On a clear night, after many heads of the Kashipa Organization had been taken down and the situation had calmed just slightly, a spark of activity was present in one particular section of Harlem.
"I heard the Casino got busted up pretty bad."
"Think we can find some valuable resources among the mess?"
"Fresh bread! Fresh bread! We've got a fresh shipment of breads coming in - stolen from the clutches of the greedy Kashipa!"
"Yee-ha! I can stay up as long as I want now that Master's dead!"
"Right? And look, the stars are out!"
The freed slaves residing within the Black Market were out and about, roaming the streets, conversing, eating, piecing together structures, and making plans to reform the location for the better. All in all, the general population was preparing for what would hopefully be a brighter future, having been freed of the Kashipa's grasp.
As the Adventurer observed the activity within the Black Market, a faint memory of what the place was like prior to the mass escaping of the slaves took hold. Back then, it was considered to be the cesspool of Pandemonium; a settlement seemingly devoid of hope, ruled by terror.
"What's wrong, Adventurer?"
Drawn so suddenly from their reverie, the Adventurer looked to their side. Pai was there. It seemed like she had been standing next to them for at least a good minute. The Pandemonian youngster had gained something of a reputation within the Black Market's community, what with her shared desire to end the Kashipa's reign. She was usually present to check on the inhabitants, make sure they took the medicines she brought back from Central Park, break up occasional disputes, and generally help the freed slaves however else she could.
On the other hand, for the Adventurer, she was the person that urged them to come with her to Harlem; the catalyst that ignited the next path for their journey after Apostle Luke's fall from grace. In turn, Pai experienced the terror and grief throughout the different Kashipa-dominated territories they had intruded upon together. The Adventurer knew very well that Pai felt like helping out was the least she could do for Harlem's long-oppressed population.
With this, and knowing Pai would best understand them, the Adventurer revealed their honest feelings. "I feel bad for not having been there when you buried Cobb. I want to give him a proper farewell."
For a moment, the blossoming young lady's eyes widened. It looked as if a pained expression took over her countenance for a fraction of a second. Her face would relax afterwards.
In a quieter tone, she'd ask, "Do you want me to go with you?"
The Adventurer shook their head. "No, Pai. You should stay here and continue to help out the people. I won't be long."
It was understood by the Adventurer that Pai blamed herself for the death of Cobb. That guilt had been eating away at her since that day. It bled into the reason as to why she felt the need to make herself substantially useful to the refugees: so that nobody else would have to experience the needless death Cobb experienced.
For Pai, Cobb had been her catalyst. The sight of the beat, dirty, and starving boy who reached the forest was enough to give her the motivation to go to Harlem, regardless of Kate or Niu's pleas. Moreover, between naming him, helping him, and regularly interacting with him, it was obvious that she had developed something of a sisterly affection for the boy.
Therefore, Pai understood. With a slow nod, she bid the Adventurer good-bye. "Alright. Please return in one piece... You never know what's lurking out there."
As she turned away to move deeper into the rag-tag settlement, the Adventurer went into the opposite direction, moving towards barren territory. The only thing to greet them out there would be the howling of the wind.
The walk was brief. The Adventurer stepped into a section of land beyond the piles of debris littering the dusty Harlem streets. The air was completely stale, followed by a hanging mist. What was once soil felt like hardened, cracking sand or dust. The area had been converted into a gravesite, where the slaves who were lucky enough to find the corpses of those they cared about buried them. Makeshift tombstones were sparingly spread about the area, with less than a hundred present in total.
Even though each and every grave held some significance, the Adventurer was only looking for one. Gravestone after gravestone, the Adventurer walked across the lot reading the names on each, but did not see the name they were looking for. Just where would Pai choose to bury someone precious to her, someone who held a special place in her heart?
The Adventurer squinted. A strong gust of wind began to pass through. It pushed back the eerie mist around the gravesite just slightly, revealing certain details of the scene that were obscured by its nebulousness. It was only then when they noticed something distinctive.
In a corner far off in the rear of the site, a towering, dead tree sat. A neat gravestone was cradled between its roots.
The Adventurer, intrigued by this sudden development, moved towards the tree. Only then did they notice something that had been carefully etched onto the structure underneath.
'Cobb', they carefully read on the gravestone head.
Closer inspection revealed that an offering sat upon its altar; a modest bouquet of flowers. It was a gift that Summoner Kate must have helped Pai carefully pick. During a brief visit to Central Park, she and the Adventurer had told the mages about what entailed within Harlem, including Cobb's death. Summoner Kate had then arranged some time to show Pai the flower garden in Central Park, briefing her on the names and meaning behind each flower present.
The Adventurer had forgotten what the meaning behind the Statice was.
Without hesitation, they approached the tree more intimately. When they reached the roots that seemed to hug the stone, they knelt down, leaning their head forward.
The Adventurer gazed at the gravestone - initially the craftmanship - eyeing the name etched onto it with great interest. It must have been the work of Pai and some of the freed slaves. They had done a good job fashioning the tombstone. As for the person buried underneath it...
"Then, I'm going to change gradually. Heh heh. I feel as if I'm growing stronger just by staying with you."
The Adventurer could remember one of the last conversations they held with him back at the casino. The boy had been surprised about the rapid and radical change in the attitudes of the freed slaves. In that moment, he suggested that adapting to the new situation would occur much more slowly for him. The concept of being free had been entirely foreign to him, after all. The life of a slave under the Kashipa was all he had ever known.
Then, that led the Adventurer to think: why had they left Cobb all alone with the Apostle's egg? He was a vulnerable child; one that could not fully protect himself. As they closed their eyes, a sense of regret washed over the Adventurer. Cobb's voice seemed to appear again.
"Adventurer... Sorry... Wanted to help you..."
His final words stung in their head.
"I'm cold... Cold, Adventurer... Help..."
From the beginning to the end of his story... It was unfortunate. Cobb died long before he was able to truly embrace freedom. It all felt like... a waste.
For many minutes, the Adventurer remained knelt at his grave with their head hanging. Many different scenarios of what could've been - or what should've been - played out in their mind.
Of course, it was all futile. What happened, happened.
"I apologize, Cobb. Farewell..." they finally spoke aloud, opening their eyes once more.
They stood up. Having given their farewell, the Adventurer could only move forward. They needed to locate the Apostle's egg and help put an end to the Kashipa's reign for good. Moreover, Ricardo was responsible for killing Cobb. They needed to find him and deliver justice.
The Adventurer, with hands now balled into fists, turned away from the gravestone and the unsightly tree. Slowly, they began make their way back to the Black Market. It would be a brief walk once again. A brief, yet lonely walk.
The Adventurer tried to pick up their pace to make it back quickly. However, it was difficult to do so with all the thoughts and emotions running through them. Suddenly, they felt something calling to them.
As they looked back, something bright coming from above caught their eye. Their gaze redirected towards the sky, where a constellation oversaw the ravaged streets of Harlem. They had never really paid attention to the stars above the land, yet the lack of artificial light sources made them easy to see. The constellation was quite captivating. The Adventurer could feel their sense of anger nearly quell at the sight, so their balled fists relaxed.
They hadn't visited the gravesite to stargaze, however. The farewell was given. Their purpose at the gravesite was no more. Pai still needed someone to monitor her, while the freed slaves of Harlem required a protector. Returning to the Black Market to reassess the situation at hand and to plan for future attacks on the Kashipa was of most importance.
The Adventurer, again, turned away from the site, trekking through barren earth to cross the battered road. The sense of heavy regret washed over them once more as they reconsidered their actions in the casino.
Before they could dwell on it, however, they noticed something shining brightly - something eager to make itself known.
It was a star. A star shining brighter than the rest, making itself easily distinguishable from the others. It seemed to gaze down on the streets of Harlem. The sudden bout of illumination was appreciated. However, more than anything, the Adventurer felt as if it was gazing directly at them.
As they studied it, the star struck them as a new voyager in the night sky; bright-eyed and impassioned. Cradled within its cluster, it was nestled together with other stars, but appeared to be a trailblazer for the rest.
This radiant star somehow called to them. It was as if there was meaning to be found in the way it shone down upon them. Only then did the realization strike.
Yes... That's right... the Adventurer thought, facing the star and the gravesite once again.
Your death wasn't in vain; you didn't die meaninglessly.
You will play a role in the future of these people.
That was because Cobb had become a star. A star that would continue to guide the people of Harlem towards freedom.