Chapter 12: Waking

I ran.

Ran until I saw the exit with sunlight streaming towards me. I slammed the door open, and sunlight blinded me. I remembered about Miku's death.

Calm… Must be calm…

I had to separate my mind from my body, or I was going to become crazy…

Empty mind… blank… blank…

"Miku's dead." I managed to say before the last string connecting me and my emotional awareness snapped.

~~~~~~~~~~

Edward:

Brother, Sis and I stood in front of Miku's grave, not bothering to wipe our face as tears dripped out of our eyes. Pain came crashing over me, like the waves near the shore.

Other students stood around us, weeping for Miku or the other students who had fallen.

I remember when I saw Miku's lifeless body. I was half expecting Miku to open her eyes, beam at us and shout, "Surprise!"

Instead, I saw her ashen, blood drenched, her face looking so unbelievably unresponsive. Her lips were pale, and her eyes were still wide open, staring into the infinite space, forever. Even after rouge and cosmetics were dabbed on, Miku looked…

Fake.

She did not look like the cheery, optimistic girl we knew. No, she was a Miku we didn't know who was made of glass, like the perfect painting.

Unmoving, beautiful yet unreal.

After Eli had rushed outside and uttered one single sentence, the light died out of her eyes. She moved so unstably, like a single blow of the wind would topple her away or sweep her away to join the clouds. She moved weakly and clumsily, unable to even climb a flight of stairs before toppling downwards. Her dead eyes stared forward constantly, unmoving.

Brother and I were contaminated with sorrow because Miku had died. Eli had to face the horror of watching Miku die and face the reality of her death.

Our tears rained on Miku's grave as the wind mourned with us. Did you know you had no choice, or did you just choose to die, Miku?

~~~~~~~~~~

Eli:

(4 months later…)

I don't think I cared about the world anymore.

When Brother talked to me about his day, sitting next to me on the bed, he mentioned his clumsy mistakes. I felt a twinge of joy, but far weaker than it should've been, like it was muted.

I found it hard to move my body, like my mind no longer had a strong influence on myself anymore. I constantly tripped and my vocal cords couldn't make a noise.

At least I better off than Miku.

I could eat and still smell the flowers and look at the clear skies.

Miku was dead.

Would Miku blame me for not staying with her and saving her?

Early in the morning, I found it hard to sleep. Miku cursed me and wept in my nightmares and Grayson and Edward berated me for not helping Miku.

Deciding that sleeping was futile, I pushed my limp legs off the bed. My legs, determined to further annoy me, buckled and I crashed onto the ground. As I slammed my feet against the corner of a wooden chair, I found my old wooden sword laying in front of me. I remembered I used to learn sword lessons with Edward, until I decided training physical exercise and sword training at the same time was too much, I had decided to quit sword lessons when I was just an amateur.

I needed to become stronger.

I needed to protect my loved ones.

I toddled off towards the exit and found myself at the training yard. I swung my sword, over again. Suddenly, blood raced through my arms and I felt stronger than I had felt these last months. Maybe the only way I could redeem Miku who was killed by a sword, was to save others with a sword. Sweat trickled down my face as I continued…

Swip…

Swip…

~~~~~~~~~~

Grayson:

Edward and I stood on the balcony, drinking hot chocolate on this chilly morning.

"Look, the light returned to her eyes." I commented nonchalantly.

I turned around to see joyful tears dripping out of Edward's eyes.