A Wish

Lisa and Luke rushed over to aid for Stein. Lisa tended to Stein as she saw his sorry state. She was surprised that even though Stein had a heart, he continued to look like an empty shell. She patted Stein by the shoulders then tried to comfort him. But she was rendered speechless the moment she saw how broken Stein was. She covered her mouth to stifle back a gasp. After that, she just decided to engulf Stein in a reassuring hug, “Let’s go home, Stein... let’s go home.”

Stein nodded in agreement as he slowly stood up from the flower fields. Luke helped Stein walk as he went to the other side. Stein dragged his feet while walking away. Their progress was slow but now wasn’t the time to talk about it.

Rather, there were many things to talk about, but it wasn’t the right time to talk about anything in particular.

The tension was heavy. The atmosphere surrounding them seemed dark and gloomy. The only thing to remember by the little miss was the flower field. There were far too many questions left unanswered. There were far too many wounds inflicted. Not just the warriors but also the ones who primarily got involved, mostly on the one who got hurt the most. Stein remained quiet for the remaining time.

He was dead tired.

His fatigue was different from the ones from the loss of magic. It was more of mental fatigue. He just didn’t want anything more to do with the world. For now, he just wanted the peace of time and isolation.

The damage was too great to overcome in a day—let alone a few days or weeks. This was most likely to be a hard fix in a long shot. Stein just let the others help him drag his feet back to his house.

For now, he just wanted to be alone as he closed his eyes. He knows where he’s going when he closes his eyes.

It was the realm where the dead enters afterlife.

...

...

“Hey...” Grim slowly greeted. He saw how damaged Stein was. This was the first time he saw Stein with such an expression.

Stein just went past him and nodded at the greeting so that he won’t appear like a snob.

“I made some hot drinks...”

Stein just raised his hand to dismiss the thought of drinking with him for awhile. Grim followed Stein drag his feet somewhere then watched him go up the stairs. Grim gave him a worried look, “I... I’ll be waiting here downstairs so if you need me...”

Stein just nodded his head as he continued his way up.

Grim sighed out of concern. This was far too depressing for him to take. He stared at the door at the second floor. He wanted to be able to comfort the poor guy but he wasn’t experienced enough to lend a helping hand. The little miss never came back, so he wasn’t able to bring her to Stein even while in the afterlife. He slumped his shoulders then sat at his leather couch, contemplating on how to bring back this guy on his feet.

Grim looked around and just waited for some sort of miracle to happen.

Although he fully knows that there won’t be any.

With a sigh, he massaged his stressed temples and forehead. If only he knew what exactly happened.

...

...

Knock! Knock!... Creeaaakk...

Lisa entered Stein’s house.

She gently closed the door, wincing as she heard it creak followed by a click. She looked around and saw how dusty the place had been. It seemed to have been left untouched for uncertain reasons. It was so silent, gloomy, and depressing. Not even one creation of Stein bothered to greet her.

Instead, she got nothing.

No slime creatures, no little monsters, no silly concoctions by the table... no nothing...

She placed the supposed to be greeting items for Stein at the desk just in front of her. She looked around in hopes of seeing someone—or any source of life—Stein and his creations in particular. Unfortunately there was none. She timidly explored the place just to find the said person.

No one was in the first floor.

But what about the second?

Lisa balled her hand into a fist then placed it on her chest as though to gather courage before entering the second floor... even though it was just stairs leading to a door she had never entered before. She looked left and right as though to decide whether it was the right thing to do or not.

She took a deep breath as she decided to go through with this.

Lisa carefully went up the second floor then hesitantly opened the door. Surprisingly enough, she found Stein, still asleep.

She sighed.

She then went to Stein then knelt just next to him. It was something akin to magical as she found out that he wasn’t covered in dust. Normally, Stein should’ve been covered by a thin layer by now, but no. He was still looking fresh—like someone was taking care of him while he was asleep—even though there was not.

Once more, Lisa sighed then went out of the room, gently closing the door in the process. She wanted to look back and she if she was just imagining things but it doesn’t seem to be the case. Sighing once more, Lisa went back to the first floor. She decided to look around for anything that might help her understand about Stein’s sleep or anything else that interests her.

By some sort of stroke of luck, Lisa’s eyes found a piece of paper by the drawers. Upon opening, she saw pictures of many types of sceneries. Some were familiar to her while the remaining went unknown. It took her by chance that she saw a particular scene wherein it took her many times and plentiful moments to do a double take.

It was a room same as where she stood. The only difference was that it was cleaner and livelier compared to the actual place. She looked around in hopes of thinking that someone was just messing with her, but no.

No one was allowed to enter this territory but Stein’s friends who already had permissions.

She closed the book then noticed that something slipped out of it as she did so.

Lisa picked it up and just saw the contents unravel before her.

It was a group photo she never knew to have existed. It was Stein, Risette, Luke and Lisa smiling so brightly. Lisa caressed the picture while wondering when this event ever occurred.

As she looked deeply into the picture, she suddenly saw a flash of the said event. She was sure it never happened. She was certain that it wasn’t a real memory.

But a part of her told her that it was true even though it was not. Looking closer, she found that the picture had a little burnt edges—it wasn’t that much of a big deal, but she just had to notice it. She flipped it to see if there was anything at the back.

She gasp in surprised upon seeing dried blood at the back. The back part had lines—like that ones she saw at notebooks. Then a certain person’s face flashed in her mind.

Risette.

What’s this..?

Knock! Knock! ... Creeaaakk...

The door opened, causing Lisa to uncharacteristically jerk in surprise. She looked by the door and saw Luke.

Luke gave an apologetic face as he went to Lisa’s side. He saw the picture held in Lisa’s hands then asked to take a look at it himself. Luke let out a sorrowed smile as he saw a very ironic picture.

No one could smile yet in the picture, everyone held bright smiles—almost if they count Stein’s emotionless face to be one. Luke placed a bunch of flowers by Stein’s desk then placed one by the window.

Lisa didn’t bother asking as she just continued to stare at the picture. Luke just wandered around the house, though he didn’t ask where was Stein since he already knew where.

“Say...” He started.

It somehow felt so long since they’ve heard each other’s voices. Lisa glanced back, “Yeah...?”

Luke let out a long sigh then ran a hand across his hair, “... I... I really don’t know what to say but... sigh...” He let out an agonized chuckle and just chose to look back at Lisa who was intently listening to him.

Lisa glanced back at the photo in her hands. She showed a pained smile, “This girl seems to be so charismatic... haha...” She flipped over the photo so she couldn’t see the bright smiles in it, “No wonder Stein fell for her...”

Luke got something from under his jacket, causing Lisa to look out of curiosity. He saw Lisa’s curiosity, “That actually came from here...” He said as he placed a mini notebook at the desk, “It’s actually the last entry of this notebook...” He said as he flipped over to the last page of the book.

It was the last page. No wonder it had blood stains at the back.

“Risette’s history is actually filled with too many holes...” Luke started as he opened the notebook at a particular page.

Entry # 76

Lisa let out an impressed whistle at the entry number.

In this dark cave, I find no hope of going out. I am alone. Not that anyone cares. Today, I found myself slowly being killed as I figured that someone put metal termites in my armor. I’m scared. I still want to see something I’ve always wanted to see.

The writings were a bit off since it was her emotions that dealt with the writing and stuff.

Entry # 77

Just awhile, I encountered a small ray of hope—not really. He was incapacitated for the situation, he seemed to resemble someone especially the color of his hair... I take it that it was the messenger’s relative of some sort... He was good in catching my emotions, but it was just out of his concern. I can tell that he doesn’t care because— It’s the deranged necromancer!

...

I learned that I’m not supposed to be loved by Stein.

Lisa flipped the notebook close. She glanced at Luke who held the same face as hers, “She...”

Luke nodded, “She learned about the conditions...” He looked at the side with a pain-stricken face, “Find entry 81...”

Entry # 81

I have never been so confused on which to be scared about. Death or being a part of someone who’s partly dead. I’m scared. I feel hopeless. I think I might actually die—

Lisa felt like she fell into a sinkhole. What was happening to her while they made their way to rescue? In this entry, the writings seemed to be input with great pressure. It was as though it was Risette writing the entry and not the input magic. It looked like she was under great fear given that it looked rushed and heavy. She saw Luke give a gesture of ‘next page’, nodding, she did turn to the page.

Entry # 82

I woke up... I think I’m alone. I’m crying. I shouldn’t be crying but I’m crying... Blind seems to be good... He broke his wrist though. I don’t mind dying anymore.

Entry # 83

A snake almost killed us just now... I lost Blind in the midst of confusion. I went to the underground waterfalls out of the blue though. I met this person named ‘Grim’... He looks like a good old man...He was washing a cravat. He said it was for his son. I can’t seem to find a good reason to feel guilty in giving a present though... His son was Stein by the way.

Entry # 84

Grim died... Stein looked pained. I saw little Lisa though. She looks so cute. They were grieving for Grim’s death.

Entry # 85

They killed my parents. They killed my relatives. They killed every people of my kind. I’m alone. I lived a lie. I can’t remember how I was brought up anymore. I knew it. I should’ve died with them.

Entry # 86

I remembered... We bring bad luck. Perhaps that’s why! This is a shame. I am bringing bad name for my kind!

Lisa shut the notebook. This was filled with nothing but her misery. Every entry equalled to her troubles. This was something she couldn’t take to read. It just made her feel miserable herself. There were so many entries—so many that Lisa had to think of the timing because these were by far too many. It might actually mean that she kept encountering something miserable continuously. She gave Luke a pained expression, “She was always suffering.”

“That’s because she was aware that she was the benefit...” Luke silently answered.

Lisa flipped the book to the last page.

Entry # 134

I wanted to be happy not live in a world of delusions... I’m being delusional. I knew yet I did. I gave my heart to someone who will never see me again.

Entry # 135

Stein was crying. I saw Grim... he was staying in the afterlife with him. Stein looked so traumatized—I feel bad.

Entry # 136

I remembered our conversation—now it’s reversed though. I was the one asking questions.

Entry # 137

I feel emotional yet calm as I slowly died.

It must be nice to feel the warmth. It must be nice to feel the love. It must also be nice if I got to feel a kiss. I'm so sorry but you'll be my first and last...

...

...

The last entry was the back part of the picture Lisa was holding. Unfortunately, it was covered with blood stains so she wasn’t able to read the last one. She just felt so depressed and gloomy. This wasn’t the Risette she had pictured out. She was supposed to be a ball of energy and sunshine.

This was the complete opposite.

The brightest smile contains the darkest of the past.

Lisa hugged the picture dearly in her chest. This was painful even for her—a person she’d barely met. She instantly took a liking to her. It was such a waste for her to suddenly disappear like that.

The whole place suddenly turned quiet. A lonely tune made by a music box slowly resonated inside the house. Luke and Lisa heard noises in the second floor. The door there creaked open.

The two of them dashed to that place. Surprisingly, the saw that one familiar figure standing by the stairs. He was emitting light particles. It was as though he was brand-new or something like that.

Lisa and Luke saw that familiar figure walking down the stairs. The only difference in his get up was that there was no top hat. He looked like an ordinary person who just got out of bed. Except he was sleeping still, and he didn’t have any wrinkles in his clothing. The two instantly brightened as they saw their friend finally up and about.

Lisa first walked up to Stein, “You’re finally awake!” She practically shouted.

“That took you awhile, Stein!” Luke shouted after.

The two of them brightly smiled upon seeing the face of their friend. The other person didn’t seem to get the point though.

“I’m not Stein...”