Prologue: Solace and Acceptance

The final moments of their existence were over, to be remembered by no one, or recorded in history.

…

Two black silhouettes stood silently in a white space filled with nothing. The space extended far beyond the horizon if it were to be perceivable.

"W-where are we?"

"We're nowhere."

"Don't joke with me! Where are we?!"

"I told you, we're currently nowhere."

"Why did you bring the both of us here?"

"Wasn't this what you wanted from the start?"

"No! I told you to bring us somewhere, but I didn't expect you to bring us here!"

"It was unpredictable even from the beginning, even you couldn't say it for sure—what we could've done to make things better."

"But you understood what I said in the end right?"

"Yes."

"Then can we go somewhere that isn't here?"

"There is no way we can get out of here."

"Arrggghhhh! Why are we even here then?!"

One of them sat down in the middle of nowhere, huddling her knees while tilting forward—the other only stood silently, looking at the other one from the back. The oddity of the situation had dawned on them both, but there was nothing they could do right now, except to stay.

"…"

"Do you really know the reason we really ended up here?

"Do you expect me to know the answer to that?"

"There were so many things that happened just now, I can't help but to know where we actually are."

"I expect you to know the answer to that question already. You were the first to start it all."

"What do you mean? How should I know about things like that?"

The silhouette who stood up walked over to the one sitting down, and sat right next to each other, looking at nothing as the same sky shone the same light as anything they were looking at.

A teardrop fell to the ground.

"Come on, let's not reminisce on the bad things."

"I can't! I've always been frustrated with you being able to beat me while I'm just trying to—"

"…"

An echo of silence.

"I'm trying to…"

"…"

"I'm trying… What have I…? Did I have that much of an insatiable desire?

"…"

"The desire… it brought me there."

"…"

"All those… Blood I've spilt on innocent others."

"…"

"Everything… Their pain, despair, trust…"

"…"

"It cost them everything just so… Just so I…!"

"…"

"Just so I could…"

"…"

"Ever so slowly the burden lies within… You carry the weight of my actions…"

"…"

"You were always smiling to them… inconsequential of my actions…"

"…"

"All that I've tried to take away… Why…? WHY…? WHY DO I NOT—"

A hug was exchanged beyond the downpour of tears hitting the ground.

"Calm down, it's okay… it's okay…"

"I'm… *sobs* I'm so… *sobs*"

"You've made many mistakes… but it's fine now…"

"I'm sorry *sobs*… I'm so *sobs* sorry for everything… *sobs* Everything you've gone through *sobs* was because of me…"

"Everything you've tried to achieve was for your own reasons… I didn't completely understand it at the time… And I must've thought I was the good person there…"

"No! *sobs* There was no need for fighting! *sobs* But I didn't care at all back then, and you took the blame for everything! *sobs*"

"There, there… I've understood that things are going to happen, and I cannot change it… Even if it's the right thing to do… to change it"

"I guess… if you say it like that… *sobs*"

"Still… sometimes… I just can't help but feel like I want to beat you to death… for everything that you've done… to everyone… But there's no reason to; that we're here already… right?"

"You… you can beat me up all you want… I know it must've hurt you so long… for so many times…"

"Your apology… it's all I need. Nothing else matters now that it has happened…"

"A sorry from me can't fix everything… you know that right?"

"I'm okay with that. It's everything I can accept…"

"If you're okay…"

I suppose we can accept this fate… burning in the endless world of nothingness… a blissful end to a fulfilling tale.