"This is all that's…" Rou began to say, trying to avoid the charred flesh with her eyes.

"I'm sorry for yelling," I say taking a deep breath and placing a hand on the thick carbon.

Flakes of Aqua crumble under my hand.

Will it work right?

It has to work. This is why I have it.

Please, God. Despite everything, I've never asked you for anything. Please just let this work.

I focus on the feeling of warmth El had shown me weeks earlier. I've never tried this. But it will work.

"Cap…"

"Shh." El's voice emits focusing her eyes on the mana gathering in my hands.

My hands had begun to feel hot. My head was swimming, I felt like I was low on blood. What am I missing there should be more than enough mana.

Ah, if it's like menu then…

"Resurrect."

With my words, the room glows a bright blue. Several gasps can be heard after my words. They seem to understand what I intend now.

As the glow dims I notice a look of hope across Rou's face. No, it was across everyone's faces.

The glow dims to a soft light before thumping twice with the same beat as my heart.

"Bah!" A voice under my extended hand's gasps. "Wha…"

"Aq…Aqua?" Rou stammers stepping closer and confirming what she see's is really real.

"Oh? Am I naked? Captain, how forward of you." Aqua says coughing and looking at her bare chest and legs.

"I couldn't restore your clothes."

"Restore?" Aqua asks tilting her head. "So I guess I lost?"

"No, actually now it would be considered a tie," I assure her patting her soft hair. It seems I couldn't reproduce salt damaged hair. But she is still beautiful. "Ah, regarding what you said before we started."

"Hmm? My mind is really fuzzy. What'd I say."

"Well, I love you too Aqua. I couldn't live without you."

"Oh," Aqua says with a giggle. "So will someone explain why everyone's eyes are red?"

"Y…you're dead. Or, you were." Rou says again feeling the soft skin to be sure it's authentic. "But, you're not anymore. It's really you."

"It's a miracle," El says extending a hand to confirm for herself.

"Uhm. I don't really get it but can you guys stop touching me. Although Captain can leave his hand for now."

"No, Aqua you were seriously dead. Like, nothing left. You were ash."

"Rou. That's enough, she doesn't need to hear that. Everything is fine now. So let's just forget it."

"Yes Captain but…"

"Where is Triff?" I ask not waiting for her question.

"S…she was in the stair well for awhile. I don't know if she's still…"

"I'll be back, get Aqua dressed we will need to sneak out so to not draw attention."

"""Y…Yes Captain.""" A couple shaky voices reply.

I step from the room and glance in either direction for a stair well. I have been in this hospital before but there are lots of stair wells.

It's dark outside. How long was I unconscious? How long did they have to think Aqua was gone? I feel like I have failed them. No, I have failed them.

"…my fault… It's all my fault… It's all my…" a soft voice echoes through the hallway as if saying my own thoughts.

I press on the door standing between me and the source of the noise. It moves before hitting something solid. I press again while limiting my strength but again it bumps the mass.

Well, there is enough room, so I slide through the blocked doorway.

"That's a fire hazard you know," I say to the balled up Triff.

I had nothing else. What could I say? I still don't have any idea what I should say.

"Ca… Cole. You are…" She says with a gasp before turning her head back to her knees. "But I… And Aqua she… I didn't know…"

"Hey Triff, calm down, take a deep breath."

"But it's all my fault. I was… I was so caught up in my stupid desire to…"

"To kill me?"

"What?! No, I wanted to impress you. But instead Aqua is… is…"

"Impress me?"

"A selfish desire for something Aquarou mentioned. But it doesn't matter anymore. Hurry up and do it. I deserve nothing less."

"Well, you certainly did make some impressive magic tools. I'd say I was impressed." I say, thinking back to the gun Rou hit me with, as well as the magic canceling wand El used. "But, I don't know what Aquarou told you, and as for the other thing. Well, there was no harm done so I will forgive you on the condition yo…"

"No harm?! Aqua is dead. My impatience in testing resulted in…"

"Aqua is fine. Right, Aqua?"

"Mhm. Good as new. So please stop crying Triff." Aqua says popping her now clothed body into the still blocked doorway.

"Wh… impossible." Triff says dropping her jaw and standing up with a jolt to properly examine Aqua. "It's really you but… Then who was…"

"It was me apparently. I don't remember it but I heard the story from Rou. Triff, don't blame yourself, I got ahead of myself and wouldn't relent in my attack. And Captain even gave me the opportunity to end it each time. But each time I refused…"

"No! It's my fault, the tool wasn't stable. I thought the new seal could withstand your attack but…"

"So it is my fault, see."

"It doesn't matter who's fault it is," I cut between the two who would likely go on like this for awhile. "As long as we learned something from this."

"Mhm, I still can't win against Captain."  

"And I will properly test all magic tools myself before giving it to the Crew."

"Well, I don't want anyone getting on my crew getting hurt," I say towards Triff. "That includes you."

"But that's… "

"If anything I will test it myself first. Think about it, who else could put your tool's past their limit?"

"I suppose but what if..."

"Ah, I'll be fine," I reassure her flexing my arm. "I can take it."

"Th…" Triff says thinking about it a moment.

"I agree with Triff, it shouldn't be Captain. You were unconscious for eight hours after the explosion. What would happen if you were in the center of the blast."

"I don't really think it would change much. My body was apparently intact after the blast, I only had a couple cracked ribs and a concussion."

"I…" Triff begins, looking at the large bruise on the left side of my face. "I'm sorry. It was all my fault."

"Well, I don't think you are entirely wrong. But as I said you learned something right? And Aqua is alright, so it's ok. If anything I blame myself more than anything."

""Captain?""

"It's nothing," I say absently. "Well, let's go. It's late and I'm exhausted from using that much mana."

Aqua ponders it with a finger to her chin but she appears to be completely full of energy. I guess that's where all mine went. Thief.

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

"Using that much mana, you mean… Then you really did bring her back from the void."

~ ~

"Master, where are you going? Aren't you tired?" Alice's voice asks piercing the silence of the room.

"I'm fine. I just need some fresh air."

"Would you like me to…"

"No, I'm ok. I need some time alone to think." Noticing her expression of worry I add a reassuring word. "Don't worry, I'm alright. It's nothing really."

"I see…"

With that, I left the bedroom and step up the hallway out the door.

The night air was crisp, dew had formed on the deck making it reflect a thousand moonlights. I carefully step over the slick boards and down to the harbor. I have no destination really. I just need to keep walking.

Just keep walking.

If I'm gone they will be safer right? They can protect themselves at this point. No, perhaps it was my training that put them in more danger.

It doesn't matter. My mind is made up, it will be better like this even if they don't agree.

Perhaps I understand what Damien meant just a little better.

"So dad was right, this is when it happened." The footsteps behind me ask.

I had noticed them a moment ago. She mentioned 'dad' so it is Clove? No, the voice is young. Mirna?

No, this girl is younger than Mirna. She looks at me inquisitively with a tilted head.

"Who are you? How do you know me?"

"No need to get so defensive. I'm someone who's looking out for your best interest."

"Ah, another Spirit? Then maybe the Noble spirit? Or the spirit of love here to tell me I'm making the wrong choice. You don't need to tell me, I already half know."

"I'm not a spirit, But I am something they desired more than anything. But if you know it's the wrong choice why do you make it?"

"Because in the long run, it will be better this way."

"Why?"

"…"

"To spare yourself the pain of seeing a loved one hurt again. Your life is destined for danger, it's inevitable. But perhaps if you're alone…"

"If I'm alone at least I'm the only one who will die next time."

"But that's wrong. In fact if you leave now, the future in which one of them dies will come to pass."

"Then I will just resurrect them again."

"You will be too late."

"…You speak like you know this as fact."

"You told me yourself. Or, my father did at least. Not the you who you are now."

"Father…"

"Yes," The girl says blooming a large smile and curtseying. "I would introduce myself but, well if I succeed then I will never exist in the first place. But perhaps I will be conceived again, you never know."

"I sent you back to…"

"No! I requested it myself knowing full well what will happen. But it's ok, I won't notice it. And I think the image of everyone smiling again would be amazing."

"Then you know the others in your future. How…" I begin but stop myself thinking what the information may cause. I don't want to see her erased.

"Two hundred years from now you finally got the guts to come back to them. Some were reluctant at that point though, they had already been hurt, some had even moved on. And of course, there were the ones who died…"

"Who."

"I won't say. And it likely matters not. If you don't leave, it will never happen."

"But, if…" I start trying to think of an excuse.

"Oh, nice!" The girl says stabbing a hand into the air in joy after looking through the palm of her hand.

I began to see details of the brick wall behind her as she starts to disappear.

"Before I go. A secret message from Mom. 'Hurry up and kiss me already'. Bye-bye!"

"Wait!"

But it was too late.

She had vanished into thin air. But had it really worked? Wasn't I still on the fence?

No, I suppose not. If I really am too late to save one of them in that future. Then I have to prevent it by any means necessary.

Ah, why was I even going to leave in the first place?

I love them, and that won't change. Now I pity that future me too. Well, I suppose he no longer exists.

"Thanks." Another voice says from behind me. A group of girls stand shyly in a line. One had slightly pointed ears but she quickly covers them when she notices my glance.

"You all are…"

But one quickly presses a golden stone seated on a metal box and again they vanish into the night before I can finish.

Ah, what a night. I need sleep.

Or perhaps I already am sleeping?

~ ~

"That's how it is. I hope I can have your assistance in keeping it a secret." I say to the king who still sat in shock looking at Aqua beside me.

"There isn't even a single blemish." He says in awe of the damage he had seen yesterday. "You really brought her back to life."

"I had no choice, but I think you can understand why this ability should be kept secret."

"Yes, of course. If people knew about this they would naturally want you to bring their loved ones back. So you really are learning from the church."

"If it was that easy I would, but I'm still completely drained of mana. It took more than I expected, I'm just sad I can't even use it on those who died in the blast yesterday."

"That's not your responsibility. It was the Royal engineers who failed to create a barrier strong enough to contain the blast."

There was a barrier at all? It must have been paper thin from the look of the damage to the arena.

Those deaths are on me though despite the King's words. I know that full well.

"Well, I will keep it a secret of course. But it would be a good idea to leave the capital. Some people will recognize Aqua, it would draw unnecessary attention."

"I agree. I planned to leave tonight."

"Mhm, good idea. Could I make a request though?"

"Sure?"

"Would you mind escorting Franz and his kids back to Marrow?"

"Oh? Yeah, of course, we are headed that direction anyway." I say thinking about it a moment. "How did they get here in the first place?"

"Carriage, it was over two weeks on the road. But it sounds like your ship can go a bit faster than that."

"Oh, did someone let it slip?"

"Mhm, you got here from Marrow in four hours. I can't even begin to imagine how."

"Yeah, another secret I guess."

"Oh, the mysterious hero." The king says with a laugh. "Right, right. I nearly forgot, if not for the glare I'm getting from Clove. As the king, for winning the tournament. Anything you desire is yours."

Oh. I had forgotten about this. Wasn't there something I wanted? What was it?

"Ah. Right! I want complete control of dangerous island's #280-294."

What? Why am I getting such weird looks from the group?

OH! Right.

"And, your daughter as well."