Terra stormed through the corridors of the Cocoon with her fists clenched and her teeth grinding. With one swift motion, she kicked open the door to the observation deck and immediately marched her way to Lockhart

"What the fuck is this about!? I thought I was in charge of training him!"

Lockhart seemed to flinch at Terra’s sudden intrusion. He took a few seconds to compose himself and face Terra directly. He took a deep breath before finally offering an explanation to the earthen hothead.

"I want to progress Heaven’s training. Your services are no longer required." Lockhart said calmly.

"The hell does that mean!?" Terra shouted in angry confusion.

"You can’t control your Mind Gate as well as Genesis. That is all it boils down to."

Terra squeezed her fist even tighter and snarled as she expelled her rage in a single drawn out moment. Lockhart continued to look on at Terra as she calmed down, his emerald eyes piercing through her skin and exposing the feelings in her heart to the world outside. Terra finally returned to a more calm state but continued to glare at her creator.

"So Genesis is going to open Heaven’s Gate?"

"Hopefully."

*****

I stood still and quiet. My head was running through potential scenarios faster than any normal man could comprehend. Genesis was a skilled swordsman and from what I could tell, his mastery of the Mind Gate was almost unparalleled. Perhaps only Reaver could contend with Genesis' Mind Gate abilities. But in truth, I had no idea what his power was. Genesis has never shown any sort fraction of supernatural ability outside of his inhuman swordsmanship. I could erase his blade if I wished, but it would only buy me a few seconds of time and Genesis could easily replace the blade that was erased. Imagination is a limitless resource after all. Erasure would be useless in this fight. Copying would have zero effect especially against someone so familiar with his own weapons. Genesis was the most mysterious opponent I would have ever faced in my first few days of rebirth. The mystery surrounding him without a doubt made him the strongest Demon I would ever fight. So far I have seen his Claymore as well as Swan and Serpent. But I could only assume that such a powerful man of the sword has many more blades lying in wait. That man held countless weapons eagerly dreaming of the day they taste flesh, blood, and bone.

"I’m only going to say this once. If you want to take on Nina seriously you are going to need to open your Mind Gate," said Genesis with his usual calm demeanor.

"My Mind Gate?"

"I told you that you would be able to wield that power someday. All Demons are capable of learning to open and control their Mind Gate, the ability to make their imaginations reality. In truth, however, all humans have this potential. Being made into a Demon merely speeds up the process and enhances the potential. And now we have reason to believe Nina is trying to open hers, we have to beat her to it."

"Why don’t you fight her yourself?"

"I would, but then who will be left to keep Reaver off your back."

I lowered my head in thought. He was right. Reaver was the only other Demon who mastered the Mind Gate. He would slaughter most of the other Demons, including myself, in seconds. Genesis would have to be the one to face Reaver and buy me and the others time to face Nina.

"How many Mind Gate users are there?" I asked.

"Three. Myself, Reaver, and Terra, who is still in training."

"And you want me to be the fourth?"

"Precisely."

"Then let’s get started."

Genesis slowly drew his Claymore. The sound of sharp steel scraping against a wooden scabbard rang in my ears. I summoned my light and dark blades to my hands and prepared myself. I had a choice to make here. Would I go on the offense and test Genesis’ expert parries, or stay defensive and attempt to resist the full brunt of Genesis' massive blade? Genesis wasn’t going to give me time to make that choice.

Genesis ran at me and raised his sword to bring it down onto my head. It was a brash and unexpected move from someone who typically fought with finesse. I blocked the strike and swung back at Genesis with my dark blade. I couldn’t erase his weapons, but I could erase his body. I had to go for wounds in this fight. I had to get on the offensive. Genesis countered my strikes effortlessly and would constantly turn the tables on me and force me into a defensive stance whenever I got too aggressive. The full weight of his sword clashed into my guard pushing me back with each heavy collision. Sparks flew in a shower as Genesis relentlessly assaulted my guarding stance. I could feel my legs struggling to hold against Genesis’ strength. Finally, I backed off of Genesis. I needed distance. Genesis came rushing after me with a deadpan face hiding unwavering determination. I fired a few light beams at Genesis only to see him block each shot with precision. I clenched my teeth in frustration as I prepared to dodge Genesis’ strikes. I telegraphed his next attack and dashed passed it. My light blade finally grazed Genesis’ body. Blood trickled from the small wound I left on Genesis’ cheek, which swiftly regenerated. Genesis raised his Claymore and moved to strike me from behind. I blocked the attack and attempted to maneuver around Genesis’ defense. He caught my steps and swung his blade at my legs to try and knock me down. I backpedaled and raised my guard. Genesis and I paced in a circle for a few moments. Each one of us was trying to get into the other’s head. This fight was so much more than a contest of strength and tactics. Genesis was testing me. Somehow this battle was going to unlock my Mind Gate. It was hard to believe but the truth can be hard to accept sometimes.

Genesis finally broke the tense quiet and moved in only to second guess his movements. Unlucky for me I had already raised my guard instinctively. Genesis grinned to himself as he dashed in and glided his Claymore along the flesh of my side. I yelled in pain and gripped my wound as it slowly healed.

"Sneaky son of a bitch!" I growled.

I fired several precise beams at Genesis and watched as he parried each and every one of my shots. If I wanted to hit him with ranged attacks I would have to bait him somehow. I would have to fire beams much more consecutively. But even though I am firing light, the discharge leaves a bit of recoil in my palm. If I wanted to fire beams faster while retaining accuracy I would have to adjust for the recoil. In theory, it sounded like it might work, but all this depended on whether not I could get any sort of distance. Genesis wasn’t going to let me get away from his reach. His assault was relentless as his blade clashed against mine repeatedly. I had no choice but to resort to using my dark matter. Genesis dashed at me once more and attempted to strike at my neck, I swiftly blocked the strike with my black sword. Genesis watched as the dark matter cut cleanly through the metal of his Claymore. The other half of his sword fell to the ground. I bought myself only a few seconds. Genesis sighed in annoyance at his looked at his shortened Claymore.

"You really thought that was going to work?"

I watched as Genesis opened a Mind Gate. He slowly began to push the broken end of his blade into the Gate, into the depths of his mind. When he retrieved the blade it had returned to its previous, well-maintained state. I clenched my teeth in aggravation as Genesis readied himself for another assault. Genesis dashed at me once more. I swiftly blocked with my sword of dark matter. Once again the Claymore was severed and I followed up with several slashes to Genesis. Blood spilled onto the pristine white floors as Genesis leapt away to repair his sword. This would be the pattern we would repeat. Or so I thought.

Genesis dashed at me yet again. I raised my dark blade with the intent of letting Genesis' sword pass through it, but something was different. There was a loud clang of metal that echoed throughout the room. My eyes went wide as I watched my blade grind against the mighty Scottish Claymore.

"How!?" I shouted.

I watched as a black, abyssal sheen ran along the blade of Genesis’ sword. Immediately I understood what he had done. He was somehow able to enhance the power of his sword. I wasn’t sure exactly how. My dark matter was now neutralized against Genesis’ sword. I didn’t even think it was possible. Were the Mind Gates truly limitless? Genesis took advantage of my surprise and kicked me right in my stomach. My body was sent flying until finally skidding into the ground. I struggled back to my feet as Genesis ran at me yet again. I guarded against his strikes and attempted to counter. Genesis grabbed my striking hand and contorted it in his grasp. I clenched my teeth trying to fight the pain as I swung my dark blade at Genesis. My strike was swiftly blocked by Genesis’ Claymore within seconds. Genesis threw me into the ground shortly after defending against my strike. I screamed in pain as I was pinned to the ground. Genesis stared into me with his dulled eyes.

"You still haven’t learned the extent of your powers have you?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I can tell you exactly what you are capable of."

Genesis lowered his weapon and stared into my eyes. I struggled back to my feet and readied myself for Genesis’ next attack. But Genesis didn’t strike me. He instead spoke to me.

"Tell me. What do you think your powers are?" Genesis asked.

"Manipulation of light and dark matter," I responded.

"Correct. Do you know how each matter functions?"

"With light matter, I can create weapons just by thinking about them. They are completely weightless allowing me to wield them with ease. With dark matter, I can do the same, but if I think about it I can erase any object that comes in contact with the dark matter. But the objects can only stay erased for a short while."

Genesis smiled and nodded in affirmation. He then raised his Claymore and dashed at me with blinding speed. I raised my light blade to guard only to watch it shatter and explode upon touching Genesis’ sword.

"How the hell!?"

Genesis turned to face me with his sword lowered.

"Despite the potential, your light matter is incredibly fragile. If you don’t focus your mind on maintaining your weapons form it will shatter easily. Up until now you never experienced true panic in battle. That won’t be the case against tougher opponents," Genesis said with a deadpan expression.

"Then I’ll just erase your weapon instead!"

I swung my dark blade at the hilt of Genesis’ Claymore. Genesis held his defense as I pushed with every ounce of strength. My dark sword inched its way through the enhanced metal of Genesis' Claymore. I let lose a battle cry as I forced my sword through. The blade of Genesis' sword tumbled to the ground with a rattle. Genesis smiled as he simply stood in wait. I swung with my light matter sword to finish Genesis. That’s when I saw it. The blade of the Claymore had reformed itself in seconds. My light blade collided with Genesis’ Claymore and shattered once more.

"Your dark matter also runs off of your ability to concentrate. When you erase something it is sent to a place in your mind. Your brain interprets these objects as foreign matter, purging them instantly and returning them to their original state. If you focus on holding them inside you, you can maintain erasure for longer. But eventually, the matter will be purged from your mind and will return to whence it came."

I stood my ground in anger as I stared into Genesis’ cold eyes. Genesis sighed to himself and continued his monologue.

"You see what I’m getting at. The Mind Gate can be an extremely valuable asset in a pinch. That is why I am going to do all I can to release it."

"How do we do that?" I asked.

Genesis simply nodded and readied himself for battle once more.

"I have to push you to your limits."

Genesis summoned Swan and Serpent to his hands. I prepared myself as Genesis charged towards me. Genesis leapt into the air and brought Swan down onto me. I blocked with my light sword. I took heed of Genesis’ advice. I couldn’t fight with light and dark matter simultaneously, at least not yet. I had to focus on one or the other. My blade retained its shape as it took the full force of Genesis’ strike. I swung my weapon with immense speed and cut deep into Genesis. Genesis took the blow and returned the favor. I felt Serpent stab into my hip as I swung at Genesis once more. Genesis removed his shortsword from my wound and leapt back. I recalled my sword and bombarded Genesis with light beams. Fractals of light matter exploded off of Genesis’ blades as he blocked any beams that came too close. I continued my assault as I moved towards my opponent. I had to keep the pressure on. Genesis Despite his weapons being drawn from the Mind Gate, they didn’t enhance his strength. I ran towards Genesis with great speed. I raised my light blade as I dashed into Genesis’ guard. He blocked my strike with ease and brought Swan towards my head. I countered quick and kicked Genesis back. I leapt above Genesis and fired light beams down on him as I brought my sword onto him. Beams hit the ground around Genesis as he raised Swan and blocked my attacks. He pushed me up off of his blade and attempted to open up my stomach with Serpent. I dodged the thrust of Serpent and came at Genesis from the side. I felt his fist collide with my face and Serpent run into my gut as I attacked Genesis. I clenched my teeth tight as Serpent was twisted inside my gut. Genesis removed his blade letting my blood splatter onto the white floor. I watched as Swan was swung towards my head. In seconds I parried the strike. Genesis’s sword arm flew back from the force leaving him open. My light blade slashed into Genesis’ chest twice before I was grabbed by the collar. Serpent's curved point penetrated the flesh of my gut repeatedly. I managed to pull away from the stabs, just barely. Genesis pressed the attack as I stumbled in a puddle of my own blood. I fired light beams towards Genesis as he charged forward. He slid past me, Serpent cutting deep into my legs. I cried out as I fired a continuous spray of concentrated energy. Genesis blocked the blasts and ran at me. We exchanged blows in a relentless display of carnage. Blood caked the floor of the White Room as we took hit after hit from each other’s weapons.

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"This is getting us nowhere," Genesis muttered as he cut into my sword arm.

I summoned my dark blade to my free hand and swung at Genesis’ neck. Genesis blocked the strike only for Swan's blade to be erased. I dashed away and opened up a rift of dark matter. In seconds the blade of Swan shot out from the void and pierced Genesis’ shoulder before dematerializing. Swan had returned to its original form, but Genesis still took a great wound. Genesis clenched his wound tight as he glared in anger at me.

I was beginning to get used to wielding light and dark matter at once. Not that I wasn’t necessarily used to it before. I was just unaware of the power I held in my hands. To me, those swords were just that, swords. They were nothing more or less than what I saw. My inability to understand the strength of my powers caused them to behave in erratic ways. I would erase things unintentionally, and even when I intentionally erased something it would return to its origin just as fast. I didn’t understand my powers at all until now. My evolution was beginning to bloom.

Genesis stared at his own blood staining the floor and mixing in with my own. He began to smile to himself as he realized how much I had learned. It was working. Whatever it was he was doing, it was working. But he was far from finished. He had much more he wanted to do.

"You can defend against my swordsmanship fairly well. But now comes the real test."

My eyes widened as I saw what Genesis was about to do. My heart felt like in sank back into a pit of fear. I could feel an unfathomable amount of power emanating from Genesis. In seconds, a Mind Gate as big as Genesis appeared directly in front of him. Genesis took a deep breath as he dipped a finger into the Gate. Sparks began to fly as he walked through the Gate ever so slowly. Lightning arced from the Gate and hit the walls of the White Room. The light began to flicker rapidly as Genesis approached. Shockwaves blasted throughout the room, nearly knocking me off my feet.

"Holy shit! His strength it's..!" shouted Hell in a panic.

"What’s wrong?!" I responded as I struggled to hold my footing.

"He's going all out!"

When Genesis emerged from the Gate he was changed. His jet black hair had turned a glowing white. His eyes changed to an illuminant blue. He returned Swan and Serpent to their Gates and stared at me. His glowing blue eyes stared right through me. I could feel his will, his strength. It was palpable. It made the very ground shake. I had no idea how I was supposed to stand up to this.

*****

Meanwhile, Lockhart watched the fight from the observation lounge. A disturbing grin was plastered across his face. Terra was pressed into the glass window as she looked on in horror. She turned back to Lockhart and spoke through her teeth.

"I hope you know what you are doing."

*****

Genesis cracked his knuckles and his neck before finally discarding his trench coat.

"I won’t need to fight with my swords here," he said in a disturbingly calm voice.

"What the hell is this Genesis?" I asked.

"Child of Eden. It's rare I ever take on this form. If you can survive it, you may have a shot against Nina."

I nodded and prepared myself. That was when I saw Genesis do something very unlike him. He smiled. It was not a happy smile. The smile was in anticipation for the bliss of battle. Genesis had awoken his bloodlust. He was ready for war with me. His strength, his attitude, everything about him had changed. This form, Child of Eden, what was it?

Genesis struck me right in the cheek. My body was sent careening towards the wall. My body crashed into a thick slab of polished metal with immense force. The strength of the blow sent a massive shock rippling through my body. Nicks and cuts tore themselves open spraying blood on the ground. I growled in anger as I broke free from the wall. I didn’t even see Genesis move. How did he strike me with such force? I prepared myself yet again. This time I would catch him.

"Heaven! Left!" cried Hell.

I turned myself with intense speed and blocked Genesis’ punch. Sound exploded throughout the room as my blade deflected Genesis’ fist. Genesis quickly followed up with a punch to the gut that I blocked as well. He was fast. Too fast. My eyes didn’t have time to adjust. I was relying solely on my Second Personality. Even then all I could do was defend. He left me no room to counter his relentless punches. I dodged a right hook and blocked a left. Genesis dashed passed me and elbowed me in the back knocking me to the floor. I rolled onto my back and fired a beam into Genesis. The beam grazed his cheek, yet there was barely a scratch on him. Genesis drove his foot into my side. My body was launched a few feet ahead sliding and tumbling on the blood stained floor. I fought my own fatigue as I stood back up on my feet.

"Tell me. If you can’t handle Child of Eden how do you expect to fight Nina?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Nina is growing stronger every day. You can’t even take a punch. Do you really believe you can beat her?"

"There is no way Nina can be stronger than this!"

"She is, and you will still need to face her. If you want answers you will have to fight for them."

I clenched my teeth. Genesis was starting to get under my skin. I concentrated light and dark matter in my palms. I wanted to blast Genesis’ head clean off. I aimed at him as best I could and fired several consecutive shots. Each beam pierced through Genesis’ body. I dashed towards him with my swords ready. I was going to cut into his jugular. I was ready. I had a clear cutting path. But this tactic was a lofty dream. I felt Genesis grab me by my face and slam me into the floor. I gasped for air as blood shot out of my mouth and clogged up my windpipe. My eyes rolled back in pain. Genesis stood over me like some kind of god. He was so much stronger than me, stronger than Terra. He was the strongest Demon I had ever faced. Just how long had he been fighting for? Genesis picked me up by my collar and stared into my bi-colored eyes.

"Just how long are you going keep up this act? Is this the best you can do? Where was that fighting skill you showed me? Where is that calm and collected state of mind? Was it all a lie!?"

Every time he spoke I felt my consciousness descend further into a rage. I wanted to cut out his tongue. But his next few words were what set me over the edge.

"You don’t want to disappoint your mother and father do you?"

I slammed my head into Genesis’ own. He dropped me and I landed on my feet. I dashed towards Genesis faster than I knew I could. I ran my light blade into his stomach and nearly cut his body in half. He swung his fist at my face prompting me to dodge the strike. I retracted my blade from his insides and cut into his shoulder. Genesis took the wound and kicked me back. I blocked his foot and severed it with my dark blade. Genesis body fell to the ground as blood poured from his wound. Not a single scream left his lips as he just stared at me. That was when he smiled and he regenerated his wounds in seconds. This form had enhanced his regeneration abilities immensely. He flipped up onto his feet and punched me into the ground. I gasped for air yet again and felt his fist collide with my jaw. He dislocated my jaw in one swift punch. I felt adrenaline and pain as my mandible realigned itself and I went back into the fight. Another punch, this time to the stomach. Then another to the skull. A kick to the shin. Uppercut to the jaw. Genesis was using me a like a punching bag. I couldn’t counter. I couldn’t fight back. I was at his mercy and he wouldn’t let up. I cried out in pain and swore in a raspy wail. I could barely get a word in before feeling the full force of Genesis' flesh. I was finally sent hurtling into the wall once again after a flurry of blows. I limped back to my feet and struggled to maintain a stance. That bastard had gone too far. I was not about to let him disrespect my family. He had turned a simple spar into a fight for honor. I wasn’t going to lose. I had to defend my honor. I had to make sure the memory of my family could never be tarnished.

"Heaven! You need to relax!" screamed Hell.

"You’ll fail yourself and you’ll fail your family if you can’t withstand this power Heaven!" shouted Genesis.

I watched as he kicked off the ground and glided towards me. His fist was ready to pound me back into the wall. I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to let it all go.

"I won’t lose anymore!" I screamed in a rage.

My vision whited out. There was a ringing in my ear. Was it over? Had I won?

"Hell… Did I?"

"Yeah. You won."

*****

Genesis entered the observation room soaked in blood. He strode over to Lockhart as he spoke. Terra glared at Genesis as he walked.

"I hope you saw all that," Genesis said to Lockhart.

Lockhart smiled and nodded affirmatively.

"I did. It's remarkable. He really is something else," Lockhart remarked.

Terra slammed her fist into the wall in frustration as she listened to the conversation. She couldn’t stand the way they treated Heaven. To her, it wasn’t right. He had been through so much, and Lockhart was only putting him through worse.

"How can you talk about him like that?! He's not some guinea pig for you to experiment on!"

Genesis looked at Terra with a strange expression in his eye. Lockhart sighed to himself before standing up and approaching the angered Demon.

"Terra... Believe me, I don't want to have to keep him in the dark like this... But if The Director is right, then he may finally be the very thing we have been desperately trying to achieve."

Lockhart turned back to the large window overlooking the White Room. His eyes glanced down to my unconscious body. His gaze shifted onto an object that lay upon the ground next to me. An ornate blade, slowly fading away from reality.

*****

The next day came. I was called up to Lockhart’s office. I headed there alone. It was too early in the morning for anyone to be awake. When I entered Lockhart was sitting at his desk very calm. He motioned me to come forward and take a seat. I followed his instruction and sat down. He nodded and threw a newspaper onto the surface of the mahogany desk. The headline read "Memorial Erected for Center City Fire Victims." Lockhart seemed to look at me with grim eyes.

"You have achieved quite a lot yesterday," Lockhart said.

I said nothing. All I could remember was a blinding white light filling my vision while my ears were ringing. I clenched my fist in frustration as I looked up at Lockhart’s smiling face. He wasn’t telling me everything and I wasn’t going to stand for it any longer.

"I want to know everything. What am I up against Lockhart?"

Lockhart sighed to himself and leaned into his desk. The carefree visage he wore so proudly waned to a serious expression.

"Nina is a special Demon. She is the only Demon who was born here, in the Cocoon. We cultivated her power throughout her whole life. She was built to be one of the strongest Demons, if not the strongest," Lockhart explained.

"That’s insane," I responded.

"I agree, but it wasn’t my decision to make."

I sighed to myself and looked down at my hands. Ever since I awoke that day I felt strange. I felt stronger in a way. But the final moments of my fight with Genesis were a mystery.

"Lockhart, what happened to me yesterday?" I asked.

Lockhart grinned and leaned back into his chair whilst folding his hands playfully.

"You opened your Mind Gate. The first time is always the hardest. The reason Genesis pushed you so far was to increase the chances of it opening. He had to heighten your emotions. The brain can do so much more when in a heightened emotional state."

"How long was it open?"

"Only a few seconds. It could take years for you to be able to maintain your Gate, but at least now we have somewhat of an advantage over Nina."

"She really is stronger than Genesis?"

"Stronger than you could imagine."

My eyes fell back on the newspaper on Lockhart's mahogany desk. He had a grim air about him that morning. It had me a little concerned. I turned my gaze back to him with curiosity.

"Is there something you want to tell me, Lockhart?"

Lockhart took a deep breath before lowering his head. He quickly composed himself before finally speaking his mind.

"Forgive me for asking, but you haven’t had the proper chance to pay your respects to your father have you?" asked Lockhart in a cautious tone.

I nodded in silence as Lockhart retrieved the newspaper. He continued to speak as he did so.

"The memorial is being put up in Lakebridge Cemetery. Do you know it?"

"The name sounds vaguely familiar," I responded.

"Well, if I were you, I’d go. You may never get a second chance to really talk to your father."

"Yeah… Maybe I will."

"Go. No one ever recovers from loss, they can only adjust to it. But you have to put in the effort," Lockhart said as he stood from his seat.

"We can talk business when you return."

I got up from my seat in silence and headed towards the door. My hand grasped the cold metal of the door handle. Before I took my leave I turned my head back at Lockhart. I tried to force a smile, to no avail.

"Thanks, Lockhart…"

*****

It was a heavy walk I took from the Cocoon all the way to the cemetery. Each step was scarred with the memories of my father. Memories I thought I had finally accepted, but I was wrong. I never came to terms with my father’s demise. I kept trying to push it away or give his death symbolic meaning when I failed to grasp that one universal truth. Death is inescapable. The Grim Reaper comes for everyone eventually and who are we to deny him what was promised. You cannot bring anyone back from the grave.

Death is a difficult thing to grasp. We all die. We all have a definite end to our life. But why, why must our lives end? Is it because we grow old and frail? Is it so the population is controlled? Is there truly something within our decaying bodies that mankind can call a soul? Life and death are the two most mysterious topics in human philosophy. "What is the meaning of life?" "Where do we go when we die?" Both of these questions are interconnected. Life and death are two sides of a coin.

I do not believe in fate. But one could say that life’s meaning is fate or destiny. That we all have a hidden purpose in our lives, and once that purpose is achieved we die. Death is the end of life, the end of a journey. For those few who accept it, they can say that they were able to achieve and experience all they wanted out of their lives. But do we just rot in the ground or is there something more. Are we rewarded for our good deeds, and punished for our sins? Do we ascend to a new life in an infinitely more complex world? So many possibilities, but only one was true for my father and mother.

It is a surreal feeling when you finally realize you will never see someone alive again. I had walked blindly to the cemetery, lost in thought. Despite the thought haze in my brain, I made it safely to the memorial. Before me stood an obsidian slab inscribed with an epitaph. My eyes slowly dragged themselves across words that clenched at my heart strings. "In loving memory of those lost in flame." My eyes glanced at a less than lengthy list of names. What few bodies that could be identified were organized into columns. At the very bottom of those lists read another inscription? "...and all those who remained undiscovered. Rest in Peace."

My knees buckled. My heart ached. I felt warm tears begin to gather in my eyelids. This was it. The moment of truth. I would never see my father again. My father’s existence had ended.

"Hey, Dad…" I said in a dry sob.

It took only a few seconds of contemplation. I collapsed in front of the tombstone, my head pressed into the dirt as I bawled. I couldn’t take it anymore. I had nothing left in me but tears and screams.

"Why? Why did you have to go? Why so soon? I wanted to do so much. I wanted to graduate high school, then college. I wanted to major in physics. I was going to get an important job in some big laboratory somewhere. I was going to make you proud! I was going to prove to the world that you made it as a single father! I had it all planned out and then-! Then you-! I am never going to get a second chance! Why!? Why did you leave me!? I don’t know what I am supposed to do anymore dad! I’m so scared! Why did you have to go!? Why!? I love you so much!"

Sixteen years of a life left behind rolled off my tongue in a mess. Sixteen years of innocence that ended abruptly. But those years were never lost. Even now they are still with me. But from the moment I let go of my grief, I vowed to never yield to those years. I would never look back to them and wonder what could have been. No one can change the past. No one can turn back the clock. The past is the past, but the present is too short to change. The only way to live is to look forward. I intended to do just that.

I walked forward through the city streets as the sun set ahead of me. I walked forward, through the world where the sleeping lie.