Never

Chapter Eleven

A few months later...

I held the flowers close to my chest as I left town behind. It had been almost three months since Hadrian's funeral. While we still miss him and mourn for him occasionally, everything had slowly gone back to normal. Otto recently returned to The Games and has been doing well so far, while everyone else returned to their normal schedules and duties, including myself. However, there was one person none of us had seen in the past month;

Mevia

After the funeral, the Order and I built Mevia her own home outside of town by her husband's grave. For the first few weeks, we regularly visited her and consoled her, however she started to push us back, saying she needed some space. We all obliged of course, but now it had been a whole month since anyone visited her. She never came out of the house, not once. I never saw her around town, and neither did the townsfolk. She had started to worry me... She was isolating herself from us all, and if no one had seen her in town, then that meant she never stopped by for supplies... Was she starving herself? I clutched the flowers closer to my chest as the thought flew into my mind. I didn't want to think that way, but considering she had been in deep grief and depression since Hadrian's passing, it was highly likely she hadn't been looking after herself... I shook my head. It wasn't good to think that way at all. I had to stay positive and help her in any way I could. As I diverted off the main road, I could already see her house in the distance, standard oak wood cottage. To my left stood a plain oak tree, which fitted in with the biome and cottage. To my right, was Hadrian's grave, fresh flowers placed by its base. Since none of us had come to see Mevia in a while, I assumed it was her placing the flowers by his grave. I walked up to it and kneeled down, placing my own down by his grave. I smiled sadly

"Hey Hadrian" I spoke, then chuckled a little. I always did when I said that. "It's good to visit you again. I hope you're fitting in with the group, and I hope Reuben is looking after you, the rascal" I smiled a little. After his funeral had unfortunately been ruined, I went to Reuben's memorial in town and asked my little buddy to look after Hadrian in the afterlife. While some may find it silly, I do think they can hear us, that they can see us. I like to think they're always watching over us, no matter what. I miss Reuben, but I know that he would want me to continue the legacy I had built, and hopefully, he has been looking after all of my deceased friends in the afterlife. If not... No juicy carrot for him

"Anyway..." I continued. "I've been doing well. Nothing out of the ordinary. Otto finally went back to the games. It's good he's recovered enough to return, and everyone else has returned to their normal schedules as well. Ivor and Harper are on another adventure and told me something... Interesting..." I grinned. "But I won't tell you, not yet. I have to keep some secrets" My grin suddenly vanished. "Mevia..." I stopped for a moment. "I... I'm sure you already know how Mevia is doing, I'm sure you've been watching over her ever since... I'm sorry I haven't visited her in the last month, I was busy with work and... She said she wanted space, so we all gave her some..." I felt guilty for leaving Mevia on her own for so long. She must've felt so lonely without her husband around, and... Possibly unloved by us all... I felt tears well up in my eyes, but I quickly wiped them away and stood up, looking down at the grave

"I'm here to see her now though" I said. "I'll help her, don't worry" I smiled. "I promise" I could almost hear Hadrian thanking me, which was both calming and frightening in its own right, thinking I heard the deceased, but I merely shrugged it off as a figure of my imagination. Slowly, I started to walk to the front door. As I did, I passed about two windows, with the blinds shut tight. I tried to peek through, but couldn't see anything, no light, no nothing. I bit my lip. Was this worse than I thought...? I bristly walked to the door, now worried for Mevia's own health. I raised my fist to knock, but stopped myself. I could hear something inside. It was faint, but I heard... Sobbing? I pressed my ear against the door to hear soft, muffled sobs coming from inside, most likely the living room. It was no doubt Mevia. Her sobs had been integrated in my memory as her grieving days, and hearing it mere months after it all, meant it wasn't over for her... I gasped quietly as the realisation came to me; she was still grieving, still in depression, still mourning, and yet we had left her all alone... I don't care if she asked us to, we still left her alone in this state, as a sobbing, mourning mess... I pulled my head away from the door and gulped, holding back my own tears. Whenever I heard her cry, I felt like sobbing myself, but I couldn't, not now. I raised my fist again, and this time, I knocked