ACT ONE: EUROPA

ORIGINS: The Moon Will Sing (Emily)

Hello! Before the chapter I just want to specify the relationship between ORIGINS chapters and the story.

ORIGIN chapters are not part of the main narrative. You can choose to skip them if you wish but they will explain certain things such as characters actions and thoughts.

They each tell a short story about a specific character (Not all characters will have one) but important one's will. ORIGINS chapters will come up once events reveal certain things. ORIGINS chapters will always be accompanied by a normal chapter on release.

Enjoy!
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I was never one for academics. I was average at best, if I was lucky I'd get an A but more often than not I'd get Bs or C's. It wasn't something I was particularly proud of, especially not when my best friend got nothing but As but I didn't strive for anything in particular, as long as I didn't need to repeat any subject and I could stay in the same class as my friends, I didn't care what I got.

"He can teach you".

"You can study together".

"Learn from him".

People would say. It got to me a lot, especially in the later years in highschool when he would boast that even when the course got more difficult he would still attain an A. It was frustrating, the only class I was better than him at was PE and Home Economics, both of which he dropped as soon as possible.

I hated him for it. I felt like a disappointment at times. Like, if I could just be like him, people would stop nagging me to be better.

But he was my friend. So I put up with it.

Every Friday after school had finished we would walk along to a shop and buy ourselves sweets and chocolate with our pocket money (eventually hard earned money when we got part-time jobs).

"I'm thirsty". Devon said looking up at the large cooler of drinks.

"Hi thirsty, I'm Emily".

It was mostly energy drinks. He picked up a dark red bottle "Cherry...no thank you". Then he picked up another green and red one "Watermelon...I think I'll try this".

Living next to your best friend has some perks. Our parents were friendly with each other and had no problem with Devon staying over, especially when they saw how red my face turned when they teased that I liked him - which I didn't.

We could spend all of Friday afternoon playing a very popular game on our phones. Distant Chaos. It was an Asian game that made its way to Britain and gained popularity. Me and Devon had bonded over it the first time we met.

"Devon, quickly! Resurrect me!" I would scream as I furiously tapped my already broken phone.

"It's on cooldown!" He would scream back.

"Why did you heal our other support when everyone else is dead and we are losing!"

"They said hello to me at the start".

"We're going to lose!"

"No we're not!" Devon clicked on his ultimate button. Halo, his main, was an angelic being with the ability to bring people back from the dead. There was a lot of lore I would be happy to explain, but it would take hours (literally, videos on the lore are hours long). As I was resurrected I used my own ult to sweep the enemy team away with the force of a tornado. I played as Zephyr, a shonin type character with wind abilities.

My phone dropped onto the bed as I stood up to grab another caramel filled chocolate bar. I stood next to Devon and opened the old make up box we kept our sweet hoard in. "You're lucky that worked or I would have kicked you".

"What can I say, things just work out for me. It's like I have plot armour. I can't lose".

"We had a five game losing streak yesterday".

"That wasn't my fault, it was that terrible Ace we were paired with".

"You're the one who invited them to the party! You could have kicked them!"

"I didn't want to make them feel bad about being terrible and we ended up getting a win and a rank up in the end".

"Only because the competitive ranks are broke as hell. Also, we're gold - not that high up". Gold is the third lowest rank out of seven. At the time I remember being gold 2, we would have ranked up to platinum if we kept playing.

"I...well we tried okay? You think we'll meet that Ace again?"

"God I hope not".

"Well I friended them so..."

I playfully struck his hand with the chocolate bar "Why?!?" I wandered back and took my phone. "Are we playing another game?"

"If you want, I feel like I should rank up my Esper. Do you know any good team comps?"

"With Esper? I'd say Gallion is a good tank with her. Princely is probably your best DPS but I'm terrible with him. Alex from chemistry is a Princely main though. I could text them".

"Who would you play then?"

"Hmm, I want to try out Ruin. They seem cool".

"Only because you simp for them!" He joked, throwing a soft toy at my face.

"Is there something wrong with that Devon? So what if I'd let a demon use me for whatever, they're hot as hell, literally and figuratively. Plus they're canonically best friends with Halo".

"No, there's nothing wrong with that Emily". He said in a monotone voice. "Can we play then? If I level up Esper I can get a really cool skin for her".

"Fine fine. Quick play then?" I press on the blue button at the bottom of the screen. We get into a game quite quickly, Devon being a support has always meant we get into games more quickly.

After a few more hours of playing we have dinner and I watch a cooking show while Devon studies. Then, we go to bed.

Not in my wildest dreams would I believe Devon would betray me. Not in my wildest dreams would I imagine watching him put his luggage away while he gets ready for university, holding the very respirator I painted for him. The smooth painting of Halo shines bright in the sun.

He stands at his car boot after just placing a cardboard box into the back. We stare at each other for a while. "Emily I-" he begins to stutter.

"I don't care Devon. I don't care about anything you have to say. I don't care that you 'meant' to tell me. I don't care about your excuses. I don't care about you!" I shout. "Enjoy university arsehole".

We were meant to do our mandatory training together. I was meant, for once in my life be better than him at something. He took the spotlight I had waited so long for. I stood by and watched him succeed over and over again in the hope that when the day came to do our service I would be better than him. I would be the one teaching him, I would be the one sighing disappointingly when he made a mistake.

It's been three years now. Three years of not talking. Three years of thinking about him occasionally. I've made new friends, I've done things he could never dream off, I've saved people. This Devon in front of me, with his weird white hair and pale eyes, tears down his confused face. He sounds and speaks like my Devon, but he isn't him. This Devon doesn't remember letting me down, this Devon doesn't remember being so damn annoying, this Devon may not be my Devon, but maybe he can still be my Halo.