Amaya and Nala quietly watched Tiero’s reaction as silent tears fell from his face after hearing Sero speak about his past. Whether he was conscious of it or not, Tiero had been stroking Casey’s hair as his eyes were glued to the screen. Casey himself didn’t mind or complained, sensing that the older man was experiencing a wave of emotions.

"He’s very strong," Tiero said after a while. On screen, Sero had emulated Lawbreak for the first time. "I’ve never seen him so… passionate and lively. Well, not after his mother passed away."

The other kept quiet. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to comfort Tiero, but rather, they weren’t sure what to say.

"If I may, I think that Sero’s always had that air of being passionate," Amaya began with a wry smile. "Even after learning that he was gone for almost a year when all of this started."

"Yeah, I can always count on him to lighten the mood," Nala added. Tiero smiled at both of them.

"I’m glad to hear that. It makes me really happy to know that Sero’s been doing well." Tiero stopped patting Casey’s head and leaned back with a pained look. "Those few years I spent without contact with him made me so worried. I wondered if I had done a proper job of being a father."

Amaya blinked, suddenly feeling small tears sting at her eyes. Nala noticed and subtly squeezed her hand comfortingly.

"I’m sure he knows that you were thinking about him," The Shaderepear replied. "Plus, you guys will have time to catch up and patch things together."

"You’re right," Tiero chuckled weakly. "Thank you, all of you. I’m so grateful my son has such good friends like you guys." He coughed violently, his body shaking from the act. Casey quickly hopped off to give him some room.

"Are you feeling ok?" Amaya shook herself out of her feelings, concerned for the man’s condition. "Dr. Malek did say it would take some time for your body to adjust to the new organs."

"I’m fine, I’m fine," Tiero waved a hand dismissively. "Just feeling a bit weak. I think more rest after the surgery will do me good."

At this point, Sero had emulated the Harmony passive on screen, duking it out with Liam.

"Anyway," Tiero tried to change the subject. "Sero’s match is going really well."

"Yeah… no, I’m actually really amazed by his growth," Amaya added, relieved at the shift in atmosphere. "To think he’s also able to copy passives as well."

"Do you think it has anything to do with his talents prior to the apocalypse?" Tiero asked.

"Talents?" Nala chimed in, unintentionally sounding doubtful.

"Yes, my son is talented," Sero’s father chuckled with amusement. "He had a knack for academics and problem-solving skills. His mother really pushed that in him, making him rise to the top of his class every year."

Tiero coughed again, a bit longer than usual this time. "Looking back, it was pretty unfair. The kids around him were envious of his intelligence and took advantage of our poverty to trick him into thinking they were friends just so that they could exploit his mind. Well, I guess now I know that Sero wasn’t fooled by them."

"Well, I’m not exactly sure if talents have anything to do with how your Class is innately decided for you," Amaya quickly handed a glass of water to him. "But I am sure that Sero possessed some quality that made him ascend as a Scholar."

"Yes, I think that is the case as well," Nala added. "I mean, we all know that Sero is a quick learner, but he also has this natural ability to break down complicated information and make it easy for himself to understand. That's a rare quality."

"Is it really, though?" Amaya muttered under her breath.

Tiero gulped the entire glass of water before clearing his throat again. For some reason, it seemed as if he was looking even worse than before his surgery.

"At any rate, I regret not being able to help him continue to hone his talents. I never really gave him much encouragement since his mother was always the one to do that. I just figured he already knew." Tiero gazed down at his hands. "Somewhere along the line, I think I made him feel like I wasn’t proud of him, when that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Allowing so much time to slip away without expressing how I felt just became the normal for us. And then when his mother passed away..."

No one spoke for a while. Casey scratched his head as he gazed up at Tiero.

"I don’t really get what happened, but I think Mr. Sero is happy you’re here, Mr. Tiero," the young boy said with a pure look in his eyes. "If I were Mr. Sero, I’d be happy to have my dad back too, no matter what happened between us."

The other three adults looked at Casey with varying levels of amusement and appreciation as the boy’s naive and innocent nature lifted the mood in the room. With a weak chuckle, Tiero ruffled Casey’s head.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

"Thanks. Your grandmother is very lucky to have a grandson like you."

Casey made a face, but allowed the gesture, satisfied that he was able to make the adults somewhat happier.

Gradually, the group returned their attention to the screen as Sero had launched his Starfall Nuke, momentarily wiping the cameras green as it fell down. Casey and Tiero gasped with awe at the sheer size and intensity of the attack.

"Do you think Mr. Sero will win?"

"Of course," Tiero grinned down at the boy. "Even if I missed his match, I know he’ll–" A full-body cough wreaked havoc on his body, causing Casey to hurriedly hop off the bed. Amaya responded quickly, pouring another glass to give to Tiero.

However, it seemed like his coughing fit went on for far too long, ultimately leading to him spitting up blood.

"Oh my- Are you ok, sir?" Amaya quickly pulled Casey away.

"Yes- Actually, no, I’m not," Tiero wheezed after his coughs finally subsided. He leaned back, clutching his chest, splotches of blood staining his hospital gown. "It feels like my heart is racing too fast and it hurts."

The heart monitor that had been steadily beeping beside Sero’s father began to gradually increase its pace. Alarmed, Amaya turned to Nala, exchanging a quick glance, their eyes filled with worry.

"Hey, Casey? Nala's going to escort you back to your grandma's room, ok?" Amaya nodded to Nala.

"Okay." The boy looked worried, but trusted Nala enough to follow her.

Even before they left, the liaison quickly hit the aid button near Tiero's headrest to call for a nurse. Amaya began to panic, hearing the beeping of the heart monitor speeding up faster and faster. "Oh my god, Tiero, are you having a heart attack?" she whispered, tears beginning to well in her eyes.

"I'm not sure- I've never... had one before..." Tiero's breathing became labored, his face contorted in pain. "It just hurts a lot... I thought I was fine..."

Amaya grabbed his free hand, clutching it tightly. "Hold on, sir," she pleaded. "Help is coming. Just stay strong."

Tiero coughed again, cries of pain mixing with the violent hacking. "My son," he rasped as soon as he got the chance to speak. He squeezed Amaya's hand even tighter. "Sero."

"Yeah, Sero's going to be here soon," Amaya blinked back the tears in her eyes as the medical staff burst into the room. "Everything's going to be ok."

"No," Tiero began to spit up blood. "Right now.... Sero... " Blood trickled down his chin as he gasped for air. "I need... I need to tell him..."

Dr. Malek arrived on the scene, a look of worry and agitation on his face. He glanced at Amaya and Tiero, quickly understanding the situation.

"I need a full dose of anesthesia administered stat, followed by two shots of manafluid injected into his bloodstream," The doctor barked, rushing over to Tiero.

"Tell him..." Tiero's words were barely audible over the clamor. "You tell him, I'm proud of him. I was always proud of him."

"No," Amaya shook her head as the tears threatening to break free. "You have to be one to tell him. Don't talk like you're..." She trailed off, unable to finish as she watched the nurses quickly work on him.

"He must be... feeling very confused," Tiero smiled, a glassy look beginning to come across his eyes. "Seeing his father... who he thought... never cared for him. I did care... I love him so much..."

His grip began to weaken as the nurses urged Amaya to step away. The anesthesia was beginning to take hold, Tiero's eyelids growing heavy. As the Spellblade reluctantly pulled away, the doctor administered the manafluid, hoping it would help stabilize his heart. The beeping of the monitors didn't slow down, instead, they began to speed up.

"When you see him again... please... tell him I'm sorry," Tiero managed to rasp out. "I'm sorry... I never showed him... how much I cared... he's a good son... take good care... of him..."

The manafluid was having some effect, but Tiero's heart was still struggling. The medical staff continued to work tirelessly to stabilize him, but the situation was growing more dire by the moment. Amaya could only watch, tears streaming down her face.

With one last breath, Tiero looked at Amaya, a moment of clarity in his eyes.

"Tell Sero... I love him."

At the peak of its beeping, the heart monitor finally flatlined. The medical staff immediately began to work frantically, but it was already too late. Tears streamed down Amaya's face as she watched the man who had just moments ago been her friend slip away. She couldn't believe that this was happening. She felt as if a part of her had died along with him.

----------------------------------------

"Hello?" Kit answered her phone, surprised that Amaya had called her. Down on the arena, Sero had exhausted all his copied passives and was slugging it out with Liam, nearing the end of the match.

"Kit?" Amaya's voice sounded distant, almost far away. "I-I'm so sorry. It's Tiero... he's..." She couldn't finish the sentence. "He's gone. He just... he just passed away."

"What?"

Enzo glanced at Kit, sensing something was wrong. Even Cassandra picked up on the slight change in the Paradox's body language.

"Sero's father..." Amaya's voice on the line was barely audible. She sniffled, struggling to get the words out. "He... passed away..."

Kit was speechless. She could feel her heart drop into her stomach as she tried to process the information. "I'm so sorry, Amaya," she managed to choke out. "I don't know what to say." She glanced at Enzo and Cassandra, who were both looking at her with concerned expressions.

"Can you... bring him after the match?" Amaya managed to choke out. "I don't know if he'll be ready for it, but I just know Sero would want to see him regardless of his own state."

"Y-yeah... I will..." Kit whispered, still trying to comprehend the news. "I'll... break it to him."

"Thank you." Amaya seemed on the verge of tears as she hung up. Kit turned to Enzo and Cassandra.

"What's wrong?" The Glass Queen asked, no longer distant.

"My bookworm... Sero's father passed away just now." Kit quietly said.

"Oh my god..." Cassandra whispered. She put a hand on Kit's shoulder, squeezing it gently.

Enzo lowered his head, a look of disbelief on his face. "That's a really shitty thing to hear."

"Ladies and gentlemen… your champion for this tournament and the surprising underdog of the year… Sero Kassel!"

As the crowd cheered, the three S-ranks could only imagine how Sero would react to the news they had just received. With a saddened expression on her face, Kit got up and teleported down onto the arena.