83~ No Longer Stranger to Myself

Elyes was gazing at the distant mountains when Wail approached and stopped beside him. The sky was overcast, and silence hung over the place.

Without turning toward him, Elyes asked coldly,

"Are you done?"

Wail replied in the same tone,

"Yes... You should go and talk to her."

Elyes narrowed his eyes in annoyance.

"Tch. Not again... I'll comfort her later."

Silence fell between them for a few moments before Elyes broke it with a more serious question.

"What now?"

Wail looked at him in surprise, prompting Elyes to repeat,

"What are you planning to do this time?"

Wail answered calmly,

"I'll continue training, and then we'll begin searching for..."

Elyes interrupted him, raising his voice.

"That's not what I'm asking, you idiot! Are you planning to leave again?"

Wail turned his gaze back toward the horizon.

"Yes... I have to."

Anger spread across Elyes's face. He was about to respond, but Wail continued before he could.

"I won't lie to you... I wanted Evelyn to erase all your memories of me, then leave. But she escaped, and I have no idea where I could find her."

Elyes stepped forward until he was standing directly in front of Wail, blocking his view of the horizon. He opened his mouth to say something, but hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"I think we're having the same argument all over again... But this time, you haven't even told me why you're acting this way."

Wail lowered his gaze slightly before answering.

"I can't rule out the possibility that more people I want to protect will die... I wanted to leave so I wouldn't grow even more attached to them."

He clenched his fists, hesitating before adding in a quiet voice,

"I can't bear... losing anyone else."

Elyes relaxed his clenched hand, then asked calmly,

"Why don't you become stronger and protect them?"

"I've already become stronger, and yet I still couldn't..."

Elyes smiled.

"You defeated the enemy who wanted to kill every last one of your companions. You protected us, Wail."

Wail hesitated before replying,

"Even so... If I grow more attached to you, I'll only put you in greater danger in the future."

Elyes placed a hand on Wail's shoulder and spoke firmly.

"Even if loving others puts them in danger... I'll keep loving them."

But Wail replied coldly,

"I did... And look what it turned me into."

Elyes's eyes widened. He couldn't find the words to respond.

Wail removed his hand from his shoulder, turned around, and began walking away.

But Elyes refused to give up. He called after him in a serious voice.

"No matter how difficult life becomes... Don't let someone else's words make you give up."

Wail stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening slightly.

His brother Vale's question echoed in his mind:

"If you were asked to sacrifice some of your friends to prevent even more of them from dying, would you accept?"

Elyes continued,

"Don't forget your dreams... or the promises you made to yourself."

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Wail remembered his conversation with Yassin about his dream that day:

"Hmm... Someone kind who helps people!"

Then he recalled the promise he had made to Sara and Amira:

"I'll protect everyone, even if it costs me my life!"

Elyes continued speaking.

"It's okay to take a different path... And it's okay to stop for a while."

Then he called out to him again.

"Wail!"

Wail slowly turned around, but couldn't bring himself to reply.

Elyes smiled confidently and finished,

"Keep moving forward, and don't leave yourself behind, my friend!"

Wail said nothing. He simply looked up at the sky, while Elyes noticed how deeply his words had affected him.

Suddenly, Wail's aura erupted, and he shot into the sky, flying away from the place.

Elyes watched him disappear into the distance before smiling to himself.

"You can get through this, Wail... I'm sure of it."

---

Wail landed on the hill where he often went to sit. He leaned against the tree at its center and closed his eyes for a few moments.

Elsewhere, within the city's walls, people were celebrating after news spread that everyone had returned to normal and the phenomenon of the mindless ones had come to an end.

Reports began emerging about reconstruction efforts and repairs underway across the affected areas. Activity gradually returned to places people had abandoned, and residents began returning to their homes.

Amid the celebrations, someone was watching Wail's aura as it crossed the sky before descending somewhere nearby.

---

Nearly an hour passed, and evening arrived.

Wail was still sitting in the same place, gazing at the horizon. The clouds had grown thicker, and darkness was gradually spreading across the sky.

He heard footsteps approaching until they stopped beside him. Their owner then sat down.

It was Dua.

She didn't say anything at first, simply sitting beside him. Wail looked at her with his usual cold expression, but he didn't speak either.

The two continued gazing at the horizon for a while until Wail finally broke the silence.

"We... won."

Dua smiled and answered enthusiastically,

"Yes! Everyone has returned to normal, thanks to you and your friends!"

Wail gave a faint smile but said nothing.

Dua noticed his expression and turned toward him.

"Wail... You don't seem happy, even after your victory."

Before she could continue, Wail remembered Amira's words when she had said the same thing and asked whether everything was all right.

He thought to himself,

No one can see what's inside me...

But Dua surprised him with a different question.

"You're tired of everything, aren't you?"

Wail's eyes widened slightly as she continued,

"Tired of thinking... Tired of everything that's happening to you... And you don't want to listen to anyone anymore, do you?"

She then placed her hand over his and spoke with a faint smile.

"You've done everything you could. Whatever you did, I'm sure you chose what you believed was right... And I'm proud of you."

Wail stared at her in astonishment.

She's not like everyone else... She understands me better than anyone.

His expression was troubled, a mixture of sadness and anxiety beneath the coldness he had grown accustomed to showing. He wanted to say something, but didn't know how to begin.

He looked away and murmured hesitantly,

"I..."

But he couldn't finish.

Suddenly, Dua lightly punched his shoulder and teased him.

"Come on! Look at me! Don't look away !"

Wail turned toward her, confusion still written across his face.

But her voice grew softer and more reassuring.

"Tell me honestly, Wail... How long are you planning to keep all this sadness bottled up inside you?"

The coldness in his expression gradually began to fade.

Dua continued,

"You always act as though you're strong and everything is fine... But your eyes have been telling me that you need to rest ever since the very first day we met!"

More of Wail's cold expression disappeared. He clenched his teeth, struggling to hold himself together.

Dua smiled before continuing.

"Always remember... When you feel like you're carrying too much inside, when you feel you can't take any more, you don't have to face everything alone!"

She paused for a moment, then added with a warm smile,

"I'm always here. I'll listen whenever you want to talk... And if you don't feel like talking, I'll simply sit beside you until you feel better."

At that moment, orange rays of sunlight slipped through the clouds, illuminating their faces as the sun approached the horizon.

Dua's eyes widened when she noticed the change in Wail's expression.

The coldness and shock had completely disappeared. Tears began streaming from both his eyes, and at last, his innocent expression returned.

He spoke in a pained, broken voice.

"I... I can't take... any more."

Dua smiled and gently embraced him.

Wail rested his head on her lap and burst into tears.

"I... I want to think better... to act better... to love better... I want to become a better person..."

The words came out with difficulty, broken by his sobs and the tears he had been holding back for so long.

Dua didn't interrupt him. She simply held him and smiled.

"I've... been through so much... More than you can imagine..."

Dua leaned closer to his ear and whispered,

"I know how painful it was..."

Within seconds, images of all the difficult moments he had been through flashed through Wail's mind, one after another.

"Yes... It was painful... I was scared... I was sad... I thought it would never end..."

Dua gently stroked his hair and said softly,

"But it's over now..."

Wail raised his head slightly and looked at her.

"Really?"

She nodded, then turned her gaze toward the sunset.

"True, sunset marks the end of the day... But it also reminds us that endings can be beautiful!"

She looked at him again.

"You did everything you could, and you protected all of us, Wail... Don't you think it's time you got some rest?"

Wail gave a faint smile, one unlike any of his previous smiles.

It was the first genuinely innocent smile to appear on his face in a very long time.

Then he asked hesitantly,

"Is it... okay if I rest for a while?"

Dua laughed and answered,

"Of course! You should rest for a while. Then you can return to training, become stronger, and protect us again."

Wail wiped away his tears, then turned toward the sunset and watched it in silence while Dua looked at him.

Several minutes passed until the sun finally disappeared beyond the horizon.

Suddenly, Wail's face turned red, and he hurriedly sat up from Dua's lap, flustered.

"I-I didn't mean to..."

He couldn't finish his sentence, and Dua burst out laughing.

Wail watched her for a few moments before smiling shyly.

Dua laughed as she asked,

"This is the real Wail, isn't it?"

He smiled and replied,

"Yes... I'm back."

He stood up, then added in a more resolute voice,

"I won't forget everything that happened, and I won't pretend I've moved on from it... I'll simply accept it and try to become a better person."

Dua stood up as well and nodded with a smile.

"Yes... And I'm sure you can do it."

They looked at each other for a few moments before Wail asked,

"What are you going to do now?"

Dua's smile gradually faded, replaced by a hint of sadness.

"Honestly, I don't know... Maybe I'll return to my grandmother's house, or..."

She stopped without finishing, but Wail took her hand and said,

"I'll take you there... After that, you can decide what you want to do."

Dua nodded, and Wail flew away with her.

---

In different places, everyone's lives gradually began returning to normal.

Sif continued treating Adam with his energy, while Adam tried to find a new fighting style that suited his condition and would allow him to fight again.

Elsewhere, Mark and Raouf were training alongside Zino, Zaki, and Dill.

As for Amin, he sat alone atop a rock in the middle of the night, silently reflecting as sparks of fire continuously flickered around his body.

At Elyes's house, he held Amira in his arms as she slept. He raised his head toward the ceiling and wondered,

I wonder... Have you thought about what I said?

---

The scene returned to Wail after he had taken Dua to her grandmother's house.

Dua stood in front of the door, then turned toward him and asked,

"Are you leaving? Isn't it rather late?"

Wail answered,

"Yes, but I have to go."

Dua smiled.

"You can stay here tonight if you want."

"No, it's fine! I won't be long before I'm back home."

"Suit yourself."

Dua was about to go inside when Wail called out to her.

"Dua..."

She turned toward him.

"Will we meet again?"

Dua smiled, her cheeks turning slightly red before she answered,

"You idiot! Are you planning to leave me after everything that's happened?"

Wail's face turned red as well, and he quickly replied,

"No, that's not what I meant! I mean... When will we meet again?!"

Dua laughed.

"Get as much rest as you can, and you can call me whenever you want, okay?"

Wail nodded with a smile, and Dua went inside.

He watched her for a few moments before rising high into the sky. He stopped at a great height and gazed at the stars and the moon.

After a few moments, he flew away.

He placed a hand over his chest and felt a lightness he hadn't experienced in a long time, as though a tremendous weight had finally been lifted from his heart.

Then he noticed a smile forming on his face without him even realizing it.

At that moment, Yassin's voice echoed in his mind, and he felt an arm resting on his shoulder from behind.

"You already carry burdens in your heart... So why carry hatred as well?"

Wail suddenly stopped and quickly turned around, but there was no one there.

He smiled when he realized those words were nothing more than what he had imagined Yassin would say to him.

He thought to himself,

Resentment... Hatred... Revenge... They're what brought me to this state.

Then he looked up at the sky once more.

I'll become stronger... So I never let these feelings control me again.

Wail smiled with confidence before flying away.

The scene ended with Yassin's voice:

"Someday, you'll find the right answer... My dear student."