I woke up earlier than usual, Destern is still sleeping. He looks oddly weary, so I decided to take a look around. I jumped to a nearby island and saw the dim light of a tablet behind a broken-down wall. Recently their content was not much different from what I had heard from the Strange Voice, but this one gave a different insight; the daily life of an Angel during the ‘War of Ends’.
"I have returned home after I was given a break. It was still the same, people walking around with a happy expression, small vessels running around and the elders looking over them. I started to wonder while looking at these sights, do people here know about the terrifying battlefield this war had made, or were they that confident in their hometown’s ability to conquer it. I did not know. After all, most of my life was outside in the battlefield ‘Why did they start this war’ I wondered ‘What caused the Dark Ones to commit those actions’. Then an unstoppable urge to find out followed, wanting to know the perspective of the other side.”
This one was quite interesting. Why did they care about an enemy he was supposed to hate for all their unspeakable acts? Would knowing how the other side tells the story help? The more I thought about it, the more curious I had become on that same subject. I hoped to find a tablet containing the story of a Lurker to know more about the whole picture, and not just the side of the Light and Angels. I turned around and found myself face-to-face with Destern. I jumped back a little too much and barely managed to slow myself, my feet stopping near the edge.
― “Destern! What was th-” I started yelling out of shock, but what he said had shut my words.
― “You know, I hate you”
Processing what he just said, I just stood there dumbfounded. What was he saying all of a sudden?
― “You face wears no expression, like an expressionless statue.”
Was I? I never was able to look at myself, but I thought I was a person who likes to express themselves. He walked up to me and reached up his hand. He gave me a wry smile.
― “It’s a joke, Golem! Anyway, I found an island with an oasis on it, I’ll go wash myself.” Despite him saying he was not serious; I could not shake the feeling that he meant it. I accepted his aid to help me up. There was an awkward atmosphere around us. Destern did not say anything and I did not have anything to say.
After packing our stuff up, my companion came back from the Oasis Island. I handed him the backpack and spoke up.
― “Hey Destern,” He looked back at me, meeting my eyes. I took a deep breath.
― “What’s going on? You have been acting weird lately.”
Destern stayed silent. I was determined to have my answer. Something was off about him and I needed him to tell me. Destern finally sneered up and said,
― “Why should I tell you? Did you think we were that close?” He snickered.
― “Let us just keep on moving.”
I was taken aback by the coldness in his voice. Was he acting like this simply because he did not wish to share his feelings with me? Or did he truly mean those word. Destern turned his back against me and went forward. I observed him as he went on, a now familiar question rising up in my head; ‘What’s the truth?’. We got to the foot of the Clock Tower which seemed even more huge up-close. It took us a while to climb all the way to the top, during so neither of us spoke a word. Destern sat down at a nearby fireplace but I did not join, leaving him some space. I simply rested my back against a withered tree, auburn leaves surrounding it. I observed the Sun, though it never seems to change. Yet from up here, the unchanging scenery felt different. As if it would be the last time that I could look at it as I am now…
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