Chương 26: A False Preacher's Eulogy

Why on Earth did they ask Sid to perform the eulogy? He hardly knew the scout. Just that morning he had to ask Peter what her fucking name was. None of the other mystics knew her well either, but damn, at least Peter knew her name! Everyone acted all sympathetic when they got back from the Ring of Hell. Some people even approached Sid to say it was the scout's choice, and he wasn't at fault. Bullshit. They were punishing him. This was his punishment.

"Emily was a brave soul who — fuck, no. That's too bland." He crumpled up the piece of paper he was writing on and threw it into the trash can's growing pile. He would've asked Violet for information about Emily's exploits in life, but the woman was too busy feeling sorry for herself. Rina didn't lie when she said it was hard to die in Limbo. Had Violet left well enough alone, Emily would've simply gone insane and remained in perpetual contentment within her joy room. Instead, Violet had to kill her to escape.

"I only asked Violet to come," Sid mumbled to himself.

"I knew she could handle it. I didn't know her scouts had weak hearts." He turned towards Emily's coffin and scoffed. The first victim of his ambitions. There were sure to be more. Sid could feel his stomach twisting a little. It surprised him. He thought he'd be colder. But he wasn't some jaded soldier with a body count. He was an eighteen year old with a chip on his shoulder. Turns out there was a big fucking difference between those two things! And of course, Rosaeceans liked to bury the bodies fast.

He only had one day to write his speech. No time to rest for once now that Davine's oppressive schedule was no more. No time to go visit Davine in whatever holding cell they had him in to gloat. Taking down an enemy was hardly worth it if you couldn't spit in their face afterwards. After several hours of scribbling, erasing, and wasting more paper, Sid gave up. Generic would have to do. What more could the people of Embrace reasonably expect of him?

He wrote up a speech that would make any milquetoast monastery headmaster proud and shoved it into his pocket. The funeral was at sundown and people would be coming to carry the coffin outside any minute. Sid hadn't had the pleasure of seeing Embrace's dedicated cemetery yet. He hoped it wasn't as muddy as the ones in the various pocket dimensions. Sid left the coffin alone and found the gravesite. The hole was a perfect rectangle. Impressive for such quick work.

A little podium was set up for Sid, and it faced a crowd of empty wooden chairs. This speech was a practice run for his future as a "spiritual" leader. If he did well here, that could earn him some XP and brownie points with the other mystics. He had a mountain of youth and inexperience to climb if he wanted them to elect him as their head. He laid his arms on the podium and stared off into the sky. The island sunset was beautiful. Sid knew that, but he couldn't feel anything deeper. It was just… nice.

A small blip of dopamine. A drop in a bottomless bucket. The wind breezed through his hair. He could hear its empty whistle so clearly. Is this why mom sent him away? Because he couldn't appreciate the world she loved so dearly? Darling… I'd love to give you [Resonance] right now, but I just can't. Your body won't accept it.

"Bullshit." He gritted his teeth.

"You made this fucking place. Don't tell me you can't fix me." If I did, wouldn't you resent me for that too? That I couldn't accept you as you are?

"You don't accept me as I am! You brought me here to-to fucking evolve me against my will!" You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Ahah! Against your will? Don't act like you don't love it. I can see your every move and hear your thoughts. I know you love every second of my little game. Footsteps were approaching. Sid snapped his head back towards the seats and fixed his hair. He could feel tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

He went to wipe them, but immediately remembered he was giving a eulogy. A few tears would serve him well. The pallbearers set the coffin down on a platform right next to him. Back to the game, dear. I'll talk to you later. Maybe right after the eulogy if you perform well enough. Practically everyone living at Embrace showed up. People were standing on the sides when the chairs ran out. No way this random scout lady was this popular.

Either they were grief vultures, or the people of Embrace had a close-knit culture. It kind of creeped him out. He wouldn't want people he didn't know attending his funeral. He gave the crowd a warm smile and adjusted his mic.

"Wow, I'm just speechless. All of you here to celebrate this wonderful woman's life. I'm so happy to be a part of this wonderful community. The Rose led me to Dalisay the day I washed up here." What a load of saccharine shit. He really had to lay it on less thick. Peter knew Sid didn't have a bubbly attitude already. He was the cool savior. The one that promised miracles with a smirk and a wave of his hand. Well, he had the hand, so he put it up to silence the crowd.

They settled in their seats, holding each other's hands like this woman meant something to them. That wasn't it. They just didn't like the scent of death getting so close. Embrace let them forget they were in a crazy woman's death game. They wanted comfort, and by God, Sid was gonna give it to them. The mic creaked as he started talking.

"I can tell that death is a rarity in this community. You've all done the unthinkable and carved out a little drop of paradise in a sea of violence." He heard someone cough in the crowd. Harsh.

"Ahem. Now as you all know, the Rings of Hell can be unpredictable. We can't predict what the devil has in store for us, nor what temptations she offers until they arrive. This time, she used our kindness against us. Lifesaving supplies were dangled in front of us in exchange for putting our lives on the line." He turned towards the coffin behind him.

"Emily was drawn into that compassionate temptation, just as I was. We thought risking our lives would prevent future heartbreak." He stepped up to the platform and put his hand on the coffin. He let some of those conveniently stored tears drip onto the pristine wood.

"I hope we were right. I truly hope that Emily's sacrifice keeps others out of danger for as long as possible. Embrace's scouts embody bravery and duty. There is no better example of that than Emily." That was it for the personal part of the speech. Sid coasted on reciting prayers for the rest of the time. Everyone joined their hands in prayer and wished their friend farewell. It was a lovely moment of unity. A job well done in Sid's mind.

I know you're mad at me right now, but I'm giving you +4 [Presence] and +40 FAITH. The people are impressed with your youthful eloquence! Sid ignored his mother as he tended to the crowd during the reception. He treated himself to the buffet that the other mystics prepared. Nothing like eating a meal you didn't have to slave over yourself. A few strangers complimented Sid on his speech and the subsequent prayers. He didn't understand what was so special about his recitations, but he'd take it.

The hard part was over. All that was left was to bask in the glory of his success. Nothing could take that from him. Not even his mom! Not even his- Swoosh. A rush of air hit the crowd from above. A giant pair of wings cast a shadow across the cemetery. When Sid took a closer look, he saw the figure of a person attached to those wings. That wasn't right. Only witches could do things like that. Fuck, were they being raided? The crowd caught on and started panic whispering.

They all started moving away from the flying figure, but it followed them in intimidating circles. As it descended, the whispers became soft screams. Dalisay got in front of the crowd and started ushering people inside. The other guides tried their best to keep the crowd from deteriorating into chaos. The witch zoned in on Embrace's main entrance. They dipped down and gracefully landed on the tallest onion dome with their back turned.

Their raven-black wings folded into their back, and Sid could now see that the witch was a man. One of the rarer breeds. They went beyond the narrow range of magic mystics were permitted and learned forbidden spells. The only male witch Sid knew of was his… Oh no. The man turned around, his black hair flowing rapidly in the strong winds. His black eyes surveyed the crowd with a cold glare. They moved around until they settled on Sid. They immediately softened. The man started waving.

"Sidorushka!" He jumped down from the roof, causing the nearby crowd to jump back with a gasp. Spell tattoos covered his arms and face..

"My precious boy, let me take a look at you!"