68 A Promise To Keep

Visions begin to cloud my mind, reality altering itself in my mind.

'Keep your focus you're in a fight Edwin! You can't fall for his tricks!' I scream mentally trying to keep my focus on the fight.

Many visions pass me by, me hanging out in Lucille's Light, the many duels I've faced even moments when I was in the hospital. None of them face me however as I manage to keep my composure and immediately realize all of them are fake. Breaking the visions has been rather easy, the annoying thing is that I fall into another one immediately after.

My body feels lighter, a blue sky above me as I lay on green grass. I click my tongue realizing that I'm in another illusion.

"Let's return." I say trying to reimagine the duel I was fighting until someone calls out to me.

"Ed!! Big brother Ed there you are!" The voice of a young girl calls out to me. Goosebumps appear on my arms as I recognize the voice, I immediately turn around to look towards the source. A small girl runs towards me, her brown hair in a cute little ponytail as her light green eyes look at me with joy. My little sister, Sarah Gwayne runs towards me.

"Sarah?" I ask in a confused tone.

"What are you spacing out for Brother Ed? You promised you would teach me how to do that card trick." She says puffing her cheeks like a squirrel as she begins to pout.

'This isn't real… This isn't real… You're in a duel... But why… Why… Why did it have to be here?' I ramble in my head desperately trying to keep my sanity at seeing a face I could never forget.

"What's wrong brother Ed?" She asks in her typical innocent and pure voice.

'What's wrong? What's wrong? DO YOU KNOW how hard it was to live without you all? DO YOU KNOW how hard it is to walk in nothingness whilst remembering the things you had? I… I… I could never forget you guys… I… I truly tried. But in all the small things I do, I will always find something to remind me of what I once had.' Tears start to fill my eyes as thousands of suppressed memories and emotions start to flood back.

Sarah seems absolutely terrified seeing me cry and unexpectedly decides to hug me.

"Are you okay brother Ed? Please don't cry! I promise I won't steal your pudding this time!" She yells whilst hugging me.

'Would it be so wrong to stay? If I die whilst in this illusion… Can I truly stay here?' I start to think about putting up no more resistance towards the illusion.

"Hey, brother?" Sarah asks loosening her hug.

"What's up, little sister?" I ask, a soft smile on my face as I'm overwhelmed with emotions.

"You know you have that football game against that Emmanuel kid from school right?" She asks whilst looking at me with inquiring eyes.

"I do." I answer as even more familiar memories start to flood back.

'We won 3-1 last time if I remember correctly. The fun we had when teasing Emmanuel. The teachers even gave us the nickname "devil twins." We were just way too much to handle for them, and they couldn't keep up with the pranks we used to do.'

"Promise me! Promise me you're going to win!" Sarah says to me her light green eyes looking into my own as she keeps her little finger out for a pinky promise.

"I promise you, sister." I answer making a promise as I hold out my own pinky to complete our pinky promise.

However, I look toward Sarah and the vision of Sarah starts to disappear and reappear. Our little fingers still hold each other as the visage of Eli and Sarah switch constantly with each other.

Their light green eyes, their pure and innocent voices. How much they resemble each other.

'Sarah, Eli…ELI!!' A realization hits me.

'I can't die! I promised! I PROMISED HER!' I yell in my mind, putting up resistance once more towards the illusion.

The illusion of Sarah starts to crack as she holds my hand, a look of sadness and fear in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, little sister, but I promised. Will you forgive me?" I ask as I start to cry looking at the crumbling illusion of my little sister.

Sarah's illusion looks at me with a smile on her face, yet her eyes are still filled with tears and sadness.

"You should know how much we missed you brother." She says whilst crying, her words no longer clear to hear.

"Farewell brother, wherever you are. Live your best life and just…just…just know whatever you're doing. Mom, dad, brother, we all love you. So please live a life you'll remember okay and when we meet again you can tell me all about it." Sarah says as the vision crumbles entirely.

I'm back in the arena, he seems to be playing with his food as he hasn't struck me down yet. I use my wings to fly out of the fog that for some reason wasn't able to enthrall me again.

I look at the crowd and see Eli watching the fight whilst hugging Araam. The black-furred creature's role as a stress ball becoming more and more of a given each day.

"I'm sorry Eli… I'm sorry Sarah. Do not worry anymore, my tale will not be over soon." I speak softly so that no one can hear.

***

Earth: current day

A 31-year-old brown-haired woman wakes up from a vivid dream she had. Her husband still lies asleep next to her, seemingly in a deep sleep. The woman gets out of bed as she walks over towards the other side of the large bedroom. 2 babies sleep in peace as her gaze softens looking at them. The woman looks out towards the sky, as a falling star passes by its color resembling that of her late brother's eye and thus also her own.

"Is this a sign that you're watching? If you are my brother. Live, it doesn't matter where you are. That's all I ask of you." The woman says as she makes her way to the bed once more.