Rewrite The Star

CHAPTER 23 : LAMENTATION

“I know it’s hard to accept Keevin’s death, Atlas, but you must care for yourself too. Please, eat, even if it’s just a little. You’ll fall ill if you don’t,” Gildarts spoke, his voice laced with worry as he placed a plate before Atlas.

Atlas took the food in his hands, staring at it, yet his appetite was lost to the void of grief. His mind drifted in a haze, unable to comprehend the reality that his beloved Keevin was truly gone.

Gildarts watched his stepson with sorrowful eyes. “Son, it breaks my heart to see you like this,” he said softly, his own voice trembling.

“It’s okay, Dad. I’m fine. Just… let me be alone for a while,” Atlas murmured, his words heavy with the weight of unspoken pain.

Reluctantly, Gildarts left the room, leaving Atlas to his solitude in the dimly lit dining room. As Atlas took a small bite of the food, a faint smile touched his lips, but it was fleeting. Tears welled up in his eyes, unbidden, as the taste of the food brought memories of Keevin’s cooking rushing back. The more he ate, the more his tears flowed, each bite a reminder of what he had lost.

Atlas sniffled with each bite, his tears falling into the plate below. Finally, he could no longer bear it. He put the fork down and wiped his tears, but they kept coming, unstoppable, as he crumbled under the weight of his sorrow.

“This life is cruel… I don’t want to live anymore. I want to die!” Atlas cried out, his voice breaking as he clutched his chest. The pain was unbearable, a deep, gnawing ache that refused to subside. “No matter how much I miss your presence, it hurts more knowing I will never see you again, Keevin,” he sobbed, his hands trembling as he clung to the memory of his love.

“It hurts… it hurts so much!” he wailed. “I can’t believe I’m still here, saying I’m fine, even though my heart is shattered into pieces. I miss you, Keevin! I love you, Keevin! It hurts so much, I still can’t believe you’re gone. I don’t know how to survive without you… Please! Don’t leave me…” Outside the room, Gildarts stood, his heart breaking at the sound of Atlas’s anguish. Tears filled his own eyes as he listened, helpless. Atlas’s thoughts spiraled into darkness, the overwhelming pain clouding his mind.

In a moment of despair, he rose from his chair, his steps unsteady, and grabbed a knife from the table. Holding it in trembling hands, he pointed it toward his own chest.

“I’m sorry, Keevin… I’m not strong enough to survive alone,” Atlas whispered, closing his eyes as he prepared to end his suffering.

“Thrapppppp!” A hand seized his wrist, stopping the blade just inches from his chest.

“Don’t do this, Atlas!” Gildarts cried out, his voice filled with desperation as he wrestled the knife from Atlas’s grip.

“Get away from me!” Atlas screamed, struggling against his stepfather’s hold. But Gildarts was stronger, and despite Atlas’s frantic efforts, he could not break free.

“I want to die, Dad! I can’t bear this pain any longer!” Atlas sobbed, his strength fading as he slumped against Gildarts.

“Yes, I know it hurts, but I can’t let you die,” Gildarts said, his voice firm but full of compassion. “Keevin died for you, Atlas. Are you really going to throw away the life he saved?”

Atlas froze, Gildarts’s words cutting through the fog of his despair.

“He died to protect you, Atlas. He gave everything for you, out of love. Don’t dishonor his sacrifice by giving up. He loved you so much that he sacrificed himself to keep you safe,” Gildarts continued, his voice trembling with emotion.

“He promised to come back with me! How could he betray me like that?” Atlas cried out, his voice filled with a mixture of anger and sorrow.

“I’m sorry, son, but Keevin did everything he could to keep his promise. He tried to come back with you, but fate took him away. You need to let go, Atlas. It won’t be easy, it may take months, even years, but you must hold on. Please, don’t throw your life away. I’ve already lost Keevin; I can’t bear to lose you too. Stay alive for Keevin. If you truly love him, live for him.”

Atlas’s tears flowed freely now, his anger melting into a deep, aching grief. “You’re right,” he whispered, his voice shaking. “I’m sorry, Dad. I’m so sorry…” He collapsed into Gildarts’s arms, holding him tightly as the weight of his sorrow consumed him.

Gildarts held his son close, tears streaming down his own face as he whispered, “It’s okay, son. We’ll get through this together. I promise.”