Sero didn’t want to believe it.

After being healed somewhat by Kit’s Cat Paradox, Sero was able to at least process everything he had been told, including the news of his father’s death. As the pair made their way to Tiero’s room, Sero was aware that it hadn’t really hit him yet.

Nala and Amaya were waiting outside the room, glancing up at the two as they approached. The Spellblade’s eyes were red and swollen; with a start, Sero realized that it was the first time he had ever seen her cry. While the Shadereaper showed no signs of tears, she was still visibly distraught, her violet eyes watery with sadness and sympathy.

He stepped inside his father’s room, seeing him resting on the bed with his hands on his stomach. Tiero’s eyes were closed, as if deep in sleep. The sickly color in his skin had vanished from the surgery, but was replaced by a pale coloring. Sero’s stomach churned at the surreal sight, half-expecting his father to wake up and say it was all a prank.

Wordlessly, Sero knelt down next to the bed, staring at his still father. A flurry of emotions crashed against each other within him, on the verge of flooding out. Sero carefully grasped one of Tiero’s cold hands in his, refusing to acknowledge how lifeless it felt.

"Hey Dad," Sero’s voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. "I did it. I won the tournament."

Sero swallowed, feeling a hard lump in his throat. His eyes stung with tears that stemmed from regret and sadness. He clenched his jaw tightly, trying to keep himself composed. Sero opened his mouth, but his voice failed.

"I just… I just want to say sorry," he finally began. His words trembled as he looked down at their hands, unable to meet his father’s face. "I’m sorry for being a shitty son. I’m sorry I pushed you away after Mom died. I’m sorry for not talking to you after I left. I’m–"

The apologies that were spilling out stopped as Sero choked on his words. His face was warm and wet, but Sero took a deep breath and continued.

"I followed through this time. I tried my hardest and won the tournament. Are you proud of me? I’ve finished something I started." His voice cracked again. "Dad, I finished something for the first time in my life."

Sero’s vision blurred. He didn’t know what he was saying, but he couldn’t stop himself.

"I know now that you’ve always cared for me. Even when we were separated, you never stopped caring. I guess I was just angry that the world took Mom away. I was frustrated thinking that you didn’t understand how I felt, but you were probably the only one who could. You were just trying to help me. And I took that for granted."

Moss and Lime suddenly appeared by his side, nuzzling him gently. Sero squeezed his father’s hand, not wanting to let go. All the words he wanted to say when Tiero was alive were refusing to come out now.

"Would this still have happened if we were still living together?" Sero whispered. "If I had ascended when I was around you, would I have been able to stop you from catching the Outbreak Plague?"

His father remained motionless, quiet. The steady beeping of medical equipment seemed to mock his words. Sero couldn’t see very well, but he didn’t feel like wiping away his tears.

"There was a lot I wanted to say to you. A lot I wanted to talk about. I don’t- I don’t know what to do now. I just got you back, and for a moment, I thought we’d be able to fix things up. And then you leave me again." Sero clenched his jaw tightly as the tears flowed down his face. It wasn’t fair. Sero had left first, but at least he came back to his father. "I wanted… I wanted to repay you. You’ve done so much for me even though I wasn’t exactly the best son. I was going to show you that I made something out of myself. I have superpowers, and magic, and a shitton of gold, and-"

His eyes burned and his throat was sore. Every shuddering breath he took tipped him further and further in his emotions. Sero expected his Rationality to kick in, but it never did. Whether by his own subconscious or the fact that it might have some sentience to know not to activate, he didn’t care. Everything felt like a dream, from breaking his body several times over to achieve a grueling victory to suddenly dealing with the loss of the last of his family. It was so jarring that Sero felt like laughing.

"Dad," Sero managed to continue. "If- When you see Mom… tell her I miss her. I miss her so much." He leaned down, placing his hand on his father’s hand. "I miss both of you so, so much."

"I love you. I’m sorry I never said it before you left."

Sero let go of his emotions, quietly sobbing to himself. He hadn’t cried since his mother died, and the pain he felt now was exactly the same, if not more intense this time. Sero cursed the world and himself, wondering why this happened to him. He knew the apocalypse had been destructive for most people, but he never really acknowledged that its catastrophic impact would directly affect him.

He didn’t know how long he knelt there, silently crying his heart out. Years of pent-up anger, sadness, and hurt finally made their escape as they ripped apart Sero’s mind. His body, still healing from the match against Liam, was now experiencing a new kind of pain as his sobs shook his entire being.

If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Sero and his mother had been close, but that didn’t mean he loved his father any less. It just meant that he didn’t rely on his father for the things his mother used to provide. But now with Tiero gone, Sero felt lost and alone, like when his mother passed away. Only this time, he truly had no other family to turn to.

As his tears subsided, he realized that a pair of soft arms had been wrapped around his shoulders, gently embracing him. Sero turned his head, expecting to see Kit, but was surprised to see Amaya holding him instead.

"Hey," Sero could only manage a single word, his voice hoarse. Amaya looked as if she had also been crying, maybe even with Sero before he realized her presence.

"I'm sorry for your loss," she whispered, her voice cracking slightly. "I know I haven't known him long, but... he was a good man. He was so proud of you."

"Thanks," Sero looked away. He remembered that Amaya had lost her entire family too, so she was probably the only one who understood how he was feeling. "I just don't know what to do now. It's like... everything's falling apart."

He could feel the Spellblade's soft arms squeezing him tighter, comforting him. It was the first time someone had been there for him in a long time. Maybe it was the shock of losing his father, or the fact that he had no one else to turn to, but the thought of being alone again sent a fresh wave of despair through him.

For a moment, Sero relaxed within her embrace as his pups gently nuzzled the pair. It felt as if she knew exactly what he was feeling, reassuring him that he was not alone. He wondered if she was reminded of her own father.

Sero heard the door open and turned around to see Nala, Kit, Enzo, Cassandra, and even Gregor walking in. All of them had solemn looks on their faces as they quietly gazed at Sero and Amaya.

"We heard what happened," Nala said, her voice barely audible. "We're here for you, Sero." Enzo nodded in agreement, and Gregor stepped forward, placing a hand on Sero's shoulder.

"Though I never had the pleasure of meeting your father," the Conqueror began in a low rumble. "I am certain he was a good man." He paused, his gaze softening as he studied Sero. "And I want you to know that you are not alone. You have a family here now, Sero. We will support you, and we will help you get through this." His words seemed to carry weight, and Sero found himself numbly nodding in agreement.

"I appreciate it, guys," Sero cleared his throat. "I just- I think I need some time alone."

Everyone nodded understandingly. Nala placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently. "Take as much time as you need, Sero. We'll be here for you whenever."

As they began to file out of the room, Amaya lingered behind for a moment, gazing at Sero with sympathy in her eyes. "If you ever want to talk, or... you know, just hang out, I'm here for you," she said softly. Her words brought a small smile to Sero's lips, and he found himself grateful for her support. "If you need a ride back, I don’t mind."

"Thanks," Sero lowered his head. The liaison gave him a reassuring smile before leaving him alone.

Turning back to his father, Sero sat in silence for a while, recalling all the memories he had with him. It was hard to believe that so much had happened in his life in a couple of weeks. Even as his Rationality crept over him, Sero’s chest never lost the tightness that strangled his heart.

"I’m not ready for this."

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

The car ride back to his penthouse was quiet but comforting. Although neither Amaya nor Sero spoke a single word to each other, there was a shared understanding between them, having experienced such heavy loss.

Dr. Malek had informed him that the initial results had thought Tiero’s body accepted the mana-enhanced organs with minor resistance, but it seemed as though it later rejected the abnormal implants. Despite Tiero’s body handling the mana injections well, the forceful replacement of the surgery proved too much for him to handle, quickly overloading his body with mana that he could not process.

It was a morbid thought to have, but Sero knew that his father would’ve passed away regardless had he continued with the injections instead of surgery. At least with the shots, Sero could’ve had more time to spend with his father.

As Amaya pulled up to his penthouse, Sero numbly noticed a crowd of people waiting for him there. A mixture of press, guild leaders, and third-party organizations wanting to meet with him, Sero felt a rising anger within him. Granted, he had pulled off a surprising victory earlier, but the death of his father dampened the glory. Not that they would know that.

"I can distract them while you sneak past," Amaya offered with a soft smile. Sero shook his head, feeling a surge of power course through his body.

"It’s ok," Sero began, relieved to find that his Influence was able to emulate Lawbreak. He figured there was some sort of cooldown before he could use copied passives again, but he’d deal with that later. "Can you see how many people there are?"

"Huh? Uh, sure," Amaya raised an eyebrow but went ahead and scanned the crowd. Sero smiled apologetically to himself as he casted Cat Paradox.

Seconds later, Sero found himself standing inside his penthouse after feeling a brief distortion. He grunted, noticing his disorientation significantly diminished and shorter as compared to when Kit would teleport him. How was she so used to this feeling?

Sero shot a quick text to Amaya, explaining what happened before he realized the lights in his living room were on. He glanced up, finally taking in the scene.

Luna, the succubus, sat frozen on his luxurious sofas, surrounded by a plethora of half-eaten food, wrappers, and empty alcohol cans. Luna herself was dressed in one of Sero’s white silk robes, wearing only her black underwear underneath. The flat-screen tv was quietly playing what seemed like an action movie.

Sero had almost forgotten that he ordered the succubus to remain hidden at his place, but he was not expecting her to completely indulge herself. Luna blushed deeply, wrapping her robe around herself to cover up as she averted her orange eyes. Normally, Sero would’ve been happy about the fact that such a beautiful woman like Luna was dressed like that in his penthouse, but the events of today were still painfully fresh in his mind.

"Um… welcome back?" Luna greeted him with a sheepish smile.