I looked down at the marking Lyra left in the ground.

It was a small poorly made wolf pendant that Quartz had made last year.

“I didn’t believe you… when you said he’d be fine. That he’d some how show up after what had happened. But I kept my promise. I gave him the bag you left for him.”

I clenched my jaw angry.

“You should’ve just not been with us… If we were actually at your level, you wouldn’t’ve died. I wouldn’t have had to bury you in an unmarked grave and use concealment magic to see you.”

I gripped my hand tighter my nails dug into my palm.

“And why did you even leave something for him! That idiot probably doesn’t even fucking know that he’s the reason you lied about your ranking. And I know, I know… you’d probably tell me that he just needs time to figure it out. But what’s the point if he’s upset and doesn’t even understand why? He’ll probably take forever to decide to even open it.”

I felt my face get hot trying to fight back the tears.

“Something else happened to him. He probably would’ve told you if…if you were alive. But now he’s off to the tower of all places. And if he’s busy with what ever he is dealing with he probably will put it off even more.”

The tears started to fall and I angrily wiped them away.

“I just…. I just hope you told him in your letter. That you didn’t only think about how he was processing things, and how to make him feel better. That you told him because even if it messes him up and when he figures it out, he’ll feel worse, I think it will get him to understand it quicker.”

I clenched my teeth trying to will my tears to stop.

“I’m happy he’s not with me, I think it would hurt me just to watch him not understand why he was so sad. And I couldn’t do anything because I promised you. But in the end…. It seems like I’ll always just always been your useless older brother.”