Navida

Awake

Hans

As the world around me faded, I blinked, trying to make sense of it all. The cold, hard ground beneath me softened, replaced by an odd warmth that seemed to seep into my very bones. My vision blurred, and when it cleared, I found myself standing in a strange place—a field bathed in soft, golden light. It felt familiar yet distant, like a memory long forgotten.

Then I saw them. My breath caught in my throat as two small figures emerged from the light, running toward me with wide smiles and outstretched arms. My sons. They were exactly as I remembered them—full of life and energy, their laughter echoing in the air. Behind them, walking with a serene grace, was my wife. Her gentle smile, her warm eyes—it was all so real.

For a moment, I stood frozen, my mind struggling to comprehend what I was seeing. My sons...my wife...they were all here, in front of me, alive and whole. But how? How could this be?

And then it hit me. I wasn't alive. Not anymore. The scene of my death played back in my mind—the roots that had erupted from the ground, immobilizing me, the sharp pain that followed, and the sudden darkness. It all made sense now. This place, this warmth—it was the end. I was dead.

Yet, I could feel my chest tighten as I looked at my family, a mixture of sorrow and relief flooding through me. "Is it really you?" I whispered, my voice trembling. My wife nodded, her eyes filled with the same love and understanding she had always shown me.

The memories came rushing back—my wife's illness, how she had wasted away despite all my efforts. How I had held her hand as she took her last breath, and the hollow emptiness that followed her passing. My sons had been my only solace after that, the last remnants of the family I had cherished.

But even they were taken from me. I can still see their determined faces the day they left to fight against Navida, despite my desperate pleas for them to stay. And then, the news came—both of them, killed in battle. The grief nearly destroyed me, and in that agony, something inside me changed.

I remember the day it happened, the day of my awakening. The pain was unbearable, like my soul was being torn apart, every ounce of my grief and rage burning through me. My Celestial Seal flared to life, the mark on my nape glowing with an intense light as my aura surged. The power that awakened in me felt like a curse, a grotesque gift born from the ashes of my family's death.

I swore never to use that power. It disgusted me, knowing it came at the cost of everything I loved. Instead, I channelled my pain into something else—vengeance against Navida. I gathered determined souls from across the nation, fuelled by hatred, scarred by the oppression, ready to throw everything away for freedom, and gave birth to the rebellion, driven by a single purpose: to make them pay for what they had done.

But then I met Jacques and Noah. My gaze softened as I thought of them, the boys who reignited something within me. When I first saw them, I recognized the same fire in their eyes that my sons once had—the same determination, the same desire to fight for their future. Over time, my reason for fighting shifted. It was no longer just about revenge; it was about protecting these kids, ensuring they had a chance at the life that was stolen from my sons.

Regret tugged at my heart. I wanted to do so much more for them, to guide them, protect them. But now...now it was over. A part of me wished I could have done more, been more. But as I looked at my family, waiting for me with open arms, the weight of my responsibilities began to lift.

A gentle breeze brushed against my skin, carrying the scent of the fields around me. I felt a calmness I hadn't known in years. The burden of my grief, my anger, my regrets—they all seemed to melt away.

With one last look at the world I was leaving behind, I turned toward my family. I took a step forward, then another, and finally, I let go. I moved toward them, and as my sons' arms wrapped around me and my wife's hand found mine, the warmth enveloped me completely.