"Why does good appear
When goodbye means I disappear
What's the good in not seeing you
It just means that I will be blue.
I think goodbye should drop the good
Just "bye" would be better understood
So from now on the good is gone
And only "bye" will be my song."
-Kate Summers
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What am I? What do you mean? I look directly into Joan's eyes but I can't understand what she means.
-"What do you mean? What am I? I am the same as you!" says Kael. "Is it because of that day?"
-"Yes and no." says Joan. "It's not just because of that day; actually, like you, I have an ability, I can see the truth!"
-"The truth?" asks Kael, curious.
-"Look at Léa, for example, when I look at her I can see who she really is. She is brave, kind, and joyful. That is the nature of her being, but you? Nothing!"
-"So you can't use your ability on me?" asks Kael, confused.
-"No, the truth, Kael, is that..." says Joan while swallowing hard. "There is no truth at all, you… everything about you is a lie, you are a lie!"
-"A lie?" asks Kael as he looks directly into Joan's eyes.
-"Until you find yourself, you will never find peace." says Joan. "You are looking for answers in the wrong place."
A few days passed, but I can't stop thinking about Joan's words, maybe she is right. Fundamentally, I have really never understood myself; just as I lie to others, I also lie to myself.
I start running at full speed toward the horizon until I reach a waterfall. At the top of the waterfall, I see him, just like years ago, long black hair down to his waist and red eyes looking at me from above, as if it were natural that he was superior to me, but this time before he speaks I take a step forward and say:
-"It's been a few years." Kael says calmly.
He says nothing, he looks at me as if confused, as if for the first time I had acted outside the script he wrote for me.
-"I have a question, if you want to answer me, of course. Were you the one who saved them?" Kael asks, confused.
The creature looks at me and breaks the silence.
-"Save them? HAHAHAHAAH, I told you, Kael, only I have permission to take everything from you!" says the creature while laughing. "They were lucky I was around, but the eldest one, yes, the eldest, she is brave, I admit that. I am sure her blood would be a sensational delicacy."
He seems to want to bring back my anger, to make me go back to the script he wrote, but this time I just look at him with a cold gaze.
-"Don't look at me like that, Kael, you might hurt my feelings," says the creature. "You act as if I were the monster in your story, but I am the consequence of it!"
Before I can think of the words he spoke, he leaps towards me. I manage to see his movement and before he hits me I dodge and with all my strength strike him from the side, sending him flying several meters, uprooting several trees until he crashes into the slope of the waterfall.
Through the debris, I see him get up and brush off his clothes, then he looks at me.
-"What a pleasant surprise, Kael, but now I won't hold back." says the creature angrily.
In the next moment, he disappears again, but this time much faster. Even using my ability, I could hardly see him and, as a consequence, he lands a blow that tears off one of my arms. Despite the pain, I take advantage of the moment when the creature is close to me to grab him with my only remaining hand and bite off one of his ears with my mouth. Honestly, it was a horrible exchange of blows.
-"Seriously? You bit my ear off?" says the creature while looking at me. "You have creativity, I admit that, for a moment I almost mistook you for one of those smelly dogs."
I prepare for the next attack, however, the creature just looks at me.
-"A piece of advice, Kael, maybe a warning. If hell exists, we both belong there!" says the creature as it disappears into the forest.
I grab my arm and begin to heal myself; deep down I know that our story is not over yet and I will find him again.
Upon returning to the mansion, I see Paul sitting at the entrance while guarding it; even though he is missing an arm, his appearance helps keep people away. Inside the mansion, the children, along with Léa, Gabrielle, and Lucas, are having dinner. Due to the nature of Joan and myself, money is not really an issue, so the children grow up strong and healthy.
-"I need to talk to you." Kael says to Joan.
Joan leaves the children and follows me up to the second floor where I enter my room. The room consists only of a desk with a chair and several bookshelves.
-"If I am a lie, are the bonds I created also a lie?" Kael asks while looking out the window.
-"Not if you believe in them." Joan says. "But you have to find yourself to truly connect with others!"
-"I feel that the time has come for my departure, but.." Kael says. "I'm afraid, afraid that I may never see them again!"
Joan smiles while looking at me and then hugs me.
-"That means that the truth in what surrounds you is real, so keep it in your heart so that one day, when you find the truth, whatever it may be, you can find your way back home!" says Joan with a smile.
-"What should I tell Léa and Gabrielle?" asks Kael sadly.
-"The truth, no matter how hard it is, they deserve that!" says Joan
Joan leaves the room while I keep looking at the stars through the window until someone knocks on the door. I can feel that it is Léa; the way her heart beats gives me a bit of comfort.
-"Brother, Sister Joan said you wanted to talk to me? Gabrielle stayed downstairs playing with the others, did something happen?" Léa asks, worried.
-"The time has come, Léa." says Kael while looking into Léa's eyes.
Before I can explain what I am talking about, tears start running down her face as she runs into my embrace.
-"Why? We can all stay together, me, you, Gabrielle, Sister Joan, and all the other children!" Léa says while crying. "Together we can be a family!"
I hug Léa's small body and kiss her on the forehead.
-"Everything is fine, you are now a big, strong girl. I'm sure you will become the brightest star in the sky, so whenever I look at the stars, I will remember you!" Kael says sadly.
-"Will we see each other again?" Léa asks as she tries to wipe away her tears.
I didn't want to lie to her, but part of me wants to leave her with a small glimpse of hope rather than a bitter farewell.
-"I don't know, but with you I learned that everything in this world is possible!" Kael says as he wipes Léa's tears.
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I didn't have much time this week and I don't know if I will work next Saturday.
I took a little while with these two chapters and rewrote them a few times, but I was really never happy with them. Even now I'm not very happy, but here they are.
Don't worry, characters will not be forgotten.
I haven't finished the third chapter, but if I finish it tomorrow I will release it. It's already very late and I'm going to sleep, only about 5 hours before going to work, so good night.
I have been kind of tired, so any mistakes I appreciate you pointing them out, thank you.
This week I received a donation of several stones, thank you for your help and trust, thank you.
Thank you for the concern skizrim_3, aside from some migraines everything is fine.