--
"Congratulations on graduating."
Their graduation day was done in a humble and simple ceremony. They're gathered in a room where Dean Skywind herself bestowed them their diploma and offered her sincerest congratulations to them.
There were no tears, except Lily's, no large announcements, and not too many people. Just short, simple, and direct. And honestly, TJ could get behind that.
The parents of the graduating students were here to watch. They all wore smiles and pride seeing their children making it to the end of 10 (or more) grueling years of preparatory education.
This wasn't their final stop, of course; the universities are next, but for now, they can pause, rest, and are allowed to celebrate their achievement.
The dean didn't just give them their papers; she also authorized them in the system, indicating they indeed passed the standards and completed their preparatory education.
All of the papers, the pictures, and whatnot—those can be faked, duped, or fabricated, but this system authorization coming from the dean herself cannot. That's why nobody could fake their way into universities.
Since less than ten students managed to graduate this time, the school didn't throw a graduation party for them. It was unnecessary in the first place, but they still do so whenever there are more than ten students who graduate at a time. That criteria wasn't meant to be, so it's cancelled.
But that hardly affected the joyful mood of the children and their families. They decided to rent a nearby restaurant to throw a party anyway; the adults pitched in their contributions to make it happen.
Lily was the happiest in this event. She hasn't stopped talking at all; there was a noticeable bounce in her steps, and her eyes literally shone as they arrived at the restaurant.
Mind you, this wasn't some fancy 5-star restaurant; it's not new either. It's got an alright menu, and the place was small but neat. Still, that didn't dampen Lily's energy at all; if anything, it made her even happier.
Anthony and his wife looked on dotingly at their daughter, subtly discussing where in the world she was getting all this energy from.
And Sieg, oh lord, Sieg has been lost.
He has been gone since the moment he saw Lily wearing make-up. It's like his soul flew away to Neverland and doesn't want to return. His eyes practically never left her at all. His actions told everything, and poor TJ was unable to help him.
Does he even want to be helped?
His behavior caused his own parents to feel deeply troubled. Sieg's father, Marcus, and his wife, Helena, had already asked Anthony and his wife repeatedly to excuse their son's behavior.
Speaking of which, it's been a while since TJ saw Sieg's parents, yet no matter how many times he saw them, he's still stunned.
'The giant physique truly runs in their family, huh? '
Marcus was a seven-foot-tall man with arms and legs like cannons. He wore a suit that was too tight on him because of his huge and wide body. If he moved a little too fast, the buttons on his shirt would immediately pop off; that's how tight the fit was.
His wife, Helena, was completely dwarfed next to him. She's five foot, five inches tall, creating a stark yet frankly adorable match. And compared to the stoicism and solidness her husband emanated, Helena was kind, gentle, and soft-spoken. She and Anthony's wife became friends right away.
Smack!
"Ow!! What was that for, bro!?" Sieg clutched his head, looking resentfully at his brother, Julius.
"Can you stop embarrassing yourself and us, by extension? Stop drooling over the Medical Saint's daughter; you're creeping everybody out," Julius chided in a harsh yet quiet tone to his little brother.
Yes, he was here too. He caught up after the short ceremony was over.
Julius took a day off for this, only to see his little brother acting like a creep.
Marcus just grunted and didn't speak. Beside him, Helena chuckled and whispered, "He reminds me of a certain someone, indeed. At this point, we might as well define that as a trait of Winchesters."
[AN: Winchester is their family name. Sieghart Winchester is Sieg's full name.
"Being passionate is good. Pursue your goals as long as it's not harmful to the world. But don't be in a hurry to get married either. Wait until you've at least secured enough funds for your family," Marcus told his youngest son.
"Tch. Forget about marriage. He doesn't even know how to speak to her properly," Julius quipped on the side, which earned another resentful glare from Sieg.
"I can talk to her. Isn't that right, TJ?"
"Hmm? What? Sorry, couldn't hear you. I've got something on my mouth." TJ waved him away as if telling him not to involve him in this.
Sieg's family grinned at their shenanigans.
Then, everything changed when Lily started singing.
No. She's not bad. It's opposite, actually. She's very good. Performing wasn't something she was shy to do. She does it all the time whenever she accompanies her father in volunteering.
Lily's voice was soothing and incredibly pleasant to hear. The song she performed perfectly encapsulated the gratitude and happiness she feels right now.
Once again, Sieg had been enchanted. It really doesn't take much at all for him. If it's Lily, then he's doomed, and he doesn't want to be saved.
The party went on until it was closing time.
Both Lily and Sieg's family invited TJ over, but he declined, saying that he had something to do.
They watched as the kid walked away, briskly making his way back home. Their thoughts consumed them for a bit.
The adults sighed, pitying the child. No one came to celebrate with him. During the party, the young man shifted from one table to the next, sometimes joining either Lily's or Sieg's family, while most times, sitting alone by himself.
Marcus and Helena knew him. They knew that he's a quiet, diligent, and very lonely child. TJ was one of the kids who never isolated Sieg because of his uniqueness. They also knew that TJ had looked after Sieg since then, and most recently, he even protected him from harm.
Just like Anthony and his wife, Bethany, they too once thought of adopting TJ. Neither Sieg nor Julius minded that. In fact, the brothers were quite eager. But their application fell through due to private reasons. Again, just like Lily's parents.
**
TJ was more than aware of the looks he was receiving.
It wasn't the first time, nor will it be the last.
He'd say that it doesn't bother him, but that'd be a lie.
It does bother him. A lot.
He's aware that he's rather...unlucky with families. He had gone through the five stages of grief over this many years ago and just got used to it somehow.
Well, what else could he do other than get used to it? Complaining won't change anything. And he certainly doesn't want his parents back.
Not after what they did to him.
Returning to his home, he was suddenly hyperaware of the coldness and silence that greeted him. He thought that he had gotten used to this by now, and he has. It's just that today's a little different.
As much as he didn't want this to get under his skin. It does. Almost painfully so.
He sat on the table, putting down the glass of water, and stared at the wall. He briefly imagined what it could've been like if he had accepted their invitation.
Yet shortly later, he shook his head.
He didn't accept the invitation, not because he hated or disliked them.
It's because he's scared.
Scared to get used to warmth that's never meant to be his. Scared of being attached. Scared of inserting himself into somewhere he doesn't belong.
TJ has three friends: Sieg, Lily, and loneliness.
If he's lucky, then there will be more in the future. Though he's not really asking for it.
They're enough. They're more than enough. It has to be enough.
'Being greedy is a sin, TJ.'
'You're alive. That's a luxury that others can't even ask for.'
'We're the reason why you're here. We're the reason why you're still alive. Don't you dare forget that.'
'You have a purpose, TJ, and that is to help us. Do that, and you'll be fine, trust me.'
'You don't have to think, TJ. You don't need to have an opinion, either. Just listen to what we say, and follow our orders. That's it. Simple, right? '
TJ shook his head out of his reverie.
"Gee, what's up with the voices in my head today? Why are they sounding like them?"
"I should sleep," he muttered as he made his way to his room. "Today's been a long day. I should play with the Dream Echoes too; that way I'll sleep even better."
Before he laid down to finish the day, however, he glanced at the night sky. An ugly smile appeared on his face as he felt a sting on his eyes and his chest.
It didn't take long before his consciousness sank into the Dream Echo Battlefield.
What he didn't know is that, shortly after he fell asleep. A message icon flashed past his face.
[MJ]: Congratulations on your graduation.