A tall man with long white hair reaching the grass was staring at a garden in a dense forest with tall trees. His deep purple eyes, reminiscent of a galaxy, stared at thriving plants and different kinds of colorful flowers. His straight nose and pale complexion contrasted with his purple eyes gave him an otherworldly air. Dressed in simple pristine white clothing, he crouched and touched a white-colored flower. He sighed. "Unfortunately, not all living things are as peaceful and beautiful as you.”

He turned his head toward the sky and he felt a sense of foreboding. “Is it time?” he said under his breath.

He stood up and walked barefoot to a plain wooden house. A man with neck-length dark red hair exited the front door. “Have you finished, Lucius?” he said.

Lucius nodded, before saying, “Prepare tea, Zerath. A friend will be visiting us soon.”

“Will do, Sir.”

They both entered the house, Zerath went to the kitchen while Lucius sat on a nearby wooden chair. He gazed absently out the window. “And once more…nature takes its course,” his cold voice pierced the ongoing silence. He took a deep breath before leaning back on the chair. He closed his eyes as memories flooded his mind.

Lucius was walking around the forest, looking at the surrounding small animals. A small smile appeared on his face as he saw a bird feeding its children. A few steps later he suddenly paused when he saw a small boy sitting and looking down with sunken brown eyes covered by his short brown hair. The boy’s body was riddled with wounds and mud, coupled with his dirty torn clothes. Lucius approached him and asked, “Hey, kid.”

The boy looked up and shouted in a frenzy, “D-don’t hurt me! Please, just go away!”

Lucius smirked. “I’ll eat you up if you don’t tell me why you’re here, kid,” he said maliciously

“I-I didn’t mean to come here. I was running away from the demons…a-and then I just got lost. I didn’t mean to intrude on your grave, I’m sorry!”

Lucius’ lips twitched. He chuckled and said, “I’m not a ghost, idiot.”

“Don’t call me an idiot!”

“Well, don’t call me a ghost then.”

“You’re really not a ghost? You’re so pale though…”

“I’m not,” Lucius said.

Lucius grabbed the boy’s shoulders and made him stand up. He narrowed his eyes before smiling, he took his hands off the boy’s shoulders and said, “Time to go now, child. Never come back.”

Lucius started walking away before a shout from the boy stopped him in his tracks. “Wait! Please help me. I don’t know where to go anymore…the demons killed everyone in my village…they…they killed my mom too,” the boy cried out.

Lucius looked back at the boy and stared at him coldly. “Hmm…another war.” He turned his head back and started walking once more. “Come and follow me, kid,” he said.

The boy’s eyes widened before a smile blossomed on his face. He wiped his tears and ran to Lucius. “M-my name is Warren. What’s yours?”

“Lucius.”

“—Lucius.”

“Sir Lucius.”

A call awoke Lucius from his slumber, he opened his eyes and saw Zerath. “... Lucius, he is here,” he said.

Lucius stood up and walked towards the front door. A sigh escaped from his mouth as he opened the door. A man wearing a thick coat standing six feet and one inch tall with short gray hair smiled as he appeared. “Hey, Luci. I hope I’m not intruding.”

Lucius stared down at his face lined with wrinkles, his eyes traveled downward his wrinkly hands holding a wooden cane. “Warren, It’s nice to see you again.”

“May I come in?”

“Sure.” Lucius walked to the living room, and Warren followed him slowly.

Warren smiled at Zerath and waved. “Hello, Zerath. I’ve missed you,” he said.

Zerath merely smiled and nodded. “I’ll go grab the tea then.”

“Tsk, nonchalant as ever,” Warren complained.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Warren sat down and watched Lucius sitting across the table. A sigh escaped his lips, he smiled weakly as he thought, ‘This will be the last time.’

“You already know right?” Warren said weakly.

Lucius nodded.

“How long left?”

“Likely around 30 minutes,” Lucius answered.

Warren slowly laughed, and scoffed, “I should have spent more time with my family rather than all this hero business.”

“Do you regret it?” Lucius asked.

Warren closed his eyes and smirked. “What? Not spending my last moments with my family? It’s fine, Lisa knows about my deci—”

“I’m talking about choosing to save countless people. Do you regret it?”

Warren opened his eyes and went silent before uttering, “...Never.”

Lucius smiled as Zerath entered the living room and placed two cups of tea on the table. He bowed before walking outside the house. Lucius held the cup and took a sip. He sighed. “While I’ve always thought time as meaningless, it saddens me to see you die by its grasp.”

“It’s inevitable. Just like you said, Luci. My kind dies too quickly.”

“Unfortunate…,” Lucius’ eyes wandered to the open window to his right, he said under his breath, “So, do you have your final words, Warren?”

Warren looked down at his frail hands. He chuckled and said, “I’ve lived my life being selfless, saving people left to right without resting. I didn’t even spend enough time with my family because of it…I’m tired. I want to be selfish this time. This is a request not from the Hero of Light but from Warren, your friend… Luci, please protect my daughter.”

Lucius’ brows raised as his eyes widened. He asked, “Did something happen?”

“The cult is still alive.”

Lucius looked at Warren with wide eyes as his hands squeezed tightly, breaking the cup into pieces. He tapped the table with his index finger and uttered coldly, “How? You said you destroyed them.”

“I did…Well, I thought I did, Luci.”

“Explain.”

Warren looked up at Lucius’ face. His mouth opened before closing. Standing in a few seconds of silence, Warren closed his eyes tightly as he admitted, “Two years ago, I helped my friend in making Zarsei Island safe,” he opened his eyes as he continued, “There, I found traces of the cult. I wasn’t sure if they were before or after I destroyed the cult so I investigated it…Three months ago, I discovered a newly built base of theirs. They haven’t disappeared yet.”

“Where does your daughter come into this situation then?”

Warren coughed. “Four months ago, my daughter was blessed by the Goddess of Life.”

Lucius went wide-eyed and his finger paused. He motioned to Warren. “Continue.”

“After finding out the cult is still alive, I grew paranoid they’ll hunt down the daughter and family of the person who destroyed their cult…I asked for every help I could get from my connections and friends, they promised to hunt down every cult member. But, even if I have incredibly powerful allies, I can’t get the worry out of my head that my family and my daughter might get killed. So I wanted to ask the most reliable person I know. You.”

Lucius stared at Warren with knitted brows. “I shouldn’t have worried you with this responsibility in the first place. I’m sorry, Warren.”

Warren showed a weak smile and said, “I would do anything for you, Luci."

Lucius looked out the window. A sense of silence grew louder by the second. He smiled. “Fine. I’ll protect your family personally,” he said.

Warren smiled widely. He laughed before being stopped by a cough. “That’s great! Thank you, Luci. I have a carriage with a trustworthy person outside the forest waiting, use that to get there.”

“Calm down, kid. I have to bury you first.”

“Ah…I forgot about that, haha!” Warren scratched the back of his head as he laughed.

“Are you ready?”

“...Yeah, I’ve long accepted this was going to happen. Though, It’s sad I’m gonna die rather young.”

Lucius answered, “That’s the consequence of dabbling in something you're not made for. You’re only human after all.”

“...I’ll miss you guys.”

“I will miss you too, Warren. I’m sure even Zerath will miss you too.”

Warren chuckled. “He’ll probably…just complain.”

Lucius scoffed. “That guy just wants to seem cool and unaffected. We both know he’s very fickle with his emotions.”

“Luci…please take care of her.”

Lucius smiled and closed his eyes. “Jeez, you just had to mess with my peaceful life. Since we’re friends, you don’t have to worry because I’ll fulfill your wish. Seriously…,” he said with a shrug, “That child is in safe hands.”

…

…

…

A long sigh escaped from Lucius. He opened his eyes and leaned back. “I don’t understand. Was it really worth it using your life as a sacrifice for others?”

Lucius stared at Warren but no reply came. He stood up and walked to the front door and spoke before it. “Have you finished, Zerath?”

The door opened and Zerath’s left hand was on his chest. He smiled and asked, “I dug it nice and well. Did Warren spend his final moments peacefully??”

Lucius nodded and said, “Go and bury his body, I need to do something.”

Lucius walked further inside the house and stood in front of a door. He took a deep breath and opened it. A bed and a chair were placed beside a wooden desk with a dim light from a candle on top. He walked towards the desk and opened a small drawer, a silver ring was inside. He grabbed the ring, sighed, and closed his eyes “Guide me to the right path.”

Sounds of footsteps echoed in the living room as Zerath returned from outside. He stared at Lucius leaving his bedroom. “Your face tells me there’s something you wish to do. What is it?”

“We’ll be going to Warren’s home and protecting his daughter.”

“What else?”

Lucius smiled. “We’re going hunting.”

A smile crept from Zerath’s face.

Sunlight shone and lit up the environment, a stopped carriage with two white horses and a man wearing a black cloak sitting on the box was stationed just outside the forest. He had a well-trimmed grey beard on his face. His eyes closed as his head faced the sky. “O Radiant One, let your warm light guide the Hero of Light’s soul away from damnation. Let him rest within your divine embrace and be at peace in eternal paradise. I and all humankind thank you, Radiant One.”

The man opened his eyes and turned his head to the right, he stared at the tall dense trees. “I wonder when they will show up.”

Lucius and Zerath were walking through the fields of colorful flowers. The wind grazed Lucius’ skin, he looked at the different flowers as he passed by. “I’ll miss this peaceful place.”

“We’re not permanently leaving, are we, Sir Lucius?”

“Of course not, It’s just…time seems to go slower when something dangerous is happening,” Lucius looked up at the sky and sighed, “I’m sure we’ll be outside for a few years.”

“Time doesn’t matter much to beings like us though, Sir Lucius”

“That’s not true. It certainly affects us one way or another.” Lucius chuckled.

The rustling leaves and grass harmonized with the sounds of birds and footsteps. Lucius took silence before saying under his breath, “Divine Mother, a kind soul has left this mortal world. Do care for him and may pain never invade his soul once more. His departure here will be a curse and his arrival there will be your blessing.”

Zerath’s eyes widened before he looked at the ground in silence.

Lucius’ voice grew slightly stronger as he said, “Arbiter of Death, guide him through your forest and river, tend to his soul with gentle harvest.” 

Strong gentle wind gushed in the backs of the two, Zerath looked back and saw only the different flowers, grass, and leaves of the trees flowing. Lucius chuckled. “Come, Zerath. We have a family to meet.”

Zerath turned his head back. “Ah…Yes, Master Lucius.”

Lucius’ eyebrows raised. He hummed. “Mortals really are fragile.”