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Gram POV...
I get up late today, around 8 AM. It's been 4 days. I hear Clara knock on the door, attempting to wake me up. I stand from the bed, walking to the door. I open it and am greeted by Clara, wearing a white dress.
"... What?" I ask, already wanting to go back to sleep.
I wasn't fast enough to help Arthur... none of this matters. I wasn't there fast enough to help my first friend.
"..." Clara doesn't say anything at first. She's had bags under her eyes ever since he went to the hospital. "Get dressed... I have to bring you with me to the academy so I can register you."
Great. Another reminder that Arthur won't be here for a while. I nod and close the door in her face, going to get dressed. I open the closet, being greeted with Arthur's clothes. A part of me breaks inside.
He's not dead, but... who knows how long he'll be in a coma. I stayed at the hospital for as long as Clara would let me, but I couldn't handle it when I saw his mother cry. I had to take the train back home.
I push Arthur's clothes to the side, grabbing some of my only clothes. Black shirt and black pants, anyone would be able to tell that I'm in a bad mood. I dismiss my daily quest tab from my system again, putting them off until the end of the day again. I open the door and step into the hall.
"Are you ready?" Clara asks, looking over at me.
I nod, not bothering to say a word. I'm tired and sad and pissed off at myself. We walk down the hall and down the stairs in silence, exiting the house with no words. It's a somber mood, but the day looks as if it couldn't care less. Why couldn't it be raining for once?
I look down from the sky and walk with Clara through the streets. The street stalls try to get my attention, but I don't give them a second thought. I walk straight forward with my eyes locked, following in Clara's step.
Clara tries to look a little approachable, but doesn't quite pull it off. People can see the slight run at the end of her makeup near her eyelids. We're practically a funeral procession.
"I let him down."
I look up at Clara's face as we walk. She spoke without waiting for privacy, even though it clearly bothers her.
"I promised Thomas that I would keep his son safe," She says, continuing on as she walks. The air feels unusually cold today. I look up at the horizon. We're about halfway to the academy. "I promised him... and I let him down."
She doesn't speak any more after that. We return to walking in silence. Passing the tree me and him saw everyday on our walks, I can't help but think of him. What if he doesn't wake up? What if I lose the first friend I've ever had?
I don't say anything, not sure of how to comfort her, since I can't even comfort myself. Walking down the main street now, I notice a lot of people my age. They all feel stronger than me, save a few. I only awakened mana 2 months ago, so whatever.
I get that weird feeling again. I can see the girl in yellow and a boy with blue hair and purple eyes, they're the ones making me feel it. I don't feel like trying to find what's up about that right now.
I can see that the crowd of kids is circled around a fight between the boy with blue hair and some tall blonde elf girl.
Clara moves past the crowd and I simply follow. We eventually arrive at the front gate, where Clara opens the door and silently walks in. I follow.
It's an open hall, fairly large and grand. A man stands behind a counter with a book, a large brown beard overgrown on his face.
"I'm assuming you're here to register your child for Lumin?" The man asks, his voice a tad higher than I expected. He's dressed in a white button up shirt and blacks slacks.
"He's not my child and I'm here to register 2," She says, looking up at the man. "Both of them are commoners and 1 is currently in the hospital."
I zone out after that. Paperwork, talking, paperwork, questions, answers... who cares? Eventually, I notice Clara turn around and begin to walk out of the building. Once again, I follow her.
"In 6 days, you will come with me and I'll drop you off to begin living in your dorm. If Arthur is awake by then, he'll join you,"
I look down for a moment, processing her statement. Maybe she doesn't think she can house us while keeping us safe because of what happened with Arthur, but that's not my main concern.
"What if he isn't?"
* * *
Thomas Ishviel POV...
It's been 4 days since he was injured and 3 days since I arrived here. I was hoping that she was wrong, but Clara was correct. Arthur is in a coma.
The doctor said it was self induced due to mana overexposure and lack of control. His arms are fine, a bit scarred is all, but he hasn't woken up. I look around the room and out the window, unable to look at him. Arthur deserved better parents... we kept treating him like he was already dead when we found out he had blight, when villagers were laying their hands on him...
It's my fault.
Sandra is asleep on the other chair, having been awake and stressed for a bit too long. This is probably going to make her drinking even more frequent.
I let out a deep and regretful sigh, looking back at Arthur. I've heard that when you're in a coma, you can hear what people say, so might as well try.
"Arthur... it's me, your father. Me and your mother... we're... so worried. If there's any chance that you can hear me... please don't leave us again."
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Arthur Ishviel POV...
I'm in the courtroom again. It's been 20 something years since I stood here, my hero stood on the podium across from me. Daddy doesn't deserve this, he just wanted to help me... why doesn't anyone understand?
I sit by the lawyers side as Daddy talks, answering any question the judge asks.
There are marks on my neck, but I'm wearing a scarf so no one thinks Daddy did anything bad... if he goes away, I won't have anyone.
But...
No one wants to listen when I say Daddy's innocent. They all hate him. Why? The judge opens his mouth to speak again, but his words come out muffled. Something's wrong.
I stand up, walking towards the stand. No one's moving anymore. The judge's hand is stopped mid swing of his gavel, as if the air had cemented around his body. The same goes for my father, now stuck in a perpetual state of solemnly looking at where I sat.
"Child..."
I hear a voice come from behind me. I turn to look, seeing a woman with pitch white hair and blue eyes. She has a sort of glow to her that I can't quite decipher, the air seeming to bend around her. I'm certain I've never seen this woman before.
"You are not one of prophecy, yet you wish to stand beside them. You, who had made his way by sheer coincidence..."
She laughs, then smiles, before settling on a smirk.
"Funny... if you can prove your existence, then you will remain indefinitely. If you do not, then this conversation will have never happened.
I jolt up from bed, being greeted by my father and my mother... my real father and mother.
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[Emergency quest complete.]
[Save Arthur Ishviel's arms.]
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