ACT VIII: PATERNAL LOVE

-"I will be here through your hardships. Love will hold off our memory."-

The dark empty room was soon lit by something, white light coming from something at the distance. It started to move and went nearer to where Edgar was sulking in tears, afraid and hopeless.

"Don't worry, child. She only attempted to cut you off but failed miserably. You still need to finish collecting what was so that you can make sure that you two will meet with each other. Remember, she is the only one who can give you your shell."

"But how? How can I? I am disconnected from the mainframe." He asked with a straight face.

"I shall help and guide you. You are not completely disconnected. Remember I am also part of the code. Like I explained to you earlier you need to collect all the Motus data for you to be complete and be ready for your shell. Do you understand?"

Edgar stood up and with his white shirt, he lifted it up and wipe the tears welling in his eyes. He looked blankly on the woman. "I understand, Mandy. I am ready."

"We will start now but before you proceed may I remind you that you are not to interact with anybody. Interacting with anybody but me will corrupt the data file and the Motus data. You will be invisible in the eyes of your memories so unless you touch anything everything will not go down the sink. Just remember that."

"Yes!"

"You can now go and find the things you feel most important to you for it will be the key to open the barrier." Reminded by the timid-voiced white as she pulled Edgar's hand in the bluish portal.

"CONDOLENCE FROM Mr. and Mrs. Curt and Family." This was the first thing Edgar saw written in one of the arranged flowers set full of white flowers. He proceeded inside the chapel and saw a woman wearing a black outfit and mourning cloak crying in front of the coffin. A woman was beside her and was comforting the bewildered woman. As he slowly goes toward the coffin, he saw many faceless people sitting and seems to be frozen in place.

He looked through the clear glass of the coffin and saw an old man. Tears flow down in his eye as he realized his grandfather was the one in the golden coffin that sparkles in the candlelit altar. His chest ached, his breathing became rapid and his face became flushed. He felt something but cannot even explain what was it, he wanted to grasp it but there was something blocking him from understanding.

He wanted to hug his father, but the coffin separated them from each other. Separating the living from the dead. He lied beside the coffin for more than three minutes. Right next to him is a silver ring where a logo of a ship's anchor engraved in it, he got it and tried to give it to the crying lady but before he can touch her, he was stopped by Mandy.

"Remember Edgar. Do not interact with others if you want to get out of here." Mandy whispered to him. He retracted his hand and put the ring back at the coffin. Without looking back he parted with his grandfather.

While on his way out he saw his 8-year old self crying in the corner of the chapel. He sat down beside him then a familiar face came walking towards their direction and sat also beside them.

"Sorry for your lost, Edgar. I know you loved your grandfather so much. He is the one who has to care for you since your mother died." Edgar did not reply and kept sulking and sobbing. The young man sighed and looked at the altar.

"But look at the bright side and stop crying, Edgar, I'm still here, your best friend. I will always be here with you through hard times and comfort you at your saddest moments." Michael said while patting his friends head to comfort him. Edgar stopped crying and looked at Michael with his frowning face and hugged him very tightly.

"I really missed my grandfather Mike. I need my grandfather. He is the best grandfather. Why must good people die?" The very innocent Edgar cried more as he hugged tightly his comforting friend.

Hugging him back, Michael frowned but smiled after, "I don't know, but I think it's how He planned everything. He will be in good hands and he will continue to guide you because I know how much he loves you."

"You know how about you come with me. I want you to see something that will take away those tears in your eyes." Mike dragged his friend up and grabbed his arms as he runs toward the backdoor of the chapel located beside the wooden statue of Saint Joseph on the right side of the chapel. The saint carries a golden figure of the cross that gleamed in the dark that lit the knob of the door.

Edgar quickly followed while Michael disappeared in sight instantly. He dashed as quickly as he can and opened the door that creaked heavily under its own weight.

The bright sun - kissed the cold and pale face with warmth, the sight of the vast expanse of the green grass still wet with morning dew and the fresh blow of air brought calmness to the boy.

Michael stood by the lake and looked at the bluish-green color of the water. The tilapia, some of them just resting near the bank and some eating duckweed floating at the center of the lake. Edgar walked toward the bank of the lake smiling lightly as he saw Michael putting his hand on the shoulders of his young self.

"I remember when we were six when we just met. You, me, Kylie and Amber simply playing hide and seek, heaven and earth, Chinese garter and Juego de Anillo; we are happy not minding the scorching heat of the sun that gave us prickly sunburn after the day ends. *sigh* If only those two are still here, too bad they migrated."

Edgar wiped his eyes and spoke up with his still shaky voice, "I remember this place, I also remember the first time I went here ten years ago when one night when we were camping at the forest and sharing ghost stories. It spooked me and I cried while you and the others teased me as a crybaby. I ran away to the depths of the forest. I end up being lost because of the darkness until I heard a bubbling sound from a distance and saw lights floating and seemed to move with the wind. I ran and there I saw many blue lights floating above a lake. The lights pulsed bright, then one by one they disappeared. It was like watching fireworks but unlike traditional ones, they don't make an explosion they just calmly disappear in the distance and that calmed me down and so I sat there watching them until the last one disappeared. Then Kylie found me and hugged me tightly crying and thinking that I was taken by a witch."

"Hey, don't make me jealous. I know you were kind of a couple in the past. You like her and she likes you. You are a match made in heaven. I think if she is still here you and Kylie will be dating." Michael smiled at his friend that was now becoming red because of embarrassment.

"Hey, do you want to take a little dip in the water?"

"Isn't it deep?"

"Nah. We'll just be staying at the bank and beside you are looking at a swimming champion here.", Michael replied flexing at Edgar.

The two stripped their shoes covered with leaves and dirt and went directly at the water and sprinkled each other with water and giggled away releasing Edgar of sorrow and giving him peace.

The lake bubbled and a blue portal opened. Edgar looked around, everything stopped moving the leaves stayed floating in the air and the two boys just stayed there with their smiling faces.

"What are you waiting for? You need to get out to gain the Motus data." Mandy whispered.

Edgar walked through the lake's water like he was walking in a concrete road and passed by the two friends. The water did not react, it was calm, it was peaceful.