"It's painful, isn't it?"

"Yes."

James out voiced his thoughts involuntarily but as soon realized he was not the one who asked the question. So he frantically turned tilted his head to look & saw a girl with glistening sapphire eyes looking at him with a soft smile.

It was Adeline who followed Leon from the moment he got out of the castle. She knew he didn't know where to go, but soon found a guard who lead him to here.

There were many changes in Leon's behavior from the very beginning & it was noticed by everyone. He had become unusually kind, soft-spoken gentleman, which was something no one was used to.

Still, no one said anything, as there was no plausible explanation for this sudden change. He could have genuinely tried to become a good person & it was showing result. Or some witch hypnotized him to be a good guy, which was too unreal.

So everyone believed he was trying to grow into a person befitting to become the future duke, as it was the most prominent theory. Days went by & Lina came with the whole drama, which everyone in the duchy never believed as they knew what the duchess could do to him.

Then this whole assassination arc happened which blew everyone's mind. They were all worried, but by God's grace, nothing happened. Leon was safe, but there was a cost. Many lives were lost saving one.

"When did you arrive?" asked James in a confusing tone, as he hadn't expected Adeline to be here at this hour.

"I was here the whole time." replied the girl as she was here from the very beginning when the ritual to send the fallen ones to heaven started.

Most people in this empire believed in reincarnation & by burning, they were freeing the souls which were shackled to the human body in this mortal world. They were letting them go to the afterlife, where the cycle would start once again. These souls would be born again in somewhere with no memories of their past & would lead a life full of happiness.

"Oh. I didn't see you then."

"You were absent minded so..."

"Yeah."

Soon, silence fell between the siblings as they both saw the bodies turned to dust, but the cries never died down.

"You think you are responsible for this?" asked Adeline, still looking at the field. Leon's behavior drastically changed after his return from Nortion. They expected him to be a little sad, but he acted like he was guilty of everything.

His words were slow, his face always had a broken smile & that small talk with the duke confirmed everything.

"Yes... Yes I am responsible for this." replied James. He spoke the honest words, as there was no point in hiding. He just wanted someone to show him the light & she definitely could do it.

"Why?"

"Because they died protecting me. If I hadn't gone to Nortion, then nothing would have happened. They all could have lived their life. They had families, children. I took them all. I killed them. I let them die."

Every word James spoke came from his heart. There was only one person responsible for all this & it was him. The cost was far too great for what was ever gained.

"Yes, they could have. They could have lived a long, happy life, but you are not the one who killed them."

"What? Are you deaf or blind? Can't you see all this? I did all this. I killed them all." shouted James, pointing towards the fire. Everyone he asked said he was not responsible, then who was responsible? They died because of him. Everything happened because of him.

"I am not deaf nor blind. I can see all this. Still, I will stand with my words." replied Adeline in a firm voice, unfazed by Leon's loud words.

"Why? Why do you think I am not the one who did all this?"

"There is a difference, brother. There is a difference between what you are seeing & actually what is happening."

"What?"

"Like Father said, they died for you, not because of you. There is a difference & you are not seeing it. They all sacrificed their lives trying to save you. They didn't run away cause they wanted to protect you. Thy could have left you at death's door, but they didn't. Those brave souls fought for you. They didn't fight because of you. You never ordered them to fight."

James just looked at the girl, saying nothing. Every word she said was true. He never ordered them to fight, but they did anyway. But why did they choose to fight?

"Yeah, it feels like I am just trying to lighten your mood by telling you-you are not responsible or you didn't order them, but what done is done. There is no turning back from here. They are dead & you are alive. They have sacrificed their everything for you. They have paid their debts.

Then you will ask, was it worth it? And the answer is no & yes. Their family will say it wasn't worth the sacrifice, but we will say it was worth it. It is up to you to choose what you believe. If you think it wasn't worth their lives, then make it worth their lives. Don't waste your time weeping over this. Do you think they will like it?"

"No..."

"You were just trying to do something good. You thought everything will work out for the better but it didn't. But that doesn't mean you did all this."

"What should I do then...?" asked James in a tone full of emotions. Every word she said was right & he needed someone to tell him those words.

"It is up to you to decide whether you wanna change or leave things as they are." replied Adeline, looking towards the starry sky.

"I should...."

"It would be a lie if I told you it doesn't hurt. It really hurts. We were always told to never get close with servants, but how can you not get close to someone whom you see every day? You laugh with them, You cry with them, you play with them & along the way we become friends. And losing a friend always hurts."

James looked at Adeline, who was now looking at the fire with an expressionless face. He always thought she was a mature one, but now it seemed she was on another level, which he could never reach. Her words were deep filled with emotions & she talked as if she had experienced these things countless times.

"Adeline, how do you..."

"You know, brother, if we have to walk on this road called life, then we are bound to get into troubles, but that doesn't mean we should just stop walking. Life is a journey... Some reach the end before time, some never reach the end, but there is one thing that will stand no matter how you put it and that is we have to keep walking. No matter how far or near the end is, we have to walk.

Some days will be sunny... some days will be rainy.... some days will be cold & some days will be warm but days always went by & time always flew by. We can't hold on to a moment telling ourselves that it's the only reality.

We have to see the world before us, not behind us. We have to accept this reality. They are gone & it is the bitter truth. There is no one in this world who can bring them back. Accept it & walk ahead as looking down never suits you.

I know you are sad, but if you keep standing here, expecting this nightmare to end, then... It will never end. Nothing will ever change. Their sacrifices will turn into dust just like these bodies."

"So I ask you once again, Leonhart Tristan Von Esper, what's your decision?" asked Adeline in a tone that blew away all the confusion formed inside James' mind. He wasn't seeing the reality. He was expecting someone to change the things done by him. But the problem was him all along.

James had to accept the truth & pay the price. He had to make their sacrifices worth it, otherwise their deaths would mean nothing.

"I will find them & make them pay for this." answered Leon in a tone full of determination. There was a goal & he had to achieve it, no matter the cost.

Seeing the unassailable look in her brother's eyes, a soft yet broken smile appeared on Adeline's face. Leon was never a weak person, but the trauma had got the best of him. He needed those words & she knew what she had to do.

These moments were painful, but if ignored, it could lead to something no one can ever expect.

Things were taking a turn for the worst & this was just the beginning. Many things were going to happen which could shake the very core of this duchy and they had to be prepared.

***

"I think it's time to wake up, James."

"What?"

"Good Night!"

"No...No...Noooo..."

Bang!