The Ones That Got Away

[ And so ends the Unification War. Alastair who usurped the Schwarz throne with his siblings gave up the throne to the Dark Majesty while Nemesis and her daughter Luella who ruled Grau Hel, although they had yet to see the Dark Majesty in over five years, pledged allegiance to the Master of Hel. ]

Hunter walked into the conjurers' department to a huge round of applause from his fellow Metropolitan School of Mysticism students.

"Welcome back," Martin said to the sprite who shot the former a small smile.

"Welcome back indeed," said Sir Aragones who had been quietly observing the scene. "You had one hell of a holiday Hunter but now it's time to put the distractions behind you and conjure something up."

Hunter nods. "I'm ready."

...

Hunter walked into the infirmary, he could not believe what he was hearing from the students at the Met school.

The sprite speeds past several nurses who attempt to stop or question him before finally setting eyes on Sonya who had just finished administering a drug to a patient lying on one of the beds.

"Where are they?" He asked the member of the Grand Liberation Program.

"Come with me," said the doctor as she turned around and led the teal-green-eyed boy to a secluded section of the hospital.

Hunter stood with watered eyes as he took in the sight in front of him; two other sprites survived the River Pot train massacre, Thomas Maximilian and Yui Nakamura.

"How -- How are they?" He asked.

The two sprites were lying on separate beds with several tubes connected to their bodies.

"Yui should be fine but for some reason, I don't know what exactly, she isn't waking up."

"What about Thomas?" The teal-green-eyed boy asked.

Dr. Sonya of the Grand Liberation Program exhales deeply. "Thomas's injury is more complicated than --"

"How bad is it?" The sprite cut her off.

"I don't think he'll ever walk again."

...

"From the moment I got back the River Pot memories, I knew this was going to be the hardest thing ..." Hunter said. "When I got them back, they felt like something that happened a long time ago but now ... After seeing Yui and Tom ..."

Ishani grabbed the dark-haired boy's hands. He closes his eyes and exhales deeply. "Thank you for being here," he said.

After Hunter saw his injured friends, the gray-eyed woman was the first person he called. "It's no problem," said Ishani. "You would have done the same for me."

Hunter smiles at her. "Are you done with your classes for today?" He asked.

Ishani shook her head. "I'd have taken you out if I had. Unfortunately, I have two more classes. Can't afford to fail in my last year. What about you?" She asked.

"I'm done for today," the sprite replied. "And you don't have to beat yourself up, there's something I must do anyway."

"What's that?"

.

.

.

Hunter sighed, flowers in hand as he knocked on the door.

"Who's there?" The person on the side asked. The teal-green-eyed boy hadn't given a response when the door slid open and just in front of him was Alice Lewis, the stepmother to the late Alexander Lewis.

...

Alice placed a teacup containing tea in front of Hunter who nodded and picked up the cup before sipping it. "Thanks," said the dark-haired boy as he set the cup back on the table.

Alice smiles. "How have you been?" She asked. "Last I checked, the Bureau told me you passed away from your injuries."

Hunter nods. "It's a miracle that I survived. What about you?" He asked. "The last two months must have been difficult for you, losing your --"

"I survived thanks to you," said Alice. "If I hadn't gone back to the villa that day to get that necklace you got for me, I'd have been on the train too." She said with teary eyes. "I know I should saddened by Rick's and Alex's death and I am ... I'm just really happy I wasn't on the train," she confessed. "I know I shouldn't be and I sometimes feel guilty for it but I can't help it." She placed her hand on the side of the dark-haired boy's face. "I'm glad you survived too."

The sprite grabbed the blond's hand with his. "I ... I didn't even remember ..."

"What?"

"When I woke up," said Hunter. "I just went about my life without worrying about River Pot. I pushed the memories away and even when I got them back, it didn't bother me."

"Hunter ..."

"It didn't bother me that I'd lost my friends ... I just didn't care ... It should've been someone else that survived not me, I --"

Alice placed her other hand on the other side of the sprite's face, cupping it. "It's not your fault," she said. "It's not your fault you've seen so many people die at such a young age that death no longer fazes you and it's certainly not your fault for surviving River Pot."

"Then why do I feel like I should've done something to prevent it? The metropolitan school students who volunteered did so because of me. Even on the train, I saw Yui's necklace glow ... If I had spoken earlier or just knew how to create a shield, I could've protected t--"

Alice shook her head. "Don't think like that," she said. "There was nothing you could do."

...

Hunter walked into the cemetery. Alice had described the place to him but did not want to go there with him. According to the blond-haired woman, she preferred going there by herself.

The teal-green-eyed boy placed a flower over Alex's grave. "Hey friend," he said. "I'm sorry for taking so long before coming here. I didn't know ..." He sighs before turning to the grave next to Alex's and placing a flower over it as well.

"Mr. Richard," he started. "I'm sorry for ..." Hunter closed his eyes and shook his head. "I can't do this," he said to himself before rising to his and walking out of the cemetery. Right at the exit, the Grade A sprite ran into Alexandra who was holding two bouquets. "Hunter?" She said surprised to see the dark-haired boy alive and kicking.

Hunter pulls the ginger-haired girl into a hug without saying anything.

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