"Why can't you understand what's good for you?" Arthos cried out in desperation.
Rick was a second year. A delinquent or useless to society, many would label. However, Arthos never believed that anyone was born useless. "If you put a little more effort and came to school, you can open so many doors and build a brighter future."
Rick just looked at Arthos. "You wouldn't understand." Slung his bag and left. Arthos could not understand it, he could feel the desperation in Rick but yet there was a wall, a wall he could not get through. That night, he lamented to Anne. "After all the extra one-to-one lessons, why is he skipping school just a week before the finals.. He was starting to make some progress!" Anne smiled, "He showed up today, didn't he? You must be getting through to him." Arthos sighed, "I sure hope so."
Rick died that night. There was nothing spectacular. Arthos later learnt that he was peddling drugs to make cash for his debt ridden father. There weren't many opportunities for one so young and they were easily preyed on by the black market. While running from the cops, he had jumped off the third level and suffered a head injury. It was a dark moment. Everyone passed it off as an unfortunate incident, one too many in those days, but Arthos couldn't forget Rick's struggle to be a son, a student and to be just someone. The smallest coffins were the heaviest. He could have grown up to so many possibilities. Arthos cursed the world that night, the unfairness of it all, it was far too cruel to rob the dreams of a child.
Perhaps it was a coincidence that Sister Anne bore the same name as his wife, but deep dark memories were surfacing as he watched Layla. "God, if there was a god in this world, take my life and let her live. " Arthos muttered to himself. It hardly made any sense, but emotions rarely did.
Arthos repeated his prayer over and over again. Despite the system warning him of his extended time in the game, he ignored the messages and prayed with all its heart.
Finally, at the break of dawn, he saw a flicker of movement from Layla. She stretched out and yawned. With a puzzled smile, she asks "Good morning, mister. What are you doing here?"
Arthos heart melted, and his eyes felt moist as he hugged her. "Thank goodness, child. Thank all that is good." Layla wrinkled her nose, "You smell funny."