Broken

Perses sat in silence. A rush of emotions swelled within him all at once. In his turbulent turmoil, Perses managed to stutter out a response. 

"You're, Your back Machia?"

"I am. It's good to see you well, Perses. As I understand, things were a little problematic in my absence.

Machia's words took Perses aback, as he couldn't help but recall what it was that had happened to him. Perses flinched slightly, recalling the events that had transpired, causing Mahica to withdraw his hand from his shoulder. 

That brief absence of touch lasted only a moment as Machia embraced Perses. Wrapping his arms tightly around his back, Machia pulled Perses to a stand. In his tight embrace, Perses did his best to stifle back tears. His friend had returned to save him, yet he couldn't even say a word. 

As Machia consoled the teary Perses, he looked towards Helena, who sat respectfully in silence.

"Don't worry teacher. I've already arranged the proper clearance. You're relieved of your duty. Perses is returning under my control."

Helena did not respond, instead opting to watch the two in silence. Losing interest in the knight, Machia turned back towards Perses, separating himself forcefully. Taken aback, Perses looked up to Machia, confused. 

"There's a lot for us to discuss, Perses. Why don't we go for a walk around the kingdom, it'll be just like old times."

Looking at the array of stained blood that surrounded Perse's broken chains, Machia smiled. 

"Unless you wanted to spend more time here that is."

Perse's bottom lip quivered as he stared at the bloody floor with a cold detachment. 

"No."

With a grin, Machia wrapped an arm around Perse's back as he directed him towards the passage.

"I won't lie, Perses, there's still some tough times ahead of us. You too, teacher. I look forward to your assistance tomorrow."

As Machia took one step into the passage, he heard a feminine voice for the first time. Sitting by her lonesome, Helena stared at Perse's dismantled chains indifferently. 

"Did you know how happy I was? To have made a friend here today... It's a shame, really. I didn't expect to lose one, too.

With a brief, shallow glance back at the knight, Machia led Perses out of the dreaded castle into the shadowy dark passage.

######################

The sun was setting. It dazzled the two in its rich orange array. This beautiful sunset reminded Perses of something. The sky had been just like this when he had awoken and met Machia. Only now was it a far more welcoming and less intimidating sight.

Machia also seemed to recognize this fact as he affectionately smiled at the sky as they walked. The two were quiet, not because there was nothing to say but because there was too much. Perses wanted to make the most of this conversation and so struggled to find the words to say.

The bright orange sky illuminated the kingdom with an endearing glow, allowing the pair to see much of the domain. Walking outside the inner wall's main gate had sent shockwaves of relief down Perse's body. It took everything he had to not succumb to this comforting drowsiness. 

Out here, and with someone capable like Machia, it was the kind of security he had long since forgotten. His only real ally had returned.

Traversing the rocky path, Perses did his best to keep up with Machia's long strides contently. He was eager to speak with him. He wanted to hear more from him. But Machia's absentminded attitude seemed fixed on the sky alone. 

As Perses agonized over what to say, something unexpected came out of his mouth.

"Machia, what kind of person are you."

It was a strange, inconceivably odd question. Machia was the person Perses had known the longest, known the best. That fact was irrefutable, even when keeping his recent absence in mind. But as Perses watched Machia's back with a new perspective, built up through new experiences. He found himself uncertain. 

He knew Machia had taught him lots. He could feel Machia's sincerity in everything he said to Perses, in every way he looked at Perses. Machia had found him when he had awakened, found him when he had wandered to Hectate's house. It was common sense to Perses that Machia would continue to protect him.

"Thank you for freeing me, but I still don't understand some stuff. Please tell me, why did you lie to me, about the kingdom and about us being the only blessed? I know it's a bit early, I'm not trying to accuse you, I just..."

Machia's pace did not falter. In fact, he showed no reaction at all. Perses felt a little neglected. It was out of character for Machia to ignore a question of his. 

Only then did Perses notice it.

An ominous shadow inexplicably blocked out the sun. 

It did not hover over them directly, but it was more than noticeable to the human eye. It hugged the giant orange ball, interfering with its light and casting a shadow away from the kingdom. Now that Perses thought about it, Machia hadn't yet looked him in the eyes. There was really no eye contact. It was as if he was. Preoccupied. 

Machia turned back to face Perses again. Finally, he dismissed his attention from the sun. Real kindness radiated from Machia's bright smile as he faced Perses. 

"Huh, hold on, what do you mean, Perses?"

In a display of confusion, Machia tilted his head, mimicking Perse's.

"No one. No one told you, you were free."

Perses was startled by Machia's acute mimicry of him. He just barely resisted the urge to tilt his head back himself. Machia spoke in an amused tone before returning his nonchalant gaze to the sky. With a drawn-out, slow, detached voice, Machia spoke to Perses, distracted once again.

"What I mean is, I didn't say that, I didn't say you were free. You know, now that I think about it... I don't think anyone did. So where did you get that idea from?"

"But you broke my chains, so of course-."

"Well, sure, but, you could have broken them yourself. The reason you're allowed out here, is, just because, you're not really a threat. I just brought you here... on a whim."

Machia frowned. For the first time, his smile dissipated. With a strained reluctance, Machia pierced the sun with his gaze, causing the distant shadowy veil to shift and bulge. Its already enormous shape was inexplicably expanding in front of Perse's very eyes. Contorting and bulging, the shadow reeled back from Machia's intense gaze. After some time, Machia's smile returned as if nothing had happened.

"Perses, of course, there's a reason I didn't tell you about the other blessed. Obviously, it's because I can't trust you. Is that what you want, though Perses? Would you like to know about Amelia?"

Despite the beautiful orange beams that coated his skin with warmth, Perses felt awfully cold. "Huh". Falling to the floor, Perses raised his dust-covered hand. He flicked his eyes back to Machia's tall, dark figure, unable to tear his shaky eyes away from him. The expanded shadow stole all the light away from the two figures, leaving them in stark darkness.

Perses was not scared of Machia, not in the slightest. But, from this unfortunate angle, Perses saw the rigid corners of his smile. It was a smile he had never seen on Machia before. It was the real deal.

"Strong, unwittingly admirable. Unyielding, steadfast, beautiful... amazing. Yet also foolish. Dangerously so. You see, Perses, I've seen her hurt many times, all of her own doing. Yet, I never forgot. She left me here... maybe a decade ago, was it? Following orders, she joined the kingdom's army. She, Amelia for the first time, did what she was told, and she abandoned me."

As strange as Machia was acting at this moment, Perses couldn't help but share in his pain unwillingly. Though, clearly by now, he had quit speaking to Perses altogether, who he was taking too, Perses had no idea.

"But me, I'm patient. I took that chance to dedicate myself to strength. I gained favour with the emperor. My abilities became unparalleled, I became an expert swordsman, an even better conversationalist, a survivor, and a leader. I had my hands full at the time, but every single day, I would return to where it all started, and I would wait. Years went by, agonizing, worthless days passed. You see. Waiting in the sanctuary's darkness for another blessed to awake. It all took so long."

With a forlorn, distraught expression that was unsuitable for Machia's face, he gazed down at his feet. 

"By the time you came around, I was at my tether end. But I pushed on, remembering how she was. The ways the two of you were similar burdened me greatly. But I fought. I alone protected the kingdom from the fiends. I scouted those harrowing depths for my people, but truthfully Perses. 

With a sickening, desperate smile, shadows lashed out at Perses.

"It broke me."