-----
"I've been asleep for a week. What has happened in my absence?" Louis broke the silence.
"The funerals for the fallen... a specific date hasn't been decided yet," Catrise answered. "But it will be very soon... We just have to... sort out their... remains..."
"If it wasn't for what you did, Zorba, it would be much easier," Mirai glared at him angrily.
"Ahhh... well, it was necessary in that moment. The sacrifices of those brave people bought us time, right?" Zorba asked.
"I don't agree with what you did, Zorba," Louis said. "First and foremost, I disapprove of it."
"Eek?!" Zorba felt pressure bearing down on him.
"However, I agree that in the heat of the moment, you had no other choice," Louis continued. "Thus, I will forgive you. You will face no punishment for desecrating the corpses of the dead... but if you ever do it again, I will imprison you."
"I understand..." Zorba nodded. Though his mindset differed from most, he recognized what the majority considered right or wrong.
"Next, as punishment, you will help gather all the remains of the people you manipulated and separate them—all of them," Louis ordered.
"Eugh... Very well. That will take a while," Zorba sighed.
"You will do it," Louis said firmly.
"Yes..." Zorba closed his eyes and nodded, placing a hand over his chest.
"Very well," Louis exhaled. "Mirai, how have you been? Is your power stable? I remember it became unstable during the battle."
"It was... I was quickly contained so it wouldn't harm innocents," Mirai sighed in relief. "I've managed to stabilize myself better this time, so I think it's alright... though something strange started appearing in my head whenever I close my eyes."
"What?" Louis asked.
"It's... like a circle," Mirai said. "I don't understand what it is."
"A circle? Don't be foolish. That's a Spiral, Mirai," Louis told her. "I think you're beginning to awaken as a Spiralwalker. It will take time to settle, perhaps..."
"What?!" Mirai exclaimed in shock. "M-me?! But...! Isn't this bad?"
"It might be, or it might not be..." Louis smiled. "But it will surely make you stronger. Aren't you happy? By embracing your Madness, a Spiral will manifest. It will help stabilize your rampant power and refine it. You will control it more freely and fight more effectively."
"I see... so that's the function of a Spiral?" she asked.
"It's only one of many," Zorba said, eyeing her sharply. "However, I cannot imagine just how much stronger you will become after obtaining a Spiral of Madness. Aren't you already stronger than us? It's unfair..."
"She's gifted with immense power," Louis said, sipping tea. "But she is also very naïve and lacks the ability to understand and control what she can truly do... Or rather, she's afraid of her power, aren't you?"
"...Yes," Mirai admitted, ashamed. "I've always been afraid of what this power could do, the people I might harm... I don't want to use it recklessly because of that... I'm sorry."
"It's fine," Louis shrugged. "I will make sure you learn how to use it. With Tisha's passing... we will need a new guardian at her caliber."
"Y-You... You expect me to be at her level, your majesty?!" Mirai asked, panicking.
"No. You will surpass her..." Louis smiled. "I know that much." He finished his tea and stood. "Very well, I am ready. Let's go."
"Where to?" Zorba asked.
"I must calm the masses and show them that I care. I have to tell them that their family members—the brave souls who sacrificed their lives in that battle—will be honored and that all their families will be compensated," Louis explained. "I want you two at my right and left side. For... emotional support, I suppose."
"Oh, I see. That is indeed the duty of a ruler, Master Louis," Zorba nodded. "I see you have what it takes...!"
"Shouldn't you make a speech with your father?" Mirai asked nervously.
"I... perhaps I should," Louis sighed, realizing he had been too hasty. "He's the King after all, but we mustn't let these people wait any longer. I don't know what he's doing, but I will drag him out of the VPI."
Louis adapted quickly after Mirai pointed out what his impulsive mind had overlooked. He decided to head to the VPI using the elevator in the castle.
Once there, he searched for his father through the database and cameras he could access as prince. The AI controlling everything, Andromeda, assisted him.
"I'm sorry about this, Prince Louis... your father has barely moved since that day. He's..."
"I see..."
Louis' anger faded as he understood what his father was doing. He moved swiftly to the floor where he... and his mother were.
Zorba and Mirai fell silent as they saw Gustaf, King of Frostbane, inside the pocket realm on that floor.
He sat holding Benladra's hand. His eyes looked unfocused, as though he had cried for days.
"What is he doing?" Louis felt a pang of anger and rushed inside.
"Please wait, Prince Louis. You're not allowed inside because you may...!" Andromeda protested.
"And he is allowed inside all he wants?" Louis sighed. "I just want to tell him something. Let me in, Andromeda. My Fantasium is stable and not toxic... if anything."
Louis suddenly revealed his aura surging. Particles of ash transformed into small lights that gathered into a bright sphere floating above his hand.
"I have mastered it even more thanks to my mother's teachings..." he said. "Am I not worthy?"
"..."
Andromeda slowly opened the door but prevented Zorba and Mirai from following.
"I'm sorry. I'll have to do this alone... Wait for me."
Louis stepped forward. Warm sunlight and the scent of nature surrounded him. The wind felt gentle, and the lush forests and grasslands remained as beautiful as he remembered.
Slowly he approached his father... who sat beside his mother's bed, a bed formed of countless plants, flowers, and trees. Her giant body rested peacefully, eyes closed, a calm smile on her face.
He could hear her faint heartbeat. She remained alive, eternally in this state, never having awakened since falling ill five years ago.
"I'm sorry, Benladra... I have failed you as a King... I cannot do this... I... I cannot bear this... So many died... it's all my fault... I'm sorry... I'm sorry, Benladra... I let your beloved people... Tisha... she was like your aunt... I let her die... I... I..."
Louis heard his father whispering in deep regret and sorrow. Each word carried pain. Even his Psychic Energy felt strange and unstable, reflecting his fractured mind.
"Father."
"..."
Louis spoke. The King fell silent and slowly turned to face his son.
"Louis... I'm glad you're awake..."
"What are you doing here?"
"I..."
"Mother won't wake up no matter how much you speak to her or hold her hand. You know that?"
"..."
"You have a country that needs you right now... I ask again: just what are you doing?!"
"...!"
Gustaf's face twisted with fear, panic, despair, sorrow, anger, frustration, and more.
He released Benladra's hand and clutched his head, trying to tear at his hair.
"Wait, what are you doing?"
"It's all my fault!"
"Calm down...!"
"So many people died, Louis!"
"That's...!"
"Most of them were my friends...! Agents, doctors, scientists I've known for decades...!" Gustaf cried out. "And... dear friends and family to your mother...! I let them all die...! I was supposed to protect this country in her stead, but I have done nothing but fail after fail..."
"No. We both did what we could, and we won," Louis said. "Soma was vanquished, and our country is not destroyed! I... I know it's terrible that four hundred people died... Not even I can fully grasp how many that is... but the country is still alive. Our efforts and everyone's sacrifices were not in vain!"
"Louis..." Gustaf murmured, exhaling heavily.
"Listen, Father..." Louis approached and placed a hand on his father's shoulder, despite his usual aversion to touch. "I know we lost a lot of people... incredible people... our bravest soldiers, our strongest knights... and our one and only Knight Captain. But this country is still here. It has to keep moving. There are people outside who need you, who are waiting for you to tell them what truly happened. Crying here by my mother's side... won't solve anything."
Gustaf sighed. "I don't know if I have what it takes to be a ruler, Louis. I am not the best person for the job... and when I get nervous, I tend to screw things up more than you can imagine."
"Me too. I often believe I am not someone who can lead a country either," Louis admitted. "But even then, I just do it and try my best, because this is the country my mother, your wife, built with her own hands. A sanctuary for humanity and the races of other worlds. A place where humans and anomalies live together. We cannot disappoint her."
"But what if I screw up again? What if we only make things worse?" Gustaf asked.
"It's impossible to avoid mistakes. As humans, we are all flawed," Louis replied, sighing. "But that doesn't mean we cannot learn from them and reduce how often we repeat them. No ruler is perfect. Even the most capable would make many errors. The world and people are unpredictable by nature. We cannot prepare for everything."
"..."
"But we can try. So when the time comes... we will at least know we tried together and did all we could... to make this country better, and... to make my mother, your wife, proud of us," Louis said, his lips trembling as he fought back tears. "So Father... stand up. Face your son and stop being a coward!"
Gustaf's eyes widened. Slowly he rose, readjusting his glasses. He looked like a mess, unshaven for days, unbathed, barely slept, barely eaten. In contrast, his son stood dazzling: long white hair, bright yellow eyes, white-gold horns, the same as his mother's.
Though Benladra and Louis differed greatly, his son carried so many of her traits. Looking at him, he reminded Gustaf of her, and how deeply he had failed her.
"I understand..." Gustaf muttered, tears falling again. "I'm sorry... for not being the father you deserved, Louis... I'm sorry for not being there for you as much as I should... I am a mess of a man..."
"I know," Louis said, hugging his father, shocking Gustaf. "But you're my only father..."
Gustaf's hands shook as he returned the embrace, feeling his son's warmth. He cried against Louis' shoulder, unable to stop.
From a distance, Catrise and Mirai wept quietly while Zorba smiled in fascination, finding his dear Master Louis even more extraordinary.
Slowly Louis released his father.
"First you will take a shower, then you will shave, alright?" Louis instructed. "Afterward, you will eat. Then we will address the people. Understood?"
"Yes..." Gustaf chuckled through tears. "Hahah, it feels like you're my father now... I'm really a mess of a father, aren't I?"
"Yes, you are," Louis sighed, walking to his mother and smiling as he caressed her hand.
Then he extended his palm and manifested Ashen Frost, born from accumulated despair. The icy ashes gathered and transformed into bright particles of light that united into a shining sphere above his hand.
"Thank you, Mother, for helping me find my light..."
Gustaf gasped as he watched the light radiate from his son's hand, an element Louis had originally been unable to inherit from his mother, even after awakening as a Spiralwalker.
"Louis...! You have mastered the Element of Holy Light?"
"Not quite yet... it's complicated. My Status shows no Light Element Affinity. This Pale White Light is the reversed form of my Ashen Frost, by channeling the Attribute of Despair and elevating it into Hope, the ash becomes light," Louis explained. "But technically, there is no true light within me, only the potential to attain it."
"...Huh," Gustaf nodded slowly, beginning to grasp a little of how his son's powers truly functioned. "Then let's go back to the castle... I have to get ready. Do you think the people outside can wait?"
"They've been there for seven days. I believe they have plenty of patience," Louis replied. "Let's go."
-----