Final Hour Pt. 4

Judan crossed her arms and glared at me. "You are right about one thing. Regulus was an enemy of Calypso during the insurrection. Despite his sister being at the other end of his blade, he stood in her way until the very end. They clashed, and the injuries he left her with may have very well been the cause of her final hour."

I clenched my fists and shut my eyes, bracing for whatever would come next—whether it be slander or even a blade to the chest, just like I had done to Nelia.

"However, I knew Regulus, but more than that... I knew Solas."

My eyes shot open, locking onto her face. She wasn't glaring at me with condemnation or hatred, as I'd expected. Instead, she was smiling—a soft, gentle smile. But why?

"You didn't fight because you wanted to," she continued. "You fought because you had to. Captain Nemesis sought all-out war, a war that would've claimed hundreds of thousands, if not millions of lives. You believed it was the only way to save your sister, to keep her from a path of regret."

"How does that justify it...?" I muttered, my words heavy with frustration. "Whatever I thought at the time or whatever I thought was right, I'm still responsible for her death, am I not?! Regulus or whatever, it was me! It was me... w-who—"

My voice broke as the sorrow finally overwhelmed me. I couldn't hold it in anymore. I couldn't bear the burden for a second longer. I had tried to rationalize it, to convince myself that there was some deeper truth I just wasn't seeing—but none of that mattered now. The moment I accepted it, the tears flowed, and I couldn't stop them.

"I killed Nelia..." I said. "Even if I didn't land the final blow, I might as well have. That's the fact of the matter. She was my sister, but... she was also your captain. I won't blame you if you hate me. In fact... just kill me. After what I did to her... I deserve it."

Judan's footsteps grew closer, and soon I felt her hand on my cheek, wiping away the tears—though more followed. Our eyes met, and in hers, I saw a faint glimmer of guilt... a weight she carried as well.

"Captain Nemesis would disagree," she said.

Suddenly, my vision collapsed. However, it wasn't accompanied by pain like before. Instead, it felt oddly warm... even though what I saw next was Nelia standing before me, her body bleeding and injured with rainfall darkening the backdrop.

"...Nelia...?" I mumbled.

This time, I could make out her face. It was just as beautiful as I remembered, and even though my sword was piercing through her torso, she was still smiling.

"Why...?"

"Why, huh...?" she scoffed. "Because how... could I kill my own little brother?"

"And do you think it's right for your little brother to kill his own big sister?! You could've dodged it! You could've blocked it! I know you're more than skilled enough to manage that! So why—"

Nelia reached over, resting her hand on my shoulder. In broken words and with a weakened voice, she spoke the last words I would ever hear from her.

"Solas... The birth of a new age is coming... and the great city of New Olympos will be its first victim. Whether it will be for better or worse, I can not say. This world, once full of light and color, is darkening, and as the nights grow longer... I fear you'll come to understand what that truly means. I hope that you never see the things I've seen... nor bear the weight I carry. But if by some cruel twist of fate, you do find yourself walking this path of mine, just remember... the choice will be yours. Think carefully, and then think twice... for the answers you seek may cost more than you could ever imagine."

"Nelia..." I muttered.

She smiled and threw a gentle slap at my face. "Solas... If this really is goodbye... take care of Mom. Don't leave her alone. And... never forget... I love you so, so much... my dear little brother. Always..."

With that, she took a step back, removing my sword from her torso and splattering the flooded ground with her blood.

"Nelia... W-wait... Don't go."

"Aw, come on. Don't make... that face. Or else, hehe... I'll get scared."

Beneath the skies of oblivion, she stumbled away and fell off the edge of the Tower of Babel, our last battlefield.

"NELIA!" I cried out, but that was all I could do.

Just like that... she was gone, replaced by Judan standing in front of me.

"That day... when Nelia fell into my arms... I knew that it was you. I hated you. I wanted to kill you. But... When Calypso was imprisoned after the insurrection, the one who freed us was you. The one who held back the entire Athenian division, giving us a chance to escape, was you. And the one who faced two Arbiters with fallen tears while screaming his sister's name... was you. Regulus. That was when I knew... You were just a fucked up kid like the rest of us. So don't blame yourself. It wasn't your fault."

For a while, I rested my chin on Judan's shoulder, eyes shut with nothing on my mind. A part of me wanted to go to sleep and never wake back up, but I knew that wasn't an option.

I killed Nelia. Nothing will ever change that, but if I'm gonna keep moving forward... then I'll live with it. I'll shoulder it all. If I ever come to regain all of my memories, then I'll use them against the High Order—not as Regulus, but as Solas.

Finally, Judan let go, and I was able to see the faces of the other Calypsos again.

"Feeling better?" she asked.

"A little bit," I replied.

"Don't think too much about it. We'll figure it out. Got it?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Alright, Calypso. It's time to rest up. Lights out in five."

"Phew, what a day, huh?" Loki chuckled as she walked off. "Can't wait to plop down on my bed."

Minerva's expression suddenly lifted. "Oh! Are you gonna use the—"

"Fuck. No."

"Eep..."

"Hey, Astrid," Zephyr called out.

"Hm?" she replied.

"Can you help me look into something? I just remembered an unpleasant face, and I'm curious if he's still alive."

"Oh, sure. Follow me."

All of them left to their own respective corners, leaving me and Judan in front of the reception desk.

"You'll probably have to sleep in the infirmary room for now, Solas," she said. "At least, until we can find a better place to put you."

"It's fine. Anything works as long as there's a mattress. I'm not complaining."

"Mhm. Then, goodnight."

She took a few steps away, pausing beside a support pillar. Her fingers lightly gripped the cold metal as she glanced back over her shoulder.

"And, Solas... I'm sorry it took so long, but... It's good to see you again. Really."

I froze, caught off guard by the smile I never thought I’d see again. It was soft, almost timid, and yet it radiated warmth. Her eyes crinkled at the corners, just like they used to, and from them came a nostalgic feeling.

Even after everything that had happened, I couldn't help but wear a smile of my own. "Yeah. You've no idea how many times I've wondered where you were. Seeing you alive and well... I was beyond happy."

"Hah. Is that so? Rest easy, okay?"

"Yeah. Good night, Judan."