Chapter 26: Heart's Confession
Outside the Abyssal Sect fortress, the courtyard was silent in the dying light of dusk.
The sky was awash in hues of crimson and gold and the smooth stone paving reflected these colors.
Long shadows stretched across the ground, weaving together like the unresolved tension of duty and pride and heart.
While Echo and Soso stood together, the absence of the sounds of battle still reverberated in their hearts from everything that had occurred.
The fortress behind them was silent; it had become a shadow of its former self — a source of fear and darkness.
Now that they had survived what they thought was life or death — what remained was trust and love.
Soso, still wearing what was left of her ceremonial robes, shifted slightly; it was as if she was trying to shake off cast magic from her body.
Her bright eyes searched Echo's face for the signs of what they had both been through: the bruising, the fatigue and the quiet strength that had pulled them through hell together.
"Echo…" she said softly, barely louder than the leaves in the wind.
Echo's heartbeat was now at a normal pace - the adrenaline from battle and the adrenaline (overdrive) after battle has worn off and Echo now only had the sound of his heart beating against his chest like pure emotion. He stepped closer, gazing at her, the same woman he had fought and bled for and almost died for.
He noticed every detail:
Her hair swaying in the wind.
The soft glow of her magic still radiating from her skin.
Her eyes; not with power but full of trust.
"Soso," he said in a low whisper, full of feeling.
"I have put everything on the line — my life, my rank, my place at the Academy — for you. Not for glory or to be seen; I did it for you. You are the one that keeps me fighting...you are the reason I move forward. I love you."
The, "I love you" hang in the air as a spark hanging in time.
Soso gasped and her eyes widened with incredulity, and a blush crept into her cheeks.
For a long, delicate moment, no one moved or spoke, as night began to fall around them.
Echo's face softened with understanding. Pride and logic had disappeared completely.
Her breath escaped, from so close that their arms touched. She said, "I believe in you and I have always believed in you and I will always love you for who you are...not for your magic or your powers or for what others think you are.
But because of what lies within you and who you truly are...your courage, your heart and your will to be you have always been enough for me."
Time stood still between them — both fragile and not breakable in their respective ways.
Echo smiled, an honest yet weary smile...but it was still filled with peace.
He grasped her hand with gentleness...their fingers interlocked as if they were two puzzle pieces fitting together perfectly, finally.
Her hand was warm, strong and full of the same determination he had to stay alive through every brutal fight he had ever been involved in.
"Together," murmured Echo with confidence while being filled with emotion.
We will face whatever happens next together. Soso's father stood by watching, quietly and with his right hand resting on the hilt of his sword — proud and form!
But his eyes were different now, not angry, not disapproving but contemplative, thoughtful as he witnessed Echo's passion and strength in every fight that had occurred.
He had witnessed this boy face the terrors of death without evoking fear — dying like everyone else who had been there with him.
And now he was watching how his daughter was able to look at the boy with the kind of admiration a spell could never create.
So he said softly to himself, "This is the boy who has risked his life for my daughter. He has fought against my enemies who I have tried to defeat. He has stood when no other person was brave enough to stand and continue to stand here … not having been broken."
There was admiration, but it was mixed with a streak of paternal pride that was going to take a while longer to dispense with in his heart.
Before Soso's father could speak to Echo, he stepped forward into the courtyard. Each time he moved his boot echoed against the stones with hard deliberate effort.
Slowly as if trying to avoid being noticed, everyone watched him with anticipation, as if he was going to say or do something inappropriate.
He came to a halt in front of Echo, staring at him and searching him for signs of who he had been before; he was in search of answers to the unanswerable questions regarding the boy and the nature of the heart and mind of the boy.
His anger and prejudice that previously had raged in his heart had subsided,as he had changed what once was a proud judging of a student; now, there was no longer simply a nobleman being an authority figure; he was now a father who had witnessed the man who saved his family.
Finishing what had been said, "Echo, you have proven yourself in a way that no amount of words or titles can describe, in a way that is not by rank or use of magic for yourself, but through your courage, your intelligence and your heart."
"You've earned my respect."
A moment of silence followed; nobody spoke.
The wind appeared to stop blowing, as if it had also taken a breath in anticipation.
Soso took a step forward and put her arm link with Echo's, now closer than before, still quiet but now determined.
Her father's hard stare relaxed as he looked at them both.
The tension which had held the courtyard was dissipating. "I guess I was wrong to judge you by rank alone."
He lowered his sword to the side at an incline.
"You've earned my respect, as well as the right to accompany my daughter."
Echo's expression was one of surprise and gratitude; it was not a look of arrogance.
He bowed low, speaking quietly in a respectful manner.
"Thank you, Sir. I promise to protect her to the best of my ability and will do all I can not to let her down."
Soso's father observed Echo for a moment longer before nodding at him sharply once; however, the nod contained a small hint of satisfaction.
"I hope you do."
As the last light of today reached across the courtyard, the gold light illuminated all around them.
As the day drew to a close, the air had warmed considerably — it seemed like an indication to the world that today was also ending — and with it came an acceptance of what had transpired.
Soso turned toward Echo, her eyes filled with emotion.
"I knew this was going to happen since the beginning... I knew something special was going on with you… from your heart and your courage, you were different from the rest of us… I will always stand by you, no matter what."
With a gentle squeeze, Echo linked her fingers through Soso's while they both embraced a moment of silence in total darkness, as the world around them faded into the rhythmic sound of their hearts beating in unison.
"Together, after facing so much darkness and being so far apart because of it, we have come together in the end. We can now move forward from here, together."
The once-battlefield courtyard filled with turmoil now appeared peaceful and almost beautiful in the fading daylight.
The guards who had once raised their blades against Echo now stood with their heads down, respectful toward the healing Rebirth that took place at the same time as Echo's loss.
Even Soso's father, the one man who didn't care about anything but his pride and rank, for the first time had a small smile of genuine affirmation cross his face, indicating that he acknowledged her standing on the outside.
He had now seen what very few could deny, that the true measure of strength is not a man's rank but rather courage; and that love born out of sacrifice can connect two people from longdistance, through time and space.
"Heart's confession, confirmed through honesty and truth, and respect earned, a new path begins."
The sounds of the evening filled the air; a tranquil melody that marked the beginning of a new day after a time of turmoil.
As Echo and Soso walked hand-in-hand away from the castle and into the light, the day took on a peaceful, calm feeling as if everything would be okay.
The experiences they had survived — the battle, the testing of their limits, and the shook and hurt from the things they had witnessed — had taught each of them how strong a hold they had over one another. More, they had a bond that was beyond the realms of magic and rank.
As they looked ahead, the road was faintly lit with a glow of light from the promising future ahead of them; one that was created by two hearts working together.
"Together," Echo said softly yet confidently.
Soso smiled at Echo as she found the golden sun in the sky reflected in her tears.
With no hesitation, they proceeded down the road before them as a single unit into an environment that had finally become welcoming.