CHAPTER 144: THE END OF WAITING

On the other side of the world, where magic and abilities are a work of fiction, a young man walked alone, a solitary figure in a vibrant, chaotic sea of people. His short, straight black hair was swept forward in a soft fringe that just barely touched the edge of his dark brown almond eyes. He looked up to the orange sky, where the sun, a tired, weary fire, was already setting, and the air was getting colder, biting at his exposed skin.

The constant, buzzing roar of the crowded city street, a symphony of car horns and distant chatter, could not distract him from his thoughts. The cold, a sharp chill that settled deep in his bones, was colder than all the other days, and he wondered if it was only the weather, or if it was also the emptiness in his heart.

The world around him was filled with people, with noise, with life, but he felt like a ghost, a silent, invisible observer in a world that wasn’t his.

"Bright?"

A soft, timid voice called out, a gentle sound that broke through the roar of the city, and a hand that stopped Bright from walking.

The young man, a sudden, sharp motion, stopped from his walk as he took off his headphones and turned around, his gaze, a confused, distant glow. An unfamiliar girl he didn’t remember appeared, holding him by the arm, she has a wide, nervous eyes and a timid, hesitant smile. His soft features clearly showed his confusion, causing the teenage girl to be flustered, a deep, rosy red spreading from her neck to her cheeks.

"O-Oh, you might not remember me," she stammered, her voice a shaky, uncertain whisper, "but I was Eirin’s schoolmate and teammate before. My name is Serena."

The name, a distant, hazy memory, didn’t register, but the mention of Eirin’s name made his heart, a quiet, tired thing, flutter with a sudden hope. Bright nodded, his body a still, unreadable thing, not giving enough care to respond with his words. His silence, a cold, blunt rejection, caused Serena to feel humiliated, the rosy red on her cheeks now a dark, fiery red. But she didn’t leave.

She was persistent, determined presence, a quiet, subtle reminder of the lonely truth of his life. Bright continued walking, pulling his arm back, but Serena, a determined shadow, followed him and started walking beside him, her presence a quiet, unwanted weight.

"You know," she continued, a nervous, rambling attempt to fill the suffocating silence, "I wonder since you’re Eirin’s friend, maybe you know where she went. She just vanished. She didn’t even tell anyone she was transferring schools at all."

Bright didn’t mind hearing things about Eirin, but every word, every mention of her name, only made him miss his friend even more. It had been months since she had left, and the silence had been a deafening thing. No letters, no messages, no updates, no nothing. He couldn’t stop thinking about her, every day felt like torture waiting for whatever update Eirin would send. The empty silent void in his heart was a constant, aching pain that he could not escape.

No matter how much Serena tried to open a conversation, a series of desperate, clumsy attempts to connect, Bright Goodwin couldn’t care less. His mind, a weary thing, was already far away, already lost in the past, already longing for the future. He just wanted to get home and rest, to fall into an exhausted sleep that would wipe away the loneliness, that would erase the aching void in his heart.

Bright didn’t even notice that Serena was long gone and he had already arrived in front of his apartment building. The street, though still loud and chaotic, felt empty now, a silent, sad reflection of his heart.

The young man sighed, a long, weary sound, before looking up at the huge building, it’s concrete face a cold, unfeeling monument to his isolation.

"Until when am I gonna live here?" he muttered, exhausted of the life he’d been living. He walked into the building, his shoulders slumped, his gaze focused on the elevator, a slow, tedious reminder of his loneliness.

"There you are, young man."

A voice, a soft, familiar sound, came from his side.

Bright turned and saw the old landlady standing there, a woman with kind, soft eyes and a gentle, caring face, holding a small white envelope. "I noticed you don’t check your mailbox," the old lady said, her face soft with concern. "This letter had just arrived, and I thought it might be important."

The young man’s eyes, a tired, resigned light, landed on the small, unassuming envelope the old lady was holding. But then, his gaze, a sudden, sharp thing, landed on the familiar, beautiful penmanship on the back. His eyes, a disbelieving glow, widened after seeing Eirin’s unique, elegant handwriting.

A small, involuntary gasp escaped his lips. His heart, which had been a quiet, tired thing for months, now beat with a frantic rhythm.

Bright immediately grabbed the envelopes, thanked the landlady, his voice a choked, grateful whisper, before rushing to his room. He didn’t even bother waiting for the elevator, the slow, tedious machine of his mundane life. He rushed to the stairs, his feet a fast, hurried rhythm, eager to read the letter he had been waiting for all his life.

His cheeks were flushed, a fiery red that had nothing to do with the cold air outside. A genuine smile grew wider on his face the moment he arrived inside his room, a small, dark haven that was now filled with new hope.

Bright didn’t bother changing clothes first, the moment he removed his shoes, he rushed to his desk, opened the lights and sat down. His eyes twinkled as he grazed the letter with his fingertip.

"You didn’t forget."

Inside was a yellow paper with pink tulip designs. Seeing that made Bright giggle, a joyful sound that was filled with childish innocence. "She remembers," he muttered, his voice a soft, broken whisper as he opened the letter, his eyes, a hungry light, devouring every word.

The letter went:

Dear Bright,

Was that too formal? I don’t know. You know I’m not used to writing letters like this, but I don’t have my phone here, and we’re not allowed to use phones either. Anyway, how have you been? I wanted to send you a letter as soon as I arrived here, but lots of things happened and there was no way for me to send it either. You see, the mailman here only visits once a year, or so I was told. Actually, I don’t remember, but it’s rare for them to come.

Sorry if this letter’s too long, but I’ll put everything here. Who knows when’ll be the next time I’ll send you a letter. I’ve been doing good here. I met new friends, and I swear I didn’t expect making friends would be so hard. There’s this girl, her name is Coleen, she and I became friends and we’re also roommates. Actually, she hated me at first, but she grew fond of me, and I really like her too. She kind of reminds me of Ava, with how kind and caring she is.

A melancholic smile formed on Bright’s face. The memories of that day when Eirin lost Ava were still vivid in his head, a painful ache in his heart, and he worries about Eirin all the time, wondering if she was doing well on her own. The fact that she was finding happiness in a world so far away from him was a bittersweet mix of joy and sadness.

"I wish I was there to witness that."

You see, I thought I wouldn’t be able to find peace here because I’ve always to Ava and your company, but I was wrong. Although I miss you guys, so much, the people I met here welcomed me and I am thankful for them. I’m not alone, and I don’t feel lonely either.

What about you? What did you do while I was gone? You’re not lonely there without me, aren’t you? Of course, you wouldn’t. You got tons of friends after all. Are you still living in that old apartment? You’re going to be in high school soon, and I’m sorry I couldn’t celebrate that with you. But I know you can handle it just fine.

Bright sighed, a long, weary sound that was filled with sad frustration. "What do you mean? Not being by your side already makes me suffer so much. I miss you... a lot."

I also met other people like this guy, his name is Link Patterson. He was one of the people I first met here, and he has this vibrant pink hair, and you know what’s strange? It suits him. I’ve never seen a guy who has such a bright hair color and still looks good. There are lots of interesting people here, and it’s making every day fun for me.

Bright rested his chin on his palm, a sad weight that was a testament to his inner turmoil, as he could feel envy swirling within his stomach. He was happy for her, so happy that she was making new friends, that she was finding happiness, but something within him aches, he was not part of that new happiness at all.

Also, there’s this guy. We were off on a rough start. He hated me, until now I still don’t know why he hated me, but I hated him as well, because he was so rude to me. I can’t even believe that I could shout so loud, he made me discover that. We’re getting along just fine now. He’s my mentor, and even though he’s not used to speaking kindly he’s doing his best. His name is Shade Cromwell.

Bright froze.