Fate (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter 21

JOSEPH
"You're a good hunter."

My ears perked at the embalmer's words. I was still in a crying mess and in between all those sadness, the one that had reversed everything was him.

The embalmer. Aesop Carl.

"What do you mean good? I'm pathetic. I can't even get over Claude's loss despite me fully aware of him watching over me the whole time. Most of it, I injure people with my sword. I make you guys bleed. I tied you guys on rocket chairs with me having to ignore your cries. I--"

Aesop placed his hands on top of mine, intertwining it.

"No one can ever get over the loss of someone dear to them, Joseph Desaulniers. Even if they look like they do, the deepest layer of their heart will still say no." He said, his attention on the sea that lies before us.

I noticed his hands. His grip gets stronger on me, but his eyes are not meeting mine no matter how much I had looked at him.

Their heart will still say no.

I feel tears filling up my eyes again as my head recalled that moment. Though I've been wanting to forget it, hoping that my head will eventually form a memory block of it, it won't.
In fact, it is still clear in my head despite all the matches I've had.

"Dad?" Young Joseph asked, approaching the man that stood alone before the door, his head looking down.
"Where's Claude? He was with you, right?"

Joseph felt the bitter taste of his own words. He had witnessed his twin brother going into a coughing fit and going limb before him when he was brought into the hospital. He knew everything.

My hands trembled so hard that Aesop was now strengthening his grip.

"Besides, no other hunters have never been this concerned about hitting survivors. You might not realize it, but the only hunter that has ever apologized to survivors right after a match is you."

I said nothing. Blank.

"Don't you know that I had been paying my attention on you the whole time? On the very first match when you went all out on the others but me, you actually mumbled sorries before swinging your sword in both worlds. The day when both you and Emily had to care for me right after that talk. You still somehow tried to get into the survivors' side despite how risky it can be all for the sake of kindness. Not to mention you always say goodlucks to us survivors before matches."

I stared at him.

"Doesn't that make you one of a kind?"

He then opened his mask and smiled.
"Trust me, Joseph. I really mean what I said."

Guess it's true that those who talk the least have the kindest heart.

I remember looking through all the survivor files with Michiko as she told me every single thing about them.

"The embalmer here is quite unique. You might not see it now due to his social issues, but one day you'll see it, faster or sooner."

"You need to stop crying. It hurts me." Aesop said as he stood up, lending me his one hand.
"Instead, look at this!"

He opened his makeup box that I had expected to be a coffin just like how he usually is in matches, but to my surprise it was a painting.
"I made this myself. All dedicated to you."

I scanned the whole painting. It was a portrait of me swinging my sword with my other hand holding my camera.

My eyes went wide the moment he gave it to me. He had made it with his own hands yet everything is so detailed. It looks exactly just like me.