It's been 7 days since the mission.
Ilora has allied herself with the destructors, Richard is still in a serious condition at the hospital and today is Caster's funeral.
I stand still in front of Caster's grave. We didn't find his but we created a grave for him. Erica and Jason feel responsible for Caster's death. My other classmates are trying to comfort them.
I look at Tamie standing still looking at the grave and giving a smile. I walk towards her. "You aren't going to cry?" I ask Tamie. "Not at all, instead I am going to smile and wait for the right time. Then I will kill the person who killed Caster." Tamie says in an angry tone. I guess she wants revenge... I begin to walk away.
Revenge huh? That's what turned Ilora against us. "She really wanted to kill you, didn't she?" The principal comes up behind me and asks me. "Yes...In reality she wants to kill my mother but she doesn't want me to come in her way. That's why she wants to kill me." I say to the principal.
"The council has decided to kill her on sight." The principal says to me. "I just wanted to save her...But I guess I lost that right when I stopped calling her my daughter." The principal says as he looks into the sky. "I still remember those days when she used to come running into my arms after her school and tell me about her day..." The principal continues. I turn behind and look the principal in tears.
"If possible, I will try to bring her back...I can't promise her safety though." I say to the principal. "I understand." He says. "It's alright even if you don't...You are still a kid that pressure will be too much for you." The principal continues. "Okay..." I say and begin to walk off.
It's raining again huh...
I walk in the rain and reach our campus. I look into the sky.
"It's all because of me..." I say to myself. "What's because of you?" I look to my right. I see Vasteria standing there. "Vasteria...Why are you here?" I ask Vasteria. "She's here because she was concerned about you." Oki says as she gets on my shoulder and smiles. "First of all, it's Miss Vasteria for you and secondly that's not the case...I am here to meet Caster Daniels." Vasteria says to me. I guess she hasn't heard the news...
"I am sorry, that isn't possible." I say to Vasteria. "Why do you say that?" Vasteria looks suspiciously at me.
I explain about the event that occurred 7 days ago as we sit inside a cafe.
"I see...That's what has happened..." Vasteria says to me with a shred of concern. "So you're saying that Caster's death was your fault?" Oki asks me. "Yeah...The day that we went on the mission was an unlucky day...That's all..." I say.
"Why do you say that?" Vasteria asks me. "Every year...On the same day, something bad is always bound to happen...Last year, one of my classmates was killed by a wild boar which was let free. Before that, the mini war with the destructors took place and before that-"
Vasteria stops me. "You seriously think that this is your entire fault?" Vasteria asks me. "Are you some kind of superstitious person or what?" Vasteria questions me. "I guess so..." I say.
"Come with me." Vasteria says to me. "Alright..." I say. Oki giggles. I follow Vasteria as she takes me to a store. Vasteria opens the store and I follow her.
As soon as I enter the store,
"Hey Henry." Richard says as he stands in front of me with bandages on his guts. Not only him but I see my other classmates along with Amy and Cyan smiling at me. "What are you guys doing?" I question them.
"Tsch! Isn't it simple you idiot?!" I look to my left and I see Hayden leaning his back to the wall with his hands fold. "We are here to cheer you up! Have you seen your face?!" Hayden scolds me.
"I wanted to spar with you when I came back but you were a fucking mess so I couldn't do anything. You have barely spoke to anyone of us since the last 7 days!" Hayden keeps on going.
"THAT'S RIGHT! HAVE YOU EVER EVEN CONSIDERED SPEAKING TO ANYONE OF US?!" Amy screams out. "You're just taking all the blame for yourself but that's wrong, you haven't done anything wrong if anything we are to be blamed because we were with Caster not you."Erica says to me.
"That's not true...It's just-"
"It's just what?! Are you going to use the excuse that all the bad events happen on your birthday like a fucking bitch?!" Hayden holds me by my collar.
"Today we aren't interfering between you and Hayden, even we want to know that is that what you really think? Because if you do then you're just not accepting that fact that someone died and you couldn't do anything." Jacob says.
"That's right! That's how we feel because he might be just a person to you but for us...That man was a father, a brother, a teacher, a family..." Ashley says.
"DO YOU THINK SO THAT OUR TEACHER WOULD WANT US TO BE ALL GLOOMY ABOUT HIS DEATH?!" Richard screams out. "Not at all, I say that he would want us to get stronger and kick some destructor ass!" Brenna says.
"We all have regrets that we lost a very important person and we all cried for him but that doesn't mean we are going to sit down for 7 days doing nothing. We have been training, training with all our might and giving it all. Brenna, Erica, Jason, Jacob, Ajay and Ricardo have reached awakening stage already. Others are breaking through it." Kylie says. "As for me, I have been conducting research on our enemy." She continues.
"What if you couldn't save big sis Ilora, what if Richard got injured and even if you lost someone important, you have to keep going because we have to fight for what's right because we are knights now even if we are just rookies." Cyan says.
"Are you listening to them?" Hayden asks me. "Those are your friends who genuinely think about you. You have leaded them all the way through their hard times haven't you? So they will be there for you too. That's the type of squad Rizing was and will always be." Hayden says to me.
My friends...That's funny coming from Hayden.
I begin to laugh loudly. "Your...Funny..." I say to Hayden. "What?!"
"Yeah, Hayden was the most concerned about him, that's funny." Casey says as everyone begins to laugh.
"I am sorry for making you all worry about me." I say to everyone as I giving a big smile to everyone. Everyone smiles back at me.
In a corner,
"Your smiling too Vassy, that's a rare sight." Oki says to Vasteria as she smirks. "Huh?! When did I smile?!" Vasteria seems to be getting red.
"Hey, Vasteria..." I call out for Vasteria as I walk towards her.
"Thanks for everything you did today for me." I say to her. "What did I do?" Vasteria asks me. "I know you arranged this meeting for me, so I just wanted to thank you for that." This is the first time...I feel so happy and it's thanks to this elf. I will never forget what she has done for me. "It's not a big deal...I just didn't want my student to look that gloomy." Vasteria pouts and looks away from me.
"Alright, I will see you later." I say to Vasteria and regroup with everybody.
Today is the day...I feel like I have friends...Today is the day...I have enjoyed the most...
I understand the fact that Richard was injured, I even understand that Ilora is gone away and even that Caster was killed off but that doesn't give me the right to be sad instead...I should be even more motivated to take down those damn destructors...I will be sure to save Ilora and even get answers from my mother. That I will do.