He remembered dying by her side, yet she was nowhere to be found; he wanted to see his wife; He walked and walked and walked; he wanted to use his Magic to reinforce his body; he had become unable to use any Magic after waking up. There seemed to be no ending as the dead land seemed to stretch forever. The dead land had no end; nothing but dead trees and dry land as far as the eye could see. The red clouds loomed over him like a bloody curtain that blocked the sun. He continued walking until he found a red swamp. The scent of iron was strong, and he flinched from the powerful smell. It was like walking into a slaughterhouse. All around him the environment changed into that of the swamp; the dead trees and dry land were replaced by twisted roots and soggy soil. The swamp “water” quickly rose to his knees. It felt cold and sticky. With each step he took, he felt as if he was carrying a boulder. His pace slowed down. Yet he continued walking; he couldn’t stop. His desperation grew with each step; he had to find her.
“Where are you, Aria!?” He screamed. His voice echoed in the swamp. “Didn’t we die together? Then why am I in this nightmare? I must find you; I can’t leave you all alone.”
A white dove appeared in the sky as if answering his pleads. He began to follow the dove; the pace of the dove was like his own as if it wanted to be followed. The further he walked in the swamp the more it began to hurt and the heavier he felt. He wanted to give up; he wanted to just stop and take his eternal slumber here. But he couldn't; she would be waiting for him; he had promised to be by her side for all eternity; he couldn't give up; he would continue the struggle until he reunited with her.
After walking for what seemed like an eternity, he reached land. The process repeated itself and the whole environment changed slowly into a mountain; he could see green grass as far as the eye could see; off in the distance there was a crater where the grass was decaying. As he continued to follow the dove, he came closer and closer to the crater. He slowed his pace, afraid of what he could find there. Yet he knew he had to follow the dove. Eventually a young woman with deep black hair came into his field of view. He was speechless; he didn’t know what to say; he wanted to say so much, yet nothing came out of his mouth; he had to find his wife, but he didn’t know how to speak to the young woman; he knew he would face her one day; he had failed her.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
“Oliver, my death is not your fault.” The young woman smiled.
“I failed you, Yuri! I couldn’t stop you and Jin-Woo; you died because I couldn’t do anything!” Tears ran down his cheeks. “I am your guy’s friend, yet I failed you both!”
“None of what happened was your fault. It was my brother’s and my actions that led to all the death and destruction in our world.” The young woman said. “You tried to stop, but we didn’t listen and as a result now she, you, and me are dead. I am the one that should be asking for forgiveness! You’re a great friend, Oliver. Your soul deserves to be in a better place than here. This is a place for me and my brother. Someday, he will be joining me here! I’ll be waiting for him here where we’ll spend the rest of eternity.”
“Yu …” He saw the young woman turn into white particles that were absorbed by the dove. The dove continued towards the crater.
He followed the dove to the crater. Once inside the crater the scenery changed one more time. Now, he saw the ruins of a mall; he was standing in the parking lot. Around him there was debris from machinery. His heart began to beat faster and faster; he wanted to turn back and run away. He saw a shadow figure approaching him; he recognized the silhouette of the figure; he had failed to stop his friend; he had failed to keep the world safe. The figure kept getting closer and closer.
When the figure was in front of him, he knew its next move; he accepted his fate; he had failed; he didn’t deserve to be by her side. The figure’s right hand transformed into a blade. The blade made its way slowly to his neck. The young woman’s words resonated with him; He moved out of the way; he kicked the shadow figure; he gathered Magical Energy on his pal; he fired a Fireball at the figure; he realized she was right; he protected the last people left; he had helped them escape; he was not the one responsible for all the destruction. His heart became calm; he accepted the young woman’s words; he had no guilt; he had done everything in his power to stop the siblings; he could finally let go of his guilt; he was satisfied with the life he had lived; he finally had found inner peace. The dove descended into the figure; the dove and the figure disappeared together, turning into white particles.
“This is our last farewell, my friends!” He looked at the dispersing particles. “I pray for your souls!”
For the last time the environment changed. Slowly the whole ground turned into an open field full of flowers as far as the eye could see. Not far from him, he saw a colossal cherry blossom tree; he knew he would find her there; he ran as fast as his leg could; he felt lighter; he felt as if everything he had been carrying had been lifted; he felt free. At the foot of the tree, he could see her; he ran towards her; he hugged her. They were together once again; they could finally be together for all eternity; they could finally enjoy their eternal rest. The cherry blossom petals gently fell all around them as they embraced one another.