The silence after Solann's death was suffocating. The campfire crackled in the night, but no one spoke. Jon sat away from the group, his back turned to the others, staring out at the darkened horizon. His face was a mask of anguish, his hands trembling as he gripped the sword Solann had once carried.
Amara sat by the fire, but her usual commanding presence was gone. Her shoulders slumped under the weight of guilt, her eyes dull with remorse. She hadn't spoken since they returned from the fissure. Her magic had closed the wound in the land, but it hadn't done anything to heal the wound in their group.
Lumumba, ever the pragmatist, stood a little apart from them both, his arms crossed and his expression thoughtful. His usual grin was missing, replaced by a rare seriousness. He knew what was coming—the group was falling apart, and it was happening faster than he had anticipated.
"Well," Lumumba finally said, breaking the tension, "we closed the fissure, but it doesn't feel like much of a victory, does it?"
His words hung in the air, met with silence. Amara stared into the flames, and Jon didn't move.
"Jon," Lumumba said carefully, stepping closer to his friend. "We need to talk about what happened. About Solann."
Jon's hands clenched around the hilt of the sword, his knuckles white. "What's there to talk about?" he muttered, his voice low and strained. "She's gone, Lumumba. She's gone, and it's because of her." He jerked his head toward Amara, his voice filled with bitterness.
Amara flinched but didn't argue. She knew the blame was coming. She deserved it, or so she thought. Her magic had saved the realm from the fissure, but it had cost them more than she could have imagined.
Lumumba sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Jon, I get it. You're angry. Hell, I'm angry too. But we can't fall apart now. We still have the Sovereign to deal with."
Jon stood up abruptly, the sword shaking in his hand. "I don't care about the Sovereign right now, Lumumba! I care about the fact that she's dead because Amara couldn't wait, because she pushed her into something she wasn't ready for!"
Amara's eyes flickered, but she remained silent, her guilt too heavy to fight against his accusations.
Lumumba took a deep breath, stepping closer to Jon, his voice calm but firm. "Solann made her choice, Jon. You know that. She wanted to do it—to make things right. We all knew the risks."
"You think that makes it okay?" Jon spat, his eyes flashing with grief and rage. "You think that just because she made the choice, it means Amara didn't push her into it? She's gone, Lumumba. She's gone because we didn't stop her. Because she didn't stop her."
Amara's hands tightened around her cloak, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "He's right," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I… I should have found another way. I should have…"
Lumumba looked between them, feeling the weight of the fractured bond pressing down on his shoulders. This wasn't just about Solann anymore. This was about trust, about the choices they'd made—and the consequences of those choices.
"Jon, listen to me," Lumumba said softly. "I know this hurts. I know you feel like you've lost everything. But we still have a mission. We still have to stop the Sovereign. Solann wouldn't want us to give up."
Jon's jaw tightened, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. For a long moment, it looked like he might explode, but then his shoulders sagged, and his grip on the sword loosened.
"Maybe you're right," Jon said quietly, his voice hollow. "But I can't be part of this anymore. Not like this."
Lumumba's eyes widened in alarm. "What are you talking about?"
Jon turned to face him, his expression filled with resignation. "I'm leaving, Lumumba. I can't stay. I need to figure things out on my own. Solann… I need to honor her memory. I can't do that here."
Lumumba's heart sank. He had known this moment was coming, but it still hit him harder than he expected. He stepped forward, his voice almost pleading. "Jon, you can't just leave. We're in the middle of something huge. We need you. I need you."
Jon shook his head, his expression pained. "If you consider me your friend, you'll let me go. I need to do this, Lumumba. I need to find my own way now. Staying here… it's just going to make things worse."
Lumumba stared at him for a long moment, his mind racing. He could try to stop Jon, but he knew it wouldn't work. Jon was too hurt, too broken. And deep down, Lumumba knew that if he forced Jon to stay, it would only push him further away.
"Fine," Lumumba finally said, forcing a small grin despite the ache in his chest. "I see how it is. I can feel the character development coming. Next time we meet, you'll be all transformed, stronger, and wiser. I can't wait to see what kind of badass you'll become, my deuteragonist friend."
Jon gave him a sad smile, but there was no joy in it. "Take care, Lumumba. I'll see you again. Just… not right now."
They stood there for a moment, the weight of their friendship hanging in the air. Then, without another word, Jon turned and walked away, his figure fading into the darkness.
Lumumba watched him go, his heart heavy with loss. He could feel the group falling apart around him, and no amount of humor or bravado could fix that.
Behind him, Amara stood silently, her face pale and drained. "It's my fault," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I pushed him away."
Lumumba turned to her, his expression softening. "It's not your fault, Amara. Jon's dealing with his own pain. He just needs time."
Amara shook her head, tears sliding down her cheeks. "But I did push Solann. I was so focused on the mission, on stopping the fissures… I didn't stop to think about what it would cost."
Lumumba sighed, stepping closer to her. "You did what you had to do. We all did. It's not fair to put all of this on yourself."
Amara looked at him, her eyes filled with regret. "You don't understand, Lumumba. I can't keep doing this. I can't lead like this. I… I need time. I need to figure out who I am again."
Lumumba's heart sank as he realized what she was saying. "Amara, you can't just shut down. We still have the Sovereign to deal with."
Amara turned away, her voice trembling. "I'm sorry. I just… I need space. I'll stay in the capital and help however I can, but I can't be out there anymore. Not after this."
Lumumba wanted to argue, wanted to pull her back, but he knew it wouldn't work. Like Jon, Amara needed to heal, to figure out what kind of leader she wanted to be. And right now, she couldn't do that while carrying the weight of Solann's death.
"Alright," Lumumba said quietly, his voice laced with resignation. "I get it. Take the time you need. But when you're ready, come find me. We're not done yet."
Amara nodded, though her eyes were filled with sorrow. "Thank you, Lumumba. For everything."
She turned and walked away, disappearing into the palace, leaving Lumumba alone by the dying fire. The group he had fought so hard to keep together was now shattered, each of them lost in their own grief.
Lumumba sat down by the fire, staring into the flames. For the first time in a long while, he didn't have a clever remark or a witty comeback. He was alone, and the weight of that realization settled heavily on his shoulders.