The Five Dimensions Part 1: Shadow World

Chapter 65: Epilogue: Ash

It was all over. But it wasn't.

He was numb. Mentally. He wasn't sure about what to do next. Usually he always had several plans, he had gone through all the possible scenarios beforehand.

Everything had changed. He was now in a scenario that he hadn't gone through, and it disorientated him.

People looked at him for help, for leadership, and his mouth managed to talk back to them ― if they took the effort to visit him ― his mind however didn't fully process the exchanges.

It was all over when she fell. Every time he closed his eyes, he could see the blade piercing her. He could see the dark stain growing around it, soaking her jacket. He could see the light leaving her eyes and they hadn't opened since. And then everything was over.

She wasn't the only unmoving body. There were many others. But the Dark Prince disappeared, and he took all his King's forces with him. The crevice that had broken open over one of the dimensional folds was closed, leaving behind a scar that might forever be part of the Third Dimension sky. A reminder of horrible events that could've ended in the annihilation of the Soul Order, had the enemy not unexpectedly disappeared.

But she still hadn't opened her eyes to see any of the aftermath of the attack. They told her she would recover. They had little trouble healing her physical wounds. It was her mind that needed more time. She would wake up when her mind was ready. They had told him all this right after the attack.

He hadn't left her side since. Yet, he didn't know whether there was still a side to stand next to. She was gone but she wasn't. She was there but she wasn't. He knew where she was, but he didn't. Not really. Despite what they all told him. Because even if she did recover, it was no guarantee.

He kept wishing he could've helped her, could've prevented it from happening at all. If only he had been stronger. If only he had been on his feet quicker...

People kept telling him that he had done everything he could have, that he would have been dead if it hadn't been for her. He never told them his thoughts about this. He would rather be dead than have this. He would've done anything to have prevented it all from happening.

The people that fully understood the complexity of his situation told him different things. They told him to think about what she would've said had she been there to say it. He didn't know what she would really say. He felt like he knew her, but she also kept on surprising him with new things.

If he thought about it, he found there were so many small things he didn't know and then he also found there were so many big things he wasn't at all sure about either.

He wanted to know what he could, would and should do, but none of these questions were ever answered.

There were also the people who told him to go on, to forget about it all. Those people didn't understand what she meant to him, but he didn't blame them. They were, in a way, very right. Maybe they were answering the should-question. It wasn't an option in his mind. Not now.

He always knew it was going to end eventually. There was nothing more to it. He had allowed himself to be lured into something that he knew would break someday. He knew that the day it would all end would be the day he would break into unrepairable pieces. He knew this from the moment he stopped protecting himself from her, but he never admitted it.

Now, he was forced to accept the truth. This was his wake-up call. Except that he was in too deep. Pain was inevitable now. There was no scenario in his mind that did not end in pain.

His only way to avoid it was to not make the end the end. There was so much to do before that would happen, but if he really wanted this, he had to find an alternative.

She was there next to him, but she wasn't there at all. His heart and mind were never so separated. He would always be on her side, but it was unclear whether she was on his. She was with him, but she wasn't.

But it didn't matter where she stood in this matter. He knew his place and that meant he was going to do whatever it would take to be able to keep her alive.

He promised that.