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 the time

"Huuu."

the first time I lost someone important to me. I had already readied myself beforehand and

Even so…

It hurt like hell.

"Nola, mom..."

voice trembling as I struggled

father's death hung heavily over me, threatening to crush me under its

knew I had to be strong. To keep it together for

"Uhh."

my heart aching at the thought of leaving them behind. But I had no

now, the two of you go over there.

my voice

eyes widened in shock as she spoke up, her voice thick

"You're leaving?"

nodded, unable to

want to stay with you too, but...I can't. There are things I need to do, and I can't afford to waste

left a bitter taste in my mouth, and I regretted them almost immediately.

just died,

and more desperate with

that staying here with Dad is a waste of time?!

"No... wait..."

words. This wasn't what I had meant, but how could I explain that to

"Nola, calm down."

trying

she was beyond reason, her emotions raw and

why are you taking his side?! Did you not hear what he said? He thinks being with us is a waste of

not what he meant, and you

said strongly, her arms

did

her eyes

met my mother's gaze, silently pleading for her to handle the situation. She nodded her head, a subtle signal that

let's listen to your brother. We're only a burden

fuck you! Damn it!

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

"Fine, go!"

to escape from our mother's grasp. The tears that streamed down from her eyes were masked by the gentle

"I… I…"

body limped over in our

"Uwaaaa! Daaaad! Whyyy!?"

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

to my surroundings, and when I thought back at what just happened, I started

"Haa…haaa..haaaaa…"

'Not yet.'

proved to be a much harder task. The pain… it was a lot harder

"Fuck!"

to vent… I needed to let out what was built up in me, and slowly, the pain that I was feeling

Rage…

something within me snapped, the world around me turned completely

a certain direction, the waves beneath me

Rumble! Rumble!

quickly brought my hand down as the projection of a

***

"Do you see it?"

space the two of them were in.

was able to see everything that was happening within the

a consequence of

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 in front of him was not someone who would be influenced by

it looks like I've severely underestimated how