56_ Promise at Sunset

Adam and Noah stood motionless, looking around in confusion.

At first, neither of them could understand how they had been transported to this place. However, they soon realized that everyone else was there with them.

Zino was carrying Zaki instead of Sif, who had gone to treat Amin, Elyes, and Wail.

Adam and Noah exchanged glances.

"What happened?" Adam asked.

Then he added, "We were transported here by some kind of electrical energy."

The two exchanged another glance.

The same suspicion had begun to form in both their minds.

The energy they had felt earlier...

Aetherion's energy.

Several hours later, Sif had finished treating Elyes and moved on to Amin.

Meanwhile, Wail began to stir.

His eyes slowly opened.

"What...? Where am I?"

He suddenly sat up, alarmed.

"Aetherion!!!"

He froze when he saw his friends standing before him.

Adam hurried over.

"Wail, calm down... Everything is fine for now."

Wail looked at him.

"Adam? What are you doing here? I was..."

Noah interrupted him.

"You were fighting, and we were about to reach you."

He furrowed his brows.

"But we were suddenly transported here, and we have no idea why."

Wail lowered his head.

The image of the two men with red eyes returned to his mind.

He whispered, "Aetherion..."

Noah spoke in a serious tone.

"Aetherion..."

He looked Wail directly in the eyes.

"You've repeated that name twice. Who is he?"

Wail slowly stood up.

His wounds had begun to heal on their own, though the process was slow.

Noah raised his voice.

"Wail, answer me! Who is Aetherion?!"

Wail said nothing.

He began walking away.

He passed everyone without uttering a word.

Noah grew frustrated and reached out to stop him.

But at that very moment...

He felt something terrifying behind him.

He spun around.

Amin was standing there.

"Leave him alone," Amin said calmly.

Noah stared at him in confusion.

Amin continued.

"You couldn't endure even a fraction of the shock he's going through after everything that has happened to him."

He turned his face away.

"Just leave him alone."

Noah froze.

That terrifying aura he had felt for a brief moment...

It had come from Amin.

He stared at him.

"Tell us... What happe..."

Amin cut him off.

"And leave me alone, too."

Everyone froze.

"Amin..." Zino said.

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He stepped a little closer.

"You've all just come out of a brutal battle. We're a team, and we need to understand what's going on so we can face the danger if it returns."

Amin didn't look back.

He continued walking.

His fist clenched.

Sif spoke up.

"Amin, this isn't the time to split up."

Amin stopped.

"Wail left without saying a word. If you leave, too, what are we supposed to do? We need to stick together and find some answers."

Amin slowly turned around.

"Answers?!"

His voice rose.

"And what will answers change, you fools?!"

Everyone fell silent.

Amin continued.

"Will they bring back the power of those bastards?"

He clenched his fist tightly.

"Will they stop us from collapsing unconscious in every battle?"

Adam approached him and grabbed his forearm, trying to calm him down.

"Amin, calm down..."

Then he continued.

"We've all felt the same way. Being weak isn't something to be ashamed of if..."

Amin violently shook off his hand.

An intense fiery aura erupted from his body.

"Weak?!"

He glared at them, his eyes burning with anger and bitterness.

"Are you talking to me about weakness?!All you ever talk about is the stupidity of friendship and teamwork!"

He turned to face them completely.

"Enough with all this nonsense about teams and friends!!"

"Our being together here is nothing but an illusion that gives us a false sense of security!"

Silence fell over the group.

Amin's voice trembled, not with fear...

But under the weight of defeat and anger.

"Every time we face a problem, we rely on one another to replace for our weaknesses..."

He remembered the end of their battle against Bahaa, when he had ended up unconscious.

Then he remembered their battle against Noel and Dark...

When he had been nothing more than a helping hand.

He continued, his voice growing heavier.

"And in the end..."

He lowered his eyes.

"We end up lying on the ground, waiting for miracles."

He raised his head again.

"I can't stand looking at myself anymore, knowing I can't protect anything."

"If I truly want to become stronger..."

He clenched his fist.

"Then I have to cut this rope."

He turned away.

"I have to walk my own path!"

He didn't wait for a reply.

His fiery aura flared, and he took off into the sky, flying away at high speed.

The others remained where they were.

Not one of them knew what to say.

They all understood one thing...

Wail and Amin were no longer the people they had known before this battle.

Sif looked at Elyes.

"That leaves only Elyes..."

---

The City

Less than a week later, on an evening...

The orange glow of the setting sun spread across the city.

In one of its parks, Amira sat on a bench, with a present and a cake box beside her.

She gazed at the sunset, a faint sadness on her face.

Footsteps approached from behind her.

She didn't hear them.

The person drew closer until he was standing right behind her.

His expression was completely cold.

He raised a hand and rubbed his face, trying to force a smile onto it.

But when he noticed Amira gazing at the sunset...

His smile changed.

It became faint and genuine.

In a voice barely above a whisper, he asked,

"Have you finally found the answer to that question?"

It was Wail's voice.

Amira's eyes widened.

Yet she didn't turn around.

She continued looking at the sunset.

The memory returned to her of the moment she had first encountered Wail watching the sunset.

"I wonder... What do you see, Wail?"

She smiled faintly.

"So you finally show up without saying anything?"

Wail scratched his head awkwardly.

"Huh? But I... I did say something, didn't I?"

Amira replied in the same calm tone.

"That's not what I meant..."

She turned to face him.

"You..."

Wail finished her sentence.

"I know I'm late."

He tried to smile again.

"But I'm here now, aren't I? And I..."

His words trailed off.

Amira looked directly at him and was startled to see a large bandage covering the left side of his face.

Yet she didn't panic.

Her voice turned serious.

"Wail..."

Then she said,

"Those fake expressions don't suit you."

Wail stopped.

The smile vanished from his face.

He made no attempt to bring it back.

He sat down beside Amira.

The two remained silent, facing the sunset.

For a while, neither of them spoke.

Eventually, Wail broke the silence.

"What flavor did you get?"

Amira glanced at the cake box.

"Strawberry... Just the way you like it."

She handed it to him.

She was about to give him a lighter to light the candle, but then she stopped.

Wail released a few electric sparks from his hand, using them to light the candle.

Then he blew it out.

Amira smiled.

"Happy birthday, Wail... I hope you always find happiness in your life."

Her eyes widened as she watched Wail's smile slowly fade.

"Wail? What's wrong?" she asked anxiously.

Wail replied in a pained voice.

"I know I've made you worry about me... I'm truly sorry, but I can't help it..."

Amira answered,

"I understand... Going back to living a normal life after everything that's happened... I know it isn't easy."

Wail raised his head.

Amira continued.

"I'm honestly amazed... After everything you've been through, after everything that's happened to you... you still keep trying to protect us with everything you've got."

She lowered her head.

"Meanwhile, I've been feeling sorry for myself just because you couldn't make it to your birthday..."

Her eyes began to fill with tears, and a pained smile appeared on her face.

"I'm such an idiot..."

Wail placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Amira..."

She looked at him.

Wail began removing the bandage from his face.

Amira froze when she saw the scar left by the injury to his eye.

"I didn't leave because I wanted to"

"I wanted to become stronger so I could protect you all... and protect myself."

He continued.

"And because I wasn't strong enough... I lost my eye."

Amira placed her hand over his injured eye.

She was tense, frightened by what she had seen.

Wail held her hand and smiled.

"Calm down... There's nothing to worry about."

But Amira couldn't calm herself.

Her anxiety only grew. Wail tightened his grip on her shoulder and raised his voice.

"Amira!!"

She finally stopped.

She simply couldn't accept what she had seen.

Wail spoke.

"I lost this eye fighting to protect you. And I'll keep doing it, even if it costs me my life."

Amira couldn't stop her tears.

"Then stop... It's not worth hurting yourself like this..."

Wail replied,

"It is worth it."

Pain deepened in Amira's voice.

"Why do you always do this?! Why do you hurt yourself without caring about what happens to you? Why?!"

Wail looked at her with a calm smile.

In a reassuring voice, he said,

"Because I..."

---

Yassin sat with Wail on the mountain hill.

He looked at the boy and asked,

"What do you want to become when you grow up?"

Wail answered excitedly, a bright smile on his face.

"Me? Hmmmm... A good person!! Someone who can protect everyone!!"

Yassin smiled.

"That's a good answer, kid..."

---

The scene returned to the present.

"Because I... promised him."

Amira's eyes widened, and she fell silent.

She saw Wail wearing his calm smile as the orange light of the setting sun reflected across his face. Tears streamed from his right eye.

He continued.

"I promised him that I would protect you all... And to do that, I have to become stronger... and keep fighting until the very end..."

Amira lowered her head.

Her tears gradually began to subside.

Wail noticed the tears that had fallen from his eye. He wiped them away, then wrapped the bandage around his left eye once more.

"All right!! Let's taste what you brought!"

He put a piece of cake into his mouth.

His eyes widened slightly.

"This is really delicious!!"

He continued eating.

As Amira wiped her eyes, Wail offered her a piece of cake.

"Here!! It's really good!!"

Amira took it and ate it.

Then she smiled.

Suddenly, Wail remembered the present.

Amira handed it to him.

"Ooooh! A present!!"

Wail opened it.

The moment he saw what was inside, he was taken aback.

Then a spontaneous smile spread across his face.

"It's beautiful..."

Amira told him,

"I knew you'd love it the moment I saw it!"

Wail replied,

"It's the most beautiful thing I've ever received..."

Then he looked at her.

"I'll put it in the cabin on the mountain hill... I want to see it whenever I feel like giving up."

Wail raised the glass globe toward the sun.

The orange light reflected more brightly across its surface.

Inside the globe was a miniature landscape resembling the mountain hill.

A green meadow, a daytime sky, and a waterfall flowing from the top of a snow-capped mountain.

When Wail held the globe in front of the sun, it looked as though the sunset itself had descended into that tiny world.

He turned to Amira.

"Thank you... for everything."

Then he stood up.

"But I didn't do anything!!" Amira replied.

Wail said goodbye.

"I might disappear again... I think you already know that."

Amira frowned slightly, but soon regained her composure.

"Yes... But if you're going to do that, tell me first so I'll know!"

Wail laughed.

"Hahaha, all right. I will..."

He turned toward her and spoke in a serious tone.

"Amira... I'm going to disappear again."

"I know..." she replied.

Wail looked up at the sky.

"There are people we still need to deal with... And who knows? We might find Bahaa along the way."

Amira was startled to hear that.

Wail continued,

"Do you think I'd forget him? There's no way I'd ever forget my first friend... and your beloved!"

Amira said in a lower voice:

"Beloved? I'm..."

and then she smiled:

"I'm counting on you..."

The two looked at each other for a few moments.

Then Wail replied,

"Of course!!"

He left.

Amira stood watching him as he gradually walked away.

Then she turned to head home.

As Wail continued walking, he glanced back.

He saw her leaving.

Then he turned his gaze toward the horizon.

His expression was ordinary, devoid of worry or happiness.

For the first time in a long while...

He looked like a normal person.

His natural, innocent view of the world had returned after a long nightmare.

As he stood there, gazing toward the horizon with the same expression...

The scene changed.

The city was replaced by devastation.

Fire burned everywhere.

The ground lay shattered.

Smoke polluted the sky.

It was as though a piece of hell had fallen upon the earth.

And as Wail remained standing in the same position...

His expression changed.

The calm vanished.

Absolute coldness returned to his face.

The relaxed look disappeared from his eyes, replaced by a harsh, piercing stare, devoid of any trace of the humanity that had surfaced just moments earlier.

Three years had passed between the two scenes.

Three years had been enough...

To force Wail to live through that nightmare all over again.