Chapter 27

Zion Pov:

I don't know how long it took but I finally snapped back to myself. I don't want to have to accept this but I have to. I don't want to. I was a person, I was a human, we were humans. Humanity maybe $h#t and they may have hurt me, but this is insane. I take a mental deep breath, I'll… have to get used to it.

I look over to see Neil stock straight, eyes wide and tears welling, seemingly lost in own mind, the few sparks left in his eyes showing deep pain.

Neil Pov:

"Oli… Oliver, I'm so sorry." My mind lost in the past, finally returns to the present, a warmth bringing my mind to itself.

Zion is hugging me, face buried in my neck, arms squeezing me like his life depends on it.

"Neil.. it's… ok." Zion says in a soft voice, "Don't worry it's going to be ok, ok?"

I didn't respond. I just wrapped my arms around him as well and buried my head in his shoulder. The warmth coming from the mana of his body, somehow soothing me. For a long while we stayed like that, our bodies, not truly alive, but still wrapped around each other, a soothing aura surrounding us. Eventually we broke apart as I then sat on the floor, alone. Though I was not alone for long, a warm back pressing up against mine.

Shortly thereafter Rashid and Sen enter the room, seeming to have sensed our distress. I don't fight it, I allow Rashid to climb into my lap under my arm, as Sen goes behind me to Zion.

Zion Pov:

Holding Sen in my lap was somehow… comforting. Even if he's not Alive per say it felt… nice to hold him. Not long after Sen entered the back behind me started shaking, laughter ringing out behind me. I could not hold back for long laughter leaving my lips, echoing the fear in my heart.

-The Next Day-

I'm sitting outside the dungeon on a rock a good way away from the entrance, away from the encampment as well. In my hands was a withered flower, slowly turning back to a formless ball of mana. How does Neil do this, even one measly flower is beyond my grasp. Since yesterday Neil has been out of it, lost in his mind, barely even registering the things going on around us. When I was like this, he helped me out, and I want to do the same. I know we can't do anything about this but I want to help him, to give him something to reduce the pain, but I can't even do that, I can't even make a stupid flower stay alive for more than a second, even if it's just a seed.

I hear footsteps and feet eventually enter my vision.

"What are you doing?"

I look up to see Lia, before I put my head back down and continue on my work. She sits a short way away from me, doesn't speak, just sits. I fail over and over again withering and dying never getting it right. From beside me comes a monotone voice,

"You are creating something living, try letting the mana flow on its own."

I slowly began to make progress, Lia sitting beside me all the while, until I finally finished my gift.

I gently knock on Neil's gem, his host form appearing before me. I gently grab his hand, and place my gift inside. Neil gives me a questioning look but replaces the area under our gems with dirt. He gently digs into the soil, placing my gift under the ground and replacing the soil on top. He uses some mana and the gift slowly shows itself.

First a gently twisting stem, thorns dotted throughout. Then small leaves interspersed upon the stem, and a minuscule bud of vibrant red. Soon the bud blooms, first red, then purple, then blue. A single Tarla rose now stood beneath our gems. I look over to see a gentle smile on Neil's face, tears now pouring from his eyes, falling down and dissipating like the beautiful mana stars, what feels like oh so long ago.