• Jade Covert's POV •
I polished the cannon whilst oiling the mechanics underneath. Since I was officially the 'professional mechanic' and 'expert of anything with gears in it', I took care of maintenance alongside the Garrison. This time, though, I had some of the other graduates help me out. Like Thomas, Mina, Eren, and Connie. I wore my ODM gear as per usual as the sun crashed down on us heavily from above. I longed to remove my jacket, but I would be violating the rules that way.
Connie was next to me, talking though I wasn't listening to him. Thomas and Mina were chatting casually, and Eren was helping me with the nitty-gritty fixes. Since he knew how to fix my leg from constantly helping me before, he was also fairly skilled in mechanics.
I tuned into the conversation as Eren shouted loudly. "What...!? You're gonna join the Survey Corps?"
"Naturally, the MP Brigade's a wiser choice, but still..." Connie was red in the face, and I was certain it wasn't from a sunburn. I sniggered, earning a glare my way. Worth it.
"Your speech last night had an effect on him," said Thomas, smiling a little at both Eren and myself.
"Hehe..." I brushed a lock of hair out of my face, only for it to fall back into place and shield my left eye once again.
Connie's cheeks went an even darker shade. "W-wrong!" he objected shakily. "It...It was...That's right, it was Jean! I just don't wanna be in the same branch as that bastard!"
"One reason why I'm happy I wasn't in the top ten," I smirked, my voice sounding rather chipper and childish. "No Jean to even deal with! Ah, the benefits...!"
Mina suddenly hunched over, shaking with unreleased laughter. "Snrk..." her face was instantly as flushed as Connie's, though for different reasons. Her cheeks were swelling out, and her lips pressed together to prevent from dying in a bout of powerful snickering.
Thomas merely smiled again at our antics. "Don't be so embarrassed!" he grinned at Connie, who was avoiding our pointed gazes in his direction. "Sometimes even when you know what you should do, you still hesitate to follow through." He then went a little red as he looked at me. "Besides, you're not the only one..."
"Haha, I'll see you there, Thomas," I giggled, and he blushed even further. He looked away, over the territory of the Lost Wall, scratching his head nervously. I gathered up my hip-length brown hair and tied it into a ponytail subconsciously as I watched him.
"He really likes you, you know..." Eren whispered into my ear, and I blinked.
"H-huh? What d-did you say?" I stammered, caught off-guard by the information. Accidentally releasing my long strands, I hurriedly and messily gathered them back up, tying them in a much firmer knot. The ends reached my middle back, and I ran my fingers through it shakily as I listened to Eren.
"Thomas," the 5th said once more. "He likes you a lot more than he lets on. Look at how much he's blushing." Eren pointed inconspicuously to the blonde in front of me, and I realized his cheeks were aflame. Remembering what Eren said, I blushed in response and focused my attention on the jammed gear in the shifting mechanisms.
"Pardon me, but..." I looked over to see Sasha, the 9th Ranker, with a dreamy look on her face. "I borrowed a little meat from the senior officers' private stock." She then produced a small hunk of dried meat from underneath her jacket.
"Sasha...you wanna get thrown into solitary?" Samuel asked, an eyebrow raised at her.
"You know, you really are dumb," hissed the 8th Ranker, recoiling in mild disgust. "Scary dumb."
"Let's split it up later," the 9th sighed, quivering with excitement as drool leaked from the corners of her lips. "Slice it, slap it between some bread...Heeheehee..."
Connie grumbled in annoyance, slapping his fists on his hips and leaning in close to his friend's face. "Put it back!" he scolded her loudly.
"That's right! Ever since our territory shrank, meat has become incredibly precious!" Mina added, sweating nervously. She handed me a wrench while speaking, and I moved to remove the metal plating holding the position-shifting mechanisms.
Sasha wiped her mouth, regaining some control at their words. But she moved to a small trunk, the one that belonged to our collective group, and placed the meat inside. "Don't worry," she said. "Once we recapture our territory...we'll be able to keep more cows and sheep again."
"Huh?" blinked Eren.
"I see your point," smiled Thomas. I turned to him, mildly perplexed. "It'll be like a celebration in anticipation of regaining Wall Maria. Once we eat it, all that's left is preparing ourselves for the worst!"
"Thomas..." I whispered. He turned red again.
I heard someone take in a deep, deep breath, and I looked to see Samuel inhaling deeply before he shouted "I'll eat that meat, too!"
"I-I'll have it too, so save some for me!" included Mina, looking nervous but happy.
"Don't forget me!" I laughed, smiling widely as I waved around my wrench above my head like a flag.
"What are you standing there speechless for, Eren?" Samuel asked, slapping his friend playfully on the shoulder. "You wanna get busted?"
Mina frowned jokingly at Samuel. "It's not lunchtime yet!"
Suddenly, I heard a loud click, and saw that the stuck gear I was working on had finally come loose. Giggling a little at the jokes my friends had made, I made to remove and oil it when, out of the blue...
CRACK!
I whirled around, my hand instinctively on the dial of my leg when I saw a familiar face. A mouth like one of a corpse. Skinless features. Beady yellow eyes. Billowing steam leaking from each gap in the muscle.
"AAAAAAAAH!" Screaming, I felt a burst of burning air flood my skin and senses as I was shoved off the wall by the sheer blast. The shockwave rippled through my lungs, squeezing all of the air out of me with minimal effort.
"Jade!" Thomas yelled as he heard me. "Jade, where are you!?"
"It burns!?" Eren cried in alarm, not hearing my own inputs, as he was deafened by fear. "Everyone!"
"Switch to vertical maneuvering!" I shouted, going to shift and turn my dial to move my leg so I could aim the hook. But then I realized it wasn't turning, that I was grabbing the wrong dial. Looking upwards, I realized the ODM dial hadn't been secured properly, so it had flown out. It was above me, out of reach. "My dial!"
Suddenly, I saw a shadow fly above me, and I realized it was Thomas snatching my dial. I breathed out a sigh of relief, welcoming his arms as he wrapped them around me. He swerved out of the way using his own gear and gas, and I released myself from them as soon as I secured the proper dial for ODM. I hooked myself to the wall, relaxing my tensed shoulders as my fright subsided.
"Th-Thanks, Thomas," I thanked him breathlessly—a hand over my pounding heart—and he was blushing furiously in response.
"N-no proble—" He froze, and his gaze shot downwards all of a sudden. "Samuel!"
Tensing at the sharpness in his tone, I looked down and shrieked as I saw Samuel dropping to the ground like a swatted fly. Unconscious, with blood fluttering away from his forehead. He must have gotten hit somehow when the Colossus knocked him down...! "Hey, Samuel!"
"Huh?! Sasha!" Eren yelped, looking at the 9th Ranker. Kicking off the wall while running downwards was Sasha Blouse, heading straight for Samuel before practically harpooning his leg with her own hook. Blood launched from the fresh wound, but he stopped falling. I stilled my shaking hand as I watched, and moved to grab the detached hilt of my single sword with it. Now was no time to be scared and shake my hands.
But then, a recognizable crashing sound roared in my ears, and I saw debris fly into the air.
"Mmgh...!" I covered my mouth to avoid throwing up everywhere when pictures and memories flooded my brain. I swallowed the lump in my throat and fought away the mental images of blood and teeth and dead faces. The whiteness of my leg bones, and the ripped, bloody flesh. The boulder towering above me. The soot-streaked face of my father. The blonde hair of my best friend.
Abruptly—and thankfully, for I would have vomited after a little while—Eren voice resonated clearly throughout the air. "Sasha!" he thundered, catching everyone's attention. "Take care of Samuel!"
"Right," she said quietly, her eyes determined. I was barely close enough to hear her above the continuous poundings of the steam against the solid stone of the Trost District walls.
"Fixed Artillery Squad 4!" the 5th Ranker still continued to roar out his orders. As the 5th, he had the most authority over all of us. Even Sasha and Connie, who were 8th and 9th respectively. "Prepare for combat!"
I caught on and gulped down my fear with a powerful emotion. The emotion of sadness, loss, bravery, and anger, mixed into one true feeling.
Revenge.
"The target is here!" I cried with all of the power I had inside of me. My limbs trembled, but I didn't care. Turning the dial to 'UP', I pressed hard on the switches of the hilt and felt my contained gas rocket me forth. "The Colossus Titan!"
"Don't let this chance get away!" added Eren, beside me as we both forced our way up to the skinless mass of flesh and muscle and bone. "Only the Colossus Titan can destroy the wall!"
I gritted my teeth together, and felt my fear wash away, completely overwhelmed by the drive to avenge Kenny, Daddy, and Eren's mother. Armin's grandfather, and the other twenty percent of the human population that was lost in the attempt to regain Maria. "If we can just kill him...!"
I felt the judgmental and shocked gazes of the recently-graduated cadets of the 104th on my back. I simply lifted my sword, and let out a battle cry as I landed on the top of the wall. "Hello there..." Eren growled in a low, raspy voice. If looks could kill, the Colossus would be gone and evaporating away from existence now.
"It's been five years, huh...?" I whispered, straightening my back and leveling the Colossus with my sharpened glare. He seemed to notice it and looked right back at me with his pig-like eyes. I hissed and bared my teeth like an angry wolf. "Come at me!"
Like it understood my words, it raised an arm behind itself and threw his wrist at my direction. Using my gear, I shot upwards in sync with Eren as the Titan's hand wiped out the fixed artillery cannons mounted on the wall. I snarled and looked at my friend for orders. Seems as though the rest of the squad wasn't going to show, so it was up to us.
"Take the left!" he yelled above the sound of billowing steam. "I got the right! Say a random word if you're going in for the kill, and I'll back you up! It's the other way around for me, alright!?"
"Got it!" I replied. I aimed the spear of my ODM gear into the underbelly of his forearm, pulling myself forward and underneath him.
I flung myself upwards and used my sword as I spun viciously in a circle. I thought up a strange word, but then Eren beat me to it.
"Kenny!" he shouted, and I paused my attack. Kenny...was killed by this beast...
I raised up my singular weapon, squeezing down on the triggers as I blasted myself forth with a speed that hurt every fiber of my being. It was like I was set on fire, but the burn didn't make me cry or scream. Instead, it motivated me to keep going. I spun with as much speed and control as I could muster, the edge of my weapon aimed towards the nape of the Titan in a single blink.
But, before my blade hit home—simultaneous with Eren's own set of weapons against the Titan's neck—steam erupted from the cracks in the Colossus' exposed muscle. Since I'd been incredibly close, and my hook was firm within the flesh, the burning hot gas scorched my left cheek before I could lift my arms and protect my facial features.
"Waaah!" Pressing a hand to my skin, I felt myself suddenly drop. Even though I registered that, I was too stunned. When the steam dissipated, and my vision cleared, I realized how close to the ground I really was. Crying out in alarm, I moved my hands into their proper position and drove the hook into the wall of Rose.
It was only then that I realized the Colossus Titan was missing.
"J-Jade!" Looking up as I slowly scaled the wall, I saw Eren scanning around, trying to find me. "Jade, where are you!?"
"I'm down here!" I shouted back, and his face snapped to mine.
Cupping a hand around his mouth, he yelled. His voice was far louder now. "Hurry back up here! You're too close to the ground!"
"G-got it...!" Shaking my head to clear my muddled thoughts, I used the switches along the hilt of my weapon. When I caught up to Eren, who seemed to have finished a conversation with Connie and Thomas. As soon as he saw my face, his eyes widened.
"W-what happened, Jade?!" he asked, brushing my bangs back to reveal the burn wound on my left cheek. "It looks awful!"
"I was too close to the Colossus when he released that strange explosion of steam," I answered, gently pushing his hand away from my face. "You were lucky...you had a safe enough distance to not be completely scorched."
Eren sighed, his ocean-green eyes sad. "Okay. Let's hurry up. The gate's been broken, and Titans are going to do the same thing they did five years ago."
I let out a loud exhale. "I hope no one ended up like me," I murmured, my eyes downcast and staring at the gate. "The thought of a person going through such a powerful change in the span of seconds...It's overwhelming, and I know exactly what it feels like."
The 5th grunted, almost as if saying 'let's go', and he gave my wrist a quick tug before letting go and vanishing to the top of the wall. I clenched my teeth together and shoved the depressing throughs from my mind. Now's not the time to be a worrywart.
When I made my way to the top, Eren had a pained expression on his face. Seeing Thomas and the others, I shielded the burn on my face with my bangs as I tuned into their conversation.
"...I'm sorry," the 5th apologized, looking somewhat dazed. "We let him get away..."
"What are you apologizing for?" the blonde asked my friend, smiling weakly at him. "We couldn't even move..."
Connie snarled violently, looking at me with disdain. I averted my gaze downwards, ashamed of letting the Colossus get away from us. He had been dancing in the palms of our trap, but it didn't snap shut quick enough when he disappeared. He was like a ghost. "Hey...Is this any time to chat!?" he cursed. "Part of the wall's already destroyed! If it isn't plugged up fast, we'll get another Titan incursion!"
I jumped a little when I heard the roar of another's voice. "What are you trainees doing!?" he shouted at us, and I took a nervous step back. Connie's gaze softened as he watched me. We all saluted, and I watched the Garrison soldier's face with little to no emotion. I didn't listen to their voices any further as I became drowned in my own thoughts. I didn't even notice us leaving until Thomas placed a large hand on my shoulder.
"You okay, Jade?" he asked me. I let my lips turn slightly upwards in a reassuring smile as I shook my head. It was a bad move, though, because he gasped as he caught a glimpse of my small injury. "Your cheek!"
"It's nothing," I said, brushing away his hand dismissively. "I was a little too close to the Titan when he evaporated, that's all."
"Still, it looks really serious. Here, I'll take you to the medics."
I snapped my gaze to him, but I knew I didn't look angry in the slightest. Still, my expression was full of enough emotion to make him gasp in surprise. "It's a mild wound. All of the other people down there, who were near the gate when it was kicked down...they need the medical help, not me. It's a pathetic excuse for an injury, whereas people could have been..." I coughed and finished my sentence. "Could have been unlucky enough to be like me..."
His eyes widened. "I'm so sorry!" he cried, looking completely alarmed. "I totally forgot you were in Shiganshina that day...!"
I chuckled and placed my backhanded blade into the scabbard where it belonged, releasing the attachable knife and leaving only the hilt in my hand. "It's fine. People seem to only remember that I'm the cripple anyways. They never remember the story."
Before Thomas could go and unravel more painful memories, I jumped off the wall—on the not-infested side, of course—and sped away. I had to follow protocol, and that meant going to report back to HQ. The blonde followed after me but didn't so much as peep the whole way there. He was being mindful of my own sanity, and I was grateful for that.
• Third Person's POV •
Jade had supplied and finished her tasks before anyone else, which was a big surprise. Because of her leg, she was often the latest one to arrive. But with the chaos around the headquarters of Trost District, she was the only one with a level head.
Or at least she tried to be.
Unlike the other trainees, she wasn't vomiting. She wasn't crying out things like 'why did it have to be us' or 'I'm going to die'. She didn't cry. She only restocked her fuel for her scabbards and adjusted the functions of her leg.
And in the short period of time she had been provided with, she managed to even get some spare time to sharpen the blades on the moving metal plates. When she came out and into the courtyard, a few panicking people stopped and stared. She was so calm that it was terrifying. The aura that she so effortlessly exuded made anyone around her turn to see what monster had just wandered in. She was deathly serious.
And, if Jade had been serious during the final graduation test, she could have easily taken the position of 5th.
"Uuurrggh!" Jean—the 6th Ranker—groaned, looking unnaturally pale. "Why did it have to be today...!? I'm supposed to go into the interior tomorrow!"
But his attention was caught by the shadowed look on Jade's face after he watched yet another trainee spill their lunch onto the stone floorings. She looked...scary. And it was understandable.
Her cheek was burned, leaving it a raw, red-looking color and covered with rough scabs. Her hair was tied up neatly, leaving only her bangs out of place. Her eyes carried a sort of sharpness he'd never seen before. Her posture was completely erect, yet she looked relaxed. There was no emotion present on her face, making her look like a true soldier for once. But then he realized the true change.
Her eyes. He swallowed at the very sight of the rage within their sapphire depths.
Meanwhile, Eren and Mikasa were fighting angrily with each other. But when the two of them finally went their separate ways, they both caught sight of the cripple.
"Jade..." Mikasa whispered. The 1st Ranker knew that Jade would reply with the same amount of force that Eren did, but now she didn't even want to confront the girl. The aura that wafted off her in powerful waves...it made her completely unapproachable.
When she got really serious, she was at odds with Mikasa in terms of skill. Not even a Titan could take her down easily. She'd slaughter at least fifteen before she was even touched with a meaty finger.
Eren, however, was worried. Despite Jade's skill when purely focused on a single task, she could still have been taken down regardless. So, even though the air she gave off made his hair stand on end, he moved over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Jade..." he said quietly. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," she replied. "I just want to get this over with so I can keep those children from ending up as useless as me."
Jean was open-mouthed at her statement. The way she spoke about their upcoming horrors made it sound like it was going to be quick and easy. How could she even speak in such a calm, almost casual tone when death was knocking on her door?
But then, she paused in her tracks. "Wait. I need to talk to somebody. Can you and the rest of our squad wait for a little bit before we head out?"
The 5th blinked in mild surprise. "Okay, sure. Armin and I will be over with Thomas and Mina by the gas supply, okay?"
"Got it."
The brown-haired lass then turned on her heel and headed straight for Jean. He was still distressed over the timing and the chances of his survival, but when he saw Jade coming straight for him with that deadly gleam in her eye, he began walking away. But she forcefully hit him with her shoulder and grabbed him by his collar. Jean gulped under her fiery gaze as she set her leg to 'STAND'.
"Jean..." she hissed, her voice using that same sharp tone. For once, it sent a shiver down his spine. Perhaps it was the eyes, however. "Whatever you do out there...don't betray the others for your sake. I want you to be there for them, and be a good leader."
The 6th was taken aback. He was double her score, and yet she had the nerve to tell him what to do!? He gritted his teeth together and shoved her hand off his jacket.
"Don't talk down to me, 12th Ranker," he growled in reply, his anger briefly flaring. But it settled right back down and became guilt when he really did look into her blue eyes. Behind that toughened shell, she looked afraid. But it wasn't the same sort of fear he'd been seeing all around him.
It was fear for others, not for herself. How appropriate for someone like her.
"I never was," she said simply, taking a step back with her good leg. "I just don't want you—or any of the others—to die. That's all."
Jade then turned around, her ponytail swishing as she lifted her chin. Her right was firm on the dial resting against her hip, and she switched it to 'WALK'.
Jean looked away, his jaw still clenched tightly. Freak.
• Jade Covert's POV •
I stood on the roof, waiting with the rest of my team for the signal to go.
"Armin..."
I turned my head uninterestedly as Eren began conversing with Armin. It was only when Mina sassily placed her hands on her hips and smirked at the two of them.
"Sorry to burst your bubble..." she cackled. "But a lot of people from our class are applying for the Survey Corps!"
Thomas smiled and placed a finger on Eren's chest tauntingly. "You left me in the dust before, Eren, but this time I'm keeping up! And to make it interesting, let's see who can slay more Titans!"
"You're on, Thomas!" the 5th grinned. "As long as you don't fudge your numbers!"
I chuckled and felt their eyes snap towards me. "None of you will be able to keep up with me...rookies."
Eren crossed his arms arrogantly. "Oh really, 12th Ranker?"
Unlike when Jean said my rank, I actually felt rather happy. When Eren mocked me, I felt the urge to prove him wrong.
"You haven't seen me fight seriously, though," I replied with a smirk. "I might have one sword, but I'm triple your power. Remember who helped kick your ass last night?"
"Ooh, ouch!" Mina laughed—applauding—and I laughed in return.
I wish things could always stay this light-hearted.
"Squad 34, advance!" a Garrison soldier yelled all of a sudden, cutting our fun short. But the drive and mood remained.
Where we would laugh and joke with each other without a care in the world.
Eren raised his sword high above his head. "Let's go!" he shouted, voice full of spirit and vigor.
When times weren't hard, and death didn't weigh upon our minds.
"YEAH!" the rest of our squad responded, their hearts resonating as one. I shifted my dials and moved into the ODM model. My spears flew out from either side, and I was launched into the air. 'RIGHT' and 'LEFT'. 'LEFT' and 'RIGHT'.
But time flies when you have fun.
Whilst rocketing through the open space, my eyes caught on something up ahead, and I felt the mood drop thousands of meters before crashing into the ground known as 'reality'. "Wha...that's..." Titans swarmed ahead, attacking the soldiers. "They're roping the middle guard into the vanguard!?" Eren cried incredulously.
And when that fun is over, all that's left is a barren, cold wasteland.
Mina swallowed visibly. "All those Titans already..." she whimpered beside me, her grip on her weapons tightening. I myself held my single sword in a firmer grip at the sight, and I let my serious side take over. My eyes narrowed.
With no escape or hope until the warmth of friends returns.
"What's going on!?" Samuel's twin brother shouted in confusion. "Usually, our peers in the vanguard hog all the action..."
And even they will abandon you, regardless of whether or not it was their fault.
"Even though not much time has passed...Has the advance guard collapsed?" Thomas looked pale, and I adjusted my flying trajectory so that I was on his left side. I was close as I pressed a comforting but branded hand on his shoulder. A risky move, since I almost always had my right hand on my dial, but I wanted to comfort him.
It's hard once you're trapped.
"We'll be fine, alright, Thomas?" I smiled at him with the most sincerity I could muster. It seemed to have worked, as he clearly relaxed with a small blush on his face. But then my eyes snapped up as I heard a single word be shouted by the 5th Ranker.
You have no place to go, and no reason to live.
"DODGE!"
Until they come back, you're stranded in an endless circle.
I pressed hard on the triggers of my hilt, flying in the left direction with lightning speed. But my heart pounded when I remembered that I had a mechanical leg. It worked more perfectly and more quickly than a normal person. I screamed in horror as I counted our ranks. One person was missing, and I had a good idea of who it was.
And if they never come back, the light of your life is gone.
"Sh-shit..." Thomas whimpered as the Titan drew back its head. He was caught in its mouth. Tears streamed down his cheeks, and I placed a hand over my heart. My nails dug into the fabric and clawed at the skin underneath.
Stomped into the dust, like embers that have lost their spark.
"Thomas!" I shrieked at the same time as Eren. But I watched painfully as he was swallowed whole. "He's..."
It's those times when you remember how life would be if the fire never stopped burning.
"W..." I wanted to turn so badly and see what Eren was doing. But my eyes were stuck on the Titan's back. T-Thomas..."WAIT!"
How precious the warmth would be, and how close you would hold it tight.
"No! Don't go off on your own!" Mina shouted, tears rolling down her face. "Eren!"
You would never let it go. Never, until the day you die.
"There's another one below!" That caught my attention, and I snapped my head in Eren's direction to see a short monster—in Titan standards—directly underneath as the 5th Ranker made a leap between buildings. My heart stopped as it jumped upwards and clamped its jaws around his left leg.
But, you would never do so until you know what it feels like to be cold.
I fell to my knees, right beside Armin. My metal leg remained stiff in the 'STAND' position, leaving me uncomfortable. But I was so stunned that I didn't care. He would end up like me. Even worse, perhaps, since he didn't lose it at a young age. I hunched over and began to sob. I didn't even watch as my comrades were all eaten. I didn't watch as the blonde next to me was gently lifted off the rooftop and held over a Titan's mouth.
Once you lose the heat that you were always surrounded by, you're left shivering with no place to go.
I felt something lift me by the back of my jacket, but I was as unresponsive as Armin. But something strummed a tune inside of me. Strangely enough, I began humming softly. Inside the eternal darkness within the belly of the beast, I imagined a head of a blonde awaiting me there and felt a small smile touch my lips.
You're left by yourself, and you can only cry to feel the ghost of heat on your cheeks. Just to remember what it felt like when you weren't alone.
"J...JADE!"
But, someone can still come. Find you, light a new candle, and wrap your shoulders in a blanket.
I didn't respond to Armin. I don't know why. The thought of finally being reunited with Kenny, Joseph, and Daddy was just too much to resist. I was desperate and broken. I couldn't do anything else. I had reached the end of my limits. I was ready to be back with them.
I'm somebody who wishes to be that light in the dark.
At some point, I heard Eren roaring in rage. Perhaps Armin had been swallowed. I was amazed at my nonchalant demeanor in that moment—why was I not caring about what was happening to friends who'd had my back since day one? Maybe I was just done. Maybe I had just embraced death. Before I knew it, I was dropped down the slimy gullet of the Titan who'd gotten hold of me.
But I couldn't do that if I tried. I only know how to fall short and fail other's hopes.
Acid filled my legs with a painful feeling, but the metal and cloth held strong. Tears filled my eyes as emotions came flooding back. "I did...fail everyone...Didn't I?"
And yet, one face was like the sun. It glowed with eternal happiness, and it lit up a radius of thousands of miles. It made me feel that heat once more.
I choked on my sobs, and I covered my ears with my hands to block out the noise of my own terror. "K-Kenny...Jojo...D...Daddy...!"
I wished to bring him the vengeance he can't retrieve for himself.
My eyes fell on the mark branded into my palm as I went to smash my dial. The mark of the bluejay. My hand stilled.
Now I will fulfill the duty I assigned myself all those years ago. To keep that light alive and flickering brightly.
I sniffled, trying to keep myself upright. Tears blurred my vision altogether. "I-I...can't..."
And that light...resides within me. A cool, blue light that would soothe those it shone upon.
"...give...IIIIINNNNN!" I screamed the word at the very top of my voice. I was sure that someone outside could hear me as I screamed and screamed and screamed. But I paused as something occurred to me, and felt a smirk curve my lips upwards.
I am a bluejay.
"And it's time for me to spread my wings."
