Micah didn't fully remember the rest of what happened that day. All he remembered was waking up later and quickly leaving William's house. Elizah had said something about him collapsing, but the whole thing was a blur to him. There was only one thing on his mind: William's death was all his fault.

The next few days also continued in a blur. Micah didn't want to leave his bed, so he stayed there. Elizah would walk in for every meal to try and get him to eat, but he just ignored her. He didn't eat for days because he felt like he didn't deserve it. His body was screaming out in pain, and his mind wouldn't stop thinking about William. 

To silence these thoughts, Micah tried to sleep, but every dream was about William, and that just made him cry more. The crying didn't help with his feelings either. It felt like a large hole left in his heart, and there was no way he could patch it.  

About a week later, Micah awoke to a hand on his face.

"William," Micah said. He opened his eyes and nearly leapt out of bed. He expected to see William's blue eyes and long hair but instead was met by a different person. They had mismatched eyes, one blue and one green, and shoulder-length black hair.

"Are you alright?" the person asked, and Micah it took Micah a moment to recognize them.

"Aunt Levi?" Micah asked, and the person smiled slightly. Aunt Levi was Roxanne's good friend who had helped her out with many things in the past.

"Sorry if you were expecting someone else. Your mother sent me a letter saying she was worried about you. So I came here to help. You were crying in your sleep, so I was wiping the tears away," they said, and Micah sat up slowly and touched his face. He had been dreaming about William again, and subconsciously, he had begun to cry.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, I'm just-," Micah began to say, but Levi just put an arm on his shoulder.

"That's fine. I heard what happened," Levi said gently, and Micah hid his face, fearing that he might break into a sob.

"It's not that big of a deal. I will get over it soon," Micah said as his voice cracked slightly and Levi's gaze grew concerned.

"It doesn't seem like a small thing. He meant a lot to you, didn't he?" Levi asked, and Micah was silent but nodded.

"I just want to talk to you for a bit. Maybe that will help you get your feelings out, instead of just thinking about them alone. What was William like?" Levi asked, and Micah looked surprised by the question.

"He was funny and handsome and…." Micah began, and all of a sudden, he remembered so many things that had happened between them. Words tumbled out without even him thinking fully. How William was always carefree and smiling, or how just one kiss from William made Micah's day. And slowly, he also listed out everything about William's magic. Micah listed everything, and he began to cry again but kept going until there was nothing left to say.

"He sounds like a wonderful person," Levi said softly. They had listened to every last word Micah wanted to say with their full attention and didn't interrupt.

"He was," Micah managed a croak, and Levi wrapped an arm around him.

"And it sounds like you truly loved each other," Levi said with a smile.

"Aunt Levi, do you think it's my fault? That because of me, he lost control of his magic and died," Micah asked, and Levi shook their head rapidly.

"Of course not. That is more of a fault of the system. It has taken far too many good souls in the process. You absolutely mustn't blame yourself for that," Levi said with a sigh.

"'Have you lost someone like this before?" Micah asked, and Levi nodded.

"That's a long story, back from before when my name was still Levanna and I still loved someone. I made a grave mistake back then, it's a story for another time," Levi said and stood up.

"Well, did talking about him make you feel a bit better? It isn't much, but I hope it lightened the weight you carry," Levi said, and Micah nodded slightly.

"But, do you think it's odd?" Micah asked slowly, and Levi raised a brow.

"What is odd?"

"That I liked a man?" Micah said with a bitter taste in his mouth at the word liked.

"Absolutely not. It is just as ordinary as if you had liked a woman or if you had liked someone like me. There's nothing wrong with that. There's just a lot wrong with the system that didn't let you get married," Levi said, and Micah suddenly felt a weight lift off his back that he had never realized before. He had been scared about what others would think about him this whole time, but now, his fears dissipated upon hearing Levi's words.

He rapidly threw his hands around Levi, and they were caught off guard momentarily.

"I want you to remember one thing for me, Micah. Cherish the memories you have with William, but also be ready to make new memories with someone new. This isn't the end for you. Live the life he didn't have to the fullest and never ever think that this was in any way your fault," Levi said as they broke the embrace, and Micah nodded.

"But that's a lot more things than one, and it's hard to not blame myself," Micah said, and Levi patted him on the shoulder.

"Take your time, take all the time you need, and when you are ready, move on and live your life to the fullest," Levi said with a small smile and walked out of the room. Micah followed slowly behind, his heart feeling a little less broken and heavy than before.