Class 19864

Chapter 35: Austin

Song: Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word by Elton John

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Chapter 35: Austin

I'm never fully conscious, never fully unconscious. I live in this awkward in between state, thanks to Itoust. I know when I'm me I'm guaranteed between two and a half and three hours of me. So I decided to visit Brook. I know on the window and she moves the curtains, smiling when she sees me. She lifts the window and I climb inside. She hugs me tightly, burying her face in my shoulder.

"I've missed you so much." She says.

I smile. "I've missed you too. But there's something I have to tell you."

She nods and sits down on her bed. I sit opposite her in the desk chair and sigh.

"I found out how you kill the demon. He needs to be stabbed in the heart, spine, left hand and right here." I say, pointing to the space between my eyes.

"That's brilliant!" She exclaims, but then her face falls. "But?"

"There's no guarantee it won't kill me too."

"There's something else. I know there is."

"You have to be the one to do it." I say with a sigh.

"No."

"Brook."

"Austin I can't kill you."

"You won't be killing me. You'll be killing Itoust." I say.

She shakes her head. "I won't do it. You can't make me."

"Brook you have to. This isn't just us that are in danger anymore. It's the whole of mankind. One life is nothing compared to the enslavement of the whole of mankind. No one will remember that one life. It isn't important."

"Of course it's important. It's important to me!" She shouts.

"Brook please. Don't make this difficult for me.  I don't want to make you do it but I have to." I say.

She looks up at me, tears glistening in her eyes and I know what she's doing. She's seeing me as Itoust. She sees me as the villain.

"I'm not the villain here Brook." I whisper.

"Then who is?!" She shouts. 

"No one is. There's no hero. There's no villain. There's just us. All we have in our life is our choices. This isn't a game with a winner at the end. We'll all lose something. But we can choose to minimise the losses or we can choose to protect what's important to us. I love you and you know I'd do anything to protect you. But I'm asking you to let me go this time."

She shakes her head. "I don't think I can do that."

I smile. "I'm asking you a favour okay? You listen to me. There are so many ways to be brave. Sometimes that means being the bigger person, giving yourself up for something more important. But sometimes it just means pushing on and being ready to give up things for a greater victory. That's the kind of bravery you need now. Please love me enough to be that brave."

She nods. "I love you. Nothing in heaven, hell or anything in between can change that. And I won't forget you. I promise."

I smile and pull her close.

"I know you won't. I love you so much. Always."

"Always." She whispers.