Chapter 357
Park Lawn Cemetery, 11:00 AM. Its October 16, 2070, just over 2 months since the barbeque. Yorkdale Adult Learning Centre classes had started up once again, but Mia, Andrew, and Jacob were no longer there as they started attending Sterling Institute. The past couple of months had been uneventful as everyone just waited for the progress of the Rift Aperture System.
Gale spent his days playing with Dani in his apartment, while at night he played video games with the twins. It felt like he saw Rachel almost every other day. Lily would visit his place at times to drop off some fruits and then go back home. The twins would come over when Xinyi cooked too much food.
It was these fun times he wanted to protect. Why did it feel like things would change once the system was built? He just wanted to spend the rest of eternity cherishing these small moments with his family, but it was clear that Sombra and the corruption they spread still loomed at large.
Gale sighed as he got out. There were three cars parked in the parking lot of the cemetery. The twins were with Lily and Xinyi. Ollie was in his own car while Gale rode with Rachel and Erin.
"Everyone ready?" Ollie asked. A bouquet of pink and white flowers rested in his arms.
"Yup," Lily said.
Rachel turned to Gale, seeing his expression. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I just... haven't been to a place like this before."
She smiled at him, squeezing his arm. "It's ok. It's life."
"Right."
"Alright folks, let's head over to Cassie," Ollie said.
The group followed his lead through the winding dirt path of the cemetery. Hundreds of gravestones in rows covered the open meadow. Some large, some small. Others were kept neat, free of weeds with a bouquet of flowers just in front of the stone. And then there were others, completely unkempt as the stones partly cracked where weed invaded.
No one talked as they followed Ollie. Gale smiled as he noticed Erin's feet actually touching the ground rather than just floating and fake walking. The twins had their hair combed back, and their suits not loose. Rachel, Lily, and Xinyi all wore dark-coloured dresses with longer skirts; only Lily had her hair down. Meanwhile, Gale had worn the only dark suit he had, loose enough not to impede his movement.
All in all, the mood to him felt sombre.
Ollie turned to the grass and walked through the row. After passing multiple gravestones, he stopped right at a small, humble, dark orange-ish headstone. It was neatly kept, no cracks, and the details of the stone were still clear.
[In loving memory of]
[Cassandra Glory]
[2037 - 2064]
"I'm back, Cassie," Ollie said as he put down the flowers in front of the stone. He stayed there, kneeling for a while until he finally spoke. "Sorry, I haven't been. My friends are here today. Let me introduce them to you."
He turned to Gale first, who was softly pushed forward by Rachel.
Ollie continued. "Meet Gale. Remember I told you so many times he's saved us during the dark forest I got transported to? This is him. The one and only. He even likes to call himself feral, which is apparently something to be proud of. I honestly think I owe my life to him. Without him... I think I would've just drowned in my own grief. And probably, I wouldn't have even come back to Earth."
Turning to Rachel, she stepped forward as Gale stepped back.
"And then there's Rachel. The inferno I told you about. She can demolish hordes and hordes of creatures just like when we played Dynasty Warriors, except with her fire fists. Sometimes she can be overbearing with her 'let me take care of you' attitude, but I know she's well intentioned."
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He turned to the twins.
"I think you already know the twins, but they're not the little kids you knew from before. They've become dangerous and quite literally a menace to society. Point them at any mystery, and they'll most likely cause an issue just to get a bigger payday while getting the complete full picture."
Lily jabbed at Kyle, who started scratching his neck.
Chuckling at the display, Ollie continued. "Lily was someone we met in the dark forest. She was all bones and cheeks when we met her there. After she came back to Earth, she became kind of a known force of nature with her crazy amount of control. She's the most normal one out of the group, excluding me of course."
Lily laughed slightly.
"Then there's Erin, who we met after being rifted by the Silver Lion bastards." Ollie smiled as tears rolled down his eyes. "She basically changed all of us. Without her rigid, strict, disciplined, logical, rational approach in the technoscience rift, we would've all been left stranded there. She's also very, very smart, even much smarter than me."
"Do not underestimate your intellect, child."
"I know. I'm just stating facts," Ollie said.
Erin nodded.
"Lastly, the last member of our group who just joined recently. Xinyi, who came from a very bad sect in Asia. Somehow, my group of friends were able to convert her over to our side, not sure how that happened. But now, all she's been doing is going to Costco with the twins every other week just for hotdogs. Think about it. An Early-Mystic monster's happy time is just going to Costco every week with a pair of idiots."
Xinyi laughed.
"I miss you, Cassie. I hope you're doing well over where you are now." Ollie clenched his fists as his voice began to tremble. "Without you, I think I would've still been that idiot back in that laundromat, just thinking of surviving the next day. I wouldn't have had goals to put you in college, no goals to become rich just so I could be rich, and most importantly, I wouldn't have seen your smile in the times you were still here with me."
Rachel knelt down with Ollie, patting his back as he wept. For a long while, no one spoke, but the wind that swept over the grass and trees. The leaves rustled as the grass swayed. The cold October winds didn't feel all too cold compared to the feeling of a man who had turned into a boy in front of the woman he loved, now laid on the ground.
Erin took a couple of steps forward. She took a deep breath, and sang the same song except in complete English so the others could understand.
In Her Holy fire may she guide the lost Souls of our brothers and sisters,
Whose flame was stolen by winds unseen.
Upon this stone, I trace names once missed,
And pray you seek them to your embrace.
Let the fire cast away their life regrets.
Forgotten they are not, this vow I keep,
Till we sing again, my dear old friends.
As she sang, the wind grew fiercer, yet her voice still rang clear in spite of it. Even as chaos grew around them, the happiness and hope of the future would not be drowned by the noise. It was louder because of it.
Gale felt a single pair of eyes watch over them. Maybe it was his imagination or something else, regardless, he liked to think it was Cassie who looked over their group. When Erin's song finished, Ollie had already stopped crying and stood up.
"Thank you, Erin," Ollie said.
"You are most welcome, short one, partner of Cassandra."
Before tears could roll down again, Rachel squeezed his shoulder again. "You'll be ok. We're here for you, no matter where you are in your journey."
"I know. I'm back now." Ollie turned to Cassie's headstone once again. "Cassie. I loved you and you'll always be with me. I'll be going now. You told me to live my life to the fullest. I think I'm ready to start chasing life again."
Gale put a hand over Ollie's shoulder. "Leave Ollie in our care, Cassie. I'll make sure he eats a lot so he's not a skinny."
The twins did the same. "Anyone that tries to steal his money, which is also your money, we'll investigate and beat up at the same time."
"And I'll keep these boys in check for you," Rachel said.
"Nice to meet you, Cassie, and we'll see you again," Lily said.
"Nice to meet you too, Cassie. In the next life, let us drink the strongest wines," Xinyi said.
"Child, partner of Oliver Glory. Do not fret as I guide these children of the stars through the river of life," Erin said.
"Goodbye, Cassie. I'll really miss you," Ollie said. He turned around and looked at everyone in turn. "Thank you guys. I really mean it."
"Thank you for letting us be here for you," Rachel said.
"Shall we go?" Ollie asked.
"Let's go," everyone said at the same time.