Hero

"How... How did you slay the beast?"

Sona stared into the old man's eyes. He wondered whether he should tell him the truth, mentioning the strange red-haired man who had visited him in the abyss and done his dirty work for him.

But he decided not to. Mentioning such a man would only cause more fear to spread through Elaleom.

There was enough of that already.

"A miracle."

The old man smiled and nodded his head as if in agreement. "Yes, yes. It makes sense. If you are not a god yourself, then you are at least blessed by them."

Sona almost let out a chuckle, but he held it in.

Blessed.

If I was blessed, then I would not need to be here in the first place.

"Come, let us head to the Mouth of Fruition and give it what it wants. Oh, how I have waited for this moment."

Sona and Oscel climbed the staircase to the raised platform at the centre of the room. Once atop, he stared down into the ethereal mouth and could feel its presence demanding food.

Sona held the vibrant heart of the werewolf in his hand. He had just what the mouth would be searching for.

The old man touched Sona's shoulder and shot him a comforting look.

"Will you do the honours?"

Sona nodded his head.

Then, without wasting any more time, he lifted the heart above the mouth and dropped it in.

The sound of a crystal shattering echoed through the temple halls, followed by a change in the air pressure around him.

It felt as though a weight was being lifted off of his shoulder. Warmth and joy were returning into the atmosphere once again.

And then, there was colour.

It started with darker shades. Each colour slowly returned to its vibrancy.

Oscel swivelled his head around to each statue in the temple. They were not made from regular stone, but rather from all sorts of colours that one could imagine.

Reds, blues, greens, yellows. The temple was a swirl of colours. A stark contrast to the darkness that once was.

Sona could hear the sounds of cheers coming from the outside streets. Everyone else would be witnessing the same thing.

A smile spread across Oscel's face. One that Sona had yet to see. Then, the old man looked over at him with tears falling from his eyes.

"You have done it, boy." He said in a quivering voice. "You have saved our world."

———

Oscel took Sona outside, not only to show him what Elaleom looked like in all of its glory but also to present him as the city's saviour.

A blue sky hung above their heads, followed by clouds, a golden sun, and a vibrant city.

As they left the temple, there was a crowd gathering in the streets. Their eyes instantly landed on Sona, with a questioning look on their faces.

"Was it him, Father Oscel? Did this boy slay the beast?"

Oscel nodded his head proudly. "Yes. This boy did what our hunters could not. He is truly blessed by the gods."

The crowd let out cheers and began to swarm Sona with their thanks and gratitude.

All Sona could do was stand there in disbelief. He knew that he was responsible for the return of colour to the world, but to be shown such appreciation...

It was a feeling unlike any he had experienced before.

Sona had grown up in Vethil and remained there his entire life. The times he had done a good deed for someone could be counted on one hand.

Not because he did not have it in his heart to help others, but rather because poverty forced him to spend all of his time focusing on helping himself and his mother.

As the civilians of Elaleom expressed their thanks, he felt tears forming in his orange eyes, which he quickly blinked away.

I've done it. I am a hero.

"Y-young man."

An old lady's voice stood out in the crowd. The civilians moved to the side, allowing her through.

She must have been in her eighties, and her back was incredibly hunched. And yet, in her hands was a gruesome tool.

It was a longsword, brilliant in design. Its weight and size made it hard for her to carry.

The weapon looked as though it had never been used before. Its silver blade glinted, and on it were words inscribed. The pommel was lined in gold and brown, like a weapon fit for a holy knight.

"Please, take this sword as a gift from Elaleom. May the gods grant you safe travel back to wherever you came from."

Sona stared down at the blade in disbelief.

Carefully, he lifted the weapon from her hands. Its weight was comforting.

"It was my husband's sword before he passed in the abyss. He was a warrior, like yourself. I hope it's to your liking."

"To my liking?" Sona said, raising his eyebrows as he tested the sword. Then, he carefully strapped it to his back and pulled the old lady into a hug.

"This is the greatest gift that I have ever received... Thank you."

Oscel watched from the side. He knew the old lady's husband before he died.

There's no one else who deserves the blade more.

...

After accepting the thanks and gratitude, Sona finally paid attention to a strange feeling which hovered around his Starcore.

He did not understand what it was, but as he focused on it, an instant wooshing sound came from behind him, followed by a grave presence.

"Woah!" A young man said, pointing towards the sound. "Oscel was right. The man's a god!"

The rest of the crowd followed with their sounds of surprise.

Sona turned around, and standing before him was a door of darkness. It looked exactly as it had before he had left Vethil.

However, now, rather than uncertainty and death looming on the other side, it was his home.

It was a sight that he thought that he might not see again.

Sona had set out on a journey that the world would deem impossible, and yet he prevailed.

All thanks to courage, and the First Starpath.

A heavy hand landed on his shoulder. It was Oscel.

"Go on home, boy." The man said solemnly, as he flashed him a final smile. "Elaleom will never forget the blessing that you have bestowed upon us... You are our hero."

Sona pulled the man into one last hug before stepping towards the void-filled door.

He wondered about this world he had spent the last week inside of.

Was it real? Had the Opener created worlds that would continue to exist even after the doors were closed?

Was there a way that he could ever return, or were all friendships made there temporary?

Sona shook his head free of the thoughts.

It does not matter... I have a home of my own to return to. One where my people await me.

Then, with no more words to be said, Sona smiled as he pressed his hands against the darkness of the door.

And in only an instant, Sona Nameless vanished from Elaleom. His mission was accomplished.