The Heir Of Dreams And Curses

Where things take an unexpected turn

When Edgar came out of Ana's house, it dawned on me that something might have changed forever.

When I asked him about the divination, and he only looked at me with a vacant stare, I realised I was right.

"It's Edgar's decision, if he wants to tell us about it," Agnes reminded us. "Ana specifically said he was the only one who had to hear it."

"Well, I for one, disagree," Jeff snapped. Then, he looked embarrassed that he had to snap in front of Agnes, but I knew where he was coming from. Jeff was right. All of us had sacrificed our lives, our reputations, many times over trying to save the world from Set. Edgar's divination was the last thing we needed to get rid of the curse once and for all. We did not make a pact with Luna and went all this way for nothing.

Still, I understood Edgar as well. It was a private thing. It was his decision whether he wanted to share, and I respected him either way.

"If you ask me, he's never going to tell us about it," Raegan huffed. "And we did all of this for nothing."

Agnes nudged her. Edgar looked as motionless as before. If he hadn't been walking, one might have asked whether he was all right. But he was --- at least, enough to move. He still wasn't speaking, though.

"I wish you could hear yourselves," he said, finally, very unkindly. "Jeff, you only care about this quest. Even when I first befriended you, you only cared about finding the Enemy Mirror. You're as obsessed with it as your father was!"

We all stayed quiet for one horrible moment. If Jeff wanted to snap at Edgar, I would not stop him. Edgar had earned it. But Jeff didn't say anything, though he was visibly upset. I wonder what was up with Edgar. It was so difficult, trying to understand what was going on with him at all times, that sometimes I asked myself whether he was being mean on purpose every time he said something awful. But other times, I couldn't help but ask myself whether he was being kind on purpose the rest of the time.

I had to snap out of it and remind myself that Edgar was different from his frosty exterior. He could be cold and dismissive to people he didn't know or liked, but once you befriended him he was true and loyal. He was only acting this way, I tried to tell myself, because he was used to doing things on his own and taking care of every problem. Seeing an issue he couldn't fix was eating him from the inside out.

I wondered, actually, if this was his biggest flaw. Had Jinn finished talking to him during Project 101, would he have told Edgar 'there will come a problem you cannot solve, and that will destroy everything you and your friends worked for'?

Oddly enough, back then it seemed Jinn was about to mention me when speaking of Edgar's weakness. Perhaps I was the weak link of as the bonded warrior of someone like Edgar. A dead weight.

"I'm sure you'll find a solution, Edgar," I tried to tell him. "You always do."

I put one of my hands on his shoulders. As always, it required a bit of effort, but I didn't mind.

"Shut up for once, Ryan," he told me, and I was surprised to notice he had tears in his eyes. "You've always been a good friend. You believed in me when no one else did. I am glad the divination is about me and not about you."

"But...?" I asked, because I could see an objection coming from miles away.

"Not but. Because. I am glad the divination is not about you, because you're too hot headed. Too reckless. You meant well with trying to cheer me up, but if you were the hero you'd charge into it and you'd do the thinking part later. You would be doomed, along with the rest of the world."

I did my very best not to choke on my tears, but I knew I had to look horrified. 

I really didn't want to find excuses for Edgar. He had reacted very badly, and had I not been shell-shocked, I would have pointed it out.