Tired breathing and heavy footsteps, these were heard in the middle of a forest. It was already late in the night, almost everyone was already asleep, enjoying a peaceful dream. Only a few were awake, those who were on duty and those who was still doing something.He had been walking for who knows how long, yet his mind was in chaos, he was barefooted and wounds were already visible on them.
On the shadow he could only follow, he"ll stop him when it was too dangerous. But upon seeing that another was just following, he didn"t dare show himself. He shall wait on what plans the other have come up.
By just stopping this person with his first attempt surely he will still have a second or a third, or maybe a fourth and he may not stop until he succeeds. So what does this person plan? Why would he only follow him? These were the questions in his mind as Dai follows Yukimura who was also being followed by Raven.
Raven obviously knew that Dai was just in the shadows, he was truly amazed by this person, even without abilities he can still make himself blend well with the shadow. He himself couldn"t even trace Dai without fully concentrating.
He then look ahead and watch Leo stagger a few times but still kept walking towards a certain place.
Back when they saved Eureka and Azusa from the kidnappers, it took them the whole morning by horse, that is more or less 6 hours. When Azusa found out about it, she almost couldn"t stop herself from laughing, for you can actually walk towards it and it would only take you three hours at most. That is if you are not running.
Everyone was obviously shocked, even Akihiro and Yukimura. Azusa then told them of another way. It was a way that her family would take if they were not coming by horse.
They have a house within the city but since Leo was fond of training, he also built a house on top of a moutain, where it was close to another cliff. And since he really loves training he created a path where you can walk and would arrive in the kingdom at a faster rate.
She was just shocked that her father never mentioned it to his friends.
It is also that same path, Layla took upon finding out that Leo was their enemy, Haruka and Mutsumi was just bothered upon knowing that she was not on her bed that morning so they seek help instantly.
Since their group was running and Layla was just walking they were able to catch up and witness the conversation between Layla and Eureka.
And now, it was that same path Leo had took and the three of them had been walking for a whole two hours. Leo"s pale face and his ragged breathing indicates that he hadn"t fully recovered yet.
"He really went mad I suppose," Raven couldn"t help but think as he followed Leo patiently.
After another hour or so, they finally arrived at the burnt down house. Upon seeing this, shock was visible in Leo"s tired face.
"Wh- What happened here?"
Even Raven was shocked. The reset should have returned this to normal. Why was this still burned down? A few ideas run through his mind then something made him understand the reason.
When Mamoru and Hideyos.h.i.+ came for a visit and all six of them were together, including RIno and Nana. Azusa have solemnly said, "I"ll make sure that father would stop living in the past."
This place was where Leo learned and perfected the time travelling ability. The real reason why he had chosen to have another house deep in the forest where no one could possibly witness it.
This is where everything started for him, his regrets and all. He was not regretful that he had saved the kingdom back then, he was regretful for he had time jumped with them.
If he really perfected it then surely he could just send them away without going himself.
Leo on the other hand, could only stare at the burnt house.
"Your daughter have chosen to make you stop living in the past," Raven decided that it is finally time for him to come out.
Leo was shocked upon seeing that someone else was actually with him.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"I must be the one asking you that sir, what are you doing here?"
"Can"t I just visit my past home?"
"Not until the doctor tells a patient that he can do so, I suppose that you shouldn"t be here."
Leo looked away and looked back at the house, "Why is it that nothing goes the way I wanted to? I wanted to die but everyone does not want me to. Even now, I just want to end everything where it all began yet I still couldn"t do it? What am I supposed to do then?"
"Are you planning on taking your life with this house then?" Raven narrowed his eyes as he asked.
Leo didn"t speak, he just stood there.
"Why are you depriving your family of a complete one?" Raven still continued asking but his hand was already clenched into a fist.
"Complete?" Leo smiled bitterly after saying this.
"HOW CAN I HAVE A COMPLETE FAMILY WHEN IT IS ME WHO TOOK THAT AWAY FROM MY FRIEND?!? I"m not stupid, I can add two and two together. I know that part of the reason she had disappeared was because of me."
"We all know about that, we knew you would be able to piece things together but why do you think the two of them still informed you of her?"
"What"s the point," Leo looked away and with a cold tone said.
"I was able to fulfill my promise to myself that I will make your family complete."
Raben remembered her words to Azusa, he coild no longer hold back.
Dai who was watching by the shadows became shocked and couldn"t help but to have his eyes open wide when Raven suddenly punched Leo, throwing him to the ground.
"I knew you were my father"s friend but right now I don"t care. You need to get out of that stupid thinking of yours. The reason they told you was because they didn"t want you to feel this way. They told you not to add to your guilt but so that you will learn everything and accept everything."
Leo could only stare at Raven who was fuming with rage.
"She went ahead and save you in order to make your family complete. Don"t deprive that of her."
He walked closer and held Leo by his collar, "I already said this back then, you are not only living your life right now. You are also living her share. She couldn"t be here now so you have to live and be with everyone in her stead. Don"t deprive her of that either."
He then pushed him before standing up, "We all are living her share, we all were saved by her. You are not the only one carrying your guilt. Did you know that Azusa used the time travelling ability at the end of the war?"
"Wh- What?"
"She was taught by Eureka, Eureka"s last move was not only comprised of Magma, Ice, Dark and Seal. It also has the time travelling, that is why she was able to create Reset."
"Do you think Azusa is doing fine? Don"t be mislead, she also felt guilty, a tremenduous one. She knew that the only possible reason Eureka could disappear was because of time travel."
Leo could only look at Raven without uttering a word.
"Are you going to add another burden to your daughter by dying? Are you going to add another grief to your friend and his family by dying? Get your head straight and look around you. Everyone is struggling but even so we are all living the best way we can. That is the only way we could repay her."
After saying all of these, Raven turned around and walked away. He have done his part, if Leo still couldn"t comprehend everything and still chose to kill himself then there is really no saving him any more.
Leo sat there stunned and in a daze for who knows how long, he only knew that it was already so long when the sunrise came and he was bathed by it"s warmth. Looking towards the ocean he saw the sun peaking from the horizon.
Raven"s words kept resounding in his mind. He had been so guilty that he had forgotten that he was not the only one living in this world. He was not alone and that his friends and family were there trying their best to pull him back together.
Tears started flowing, tears that never fell since he had woken up. The guilt made him not shed any tears, he felt that even he has no right to cry. He started crying and laughing at the same time as the sun bathed him with it"s radiance.