Leave It to the Next Generation of Champions

“Father? Horace?” Dorothy called out first, eyeing on the elders. She wobbled toward them, hastily followed by everyone else. She cupped her mouth and turned pale, her eyes glued to the deep gashes at their lower torsos. Without another moment wasted, they all scrambled their way over as fast as their worn legs could take them.

“No, M-Mister Horace?! Solomon?!” Cherry cried. “How did you two get these injuries?!”

“Damn it, were we too late?!” Eloi kneeled before the two. “Oi, hang in there!”

Horace coughed out some blood. “How curious,” he croaked. “I only realized I have these injuries just now…”

Solomon clutched his stomach with ragged breaths. “I cannot seem to recall when or how it happened either. The adrenaline must’ve blocked all that pain for me to realize it…”

“Both of you shut the hell up and focus on breathing!” said Charlie, pulling their clothes away and analyzing their wounds. “Horace, you’re lucky the stab wound isn’t too deep, but Solomon, yours is too big!” He flattened his palms and sparked small flames. “You grit your teeth, I’m going to cauterize them! The rest of you hold him in place!”

Everyone else followed the medic student’s words and firmly locked Solomon’s limbs. Charlie applied flaming pressure to the wound with a painful hiss, and Solomon groaned in agony as he jerked around, digging his fingers deeply into the soil. The flames burnt gently yet quickly, gradually sealing up the wound and stopping the bleeding, even if it left him with burnt tissues in the process.

Charlie carefully let go, only for Solomon to continue coughing and staggering his breath.

Eloi pulled out a small liquid container. “Here, Solomon, drink this! We’ve saved some blood for you!” He kneeled beside him, opened the container, and raised it to his lips. Much to Solomon's reluctance, he practically shoved it right into his mouth. He swallowed a few sips, only to suddenly grimace in pain and cough them all back out.

Charlie and Clover poured some healing aura while compressing his chest, and everyone else started to patch up Horace’s wound in the meantime, but all their faces expressed anything but hope.

And yet, no magic could recover the loss of blood. All they could do now was to share their remaining energy with Solomon. Out here, in the middle of nowhere, and incredibly far, far away from any source of help, all the inexperienced youths could do was huddle around the doctor and keep him awake for as long as possible… all while reality draped over them like a grim reaper's wing.

The last traces of their magic flickered and disintegrated into the air, leaving their quivering hands pale and numb.

“I’m… out of Crimoire,” Clover croaked, breathing heavily. “I… I’m sorry, I poured too much on our last attack.”

“No, this is my fault,” said Theodore. “I… I didn’t realize it took a heavy toll on us.”

“Both of you, stop blaming yourselves,” said Eloi. “If we didn’t give everything we got, that damn snake would still be alive! We… we did the best we could…”

Charlie cursed under his breath as his glowing hands eventually reduced to pathetic red wisps. His head swayed with dizziness, but he tried expelling out more nevertheless, only for Dorothy to snatch his wrists and force him to stop before he could faint.

“Father…” Penelope covered her eyes and quietly sobbed. “Why?”

“No, no, this can’t be happening,” Cherry whimpered, tears welling in her eyes. “You can’t die. You can’t just die after everything we’ve been through!”

While the doctor took heavy breaths, he stretched a faint smile.

“I can’t believe you, Solomon,” Horace croaked, clutching his bandaged abdomen. “I did wish for your demise, but not like this.”

“Haha, I did not expect this outcome either.” Solomon coughed again, gripping his wound. “Ah, I don’t know where to start.”

“Start? Start what?” Theodore hissed. “You better not be giving your goddamn death monologues, or I swear to god, I’ll… I’ll…”

For the first time, Theodore couldn’t finish his sentence—or more accurately, he didn’t know what to say. A look of confusion, grief, and anger contorted his face, mirroring the face he made eight months ago.

Solomon weakly raised his arm and patted Theodore’s head, who only stared back in return. “Theodore, my son, I know it is in your nature to observe everyone’s vices, including yourself. All I ask of you is to continue to trust your friends and family lest you suffer more regret.”

Theodore shook his head, holding his wrist. “Dad, what are you even talking about?” he muttered.

“Haha, who knows.”

“Stop bloody talking!” Clover hollered, gritting his teeth as tears welled in his eyes. “You’re not supposed to die. You’re too strong for that, aren't you? What happened to staying by our side? We… we’re not done here yet!”

Solomon chuckled and gripped Clover’s hand next. “Clover, my oldest child. You’ve already grown up so strong and dependable. Continue to look after your family, alright? I’m sure you can handle it.”

“Goddamn it, that’s not what I wanted to hear!” Clover sobbed, tears streaming away. “You’re… you’re part of the family too! You can’t just die after all this…”

“Father,” Penelope sobbed, squeezing his fist with both hands. “I-I… I didn’t get to… tell you everything… I…”

Solomon squeezed back with a reassuring smile. “It’s alright, Penelope. Your eyes have already delivered the message.”

Tears streamed down her cheeks as her father softly brushed them off with his thumb. She held his hand with a firm but gentle grip, burning as much of this moment in her memories as she could.

“No, this can’t be happening,” Dorothy whimpered, gripping Solomon’s other hand. “You can’t go. You just can’t! After finally moving on from our pasts… Why?”

Solomon squeezed back. “Dorothy, it felt like it was only yesterday when you were just a child. Look at you. You’ve grown up the most. I’m so proud of you.”

“Stop it! Just stop saying all these things!”

“Ah, I doubt I’ll have another chance to say them...”

“God bloody damn it!” Eloi hollered with a cracked voice, gripping Solomon’s shirt. “You can’t be serious with me. I've made so many plans with all of you. I wanted to spend more time together…!” He sputtered his words, on the verge of breaking down next. “I… I didn’t get to call you a father-in-law yet...”

Solomon’s tears finally streamed next, and he pulled Eloi into a bear hug. “Eloi, I’ve already considered you my son long ago. Please look after Penelope for me, alright?”

Eloi whimpered and buried his head into his shoulder, gripping tighter. “Damn it. Damn it all! Not like this. Not like this...!”

Solomon turned to the twins, their faces contorted into frustration and betrayal. “Solomon,” Charlie mumbled. “You once told me… that death could arrive for either of us at any sudden moment. Is it… really that time for you?”

He smiled. “I’m afraid so,” he whispered. “I’m sorry, Charlie, Cherry.”

Cherry buried her face in her palms while Charlie flushed his face and sputtered. She didn’t have to say anything, for her twin mirrored her feelings and could speak for the both of them.

“Why?” Charlie whimpered. “This isn’t fair. I… there are still so many things we wanted to talk to you about. We… wanted you to be there when we graduate. I…” He broke into sobs as he buried his face in his torso. “I wanted to see more… of… of what a father could do!”

With a quivering hand, Solomon pulled Charlie closer and hugged him, patting his head. “It’s been an honor for me to show as much as I could,” he whispered. “But do consider giving your real father a chance, alright? He may never admit it out loud, but I assure you that he loves you both as much as Horace and I do.”

“But… but you’re the one that I…” Charlie inhaled and whimpered incoherent words, shaking his head. “Damn it, I hate this.”

The doctor spared one last smile at the ex-butler, who only scowled back at him. “Horace, I’m sure you don’t want me to waste my breath on you, but—”

“Shut your damn trap,” Horace croaked. “I already know what you’d say to me. I don’t need to hear your bloody farewells.”

“Haha, truly, I’m so happy to call you my best friend…”

He grunted with a wave of an arm and looked away, rubbing his watery eyes with his sleeve. “Farewell to you too, friend,” he murmured.

Solomon slowly took a deep breath and swallowed, tears finally streaming. “Clover, Penelope, Dorothy, and Theodore, you four are the only living family I have left… and my greatest treasures. I’m sorry I won’t be able to join you on your journey from now on, but just know that I’m proud of every one of you. You three as well, Charlie, Cherry, and Eloi. Thank you, all of you, for teaching me how to love.”

His vision grew darker, and his voice grew softer as he gazed over his weeping children and at a familiar woman standing before them all with a sad smile. “And thank you, Mari, for watching over them. I’ll join you at last.”

If God truly existed, he only had one final prayer left: to grant him one last boost of strength… to embrace them all for one last time.

Mustering all the energy he had left, he formed one long, final group hug… until he drew his last breath and peacefully closed his eyes, his arms slipping to the ground with a soft thud, smiling until the end.

Clover burst into tears first and buried his face in his hands. Mustering as much energy as he could, Horace pushed himself up and softly embraced him, followed by the rest of his friends and family.

The youths broke down into a loud cacophony of grief, sobbing as hard as they could. So that they could expel all this pain, so that the stars above could hear their cries, and to send a farewell for one final time.