It has been a few weeks ever since the incident happened. The team has decided to lengthen their rest time ever since Sauren laid everything to the team on what is happening with their situation. Tarren suggested that the team would take more time to fully understand the situation and calm themselves down from this entire moment.
Days flew by and no news on when they will get together and try to understand the entire situation. Sauren went back to his place, leaving Lawrence by himself in his room. A void can be sensed in the room since Lawrence was used to having someone annoy him every time it's morning or when he has an assignment to do.
Most of the team didn't go to their jobs and to school. Lamanta has not been updating his social media, which made his fans very worried. Yda has not been going to her classes and announced that she will be taking a leave from her job for a while. The only person who has been trying to go on with their life is Lawrence.
Due to the nature of his job and his situation, he has been working on his cafe and on the program. He has been attending school and wondering when the others will be coming back to school. He has also been visiting the places where the others work but they haven't been coming to their jobs in a while.
Lawrence, growing weary of the situation, tries to contact them but every time he tries to contact them, he always gets shut down on call. It really seems that they were taken aback by the entire situation.
Growing scared for the entirety of the team, Lawrence decided to go pay a visit to Sauren. He goes to Sauren's place and knocks on his door. No response.
Another knock on the door but again, no response. Thankfully, Sauren left Lawrence a key to his place a long time ago. Lawrence looks for the keys in his bag and opens the door. When Lawrence opens the door, he sees the place in a mess like a storm has rushed in and messed up the entire place. Clothes scatter the entire living room, opened bags of chips scatter the floor, and unwashed dishes in the sink of the kitchen.
"I know Ren lives messy but not this messy," Lawrence tells himself before he places his bag down and cleans the area. It took a while but he managed to clean the living room and kitchen. He goes to Sauren's room and sees him watching a movie. Lauren's too focused on the movie that he didn't notice Lawrence coming in and sitting right beside him.
Lawrence took a good look at the movie and saw that the movie was the first-ever movie they watched together. "Elios"
"It's been a while since we watched that movie huh?" Lawrence talks to Sauren. Sauren pauses the movie and looks right at Lawrence. He gets shocked before getting out and runs out to the living room and hides.
Lawrence soon follows him while running to him. Lawrence managed to catch him and carry him back to his room. He throws Sauren on the bed and hugs him on his bed. "Why are you like this?" Lawrence asks Sauren.
Sauren avoids looking at Lawrence despite Lawrence looking straight at Sauren's eyes. A moment of silence falls between the two. The air of the room slowly gets heavier with every second of silence. "Why won't you tell me what's going on in your mind? Please." Lawrence says to break the silence.
Sauren breathes in and brings out his pocket watch. He opens it and out comes a portal that brings them to the future. He drags Lawrence in and pushes him away.
"Why are you not scared or mad? I already told you everything that night. That I will kill you with my own two hands. That we will be sacrificing ourselves for the betterment of the future." Sauren paces around, shouting at Lawrence. "And yet, you would rather come here and talk to me. I am clearly not fine and yet you ask me if I am fine. What in 'Oh, I will kill Rence myself' do you not understand. I have been distancing myself from you so that I won't hurt you but it's you who is getting closer and closer to me."
"Ren..." Lawrence stands up and walks to Sauren.
"Do not get closer. I-I might hurt you." Sauren says to Lawrence but Lawrence doesn't listen. He keeps walking towards Sauren. He just wants to understand everything that Sauren is going through. For him, everything that Sauren gave him is already enough, and that whatever happens, he is already happy with everything.
"Stupid." A distorted voice echoes across the distance. This causes Lawrence to stop walking towards Sauren. "Are you really going to kill yourself?" The figure walks towards the two before running and lunging at Sauren. Sauren manages to dodge but the figure brings out their cards and starts throwing them at Sauren. He also dodges these but gets hurt in the process.
"Don't stop dancing, lover boy." The figure continues throwing the cards and Sauren continues to dodge every shot.
Lawrence grabs his cards and places one on the floor. "I see." The figure says and throws a card at him. Lawrence raises his hand and a wall of 0's and 1's blocks the card from hitting him.
"You're getting better, but not better than me." The figure runs towards Lawrence and continues shooting out cards. Lawrence gets a piece from his deck and throws it on the floor. He raises his hand and hits the figure. The figure flies but lands feet first.
"Are you trying to fight destiny? If not, don't stop me." The distorted voice tells Lawrence and runs towards Sauren. Sauren, defenseless, curls into a ball and accepts his death but a dome stops the figure from attacking Sauren.
"Are we really doing this now?" The figure says to Lawrence.
"I don't know who you are but you are not killing Ren," Lawrence tells the figure. The figure stops and laughs maniacally. Lawrence pauses and stares at him intensely.
"Just how stupid was my past self? Blind by love? Blinded by the 'good' friends he had? What kind of bull are you drinking?" The figure continues laughing but Lawrence looks at them confused. The figure notices and removes their mask and reveals themselves to be the Lawrence of the future.
Lawrence is taken aback by the revelation and Sauren jumps up but hits his head on the roof of the dome.
"I really didn't die. I just had another card that granted me another life. I was so excited to go and meet the others and show that I am still here but when I heard what kind of torturous pain they caused to the people, I was filled with rage." Lawrence from the future shows a black card with white outlines. "This card is the soul and essence of Maguayen, the archon who ferried the souls of the dead to the other world. They granted me another life and gave me another task to eliminate the true reason for my suffering." He stares at Sauren and Sauren bows his head.
"Do you know how many countless nights I have suffered without a heart? Without someone who is there who can be happy with? The others are there enjoying all the riches while the people are there, suffering and surviving off canned goods? Have you seen their mansion?" Lawrence walks towards his past self. "So please, if you would be kind. Can I ask for your card and I can end this entire situation."
Lawrence looks at his future self and hugs him. "Why have you turned like this?" His future self pushes him away.
"Because I have to. In order to survive." He sighs. "It looks like you won't be giving me your card, it looks like I have to force it out of your hand."
YOU ARE READING
Jack of All Trade
FantasyLawrence Bansagi has always grown an affinity for board games and card games that he opened his own cafe highlighting the beautiful games that he has collected over the years. His most prized possession is a dusty silver-colored card given to him by...
