Chapter 111:

Year 2: The Heroes Descend - Chapter 1

The Children of Eris


It was raining again.

It always seemed to be raining for Hailey.

It hadn’t even been half a year since that day, but it felt like her life had slowed to an agonising, slow pace.

Every single day, whenever she woke up or went to sleep, a single question repeated itself in her mind.

Why couldn’t I save him?

***

Two months had passed since David Athelward’s murder, and the world had already long since moved on.

However, for Hailey, Kara and his parents, the world had stopped moving.

His father blamed himself for David’s death. He had wanted to take the day off, but his boss had refused that request; his father attacked his boss the very next day and no one blamed him. Even his boss forgave him and apologised from the bottom of his heart.

The anger David’s father felt towards everyone else quickly changed to inconsolable grief.

His mother, who had been injured in the attack, was broken almost beyond recognition. She didn’t smile, she barely spoke and spent most of her time in David’s bedroom, clinging onto his belongings and crying her eyes out.

Her husband ultimately had to work at home just to take care of her.

Kara had been just as badly hurt as her parents, but she was trying to resist those feelings as best she could.

She didn’t want them to destroy her like it had her parents.

She had to be strong, had to endure it, and had to make her brother in Heaven proud.

Hailey was just like Kara in that sense; they were both fighting a losing battle.

No matter what she did or no matter how others tried to help her, Hailey was crushed inside.

Her parents had sent her to therapy to try and help, but Hailey barely spoke to the therapist. Whenever she did, she’d start bawling her eyes out and cursing her own weakness.

Her and David’s mutual friends tried to be there for her as much as possible, but there wasn’t much they could do. No matter what they said, it wasn’t enough and just being with them reminded Hailey that David was gone forever.

Her first love, her best friend and the person she admired the most in the world had been killed before her very eyes, and she failed to save him.

It should’ve been me.

“Hailey, what’s wrong?”

Kara poked her head in front of Hailey’s, snapping Hailey out of her dark thoughts.

With a forced smile, she said, “It’s nothing. Just thinking about things.”

Kara smiled weakly back. “…Yeah.”

Every week since his death, Kara had invited Hailey to hang out with her on the weekends. The two would go shopping, spend time talking in a coffee shop or just walk around the city.

Before David had died, they met up fairly regularly, usually two or three times a month, but this weekly outing had become a soothing ritual for the two.

It was proof that they were connected by their pain and that they could rely on one another to shoulder each other’s burdens.

David asked me to watch over you…I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I couldn’t protect you.

The two were waiting for the traffic lights to change colour so that they could cross, shopping bags in hand.

The two had said little to one another throughout the day, but that was fine.

It was a comfortable silence.

Until.

I didn’t get…to see you…become…a star…

The words gripped her heart like a vice.

…Look…after them…for me…please…

…Take care…of Kara…

Even as he died before her eyes, Hailey didn’t tell him how she felt.

Even then, she didn’t tell him how difficult it’d be for her to keep going without him.

Even as those words drifted into her mind, she scolded herself for her weaknesses.

She hadn’t become a star; she was taking a gap-year before starting her university course.

She hadn’t looked after his parents; they were barely functioning.

She was struggling to look after Kara; all Hailey could do was be there for her and try to comfort her.

…Seriously, what am I doing?

The sounds of cars zooming by became white noise.

The world’s colours drained.

The chattering of the people around her was distorted and nonsense.

None of this matters anymore.

I…I really wish…I could go back in time. She tightened her grip on her bags. God, please, let me go back to that day. Just please, let me go back to that moment! Or change the past so I didn’t sit by and do nothing!

Please!

It wasn’t the first time she’d begged or prayed like this, nor would it be the last.

Without thinking, Hailey took one step forward.

Honestly.

Then, another.

I just want this pain to end.

And then-

She was flying.

Before Hailey knew it, she was lying on the ground.

Her body was numb.

Someone was crying out, but she didn’t know who.

There were too many tears in Hailey’s eyes, and everything sounded distant.

Ah…oh God…

Hailey knew Kara had run to her side, calling her name, grasping at her hands.

She thinly smiled and tried to move, but her body was too broken.

Someone behind Kara was calling an ambulance, no doubt, but Hailey could feel it.

She could feel her life fading.

Oh God…David…I’m, I’m so sorry…

“Hailey!”

Kara’s words got through to her, but Hailey couldn’t say anything.

She couldn’t even open her mouth.

Wow…that car really…really…didn’t even give me a chance of making it, huh?

…Is this…what it was like, David?

Did you feel…this sad?

This crushed?

This…empty?

I had so much…so much…I needed to do…

Kara, I’m so sorry…

David, forgive me.

I’m…a terrible friend…

***

“Welcome, Hailey Carman.”

When she awoke, she was lying on her back with a bright invisible spotlight shining on her.

Slowly, she sat up, touching her body to check for injuries, as her eyes adjusted to the place she found herself in.

It was dark everywhere, except for where she sat.

“Where-?”

With a snap of someone’s fingers, the spotlight disappeared, and a low, terrifying light emerged from the ground, revealing a grand throne made out of tree branches. Sat upon it was a woman dressed in a pure white robe complete with a veil.

“Welcome to the Endless Space - a place mortals can only enter if they die and are lucky enough to be picked up by a God.”

“…I’m…dead?” Hailey checked her pulse and couldn’t find it. Then, her heartbeat and then her breath. Then, she began to laugh and cry. “Right…Kara, David, I’m so…sorry…I couldn’t…do it…I…I-!”

“It’s interesting how similar your responses are.”

“What?”

Harmonia licked her lips. “Nothing. Hailey Carman, you are dead, and I am here to send you to your next life.”

“Wait! Please, if you’re a God, can’t you send me back to that day?! Please, I’m begging you.” Hailey dropped onto her hands and knees; she grovelled against the ground so hard she thought she’d draw blood from her forehead. “I’ll do anything you want, I’ll sell my soul, give up half my life, k-k…kill someone, anything…just, please.” She sobbed. “Let me save David.”

Harmonia bit down on her lip to stop herself from roaring with laughter.

However.

The Goddess cackled nonetheless - nothing could prevent that joy from exploding out of her chest.

As the Goddess laughed at her misery, Hailey couldn’t help but feel pathetic.

To a God…my suffering…is amusing. She tightly shut her eyelids together. David…

After almost a minute of laughing, Harmonia finally calmed down and wiped a tear from her eye. “Child, there are some things that not even Gods can change. David Athelward is dead, and you have disappointed him twice.”

“How did-?”

“Enough.” Harmonia clapped her hands together. “I am not here to listen to you whine or beg; I am simply here to tell you two things. I am Harmonia, the Goddess of Balance and Harmony, and you, Hailey Carman, shall be reborn into another world with twenty-nine others to slay the Demon Emperor.”

“W-wh?!”

“Aangapea is a world that you would best classify as a fantasy world, full of wonderful creatures and magic, and it is your role to help save the Free Peoples from destruction. I have already sent the other twenty-nine members on ahead and you will join them shortly.”

“Wh-why? What’s happening? What are you-?”

“Hailey Carmen. You cannot return to your old world; you can never undo your mistakes, nor can you find redemption for them any longer. You have but one choice to decide which road you wish to travel down.

“The first.” The Goddess extended her left hand. “Disappear into the void. Become nothing and vanish from existence forever. You would be free of your guilt and pain, but you would no longer exist anywhere in any reality. The second.” Harmonia extended her right hand. “Is to be reborn into Aangapea as you are now. You will continue living your life in another world with twenty-nine like yourself and perhaps you can find salvation there.”

“Sal…vation?”

Harmonia’s gentle smile unsettled Hailey. “Yes. Perhaps your salvation will not come from fulfilling the wishes of your beloved, but perhaps it shall come through saving others.”

Hailey was lost.

She didn’t know what to think or feel.

She didn’t know what to do.

Inside, her emotions swirled downwards, deeper into despair whilst a shinning beacon of light illuminated them.

She had failed David, she had failed Kara, and she would never be able to redeem herself.

Yet.

This Goddess, whose voice and smile unnerved her so much, was giving her a chance, a chance to live and find salvation.

But.

I refuse.

She thought those words but couldn’t vocalise them.

A refusal meant she’d stop existing; she wouldn’t know, but that thought terrified her.

“If you wish to know my opinion, you shall regret it if you do not accept my offer.”

Hailey laughed bitterly as tears formed in her eyes.

How could I possibly-?

“Regret anything more than that day?”

“How did-?!”

Harmonia smiled and descended from her throne. “Hailey Carman, in your heart, you know what he would want you to do. No, you know what he would do if he was before me in this place.”

David would-

“I accept.”

“Very well. Then.” Harmonia held up her hand as a white light slowly enveloped Hailey. “I wish you well and, who knows?” Harmonia lightly giggled. “You could even have an unexpected reunion.”

The white light consumed Hailey as she faded from that dark realm.

T.K. 月狐
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