1036 Changes That Would Last

Amanda's heart broke into three pieces as Enigma's hand hammed into her chest and pushed out from her back.

Varian stared at the face of his mother as it contorted in tremendous pain. He stared into her eyes as they reflected the suffering of her mind as she was being killed by her own family.

Only this one frame filled Varian's sight. Only the smell of blood and the nostalgic scent of his mother filled the air. Only the sound of her pained gasps and muffled groans rang.

Everything else faded away.

Grief tried to engulf Varian. But his mind remained calm, almost like a rock as he stared at his mother's death. Her tears didn't move him. Her cries didn't cause his heart to clench.

He stared at her calmly as if he was staring at yet another tree in the park. It was such a mundane gaze that Sia gave up the illusion and collapsed in the training room.

"W-Why are you so stone-hearted?" She rubbed her forehead and gave him a confused look.

"I'm not." Varian denied it without even thinking and swiped his hand in the air. The illusion once again covered the training room.

Varian stepped in front of the false Amanda and said with a regretful tone. "You tried your best, Sia. But my mental power is not buying it."

He tapped in the air twice and some tiny features in Amanda began to shift. The blood on her shirt began to dry a bit more and the patch of blood on her skin shifted slightly.

Varian's perfect memory coupled with his insane mental strength put him in a position where even if he wanted to believe, his brain wouldn't be fooled by an illusion.

Sarah stopped her backstroke air swimming and landed beside Varian gracefully. Hugging his arm, she whispered. "Then what do we do?"

Varian looked at her for a moment before shrugging. "I don't know. I am very sad whenever I witness this scene, illusion or not. But it's not to the point I'm going crazy. You get what I mean?"

Sarah tapped her lower lip with her index finger and glanced at him from head to toe. "You're growing emotionally very stable."

"Something like that." Varian looked away from her, a bit embarrassed.

He went 'crazy' only twice. First, after his mother's death. Second, after 'finding' Sia died.

He acted impulsively quite a few times since then. But as he grew stronger and experienced more things, his emotions stabilized. As in, he could feel the emotions but wouldn't be overwhelmed by them.

This should've been a piece of happy news. Such a high emotionally stable core would be a boon for any warrior. But to activate the power of slivers, he needed to get extremely emotional.

"I don't like you reliving your tragedy," Sia removed the illusion and looked at him with pity. "Instead of torturing yourself, take your time and figure out another way."

Varian lowered his head and fell into deep thought. Maybe she's right. All these attempts made it clear that artificially trying to induce extreme emotions wasn't working.

"Alright, I'll take a small break and try to find another way." He nodded.

Sia and Sarah sighed in relief. Even though Varian wasn't too moved by the illusions, it was hurting him. It's evident in his eyes, but he's just pushing through. They really couldn't stand it.

"Where do we go for the break?" Sia asked.

"I have a good idea." Sarah smiled.

An hour later, a ghost ship landed on Eos, a space city near earth. It's the same city they had a 'vacation' in and also the place where Varian proposed to both of them.

The mansion they owned was maintained in perfect condition.

Looking at the lawns, the gardens, and the pools around the mansion, Varian could almost see Sia and Sarah playing in them just a few months ago.

Back then, all of them were very weak. But also very carefree. He just reunited with Sia and confessing his love for both was a bit daunting even for him.

"I love this place. It feels like home." Sarah walked barefoot on the smooth grass. Then, she began running before falling holding up her long skirt, and finally fell onto the grass on her back and stared at the sunny sky with a carefree smile.

Varian sat beside her and looked up at the clear sky.

He put aside the threat of the Abyss Emperor and just breathed in the fresh air of this calm garden.

Varian felt at peace.

When they moved into this mansion back then, the three of them were just coming out of big crises. Varian was nearly killed. Sia almost died. Sarah lost her trust in her father and was mentally fragile.

Thankfully, the three of them were able to heal each other's wounds.

Sarah rolled over and rested her head on Varian's thigh.

"Pet me." She demanded and Varian obliged. "Yes, mam."

Sarah squinted her eyes in comfort as Varian gently petted her head, and brushed her blonde hair, it was like he was taking care of a lazy cat.

She stared at the beautiful mansion before her eyes darted to the stunning garden.

The crystal roses she tended to back then remained just as beautiful as she remembered. The rainbow lilies in the pond glittered under the sunlight. Little fishes jumped out of the water, their beautiful scales shining under the sun, painting a beautiful scene.

Rather than the beauty, Sarah was touched by the calmness of this place. It reminded her of her struggle in the past and showed how blessed she was.

"Maybe we can come back here more often," Varian said.

"We're definitely coming back." Sia joined them with a bunch of plates filled with freshly cooked food.

After a sumptuous feast, lots of jokes, and plenty of nostalgic talks, the three toured the city.

Eos changed. As a famous tourist destination, it's wealthy and well-connected. But the people were previously caught in a race for more. It was perhaps one of the most materialistic places in the empire.

But something changed now. Something that wasn't visible in the numbers or the charts.

Varian could feel it in the air. He could see it in the way people talked and laughed.

Everything felt more real and genuine.

The teenagers weren't in the race to seek more fun and pleasure. They were talking about the martyrs from their neighborhood. There was respect and admiration in their tones.

The children weren't talking about getting playing more games or studying like drones to satisfy their strict parents. They're talking about the heroes of the war with the childlike innocence they previously lacked. Their eyes twinkled and their sweet voices filled the school grounds as they made promises with their best friends to become like those great people. The children finally dreamed freely.

The adults didn't seem to have changed at first glance. They still sought to make more. But somewhere in between, there was a touch of empathy, which was previously lacking.

The bosses were still strict, but they're now willing to listen to the pleas of their employees.

The businessmen were still greedy, but they were considering a way to benefit common people even as they maximized their profits.

The wage earners were still complaining about the oppressive system, low wages, and stupidly high working hours. But they were also showing hope for a better tomorrow.

The bonds between lovers were more passionate. Parents treated their children more kindly. Children tried to make their parents proud.

Friends that were out of touch met and celebrated. Relatives that weren't on speaking terms tried to mend ties and shake hands. Petty enemies dissolved.

The war changed everyone. It knocked the sense of self-importance out of everyone and stripped them to their truest selves in the face of the grand universe—a bunch of nobodies living on specks of dust floating in the desolate regions of the universe.

More importantly, it reminded everyone of their mortality. The fleetingness of life and the unexpectedness of death.

When death remained just a breath away, every moment would be precious. Every bond would be cherished. Every new morning would be a reason to be thankful.

Varian spotted a familiar young girl in an orphanage. She was playing with the war orphans. The little kids seemed to love her as they followed her everywhere with laughter.

Vin lost her brother a few months ago. She came to terms with his death. But the void inside her remained.

But when she saw the smiles on the faces of the little kids for small things even after the hell they'd been through, Vin realized that the void didn't feel so painful anymore.

It still remained. The lack of her brother wouldn't be bridged by anyone else. But she could live with it and do something that'd make him proud.

The void wouldn't become a missing part of her soul, but rather, it'd come to define her.

Like her, humanity as a whole would've to make peace with the void that was formed after this war. A void from the loss of billions of lives.