The Author's POV

Drip! Drip! Drip!

"It can't be… no…"

"Uwaaaa!"

Incomprehensible mutterings, a loud wail, and the sounds of rain dripping against the ground.

All of it reached my ears, and yet at the same time didn't.

Standing where I was, my mind was blank. I couldn't think of anything, and the noise around me came from one ear and left from another.

I was numb, so numb… Staring at the figure that lay before me, I didn't know how to react.

'He's dead…'

I tried to check up on him moments prior, but his heart and breath had stopped. There was nothing I could do at the moment, and it was this sense of helplessness that made me numb.

Why? …why did it have to happen again? Why did someone else have to leave me? Especially my father, of all people… the one person I was supposed to protect?

I closed my eyes, the rain still trickling down my face. Images of the past flashed in my mind, moments that I had shared with my father.

'Is this how he felt?'

At last, I was able to understand the constant agony that the other version of me had to endure on a consistent basis, and I noticed that something was beginning to eat away at my chest.

"Haa… uhaaa…"

Breathing was becoming incredibly difficult at the moment, and if not for me being used to this, I would've already lost it at this point.

'Not yet… I can't show weakness just yet…'

I held back everything that was threatening to come out at that moment and kept it to myself.

There would be a time later when I could show weakness… The time wasn't now.

Not yet, at least…

The rain continued to pour down, drenching my clothes and making me feel cold. The only sound that could be heard was the sound of raindrops hitting the ground.

"B,brother."

It was upon hearing Nola's voice that I turned around. The pain that I was feeling further intensified when I caught her gaze, and I raised my head to look up.

She had grown up since I had last seen her. With the time she spent in Immorra, she was now 14 years old… a teen. She had grown into a beautiful young girl and was no longer the little girl that I used to know.

Unlike before, she was aware of what was happening, and I couldn't bring myself to look at her.

"B,brother."

She called out again, but I didn't respond. I didn't want to face her. To see the look of sadness and confusion on her face.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

The silence was deafening, the only sound being the raindrops hitting the ground. It was as if the world had stopped for a moment, frozen in time.

"Hiek… b,brother… answer me…"

The rain masked her soft whimpers, and my heart ached at the thought. I really wanted to go to her at the moment and give her a hug, but I stopped myself.

Now was not the time…

'Not yet.'

I couldn't mourn just yet.

didn't have

"Huuu."

deep breath, trying to calm myself down. It was hard, but this wasn't the first time I lost someone important

Even so…

It hurt like hell.

"Nola, mom..."

family, my voice trembling as I struggled to contain my

father's death hung heavily over me, threatening to

could feel their eyes upon me, their concern palpable in the air. I knew I had to be strong. To keep

"Uhh."

in the distance, my heart aching at the thought of leaving them behind. But

now, the two of you go over there. Bring...bring dad's body

my

she spoke up, her voice thick

"You're leaving?"

unable to

too, but...I can't. There are things I need to do, and

and I regretted them almost immediately. Nola's reaction was

just died, damn

louder and more desperate with

you seriously say that staying here with Dad is a waste of time?! What's wrong with

"No... wait..."

had meant, but how could I explain

"Nola, calm down."

intervened, trying to diffuse

beyond reason, her emotions raw and

taking his side?! Did you not hear what he said?

it! That's not what he meant, and you know

her arms wrapping around

what did

demanded, her eyes

handle the situation. She nodded

to your brother. We're

Damn it!

my mother's arms, but she was perfectly restrained by her, and she continued to

"Fine, go!"

mother's grasp. The tears that streamed down

"I… I…"

our

"Uwaaaa! Daaaad! Whyyy!?"

My vision began to blur, and the next thing I knew, I was floating on

thought back

"Haa…haaa..haaaaa…"

'Not yet.'

myself once again, but unlike before, it proved to be a much harder task. The pain…

"Fuck!"

but it was not enough. I needed to vent… I needed to let out what was built

Rage…

as if something within me snapped, the world

a certain direction, the waves

Rumble! Rumble!

hand down as the projection of a

***

"Do you see it?"

within the space the two of them were

his grasp, and he was able

happened is a

wanted to see a reaction from Ren, but even as his own father died, he showed no such reaction. It frustrated Jezebeth to no end, and he knew that the man

severely