❝ Some people don't die when their souls leave their bodies… they die when they're forgotten. ❞
– Sera
Silence screamed inside her mind.
How does life go on, when his breath had stopped?
How can the day shine… while our moon is buried beneath the earth?
Everything seems normal…
Except our hearts.
They are shattered.
…
They sat around a small grave, deep in a forest soaked in the scent of damp wood. Tree shadows stretched over them like arms trying to comfort their grief.
"Nereus, Our Family."
That was what the gravestone read—etched with a trembling hand, broken and resumed more than once.
There were no flowers.
No incense.
No prayers.
No mourners.
Only the four of them.
Sera, Peter, Marcus, and Lucas.
Their faces were frozen.
Their eyes dimmed.
As if their souls had been buried with him.
The only outsider present was Lauren. She stood before the grave, her figure still and somber. Though she wasn't part of their group, she was the only one who came.
She raised her head, and spoke with a raspy voice:
"Maybe your mistakes won't be forgiven, Nereus… but you tried.
You were a boy wrestling his darkness every single day…
And till your final breath, you didn't abandon them.
For that alone, you'll live in the hearts of those who truly knew you…
Not in the judgment of those who didn't."
Her words hung in the air, piercing through the silence like arrows.
They felt like they were born of grief… only to be buried again.
Before they could finish their farewell, the sound of armored boots echoed toward them.
A silent scream grew in each of them:
"Not now…"
But time was no longer theirs.
"By royal order, the four of you are summoned to appear before the High Court. Immediately."
No one argued.
No one resisted.
No one even flinched.
Their souls were heavier than their bodies.
And each one of them carried an image of Nereus:
His laugh.
His silly jokes.
The time Lucas slapped him out of panic.
That random comment about Sera looking better in a princess dress.
He never even saw her wear it.
They never sat together at a table again.
He would never share his dreams again.
Never say how he wished to see them in every moment.
And they would never get to say…
How much they wished they had hugged him more.
How much they wanted him to live the life of a noble.
How much they wanted… just one more time…
To hear his voice.
⸻
The High Court…
It was so white, it no longer felt like purity—only cruelty.
The four of them walked behind the knights without chains. Without a single word. Without a single blink.
At the top stood Ilarious, clad in lavish robes, his crimson eyes fixed on Sera.
There was sadness in his gaze. An unspoken apology, perhaps.
Beside him, Valerian smiled with his usual charm, as if this were a comedy and he was the only one in the audience.
Heads lowered, the four stood silently as Aqua began to speak in a cold, composed voice:
"Considering the fact that the one you killed posed a threat to the kingdom…
And due to His Majesty's mercy and fairness…
Peter and Sera are hereby pardoned.
As for Marcus and Lucas—no conclusive involvement was found.
You are all granted full pardon."
Sera lifted her head slowly, her eyes burning.
"All of this could've been avoided…
if you hadn't tried to pin it on us."
Her voice trembled, but it was firm.
Aqua replied, unbothered:
"Careful with your words, little girl…
You wouldn't want to lose more lives, would you?"
She snapped.
"Do you think I care about death now?!
What is the worth of my life… if I can't protect the ones I love?!
Nereus was the purest boy you could ever meet!
And you didn't even allow him a proper funeral!"
Peter moved closer, ready to stop her—but didn't.
Sera kept going, her voice cracking, eyes wet with grief:
"Nereus would never hurt a fly!
You made him into a monster!
You, Aqua, and your twisted system!
I swear I will make you feel this pain!"
And she broke down…
Screamed, and with it, her heart screamed too:
"He deserved to be treated like a noble!
Not buried like a criminal!
We were the ones starving…
We were the ones freezing at night!
And you—
You sleep on silk!"
Her scream silenced the entire court.
Even the emperor slightly tilted his head.
Peter finally moved forward and embraced her, whispering gently:
"Sera… please… you're not alone…"
But she whispered faintly,
"I don't want to live anymore… enough…"
And with a swift move, she took Peter's dagger and lifted it to her chest.
"SERA!!"
Peter grabbed her arm, his voice cracking.
"Please! You're stronger than this!"
"I don't want to live!
The world is terrifying!"
She screamed, shivering.
Marcus rushed forward, grabbed the blade by its edge—his palm bleeding—but he didn't flinch.
He looked at her with fierce, tearful eyes:
"That's enough… don't be selfish.
We all want to die, Sera…
But we have to stay alive…
Together."
No one dared breathe.
Aqua finally spoke again, cold and calculated:
"Your words will not be considered a threat…
but a burst of emotion.
You are free to leave…
But you will remain under the supervision of the Royal Knights."
…
Outside the court…
The four stood together one last time, in silence.
Behind them walked out the commanders:
Gerald, Darius Kain, Valerian, and Ilarious.
Darius, his voice gravel-deep, turned to Marcus and said:
"You have three days to grieve…
Then, I expect you in training."
Gerald narrowed his eyes—he clearly didn't want to offer Lucas any grace.
"You too, Lucas,"
He said, then added:
"But remember…
Sacrifice is what makes boys into men.
You're on your way."
During all that, Sera's eyes were locked on Ilarious… filled with hatred.
And he looked back at her with icy indifference.
They all began to walk their separate ways…
Each one heading toward the barracks of the knights overseeing them…
But inside them all…
They were not being watched…
They were prisoners of a memory that would never fade.
A laugh that went silent.
An embrace that never came.