THAT DAY I BECAME A STAR

I get out of the academy and go back to the pet's house. There, I find Rock sitting at the entrance on a rocking chair, moving back and forth while cooling himself with a fan.

"Yo. You got my money?"

"Here." I hand over the 1000 wellis and enter. I should really find a way to make some money. I go to K'nor's box and obviously, I find the same culprits as before. Farner and Excia. Only that, this time, Excia is the only one with him, Farner is sitting near them, on a chair. Where did she find it?

"Hello."

"What are you doing here?".

"Can't you greet people normally?"

"Stop caressing him first."

"Why? You jealous?"

"Excia…"

"Yeah, yeah. I know."

"Kevin. Why did you not come to class today?"

"Why should I?"

"Why should you not?"

"I don't see the point of going there."

"You don't want to learn? Make friends?"

"I think I have learned all I need to learn to survive. And friends? I have seen how your 'friends' can be so no thank you."

"It's your fault, to begin with."

"Excia!"

"No, stop with the kindness, he doesn't need it. If you weren't acting like this, none of this would have happened!"

"That's why I told you to leave me alone! You are the one who keeps trying to interact with me!! I just want to be a fucking lone!!"

"And then what?!! Huh?!! You will be alone and then what?!!! What will change?!!!"

"Everything!!!"

"Like what?!!!"

"Like everything!!! Please!! Get out and leave me be!!"

"No, I won't!!" Farner comes to me and grabs me by the collar.

"I won't because then, you will fall into despair and die. I can't let that happen even though I saw you suffering. That would the shame of my life."

"I don't car-"

In a swift movement, she throws me to the floor and then sits on my belly.

"I care. That's reason enough."

"Why can't you just leave me be. There are a lot of people dying every day."

"You are in front of me now, that's all that matters."

"That's just selfishness."

"I don't care. Listen, there was someone just like you before. She almost made the same choice as you. And thankfully, she didn't. And today, I am proud to see how smiling she is."

"And why would I care? I don't know that person anyway."

"It was Lanuvel. The girl who came to visit us yesterday."

Lanuvel?!!! How can you say that she has seen despair?!!! She is just the daughter of that betrayer!!! That fucking liar!!!

"Her mother disappeared some time ago and soon after that, her dad died in Nargil during the Longinus assault that happened there. After that…"

"Wait, what?" Rose disappeared? No way!!! "You are lying!!"

"Eh? Why would lie about this?"

No! No! No! No! No! It can' be!! Mark is a liar! He is a betrayer!! Selene, Excafol and me!! He betrayed us!!! That cannot be…

***

"Wha-what happened?"

"You fainted it would seem."

Somehow everything turned black around me at a point. And when I wake up, I am in the inner soul.

"Cissa. I…"

"Well, I did tell you that you shouldn't be too hasty."

The atmosphere of the inner soul is dark, it's like it is going to rain, everything is sad, grey, and uncomfortable.

"But…but, he betrayed us! He betrayed me!!"

"and now, you realize he betrayed you to save those he loved."

"No…I…he…"

I can't find any words to say it. No, I don't know what to say in the first place.

"Then, he was just protecting his own. I was the monster of the story from the beginning after all."

"…"

"Yeah, you are right. There is nothing else to say, Cissa. I killed somebody who just wanted to protect his family. I slaughter a whole town of innocent people who didn't have anything to do with it. My anger blinded me and I have destroyed other people's lives. A REAL MONSTER."

The inner soul starts shaking, everything is shaking like crazy, one or two trees even start falling. But I don't even feel bad about it. I just feel like sleeping, forever. It would be better this way.

"Our soul is crumbling…So, this is your choice, then."

Yeah, Cissa, it is better this way. Let's just crumble, become ashes that will be wash away by the wind and disappear. That way, nobody will ever suffer again.

"OH, NO!! YOU DON'T!!!"