The fourteen of them scattering around some praying, some exploring the
"Look Sera! Sera! The Sea! It's the sea! So blue, sparkly and huge! Can we go there, please! I prayed a lot too!" Adam pleaded hanging on the stone wall, fawning over the sight of the sea ahead.
Seraph smiled, "Let's ask the others first though."
"Yay!" Adam cheered gleefully.
"Oh lord, please let us win the PSL, against all those highschoolers and the World cup too please~ please, let us win the PSL, against those highschoolers and the world…" Heber prayed again and again beside Azazel, Feng, Ryan and Cassiel.
"Yeah, the moment we win, I'll prepare a feast even for animals!" Feng uttered.
Cassiel and Ryan stared at him speechless.
"Don't say useless things." Gabriel warned annoyed. Feng rolled his eyes unconcerned.
Xavier sat with his back on the mausoleum's protective wall silent. "What is it?" Kenzo asked sitting beside him.
"Nothing." Xavier smiled as Helios too joined. Inside his hands were multicolored marbles.
"I just hope… all our prayers get fulfilled." Xavier wished.
"They will. You don't have to worry about that." Kenzo assured.
Helios nodded staring at the dark blue one.
______
Ezekiel sitting before the monuments protected by grills and chains stared at the ground with a lifeless expression. His eyes damp. Alan tracing his sight walked over remembering...
"He woke up because of a nightmare." Senri told.
"A nightmare?" Alan asked back.
"Yup, he was sweating all over and he looked as if fear stricken. Both Isa and I didn't had a slight clue of what to do." Senri said.
Alan tying his shoelaces furrowed his gaze, "Is Seles aware about his condition?"
"Who knows? Maybe it was a family trauma or something like that. He kept calling 'Eisen' 'Eisen'." Senri added sitting up the couch.
Alan exhaling kept a chilled cold drink can on Ezekiel's cheek. Ezekiel flinched looking up. "Here you go." Alan offered.
Ezekiel wondering for a while took it, "Thank you…"
Sitting beside him, Alan unfastened his can too. A soft breeze blowing lightly their hairs fluttered.
"You know… nothing like this should've happened but if this is fate or so called destiny. I am hopelessly bound to it." Ezekiel whispered.
Alan looked up at the sky, "What really happened? If you feel like telling it. I will gladly hear."
Ezekiel remained silent for a while, "I caused a huge accident."
Alan turned to him wondering.
"When I was 7, I was about to get hit by a car, however rather than me my step brother got hit. He protected me that's why. At first his chances of survival were very thin nonetheless, he was saved. Ever since, that day he never woke up. Till now, he is resting in a continuous coma state without a single movement. It's been 5 years. Lifeless or full of life it's equal. And, since it happened because of me I was thrown out of the family when I was 10, my step mother couldn't tolerate my sight. I started working for my dwelling and studies day and night. But... once every year no matter sick or how tired I was, I would pluck up the courage and visit him when no one was around. This was the fifth time." Ezekiel told.
Alan gasped.
"But all this happened. Not that I wasn't aware of what would happen, what I hadn't known was their resentment. It had grown too much. Up to the point that my own father wouldn't take my side." he added.
"Your mother…?" Alan asked.
"She passed away. She was a mistress of my family. No one paid heed. I was only endured because of Eisen who loved me and took care of me. Without him, everything's over." Ezekiel replied with a miserable grin.
Alan wondered, "For three years… he has been on his own for three years."
"You know, Eisen loved my illusions. Whenever we'd play cricket he would enjoy asking me to transform into that child or this kid. Right before the accident he asked me to show him his illusion which I promised to show him. If only at that moment I hadn't transformed and stepped back on the street, he wouldn't have saved me and none of this would've happened." Ezekiel confessed gritting his teeth.
Alan stared wordless.
"There's nothing in this world I hate more than my illusions! When I thought they were a blessing they turned out to be a curse and took away everything I had! After that I had stopped using them… I had truly given up on myself. Had I not met Captain Helios and Vice-captain Poseidon to give me courage and push me back on my feet again, I wouldn't even be standing here. That was the reason I didn't deny going back home when they said too." Ezekiel said, "But seeing Vice-captain getting hurt because of me, I felt guiltier." His voice stuttering he shoved his head inside his legs trembling.
Alan silently patted his back. He knew this was the least he could do.
"Ezekiel! Alan!" Heber instantly called, "Come on, we are heading to hang locks, hurry up!" he waved beside the rest.
Alan stood up. Grabbing Ezekiel's hand, he forcefully pulled him up too. Ezekiel surprised, stood up stumbling as Alan smiled turning him around. "It's alright. Everything's alright. Don't blame yourself any longer. Whatever happened was god's will. Why don't you let him do whatever he wants? In the meantime, go and ask him to grant you whatever you want instead?" he pushed him forward to the others.
Ezekiel turned around stunned. "Come on, Eze, Eze." Adam grabbed his hand taking him away.
"You as well Alan, hurry up!" Cassiel called.
Alan nodded. The boys leaving, Alan turned around heading inside the mausoleum. A slate resting in the middle, before it silver rings were kept in a round bowl. Alan silently picked up two. Sitting before it with his legs crossed, he clasped his hands together. His heart full, he prayed earnestly for a long while. Opening his eyes which fought the rays of light. He gently wore the two rings in his middle finger on a top of another. Standing up he headed out.
"Hiding reality from the world… this tiny, fragile soul moves on?" said a woman.
Alan turned around puzzled.
The woman wearing a long black robe with her face and hairs hidden sat on the floor. In her right hand was a long chaplet of marble beads, which she was continuously rolling by the passing second.
"Hiding reality from the world…?" Alan interpreted her words walking over. "Did you realize?" he asked slightly wary.
The woman nodded smiling, "I did… with the light of the god, I can see hidden secrets. Yours was quiet buried but not concealed."
Alan exhaled giving up, "I see."
"There I saw you taking two rings dear. You do have many prayers don't you?" the woman asked.
Alan shook his head, "Not many for me, however, infinite for others."
"Is that so?" the woman asked.
"Hm. I ask for myself every day. For others it's not as much as myself, so when I thought I had much to ask for, why don't I go ahead and ask for it today, was what I thought." Alan told.
"That's good. They say, take a single step for humanity, god will take a hundred more steps for you and your future. Child, even if there's something much tougher for you than your identity. You will surely find a way out. That's why, stand strong and move on forward." She encouraged.
Alan smiled nodding.
The thirteen boys standing before the locks cave gasped awed.
"So many…" Ryan blinked his eyes astonished.
"Are these many locks tied every day?" Azazel asked stunned looking at the walls, grills and chains all hung with locks.
"Legend says that once you hang a lock here, the moment your prayer is fulfilled it opens itself on its own and falls down." Poseidon told.
"Seriously?" Adam asked in disbelief.
"Yeah, this really happens." Helios concurred.
"How about we check out until someone's lock falls?" Heber asked curious. Kenzo twitched his brow while Ezekiel smiled awkwardly.
"Just hang your own locks first before doing something this stupid." Gabriel glared.
"Yeah, I'll right my name so I can find it once we come back." Adam ignored as Heber and Ryan nodded inquisitive.
All of them hanging one lock after another prayed as Adam peeked at the others to find if some of them fell.
"Oh god, please help us claim victory this year, amen." Xavier prayed with light a smile.
"Please, please let us attain victory. I'll make sure to hold a banquet once we win!" Feng claimed.
"Yeah, me too." Heber added.
"And, me too!" Adam added next.
Kenzo peeking at them sighed while Helios and Seraph chuckled awkwardly. Ezekiel exhaling glanced at Gabriel who dabbed his back assuring.
Alan walked inside. Looking at the 13 of them standing in a straight line with their hands raised together. An assured grin left his lips. Taking a lock, he too hung it, joining the rest, "It's all up to you now. We did our very best." he whispered.
_____
Praying and sightseeing, the boys later on headed to the sea. Playing and enjoying themselves between waves and wind, Alan watched over them.
"Let's play cricket, how's that?" Cassiel proposed.
"Over here?" Helios asked.
"What if ball goes in the water?" Feng asked splashing water on Ryan who did the same.
"We have you don't we?" Heber winked at him.
"Yeah, let Feng stay on the defensive. Since, it's hard to play on the sand. It's going to be a fruitful practice." Seraph concurred.
"Wha…?" Feng pointed at himself dumbstruck.
"Let's team up then." Xavier walked in the water beside Poseidon.