The prison was quiet, the kind of quiet that wasn't peaceful but heavy, like a weight pressing against the walls. Pluto sat cross-legged on the cold concrete floor, his eyes shut tightly, his breathing steady. His hands trembled slightly as he concentrated, reaching out to something he didn't quite understand.
Blue leaned against the wall, his knees bent, arms resting loosely on them. His gaze was unfocused, staring at the steel bars across the room. A faint drip echoed from somewhere unseen, a hollow rhythm to their captivity. Blue let his head fall back against the wall, eyes fluttering shut as his mind wandered.
"Father," he whispered under his breath. His voice cracked just slightly, the word fragile and raw.
The silence embraced him, as if it were waiting for more.
"Can you see me right now?" A soft chuckle escaped his lips, almost self-deprecating. "I miss you, Father... I really do." His smile flickered briefly, like a candle struggling against the wind.
Blue tilted his head, as if expecting a response. None came.
"Ever since I lost Daima, I felt alone... completely alone. Like I didn't belong anywhere." His voice wavered, but he swallowed hard, steadying himself. "I thought I had no family. But now..."
His mind wandered to the present, to the faces that had slowly filled the void in his heart.
"I found something else. I found friends." He listed them quietly, the names falling from his lips like a sacred chant. "Rim, Pluto, Vagan, Morin."
His expression softened, a rare tenderness crossing his face.
"They're great. For once in my life, I didn't feel lonely. Even though I've lost truly amazing people..."
A memory surfaced unbidden—Ayaan's laughter, bright and full of life. The ghost of her voice lingered in his ears. He saw Blue Spirit, as vivid and ethereal as ever, standing by his side in another life.
Blue inhaled sharply, the weight of the memories too much.
His eyes snapped open, revealing an expression drained of emotion. The air around him seemed to still, thick with something unspoken. A single tear slipped from the corner of his left eye, tracing a slow path down his cheek.
It fell silently, disappearing into the cold, unfeeling floor.
In the background, Aluca hummed faintly, his tune melancholic, as if echoing the weight of Blue's thoughts. Pluto remained unmoving, immersed in his struggle.
Blue blinked, his face unreadable once more. The room remained heavy, steeped in silence as if holding its breath. The past lingered around him like a shadow, refusing to let go.
The tear was gone, but the ache it carried remained.
END OF CHAPTER 76