Not a single tree in the area survives the aftermath.

We all sit; me, Gaven, Rob and Jack, all in absolute silence in extreme disbelief. Looking at the morning sun raise onto the battlefield.

A complete torn playground, with pain playing around the now barren land. Infertile of even the smallest seed or the most versatile amoeba. That’s the mental plane we are all in.

It feels like a game, the first to speak loses and ruins this unreal moment.

Ed was gone taken away, and all we are told is that he was never our friend, we never truly knew him and he is a threat to the kingdom.

Aurther was gone. Richard and Jim too.

“What now…?”

I ask in a timid, fearful voice. Whilst hoping that anyone or anything could comfort me.

“Continue with our lives I guess...”

Jack signs out in a depressive tone. It makes sense he’s the youngest in no way adapted to such great loss…

“What do you mean!?”

Gaven snaps in a vicious manner scaring me, in an unexpected way.

My heart pounds heavily.

“They took Ed just like that! And we have to accept these lies that he was a danger!?”

He continues before readily disturbed by Rob.

“Gaven… We can’t do anything against the state… If they took him, it surely means something… Doesn’t it…?”

Rob states and Jack nods in agreement unfortunately.

“You really believe Ed is a threat to world peace!?”

They stay in a deathly silence, with Gaven looking towards me.

“Angela you too!?”

“Of course not! Ed would never do such a thing!”

I blurt out in a haze of emotion, and reinforce my façade with the reminder I am a water emblem caster – giving me the pride I need.

Rob looks to be in a dazzle of confusion and Jack still in opposition. Which I couldn’t accept.

Just like that the silence was brought forth and broken, making the atmosphere sourer.

Like a shadow, Jack soon leaves as the sun blinds us and soon enough Rob leaves too.

Just me and Gaven.

He looks hopeless. A look that breaks my heart with a crack. I see a tear run down his face and his jaw open without words.

I can’t stand it.

“Gaven pull yourself together before I start-“

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

He looks back towards me and exactly at that moment a stream falls down my eyes. Not stopping as I feel my body heat up as if in a sauna.

“Angela now you pull it together!”

He laughs. Then his face gradually rots into a depressive pit, and before long he covers his eyes and gets up, after I have stopped.

It was all just me alone now. Heart seemingly unattached.

“Ed didn’t you swear to me that you would go with me to that tea house!”

I whisper sharply starting to uncontrollably breathe in and out.

Even so, the world around me still runs on, with endless earth emblem casters beginning repairs.

“If only Arthur was here to rebuild the village like last time, he built the entire centre… Casting stone by stone of each path all at once…”

Once again speaking out loud to comfort this isolation.

Faster and faster I breath until I don’t realise myself screaming with each second. Realising that maybe Ed… Isn’t here anymore…

Then as hard as I try to keep my eyes as if I am underwater, everything becomes a frame in tunnel-vision daze. With darkness slowly engulfing a light.

Then one deep breath and my body relaxes flat onto the ground, light returning to my faded vision.

“Ed you Idiot, I love you!”

A voice from my throat trembles and I don’t realise the true meaning of my words. And no one else hears my words.

Eventually, I stand on my two legs a strange feeling after the blood seems to be constricted out.

I amble back to the village much later than the rest of the group had initially left.

I gaze down from the bridge onto Jim’s training grounds. A nostalgic and distant memory now clouded with pain.

As I stand on the bridge hopeless, I remember a distinctive person. Aella!

Fearfully, I rush down the woodland’s path, the same old one I know off by heart as a kid. I see the barn stationary, in contrast, every tree shakes as if in the ocean’s rage.

The door frightens me as I reach my hand out, I hold and pull very anxiously.

“Please be okay... At least let me have this...”

If anything happens to Aella I don’t know how I would ever face Arthur or Ed ever again, even if here or another existence.

Through a tiny beam of pure light, I see a blonde colour being illuminated in the dark, reflecting as if a cloud.

The colour goes away, and a small nose emerges from the light. I hear slow movement before I can see a figure of a girl sitting, rubbing her eyes. Unaware of what happened or what she will soon enough know.

“Angela...?”

Aella’s voice uncovers the shadows in the room.

“Morning Aella!”

I try so hard to keep a happy face, shouting throughout my mind ‘Just smile! Just smile! And maybe everything will be okay!’.

“Where is Ed and dad?”

‘What am I supposed to say god damn it!’

“T-They went to the market!”

She returns a strange look, but much better than sobbing away at the truth.

“So, what now?”

She looks innocently.

I am unable to respond or state anything, out of great guilt and fear.

“We have to go to the village! There’s a big surprise!”

“Suprise!? What surprise?”

“You don’t know!?”

“No! What is it!?”

“You’ll find out soon enough!”

“Oh, come on! Tell me!”

And just like that we both leave, before also collecting her belongings: a few clothes, and a few toys scattered around.

As I unveil the last shirt from the floor, which is next to a pile of hay – Ed’s bed. I notice something, a pattern within the dirt. Reading:

‘Reset over and over again, living the same day over and over, someone help please...’

“I-I don't understand...”

‘What did he mean by resetting...? Reliving the same day... over and over again...’

Next to it are rough sketches, roads and pictures I don’t understand, or cannot make out.

All. Every single one.

Leading to the bold word, outlined, and highlighted - ‘Death’.

Me and Aella embark on the journey to the village, where I still don’t know what to do next. As Aella starts to talk about random things I can’t focus. Heavily concentrated onto the words ‘reset’ and ‘death’.

Could he really mean it or was he just doodling away, making up stories. However, the moment I start to buy into that I remember – he has been taken away.

Soon enough we arrive to the bridge with Aella still oblivious to the daunting reality of Ed and Aurther.

As we pass countless people commuting to the working sector, they all whisper about what happened. As two men pass in particular, I hear them clearly.

“How could that Ed boy do such a thing to the village...”

I stop for a moment. I hold Aella’s hand. Then continue walking, clutching her hand in the hope I don’t break out.

We arrive to the door of my house. I’m not sure who will be home. But all I know is that I must take care of Aella.

A feeling tells me deep inside, that Ed is out there somewhere begging for our help. Even if Rob and Jack don’t seem so involving anymore.

I open the door, and as Aella looks at me, I mould a clay smile onto my face.

“Suprise! You’ll be staying with us for a bit!”