Historian(Dr. Stone)

08. Every Epilogue in Life

The vast land was coated with white making no plant visible in the area like a desert of dried milk. The sky was no different as it was shaded by the thick fluffy clouds.

In such cold temperature, it would have been another season of unstoppable coughing fits and torturous sore throat. But miraculously, for the first time in his life, he was enjoying such a thing he never thought he could without putting his own life at risk to any major setbacks.

This was the first time Cosmos stepped on the cold snow floor and witnessed the first snow. And it's the first time he didn't need too much layers of clothing just to get by every day within the span of the winter season.

The thickened bear skin boots sunk slightly from the weight in every step he made. Careful so as not to trip or slip. His clothes simply upgraded with soft fluffy fur and a hood to protect his ears from too much cold.

Eversince he was young, he had only watched the snow from his window. He saw children playing around and building igloos to play house and enjoy the season. Although most winters brought disasters than good to the village.

Bad hunting lead to less cloth. And less cloth means suffering from cold.

Most of the hunters die of hypothermia.

But their adaptability modified their bodies generations to generations that the rate of death from cold gradually lessens. Albeit not everyone is lucky.

Almost third of the entire Volkov bloodline died at winter while the remaining quarter died after winter due to the worsening of pneumonia before they reached mid age.

No one escaped that fate except Cosmos Volkov CLXXXIII (the current Cosmos's father). Now, he has reached forty and after medication, his health gradually drew back to his prime and was once again leading his hunting troops, returning to his former glory.

He arrived in the construction area after catching a few animals. Taking 70% of their prey to herd and giving what remain for the allied village to take care and enjoy.

He wanted to see what amazing changes that young man named Senku had in store for this world.

To say he's more than shocked is an understatement.

The giant skeleton shape of the ship nearly had is mouth falling. Good thing his son excitedly called him out that he was able to escape his awe.

"I thought that the sailboat that Cosmos XIV had designed to cross the sea was incredible. But this...!" He said in awe.

"Isn't it, father? This ship will undoubtedly manage to cross the harsh sea." The boy replied with a smile. Then his eyes turned to Senku and the group who seemed to be discussing something. "Undoubtedly... With such talents gathered together."

Cosmos's father laughed out loud, patting his son's back with a hint of proudness and genteel. Although he wanted to just slap the heck out of his son's back out of his usual gesture when he is fond of, but knowing that illness had turned him fragile, he simply did it lightly.

"Indeed, my son, it looks like the history you're going to write is one that would interest the future generations." He said. "With that, I can finally rest easy that such future isn't as sad as the previous ones..."

The younger Cosmos had a small smile on his face, looking like he understood.

Because the journey of a person with the name Cosmos Volkov is a death sentence for so many years going back to the very first descendant.

At first, the ending entries were simply of goodbye and a message to the future children who will be named after Cosmos, but through the generations of entries, some of them began to doubt their purpose, why they were given such task, why they had to continue writing, what difference will it make if they write or not, why can they not do what any normal villagers can do, and why? Why do they have to die at such early ages?

Indeed, all the people before them were named Cosmos Volkov with numbers attached. And all those children died in ranges of twenty five to twenty nine and aren't able to give enough love to their children yet.

They died fulfilling a task, and it pains their heart knowing that even their son will end up the same in the future. But they continued one after the other. Every pages in their entries showed several trebles. The fear of their own ends, the sadness and pain knowing that their children will die at the same ages, the depressing smudges while being attacked by coughing fits while writing, the weakening of ones body knowing that they're about to die soon but still wrote until the end just to give important intel in their time, and finally, they die.

Reading their ancestors' journals felt like their own futures.

Because regardless of any predecessors, they've only lived inside their homes in winters, shivering and bloody. Every winter felt like a killing blow, unknown whether the fragile body would break.

Cosmos knew and experienced these description from the previous ancestors' accounts. Truly, it was painful. Sometimes he wished he would have died or that he was born to a different family.

He may not have complained about this himself as he was ready to accept his own death, but he knew that he asked the same question as that of the previous people who had to he same name and task as him.

Why?

... Why did he have to be born as Cosmos? Why does it have to be Cosmos Volkov to do all that task that he will never see through a long time? Why is Cosmos Volkov short-lived?

Terminally ill Cosmos Volkov. The curse of Cosmos. The last historian.

Now that curse has been put to a stop in the one hundred and eighty third generation.

Reborn a new to an era where the person of promise finally arrived. The Senku Ishigami that they all heard of from generation to generation of entries. Then they heard the rumoured last song of Lillian onto the revolutionary ship that will take them farther than ever before.

"It's all thanks to Ishigami Senku." The young Cosmos said with sincerity. "If it weren't for his creation to conquer the sky, then maybe, I wouldn't be standing in this pile of snow."

Dad Cosmos remained staring at the ship with red eyes. Seems like he's suppressing his tears so the youth decided not to expose his father's actions.

He could only smile, ducked down to touch the freshly fallen snow that immediately sent chills to his hand inside his gloves.

And while the elder Cosmos reminisce his valiant and perseverance for survival, something suddenly splat right to his face. The coldness swiped over him, awakening him back to reality only to find his delicate son running away with a laugh.

Unexpectedly, the older laughed out loud. Both hands on his waist with a confident bravado before he picked some scattered ice and chased after his son for payback.

.

I'm aliveeeeee!

It's been so long and I'm still in a slump. Sorry...