I want to apologize for not being active recently. Yes, I'm still going to work on my active stories. I just don't have the time to come back and write more. That and I have a writer's block. : /

Dawning Change

The refreshing scent of the ocean filled the air with the breeze gently caressing your lone self. You sat still and quietly by yourself, idly playing with the grass you sat on while your feet dangled on the edge of the cliff. The sight before you calmed your tensed nerves, if not a bit. Although deep inside, that feeling of anxiety and fear still lingered in the pit of your stomach.

You took deep breaths, in hopes of putting yourself at ease. But really, with the Adephagos ruling the sky like that, who would feel at ease?

Soft footsteps slowly approached you, alerting you of the arrival of someone. You didn't bother looking at them and only remained staring at the sight before you.

"You came," came your soft voice that closely came to a whisper.

"You wished for me to come," he said, his deep voice ringing in your ears. "And so I did."

You slowly cast your eyes to the direction of a gravestone, feeling nostalgic all of a sudden. You traced the silver band around your finger, noting how smooth it still felt even after all these years. He saw this action yet did not even make a comment about it. He had nothing to say regarding that matter. Though, really, he did not have anything to worry about because you didn't plan on bringing up the matter either.

You slowly stood up on your feet, patting the dirt away from your clothes. He watched you silently, almost as if waiting for you to speak once again. He wasn't much of a talker and you were the one who had things to tell him to begin with.

"Do you still intend to avenge his death?" You asked softly, noticing how he now stood beside you. "This is not what he wanted you to do," you said.

A predicted silence befell on him as his seemingly red eyes focused on you. Slowly, they moved to the horizon before the both of you.

"Humans think of nothing but themselves. There is no other way," was his explanation. He sounded calm and nonchalant about it, almost as if it did not matter.

Your eyes finally gazed at him and they held a certain sadness on them. You tried to rid it away by blinking. Somehow, it worked.

"You speak as if you're not human yourself," you said. "Why do you hate your own kind this much? Why not forgive them? Surely they are not as bad as you claim them to be," you reasoned, sounding a bit distressed. You desperately searched for a change of heart or expression on his face – anything would do, anything. Though, much to your dismay, he remained passive with that composed look on his face lingering still.

"Do not forget that they are the reason he is dead after what he had done in the war," he reminded. You could hear the resentment in his voice as he spoke of the past. "After what he had done for them, they had betrayed him and claimed his life."

You looked away, shoulders fairly slouching.

"I know…" You said. "But not everyone is evil as you see them to be. It's all in the past now." Your hand fell on his left cheek. He did not push away or lean in on the touch. He just merely watched you with such distant eyes that it somehow broke your heart. He had changed. He had changed so much that you could barely recognize this man who stood before you.

"Duke," you uttered his name. "Why? Why go to such lengths? Elucifer did not give up his life just so you could sacrifice the lives he had tried to protect."

The way you had uttered his name brought pain in your heart, remembering your fond memories of the Entelexia that once was your friend.

"It is for the better. After all, humans only bring chaos to this world. It is not them whom Elucifer had tried protecting but rather the world. It is because of them that the Adephagos had appeared once again. If they are not to be relinquished, the world would really be destroyed because of such imprudence," he stated. He moved away from your touch and reached for both of your hands, wrapping his around yours. The sudden action had no doubt caught you by surprise, but you did not say anything.

"This is for the better," he said, almost as if he was comforting you. He pulled a strand of hair of yours behind your ear, eyes shining with a faint fondness and gentleness as he looked at you. You held his hand back, realizing how much you had missed his warm touch.

"I don't," you muttered, eyes prickling with tears. You moved away from him, from his touch. You could see the confusion and hurt on his eyes as you did. "I don't understand how sacrificing our lives is the good for this world. I don't want everyone to die. I don't want to die. Most of all, I don't want to lose you again."

He watched you as you broke down, tears trailing down your cheeks. It pained him to see you like this, but he remained still on his spot. He believed – no – knew that what he was doing was the right thing and for the better. He would not stop until justice had been served.

"Duke," you called desperately. "Why?"

"You know why," he calmly answered, almost coldly at that.

"It was always about Elucifer," you whispered pathetically. You bitterly laughed at yourself while your tears still kept coming out. "It was always about him. You always chose him over me."

"It was a war. There was nothing I could do at that time," he said, closing his eyes. "I had to be by his side but that does not mean I chose him over you," he elucidated.

"Of course," you intoned dryly, turning your back to him. You silently wiped your tears away, trying your best to stop weeping pathetically in front of him. Arms wrapped themselves around you as his chin settled itself on your right shoulder. Your heartbeat sped up a beat. He noticed and it brought him assurance that you still cared and had feelings for him. He did so, too.

"You have always been the one," he whispered as placed a kiss on your cheek. "You will always be the one."

And before you could even say something back, he had pulled himself away from you. You quickly turned around, tears appearing once again on your beautiful eyes. You saw him walking away, away from your life. Somehow, this scene seemed like a déjà vu. Back then, he had left you this way as well and for many years, you had never recovered from it.

"Duke!" You called, but he was already gone.

Once again, he had walked away from your life, not even giving you one last look. You finally let out the sobs you had been trying to keep in, your knees giving out on you.

He had left you broken and alone once more with nothing but a broken heart and sadness. It had always been like this and would always be.