“The difference between vengeance and justice is that vengeance is about your feelings. Justice is about making the world better for people who don’t even know you.” ― E.F. Coleman (Immechanica)

  * * * *

  Beep. Beep. Beep.

  Sometimes, Reina hated her job as a doctor, especially when she couldn’t save her patients, knowing that they were going to die and that all she could do was just make their last days as comfortable as possible.

  But it is especially worse if the patient is someone that she knew on a personal basis.

  Reina sighed, removing the ends of the stethoscope from her ears and looking at a worried Leroy and Alisa, who stood in the corner of the already cramped tiny bedroom to give Reina as much room as possible.

  “Reina?” Alisa pleaded with Reina with her eyes, hoping against all hopes that Reina could give them some hope.

  Next to her, Leroy felt like a vice had a grip on his heart, even as he looked from Reina to Earl in the bed that the doctor had been examining, with heart monitors and machines next to him. Earl looked like death warmed over, with IV tubes running into his wrists and with an oxygen mask over his face to help him to breathe.

  Leroy knew what was coming for nearly a year now since Earl had turned up at Zalfari. He knew. But it doesn’t make things any easier, knowing that this is one enemy that he can’t fight.

  Reina shook her head, hating herself with every fibre of her being, seeing Leroy and Alisa’s faces fall. Alisa for one looked ready to cry.

  “I can’t do anything anymore,” Reina admitted. “I’ve already done all I could. And as much as we hate the idea, maybe the hospital—”

  A rasp from Earl in the bed caught their attention.

  “No… No hospital.” Earl was weak, but his eyes were still clear. “I’ll…rather die.”

  Leroy bit on his bottom lip. “Earl…”

  “Should we call Sera?” Alisa looked at Leroy. “She will want to be here. So will Zest. They will find out sooner or later that we’ve been hiding Earl here. Heck, I’m surprised they don’t already know. They would never forgive us for this should they find out.”

  Earl gave a light shake of his head with whatever strength that he had left. “She’ll…understand. Zest…will understand,” he rasped. “I asked Ethan…to pass on a letter to them both should I pass on.”

  “Goddess above…” Reina wisely moved aside silently even as Leroy and Alisa moved closer to the bed. “We should never have involved you!” Alisa cried, burying her face into her hands. “Angela is one thing. But you’re another. Goddess above us… What am I going to tell Angie when I meet her by the Goddess’ side?”

  “Don’t cry, ‘lisa.” With a shaking hand, Earl brushed his fingers against Alisa’s cheek. “I don’t regret anything.” His gaze shifted over to Leroy who was standing by Alisa’s side, stoic and silent. But his eyes betrayed his inner turmoil. “Leroy… Thank you for everything…”

  Leroy shook his head. “You don’t have to thank me for anything,” he insisted. “I’m sorry. If I could, I would have tried to find a cure for your illness. But…”

  Leroy and Alisa looked over at Reina who suddenly found a corner of the room extremely fascinating, refusing to look at any of the occupants, though her eyes were suspiciously shiny.

  By the time that Earl had turned up at Zalfari, he was already deathly ill, with his disease in the terminal stages. If truth be told, no doctor in the land could cure Earl, with how fast the disease had progressed in his body. All that Reina could do was make Earl as comfortable as possible.

  Though it seems like after that visit by that ESA agent, it was like all the fight in Earl had gone out of him, and his disease had progressed alarmingly quickly to the point that it had rendered him bedridden.

  “You know, back then, when you posed as a client even before Aegis started becoming as well known as they are now, I’m pretty sure that Sera knew that it was you,” Leroy said at last. “Or she might have suspected.”

  Earl gave a weak chuckle that only caused him to cough. “I won’t be surprised if she does,” he rasped. “She always has a way of knowing things.” The room fell silent for several moments, with the only sounds being that of the heart monitors and Earl’s heavy breathing. “…You know, I was afraid…and angry for such a long time. But Sera… And Blade… You guys gave me hope for the first time in a long while…” He admitted. “I’m not a Gifted. And neither am I good at fighting like you…and even Zest. Even if just a little, I thought I could contribute in my own way with my art…with my writings…” He breathed heavily, his eyes meeting with Leroy’s, “To the end… Was I…of some help to you…? To Sera?”

  “You’re part of us, Earl.” Leroy insisted, taking Earl’s hand in his, fighting to keep his face impassive to not show his shock at how cold Earl’s skin felt to the touch. And even how he could almost feel his bones. “You always will be. And I know Sera will agree. So would Zest.” Alisa nodded, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. Leroy chewed on his bottom lip. “Earl, let me call Sera. She will want to be here. You know she will.” He almost begged. “Zest would too.”

  He has no idea where Aegis is marooned at the moment. And neither has he any idea where the heck Zest had gotten to these days. But if he knew both his old comrades at all, they’d make it here come hell and high water.

  Earl gave a light shake of his head. “You…promised me…” Earl reminded. “I don’t want Sera and Zest to see me this way. I’d rather that they remember me as they did.”

  Alisa shot Leroy a desperate look, but he shook his head. As much as he hated it, he wanted to honour Earl’s last wishes, despite knowing that Sera and Zest would both regret not being there during their friend’s final moments.

  “Is there anything you want me to tell Sera?” Leroy asked at last, relieved that his voice came out steady. Don’t break down. Don’t break down. He ordered himself inwardly. You can break down after this. Don’t let Earl see you break down.

  Earl breathed slowly and heavily. “Even if one small thing, I hope that I was of some help to her in the end,” he whispered. “That ESA agent… I knew who he was even before he knocked on my door.” Leroy and Alisa exchanged grim looks. It is why they did nothing to stop Lucas Alescio even when they knew he was in Zalfari. Leroy had eyes on Lucas throughout his entire time in Zalfari to ensure he did nothing further than meet with Earl. “But just maybe… Just maybe… He too could be of some help to Sera. My little way…of contributing to her…to our plans for a Revolution. Plans in the making for years…” He smiled weakly at Leroy and Alisa. “I just wished…that it is Blade that can achieve it. Am I…selfish for thinking that?”

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  “No.” Leroy shook his head, knowing what Earl meant. He also felt the same way when he’d first learnt that Sera had a new crew. “I wish that sometimes too. Blade will always be in our hearts still.” He tapped his chest with a fist. “It is what shapes us to be who we are now. But it is the future that we must look forward to.”

  Earl cracked a small grin. “That’s why…you’re naming your new crew…‘Edge’? Leroy?”

  Leroy was silent for several long moments. As they’ve concluded all those years ago back when Larissa had first asked Leroy to become Zalfari’s new guardian, he can only do so much without a crew to support him. Despite Sera reassuring him countless times that he had his own path to walk now, and that she wouldn’t begrudge him for starting a new crew, since she’d done the same thing—deep inside Leroy, he still somehow felt like he was betraying Sera.

  It wasn’t until a year and a half ago that Leroy finally started his own crew. Small still, but they’re slowly gaining a reputation amongst the underground circles.

  Edge…

  Another term for ‘Blade’. Alisa had never asked Leroy the reasoning behind the name, but she had suspected that it was Leroy’s way of still honouring their past and their old crew, and even the leader who had sacrificed everything for them.

  “Maybe…” Leroy murmured, rubbing the back of his neck.

  Earl cracked a small smile. “I’m sleepy…’s tired…” he slurred.

  “We’re here, Earl,” Alisa reassured, squeezing his hand slightly.

  Earl only smiled at Alisa. “‘lisa, the top drawer… Can you…give me the photo in there?”

  “Top drawer?” Alisa found her eyes going towards the top drawer of the nightstand next to the bed. She fumbled slightly with the drawer as she pulled it open, and quickly found what Earl was looking for.

  Leroy soon realised that it was a photo of Blade back during their happier days. A candid photo of them all in their old hideout. He has no idea who took this photo, as all of them were in there. Some of them having a game of cards. There he was in the corner wrestling with Lleucu, with Alisa and Jamie cheering them on. Sera and Zest were seated near the windowsill, watching them with small smiles. And Wes was leaning against the wall next to the opened doorway, watching them all with a fond but exasperated smile on his lips.

  A photo of much happier times.

  Alisa soon realised what the photo was too, as her eyes widened a slight fraction when she pressed the photograph into Earl’s hand. It was slightly crumbled with the edges already peeling slightly. Like Earl had taken it out to look at it countless times.

  Earl’s lips stretched into a small smile as he gazed at the photo, his trembling fingers caressing the figure of his younger sister in the photo. “The old days… It was fun…” he admitted. “I felt freer than I’d ever felt in years. No longer having to run. Angie… She gained confidence. Found her own strength. I was…glad.” He whispered. “So why…? Why must it come to an end…?”

  “Earl…”

  “…So tired…” Earl almost slurred. “I tried to live…being the best version of myself that I could. In the end, was I…of some help to you guys…to Sera…in the end?”

  Leroy tightened his grasp over Earl’s hand—but not so much that he would hurt him. It took everything in Leroy to fight to control the expressions on his face. He can break down later on. He has all the time in the world to do that.

  But not now. Not now.

  “You did.” Leroy was relieved when his voice came out steady. “You did, buddy.”

  Earl managed a weak grin. “‘m glad… I’m glad… Leroy… Alisa…”

  Alisa placed her hand over Leroy’s who was grasping onto Earl’s hand. “We’re here.”

  Earl’s breathing was coming into hitches, and the expression in his eyes was almost dazed. It was getting harder for him to breathe.

  “Be there for her… Be there for Sera…” Earl rasped. “I can’t…continue anymore. Looks like…my journey ends here…”

  Leroy felt his throat close up on him, and he nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

  “If there is…a next life, let’s…be friends again.”

  “That’s a promise.”

  The sounds of Earl’s raspy breathing could be heard around the room. “I…wanted to have…more time… It’s just…too bad…”

  The up and down motions of Earl’s chest stilled just then, and a high-pitched sound came from the heart monitor, even as a single flat line appeared on the screen.

  Reina who had been remaining silent all this while to allow Leroy and Alisa to say their goodbyes approached Earl in the bed, pressing the stethoscope against his chest. Finally, she turned to face Leroy and Alisa, shaking her head.

  “…He’s gone.”

  Leroy tried to swallow the lump in his throat but felt his vision blurring. Alisa however had no such restrictions as she wailed loudly, burying her face into her hands.

  Carefully, Reina reached over to remove the oxygen mask from Earl’s face, as well as the IV tubes running into his body, before closing his eyes gently to give him some semblance of peace.

  She then retreated into the corner of the room where she was standing earlier, carefully turning her phone face up, where the screen was reflecting that of an ongoing call that she had going on throughout everything.

  A call that she had secretly made to Sera. Even if she can’t be there in person, she at least should be able to listen to Earl’s last words. And if Reina knew Zest as well as she does, she knew that he would be there with Sera as well.

  Carefully, Reina ended the call.

  * * * *

  Outside Earl’s apartment, the light wails of Alisa could be heard coming from inside, even through the closed door.

  Lleucu closed his eyes briefly, even as he remained leaning against the wall.

  “…Go. Go your way to the land of the Ancestors, where they wait for you with open arms, there on the edge between this world and the next,” Lleucu whispered beneath his breath, “See; there they stand. Ancestral spirits, welcome this one to the place where we all must go. Goddess above, guide him to Your side. May he find peace in the next life.”

  The night skies above him were cloudy, threatening rain. It seems like even the Goddess was weeping for Earl.

  A single tear trickled down Lleucu’s face.

  * * * *

  In Zephys, in Blade’s old hideout, both Sera and Zest could only stare at the screen of Sera’s phone before the call was then cut off on Reina’s side.

  For several long moments after that, both Sera and Zest have no idea what to say in response.

  Sera’s face was blank, even as she stared at her phone even as the screen blanked out. But Zest could read her inner turmoil.

  In response, he got to his feet silently and walked over towards Sera, pressing her face against his stomach, and letting her bury her face into his shirt.

  “I won’t judge you,” Zest murmured, wrapping his arms around Sera’s body, already feeling her shaking. “At the very least, we can grieve for Earl together.”

  Sera’s shoulders shook. No sound came from her, but Zest could already feel the fabric of his shirt getting soaked with tears.

  “Go, my friend.” Zest murmured, “Go on your way; to the land that waits for us all. Go your way to the land of the Ancestors. Let there be no pain and suffering. Almighty Goddess, great Gaia, guide him to Your side. May he find peace in the next life.”

  Zest’s voice was steady, but he did nothing to stop the tears trickling down his face.

  * * * *

  It should be unhealthy, this obsession that Lucas had with Aegis, and most especially with Zero, but Lucas simply can’t help it. For the umpteenth time, he remained late in the office of Team Alpha even when the rest of his teammates had long retired for the night.

  The words of Earl Verga from over a week ago when Lucas had gone to visit him at Zalfari were constantly haunting his thoughts whenever he had a free moment to himself. And he simply can’t help pondering on it.

  As proof of Earl’s words, when Lucas pulled up case files relating to Blade amongst the ESA’s archives, there were files and reports filed by ESA agents who had encounters with the infamous street gang.

  It had taken some work to dig them all up though. Someone had tried their utmost to bury those files.

  Lucas leaned back into his chair, staring at his computer screen. A report of Blade, and even their leader was pulled up on his computer screen. There was even a mugshot of a certain girl that he was more than familiar with.

  The girl in the photo is however younger than he’d recalled, so it is obvious that this photo was taken several years ago.

  ‘Blade’s leader… Aegis’s leader… The Death Reaper… Sera…’