Episode 2 – The Price of Disappearance and Light

[I’m off to cleanse the core alone.]

When Sol disappeared with such a note, Celes felt both relieved and sorry.

Recently, every time Sol did something, she had been frustrated. But when she asked herself why, she could not formulate a reason. She did not want to speak to Sol with such a bad heart that she could not formulate a reason.

Lepios and Carla were directly expressing their frustration to Sol, but if you listened to them, you could see that it was only a small matter.
She knew this, but she couldn’t stop them, and on the contrary, she was struggling to control her emotions, and just the other day she had said she would keep her distance from him

So it was only natural that Sol went alone to purify the core, considering her feelings. However, her frustration at Sol’s selfish behavior and lack of consultation did not stop there.

Until something collapsed, and a loud noise was heard.

The moment Celes looked up, startled by the loud noise, the black haze that had been pervading her mind cleared in an instant. The frustrated feelings she had felt earlier vanished in an instant.

“I wonder why we were so irritated with Sol.”

At her unintentional remark, Lepios glared at her with a miffed expression on his face.

“Why, of course! His usual behavior is …….
eh……? No, but…….”

Lepios can’t put it into words, so he messes up his hair with his hands as if he’s impatient. Seeing Lepios like this, Celes became convinced that she was not alone in this change.

Next to her, Carla looks at Celes and Lepios, almost in tears.

“More importantly! What was that noise we just heard? We have been interrupted by the Four Kings every time we go to the core, haven’t we? What if it was an attack from the Four Kings….!? Is Sol safe?”

Such concern of Carla was also natural. Until a short time ago, they had been so out of the ordinary that they had not even considered the danger of Sol going alone and being attacked by the Four Kings. But everyone knew that there was no time to think about the reasons why.

“Let’s head for the …… tower.”

At Lepios’ words, Celes and the others hurried in the direction of the sound and the tower.

“Ha…..?”

Celes and the others stopped thinking for a moment at the sight that unfolded before their eyes. The tower that was supposed to be there was crumbling into rubble.

“L-lies……. You’re kidding, right?”

Sol was supposed to be here, but all that lay before them was a pile of rubble,

“Sol! Where are you!? Answer me! Please! I’m sorry for everything I’ve done! Hey!”

No matter how much she called and screamed, all she could hear was the sound of the wind. Not even the slightest moan could be heard.

[Celes.]

Sol’s gentle voice calling to herself echoed only in her head. Why does it come back now? Why had she forgotten about it for so long? The memories of the early days of their encounter came back to Celes.

It was a dimly lit forest. It was also bad weather, and thunder was beginning to rumble in the distance. So Celes and his friends went into a cave to take shelter from the rain.

Celes was not good at thunder. It reminded her of the nights when she stayed at home alone as a child, thinking she would be fine on her own. But even now, it was childish and embarrassing to be afraid of thunder, especially in front of her younger sister and brother, and she had never told her family.

So she acted normally in front of Sol and the others, as she should have.

[Celes, are you okay? Not good with thunder?]

It was Sol who said in a small voice to Celes.

[I-I’m fine! It’s nothing to worry about. ……!]

[But you’re shaking.]

Then Sol shook Celes’s hand.

[I’m the same age as you, so I don’t think you need to be a big sister to me. You just have to be spoiled once in a while.]

Celes did not know how Sol knew why she was being so forceful. But Sol’s discovery of the depths of her heart and the warmth of his hand somehow stopped her trembling and reassured her.

But being in the same space, hand in hand, Lepios and Carla noticed her immediately. When Lepios asked her with a dubious look what she was doing, Celes was so embarrassed that she almost pulled her hand away involuntarily.

While holding Celes’ hand tightly so that it would not fall away, Sol, sitting next to her, said with a troubled laugh

[I’m not good at thunder. When I said I was afraid of it, Celes did this for me. Celes is really kind, isn’t she?]

Sol said, and then began to make some comment about how as long as he was in the cave. Still, Sol did not let go of Celes’ hand until the rain stopped.

It was more than enough to make her aware of Sol. But before she knew it, she had long since forgotten about it, as if all of her feelings had been blacked out.

With memories of Sol flooding back into her mind, Celes, Lepios, and Carla desperately searched for Sol, who might be in the rubble.

—What are you doing, putting us through all this worry and hard work to find you, not knowing anything about our own feelings?　How I wish he would come out from somewhere else with his usual smile, laughing with a smile. laughing in a carefree manner, as if we had just met once more

But even that slightest hope crumbled when Celes dismissed one of the debris.

“Oh ……, ugh, that ……. No. ……, no. ……, why ……?”

What was visible was a hand extending out from the rubble. The red gloves on that hand were exactly what Sol was wearing,

“Sol, answer me. …… Sol ……! Sol ……!”

Lepios and Carla also rushed to the side of Celes, who was still holding the warmth hand and shouting. The debris was retreated and Sol’s body was taken out, and Lepios desperately applied a recovery magic. But no matter how long they waited, Sol did not move even a twitch.

When the light surrounding Sol disappeared, Lepios shook his head, biting his lip in frustration.

“No, no, no. ……! I don’t believ ite ……!　I will never, never, never believe it ……! Why ……! Why ……! aahhhh!!!”

Celes screamed in an inarticulate voice as she hugged Sol.

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