I am alone; I had always thought that once I had reached home, everything would be fine. It must be fine. I was only gone for a month.

But, I heard the distant laughs of the cruel gods above, jeering behind my twisted fate.

My only home is empty, my smile had gone, and so had her laughter. Everything was kept as I had last seen it.

I took her name, and silence replied.

“No”, I muttered as I shouted and screamed her name.

Tears flooded my eyes, how could I always ruin everything around me, why me?

I rushed outside.

My tears were washed in the rain, it was only a month.

“But you said you’ll be back by afternoon.”

I turned back at the voice, hoping it was a way to surprise and greet me.

It was all just a figment of my imagination.

I was soaked in rain, but I didn’t care.

I banged on the doors of my neighbor.

Ichiro opened the door, he was acting as if he had seen a ghost.

His mouth was agape, and his eyes began to well up.

Ichiro jabbed me in the stomach, I landed on the mud.

“Do you know that you are an asshole Aoyama?”

I didn’t, I couldn’t reply to his question.

“Well, I was just making sure.”

“How did she pass away?”

“Why do you wanna know this? Will you gain pleasure from the fact that your wife is gone?”

I didn’t make a sound.

“Where were you huh? Where were you when your wife was in pain?”

“You haven’t answered any of my questions.”

“I am sorry,” I said, my throat felt dry.

“Are you? So, nice of you to be sorry, your wife will return to you in 5 minutes.”

I broke down, “Why don’t you understand, I wanted to be here, but I was taken prisoner. It was really hard escaping out of it.”

“So, you were in prison, What crime had you committed?”

“I am innocent Ichiro, I was wrongly arrested. Please believe me.”

Ichiro gave me a skeptical stare and motioned for me to come inside.

“You are pathetic, you know that,” Ichiro said as he returned to his house.

I nodded.

***

Greg’s back ached as he saw Harz enter the corridor and gave Harz a bloodshot stare.

“What is your opinion on betraying and hurting your friends?” Greg asked

“I didn’t hurt anyone, and it isn’t about friendship. If you were in Aoyama’s place I would’ve helped you too.”

“You didn’t hurt anyone? Tark has severe burns, Joseph can barely speak and don’t ask about me. I always thought we were friends, that in times of need, ‘World’s Strongest Man’ would offer us help, little did I know that the man I had faith in would be the cause of those needy times.”

Harz was baffled, “All I did was… was trying to help people, that’s what I have always done to help people.”

“You call attacking the Beach Patrol- Help, that’s some wonderful definition which the prisoners need to hear.”

“Do you know what Aoyama wanted? Do you know why he wanted to get out of this damned island?”

“Aoyama be damned with himself and his crazy wishes, give your justification against the King.”

The door in front of them opened, beyond it was a decrepit old man sitting on the floor.

Harz couldn’t help but notice the eerie similarity between the King and Vongotski.

Was Vongotski telling the truth, did the Queen marry King because he was similar to Vongotski? Or was it just a coincidence?

There was one stark difference, the King unlike Vongotski had complete white eyes.

The King motioned them to sit.

“I believe you both know why you have been summoned?”

“Yes.” They both answered in unison.

“Then, I shall start with the proceedings. Harz, you have been accused of Murder and Attack on a State Body, do you have anything to say?”

“My lord, I haven’t killed anyone. These are false allegations.”

The King raised his eyebrows, “Are they? Then can you tell where is Vongotski?”

Harz was caught a bit off guard, “You knew?!”

“I may be blind but I am still the King, I am aware of everything happening on the Island. Everything.”

Harz shifted uncomfortably, “I apologize for my lies, but may I ask, if you knew I killed Vongotski then why wasn’t any action taken against me?”

King chuckled, “For, Vongotski was a prick, he was there only because of his blood. I don’t care if he lives or dies, and neither does anyone else.”

Greg looked grim, it always happened with him didn’t it, “I believe you have the same opinion of the Beach Patrol. The only difference is someone does care. I care. If it wasn’t for me filing that report, Harz would’ve been left Scot-free. Like always he is. I know he is your Golden Boy, but I don’t think you need to make it obvious.”

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Harz tried to interrupt and calm Greg down, “You shut up Harz!” Greg pointed to a scar on his left eye, “You remember this? Or is it too difficult to care? You owe your fucking life to me, and not once but twice.

It was you, Harz, It was you who killed them. But no action was taken against you, I had to answer to their families, families of the people killed because of you. It is because of you I was transferred to Beach Patrol. People laugh at me, they hate me, all because of you.

Not once in my life did I ask for anything in return, however, I did get things in return, Scars, Contempt, and Hate. You may be one of the most powerful men on the entire island, but more than that you are a Murderer. You are a fucking MURDERER.”

Harz had a calm expression on his face, yet his eyes said something different, his eyes didn’t meet with those of Greg’s

“Yes I am a Murderer, I have to see myself in the mirror every single day, knowing the fact, that because many children lost their parents, parents lost their children, and most of us lost someone. I lost myself.

Yes, I made mistakes, grave and terrible mistakes, but it doesn’t mean that whatever I do is a mistake, what I did yesternight, is anything but a mistake.”

Greg didn’t bite back, “I am leaving, I was a fool for expecting justice in this place.”

Greg stood up and began to exit the room. He was tired. If he continued more, he might even kill everyone in the room, including himself.

“Greggory Matthew- Son of Matthew the Third, you may not leave. And this isn’t a request, but rather an order. You must return to your position.”

Greg turned back, the King’s white stare was upon him, and a lump had formed in Greg’s throat, shit he thought.

“In this room, henceforth only I have the power to speak. If anyone even utters a single word, then you won’t even know you are dead.”

Harz gave Greg a helpless stare, ‘even little Harz is afraid’ Greg thought.

“I believe you both have forgotten that this is a Formal Hearing, you both can accuse and fight somewhere else but not in my presence.

And if comes to having a Golden Boy, then I have none, not even my son.

And if any of you have a problem with my decision, then you can happily kill yourself for only in death you aren’t bound by my orders.”

***

The warm bath had washed the mud away, but it failed to wash my grief.

Ichiro had served some Ramen for both of them.

“When did she go?”

Ichiro continued eating, he was intentionally eating loudly.

I only stared at those Ramen, she loved eating them.

“She kept fighting the Spanish Flu, Death knocked many times but she opened none, you know why? Because she was waiting for you. You never came. The sickness finally broke her, yet she kept waiting for you, even in her last breath she uttered your name. Maybe if you were there she would be alive.”

It wasn’t possible, I was late by 3 days, 3 fucking days.

Why couldn’t I have gotten here earlier? why couldn’t I have rowed faster?

Why couldn’t I have stayed here?

Why? Why? Why?

I screamed, I hated myself so so much, she had given her everything to me, but I gave her nothing. Ichiro was right, I am Pathetic.

Her voice tried to soothe me, but her memories made me cry harder.

I was at her grave alone, while she was surrounded by her relatives and friends.

Ichiro's words echoed in my ears, I could have saved her, yet I failed her.

‘It isn’t your fault.’ She said, but I knew inside that it wasn’t her.

‘Please don’t drown in grief. I am happy that you are back.’ Her voice was getting more and more vivid.

Was it her ghost speaking to me? Or it is my own self giving solace?

‘Please Aoyama, if it weren’t for that island, you would have been there for me. I will not hate you, not for something which wasn’t even your mistake.’ She said.

The island, yes the goddamn island. It is the reason for my miserable state, it took away the love of my life, yet it isn’t even aware of the harm it has done.

My body felt this unreasonable rage inside it, even I was boggled by it.

I was so preoccupied by grief and anger, that I hadn’t even realized that the rain had stopped, and my tears were no longer invisible because of rain.

I didn’t want to leave her, I wanted to stay with her till my last breath.

‘Oh don’t be stupid AoAo! You know I don’t want that. What I want you is to…’ her voice was cut off by Ichiro’s concerned noise.

“What?” I asked.

Ichiro was confused, his lips moved yet made some weird sound.

“What are you saying?”

“Have you gone deaf Aoyama? I have shouted your name eight times now, you have been here for three hours now.”

I nodded, though I wanted to stay here, I knew she wouldn’t do that.

“Can you give me a minute Ichiro?”

“Okay, but make haste.”

I got down and offered my prayers. And tried to hear her voice for one last time, I wanted to know what she wanted from me. Yet no one answered the last prayer of my life.

I began to return to my house when I heard a voice.

“AVENGE ME.” She said.

Or maybe it was my conscience.

But whoever had said it, was damn right. I must avenge her. I will avenge her.