you could hate,
yet choose to love.
From that memory that could destroy you,
yet you decide to embrace it.

Living is, many times, an act of rebellion against yourself.
It is not forgetting who you were,
but refusing to let that define who you will become.
It is holding every scar with firmness and shouting: “I’m still here.”

Because as long as there are those who remember us…
As long as there is a reason, even a small one…
As long as we can still choose…
Living will be our greatest act of courage.

———————————————————————————————————————————

What the hell was that…? thought the soldier, staring at the cloud of dust still floating over the debris.
The silence that followed was more terrifying than any explosion.

Eschatos narrowed his eyes, his expression darkening.

—No… it can’t be…

—Quick! We have to find him! —Shun shouted, throwing himself toward the destruction like a maddened beast.

—Sir… —one of the soldiers tried to warn him.

—Right now! —Shun roared, not listening.

—Y-yes, sir…

Without wasting a second, all of Shun’s soldiers began digging through the ruins, hands bloodied, eyes burning.
There was no room for doubt, nor for pain.

Shun’s face tightened.
A poisonous mix of frustration, rage, and a grief that bordered on hatred twisted his expression.

Damn it… How did I not realize sooner? he thought, teeth clenched.
I should have known… I… I… I…

His breathing turned erratic.
Sweat fell like rain, and terror crawled up his spine like a specter.
His vision blurred—

Until he felt it.

A hand.

Soft.
Firm.
Familiar.
Resting on his shoulder.

Shun turned slowly, as if afraid he’d shatter completely…
and there she was: Aphrodite.
Her gaze said nothing—yet said everything.

—We’ll help you —she said calmly.

—No… no, you should… —he stammered, throat closing.

—Hey, pinky —Alexbold interrupted with a half-smile—. Stop pretending you’re made of stone.

—He’s right —added Tiresias, voice grave—. You’ve dealt with too much today.
You deserve at least a moment to breathe.

Shun said nothing.
His legs trembled.
His pride collapsed with each breath.

—Will you ever stop running from us, Shun? —Ares asked.
No reproach. Only truth.

And without the strength to keep the mask up, Shun fell to his knees.

No tears came yet,
but the trembling of his body was uncontrollable.

—I’m leaving everything… in your hands —he murmured, defeated.

Aphrodite nodded.

—We’ll find him in the blink of an eye.

—He’s probably just resting after such a brutal fight —Alexbold said, glancing at the sky as if he could see Edén through the clouds of dust.

—He’ll be alright —Shu added, though it hurt his chest to believe it.

One by one, the students nodded, setting aside their fear.
In their eyes, there was no despair—
only determination.

A few minutes earlier…

—Ready all forces! —commanded Unknown One No. 65, his voice firm—. The fate of the world depends on this mission’s success!

The soldiers, aligned before him, stood tall like statues of war.

—If we fail, even for a second… the world will lose all hope against Black Lights.
That boy, Edén Yomi, appears to be the key to their plan.
If we let them take him… we lose. Understood!?

—Yes, sir! —they shouted in unison.

But as he spoke, his eyes drifted toward Eschatos.

What is His Majesty planning…? he wondered.
If we truly wanted to prevent them from taking the boy, we should have acted earlier.
And yet… he ordered us not to move until he said so…

What is his real objective…?

—That said… move out!

—Wait a moment! —a voice called from within the crowd.

The officer turned.

—And you are…?

Shu stepped forward, limping, his bandages soaked in blood.

—Please… allow us to join the mission.

—What are you talking about? Do you not understand the situation? And with those injuries, you’d only get in the way.

—Please… I beg you —Shu insisted, eyes burning—. Edén is our friend…
Even if he denies it, he has protected us more times than we can count.
He even risked his life for us… and carried our hopes in this tournament, even when he doubted himself.

—Please…

Shu dropped to his knees.
His bare knee hit the stone, but he didn’t flinch.

—Let us help.

—Are you…? —the officer began to protest, but he was interrupted by a raised hand.

Eschatos.

—I approve —he declared firmly.

—Your Majesty… —the officer whispered, unsure.

—Soldiers. Your mission is to protect these young ones with your life if necessary.
You must not allow anything to happen to them—at any cost.
Because what we protect is not just a person…
It is the future of the world. Understood!?

—Yes, sir! —they roared.

Back in the present…

Dozens of hands moved in unison.
Friends.
Comrades.
Soldiers.

All lifting stone after stone.
All searching through the ruins…
for a body.
For a hope.

—I’m not letting you die… not before we’ve thanked you for everything —Shu thought, his fingers bleeding as he cleared away debris.

—You were the first person to protect me… even when you weren’t my friend yet —Alexbold remembered, digging frantically.

—You showed me what it means to be strong.

A fleeting image crossed his mind:
Eden standing between him and Clarileo.
Firm.
Unshakable.
Brave.

Aphrodite, tears trembling but not falling, whispered softly:

—Since the day I met you, you haven’t stopped growing… or trying… or fighting.
While everyone else slept, you kept training.
Not to boast… but to protect.

The breeze gently moved the golden strands of her hair.

—You didn’t notice it… but you grew stronger every night… because you loved. Because you wanted to save others.

—Even that day… —Aphrodite recalled, her hands trembling as she lifted debris.

Flashback – Grek Hospital, after the events in Atlantis and Santay

The sunset dyed the hospital curtains red.
Aphrodite sat on the edge of the bed, exhausted.
In front of her, Eden kept his head lowered, his body bandaged, his eyes empty.

—I'm sorry —he said suddenly, breaking the silence.

—Huh? What are you talking about?

—I’m sorry I couldn’t save him… sorry that he had to die because of me…

Aphrodite frowned, confused.

—What are you talking about, Eden?

—You deserved a happy ending with Balder… —he whispered, and his voice shook when he said the name.

The goddess froze.

—If only I hadn’t gone to Nork… maybe he…

—Shut it —Aphrodite cut him off firmly.

Eden lifted his gaze, startled.

—You are not to blame for anything that happened —she said—. It seems destiny already had its plans, don’t you think?

She turned toward the window, watching the reflection of the fading sun.

—A prophecy… a war… too much blood spilled. All of that was part of its sick game. You were just caught in the middle.
You were a victim, not the cause.

Without warning, Eden leaned forward and hugged her tightly.
She froze, surprised by the sudden gesture.

—Eden?

—I truly am sorry, profesora… I won’t let you go through anything like that again… I swear.

His words were not those of a child.
They belonged to someone who had lost too much, far too soon.

Aphrodite didn’t answer.
She simply placed a hand on his back… and closed her eyes.

Back in the present…

Aphrodite looked at her dust-covered hands.

—To this day, I still don’t understand how someone who lost everything… can care so much for others.

—I will not allow you to die, Eden Yomi… even if it costs me my life.

Tiresias stood among the ruins, his eyes—blind for years—facing the emptiness with quiet melancholy.

—It’s a shame… that I was never able to see your face, Eden.

—When I heard Shun had taken an apprentice, I thought it was madness. I thought you wouldn’t last ten seconds. Shun has never known how to hold back his brutality.

—But when I met you… I understood.

A memory drifted into him like a faint breeze:
The Isle of Death. Alexbold’s trial.

—You accepted any punishment, just so that boy could face his destiny… you trusted him, even after he disappointed you.

—You didn’t just help him… you showed empathy toward your enemies too.

Another image surfaced: Eden leaving flowers in the central plaza of Port Royal, before the improvised altar for Teach’s mother.

—You have to live, Eden. The world needs someone like you.

Yohei, brows furrowed and fists tight, dug through the stone rubble in silence.

—From the very first day… I knew I’d never be your friend. I hated your demonic power. I still do.

—I thought it was unfair that someone like you, with no achievements, was being trained by someone like Shun. And not only that… you received the recognition of the gods. The gods of Olympus themselves.

—You were always weak… but you never backed down.

Yohei lifted another heavy rock. His fingers were bleeding.

—I never understood how anyone could trust someone who had already lost the will to fight…

A flash surfaced in his memory: Eden facing Takahashi, with a gaze that didn’t belong to this world.

—Now I get it… I was jealous.

—Your eyes… burned. You fought for everyone who had placed their faith in you. Even when it was tearing you apart.

Yohei shut his eyes tightly.

—I… was jealous. You were everything I always wanted to be.

—Someone who changes lives. Someone who gives everything. A hero.

—You… are a hero, Eden.

—So you better stay alive, demon. There are still many people waiting for you to change their lives…

Ares watched in silence, hands clasped behind his back.

—You… have made me see things I never wanted to accept.

—I know you still resent me for what happened to Isaac.

—And I deserve it. There are so many things I wish I could change… decisions I made, actions I took… mistakes I continue to carry.

—Because of you… I’ve tried to be a better father to my daughter.

A sigh escaped his lips.

—I wish I could say the same about Isaac… but he doesn’t want to see me anymore.

—I keep thinking, night after night… whether I did the right thing. Whether giving up my son was… truly the “good” thing.

—You taught me that sometimes, what’s right isn’t what’s just. And what’s just… can hurt more than any punishment.

—All this change… is thanks to you —Ares thought, pausing for a moment to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

His gaze drifted across the ruins as an image resurfaced in his mind:

Eden and his son, Isaac, sharing a calm conversation inside Dynasty Prison.
Isaac laughed… faintly, barely a gesture, but enough for Ares.

—I know my son found a great friend in you. And this time… I won’t fail him.

—I will save you.

A cold wind blew, lifting ash into the air.
And still… they kept searching.
Not out of duty.
But out of love.

Because one promise bound them all:

Eden had to live.

A few meters away, Shun stood motionless. His face was carved by pain, the dark circles under his eyes sharp as blades—weeks without rest carved into his expression.

—I don’t even know what to think anymore…
—You’re an incredible guy, Eden.

The breeze lifted dust, and with it, memories.

—That day… when you took my hand for the first time, I never imagined how far you’d go.
—You didn’t even know what you were getting yourself into… and even so, you took the step.

Flashback
Tartarus. Inhuman beasts. Blood. Fury.
Eden screaming with a face full of wounds, yet standing firm on the ground—never retreating.

—You fought horrors that would make even the bravest soul tremble.
Your will… was inhuman.

Then, that smile.
Simple. Grateful.

—“Thanks… thanks to your information, I found Zero.”
—And even then, you thanked me… when it should have been me thanking you for letting me walk at your side.

Another image: Eden standing against a berserk Alexbold. Then shouting, fire in his eyes, in front of Clarileo:

—“I won’t back down!”

—I saw how you faced monsters. How you stood before them with the eyes of someone who no longer fears death, but fears losing his purpose.

Later, in silence… Eden leaving flowers next to Teach, honoring his mother.

—And the moment I felt the proudest of you… was seeing you honor the dead. Without words. Just with your actions.

And finally, that look.

The one he had before heading off to face Puppet.

Not the look of a child.
Not of a warrior.
But of a man who had accepted dying for what he believed was right.

The climax:
Eden unleashing all his power, splitting the heavens with his essence.

—And when I saw your true power… I understood something that tore me in half and made me smile at the same time:
—You no longer needed me.
—You had grown beyond me.

The present hit him again like a breath.

He looked around. Dozens of hands digging through the ruins, tears falling, hope burning.

—Look at how many people came for you…
—You… changed their lives. Including mine.

Day after day, that overwhelming will impressed him.
Shun couldn’t stop watching him… even now, with the world collapsing around them.

—You proved yourself to have a tremendous will… an unbreakable resolve —he thought, chest tight—. Even when you were on the brink, you kept standing up again and again…

He remembered how the boy had been judged by all, rejected by his own lineage, and even questioned by the gods.
And still, he remained standing.

—Despite being judged, hated, and cast aside by the world, you became the light for many… even though you were always at the edge of the abyss, you chose to hold on and not fall into darkness, as so many others did…

Memories swirled, bringing back every look of guilt Eden tried to hide with a smile.

—Even though guilt still eats you alive… even though you’ve fallen, suffered, cried… you still show up with a big smile, supporting everyone around you.

He couldn’t help but laugh quietly, remembering how Tenzak, with his usual emotional clumsiness, told him things he definitely shouldn’t have.

—Every night you showed your hidden side… that idiot couldn’t hide it for long.

The memory sharpened.
Nightmares.
Eden’s muffled screams.
The shadow of his grandfather haunting him in his sleep.
And even so… he kept going.

—You’re truly incredible… even today, you haven’t stopped fighting for your dreams, and for what you believe in.

Shun clenched his fists. His chest burned.

—And when you finally had the chance to break completely, you kept going… fighting and fighting, even as the shadows of the past hunted you…

—Eden… I… need you… please… live… live… live… I beg you…

—Boss!

The voice snapped him out of his trance.
Shun turned, heart shrinking—
And there he was.

Eden.

Covered in dust and wounds, but standing.
Holding Gen’s white sword against his chest as if that blade were the only thing anchoring him to the world.

Shun’s eyes widened, overflowing with tears he had refused to shed.
He ran to him without thinking, falling to his knees as he wrapped the boy in a desperate embrace.

—You’re alive… you’re… —he whispered, voice broken as he felt the warm heartbeat beneath Eden’s ribs.

Around them, Eden’s friends couldn’t hold back their own tears.
Relief erupted in a silent cry that rose over the ruins.

—Hurry, get him to the camp! —Eschatos ordered without hesitation.

—Yes, sir! —the soldiers responded, moving quickly.

One of them rushed to him, panting.

—Your Majesty, we haven't found any trace of the enemy… Puppet.

—What?

—But… we found an anomaly.

—An anomaly?

—High on those mountains… we found a garden.
A large garden… full of daffodils. Something completely impossible… on that dead land.

Eschatos fell silent for a moment, then narrowed his eyes.

—Close the case. We’ve won.

—Y-Yes, your Majesty…

As Eden was carried away, Eschatos’ gaze fixed on Shun with a mix of respect and warning.

—Looks like you got your way this time, Shun…
But it won’t always be like this.

—There will be enemies that will force you to make choices… choices even you won’t want to accept. What will you do then?

—Because now, that pawn you protected… has become a dangerous tower.

—The game has changed.
—But… to which side of the board?

—Guess we’ll find out someday.