Life Will Change Book 2

Chapter 48: What is Strength of Heart?

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~Normal POV

They quickly dropped to Sophia's side, Haru held her up in her arms trying to wake her. "Are you alright, Sophie?!"

"Wake up, Sophie!" Ryuji cried.

Akira could hardly breathe from shock. This had never happened to them before. Being this close to losing one of their own for real. Sure, at one memorable point last year, Ryuji very nearly sacrificed himself to help them escape Shido's Palace, but he had been fine in the end. This was different. Actually seeing the limp, unmoving body of one of his teammates was getting closer and closer to snapping Akira's heart in two as they tried desperately to revive her... Morgana's healing magic didn't appear to be working...

Way back when they first started the Phantom Thieves, Akira was initially skeptical of being given the position of leader. Mainly the only reason he accepted at the time was because nobody else wanted to do it. But after a while he became somewhat attached to the position. However, it came with a heavy burden on his shoulders as well.

When he had told Sophia that his job was to protect and care for everyone else, he had meant it with all his being. That was his real job as leader: to keep them safe. No matter what the danger, it was his responsibility to get them out of it. And his attachment to his thief family made this all the more heavy. He loved each and every one of them dearly in different ways. And every trip they made into the Metaverse, he had to risk facing his worst fear: And that was, if even one thing goes wrong, then any one of them could stop breathing... He couldn't handle losing anyone he cared about. And it was starting to look like he might have to accept it, since Sophia wasn't waking up...

"There's no sign of activity. Oracle, how is she?" Yusuke asked, softly.

"I- I don't know..." Futaba answered, lifting her mask to wipe her eyes. "Even if I wanted to check her out, I couldn't do it here."

"She's not moving..." Makoto said, quietly, her eyes tearing up.

"No..." Ann sniffled quietly, clutching her mouth and nose under her mask, trying to hold herself together.

"I wonder if she was able to hear us..." Haru said softly, a few tears running down her mask.

"I don't know but..." Ryuji said, his voice breaking. "She said... she was sorry..."

"She defied her command and sacrificed herself so she wouldn't have to take our lives..." Yusuke said, shakily, wiping his eyes behind his mask.

Zenkichi watched them with a similar downcast expression. He could understand their pain all too well. Losing a loved one isn't easy, it never is. He rubbed his neck uncomfortably, trying to think of something to say to the poor kids.

"Kids...? I'm sorry... Listen, I... I know that it's hard but... when this happens, you just-" He didn't get to finish when Akira suddenly got to his feet and turned to him with a serious look in his misty eyes.

"Wolf-" Akira said, "Nobody in this family is dying on my watch!" He had everyone's attention now as he continued. "We'll take her with us! Bring her back online somehow! She may not be human, but she's a person and our teammate, and we won't let her go that easily! Right?"

Zenkichi gaped at him in awe. Damn this kid, he thought. He won't even let death itself stop him. And the implication of his words didn't fly over his head either...

"Right..." Futaba said, firmly. "I'll... I'll find a way to bring her back!"

"You're right, Joker." Ann said, wiping her eyes. "We can't give up so soon!"