Before sunrise, Amaranthus opened his eyes slowly while frowning.
He had dreamed of the nights where he lost his family one by one, and it never seemed to end.. It was a vicious nightmare cycled over and over again. Forcing him to relive every vivid moment, every vivid emotion.
All he wished was for the opportunity to go with them.. So that they wouldn't be alone. So that he wouldn't be alone.
But, reality was disappointing.
*Sigh*
'No surprise that I'm still here, but its discouraging to say the least.'
He sat up on the bed, it's creaking an unpleasant call in the morning.
As he swung his legs to the edge of the bed, he rubbed his eyes in an attempt to get rid of the debris and morning daze.
He unclipped his backpack and weapon from his clothes. Slowly standing up he walked to the master bathroom.
Once there, he went through his usual morning routine. Cleaning his face, brushing his teeth and tongue, and washing his face.
After finishing up, he sat at the desk again. Reading what he wrote the night before.
"If trust could mend like bone, its value would be nonexistent. Likewise, if you look through a broken lens, perspective is statically suspended. Its purpose greatly diminished."
After contemplating what he wrote, he elaborated.
"As all things become broken, it becomes a part of its history. Becoming too brittle in our ways will one day break us. Becoming too malleable will one day leave us guessing our true identity or purpose."
"Life is suffering... And we are only looking for a meaning that's deep enough to sustain us through tragedy."
Finished with the expanding of his thoughts, he gently closed the leather-bound book.
He ran his fingers across its cover, the sound likened to a soft wind pushing sand.
"For Our Minds" The cover read.
It was a gift from his mother, who bore witness to the hints of intellect within Amaranthus at a young age and who thus decided to gift him a hand-made leather-bound notebook.
He cherished it with all his heart, as it was the last keepsake he had received from his mother.
'Meaning..' He looked at the cloud grey wall as he thought to himself. His eyebrows were furrowed, while his eyes glazed over.
After a moment of losing himself in thought, he reached out to his tablet which sat quietly at the left corner of his desk.
The wallpaper was the only family portrait that had ever been taken. Back then he was only five, his siblings barely three and one respectively.
The family was content in that moment, each one had a smile that could light up any room they walked into.
He touched a special app that connected him to a member of his faction.
"Goodmorning Mr. Eagean. If you are ready for the Daily Update, I will start now." His Logistics Hand replied.
It had become routine to have reports read in the morning. As the Unfading Faction grew, he needed more trusted subordinates and more expansive reports.
"You may start, Ms. Elise."
The Logistics Hand smiled, as the most important human in Northwind had greeted her by name.
"N-Northwinds internal activities continue with delinquent crime, but as of t-this early morning it has been drought down to a two percent occurrence rate."
She was a bit nervous as she spoke, like always, but she handled it with professionalism.
"Excellent, let's push to maintain the status quo. Move our remaining human resources towards guarding the border walls, allocate them as circumstances change."
"I'll write that down, Mr. Eagean."
...
The report brushed past the financial stability of the faction, it's member count and internal affairs as well as it's infrastructure.
All in all, everything was proceeding as intended.
After the report was finished, Amaranthus exited his bedroom. The hall had black stone tiles, with patterns that resembled a river bed, along with lights that glowed like the torches of old, giving the hall a solemn vibe.
His steps rang out steadily as he headed towards the end of the hall.
As he stepped into the light of a modern room, the change of ambiance was drastic. The tile floor was a blinding white with soft blue LED's providing a clinic like atmosphere. His uncle, already advanced in his years, sat in a wheel chair, over looking the city from the biggest window in the room.
Amaranthus's chest stung a bit as he looked at his Uncle.
They weren't related by blood, but through a bond. One that was thicker than blood.
Who would have known that this loyal uncle who had always been by his fathers side, would end up being his only living relative.
His Uncle's name was Corwin, and it's meaning totally matched his character.
"Anthus.." Corwin spoke and as he did his voice flowed like wind against grass, it was gentle yet captivating when one chose to pay attention.
"Yes, Uncle?" Amaranthus replied. Corwin was the only one who had ever given him a different nickname to the one his family had chosen for him. This little memory brought a soft smile to his face.
"Hadrian would be proud of you.. He always knew you'd grow up to be a powerful young man." A tear dropped down his cheek, the wrinkles in his skin evident.
His chin trembled with emotion, as he tried to maintain his composure, but his eyes which reflected the light like a broken mirror betrayed his effort.
Amaranthus walked towards his uncle, stopping once he was in front of Corwin. Kneeling down he looked into the eyes of a life who's had enough.
As Corwin aged, his health deteriorated. When he had gone to the young Amaranthus, he was no longer able to run the company as he had once used to.
Heartbroken he had to ask for the young orphans help. He too was his only family, and it pained him to set such a responsibility on a seventeen year old.
He knew the depth of loneliness all too well. It was a hungry beast that preyed on the deepest desires of humanity; and this boy had to face it at such a young age.
And here he was, the last crumbling wall standing against that savage beast.