—Klein Moretti
"I keep my promises after all." I spoke, my smile sincere
"I—" and before She could say another word.
"Well I suppose that's enough for your story no? I'll keep my end of the bargain."
"On how I felt right after she spoke those words."
—A very very long time ago…
"Say Klein"
"Hm?"
"If you could choose between sacrificing yourself for this world and surviving with no one left which would you choose? "
"Well that's a…" I wanted to joke, yet for some reason her tone felt serious.
"Well, if we're talking about my 'earth' then yes I wouldn't even hesitate. But this world… If such a scenario were to ever happen I would not unless 'our family' were in danger"
"Still… what's with the sudden question?"
"Sometimes I like to imagine worst possible scenarios in my head and just wondered how others would act with it."
For some reason, that alone made me wanted to scream 'Leodero'. Though I suppose everyone has their own hobbies
"And you? what would you do?"
"If that time ever comes then I'll—"
—
"See you in a while, I'll be back"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM
Her body slammed to the ground, did you know what my first thoughts were at that moment?
Was this an illusion? There's no way everything I saw was real? but as the Lord of the Mysteries and The Pillar of Deviation—Illusions don't affect me.
Without hesitation I opened an illusory door hoping just hoping maybe I really was lost in an illusion… Yet the answer I got was the one I thought would've been impossible.
She was there, unbroken, completely fine, but her blue eyes empty, completely empty, no movement, no reaction, like a doll—Like a vessel that was abandoned, a mere shell of what used to be The Pillar of Conclusion.
…
No.
This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening.
I am the Lord of Mysteries. I am the Pillar of Deviation. I fool fate. I deviate reality. I can fix this—
Can I?
I reached for my authorities. Fool Error Door They answered—they always answered. But when I tried to use them—when I tried to deviate this outcome—Nothing. The Conclusion was already set.
No
I was there when she saved me. I was there when she pulled me from despair. I was there when she gave me a family. And now—I was here. Watching her gone. Unable to do anything.
No.
I could feel it—the cracks. Not in reality. In me. My form. My anchors. My humanity.
I was losing control.
My form flickered. The Worms of Spirit—translucent, arcane—writhed beneath my skin. The Worms of Time—segmented, distorting—spun faster. The Worms of Star—curved, suspended—pulsed with unstable light.
The grey fog of Sefirah Castle seeped from my body. Doors—illusory doors—manifested and vanished uncontrollably.
I was breaking.
Stop.
I tried to pull myself together. Tried to anchor myself. Tried to remember—
"Hey. did you hear her conversation?" Cael suddenly spoke, stopping my downward spiral
"What are you guys talking about? What happened, why did she suddenly stop?" Herta bombarded me with question.
"████████████" I unconsciously spoke
"That was how long the other me originally 'trained' and she's doing it again." Gaby spoke again…
…
"We're leaving."
"Where—?"
…
"Home"
As soon as I spoke those words gray fog spewed everywhere and soon—Every single one of our 'family' disappeared.
…
—The Present
"That explains why you were in a hurry at that time." Bronya spoke, her tone undescribable.
"I was so close on losing control."I spoke as I let out a self depreciating chuckle, "How disastrous would it be if the world lost 2 Pillars right at that moment."
"Everything would've ended."
…
"It also explains why Kanade seemed to stick to you far more then before,"
"She usually sticks with me or Kiana after all, she could probably feel what I was feeling at that moment."
"Just like she did on me."
—The Past
At the time, we had just teleported to our home, as the grey fog receded, the doors vanished We were was home as I stood in the living room. Everyone was there—Gaby, Kanade, Bronya, Alena, Aldric, Kim, Gavin and many more some talking. Crying. Processing.
I wasn't.
I couldn't.
...
"Klein?" Kanade's voicen called upon be softly, I could see the tears glistening in her eyes as she looked at me with worry, yet I didn't turn.
"Klein... are you okay?"
...
"No."
...
"...What?"
"I'm not okay."
...
"I'm never going to be okay."
As I willed myself to disappear, right that moment—From everyone's vision.
—Day ██
I locked myself in my room. Not physically—I could open a door anywhere. But I chose to stay. To rot. The others came—Well tried too. Alena, Aldric, Kim, Gavin.
I didn't answer.
I couldn't.
...
—Day ██
I stopped eating.
I didn't need to—as a Pillar, I could sustain myself indefinitely. But the act of eating was human. The act of sharing meals was family. Without her—without Kiana—it felt meaningless.
...
—Day ██
I stared at the wall. For hours. For days. For weeks. The grey fog seeped from my body. The doors manifested and vanished. The worms writhed beneath my skin.
I was losing control once more, yet.
I didn't care.
—Day ██
I heard it—Music
Soft
Gentle
Familiar.
Kanade was playing. Not for me—she was in her room. But the melody carried. It always carried. Yet I closed my eyes.
...
No
I shut it out. I refused to feel.
...
But the music kept playing.
Every day.
Every night.
Every moment.
—Day ██
Creakkkkkk
It was Kanade.
"…"
"Why are you here." I spoke, my voice no longer sounded truly humans, I could feel my worms, my tentacles, the doors everything all seemed to seep through this entire room.
"…"
"Klein…"
"…"
"Ano… I know this might come of ass rude but…"
"…"
"Klein… can't you see all of us are suffering too-?"
!!!
"Everyone had been crying. suffering… all hoping she'd woke up tomorrow…"
I couldn't help but froze from that statement, my eyes seemed to force itself as I looked at everyone elses. I couldn't help but notice—It was already night. The very first one I noticed was that of Alena's The door was closed. Locked.
Alena sat on the edge of her bed. Her hands were trembling. Her eyes were red.
...
"Kiana..."
Her voice cracked.
"My daughter..."
...
She covered her mouth, a sob escaping from her hands.
...
"I'm supposed to be strong. I'm supposed to be the mother."
...
"But I can't... I can't..."
...
She broke.
The sobs came—ugly, raw, human. She buried her face in her hands. Her shoulders shook. Her body trembled.
...
Then I changed, and low and behold I was looking at Aldric. He sat at his desk. The lamp was dim. The room was silent, yet I could feel the raw emotions radiating from him. An emotion so strong… One that even the earth would crumble from.
"…" Even in despair, he chooses not to cry infront at the very least. When alone however—Even the sturdiest rock can be worn away
...
he sat on her bed. The Gray Reaper was beside her. Shiraori was nearby, probably told by Aldric, as Kim continued to stroke the Gray Reaper's head
...
"I've lived a long time. I've seen many things."
...
"But I've never..."
...
She covered her mouth.
...
"I've never lost a grandchild."
...
The Gray Reaper nudged her. She smiled—weakly—and patted its head.
...
"I'm fine. I'm fine."
...
She wasn't.
And the next was of Gavin. He sat on his bed. His console was on. His game was paused.
...
As He stared at the screen. At nothing.
...
"...This is so stupid."
[...] Ddraig was silent, he wanted to speak, yet he couldn't
"Why am I crying? She's not dead. She's just... sleeping." He spoke as he wiped his eyes.
...
"But what if she doesn't wake up?"
...
"What if she's gone forever?"
...
He buried his face in his hands.
...
"I'm supposed to be the strong one. The funny one."
...
"I'm supposed to make everyone laugh."
...
"But I can't... I can't..."
"…"
—Amane and Mahiru's Room
"Amane-Kun"
"She'll wake up right."
"…"
"…"
Squeeezeee
As I moved my senses once more, trying to search for Firefly, she wasn't here. Instead—She was at the moon, in her suit of armor, flames covered it's every corner as he sat there, looking back at earth , I—
They were all suffering.
They were all grieving.
They were all breaking.
Just like me.
...
But they were still trying.
"Everyone's worried about you Klein…"
…
You gave me a place , one that shall never collapse
…
I remember saying those words, I swore them to her.
…
Do I—No. I would never go back on my words.
That Oath I made with my mind. I remember it now—I remember. I—
"Swear in my name, Klein Moretti—You gave me a place , one that shall never collapse. And one that shall forever hold." The words left my mouth before I even realized I'd spoken them.
The room—my room—was silent. The grey fog that had been seeping from my body began to recede. The doors that had been manifesting and vanishing uncontrollably slowed. Stopped.
I looked at my hands.
The Worms of Spirit—translucent, writhing—began to settle beneath my skin. The Worms of Time—segmented, distorting—slowed their spinning. The Worms of Star—curved, unstable—dimmed their light.
I was...
Stable.
...
"...Klein?"
Kanade's voice was still there.
I turned—truly turned this time—and looked at her.
She was still crying. Her eyes were still red. Her hands were still trembling. But she was smiling.
Just a little.
...
"...You're back."
...
"...Yeah."
...
"...I'm back."
...
—Day ██
I opened the door. The hallway was quiet. The house was silent. But not the empty silence from before—the silence of a home where everyone was holding their breath. I walked to the living room.
They were all there. Alena. Aldric. Kim. Gavin. Gaby. Bronya. Even Amane and Mahiru, huddled together on the couch.
...
They looked up. Surprised. Hopeful.
...
"...Klein?"
...
I didn't speak.
I just... walked over. Sat down. In the spot I always sat. Between Aldric and Kanade.
...
"...I'm sorry."
"…"
"I wasn't there when you—???" Before I could finish speaking, my body received a hug, one that "I" very much did not expect coming.
"You idiot."
...
"I know."
...
"Don't ever do that again."
—
We ate together. For the first time in weeks. All of us. Around the same table. Sharing the same meal. It was quiet. No one spoke much. But it was warm.
...
And for the first time since Kiana fell—
I felt alive.
—Day ██
I started listening to Kanade's music again. She composed. I listened. Sometimes I even played—just a little. Just enough to feel human.
...
The melody was soft. Gentle. Healing.
...
Not just for me. For all of us.
—Day ██
I talked to Gavin. About games. About nothing. About everything. He laughed—for the first time in weeks. A real laugh. Not the forced one he'd been using.
...
"...Seems like you're back ay? Good, Kiana wouldn't want to see you all depressed after all/"
...
"...Yeah."
...
"I'm back."
—Day ██
I walked with Aldric.
We didn't speak. We didn't need to. As gentleman's even silence—was A conversation on it's own
...
But at the end—just before we went back inside—He stopped.
...
"...Thank you."
...
"...For what?"
...
"...For coming back."
...
I didn't answer.
I just... nodded.
—Day ██
I sat beside Kiana. Her body. Still unmoving. Still empty. As I instinctively held her hand/
...
"...I'm going to keep my promise."
...
"You gave me a place. One that shall never collapse."
...
"And I'm going to make sure it stays that way."
...
"Until you come back."
...
"No matter how long it takes."
—Present
"...And that's what happened." Bronya was silent.
...
"...You almost lost yourself."
"Yes."
...
"...But you came back."
"...Because of them."
...
...
"...I see." Bronya spoke in an undescribable tone, then she stood up—and stepped away.
Step Step Step
I couldn't help but notice a smile coming from my face.
—Day ██
The Family gathered once more, for dinner
...
I sat at the table. Surrounded by my family.
...
Waiting.
...
Hoping.
...
Living.
...
Because that's what she would want.
...
Because that's what I promised.