Despite making progress in his journey to heal from the loss of Akkun and his battle with smoking, there were still moments when Mikey felt like he was drowning in his grief. One such moment came when he visited Akkun's grave on the anniversary of his death.
Mikey stood before the grave, trying to keep his emotions in check. He had been doing well, but seeing Akkun's name on the stone brought back a flood of memories and pain that he couldn't contain.
He fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face. "I'm sorry, Akkun. It's all my fault," he cried, his voice choked with emotion.
Draken was behind him, offering his support as always. He put a comforting hand on Mikey's shoulder, but he knew that his friend needed to work through his emotions in his own way.
Mikey continued to cry, his tears falling onto the ground beside the grave. He felt like he had failed Akkun, like he didn't do enough to protect him.
Draken knelt down beside him, putting his arm around him. "Mikey, it's not your fault. You did everything you could to help Akkun. You were a good friend to him," he said, his voice filled with empathy.
But Mikey wasn't ready to accept that yet. He continued to cry, feeling like he had let Akkun down. "I should have done more. I should have been there for him," he said, his voice trembling.
Draken didn't know how to console him, so he just held him tightly, letting him cry out his feelings of regret and sorrow. After a while, Mikey's sobs subsided, and he wiped his face with his sleeve.
"I miss him so much, Draken. It hurts so much," he said, his voice still trembling.
Draken nodded, still holding him. "I know, Mikey. It's okay to miss him. It's okay to feel all of this. You don't have to go through it alone," he said, his voice gentle.
Mikey looked up at him, his eyes red and swollen. "Thank you, Draken. I don't know what I'd do without you," he said, his voice grateful.
Draken hugged him again, knowing that no words could take away the pain of losing Akkun. But he also knew that he could be there for Mikey, to offer his support and compassion whenever he needed it. For as long as it took.
