(Author: Procrastination is one of the worst habits a person can develop, just think that this chapter was due to be published last Monday).
The exploration of Knossos proved to be a complete defeat for the Loki Familia. Most of the members were injured or subject to some abnormal state, but the greatest loss was caused by the death of six members.
Loyd(lv2), Karlos(lv2), Liza(lv2), Ange(lv3), Line(lv2) and Claire(lv2), these were the victims of the maze. Claire died from the poison that Riveria was unable to heal, but her death could be considered the most peaceful compared to the others.
When the rescue group returned to the labyrinth to search for the last group still missing, they arrived at a room where a grotesque scene awaited them. The comrades they so desperately wanted to rescue were found dead with parts of their bodies strewn on the floor with various signs of obvious torture.
In that scene of death and pain, only two girls were still breathing. The first was Line, who was dying from the wounds caused by the cursed weapon, but before she took her last breath, she managed to tell what happened. The second was Ruuni, who was also badly wounded, but thanks to the fact that Line had shielded her and used the last healing magic on her, she managed to be carried to safety by the others.
Thus two days passed...
The vast sky that seemed to expand endlessly above Orario was covered by a sad layer of grey clouds as if to reflect the state of mind the Loki Family was feeling. Tears fell like faint raindrops while weeping and sobbing filled the area, with a gentle but sad breeze caressing their faces as if to comfort them.
'I always hoped not to return to such a place.'
Looking around, what surrounded Mark was a well-tended lawn with occasional trees and flowers decorating the place, which however did not seem to remove the feeling of depression caused by the tombstones scattered neatly throughout the area.
At the moment, he and the members of his Familia were at the cemetery located south of the city, bidding a final farewell to their deceased comrades. Watching as his comrades mourned their friends, comrades in battle, and for some, someone they considered more than a friend, Mark felt alienated.
Perhaps because he did not know them well or simply because he knew what happens to a person after death, he could not quite understand what he felt. He didn't deny that he felt a kind of sadness, after all, he had talked and interacted with those people, but even so, he couldn't eliminate the state of indifference he felt.
"Are you all right Mark?" -Riveria asked him, after seeing Mark continue to look at the still ground.
"Yeah, I was just lost in thought."
Looking into his eyes, Riveria didn't think he was lying, and considering everything that had happened, she had to admit it was normal to have doubts and thoughts. Shifting her gaze, she focused on the gravestones on which the names of her deceased comrades were written.
"We were arrogant and their lives were our cost." -Riveria said dejectedly.
"Unfortunately, we can neither predict the future nor change the past, we can only live in the present and accept our regrets so that we do not repeat our mistakes." -Said Mark, sighing at the sky.
"You say that as a personal experience?" -Riveria asked him, which Mark answered with another question.
"Bete didn't come?" -Mark asked her when he saw that he was the only one missing.
"Haaaa, don't talk about it. He and his mouth are becoming a problem." -This time it was Riveria's turn to sigh and Mark could understand why.
He had only heard a couple of rumors from the others, but Bete seemed to have ridiculed the dead members and Line, who was dying when he went along with the search party to find the remaining members.
"Can I ask you a question, why is Bete such a...well, why is he such an asshole?" -Mark could find no other way to describe him.
"...Although it may sound strange, Bete is not a bad person."
"..."
Seeing Mark's skeptical look, Riveria continued to explain.
"If I had to give Bete an adjective, it would be broken. Being born into the werewolf race, he considers strength more than anything, but his life has been a series of loss and suffering, which has led him to hate weakness, both his own and that of others."
"But that doesn't give him permission to say what he wants." -Countered Mark.
"You're right about that, especially this time he's gone too far. I know you two don't have a great relationship, but strangely enough, you're the only one who can handle his tongue ignoring everything he says, so... try not to hate him too much."
"Hard to keep that promise."
With those words, Mark continued to watch the funeral event unfold for the next few hours and it wasn't until everyone finished saying their final goodbyes, that they began to walk away, accompanied only by a sense of loss.
'...Maybe I should have bought some flowers.'
Although it was true that he didn't know them well, it seemed bad not to place any flowers on their graves, especially when he was the only one who didn't.
With the fact that the others were leaving, he also took the opportunity to leave and look for a flower shop.
[I find it fascinating how living beings try to give meaning to death through funerals or the simple act of depositing flowers].
Mark was taken aback by Guide's words, so he gave him his own opinion.
'I don't think the reason is as complicated as you say, I think it's more of a way of dividing a bond and saving it in one's heart, so one doesn't forget them.'
[This might have been true according to the religious ideas in your world, but it's different here. Everyone knows that when a person dies, their soul enters the cycle of reincarnation to be reborn and the presence of the various gods confirms this. So why be sad?]
When the Guide asked the question, Mark arrived at a flower shop not too far away and thought about how to answer his doubts.
'Hmm... maybe it depends on the fact that even if they know that person will be reincarnated, they will never be the same as the one they met.'
[I still don't understand. At the end of the story, what identifies a living being is their soul, things like personality and appearance depend largely on genetic code and way of life. So why have all these problems?]
Mark scratched his head indecisively. He didn't know how the Guide saw the world and didn't think he would ever understand it, so explaining his point of view, was proving more complicated than expected.
'Let's do this, let's take these flowers as an example.' -Said Mark looking at the various flowers put on display by the florist.
'Let's consider all these flowers to be the various reincarnations of a person. As you can see, they vary in shape, color, and how they are grown. So tell me, what would happen if I treated this flower like this one.' -He said, pointing first to a flower that resembled a tulip and another that resembled a rose.
[It will probably die.]
'That's right. Now the case I used is a bit of an exaggeration, but what I'm getting at is that if we treated reincarnations like the people we knew, it would be unfair to them, because it would be like denying their existence. Satisfied?'
Picking up some white flowers he found pleasing, he paid the florist and walked back toward the cemetery.
[I have another question.]
"Haaaa, I'm seriously starting to think who's guiding who."
Mark could only sigh aloud. The Guide that day was more curious than usual.
[I think I understood the Host's words, but by your reasoning, does it mean that when your partner is fully reincarnated, she will want nothing more to do with you?]
'...Ever heard the word tact?'
There wasn't a day when he didn't have such a thought, after all, he had become a completely different person, so he was always trying to detach himself from such thoughts and focus on things more within reach. The question of what the relationship between him and Selene would be like was still a distant one, and whether everything would work out between them, he didn't know, but at the very least, he wanted to see her again at least one more time and make sure she was alright.
[I will try to weigh my words more next time.]
With his spirits lowered, he returned to the cemetery, where he carefully placed a flower for each grave.
"I did not know you well, but at the very least, I hope your next life will be a pleasant one."
With that last goodbye, he began to walk away when he suddenly turned around, sensing something, but when he saw that there was nothing there, he shrugged his shoulders and continued on his way. There were still many things he had to do.
...
"Someone needs to explain to me how a level 3 human can have such senses."
Sighing with relief, a figure emerged from behind a tree when he saw that Mark was no more there.
He walked slowly across the manicured lawn and approached the graves of the lost members of the Loki Familia.
"Tch, to die so miserably, how stupid." -He said with annoyance, but his expression saddened shortly afterward.
"Is it so funny to die without even reaching twenty? Because I find it fucking ridiculous. If you're weak, don't try to be brave and let us protect you, then you'd still be smiling like fools and not under a pile of dirt."
At the end of the speech, the figure's voice grew harsher and harsher and he walked away unnerved.
All that remained of his presence were the beautiful bouquets that decorated each gravestone.