The Bloodline System Chapter 1685 1685: Tombstone
Previously on The Bloodline System...
His trousers were plain black, matching simply. Strands of long, unkempt blond hair fell over his shoulders, moving gently with each step he took.
However, his visage…
His features remained stoic and icy...
Still, they held an intensity of feeling so deep that the children halted, as if an inner sense identified him.
One boy pulled at his companion's arm.
"That fellow… he seems known to me."
The friend agreed with a gradual nod, unclear on the reason.
The stranger ignored them entirely. He appeared oblivious to their presence. With purposeful strides, he entered the roadside burial ground, advancing relentlessly.
Graves lined his path in rows, ancient markers split by years, blooms faded through changing times.
At last, he halted.
Directly in front of the headstone inscribed with:
ANGY VILANDROBADIA.
Silence enveloped the surroundings.
Even the breeze refrained from stirring foliage.
He sank gradually into a crouch, joints folding under sorrow's burden. For the initial moment since arriving, his palm stirred... quivering faintly as it extended to caress the monument's face.
With unmatched gentleness unseen in the living, his digits followed the etched script. His thumb repeatedly grazed the edge, seeking any residual heat she could have imparted.
A crimson bloom appeared in his grasp, which he laid softly upon the earth.
No words escaped him.
Tears did not fall.
No farewell passed his lips.
Yet grief poured from him densely and oppressively, causing the heavens to darken faintly, as if daylight yielded in respect to the savior of all existence… who forfeited the sole desire closest to his heart.
---
Distant by many miles, within the MBO Tower, Falco sprang to his feet as his awareness surged.
His pulse hammered in his head.
"—impossible," he murmured.
Acting swiftly, he seized his gadget and contacted E.E.
E.E answered right away, out of breath.
"You sensed it as well?!"
Falco dipped his head firmly, despite E.E's partial view via the holographic display.
"It's him," Falco stated. "Gustav. He's returned to Earth."
E.E offered no response, disconnecting to alert the others.
In mere instants, Endric, Aildris, Elevora, Ria, Sersi, Xanatus, each got the abrupt alert on their devices:
GUSTAV IS HERE.
Stunned quiet met the news from all, then voices clashed in shock and haste.
"But his location?" Ria whispered. "He vanished completely for years."
"He prefers staying hidden," Aildris remarked softly.
Endric massaged his forehead. "If Gustav has come back at this point—post-funeral—after all that's passed—where would he head first?"
A shared hush descended over the link.
Suddenly… together…
"THE CEMETERY!"
They launched skyward in vivid streaks of power, traversing terrains toward that known spot.
E.E reached first, stepping through a portal.
He materialized close to the youngsters still at play on the road.
"Hey—have you kids spotted a tall man with extended blond locks and a red coat going by?!"
The children bobbed their heads eagerly.
"He entered the cemetery!"
"He appeared sorrowful!"
"And… recognizable!"
"Damn," E.E exhaled, his torso constricting.
Successively, the group arrived by translocation:
Endric.
Falco.
Aildris.
Elevora.
Ria.
Sersi.
And others.
In unison, they dashed through the burial site, hurrying beyond tombstones until reaching the dreaded area.
Angy's marker.
And positioned ahead… stood emptiness.
Gustav had departed already.
Yet an item persisted.
A lone rose atop the soil, shimmering subtly with remnants of his essence.
And beside it…
A message creased carefully under a modest rock.
A gentle gust fluttered the sheet's borders.
E.E stiffened.
Endric's complexion drained.
Falco gulped heavily.
Aildris advanced at last, lifting the paper with unsteady fingers.
He unfolded it.
The group crowded in.
Reality paused in tension.
The message stated:
---
"Don't look for me.
I am not lost.
I just don't belong here anymore.
Take care of each other.
Live the life we fought to protect.
Angy would want that.
—Gustav"
---
As the last word registered, E.E shielded his eyes with palms.
"Damn…" he uttered unsteadily.
Ria averted his gaze, eyes stinging. "Rival!"
Falco gripped his hands until bones blanched.
Sersi pressed her lip, droplets streaming quietly.
Aildris's chin quivered.
Endric's frame drooped as mourning shadowed his expression.
Sersi denied it with shakes.
"No… Gustav… you're not alone…"
Yet he had vanished again.
Solitude was his choice, duration unknown.
He opted for isolation rather than rejoining a realm without Angy.
For him…
Cosmos might stand renewed.
His reality remained shattered.
The companions gathered at the stone with a light zephyr crossing the grounds. The bloom rested still, emblem of affection, mourning, and a parting unforeseen.
E.E shattered the quiet at last.
"He saved EVERYTHING…" he grumbled resentfully. "Every trivial detail. The cosmos… worlds… us… everyone…"
He struck a stone forcefully, propelling it afar.
"BUT HE COULDN'T SAVE THE ONE PERSON HE WANTED MOST."
Falco rested a palm on his arm.
"He isn't deserting us. He's merely… in pain."
"IN PAIN?!" E.E erupted, tone breaking. "He's breaking apart within."
Endric shut his lids.
"He'll return someday," he voiced calmly. "Not today. Perhaps not for years. Or ages. But he shall."
Aildris released a measured exhale.
"In the interim… we safeguard his restoration."
All assented, burdens weighing their spirits.
Gradually, each departed the site.
Endric delayed briefly, eyes on the bloom.
"…Thank you, Angy," he breathed. "For restoring our brother to us."
He extended and adjusted the petal delicately before departing.
Quiet reclaimed the burial place.
Clouds gathered overhead.
And in a remote expanse—beyond their united detection—Gustav proceeded solitary, bearing sorrow as perpetual darkness…
And embarking on a solitary journey beyond pursuit.