Moses and Lumiere sat quietly by Wilhelm's bed.
He was gored, but stable. His right leg couldn't be reattached, and the scars of his burns would envelop him for the rest of his life.
Despite it all, he would live.
Moses stared at his mangled friend in solemn silence.
"I killed a man earlier," he said finally. "I don't regret it. It was between him and me."
Lumiere placed a reassuring hand on Moses' shoulder.
"Don't worry. You did the right thing."
Moses gently pulled away.
"One second he was alive — full of love, pain, a whole life behind him — and the next, nothing. No dramatic speech, no slow fade into a sunset. Just a thud."
He turned to Lumiere, his face strained.
"Am I a bad person?"
Lumiere slowly shook his head.
"You're a man who did what it takes to survive."
He bent down and began to pray quietly over Wilhelm's bed. Moses watched him closely.
"I don't understand you, Lumiere," Moses said, voice trembling slightly.
"You fight for a God you have no proof exists. You risk your life for him, knowing it could be over at any moment."
Lumiere opened his eyes slowly, voice steady but soft.
"God brings me peace. If I was created, then there must be a purpose. That belief fuels me. And when I die — maybe soon — I'll see the people I love again. My grandfather. My mother. I've got so many questions for her."
He cleared his throat and went on.
"I believe because I can't accept any other reality. I believe because I exist — and there's no greater proof than that."
Moses began to sweat under Lumiere's conviction.
"But—"
Lumiere cut him off gently.
"That's not the only reason I fight."
He smiled, wistful and warm.
"I want to fulfill my mother's dream. I want to see the world. I want to spend my life with people I care about."
His voice grew lighter, almost teasing.
"You and Wilhelm are my best friends in the whole world. And I've met so many others I want to share my short life with."
Tears welled in Moses' eyes, but Lumiere pressed on.
"These past few weeks have been the most alive I've ever felt. Tao is like a brother to me. I want to grow closer to Xia too. And... I think I met my father. After thinking he was dead my whole life, he's here. I can finally hear the story of my family I always longed for."
He chuckled softly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Of course, I always wanted Grandfather to tell me... but he never had the heart."
Moses placed a hand on Lumiere's shoulder this time.
"What's your point?"
Lumiere looked up, a fierce, shining hope in his eyes.
"My point is I love this life. I love everything in it. I want to live fully — so that when I die, I die fulfilled."
The two of them sat in silence for a long moment, the only sound being Wilhelm's ragged breathing.
Moses finally nodded, accepting Lumiere's words. Together, they stared at their battered friend.
"Do you think the Count's still alive?" Moses asked quietly.
"Of course he is," Lumiere answered immediately.
Moses stared hard at Wilhelm's sleeping face.
"We can't let Wilhelm near him again. I've got a feeling... if he sees him one more time, he'll die."
"I know," his friend whispered.
Lumiere stood slowly from his seat.
"I wish I could grow wings and fly everyone away from here," he said, voice heavy with longing.
"I wonder what kinds of lives we could all have lived."
"What do you mean?"
Lumiere looked down, shadows under his eyes.
"This is only the beginning, Moses. More people are going to die. I know I'll be one of them. I'm weak."
He clenched his fists.
"I've accepted my fate. But I don't want the same thing to happen to all of you."
Without another word, Lumiere turned and left the room. Moses sat there alone, feeling the silence close in.
Outside the medical clinic, Lumiere wandered down the street, his footsteps slow and aimless. Eventually, he found a bench by the river and sank into it, exhaling deeply.
The sunset shimmered across the water like a molten mirror. He sat watching the world go by: children playing near the banks, their parents struggling to rein them in; seagulls soaring off toward the glowing horizon, chasing the sun.
He didn't want this to end.
"Hello, Lumiere."
He turned. It was Xia — wearing a short summer dress under her brother's heavy winter jacket, a single flower tucked where her eyepatch would be.
"It's nice to see you here," she said brightly. "Are you doing okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Lumiere stared at her, his eyes wide and unblinking, like an owl. Xia's smile faltered slightly under his intense gaze.
But then, slowly, his expression softened, life returning to his face.
"Good evening, Xia," he said hoarsely. "What's with the flower?"
She flushed lightly.
"An eyepatch isn't very... befitting for a woman," she admitted, brushing her hair back. "I wear the flower to make me feel pretty."
Lumiere turned his gaze back to the river, his eyes dropping to his lap.
"That's cute," he murmured.
Xia blushed furiously.
"Wow, I can't believe this..." she squealed softly, her voice lilting like a flustered schoolgirl.
"Does this mean you find me attractive?"
Suddenly, tears welled up in Lumiere's eyes — faster than he could stop them.
"Of course..." he sobbed, hiding his face in his hands.
"Please don't die."
His shoulders shook violently.
"I don't want this," he choked. "We should just give up on this goddamned mission."
Xia placed her hand gently over his.
"You know neither Tao nor Wilhelm would accept that."
In desperation, Lumiere cried out:
"Then just run away with me. Anywhere. Everywhere — I don't care."
He curled into himself, a ball of anguish.
"I don't want to lose you all," he whispered.
"August, Christoff, and probably Idris — they all died so fast. I never wanted this. I wish... I wish I could've met you without having to risk our lives."
Xia smiled sadly. She wrapped her arms around his head, pulling him against her chest.
"You idiot," she murmured, her voice trembling with her own tears. "We've only known each other for a few days."
Still, she couldn't help but hold him tighter.
"You and my brother... you make me feel more loved than anyone else ever has. And for that — I agree. I wish we could live peacefully together."
Lumiere looked up at her, confusion and desperation battling in his eyes.
"But it's because we love them," Xia said softly, stroking his hair, "that we have to keep fighting. To protect them. And even if we die, at least we'll spend our final moments with them."
She ran her fingers through his hair.
"Think about the people we're trying to save. They feel the same way. That's why we can't give up."
Lumiere buried his face again, overwhelmed.
"Please," Xia whispered. "Stick this out until the end."
She gently lifted his face and wiped the tears from his cheeks, even as her own slid down hers.
"You're a silly man," she said, smiling through her tears.
Lumiere chuckled softly, embarrassment creeping in as he realized how raw he had been.
"Sorry," he mumbled. "I know that was... a lot."
Xia hugged him tightly, whispering in his ear "Come on, you silly man. Let's go and enjoy our lives."
The two of them ran laughing through the shallows of the river, splashing water and chasing each other like children. Lumiere's heart felt weak, but his eyes couldn't look away from the happiness blooming before him.
She smiled back at him, hair wild in the breeze, her flower swaying gently where her eyepatch once was.
For a fleeting moment, Lumiere thought maybe Tao's ridiculous ideas about love weren't so ridiculous after all.
He hadn't known Xia long — barely a few days — but he loved her. He knew it, deep down, in the place where fear lived.
"You two are adorable."
Both of them jumped at the sudden voice. Lumiere turned — and saw none other than Julian.
The man chuckled lightly, his voice free of the usual drunken slur. This time, it was a real laugh, soft and genuine — maybe the first time in years he had been truly sober.
"Reminds me of my Elise, actually," Julian said, smiling.
He stepped closer, hands in his coat pockets.
"Sorry, Xia. Mind giving me a moment with Lumiere? I promise it won't take long."
Xia nodded, though a hint of disappointment flickered across her face. Still, she made sure to throw Lumiere a goofy smile before retreating back to the bench — a silent reminder that the joy they'd found was still waiting for him.
Lumiere smiled back, then turned to Julian.
"Is it time?" he asked, almost in a whisper.
Julian's face broke into a wide, aching grin.
"I can't believe I found you, Lumiere... after all these years."
Without thinking, the two of them stepped into an embrace, a lifetime of lost time crashing down between them. Tears ran freely down both their faces.
After a moment, Julian pulled away to look him in the eye.
"It's time," he said, voice thick with emotion. "I'll tell you everything about your mother."