Until The Day I Die

Hello, Velvet.

It's been a long time. I see you're still living that good dream, right? You and your brother look so peaceful together like that. That's good. I'm happy for both of you, truly.

I have Laphicet...sorry, I shouldn't be calling him that anymore. I have Maotelus to thank for allowing me to see you again here. Even though you probably can't see, hear, or even reply back to me, it's okay. I just wanted to be here. I wanted to tell you that we're still doing just fine. That we're going to be okay. And if I have to be honest, I just wanted to talk with you again, Velvet.

I made an Oath to you a long time ago that I will follow your orders until my dying day, and I promised to take care of Phi should anything happens to you. I want to tell you that he's grown into a fine young man, Velvet. Happy to say that he's just as cheerful and kind as he's ever been. I don't know if you would approve of him becoming an Empyrean or not, though, but in the end, that's the choice he had made for himself, just like how you made the choice to seal yourself here with Innominat that day. Thanks to both of you, a lot of people in the world have another chance at life. Kamoana, Medissa, and Dyle got another chance at life, too.

I just...I just wish that you could have that second chance as well.

Things have gone back to the same way it was back before the Advent...back before Shepherd Artorius gave in to despair because of the deaths of your sister and their child. To think that all of this could be traced back to the events of that fateful day, and now that everything seems to have reverted to just like before then, I can't help but feel that we didn't really achieve anything despite all the tragedy you and your family have to go through. Not a day has gone by that I don't think about what could have happened differently, how we could find a way to resolve this malevolence inside our hearts without Innominant having to repeat his vicious cycle of suppression to rid the world of it.

It wasn't fair. Everybody suffered from malevolence equally, but why must fate be especially cruel to your family?

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I'm...I'm sorry. I'm getting carried away again, aren't I?

Heh. I still remember you calling me a 'crybaby' the first time we met in Beardsley. You'd probably tease me to no end if you see me as I am right now. Even if it's been two years now, I still haven't changed much since then, truth be told. You remember that day in Haria Village, right? I was hopelessly lost after I struck that monster who killed my mother down. If you and Rokurou hadn't helped me when you two did...I dread to think what would happen to me and Laphicet.

Phi...he has grown so much compared to me. To think that he came from a malak who has no will of his own whom Teresa used like a tool and became a cheerful, optimistic young man who went on to become the world's savior and its protector, it's...inspiring, to say the least. He's still remaining at the Empyrean's Throne most of the time, but occasionally I could see him soaring the skies above from time to time, exploring the world in his own way. You did tell him to live his life to the fullest, after all. You would've loved to hear all those amazing stories he shared with us every time we come to see him. The world is so much bigger than I could ever imagine.

It's a shame that I don't really have time to do the exploring myself recently. After some period of peace, daemons started rising in numbers again, and a lot of people still need help and guidance to get through these turbulent times now that the Abbey doesn't exist anymore. Needless to say, it was...not easy. Many people are understandably on edge and they're prone to find something or someone to blame for the predicament they're in.