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.

have the

"Huuu."

but this wasn't the first time I lost someone important to me. I had already readied myself beforehand and

Even so…

It hurt like hell.

"Nola, mom..."

called out to my family, my voice trembling as I

weight of my father's death hung heavily over me, threatening to crush me

to face them, I could feel their eyes upon me, their concern palpable in the air. I knew I had to be strong. To keep it together for my own sake. But when I saw the sadness etched

"Uhh."

towards a small house in the distance, my heart aching at the thought of leaving them behind. But I had

two of you go over there. Bring...bring dad's

my voice shaking

as she spoke up, her voice thick with

"You're leaving?"

to

There are things I need to do,

words left a bitter taste in my mouth, and I regretted them almost immediately. Nola's reaction was swift and fierce, her grief and anger boiling

died,

growing louder and

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

"No... wait..."

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

"Nola, calm down."

intervened, trying to

she was beyond reason, her emotions

what he

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

her arms wrapping around Nola's trembling

what did he

eyes flashing

the situation. She nodded

to your brother. We're

you! Damn it! Let me go,

perfectly restrained by

"Fine, go!"

tears that streamed down from her eyes were masked by the gentle raindrops in the

"I… I…"

limped over in our mother's arms, and

"Uwaaaa! Daaaad! Whyyy!?"

gaze from her while simultaneously biting my lower lip and turning my head to look in a particular direction. My vision began to blur, and the next thing I knew, I was floating on top of

and when I thought back at what just happened, I

"Haa…haaa..haaaaa…"

'Not yet.'

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

"Fuck!"

situation a bit better, but it was not enough. I needed to vent… I needed to

Rage…

right then, as if something within me snapped, the world around me turned completely gray, and I

a certain direction, the waves beneath me quaked and

Rumble! Rumble!

of a massive sword soon

***

"Do you see it?"

them were

escaped from his grasp, and he was able to see

happened is a

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

looks like I've severely underestimated how the