The next day…
Kharagen drowned in absolute silence, bearing the fury of its endless rain.
Wind scraped against the skyscrapers, creating an eerie melody that crawled into one's spine.
Beneath the dark sky lay a cathedral near the center of the city. Within it, people dressed in all black sat in silence and sadness.
Black, red and white horizontal triband flags with the symbol of the immortal phoenix embedded in their very cores were sprawled across the inner walls of the desolate cathedral.
Soft cries could be heard from the people below who were barely holding themselves together.
However, their cries were drowned in the endless rain.
Suddenly, countless enforcers wearing red uniforms with dark and silver accents marched into the hall, each one holding a katana. They lined up between the seats and stood at attention, their katanas pointed down at the floor.
In the next moments, the families present couldn't contain their emotions. Their cries and screams almost made the enforcers break as well.
Thunder crackled in the distance; lightning rippled through the sky and rain endlessly pelted the cathedral.
The next moment, enforcers stepped into the cathedral, carrying the coffins of their fallen comrades.
The ten enforcers who had fallen due to the Class Beta Chaos fragment.
Their caskets were draped in Ashland's national flag; their enforcer uniforms lay atop the wooden box as well as their katanas.
Among the carriers was Arthur himself, who had a dark shadow cast upon his pale face.
Nine more coffins followed in sequence and at the end, Chris and Lancelot trailed the coffins in silence.
Slowly, they made their way towards the end of the cathedral. The enforcers' steps were heavy, every time they raised their feet and stomped them on the ground, the weight of the fallen comrade pushed them down even further.
Finally, the ten caskets were placed atop a raised platform at the end of the chapel.
The enforcers lining the hall turned forward. The enforcers at the end of the cathedral also turned back, meeting the fallen enforcers' families.
Chris stepped onto the podium, his gaze heavier than before.
He scanned the rows of families sitting in the dark cathedral, barely holding themselves together.
Some mourned for their sons and daughters, some wept for their brothers and sisters, some grieved for their nephews and nieces, some lamented for their dear friends and some… some mourned for their lovers.
They were broken. They were utterly devastated.
Yet, here he was standing before them, giving them false hope that their loved ones would be with them forever and ever.
Chris clicked his tongue, cursing under his cold breath as lightning tore through the clouds and thunder screamed the next second.
This was the life of an enforcer. A life they had chosen but a life they had to live. It wasn't a choice, it was duty. And they upheld that responsibility to the very end. That was the thing that made Chris feel somewhat better.
Because these enforcers died not fighting the Chaos beasts but rather, protecting their loved ones – protecting all of humanity.
Exhaling heavily, he spoke, his voice heavy and filled with pride.
"Today, we gather here…to mourn the passing of these brave enforcers."
The crowd shook as if he had told an unwanted truth.
"They fought with courage on the front lines, risking their lives to save millions."
He then threw his hands in the air and called out to all those present.
"So, I ask for a moment of silence for their unfortunate deaths."
Immediately, the cathedral fell into utter and absolute silence. The only things that could be heard were the rain, thunder and the harsh wind scraping against the exterior of the chapel.
The families of the fallen enforcers lowered their heads – fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, and relatives alike all mourned in silence.
The enforcers lining the halls and the enforcers at the front also lowered their heads, mourning with the families.
Moments turned to seconds, seconds turned to minutes as the silence stretched on.
Eventually, Chris raised his arms and spoke to the bereaved families.
"Lift your heads."
Their gazes elevated and locked onto the Supreme Commander who was leading the memorial.
Chris stepped back and let Lancelot take the stage. The General of the Special Ops Division of the AEOC stood before the families of his dead soldiers. A heavy sorrow plagued his heart as he drew a deep breath.
'Now isn't the time to be weak…'
Lifting his head, he heaved a heavy breath.
"Be proud of them for their sacrifice. But also, mourn their deaths as we have lost good souls to Chaos." He paused for a moment before continuing. "Now, we must bear this loss and move forward to make sure their deaths weren't in vain – to make their deaths mean something great."
The crowd seemed to shift under the weight of the General's voice.
Lancelot paused for a moment, letting the silence seep in once more. Thunder crackled through the heavens once more, rain pelting against the windows of the sacred cathedral.
He spun around, gazing over the ten caskets lined behind him. Each one holding the corpses of his own soldiers.
He hadn't known them well or maybe not at all for that matter.
Yet, the death of another man – another human being still left a hole in his heart.
Why? Because he was afraid that the same Fate would fall upon him one day.
That he too, would not wake up for another day.
With a trembling voice, he spoke once more.
"My soldiers fought all their lives to protect this continent. Now, let them rest in peace… forever… and until the end of time."
Lancelot stepped off the spotlight, leaving the families on the verge of tears. Glancing back one more time, he saw a poor woman taking deep breaths, wiping the tears streaming down from her face with a simple white cloth.
He gritted his teeth and looked away, unable to bear such a sight.
Next, Arthur stepped onto the podium. Closing his eyes, he stayed silent for a moment and felt the soft whimpers of his comrades' loved ones.
Finally, he opened his eyes and scanned his surroundings, his chest tightened uncontrollably.
'I've failed as a commander…'
He thought with a twisted smile that he covered with his hand. Drawing a deep breath, he cleared his throat and called out to the people present with shattered confidence.
"They were some of the best men I've met in a while... Loyal, quick thinking and… happy. That's all I wanted them to be – nothing more… For now, tomorrow, the day after that and until I die. I will cherish each one of the memories I had with them…"
He drew a deep breath again. Clouds rumbled above as Arthur's voice cracked.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry that I couldn't save them, that I couldn't let you see them one last time."
Finally, the families broke. Their cries and wails echoed across the great hall, making the rumble of the clouds seem insignificant.
The enforcers bit their lips, tears forming in their eyes as they tried to control their emotions. Their hearts pounded against their chests and their brains throbbed against their skulls. Their muscles became incredibly weak, almost making them collapse.
Each and every one wanted to fall and cry until their eyes went dry. However, they didn't, for the families' sake and for their fellow enforcers' sake.
Chris shifted, his eyes twitched – a rare scene from the prideful Supreme Commander of the AEOC.
Lancelot couldn't bear the combined cries and wished to cover his ears. However, he stopped himself and looked away from the crying families, gritting his teeth.
Minutes passed with the cathedral drowning the cries and screams of the bereaved relatives of the fallen enforcers.
'Why is Fate so cruel?'
He asked such a question in a moment of despair. His dry throat closed in on itself, tears forming in his eyes as he coughed.
Fate really was cruel and indifferent, yet that was its nature.
He had failed to protect them.
He had failed their families and friends.
And he had failed them as well.
"I failed to protect you…Forgive me."
He muttered under his shaking breath, asking his fallen comrades to forgive him once more.
Then, he backed away from the spotlight and stood beside Lancelot.
The cries eventually stopped. The families composed themselves, sitting upright and staring lifelessly at the coffin that held the corpses of their loved ones.
Such a sight was truly unbearable to see.
May these fallen souls find peace in their next life.
And as the national anthem began to play, Arthur gritted his teeth and apologized once more to the bereaved families.
'I'm sorry...I'm really sorry...'