791 I Will

It was snowing in Eos.

The couples walked hand in hand. The parents held their children by the hand. The elderly were guided as their grandchildren held their hands.

Vin looked at her empty hand and was reminded of the times when her brother held her hand and took her out to play.

'Pull yourself together, Vin.'

Clad in a pitch black dress, Vin walked in the streets with an expressionless face.

For some reason, she opted to walk to her destination than drive there.  But she sadly didn't fit into the cheerful crowd.

It didn't matter to her. Her father was suddenly busy due to the situation on Mars. The responsibility of following the tradition and honoring the deceased fell on her.

'Is this really happening?'

It still felt surreal to her. Perhaps this whole thing was a lie. An elaborate prank because her brother wanted to see her cry.

'Even if you're that cruel, I would be fine as long as you are alive.' Vin bit her lip as she silently walked on the snowy streets.

In the white world, a figure in black slowly made her way toward the memorial hall.

Her bodyguards followed from a distance and didn't bother her. As the people who watched her grow up, they were sad at the sudden change in her temperament.

After breaking down that day, Vin suddenly changed.

She only wore black. Never smiled. Didn't talk more than necessary. And the most depressing of all, she had a lifeless look on her face.

It was as if someone sucked all hope out of her and the only future she saw was one of gloom.

The Mayor tried his best to soothe her. Nothing worked.

Overnight, the cheerful and lively girl turned stone-hearted.

A few minutes after walking in silence, Vin reached the giant memorial hall and entered the special room for her brother.

The hologram of a familiar young man greeted her. He was in his combat uniform and was smiling brightly.

Vin felt her chest tighten as if someone had knocked the air out of her. She tried to breathe with her mouth, but all that did was leak a pained whimper.

All her energy seemed to be drained and Vin collapsed to her knees, panting for breath.

With every beating of her heart, grief pulsed through her. Vin felt the corners of her eyes turn red,  but the stubborn girl didn't cry. She didn't allow herself to.

Like a broken toy making its last move, Vin raised her neck and looked at the hologram.

< Joah >

< Major General Of 36th Division >

< Age: 29 >

< "Always live your life to the fullest" >

Seeing her brother's words, Vin gathered the strength to stand up.

She clasped her hands and prayed for him. Vin didn't believe in an afterlife. But now, she wished it was true.

'May you gain happiness.'

Holding the flower bouquet, Vin walked out of the memorial hall and reached the backyard—the cemetery.

The men and women honoring their dear ones in the cemetery were surprised by the appearance of this young girl before they shook their heads in pity.

Death spared no one.

'Father will also leave me one day.' Vin's mood worsened as she reached her brother's tombstone.

The young girl lit up the flower bouquet and placed it on the tombstone as per her tradition—burning the favorite object of the deceased so that they could find peace.

The purple flowers she brought were her brother's second favorite.

But—

"I'm sorry, this is the best gift I could find."

Vin tried her best to find the purple sky. But that big brother seemed to have vanished into thin air.

As the flowers burnt off under the special flame, Vin clasped her hands and prayed. "After sending you off, I will focus on our family business. I will work hard and make my father happy. Bless me from above."

"You should work for your happiness than worry about keeping your father happy," A familiar voice reached her ears, causing Vin to open her eyes in surprise and confusion.

She saw a familiar white box placed on the tombstone that was now engulfed in flames.

Vin recognized it right away and gasped. "Purple Sky! Why are you…"

Varian clasped his hands and offered a prayer before answering with a smile. "Why not? It's his favorite, wasn't it?"

Vin was taken aback by his words as she felt a burst of emotions in her chest. She felt elated, wronged, and grief all at once.

For a moment, Vin didn't know how to respond. When she collected herself, the purple sky was already half-burnt.

"It's your father's memory, isn't it precious to you?" Vin asked in a heavy tone.

Varian sighed at her gloominess. Just a few days and the stubborn but lively girl became a bundle of sadness.

"My father lives in my memory, my thoughts, and my actions," Varian looked at the burning purple sky and smiled brightly. "Besides, I recently realized my father left me something way more intimate than a music box."

Hearing his peaceful words, Vin's heart shook and she couldn't help but ask. "What is it?"

Varian looked at the rising suns on the horizon. The suns' rays lit up the cemetery.

"I inherited a soldier's sacrifice, a father's love, a man's courage," Varian's eyes shone brighter than the sunlight. "I picked up his dream. But I won't stop there. I will go further."

Vin stared at him intensely, tears swirling in her eyes. "W-What would my brother want me to do?"

Varian sighed, "I don't know. But he certainly wouldn't want you to decide your life based on his wishes. We inherit what our loved ones left behind and carry them on, but we should never ignore our own aspirations. That would take away the whole point of being alive.

So, instead of asking what he wants you to do, ask yourself, Vin, what do YOU want to do?"

Vin opened her mouth as she muttered. "What I want to do…"

A few lines from her brother's letter flashed in her mind.

'If I'm going to die anyway, I wanted to choose a death that was the most meaningful.

Something I can be proud of.

Something that gives me the courage to stare death in the face and live with courage.'

"I see…" Vin nodded as she finally began to really understand what her brother meant.

Death was the common destination of everyone. No one could choose not to go there.

But they could indeed choose how to get there.

A life filled with satisfaction or regret? One with great relationships or solitude? Of courage or fear?

Vin bit her lip as she made a decision.

She wouldn't inherit the family business. If she did, her father would be happy, but would she be happy too?

Was a life lived growing that business something she really wanted?

"I will choose how I live," Vin said as she faced the tombstone with a serious expression.

Varian smiled as the last bits of Purple Sky were reduced to ashes.

A sense of relief washed over him and an invisible burden was taken off his shoulders.

'The dead live through the living.' Varian's heart grew serene. 'My father and my mother live through me.'

"Thank you, Big Brother. If you need me in the future, you know where to find me," Vin said in a sincere tone and was about to turn around.

"Wait," Varian said and strode forward, closing the distance between them.

"What is it?" Vin blinked in confusion.

Varian raised her lips into a smile with his index fingers. "I miss that cheerful girl."

Vin saw her reflection on the tombstone and saw a young girl smiling back at her.

With a chuckle, Varian disappeared from her sight.

Vin remained frozen as she stared at her reflection's stiff smile.

Suddenly, her brother's words echoed in her mind.

'Vin, if you remember me, please smile…'

"I will," Vin's lips curled up as tears slid down her cheeks. "I will smile."