"Is that all you need to do?" The butler asked him.
Toren nodded slowly, almost hesitantly, staring sadly at the last masterpiece he was meant to accomplish on earth.
"Now that I have painted the underworld, the deal is completed for I have fulfilled the end of my bargain. I am now free to go whenever I want."
"Does that mean that staying is an option?"
"Of course. But I would choose not to do such a thing for too long. I shall ascend to the complete oblivion from this world soon to preserve the continuity of my soul."
"Are you perhaps referring to reincarnation?"
Toren nodded as a response.
The two of them went together to the castle and went up to the veranda.
Only male servants are allowed entry above, so they easily got on there. The view from atop was a whole new different world.
It was late in the afternoon already, so they had the pleasure to watch the sunset gloriously melt across the landscape of the sky.
It was such a wonderful phenomena, making them think that heavens could still freely flaunt their beauty despite the raging war beneath. And so, they felt peace and freedom from there.
"I wonder when this war will finally end," Toren whispered through the windy air. "It felt like there would be no end to it."
"Change is inevitable," The butler replied. "Revolutions are unexpected... and expected things."
"I have always wished to live in a world where war does not exist. A world where I do not have to paint so I could escape reality. I wanted to paint calmly without having such complicated thoughts. I am still quite confused with mankind, to tell you the truth. They are truly baffling to the core despite being one myself."
"I agree. Your paintings might reach a completely different dimension allowed by endless freedom. Who knows?"
Toren looked up and the last question whiffed at the air seemed to be such sad, trailing dots.
"Anything could have happened without the war. Something else could have turned out differently if there was freedom. The world as a place that does not demand chaos would have been a whole new picture. Who knows?"
Who knows? When the sun was gone and the clouds sifted through the orange and golden shades, Toren finally faced his loyal and diligent servant and bid his goodbye.
The butler was taken aback by such a sudden farewell, so he kept quiet and listened to the boy.
"It was a short moment, but I was really thankful that you were the one who served me," He said. "Even when you did not have to, you still stuck through until the end. I do not have treasures to leave for you, but I truly hope that the memories were enough as compensation for all the troubles I have caused you. Because for me, it was more than enough."
The butler silently bowed down as his farewell remark gesture and waited until his tears had subsided.
When he lifted his head up once again, Toren slowly grabbed the beaded necklace that was still hanging on the servant's neck and took it off until the item had vanished into glitter dust.
Toren's soul gradually faded from the butler's sight and soon, the boy was completely gone.
That night, the butler suffered lamenting over his master's disappearance.
He could only imagine how the boy might have crossed the thick bordering line between life and death alone – probably sad and painful.
The butler kneeled and cupped his face to cover his miserably crying eyes.
He suppressed the sounds that echoed back and forth to his heart and attempted calming his unsteadiness.
For once, he had been so shaken that he was reminded of what reality means.