The night had fallen, the whole town, gone quite just lights gleaming inside from the windows of homes. The cold winds breezed as on the bridge, someone was strolling by himself, alone. The opened stalls were closed.
Amidst the cold winds rustling, was a small boy who was standing leaning towards the railing of the bridge. Ender's gaze caught him, curious he went to him. Before standing aside him, nonchalant.
He had control over his expression, yet when his eyes glanced at the kid's face, he was surprised. It was the same kid he met a month ago, the one he polished his shoe with and his little sister was also with him, but this time.. She wasn't here.
"You?."
The kid turned his head up to him. He had a solemn gaze, yet his expression was pitiful and grieving. Seeing it Ender blurted.
"What are you doing here at this hour?."
The kid turned over the flowing stream, peaceful and quiet so that only water was rippling in the river. His lips twitched as if it hurt him to say.
"S– She left me.. My sister left me.."
These words.. Made Ender remember something, a long forgotten memory.
It was a blurry scene, sounds of someone groaning in intense pain. Gradually it started to become clear. It was an appalling sight, in someone's arms was a girl. She had a bullet grained to her chest, almost near her heart. It seemed like she was in her last moments.
Then it became clearer and clearer, which was the horror. Her blurred face was memorable, someone very close to him. Oh no.. It was her.. His only younger sister.. Marine..
She clenched her hands to him, embracing him for the last time, trying to mumble something.
"A– Abim.. Don't destroy.. Yourself.. After me.."
Then she turned her head towards someone, a silhouette, someone recognized by him. It became clearer and clearer..
The view was of crumbled concrete, fire melting it. The view was like an almost collapsed building structure.. Then finally his eyes fixed over the darkened silhouette.. Clearer and clearer.. Standing before them..
It was.. Zack, blood stains over his clothes. His head down yet eyes widened, a crowbar on his hand twitching as if fate was stealing from him.. Them..
She gave a warm smile, blood dripping from her tooth.
"Save him.. My knight.. This is my last.. Desire.."
"Hey!."
A yell snapped him out, in the present. It was the boy who had called him.
"I'm calling you for at least a minute, where are you?."
Ender was now sweating cold sweat. His memories, which were always distorted. Blurred.. A fragment leaked out from nowhere..
His jaw started twitching, he covered his half opened mouth with his hand. The boy seeing his star was concerned, then suddenly something happened, snapped.
His stunned expression and his shivering hands a few moments ago, now was perfectly fine, calm, way too calm.
He removed his hand and ran it through his hairs, adjusting them, his collar, coat, everything as if he was new. Then with a smile he looked at the boy.
"It hurted right.."
While the boy had many thoughts flooding in his head, he couldn't stop himself from saying it.
"You had a sister too.."
"Yeah, but that doesn't matter now right."
Ender looked at the blue gem in the sky, shrouded by clusters of stars.
"Now what will you do then?. It must feel empty, like void.."
The boy frowned, leaning his head over the cold metal railing. He stayed silent, so did he. After a minute, he murmured.
"I have nothing now in this world, our parents were abusive towards us, torturing us every single day for no or useless reasons so we escaped. I worked as a shoe polisher and newspaper boy, anything to keep her, us happy but.."
He paused for a moment, continuing.
"I don't know how but she was diagnosed with a heart disease, treatments were expensive and time was short. I prayed to God every day that please give us a miracle but.."
His tongue couldn't say it, but he did..
"Miracles never happen, they're just delusions created by us to live.."
The boy startled, looking at him. Deep down he was now frightened..
"The only thing the world demands is survival without any meaning, if there's no meaning to live, yet we live that's why we're this farm. Though it's only because we see illusions and bear them like flesh and skin.."
The boy expressed terrified, hearing his words. But he didn't stop, his head down over the river, yet firm enough to send shivers.
"Why are you scared?. This isn't your fault, it's none of us and none of us should bear it. It's the way of the world to play, and you're the player.. Though there's a way to escape.."
The boy's eyes widened, subconsciously he took some steps back from him, yet a weird feeling was emerging from somewhere, it wanted to ask something; in the end it did.
"What?."
Ender sighed, looking at the flowing river.
"Freeing yourself from this cursed world, this meaningless world.. It's the only way, no matter how hard you try, you'll be the one who will be destroyed, inner peace is a delusion to not let yourself be corrupted. So the best way is to free yourself.."
The boy could understand what he meant by freedom, somehow in his mind, everything was tickling, his sister had died, his parents left them, what was the reason now he had to live?. So he asked.
"Then.. Why don't you free yourself?."
"Because I don't exist, I'm a delusion created by your mind, right now, before and forever.. But this delusion can end. Can't it?.."
Hearing this truth, Ender extended his arm towards the ceiling, a smile curved over his cheeks, the boy who was terrified moments ago was lost in himself.
~ What is the reason now I have to live?. If it's meaningless, my life had meaning because of her.. Now..
He looked at the river, as he swallowed. Before gradually he takes a step, taking a deep breath along with it.
After a minute, he had crossed over the ceiling, his feet over the small area and his hands tightly gripping the railing from behind, instinctively he was scared. Consciously he wasn't, now..
Ender looked at him from behind, smiling, as he turned his feet before strolling his way. Leaving behind the..
"Hey!."
In an instant some golden strings catch the boy who was just about to do it, while Ender glanced behind to see a punch hit on his face.
He couldn't dodge it, backing off some steps to see it was Ruis who had hit him. Surprised, he saw Misha behind him who had saved the kid. Both were more scandalized than ever..
"What have you done!?."
Ruis shouted at him.
"I didn't do anything, did I?."
Ender spoke firmly, looking at the child. But Misha said something to the kid which instantly made him fall asleep, unconscious. As she went to him..
"Y– You monster.. You really are a monster.. Ruis was right all along."
But Ender smiled.
"What will you two do about it?."
"Just wait.."
Ruis replied, unusually seriously , as suddenly a portal appeared behind him. As he saw three people come out of it, they were Lisa, Sara and Zack. Confused as ever..
Ruis had telepathically called them in word of emergency, to see the show. In the end, he was caught or was he?.
As Misha by air gave a strain of her string to Lisa, whom she caught it and with her ability to see through the curtain, she saw all of it. As she murmurs to others to touch her occupied hand. When they did, they saw it all too.
Now, after they had seen, they all looked at him, some terrified, some enraged, some baffled. From every side as if he was caught from every angle.. Yet Ender was calm than ever, no signs of frustration or nervousness, just dead eyes looking at the ground. Declaring.
"Tell me.. Where was I wrong?."
His words of dread pierced the unsettled air, everyone remained silent, no one dared to utter a word. For an entire minute, they all glared at him intensely, except Zack who was just.. Speechless..
"Ender.."
He said in a low voice. Ender slowly veered towards him.
"There's a question echoing in my head, these days.. Can you tell me?.."
He paused mid question, subconsciously everyone was eager to hear what he said.
As he said something so questionable that he answered.
"Why do we need meaning to live?."
Ruis was flabbergasted, Misha became speechless, Sara and Lisa were shocked. While Ender was startled.. Thinking somewhere.. Why hadn't he thought about it?.. He thought..
Silence was the answer to this question, as a faint smile appeared over Zack's cheeks, turning his head down.
"Zack.."
Ender whispered in a barely audible sigh, as Zack shifted his focus onto him, waiting for him to utter a word. While his lips started twitching as he spoke, as if he was in a state of disbelief with himself while saying.
"I have forgotten who I am.. I don't remember my past, my memories.. I barely have any memories of her now, which are becoming distorted and blurred day by day.."
He paused, everyone except Zack were in a state of absolute bewilderment. While for Zack, his expression genuinely softened.
"So tell me.. What happened that day?. What were you doing there?.. And how did she.."
He couldn't make the word up as of his body to do that, Zack sighed. Before saying delightfully.
"Don't worry, her last words were for me.."
He said with a warm smile, while for Ender, his eyes widened.
~ How could this be?. I was holding her.. She was breathing her last essence of life in my arms.. Then how?..
But Zack interrupted him amidst his overwhelming flood.
"I'm cursed by her.. The curse is even if you're burning in hell, I'll come to save you, everytime, anytime.."
These words made Ender enraged as he yelled, declaring.
"I refused!.. Both heavens and hell!.."
After that remained silent, they both glared straight into their eyes, one was furious while the other was.. Acceptance.. As Zack utterly embraced it.
"So do I.. Not for you.. But for atonement of my sins.."
Ender was flabbergasted, he couldn't believe it. Zack's expression darkened, then frowned.. He was drowned in it.. As he asked, something which he couldn't understand.
"Where do we belong?. What place can hold us apart?... Except void.."
Ender, now speechless, shakes his head. Everything he said was the truth in the end, at least to him. Yet somehow a weird feeling emerged, this was something he can't describe as he never felt anything before, but it was quite.. Empty..
"I'm going.."
He muttered way too fast..
"I'm going to find who I am?."
As a portal appeared behind him, which he stepped in before disappearing along with it.
Everyone was silent, for a minute they stared at the air where Ender had disappeared. Until Sara asked.. Frightened by something she couldn't get it.
"Where did he go?."
"Our home.."
Zack replied without a pause, his smile had disappeared now.. So does he. They all stood there, not even flinching. Just thinking, memorizing what had just happened.
"Lisa.."
Zack called her but she didn't listen because of how lost she was, so he poked her shoulder. The moment he grabbed her attention, he just stated.
"I'll go to Earth tomorrow.."