Lilith

The Festival

It became nighttime, the streets were lit beautifully and music was already playing. I heard people shouting and dancing and clapping. Axea came up to the room and knocked on the door. "Squall? You ready to go with us to the festival?" she said through the door. I sighed and walked up opening the door. "I guess." I looked at her as she gently grabbed my hand. "I know this is gonna be tough for you, but could you please go for me? You've isolated yourself in here with these thoughts Squall.." she said softly. I crossed my arms. "whatever. Yeah sure." I went downstairs and waited for her. She followed along and looked at Isaac. "where's Ravenna?" she said. Isaac looked at her. "she's off doing something with family unfortunately." he got up as she sighed "well, Galena, Zora and Cloud will be joining us. They're already out there." she said as he nodded as we all went out. I didn't really speak, as we walked over to the alters I couldn't stop staring at Lilith's. Axea decorated hers so beautifully that I couldn't help but admire. It was covered in red and black roses, her pictures and all the things she loved, the cloth on the alter was black with white pearls surrounding the sides, they were draped perfectly. Zora came over to the alter and stared as her eyes slowly filled with tears. "she looks so beautiful in these photos.." she said as I nodded my head. "when did she not look beautiful.." I replied as I put my hands together in front of me. "she really loved you, you know. She never stopped talking about you to me." I looked away and sighed. "I just wish I could hear it from her one last time.." Zora gently hugged me as she tried not to cry. "we all miss her.." I struggled to hug her back but I eventually managed hugging her back. After a while the live band began to play as they lit a bon fire in the street, everyone danced and clapped as they threw sage into the fire to keep the bad spirits away. I sat alone on a bench watching them all as Isaac walked towards me and sat down beside me. "hey.." I glanced at him. "hey." I said before watching everyone again. "look Isaac I'm sorry for earlier." he shook his head "it's fine.." I sighed as I leaned forward and looked at the ground. "it's not.. Look, it's not your fault, you didn't kill her, you're not to blame.. The sorceress told me something, she said it was my fault that Lilith died, and I believed her.. But I been trying so hard to find other reasons to blame for all of this.." I said as I dropped My head. "it's neither of our faults Squall. It was Ultimecia. She did this, you didn't know she was around nor did we know she was gonna do this." he said as he looked at me. "make Lilith proud and remember the good things, not what Ultimecia told you, she did that just to get you." I looked at him as he spoke to me, my eyes filled with tears and I shook my head. "Isaac if only you knew.." he stood up. "knew what? Ultimecia may have survived the fight before and came back but that doesn't mean it's your fault." he said. "I failed as a military commander and failed my mission to kill her in the past, so yes, it is." I said as I looked up at him. "You're human, Squall. Just like Axea battling the sorceress here, they're powerful creatures and sometimes a human can only do so much." I sighed and got up. "I guess." I walked over to the bon fire, and stared deeply into it, the fire roared in front of me, it was like as if I could see Lilith's face in the fire and I shook my head startled as I jumped back. "I-Isaac you saw her too right!?" I said panicked. He shook his head and grabbed me by my shoulders. "I think you're just tired Squall, lets go get some food for you and ease your mind off this." I looked at the fire again and nodded. "probably.." he moved me away and we went off to go find the others. I followed along as I was confused. I shrugged it off and got something to eat as the others found us. "hey Squall! How are you holding up?" Axea asked me. I shrugged my shoulders "I-Im fine thanks for asking" I said as I stuffed my face with food. She giggled at me and nodded "just checking." I nodded nervously and looked around. "I should probably head to bed. I'm pretty tired." I said. "aww so early?" she responded. I sighed "I'll tell you later." I walked off to go back to the house. I walked inside and dropped onto the couch. The house was dark, the only thing lighting the room was the lights outside. I closed my eyes but the image of her in the fire couldn't leave my brain, she didn't look like herself, she looked cold and bloody, it.. Terrified me.. I shook my head. "I must be tired.." I said to myself, I got up and went to bed upstairs. The festival went on for a few hours afterwards, I'd like to say it was around 3am by the time everyone went to bed, I heard the others come home and talking, these walls really don't have any good noise blockage. Zora and cloud stayed in the guest room as Isaac took the couch. I finally passed out officially around 4am. After some time the sun began to rise upon the small town, no one was really moving til 8am. I slowly woke up and sat up, my mind was a mess.. I got out of bed and walked into the bathroom to grab a shower. As the water ran down me I sighed being lost in deep thought. I heard.. Galena? Talking to Axea downstairs. Axeas enchanting room was beneath the bathroom of our room, so it made sense I could hear them, everything was muffled especially from the water. I shrugged it off and ignored them getting out and getting dressed.