Ch. 2 A Man Named Zephyr

Two weeks passed after the news report. Searches were called off and Aria Evergreen, alongside Jack Jenson, were presumed dead.

The funeral was a somber affair, an eerie contrast to the vibrant personality that Jack had embodied. The air was heavy with grief as friends, family, and colleagues gathered to bid farewell to a soul whose laughter had echoed through the halls of Thorne Academy. The once lively campus seemed muted, as if mourning alongside those who had gathered.

Orion stood near the casket, his eyes shielded behind sunglasses. 

"Jack always said funerals are for the living, not the dead… Fucking dumbass," Orion mumbled to himself, trying to muster a smile, but it faltered before fully forming. He glanced at the gathering, faces blurred by tears, and couldn't help but wonder if Jack was watching from some cosmic vantage point, shaking his head at the solemnity.

The casket, adorned with the celestial symbols of pride, bravery and intellect to honor Jack's adventurous spirit, rested under a canopy of white flowers. A holographic image of Jack, captured mid-laugh, hovered nearby, a reminder of the infectious joy that now seemed elusive.

Ash approached, her eyes reflecting a mixture of sorrow and disbelief. "Orion, how are you holding up?" she asked, her voice a mere whisper in the sea of muted conversations.

Orion shrugged, his gaze fixed on the casket. "As well as one can, I guess. It's not like I'm gonna cry but… He's just gone."

Ash nodded, understanding the weight of the unspoken words. They stood together in silence, observing the sea of mourners who had come to pay their respects.

The funeral service began with a holographic projection of Jack's adventures, a montage of laughter, daring escapades, and moments that captured the essence of a life lived to the fullest. The air resonated with laughter and tears as the memories unfolded, creating a bittersweet tapestry that didn't come close to filling the chasm left by Jack's absence.

Professor Sterling stepped forward, his usually stoic demeanor replaced by a raw vulnerability. "Jack Jenson… Was more than my student; he was a force of nature. A wanderer, a dreamer, and a friend to us all. I still remember the day he came to me and asked me to help him work on his technomancy… He was a genius, a hard worker, and he brought joy to our lives, challenged our thinking, and made the ordinary… Extraordinary."

As Professor Sterling spoke, his voice cracked with emotion, punctuating the collective sorrow of those who had lost a companion, a confidant, and a source of endless laughter.

Orion's mind drifted to the countless adventures they'd shared—late-night escapades, borderline illegal use of technomancy, and the pranks that tormented the residents of Thorne Academy male dorms. The casket seemed too small to encapsulate the grandeur of Jack's spirit.

The funeral continued with eulogies from Jack's friends, each sharing anecdotes that painted a vivid portrait of a life well-lived. Ash, her voice steady yet laced with emotion, spoke of Jack's unwavering support during challenging times.

"He was like a light in the darkness. When I lost my legs I was insecure, but Jack brought me out of my shell, he helped me make my first friend, and… He…" Ash's voice faltered.

"He was more than a friend; he was family," Ash concluded, her words resonating with the ache of loss as she stepped back next to Orion.

The holographic image of Jack seemed to nod in agreement as everyone looked to Orion. He looked around for his father, but not seeing him, shrugged.

Orion stepped forward, his hands almost shaking as he placed a single, vibrant blue flower on the casket. The weight of the moment pressed down on him, and he felt an overwhelming urge to say something, anything, to honor his brother and best friend who had left too soon.

"Jack… You son of a bitch,," Orion began,. "I never thought I'd be standing here, saying goodbye like this. You were supposed to outlive me and lie that I died in a crazy scenario, but instead here I am placing stupid flowers on your casket…" Orion took a deep breath, his words hanging in the air like a fragile melody. "You made every day an adventure, every moment unforgettable. I don't know how to do this without you… But I have too, so I will."

Ash and the assembled mourners listened in respectful silence as Orion spoke from the heart, a testament to the deep bonds forged through shared laughter and tears.

As the funeral drew to a close, the holographic image of Jack, frozen in perpetual laughter, lingered in the air. The casket began to descend into the earth. 

The mourners scattered handfuls of soil onto the casket, a symbolic gesture of returning Jack to the embrace of the earth. Orion didn't help cover the casket, getting his hands covered in wet dirt didn't seem worth it.

Instead, he turned from the funeral and walked off by himself, that feeling in his chest that had sprouted two weeks ago burning inside of him.

"Hey Qece," He said, relinking her network as she appeared in front of him, looking pissed off.

"I try and help you and shit and you turn me off! You know I'm real right! You left me in the dark for two weeks! You stupid mother fuc-" Qece stopped shouting as she checked all recents.

"No… No way Aria is dead," She said softly, sitting down on a holographic chair and looking off at a random point with a blank stare.

"I don't think she is," Orion revealed, his hands in his pockets as he looked out at the roaring seas that surrounded Etheridge on all sides save the west.

"Really!" Qece's form lit up as stars replaced her eyes. "What makes you say that?" She asked excitedly.

"Just… A theory, I've been having dreams and-"

"Mr Jenson," A voice interrupted him as he disconnected Qece and turned toward it. The source was a scruffy, middle aged man who looked like he had thrown on a bow tie and decided it was good enough for a funeral.

"Name's Orion, Mr. Jenson is my father… Though he's not here, so I suppose it's appropriate," He said thoughtfully as the man smirked.

"Jack used to tell me the same thing back when we worked together in Austral," The man said, chuckling in thought as he held out his name.

"Name's Zephyr mate, it's nice to meet the 'crazy bastard' Jack couldn't shut up about."

"You worked with Jack in Austral? Pardon my surprise but you look nothing like a technomancer nor a scholar…"

Zephyr laughed aloud, shaking his head and denying the accusation. "Me? Look like one of those assholes with sticks up their… Well assholes?'

"Then… You are?" Orion asked rudely, annoyed at Zephy r's cheerful attitude despite the day.

"Ah yes, when your brother was in his final year if school, he took on a mission in Austral to hunt whisps. I happened to have the same mission so me, him, Aria, and a few others got together and did it. We've kept loosely in touch over these two years he's been back here…"

Zephyr's expression was suddenly serious. "And I don't think he's dead."

Everything around Orion went silent as he stared at Zephyr. The boy nodded slowly, taking off his sunglasses and putting them inside his pocket.

Bam!

Orion slammed his fist into Zephyr's stomach, surprising the adventurer who jumped back.

"Come up with your own theory, I beat you to it," Orion said, shaking his hand as Zephyr began to smile.

"He said you were kind of an asshole."

"Yeah? Sounds like me," Orion answered before leaving the funeral, his mood suddenly heightened.

…

"I know why I think he's alive, but why do you?" Orion asked as he plopped down on his bed, gesturing for Zephyr to take a seat at the table.

"Jack wouldn't just disappear like that, he'd definitely go out as publicly as possible."

Orion nodded, "yeah, I guess you're right, but is that really enough of an explanation?" He asked, yawning a bit as he enjoyed the comfort of his own bed. 

"If you knew your brother like I did, you would think it was enough," Zephyr said confidently. "But why do you think he's alive?" He asked Orion, sitting down for the first time.

"Hah… That's a good question isn't it?" Orion asked as he sat up suddenly. "Do you know the theory of wishful psychosis?" 

Zephyr shook his head, giving Orion a weird look as the boy laughed to himself. 

"Well, it's either that or… He talked to me." Zephyr suddenly jumped up. "Talked? You mean he's here!?" The man yelled as Orion shook his head.

"No… It's like I heard his voice… I could have been dreaming, but it felt so real… Which makes me think wishful psychosis might be the most likely answer," Orion explained with a sigh.

"Hmm, it's possible, but given what Jack went to do when he went missing, I'd say he probably did talk to you." 

Orion raised an eyebrow, confused as to what Zephyr was trying to say.

"Do you not know why he and the girl went to the old world ruins?" Zephyr asked as Orion shook his head, 

"God…" Zephyr sat at the edge of Orions bed as he began to explain. "The old world is underneath our new core, when the homo-sapiens drove themselves to extinction, a few got together and rebuilt the world into what we know today. Austral was known as Australia in the old days, and the old ruins are about 300,000 miles underneath, as is the entire rest of our old earth."

"Woah dude, you're talking way too much about basic ancient history," Orion said, gawking at the man as Zephyr nodded and continued.

"It is believed that The Celestial Nexus, the powerhouse of the entire universe, was lost in the old world, that's why Jack was in Austral in the first place, but he didn't find it. So he took a break. He has always been looking for this object, with it, everything we've done in the past 3000 years could be tripled in just a few days."

There was a heavy silence as Orion looked at Zephyr's excited expression, it was clear Zephyr believed and was interested in this subject very much.

"So… Let me get this straight," Orion said, breaking the silence. "My brother decided to throw away his entire life… For a mythological object?"

Zephyr's smile dropped as Orion began to chuckle. 

"I knew he was a dumbass, hell, he even believes there is some higher being watching over us, but damn this is a new low."

"It's not a joke!" Zephyr yelled, grabbing Orion's collar. "Many people have put their lives on the line trying to find the nexus, it is the single most important ancient treasure in history!"

Orion glanced down at the hands on his collar before looking back up at him. "Except it's not in history… It's a myth," He said, shrugging off the hands. 

"This was clearly a waste of time, if my brother is alive then he's probably juust searching for that bullshit, he can stay gone for all I care."

"Orion-"

"Just leave, can't believe I wasted my time on this…" Orion said with a sigh as he opened up the terrace window. 

"See yourself out, I have guard duty at the academy," Orion finished before jumping out of the window.

He put his hands together, runes on his back glowing underneath his shirt before metallic wings formed, carrying him toward the school.

"You were right Jack… Your brother is a real piece of shit."

Orion soared the city skies for a bit, seemingly random at first, but if someone bothered to watch in detail, they'd see there was a pattern to his movements.

"Alright. No one's following me, you wanna talk again or are you gonna continue with that mystery drama bullshit you did two weeks ago?" Orion said.

"I'm surprised you didn't tell Zephyr about hearing me, you were always a big mouth," Jack's voice said in Orion's head as he smirked a bit.

"Well, brother… I'm pretty sure I'm hallucinating right now."

Jack appeared in front of Orion, looking just as he remembered him. 

"Haha… Well, you're halfway right."