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And with that, I took all the energy I had left, utilizing it for this final blow. I run up to the Dark Lord with the sword in my hands, jumping as high as I could as I swing it in the direction I knew would be the most damaging. Then he screeches, his deep cries echoing throughout the throne room for the last time as his body falls down, destroying that heavy necklace that sat around his neck.
After all those months.
After everything I've experienced. Every tragedy, every reunion, every town I've come across. After weeks and weeks of bonding, training, losing, and gaining, I've.. done it— I won. We won. It's finally over, and everybody's safe. I mean— I could have sworn I saw the Dark Lord's soul fly out. Imagination or not though, the one problem I've wanted to solve is gone.
For once in my life, I felt like I achieved something truly important. My bones and joints still aching from that piercing nightmare I was thrown into, I managed to do a cool pose and smile, dramatically bowing down in a theatrical manner in front of my friends. Is this what true satisfaction feels like?
"Did I look cool?" I struggle to ask, my bleeding face still not fully integrated into my body. I can't imagine how this must feel for the others, who've lost their face for more than a flimsy 15 minutes.
"Indeed you did, Forest Vine #82," Jonah chuckled softly as I slowly make my way across the room, towards the rest of my friends while wiping the blood off my face.
I shake my head at him, since I'm surprised he STILL remembers the cheesecake incident.
"Let it go, buddy. I saved you, so now YOU owe ME a cheesecake. To put it simply, we're even."
"Right, as if you've forgotten that time you put a padlock on the food stash so I wouldn't get midnight snacks."
"I didn't care about the snacks, I cared tha— WHUH!?"
Startled by the sudden noise behind me, I trip on myself and land on both my knees. For the guardian's sake, I just defeated the Dark Lord and I'm STILL moving downwards!?
"Are you okay?"
"Oh— yeah, thanks for worrying though, Morris."
"Hate to interrupt, but I can hear something beneath the Dark Lord's robes. I don't think w—"
"Sonya, this isn't a badly written superhero movie. You don't need to go 'he's right behind me, isn't he' on me. It's just Sophie."
"You mean— THE Great Sage Sophie?!"
Sophie, who seems to have appeared out of nowhere, lifted up the Dark Lord's cape, revealing... a man? He looked like if the Dark Lord was a human. And not ugly. He literally just looks like some normal guy— is this who we've been fighting? Who is this person? Curious, I limp towards them after dropping my sword on the ground.
"Whuh," exasperatingly groans the man, who seemed to be heavily disoriented. "What.. on earth?"
"You're alright now, Stan," Sophie murmured. Normal Stan, who was breathing heavily with his eyes wide open, strutted towards one of the windows of what used to be the Dark Lord's throne room.
"Did I.. Am I... I feel so... weird," he blubbered as he left the room.
"From the looks of it," rejoiced Sophie, who was gazing at the broken necklace on the floor, at Stan, and then back at me. "..you just beat the Dark Lord."
I smile, and then wipe the blood off my face again. "Exactly! Can't spell W-Eclipse-inning without Eclipse! Or.. something."
"Can't say I'm too surprised. I knew you had it in you!"
"I did something important too!" says Jonah, who caught up to me along with Sonya and Morris. Of course he pulls this shit... can't say I don't miss this, though.
Sonya groans. "Jonah! Don't butt in! That's Great Sage Sophie right there,, y'know?"
"I mean, isn't he right?" goes Morris, shrugging at Sonya.
As my friends banter, I cover the blood on my face with my cape and go back to where my sword was. Examining the view through the nearest window, I can see the beauty in this volcano world too. Before I'd completed this quest, everything has been endless misery stacking on each other like a sloppily formed sandwich left on the counter for 4 days. But now... I'm back to who I was before. No— I'm an improvement of them. Smiling, I gaze at the ceiling of the throne room. Since when was there a blue chandelier with an eye on i—
It turned to face me, its single eye pointing straight at me. Intrigued and threatened, I stare back at its wispy form, grasping my sword with both my hands in case it were to attack. So THAT'S what I saw come out of the necklace.
The wisp's glare got stronger every second I wasn't running away, and it felt like I was putting myself in more danger.
I should go back. This isn't safe for me, I decided, bolting back to where the others were.
Before I could reach them, I felt a magnetic force pushing me down, causing me to fall to my knees yet again. I was trying to get up, however, I couldn't run anymore. In fact, I can't move. All I can do is kneel, with the sensation of my knees being rooted to the ground by my veins. My eyes aren't closing, and the wound on my face is bleeding faster than it was before.
"S..."
That's all I could manage to say, with the feeling of my jaw being on the verge of falling off.
I guess this is it, then.
For a brief moment, time stops. I can feel the presence of the Guardian surrounding me, but instead of safety, all I feel is a hollow anticipation.
And I swear. For at least half a second, I was able to feel the embodiment of chaos distributed by what was once the key to saving the world.
Then I hear a piercing voice; somebody was yelling from the top of their lungs.
"LOOK OUT!" echoed a voice. Once smooth and calming, their now panic-stricken yell shot through the sound barrier. Sophie.
Standing between myself and the blue phantom, the one-way path leading to what could have been the end of me was interrupted.
"WAIT, NO—!" I managed to sputter out with the little strength I had, despite the sensation of a thousand vines tugging on my throat.
Waving the Great Sage's staff around, I inhale. Then I exhale, pointing it at my target: my one pillow.
"I think I'm getting the hang of it— ACK! Never mind!!" Staring at the burning mess on the floor, I sigh. So much for having two pillows, I think to myself. But before anything else, I have to clean this u—
Great. Just great. He was watching?? "HEY—" I scream, startled.
"...You saw nothing. Please, go back so I can... fix nothing. Okay? Okay."
Shit. She wasn't supposed to know I was as much of a screw-up as I knew I was. What if they stop assisting me? Wait— that thought's too selfish. See what I mean?? I think about myself too much, shouldn't that be enough to want them to leave?
Smiling, Sophie shakes his head at me. "No no, keep going! That was phenomenal!"
"I messed up the spell AND took your staff. What's so phenomenal about that?"
"Still, it was a pretty damaging blow. Faces would be flying back to their owners if you used a move that impressive!"
She thinks I'm... impressive?
"I-I was trying to duplicate my pillow, not blow up the bed. I mean— wouldn't that make it the exact opposite of 'impressive'?" I answer back.
Okay. The Great Sage thinking negatively of me isn't gonna end very well for me, but it'll be better than them thinking of me positively under a false light, right? Especially after all those times my actions ruined my own and everyone else's lives?
The Great Sage, turning to me with a sorrowful expression, sighed. "Hold on now—"
"I know I'm probably wasting your time right now. But you really don't need to throw me a pity party, okay?" I declare as I cut him off. Removing my hat, I place it back on top of my tank, recharging its energy. "You've done WAY too much for me already, and all I can ever really do back is.. thank you. So... giving you a break from me is the least I can do."
She didn't respond.
Was that too much? Was I being too rude?? How do I tell her I don't want to waste their time without being rude to him??
Maybe the best I could do is just.. wish him a good night. I turn to Sophie one last time, handing them the staff back. "Goodn—"
"Pardon me," Sophie whispered. "It truly wasn't my intention to bother you. I apologize." She turns away, ready to leave.
I messed it up again, didn't I?
"Huh?! Wait, you weren't doing anything wrong. I didn't mean to—" I pause, as the Great Sage turns to me again. "I was just going to bed— well.. the floor, since I exploded my bed. Typical me moment, y'know what I mean?"
Still looking clueless, the Great Sage continues to eye me. "I mean.. we're gonna neeeeed to rest well since we're going back to looking for faces tomorrow..?"
"May we talk for a moment? I'll not be long."
"I— Of course, Great Sa— Sophie. What's up?"
Sophie walks towards the stairs that lead to the roof of the inn, signaling for me to follow them. "First off," he states, "I admire your determination, you know.. It's quite nice seeing you pursue your goal with all you've got."
"Well.. I try. Thanks," I stammer back.
She pauses for a moment, wiping the dust off the handle on the stairs. "Secondly, it's not all on you, you know?"
I gasp, and then gaze at Sophie. "What's not?"
"As I've noticed, you're not in your usual mood lately. Is there anything you're holding back from me?"
I ponder for a moment, debating on whether or not I should tell them anything. Like.. she's asking, but do I want to tell him? I panic. "Well... yeah, but I don't— I mean— You—"
Maybe I should say a little. Leaving Sophie hanging like that wouldn't be very great, I mean, if anything I'd just end up owing them more.
"I don't want to bother you with anything personal," I admit. "I mean— I'm already wasting your time with this quest stuff, aren't I? You're... uh.. important. Too important."
"Oh? Why do you think that?"
As I try to think of what to say next, Sophie opens the door to the rooftop, hot wind blowing on our faces.
Distracted, I begin to stutter. "It's just that— I mean.. Everywhere I go, everyone's like.. 'Great Sage Sophie something something important stuff I'm not updated on' and I'm just.. doing my own thing and still messing it up," I explain in a rushed manner, pacing around the rooftop. "I mean— even with the help of a guardian spirit, I couldn't save my friends. I switched jobs twice. Why would someone of your importance assist someone like me?"
Sitting down, the Great Sage gives me a sad look, sighing. "You know, you've no need to treat me like we're not companions."
"Huh?"
"In my observations, you've gotten a lot less casual around me since you've been to Neksdor."
"I mean," I defensively respond, "I just found out that you were more important than I first thought. Didn't want to disrespect you by, uh.. y'know." I hesitate, but she gestures for me to keep going.
"Plus," I continue slowly, "doesn't help that everyone I've met started calling me important. I mean— they'd flip out if they knew what I did, and they'd hate me instead of ignoring m—"
I think I said too much. "Ah shit," I groan, stopping myself. "I.. didn't mean to dump it all on you, sorry."
Smiling, Sophie touches my shoulder. "No worries, really." He stands up, and stops looking at me, their gaze being distorted by their own thoughts. "We're quite similar in that way, actually."
"We— I.... huh."
The Great Sage looks at the flakes and specks of fire hovering and falling around the area. "I suppose it's best if you continued on your path the way you forged it," she advised. Turning to me, he walks back to the door. "Trying to be the greatest for those around you," they say, "...won't do you any good."
Perplexed, I give her a confused look. "I.. don't understand what you mean by that."
"My final piece of advice for you," Great Sage Sophie says as we re-enter the inn, "is that you don't lose yourself trying to find anyone else. They'll accept your help only if they're willing to."
I stare at her blankly. "Huh." Not knowing what to say next, I impulsively give him a hug, which they surprisingly accept. "Thanks, Sophie."
"You're very welcome," they chuckle. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I got a bed to fix."
I let go immediately. "Wait— Hey, no, don't fix my bed!! That one was my fault, so I should—" I rush back to where Sophie was headed: my room. I noticed that the bed was finally fixed as I watched her step out. "...Right, I forgot your staff could do that." I hold my pillow, noticing another one sticking out from under the sheets. "Thanks for duplicating my pillow," I add right before Sophie exits my vicinity.
Before I knew it, the room flashed white, and I was flung backwards by the raw energy releasing from what caused it. I felt the pull of the universe let go of the grip it had of me as I shook, trying to maintain my balance while I stand back up. Right in front of me was the Great Sage's staff, lying on the stone floor.
"Don't lose yourself trying to find anyone else."
Those words repeated in my mind as I watched what happened.
My friends worriedly run to me through the smoke that now covered the room, shivering in fear as it gets less visible. Sonya picks up the staff, now waving it alongside her own at the source of the smoke while Morris and Jonah help me keep my balance.
Time, moving slow as ever even during this moment, felt more like a slap to the face. I felt a weight being lifted off my shoulders since the magnetic force had stopped pushing against me.
But I still can't do anything.
The words repeat again, even modifying themselves in the process. Don't lose yourself trying to find someone who ruined your life.
So why?
The smoke clears out. Amidst it hovered a robed demon with swirly hair of a deep blue, a golden necklace similar to Dark Lord Stan's, and the face of who used to be the Great Sage.
The demonic figure starts cackling, his voice spreading across the room, reaching the hall that lead to it. "Sweet," he remarks. "This face comes with a cool new body!"
Normally, I'd yell a witty insult.
Normally, I'd attack with all I had until my last breath.
Normally, I'd formulate a plan with my friends, and we'd set it in motion.
But I still can't do anything.
Spinning around in delight, the demon smirks, his face mocking those that stare back. "WOOOOO! Talk about a makeover!" He moves his hands in motions and gestures with the speed of a fly surrounding moldy food, materializing a staff of the same material as his necklace. "Are you joking? I get Great Sage powers too?!"
Part of me feels.. enraged. Insulted. That part of me feels the emotional pain inflicted upon me when I saw it happen. But despite all that, I can barely even feel at all. All I can do is stand motionless, staring at what should've been my fate. A billion questions raced inside my head, but I couldn't grasp a single one; I could only repeat that scene in my head, with that same quote taunting me alongside it.
Don't lose yourself. Trying to find.
Someone who isn't worth it.
"This is even better than being a Dark Lord," screeches the demon. "I'm now.. an even Darker Lord."
I couldn't help but briefly think, Great, this guy couldn't even pick a better nickname than just a repeat of the old one? But despite the attempt to make myself feel better, I still felt the same numbness consuming me as I watched the Darker Lord cackle as he disappeared.
How could I let this happen?
Why did I let this happen?