Lucille didn't realize how long she had cried in Ashrik's arms. Her eyes were like two broken dams. He held her steadily, one hand awkwardly rubbing her back.
How... How could this be?
Those remains belonged to Violet?
She still remembered the first time she unburied the skull and bones yesterday.
Despite being surprised, it quickly faded because she was already familiar with death. Then, she offered a prayer for the deceased.
Never did she expect...
That was Violet!
How could Violet be sacrificed like this? Her life was as precious as anyone else's!
To Lucille, Violet was a dazzling ball of sunshine with a great future ahead. Her precious friend could easily influence others with her positive outlook.
Even though Violet's disappearance years ago gnawed at her heart, Lucille still held the slightest hope. She earnestly prayed that they were just separated due to these chaotic years.
But...
No!
Violet had long died! She sacrificed herself for humankind! She would no longer return!
The realization hit Lucille like a brick wall. More crystal droplets trickled down her face, as if her tear glands were ruptured. Her wails and sobs echoed in the living room.
Seeing how overwhelmed Lucille was, regret and helplessness struck Ashrik. He inwardly cursed himself for not being more cautious when revealing the issue.
'I shouldn't tell her like this. I shouldn't... but...'
But how else could he mask his words? He could neither hide the reason behind his sister's death nor lie about its cause.
Eventually, she would find out the truth. He also couldn't bear downplaying the matter.
Ashrik pressed his lips, and his jaw was taut. He awkwardly patted Lucille's back while racking his brain, thinking of how to soothe her.
The sun streamed through the open windows, spilling its light on her quivering figure. The breeze carried her cries outside, dispersing the echoes into nothingness.
"Lucy," he uttered, voice low above her head. "Vivi is no longer with us, but... she still achieved her goal. And we've helped her to guard it. Her sacrifice wasn't in vain."
Perplexed, Lucille stopped crying, though muffled sobs still escaped her lips. She pushed herself away slightly and tilted her chin to look at Ashrik.
His face was a blur in her swollen, tear-glazed eyes.
"...how?" she sniffled. "Because... she kept the relic core... safe all these years?"
Nodding, he hummed faintly before adding with a firm tone, "They won't get it back. I won't allow it either. Keep in mind, Vivi's sacrifice wasn't in vain."
Even though the grief of losing her friend was raw like a fresh wound, Lucille couldn't deny Ashrik. Despite how tragic the fact was, he spoke the truth.
Her mind wandered back to what he had just revealed to her about Genesis and the truth behind the apocalypse.
Violet went above and beyond to guard the relic core, going as far as burying herself with it. Her sole intention was not to let it fall into the hands of evil again.
Even though Genesis had almost retrieved it four years later, Ashrik saved the day at the crucial time. No matter how it was, his action didn't dishonor Violet's sacrifice.
Lucille inhaled, strangely finding it easier to cope after listening to Ashrik. She took a couple of deep breaths, trying to stabilize her wrecked emotions.
Time and again, Lucille reminded herself that she shouldn't let her grief prevent her from focusing on a much important matter. She knew Ashrik still had a lot to explain.
"Brother Ash, please continue," Lucille smiled, albeit wryly. "About Vivi, about Genesis, and... the relic. Vivi... she wanted to end the apocalypse, right?"
Ashrik initially wanted to tell Lucille to take a break, but the sight of her resolute look made him swallow those words. Her tone was soft, but firm.
"Wipe your face first," was all he could say, quite distressed.
Lucille did as she was told. She took the tissue Ashrik handed her. Then, she returned to the chair, once again sitting across him.
Then, her question, albeit spoken cautiously, shocked him.
"Vivi... Since you found her after all these years... Have you given her a proper burial?"
He replied after a brief pause, "I did. Her favorite flowers surround her now."
Lucille smiled, but it was uglier than crying. She asked, almost pleading, "Please bring me there later. I want... I want to pay her respect."
"I will. I will bring you there."
Lucille sobbed. She couldn't help but think of the skull and bones she uncovered back in the cave. She knew Ashrik wouldn't bear to leave them there. After all, those were his sister's remains.
'Vivi... I have so many things I want to tell you. I'll visit you soon. I'm sorry. I was late.'
Then, Lucille adjusted her thoughts and emotions again, reluctant to let them overrule her rationality. She still had so much more to learn from Ashrik.
As for the man, he silently analyzed the lady's facade. To his surprise, she regained control of her composure much earlier than expected.
Her eyes were still red and her shoulders still trembled, but she was considerably calmer. He shoved down the discomfort plaguing his heart while telling himself that she was strong.
"I'll continue then, Lucy."
"Please do."
Ashrik exhaled. "Genesis went into hiding after the failed experiment, but they wouldn't ever stop. The early days of the apocalypse were too chaotic for them to resurface quickly."
When Genesis tried to rebuild its strength, Ashrik wasn't idle either. He worked harder and harder to master his long-range abilities and close-combat. He couldn't afford to waste time.
"I fought them directly many times during investigations. I gained more valuable info. At the same time, they've learned who I am, of my relationship with Vivi."
Ashrik didn't go into details about his close encounters with Genesis, but Lucille roughly assumed the fights were related to the bases and battlefields he had annihilated before.
"We're both looking for the missing core and fragments. I have three now. I stole one from them. I need four more before I can end this mess."
Ashrik explained that the core of the Calamity Stone was the crucial piece. Even when he had all seven fragments, it would be impossible to proceed with the plan without it.
"I got new intel last week. Genesis had located where Vivi hid the core. I also knew they'd sacrifice another gravity esper, but... I didn't expect it was you."
The new sacrificial lamb should be another gravity-ability user, not Lucille. Genesis had abruptly changed the person; most likely because they encountered some trouble with the original candidate.
Ashrik almost let out a mocking laugh at himself. This sudden shift allowed him to meet Lucille again.
But if he had a chance, he didn't want this.
He had never wanted to drag her into this chaotic mess, especially not when her life could be in grave danger.
As he exhaled a sigh, Ashrik asked, "You felt something when you touched the relic, didn't you? And you've realized my energy has synchronized with yours in your broken core, right?"
Lucille was startled by the shift in topic. She quickly nodded, not trying to conceal anything.
"Brother Ash, you know more, don't you?"
His nod confirmed her thoughts.