We found ourselves in another fight, this time the titan took the form of a living tree, I'm always amazed at how fast Ozwald learns to be better at fighting, "wither!" he said as he made some of the sharp branches turn dry out, in the fight we ran out of barriers, this titan was strong it was keeping us on defense as the roots and branches came to pierce us, I had to hack away at them with my axe while Ozwald fine new synonyms for dry however he was running low on energy if this keeps on we will be killed here.

I tried an attack against the body but was promptly smacked against the ground, without the barriers I felt the full pain of the hit, and my body was covered in cuts and bruises I managed to stand up and saw a sharp branch coming my way, this is it, this is how it ends, was it a good life? I guess it was fun, I tried to find a way out of the attack but there was none I closed my eyes and waited for the strike "Higen!" but instead of the piercing of the roots I felt the hand of Ozwald pushing me away from the strike, I saw as his body was pierced and fall to my hands.

"Ozwald... Ozwald no!!!" I didn't understand why did he do that, I threw my axe at the titan but it retired underground as its labyrinth disappeared and the after team rushed to help us, "Mr. Banna are you okay let us hea..." I smacked their hands "him... help him first!" I ordered them they nodded and took Ozwald; he has to be okay, he is going to be okay right? The after team took me and Ozwald to Dr. Cambell's office I was reluctantly patched up against my will, this is horrible nobody told me anything about Ozwald.

"Remember Higen..." Did I fall asleep? I saw myself and my father as he was training me, "You have to be brave and strong, to protect everyone, you have to be the hope when everything is dark, that's what we the knights are" "Yes Father!" I puffed my tiny chest and stood as straight as I could "I will not let evildoers or monsters hurt anyone!" "That's my brave boy, come here" he ruffled my hair and laughed with me, I missed him very much, the feeling of someone moving my shoulder woke me up from my dream and I saw Lulu standing next to me.

"How... how is he!?!" I urged her, she bit her lip looking for the right words, I shook my head "No... no, he can't... he has to be okay!" "He is not dead Higen, but... follow me" She led me to Ozwald's room, he was hooked to a lot of machines I didn't know what they did but they were beeping and lighting, Ozwald was sleeping on a hospital bed "the titian you were fighting didn't kill him but" she interlocked her fingers and took a deep breath "it stole his heart."

"What do you mean he stole his heart? If he doesn't have a heart he should be... how do I save him?" there wasn't time for the details if he is not dead and Miss Lulu is showing him to me then it must mean there's a way to help him, "listen Higen, the titan will reappear if you manage to defeat him you might be able to claim his heart back" "say no more" I turned and started to walk to the door all I have to do is win the fight and get his heart, but she placed her hand on my shoulder "Higen you can't go a look for it, I have my best melodist on the before team looking for the titan, the sun is rising, you and Ozwald got into a car accident, you have to keep up appearances and go to school"

How can she be suggesting I do that? How can she think... but I can't say that, if there is something I'm well accented with is keeping appearances, I forced myself to smile like I usually do "Understood, I'll be taking my leave then, please inform me if anything happens" "... Mr. Banna you don't have to force yourself to smile, is okay to..." I shook my head "no, no, no if I act differently people could suspect a knight should bring joy even in the darkest of hours, so I'll go rest for a moment at home" She didn't try to stop me when I returned to our home I closed the door, I walked to Ozwald's room, with each step my heart sunk farther and farther until I collapsed on his bed, "such a great friend I turn out to be" I said out loud, I will save him I won't be robbed of the people I care again.

My alarm woke me up, I sat alone at the table to have some breakfast before classes, I changed clothes, grabbed my bag and I was on my way, "come on Higen just think of happy things so you can smile" I thought to myself, I pictured my weapons being clean, the Hills back at Elysium, "Higen" Ozwald smiling and laughing, I wonder when did he become part of my happy thoughts, but I have no time for that, for once in my life I wish I had a script that told me what to do or how to feel, something to reassure me that there is a happy ending in the end, I am a knight, casualties in a fight are normal, especially against the titans, I have seen my fair shear of people die in the fight so why is this different, it's not the first time I've seen someone close die.

When I got to the main hallway, some of the students gasped as they saw my bandages, although the wounds had been closed Lulu asked me to wear them to keep the illusion of me and Ozwald being in a car accident, "Hey bro what happen?" a guy from the team asked me with a very worried look on his face "yeah... am... where is that Ozmar guy that always comes with you?" his girlfriend asked "..." come on you can do this "we had a car accident some guy was going to ram me over with his car but Ozwald pushed me out of the way" the girl's face went pail "so sorry I meant Ozwald is he okay?" funny she never mentions him and now she is concerned? "Well, he is in the hospital, but I think he is going to be fine after a few days" "Oh that's sucks man anything we can do?" "Is fine" I tried to not show my discontent and went to my Literature class, this has never been so difficult.

"So, class today we are going to discuss choices, as you read in the previous chapters of the "Odyssey", do you think that Odysseus made a good choice at this point in the story... Mr. Marten?" "Well, I think he took the right call at the cave, he chose to get more food by sacrificing some of his man" Carter answered I don't know why but I scoffed instead of silently agreeing "Oh do you have a different take, Mr. Banna?" "What good does a captain that abandons his troops do? I do not think he made a good choice, instead of helping the others even at the risk of his own life he shouldn't have been called a captain at all" I have never raised my voice in the time I have been here, but my blood was boiling "hey man is just an opinion on a dumb book chill out!" I probably looked agitated, but Mr. Hannigan looked concerned "And that is my opinion, a person that needs to sacrifice another to thrive on should not have embarked in the first place!" I broke my pen without realizing it, the shards dug into my hand, and it started to bleed, I was excused from class and went to the doctor's office to get it treated.

I was walking down the corridor when Niko came running behind me "Higen dude, are you okay?" he stopped near me to catch his breath "Yeah I'm just fine with a shard of plastic in my hand... sorry that was uncalled for, it's just been a morning" "hey don't sweat it, I heard about what happened to Ozie, I'm surprised you came to school, is he alright?" I started to walk to the office again as Niko followed me, "No... Yes... I... I don't really know, he was in a pretty rough state, and I didn't know where else to go, I don't want to be alone at home and I don't have anyone else in town" he placed his hand on my shoulder gently "hey you know you can hang out at my place or I can hang out at yours we are friends, that's what we do support you when you are down" me and Niko have expended some time together even though he hangs out mostly with Ozwald, he is a nice person and gives the best advice.

"How come you are skipping classes Niko?" I asked him "Well after your rant and the pen I asked the teacher if I could come see you were okay like emotionally okay" Am I okay? I'm not even sure there is a right answer to that right now, why is my façade breaking for Ozwald? How am I supposed to save everyone if I cannot save even one person? The person that means the most to me. why does it feel like my heart is about to burst? All the questions swirling in my head, and I have answers for none of them "Higen you know that is fine to be angry or upset about this, right?" he asked me as the office door came into view.

"wh... what do you mean?" he sighed "You always look so happy and mesmerized about the little things, especially when Ozie is around, but, seeing him hurt must be killing you, you don't have to put on a brave and strong face you can just be a you" I ground my teeth and folded my fingers into a fist, "I can't do that Niko, not now, not ever" if I accepted that, if I let my emotions seep through, than I'm accepting that nothing can change, and I won't do that "excuse me I need to get my hand fixed" I entered the door and let him behind.