Fly Until You See The Light

Eden (2) - Chapter 8

Ojtaro stares at the clouds that make the entrance of the Prairie Caves. They're fluffy, but he's not thinking about eating them. He's thinking about drowning himself in them.

It can't be the truth. He can't believe that he lived without knowing this.

His siblings are looking straight at him in pain, as they're soon going to cry, while his father, who has a terribly sad expression, is holding tightly Horand, who looks worried.

About Joyz, he looks like he always knew everything. His face is displeased. Why does Ojtaro have the feeling that they all actually knew...?

«Are you okay...?» Joyz asks him while reaching him.

Ojtaro repeats the question with a shocked tone:«"Are you okay?!"». He shouts:«How would you feel knowing that your brother, the only person who can tell you what to do when you're lost, the only person you opened yourself with during your first day in a new family that you thought was going to hate you, is going to die?!».

«I would feel like you, but please...» Joyz tries to speak, but the anger, the surprise, the disbelief and the dispair are too much for Ojtaro, he can't ignore them and be calm, not after knowing that Horand will fade away... Because of him. «Please, listen to me, everything will get fixed...».

Everything he feared is happening for the first time. «I knew I was dangerous! I always knew it but you never listened to me!» he exclaims in sorrow while trying to stay far from his family. He doesn't want to hurt them, he can't...

Horand was fragile since the day the Shards attacked his village of birth. A crystal was going to suffocate him, but he was saved by the guy who then became his father. But they didn't know that the Darkness made Horand weaker, so they thought that Ojtaro's Pure Light wasn't dangerous for him... But now...

Ojtaro can feel his tears reaching his mask and burning his face, he can hear his sobs getting uncontrollable, he can feel his body fall on the ground and can no longer see the strenght that was inside of him. Oh, what a shame for all the Elders. Not even the Prince Alef or King Resh would have cried like that in front of so many people. But he doesn't give a damn anymore. He's not born to be a deity, and he will just fall in his fate until some weakness reaches him and makes him disappear.

That's what he thinks while everyone look at him in concern and surprise. The only person in his family who saw him like that is Horand, who doesn't look shocked or amazed by that event.

His big brother in fact reaches him slowly. He already looks like he's losing energy, and Ojtaro even tries to avoid him. Maybe he just needs to stay distant. Sadly, the clouds behind him prevent him from having any escape route. He can't just push himself into the clouds, not in that state. He reluctantly lets his brother hug him softly.

«I'll always be there for you, remember that» Horand tells him while smiling. «I'll be there for all of you, even thought I may be far away. I know I wasn't able to help you with everything in your life, so you can take this when you feel like you need someone by your side». The boy takes off his Passage Pendant, the jewel that was supposed to make him a future Guide, and he puts it in Ojtaro's left hand.

Their father also reaches them and adds himself in the hug, then he's followed by Leilah, Mihok and, at the end, Joyz too.

Only when that moment ends, Ojtaro's black and white eyes see his brother collapse in his arms.