"Where am I" Dario looked around and realized he couldnt see, or more of he couldnt anything. Everywhere he looked was the same blank space as before. The initial curiosity became boredness when nothing happened.
"What a crappy way to die, drunk and sad, it all seems so meaningless now and I was so damn beautiful why did I do it." After a quick shameless thought he accepted the realization of his death. Honestly he felt the floatiness of being nothing was pretty nice, much more pleasant than having to get up everyday and do stuff. Time seemingly collapsed on itself wherever he was and he lost track of time, whether it was a few minutes or even decades seemingly didn't matter anymore, along with the anger and confusion from his life he let it go as It couldn't help him now he doesn't exist.
"Well if I'm completely honest I do have no regrets in my life, yea I didn't awaken my hart, but I was pretty damn awesome. I led a mercenary group through the galactic stairway and I got as far as someone with no hart could go. That really is something to be proud of, and yea I didn't get the girl in the end but neither did they cause she loved me only which is pretty savage." As he comforted himself he didn't notice a figure seemed to have appeared in front of him staring on pleasantly amused. He continued comforting himself until he started talking smack about his father and the figure got visibly annoyed.
"Well that stupid old man probably couldn't help but stab himself. I mean at least he left me with a bunch of money and his old books, I may have sold about all of them in the first half a year when the price was good but at least he was of some help even in death I am truly grateful for your sacrifice father."
"WHAT YOU SOLD MY BOOKS!!" a heartbroken screech disturbed the peace of the blank world and directly disrupted Darios consciousness. He finally looked up at the figure that looked like it was going to devour him and unhesitantly tried to float away.
"What in God's name is wrong with you that was the entire inheritance of our family and the secret to unlocking the families hart! I assumed you knew when you activated the ancestral portkey but you are just an idiot the killed himself! I don't have such a stupid ungrateful son, I refuse to believe so, there's no way!"
"Hey don't make fun of a suicide victim I really wasn't planning on killing myself but the knife was calling out to me and whatnot you know, I feel like I was set up I want a redo!" He now regrets he didn't even consider reading one of his father's books, it's just that he was so distraught that he didn't consider any consequences, he even thought of burning them all at one point.
"I can't believe you sold them, why didn't the books spirits stop you? My whole life work just given away like that, I don't even know what to say."
"Well I don't know about any book spirits but how are you even here isn't this the after life I felt my soul being sucked into the blade."
"This isn't the afterlife you idiot this is the ancestral grave where the family goes to rest and give council to the future members of the family. But in exchange we have to give up our physical form. It's sort of a heaven exclusive to the family and their loved ones depending on merit."
"Then why is it such a big deal that I've come it just means I get to stay with you guys, no?
"I always thought you were smart but now I'm really questioning it, this is not a place for you! You are the last of the main family bloodline and are the only thing protecting the world from destroying itself. Each planet connected to the galactic stairs gives off an extrodinary amount of natural energy to do so. Our family was established by the stairs to link the world to itself safely. Without the main family bloodline the world would be destroyed almost instantly because of the energy consumption."
"So basically, because I died the world is destroyed."
"Yes." If Dario had a face right now it would be completely pale from the disbelief, to think that his suicide completely destroyed the world is just horrible. "If you had read my books you, as the only remaining successor would have seen the true knowledge hiding within and known all of this. And the book spirits never became active because you flicking sold all of my books without opening any of them damn it. Our families harts are and will always be relevant to kinds of art. Mine was to bring life to my writing hence the creation of my book spirits. They are the extensions of my will and were supposed to be your teachers."
"I am truly sorry dad, I can't believe everything happened just because of a few choices of mine. I have no right to stand beside you guys here, I, I can't even believe myself." The realisation of the consequences of his actions as well as the pain and regret from them consumed him. All of the thoughts of what could have been and the blame he had towards others was redirected at himself. He knew it was too late to fix things.
"Hey, don't feel to down ok, you may have ended our bloodline and doomed the world to oblivion but even now I will support you."
"Seriously not helping dad."
"Hehe, but in all seriousness I did prepare for this. The truth is I didn't just kill myself in front of you to traumatize you, I did it so the the altar could pick up your signature while it was active at that time and I sure am glad I did. With that signature I'll be able to send your consciousness to your body from back then. However if I do this you can't come back here unless your soul is strong enough, and by that I mean strong enough to face the original progenitor of our family, the creater of the ancestral grave. I just want you to know that you don't owe anything to anybody and I won't force you, before we are Art I am your father and you are my son." Darios heart warmed as the familial love he had always longed for was right in front of him. He hesitated for a few seconds before he was filled with resolution.
"The action I took where my own, same as right now. I refuse to let things end like this. Send me back and I promise to both save the world and live for myself."
His spiritual body formed as both figures stared at each other through the void. After a few moments of silence Drago stretched out his hand. "One more piece of advice ok, there are still branch family members in the world and I would appreciate if you can find them. You can do so with the rainbow pendant in a safe under my desk."
"Thank you."
"What is family for huh?"
The two shadows hugged before looking at each other with newfound purpose. Dario took his hand as he heard the words echo in his head. "The earth without Art-"
"Is just eh"
"Is just eh"