WARNING: Cliche' prologue! Trust me, I'm a chemist.
...
“Hey, before everything ends, I want to ask you something.” Said a pink haired woman holding a sword much larger than her body.
The man beside her said “It isn’t the end yet, what are you saying? We can both go back-”
The woman flicked the man’s forehead and said “Stop lying, one of us has to stay behind.”
“We can-”
“I love you, now what’s your reply?”
“...”
“I’m waiting”
“You already know someone’s waiting for me...”
The woman shed a single tear before smiling. “That takes a load off my heart. It would’ve left a bitter taste if I died without hearing your answer directly.”
“You won’t-”
“Would I even feel it if I’m dead?” The woman furrowed her brow.
“Lacie! We can both go back to-”
“Never mind, bye Nero.” Said the woman as she swung her large sword to the man.
The man blocked it with his long sword “What are you-” but was kicked to the only opening of the room made from nothingness.
“Go, live my share of happiness.” Said the woman as she swung her sword to the purple crystal in the middle of the room.
“Lacie!”
The moment the woman’s sword connected to the crystal, the door leading to the room disappeared, and the place where the man stood shook violently. The man was on the verge of crying, but the collapsing world stopped him from brooding over his comrade’s death.
He ran to the maze of darkness, with flames on his hand as his only source of light. The walls were organic, like purple colored intestines. The floor had thick red water with large moving eyes at the bottom. The ceiling was filled with decayed corpses.
The place was like something that came out from a bad nightmare, yet the man ran as fast as he could, unfazed by the horrendous sight around him. Now that he couldn’t turn everything back, the most he could do was not waste his comrade’s sacrifice.
He was moving at a blinding speed, yet it took him days, weeks, months, to finally get out of the horrifying maze. He saw light from a far, light that he has longed for, light that he wanted to protect.
The hole linked to the light was slowly closing, but before he ran, he looked back at the pitch black world and said “Lacie, Rakk, Leon, Ceres, Lillia, Victor, Drena, Finn, Drake, Sera, we did it, your sacrifice weren’t in vain.”
After shedding a tear, he dashed to the closing hole, forever leaving the place known as the rift. The moment he entered the hole, he lost consiousness.
When he awoke, he was falling from the sky. He looked around. Below him was the sea, and above him was a clear sky. The opening in the sky leading to the rift was no more, verifying that he has indeed accomplished his goal.
...
A few years ago, a hole, which was later called the rift, appeared in the sky and monsters came out from it, wreaking havoc in their world. Nero and ten other individuals fought to protect the world from the monsters, and they entered the rift to close it from the inside.
Before they entered, Nero promised a certain girl that he would marry her once he returns. Since then, a few years have passed, and although Nero was sad that his comrades couldn’t see the fruits of their efforts, he was happy that he could see the girl he loves once more.
...
After falling from the sky, Nero ran above the sea. He has returned, and he wanted to meet his beloved as soon as possible.
He grew strong during his time in the void. He could take another step before his foot could sink, and it would seem like there was nothing that touched the water at all.
There were lots of changes around him, but it was irrelevant since all he wished was to see his beloved.
He arrived after a few days, and it was night time when he cheerfully called for his beloved’s name “Ria!”
The house has also changed a bit, but it still resembled its former appearance. He called a few more times, before the door finally opened.
He was excited to see Ria, he wanted to see how she would react now that he was back, but a different person appeared on the other side of the door.
“What is it?” Said a young elven woman with light brown hair.
He doesn’t remember the girl. Is she a new maid? is what he thought. “Where’s Ria?”
“...There’s no Ria living here.” Reluctantly said the woman.
Nero raised his brows and answered “What are you talking about? This is her house.”
“A-are you perhaps pertaining to lady Ria Ravenwing?”
“Yes, where is she?”
The woman seemed to notice something while looking at his face as she said “A-are you sir Nero Lockhart!?”
“Yes, I am, now call Ria!”
“...please come inside.”
They walked inside, and the place was still as tidy as ever. There were some minor changes, but it was still as he remembers.
He got worried for every step he made, since Ria should’ve been the one to meet him. She would’ve cheerfully opened the door and cracked a joke before he even entered. Is she sick? Is he hated? Is what ran in his mind.
His anxiousness grew and reached its peak when he was guided to Ria’s room. It was filled with boxes, and Ria was no where to be seen.
“Ria, where’s Ria!?”
“...She died thirty four years ago.”
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Nero froze for a whole minute before asking again. “Where’s Ria!?”
“...She died from old age.”
Thinking the woman did something to Ria, Nero pushed the her to the wall and grabbed her collar. “This is no time for jokes, tell me where Ria is or I will kill you.”
His seriousness and the blood lust he was emitting made the woman shiver as she said “I...it’s...the...truth”
He was about to punch the woman, until he saw her look away while crying. He stopped his punch and asked again, this time in a low voice. “Please, tell me where Ria is. She can’t be dead yet, especially not because of old age. She was still twenty years old when I left. It hasn’t been a decade since then.”
“*sniff*S...she’s...dead...*sniff*master’s dead.”
Nero released her and sat on the floor. “I-is this a joke? If it is, this isn’t funny. Ria! Stop hiding and show yourself!”
Nero continuously yelled Ria’s name, while the woman continuously cried near him. It didn’t take long before Nero started shedding tears.
It was already morning when they both stopped, and by then Nero apologized for his earlier actions. When the woman regained strength, she walked to a drawer filled with letters. She took one and gave it to Nero before leaving the room.
The penmanship was different, but it clearly said it was from Ria, and it was written on year 924, exactly eighty years before he left. He was hesitant, but he still read the letter, hoping that it was all Ria’s prank.
If you’re reading this letter, then my wish came true. You are safe and you are alive, although I apologize I can’t be there with you. I hope you forgive me for leaving without you. Can’t be helped, it seems my age limit is 100. What can I do? I can’t even write anymore. I had to let Isha write this letter you know. Of course you don’t, I just said it now hahaha.
By the time you read this you’re probably a gandpa already, so go die and join me in heaven. Ok, I was just kidding. Enjoy the peace you worked hard for. I’ll wait here for you, like how I have waited for eighty years without giving up. Don’t worry, I didn’t cry. I’m strong you know.
I did sleep with other men just to ease my pain. Just kidding, of course I wouldn’t do that. I’ll die first before anyone touches my beautiful body! I only belong to you! and you belong to me! So don’t go falling for other girls when I’m gone ok? I swear I’ll haunt you until I’m the only girl you could ever think off; although I doubt there’s a need for that. I’m the only one you love right?
Jokes aside, I hate you. Ha! I got you didn’t i? Now to the real point of this letter. I wrote this because I know I’m about to die, and I want to tell you that even after eighty years of waiting, my feeling for you haven’t changed a bit. In fact, I think it even grew. I think it even made my chest larger. Get it? My heart grew bigger? Like physically? So my chest did too?
If you still long for me even after reading this letter, I have good news for you. I left tons of gifts in my room. Every year, I made someone paint the beautiful me. There’s one for each of your birthday. I didn’t know when you would return so I made a gift that would last forever. I hope you like it. Should I have gone for a nude look? I’m sure you would like that. Don’t worry, I’m still hot even when I’m old. Trust me, I’m an elf.
There are also other gifts in my room. I found interesting stuffs as time passed and I thought you would like them so I bought them. Don’t worry, none of them's a prank. I promise. Ok fine, there’s one gift that’s made to surprise you. Actually there are seven. This time I’m being serious. I can’t have you hating me in the last moment.
That sums up everything I want to tell you. If that’s not enough, there are still tons of letters in my drawer about my exciting adventure inside the house. Feel free to cry over my godly penmanship. I love you. Ha! That surprised you didn’t it? I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you Nero! I’ll be waiting for you in heaven; I hope I get sent there. I really do. I mean, I may be sent to hell after all the pranks I did.
I lied about not crying. I cried a lot you jerk! What’s taking you so long!? I love you damn it!
From: Ria Ravenwing
By the time Nero finished, his face was filled with tears. The penmanship may be different, but the contents were without a doubt Ria’s.
He gently folded the letter before crying. He spent the rest of the day reading the rest of Ria’s letter as he cried endlessly.
The world may be at peace, but he lost all his comrades, and he lost the person he loves the most. What will Nero do from now on?