“Panic, such an unsightly word and unsightly state of mind. This being the case does not mean that it does not have a purpose; it does… Mainly to save your life. So, when you feel panicked, figure out what you are panicking over; that way, you can decide whether or not there is a real threat. If you decide there is, great panic away, just make sure to also do something about it, or that threat might catch up to you.” – a sightly philosopher

Light worms itself into his eyelids and forces him awake, and awake does Alex become. Awake and screaming his lungs out, he then proceeds to sob as the events that had just transpired catch up to him.

As Alex cries to himself, a figure clad in white enters the room, “Sir, are you okay, sir?”

That voice oh ever-so familiar to Alex calls out to him from the shock he still feels from events moments before, and Alex responds as any sane individual in his circumstance might.

Alex responds with panic and flight.

As Alex tries to escape the voice and figure of Robert, he falls off the bed on the opposite side of Robert and hits the floor with a thud, and this prompts Robert to run over.

“Sir, are you okay… Sir?”

Robert, seeing the fear and wisps of hatred in Alex’s eyes, looks at Alex intensely for a moment before sighing.

“You just had to go do that, didn’t you, though… I guess it’s to be expected from someone like you.”

Suddenly footsteps could be heard, and Ivona enters the room without an antiseptic suit.

“Robert, is Alex okay?” Ivona asks while trailing across the room.

“Yes, he’s quite fine, he just experienced a bit of a fall. I’ll get him situated Milady, so please rest – you don’t want to get sick from overwork after all, especially after a surgery like that.” Robert says, while looking at Ivona.

At this moment, Alex knew that he should reach out. He didn’t know how he was alive, but if he didn’t act soon, he didn’t believe he would be for much longer. Robert is, after all, more than likely to finish what he started. Why Ivona didn’t try to stop Robert after what he did is surprising to Alex, but not the point.

‘I need to tell her. now.”

And yet, Alex does not speak, he does not move, he huddles up, and Ivona leaves and Robert watches him with an onerous glare. Alex was afraid, and so he wasted his opportunity to change his fate.

Robert proceeds to forcefully pick Alex up, and drop him on the bed, Alex shaking all the way. Robert then forces Alex’s mouth open and shoves a pill inside.

“Alex, I’ve known you since I was little, and I’m sorry to do this, but something like you will simply bring destruction to this province and kingdom, something which I cannot simply tolerate any longer, so sleep now, and never wake.”

Alex starts feeling dizzy.

Sinking.

Sinking into the abyss.

‘but why?’

…

Just outside the mansion there lies a grave, and upon this tombstone under a willow tree is an inscription, it reads:

Season of the Obal, the 5th period, 16th day marks the death of one Alexander Percival Albent after a sixteen cycle long coma, he left the world while clinging to it.

Taken from the world before his time, he will be sorely missed.