This goodbye is only temporary.

"What happened? How did you guys leave the subspace?" I asked Reuben.

"I'm not sure either, we just got booted out and then we found you passed out on the floor not breathing and that floating thing told us not to touch…" Reuben turned around pointing at the staff and when he saw his twin and the staff still arguing, I saw something snap in his eyes.

"Rein! What are you still doing over there, come over here and help me help Vee stand up! And you, stop calling my twin stupid! He may be a bit dull but he's not stupid!" A chuckle threatened to escape the cracks of my lips, and both the staff and Rein came walking toward us.

"You Good? Also, what happened to you?" Rein asked while he checked my forehead to see if I had a fever or was hurt anywhere.

I explained the best I could while censoring some of the more brutal details, the floating staff would chime in from time to time to explain anything that I had no clue about, as it was always carried around by the director.

"So… the Director was taking children from Section A and using them as a sacrifice every full moon for the nobles and the children in Section B were being experimented on?" Reuben asked.

"Yep! It was truly a horrid sight, I'm so glad that you got here. I couldn't stand witnessing any more of that!" The staff let out a shill.

"Exactly what are you? You didn't speak or awaken the first time we met and who or what was that voice, the voice that spoke the ancient language." I asked the staff.

"I am an ancient artifact, I choose my own wielder but I haven't been able to do so since that awful man took me by force and locked my powers away then had some evil take over my body and created a contract with that awful woman, I was only able to escape when I felt Levern's power's from you… as for the voice he's one of the many demons who followed in Arnedan's wishes." the staff bounced around in the air while answering my question, it's movements made my head spin.

"I thought Demons were evil? Isn't that what the director told us?" Rein asked his twin with his brows scrunched.

"You humans love to have absolute trust in the words of another human, there is absolutely no other species that has this much faith in their own kind, I'm only saying this once so listen up, Demons manage everything that goes on in hell, they punish and imprison evil at the orders of God to protect all his other creations."

"So what now?" asked Reuben from the uncertainty that this sudden revelation brought along.

"Well… First, we free Arnedan and then we carry on with what we had planned beforehand." I stood up and went towards the black marble statue, I produced another mana sword and smashed the statue in half, upon impact a white orb flew out and a voice echoed.

"Thank you… Thank you for freeing me, I hope in this life you live happily surrounded by those that love you for you." One could assume this was the voice of Arnedan.

"I didn't do much, if you hadn't sacrificed yourself humanity would no longer exist, aren't I right?" I replied back.

'Chuckle' "No, I'm sure humanity would've found another way to survive just as they always have. I was just a fraction of your marvel."

"Right…" A light silence filled the air for a brief moment before a voice broke through.

"Arnedan?! Is that you? How are you here?" shock or relief rang out throughout the whole chapel.

"I've always been here… I wanted to tell you, you've done a great job so far and I'm sorry you had to see the worst of this world." Arnedan hurried as if he was using the last bits of his powers just to speak.

"Are you… Finally putting down all that heavy burden and leaving?" the voice asked.

"Yes… I am finally free, I leave the gates of hell to you… you and Vee, Thank you truly for everything you've ever done for me." Arnedans voice started to distort and mumble.

"... What is there to thank me for? It was all your hard work, go now… be free, and in your next life I hope you can live for yourself and no one else." It was an honest wish and hope coming from whoever the voice belonged to.

"Thanks… Goodbye, my dear friend…" The white orb lost its whiteness and turned clear. Anyone could guess that this meant his time was now truly limited.

We asked the staff to look after the children until we returned and hurried towards the lake, something about that lake felt different as if something or someone was now looking through it. I took the orb that was sitting in my hands and placed it gently in the water, afraid that any amount of pressure may break it.

The orb floated around atop the lake and then a white light lifted it up ever so slightly in the air and it plunged deep into the bottom of the lake, till it dissipated and a vision rippled on top of the waves.

- - -

I could feel the seal I had placed onto Arnedan being released alongside a single teardrop escaping my eyelids for the first time since my creation…

'Is this how you felt to be able to release a cry after your return? Yes… What I hated wasn't the humans that took Arnedan from me but myself who wasn't even able to grieve over him properly.'

"Arnedan… I've been waiting for our reunion for a millennium. Did you miss me too?"

'It seems as though my time here is up.' I leaned back into the lake and plunged towards Arnedan.

"Levern… Levern…." A lovely voice rang out into my eardrums.

'How long has it been since the last time I've seen Arnedan's beauty face like this?' It broke my heart to see the Arnedan in front of me now, he looked exhausted and I couldn't help but question if it was of the world or of me.

"Arnedan, I'm so sorry for keeping you trapped in there, that was selfish of me, I know I shouldn't have… I know but…"

I looked down in guilt, I could not say that I regretted my actions which plunged me into a deeper sensation of selfishness.

As if Arnedan could sense my self-pity he embraced me for the first time in a long time and whispered ever so sweetly.

"It's alright now… Let's move on and be happy." Both in a teary mess but I could feel that this was the end for both of us.

"Arnedan… In our next life, let's meet again and this time let us be lovers. Lovers who no longer need to linger in each other's shadows."

"Levern… I too wish to be able to live my next life being smothered in your embrace, this goodbye is only temporary so, stop your tears."

- - -

Their reunion was fleeting just like the withering of cherry blossoms, blooming only temporarily and leaving your presence before you become too attached to its bud. Almost like a fleeting summer night's dream.

'I too wish for the both of you to be happy… Goodbye.'