THAT DAY I BECAME A STAR

"So you remember then." 

Nicky's body has already turned to ashes, leaving only a crystal that is shining dimly among her clothes and the bottle that is sticking out a bit.

"My memory came back, yeah. I don't know why mother did this but at least she gave me a chance to show people that Farner was wrong. She should have never fallen in love with you. Going as far as giving you her virginity, what stupidity." 

"I couldn't agree more."

"But tomorrow, I will avenge her. I will avenge my sister and make sure Lanuvel hears reason. Your children are seeds of destruction like you. They have to die." 

Before I know it, my only free arm has already pounced on Roxcia, and I manage to grab her by the neck while guards enter the dungeon.

"Roxcia, if my children die, you will not have an easy death. That I can promise you." 

"Your threats are meaningless. You are a dead man anyway." She grabs my arm but I squeeze even harder. 

The soldiers rush to us seeing the scene and I release her before they arrive at our level.

"And you are called a hero. Pathetic." 

"At least I didn't try to act like one and screw up big time." 

"That's what you think, huh." But sadly, she is right. I cannot deny it nor do I wish to. "Still, if you kill those children, you are n better than me." 

"Your grace, are you okay?" 

"I am. Don't worry. Blindfold him and restrain his lying mouth." 

"Yes, your grace!!" 

Now more than ever, I wish I was right to trust you but I know it is only wishful thinking. Somebody who betrayed me like you did would never have told the truth. 

***

In the middle of the night, Alphonse comes once again and removes the gag and blindfold before putting me down on a chair again. 

"What do you want?" 

"Here." 

"A letter?" 

"From Lanuvel. She asked me to deliver it to you before leaving the city." 

"Oh, so you are leaving in the end." 

"I am. Together with her mother and the babies. She said she will come to your execution tomorrow." 

"As stubborn as always…" 

I take the letter and fold it then give it back to Alphonse. 

"You won't read it."

"I don't deserve to read it." 

"Just like she said; huh." 

"Can't you just bring her with you? Tomorrow will not be a good day to be here." 

"Oh…you aren't going to say things like we will all die and such." 

"There is no more time for jokes." 

"I know. But I cannot force her. She has decided to stay with you to the end. At least, you ought to respect the desire of the woman who loves you." 

"I wish she didn't. How come she could even ever loved a guy like me?" 

"Are you really saying that now?" 

"Right now, I am really wondering why." 

"Then you truly don't qualify for her feelings." 

"Yeah, I know." 

Alphonse leaves like a ghost once again. This…This loneliness…

"K'nor. I wonder where you are." I haven't given a thought about you since. You who were always there when I needed it. Now was the perfect time for you to come and bark happily, telling me that everything will be okay. 

Unlike Willhem and Thando, whose positions I can tell by our soul's sharing, I don't have any idea if you are even alive. But knowing you, you are surely somewhere eating or sleeping. Willhem and Thando are close to the city, though. I wonder what they are planning. 

"Tomorrow, we must end it all." 

And it seems the different protagonists are already arriving. I can feel three people who just arrived in the city. One has seven crystals, the other two only have three each. I can guess who they are already and that's the best situation I could have asked for. 

"It seems she wasn't lying." 

"You think so, Cissa?" Certainly, she brought all of them with her but...

"I can feel the flow of energy changing slowly. It seems a very powerful one is coming as well." 

"I don't really feel anything th…" Ah, she is right. I feel restless all of sudden. So, you weren't just talking shit then. I wonder how you convince them. "It doesn't matter." 

"Yes, it doesn't. What matters is whether you are ready or not." 

"I better be." 

***

The next day, soldiers come. William in front of the line and without a single word, they carry me to a carriage outside. Inside the carriage, Roxcia and her sister are waiting. William enters after they put me inside and we all leave. 

"You won't say anything?" 

"What else do you want me to say, Roxcia?" 

"I don't know. Maybe why you did something so stupid?" 

"Isn't he a servant of the Longinus? Everything they do is stupid." Thanks, dad. I appreciate it. 

"No, high-commander. It certainly isn't that simple." 

"It doesn't matter much, does it? We will execute him and be done with this." 

"You still don't seem too happy about this, Excia." 

"Don't talk to me. I have nothing to say to somebody like you."

"You two really loved her, huh." 

Excia jumps from her seat and starts choking me. Yep, as I thought, you really loved her. 

"If only…If only I was there faster…" 

"There is no use crying, Excia." We can only do what we are supposed to do and carry out our duty to the end.

There are more and more noises as the carriage goes around the city and right when Excia releases me, a tomato lends on the window of the carriage.

"See this. This is the hatred people have for you." 

"Yeah, yeah. I can see it very well, Roxcia. There is no need to add your pinch of salt to it." 

"Demon!!" 

"Kill him!!" 

"You murderer!!" 

Voices resound like crazy inside the carriage as it stops. William opens the door and comes down first, followed by Excia, then Roxcia goes off as well, smiling at me with anticipation. 

When I get down, the first thing I see is a tomato again. It lands right on my face before other things come as well. 

"Murderer!!!" 

"Kill him!! Kill him!!" 

"You fucking murderer!!! You killed our hero!!" 

While we are walking to the coliseum, people keep throwing things at me. Weird enough, I don't feel anything from it. Is it because I know the pain of what I have done more than anybody here? 

As we enter the coliseum and get on the stage, I am wet from head to toe with the things people threw at me. William drags me to the center of the stage then stands next to me as Roxcia and Excia come before me. 

"Kill him!! Kill him!!" 

"He is not human!! He is a monster!!" 

I can feel your presence among the spectators. I know that you guys are here. I have to do everything I can to kill you before you even try to flee. 

'Cissa. Do you think she is here already?" 

'I think she is, yes. The flow of energy is completely disrupted.'

'Can you locate her?' 

'I will try to.'

'Please.'

"People of Schamerin!!" Roxcia starts speaking and her voice somehow sounds deep and hurt. Well, this isn't easy. "You, who have faithfully and dutifully fought and followed us and our mother through all the hardships that fell on us!! You, who have always offered prayers for the success of our fight!! Do you who this man is?!!" 

"A murderer!!" 

"A demon!!" 

"Exactly!! He is the one who killed not only our dear saintess but a hero, my sister as well!! Can we let such a thing slide?!! Can we let those who trampled upon our effort, our unity, our souls, get away with it casually!!" 

"No!!!" The coliseum vibrates with a single and unilateral answer. 

"Then what should we do with such a –"

"Sigh…Can we get this over with?" 

I reach for the chains around my neck and break them under the complete bewilderment of everyone present. Whether it is Roxcia, Excia, William, or anyone in the coliseum right now, their eyes and mouth are open as if they are hallucinating. 

I remove the chains on my arms and my waist before finally, William reacts. You were always prompt to things like this, right, Father. He unsheathes the sword at his waist and tries to attack but I simply jump back and avoid the hit. You are using one-hand swords now? What happened?

Although he is already heated up, the people in the coliseum are all cold, however. The atmosphere has changed into one of fear in an instant. As if winter has come to this place. I break the last chains around my legs then look at the people of the coliseum. If I can save at least some of them, then Farner won't resent me too much in the afterlife, right?

"Those of you who don't want to die too early, you better leave now."