The theater's entrance was suddenly crowded. Four policemen exited the building carrying board with a white blanket on top, looking like they were covering a body. The people around gawked and gazed, some was simply following the crowd while others found it interesting. It was a despicable side of humanity, without a doubt.
Sythrik and Johann watched as they took their mentor's body away. The two carried tired eyes and a grim expression.
Sythrik looked at Johann for a moment and said with a forced smile, "I... I have to go. See you another time, Johann." As he turned his back and started walking, a familiar voice echoed from behind, "Sythrik! I know that you wont attend the funeral, but I am okay with that since it was Caius' final request from you... However! If you are ever need of help, whatever it is and don't come to me for help. I will kill you!"
Sythrik's forced smile toned down a little, revealing a more "real" smile. "I will think about it! See you another time, Johann."
"He can't fool me, he won't come for help thinking its 'weak' or 'meaningless'... Whatever. If I ever hear he's in trouble, I'll simply come to him." Johann said, seeing Sythrik's form distancing itself.
...
Sythrik found himself before his house and quickly made his way inside. As it was getting dark, he closed the door and did his usual routine. When he was done, he made his way up, stripped down to his underwear and carefully found his way into the bed...
He laid there quietly, contemplating his philosophies, "I always thought that life was meaningless.. So why do I feel like this as soon as its gone?"
"Is the feeling I am bearing right now... Grief? Its so overwhelming its driving me crazy, it feels as if though I'm gonna explode at any moment, or loose my breath due to the lump in my throat!"
He laid there, contemplating over the emotion he was feeling, the day he had experienced, and what had happened for an uncertain amount of time.
He laid it to rest and decided to sleep. Just before he fell into his own dreamland, his vision turned blurry, and he fell into a deep void.
...
on the 19th of July, Sythrik found himself before his exit, holding his house keys in one hand and a leather suitcase in his other hand. His expression was rather solemn, his face had turned slightly pale, and his gaze... It was, unfocused.
Sythrik took hold of the door knob and twisted it gently. He passed through as he opened the door, then closed it. He put his keys inside the keyhole and turned it till he heard a "click".
He stood there for about three minutes until he saw a black carriage with golden symbols on it's edges. It was Sennan's carriage!
It stopped before Sythrik, and a door opened from the inside, revealing Sennan and another shadowy figure opposite of him. "Didn't know he had any accomplices...?" Sythrik thought calmly.
Klein, with a suitcase in hand, closed their distance with a solemn expression. He placed his foot on a step, then, after the other, he entered the carriage. It was the same as before, some baggage next to the stranger's feet, but that was all.
"Come sit next to me, I will introduce the two of you!" Sennan said in a cheery tone. Sythrik, with a nod, sat down next to Sennan. As Sythrik was now placed opposite of the stranger, he, almost instinctively realized the familiar figure in front of him!
"Imelda!?" he blurted out as he saw her long black hair, beautiful, pale skin, her long lashed and blue-grey eyes that held a serene beauty! He simply could not forget that face! Not because of its obvious beauty, but its history with him. It wasn't bad, simply memorable. After all, it was the face he went to see the same day Caius died...
She looked somewhat taken aback, her shock was mimicked by Sennan. Sythrik realized his outburst and coughed twice, then said in a serious tone, "my fault, miss. I didn't mean to scare you."
Imelda chuckled lightly, covering parts of her mouth with a small, pale hand with long, well kept nails. "Don't worry. Such can happen when meeting a celebrity." She said with a voice that lacked arrogance. Sythrik was amazed at how such words could somehow sounded so sincere.
Imelda kept her gaze firmly at Sythrik and asked, "pardon, but may I know of your name? It seems you already know of mine so I feel an introduction would be... A bit arrogant." Understanding, Sythrik introduced himself with a firm voice, "I'm Sythrik F..." He halted for a moment, pondering a little, making a decision that felt and was precious to him. Albeit worthless to most, to him, this decision was priceless.
He gaped a little, a small hint of hesitation was clear in his facial expressions. The others looked worriedly at him, then, he said, "my name... Its Sythrik. Sythrik Finlay!"
Imelda nodded and said, "Sythrik Finlay, huh. Its nice to meet you, Mr. Finlay." Her voice spoke elegantly as Sennan simply stared at Sythrik with a profound confusion! "Finlay? Are you messing around or is this for real?" Sennan asked with a raised eyebrow.
Sythrik closed his eyes, leaned back, then smiled. He sat like that in ten seconds before answering, "I did not make a joke, nor will I. This is a decision I made on my own, a promise I chose to keep. I have not abandoned the Montague name, I've simply applied another."
"A promise?" Sennan asked, still confused.
Sythrik's face turned more solemn, yet, he smiled. He closed his eyes and dreamt, while awake that is. He looked back on various events, various moments, various... Versions.
...
There was a sixteen-year-old boy that sat on a bench. His dark brown hair was messy and unkept. His face bore some color, but not much. He had ordinary features, brown eyes, dark eyebrows, and a rather unathletic physique that was covered by a white linen shirt, dark pants, and matching shoes.
That boy smiled as he wrote in his notebook. Then, an old man, seemingly in his early seventies snuck a glance and spoke, "pardon, but are you an aspiring philosopher?" Surprising the boy, he answered with a nervous smile, "I guess, in a way I am, haha."
The old man chuckled, his crispy voice resonated in the boy's ear as he said, "is that so... Would you like to come and work with me? Spreading our ideals and reasons, helping those in confusion, helping ourselves!" It shocked Sythrik hearing to old man's excited voice. "He smiles so much... How? How does he do it?" Sythrik thought to himself quietly.
He seemed to be in deep thought, then smiled.
"Sure, I'd love to!" Sythrik said without hesitation, almost as if he sensed something from this peculiar man in next to him.
"Then its a deal." The man spoke as he reached out his arm. Sythrik looked at the frail, old hand for a moment. He shook it and said, "its a deal!"
A moment passed as the old man realized something! "I almost forgot! My name.. My name is-"
...
"Caius!" Sythrik said aloud, in the middle of the carriage with a warm smile. He looked at Sennan and said with a deep voice, "my mentor. He was the reason for the change in names. He was the one I pledged a promise to."
"Sennan, you asked why I changed my last name, right? The reason is simple, it lack any complex, any chaos. It is simply a decision I made. That's all." Sythrik said with a plain tone.
"I see, it was as simple as that. A decision, huh." Sennan said, accepting the answer.
"A simple decision..." Imelda thought to herself quietly.
Sennan, tired from waking up early said, "I'll take a nap. It will be around an hour or two before our first stop. I'd recommend finding a good sleeping position and take a nap as well!"
The duo nodded and followed after him in the realm of slumber, soon, their vision turned black while their eyes closed.
...
Sythrik's eyes opened. However, he wasn't inside the carriage, nor outside. he was in a complete darkness, surrounded but nothing but black.
"Just what is going on right now!?" He asked himself as turned around. He saw "something"! It was a pale young man that hung against two pillars of aged wood. He was pinned by his hands, his head hung low, and his gaze shifted slightly upwards, staring at Sythrik through his long, dark hair that reached and spread across the ground of endless blackness.
Suddenly, Sythrik was pulled towards the hanged man by an invisible force! He was at a nail's length from the man's face. It was rather handsome, but also looked as though it was broken by time.
Sythrik was without a doubt frightened. His face lost its hue. His eyes narrowed and darkened. His breath turned shallow, and his stance seemed to fail him by each passing moment. "Fear!" That was all Sythrik could comprehend!
The hanged man's crooked lips separated, the winds blew out of nothingness and then, he spoke with an unfathomable sense of authority, "hmmm.. Who do you pray to?" Sythrik stumbled backwards. Then, he was pulled back to the same place by that very same invisible force! His lips quivered, thus, stammering as he spoke, "I don't belong to any religion.. But, if I was... I might've belonged to-"
"To lady death, right?" The hanged man finished Sythrik's sentence. Then added, "if not her, then you would pray to Seth, the god of life. If not him, you would pray to Tethys, the meddler of time. And if even he was of no option, you would have chosen, Nehalennia, goddess of rebirth." Sythrik's expression quickly turned from "fear", to "surprise" "shock" and "confusion" by the sudden prediction made by the hanged man!
The hanged man, who's hair flowed like a river made by countless strands of black hair, displayed Knowledge beyond reason. Said with an eerie tone, "why is it that you hold immortality in such high regards?" The casual chatter made Sythrik loosen up. Despite having never seen this man before, he didn't dare question him or his motives. Thus, he simply went along with the hanged man's questions.
He stammered as he answered, not due to fear or anxiety.. Simply because he was unsure. "In all honesty, I'm quite unsure. Death is such a complex and profound thing, questioning it is foolish. Yet, all I do is question it. And every time I do, I end up more confused then before.
"Thus, I have come to a single conclusion! If I can't understand it, I will avoid it."
As soon as Sythrik finished his sentence, the hanged man smiled! It wasn't normal smile, compassionate, nor was it a gentle one-It was a smile of thrill and utter excitement!
"Is that so?" The hanged man said, his smile slowly receding. "Then, let me pose an offer. No, a contract." His tone, now calm and devoid of excitement, only anticipation.
"Contract?" Sythrik said, hesitantly.
"I will open your path. In return, include me in your journey toward immortality. What do you say, human?" The hanged man informed.
"You will open my path?"