"Is Brother Sick?"

Grief. The word might be most unfamiliar to Xion.

There weren't many moments in his life where he had felt this emotion, at least not like this.

Regret, however, was a constant thing to him.

The regret of not working hard enough, the regret of trusting his best friend, the regret of being naïve. Of being stupid.

The regret of leaving behind the two teachers (Misaki sensei and Minato sensei) who had once cared for him like their own child. Although he lost contact with Misaki sensei after high school, he was still very grateful to her.

But grief? Grief had never been on the list. Until now...

The way his chest heaved, the way his brain felt ablaze with silence, he knew he had lost someone very precious.

He had lost his father figure.

Xion did not know how he had managed to sit there as Minato sensei's body disintegrated into ash and spread into the air.