Spoilers for episode 11.

Context notes:
Mr. and Mrs. Vargas refers to Feliciano and Lovino's parents. Both are centered on advancing their careers so they can save more money for their children. Given their busy lives, Julius offered to house Feliciano and Lovino whenever they are too occupied with work or had to travel out of town.

Chapter 11: Entropy and Energy

Alfred barely remembered attending his first funeral. He was only five years old at the time. Back then, death was when a person went into a very deep sleep and could not be waken.

According to Francis, the funeral was for George Kirkland, one of Arthur's great uncles. The only thing Alfred knew about him was on that fated night, George just shut his eyes, never suspecting that he would never wake from his sleep. He never had an everlasting battle with cancer, never had his head smashed against the windshield, and never had his gut several times. Compared to some unfortunate people's, George's death was the tamest exit out of this mortal world.

All Alfred could recollect from that day was being seated next to Arthur and Matthew. He barely believed Arthur's claim that he had to take him outside for ten minutes due to Alfred leaping out of his seat and scurrying around the room giggling.

Alfred inevitably became more exposed to death as he grew up. Classmates missed school for family members' funerals. Peers left condolences on each other's posts that announced the news. Through one way or another, Alfred would unconsciously discover that death was certain. Dad and Papa would eventually leave him and Matthew. One way or the other, Alfred could pass on before or after Matthew. However, this was all in the distinct future. Nothing to fret about all the time.

Yet, Alfred never suspected that the second funeral he would attend would be his best friend's. Feliciano was only sixteen, the same age as him.

Feliciano Vargas's head was surrounded by flowers. His resting face had an unnatural light texture, and his hands were clasped together on top of his still chest. He was dressed in a blue suit, the only article of colored clothing among the shades of dark grey and black seated in the room.

Alfred gently set a bouquet of indigo flowers besides Feliciano's head. To Alfred's left, Arthur set a comforting hand on Alfred's shoulder. Matthew's left hand shivered in Alfred's right as he fought back a sob. While tears rolled down Matthew's face, Alfred's eyes remained as dry as a desert as they peered looked down at the casket, unnerved by Feliciano's body. Francis gave Matthew pats on the back before the four turned to return to their seats.

Out of all faces seated close to the casket, Alfred could only identify Julius, who wept into a handful of tissues. A middle-aged man, who had a resemblance to Lovino, gave Julius comforting circles on Julius's back before wrapping his arms around a woman. Her hair was the same color as Feliciano's. Regardless of the color of their hair, the color of their eyes, and how wrinkly their skins were, all of the unfamiliar people had at least one hair curl.

Some of Feliciano's extended relatives, particularly the ones with greying hair and wrinkly skin, scowled at Alfred, as if he had just laughed out loud. Alfred averted his eyes down the carpeted floor, though restlessness still fluttered in his heart.

"Hey, Dad?" Alfred whispered to Arthur.

"Yes?" Arthur replied in the same soft voice.

"Some people are looking at us."

Muttering voices began to hiss amongst themselves.

"Dad, a few of them pointed at you and Papa! They look angry!"

"Keep quiet, Alfred. Don't look back at them." Arthur whispered back.

"But—"

Arthur shot Alfred a stern look, making Alfred clamp his mouth shut.

The benches at the back had more recognizable faces. Mr. Edelstein's expression remained stoic as ever, though his wife Elizabeta had just wiped a tear off his cheek with her handkerchief. Close to Mr. Edelstain and Elizabeta were some band kids. Toris held Raivis and Eduard in his arms, his lips trembling as he dared not to let a tear spill from his eyes. Ivan's thumbs fiddled in his lap. For once his presence, lightened by his slouched figure and narrowed violet eyes, did not ward other band kids away.

Kiku sat amongst the alto saxophonists, his express emotionless. According to news reports, Feliciano's body was discovered in an abandoned building. The police were still investigating whether his shocking death was caused by foul play or suicide. Most people suspected that Feliciano took his own life.

Alfred gave Kiku a brief knowing look, a gesture reciprocated by Kiku's slight nod.

The priest stood beside Feliciano's casket with a scripture in his hand. Before he could open the service, footsteps thundering down the hall drew everyone's eyes to the back.

Lovino's heavy huffs broke the stunned silence. A large bouquet of white lilies was clutched in his hands. Swallowing nervously, Lovino straightened his black tie. His back grew sticky at the hushed mumurs.

A familiar hand was set on Lovino's sweaty shoulder.

"Lovi, let's go." Antonio told him with a sad yet sympathetic smile.

Following Lovino's hesitant nod, he and Antonio made their way down the aisle. Antonio warmly squeezed Lovino's hand as the mummers grew louder. Lovino could not hear what his relatives were mumbling, yet he had some suspicions.

"How dare this sinner show up. That sinner should not be allowed here! Did he think appearing at his brother's funeral would earn him God' forgiveness?" Lovino heard these remarks before during family unions.

"You didn't have to fucking come with me!" Lovino said under his breath.

"It's fine." Antonio reassured. "Why would I leave my boyfriend alone on a day like this?"

"So his stupid relatives won't look at you like this!" Lovino retorted in a hiss.

"And I don't care what his relatives think of me. What matters the most is being with him at a time like this."

Lovino was only halfway to the casket when tears began to stream down his face. As he got closer to his baby brother, his heart grew heavy with regret. He should have tried to come back more often to be with Feliciano, even though most of his family condemned him. When he was at home, he should have smiled at his brother's silly antics rather than calling him an idiot, a defense mechanism Lovino used to vent his jealousy.

If Lovino admitted his weakness, Feliciano might not be lying in his box now.

"Stop right there." Lovino snapped out of his remorseful thoughts at the steps approached him. Although Lovino barely remembered meeting the cross-armed, frowning elderly man and woman standing in front of him, he was safe to assume that they were probably one of his great aunts and uncles. Antonio's smile faltered. His eyes, usually full of warmth, gleamed with an ice-cold glare.

"Get out." Lovino's great uncle pointed at the opposite direction. "Sinners are not allowed here."

"Don't lose your shit. Not at Fratello's funeral." Lovino bit his tongue "No. Let me see Feliciano."

"Why would Feliciano want you to see a sinner like you?" The great aunt scorned.

"Because he's my brother!" Lovino's voice rose.

"He's a pure saint unlike you! He did not deserve a horrendous brother like you!" The great uncle retorted. "I can't believe both of you were related!"

"We are." Rolling his eyes, Lovino pointed to his curl. "Isn't this a trademark of the Vargas family?"

"Maybe he tricked you into sinning!" Antonio barely flinched at the finger pointing at him.

"You leave Antonio out of this!" Lovino's voice grew louder. His eyes widened in fury.

"Oh! He willingly gave into sin!" The great aunt glowered at Lovino's parents, whose eyes widened at the death glare. "It's because neither of you taught your kids about sin!"

Mr. Vargas gestured at his wife to stay seated. He rose from his seat with a firm expression. "Leave Lovino about of this!"

"No, it's Julius's fault!" The great uncle pointed at Julius. "He raised them! I knew you weren't meant for Father's inheritance!"

"Not meant for it?!" Julius's irate scowl was not softened by his pink eyes and hoarse voice. "I taught these two boys everything from the bible since they started walking! Did either of you two offer to care for them?!"

"He's right!" Two male relatives stood behind Julius with hands on their hips.

"You're taking religion too seriously!"

"Too seriously?!" Another pair of relatives joined the argument. "Catholicism is the centerpiece of our family! Anyone who rejects it is not part of our family!"

In a blink of an eye, all the front seats were empty. The shrieking voices shifted from sputtered English to Italian blabbers. Hands threw gestures. Livid tears were spilled. While members argued against members, the rest of the gawking attendees remained glued to their seats.

"Alfred, stay put." Sensing his oldest son's movement, Arthur set a firm hand on Alfred's lap, holding him down.

"But they're fighting!" Alfred insisted. "Feliciano doesn't want this!"

"We do not want a third party participating in their silly argument." Arthur urged. "Remain seated!"

"Silly? Some of these guys hate people like you! Look what they said about Lovino! Don't you and Papa—"

"EVERYONE, SILENCE!"

The Vargas family silenced at the command. Large, astounded eyes turned to the red-faced priest. His knuckles turned white as he clutched the scripture.

"We are gathered here to grieve and commemorate Feliciano Vargas's life," The priest announced, his firm voice echoing on the walls. "not to bicker about family matters. Now, everyone sit down."

As people hurried back to their seats, Lovino took Antonio's hand, about to guide him to the remaining empty seats in the back of the room when he was stopped by his father.

"Lovino." Mr. Vargas gestured at the bench. Mrs. Vargas and the other relatives just scooted over in the bench.

Lovino looked at Antonio, who responded with an understanding nod. Before Antonio could head to the back, Julius lightly grabbed him by his jacket.

"Sit here." Julius patted the empty spot in between him and Lovino.

Antonio halted.

"My grandson needs you."

Antonio looked at the last empty bench and back to Julius. Unlike last time, there was no malice or disgust hiding behind Julius's smile. Only sincerity and compassion shone in his eyes.

"Gracias." Antonio thanked with a smile.

Julius did not recoil when Antonio sat next to him.

Alfred lied on his bed in a fetal position. The white overcast sky's light shone on his curled figure. His black blazer hung over his desk's chair, covering his bomber jacket. The dark grey socks made his feet uncomfortably warm, yet he did not have the will to strip them off.

His phone's screen read 4:15 pm. An hour ago, Feliciano's casket was lowered into his grave. Despite the sorrow pounding in his heart, Alfred's eyes were heavy, too exhausted and numb to shed tears.

A familiar shadow with a tiny body and a large head draped over Alfred. Alfred did not even have to look up to see who it was.

"…You're still alive, Tony?" Alfred rose a brow.

"Yes, I am." Tony hopped onto Alfred's bed and stared into his eyes.

"…I can't believe Feliciano is dead, dude…" Alfred's voice was hoarse. "And Ludwig too."

"It's inevitable. Sooner or later, they will die or turn into witches."

Alfred's eyes narrowed as his brows furrowed. "Why are you fine with turning magical boys and girls into witches? You have something against us, don't you?"

"Don't misunderstand my civilization's intentions. We do not despise the human race. Everything that we do is for prolonging the universe. Alfred, have you heard of the term 'entropy'?"

Alfred vaguely remembered hearing the term in his chemistry class.

"Basically, when energy changes its form, some of it is lost." Tony explained. "The energy in the universe is decreasing. In order to retain the universe, my race, the Incubators, began to search for a form of energy not limited by the laws of thermodynamics."

"Eventually, we found you humans. We quickly discovered that human soul can provide enough energy needed to counter the effects of entropy. The most energy comes from humans in your age group, when they experience the most intense emotional fluctuations. Once when your Soul Gems become Grief Seeds, an enormous amount of energy is released. Then, we Incubators collect the energy."

"So, you see us as disposable! You don't care if we die for you!" Alfred accused.

"However, we always ask for your consent before making the contract." Tony insisted.

"But you do so by tricking us!"

"Tricking you? I don't understand. A deal is a deal. Why do people harbor resentment towards the other party when they regret a decision made based on their own misunderstanding?"

"Because it's not fair to magical boys!" Alfred crossed his arm. "They matter too! Why do you see them like livestock?"

"Livestock?" Tony paused. "Interesting…"

Alfred rose a brow. "Interesting?"

"Have you ever felt guilty for consuming livestock? Have you ever thought about what those animals experience become they become your food?" Tony asked, peering closer into Alfred's eyes.

Alfred's stomach churned. "…No…"

Tony's chuckle made Alfred's blood run cold. "You're missing the point. Humans chose livestock to be food. In exchange, they have a higher rate of survival. They are fed, allowed to reproduce, and are protected from predators at all time. In this relationship, both parties benefit."

"You can say our relationship with humans are similar." Tony continued. "However, under consideration that your species is a sentiment one, we treat you with more respect and try to deal fairly with you. Believe it or not, humans and Incubators have relationships since prehistoric times. We've helped human civilization develop. Innumerable boys and girls have made contracts with Incubators, had their wishes ranted, and fell to despair."

Alfred swallowed discomfort lingering in his throat.

"Beginning with a wish and ending with curse." Tony said. "That's the cycle magical boys and girls follow. Some of their wishes were so powerful, they started revolutions that changed history or elevated human society."

"You're a traitor! They trusted you!"

"No, we didn't betray them. Their wishes did." Tony countered. "Wishes are desires that don't exist in the current reality. Anything that diverges from reality creates distortions. It's only natural that these things end in disaster. Though, I don't think they are entirely foolish. If it were not for their sacrifices, human society would have not developed so far."

"Don't you ever think of how they feel and the suffering they went through?"

"No." Was Tony's short answer. "In our society, the phenomenon you refer to as emotions is considered as an ailment. Before encountering the human species, we never knew that it was possible there could be a world where each individual has their own set of emotions, yet still manage to co-exist with one another."

Alfred's grimace fell. "Does that mean if you Incubators never came to our planet…we wouldn't be where we are now?"

Tony nodded, confirming Alfred's guess. "All of you would still be living naked in caves."

A knock aroused Alfred from his dreamless nap. The bed moaned as he rolled onto his side, facing the door.

"Alfred, it's me." Arthur voice said behind the door. "May I come in?"

"…come in…" Alfred replied.

Arthur's thick brows arched in a concerned expression as he entered. Alfred's messy bangs fell over his eyes, which lacked their energetic sparkle that shone every day. His cheeks were pale, lacking their rosy hue.

Arthur sat down on the bed. "How are you faring now?" he began.

Alfred kept his gaze on the ground.

"Not well?" Arthur was given a slight nod. Forcing a slight, reassuring smile, Arthur set a hand on Alfred's head. "I understand."

Alfred shut his eyes and sighed as Arthur stroked his hair.

Arthur asked, "Are you hungry?"

"…A little." Alfred said softly.

"Would you like to go out and get some…" Arthur paused and showed a sickened expression. "…McDonalds? Just the two of us."

"…Sure, let's go." Alfred sluggishly sat up in his bed as Arthur left the room to get his car keys.

There was a long line at the nearest McDonalds, a scene that was not surprising to Arthur. Lazy Americans. Why couldn't they just get out of their cars, walk inside, and order in there? Though, technically Arthur did not have the right to condemn their laziness, since his car was already in line.

Alfred had not spoken a word since he got into the car. Face resting against his fist, he stared at the overcast sunset, a swirl of yellow surrounded by puffy grey clouds.

Arthur pulled up to the order box standing in front of the colorful menu. His stomach recoiled at the combo meals, only easing slightly at the Filet-O-Fish sandwich. Might as well get some chips with it. This was probably the closest to fish and chips. He could always make it a combo, but to hell with their iced teas! Might as well get water at home.

"Hello, what can I get for you?" A woman's voice asked from the speaker.

"Hello. May I have your Filet-O-Fish with a small side of chips?" Arthur requested.

"Chips?"

Arthur rolled his eyes before correcting himself. "Sorry, I meant to say small fries. May I also get…"

Alfred jolted when Arthur gave him a small nudge.

"What would you like?" Arthur quickly whispered.

"Number one meal." Alfred continued to stare at the sunset.

"No chicken nuggets?" Arthur received a head shaking no.

"…a number one meal?" Arthur finished his order.

"What size?"

"Large."

"What drink?"

"A regular coke."

"So, a Filet-O-Fish, small fries, and a large Big Mac meal with a coke. Does everything look correct on the screen?"

Arthur skimmed through the text on the order screen. "Yes."

"Your total is $12.67. Thank you."

Arthur drove past the menu and joined the line of cars waiting to pick up their orders. There were four cars ahead of him. This was going to take a little while… Arthur sighed as he leaned back against his seat. Alfred did not move from his position, still lost in thought.

Ten minutes later, Alfred set his and his dad's order in his lap as Arthur drove out of the drive thru. Maybe it was the buildings that whisked past him. Maybe it was the greasy smell emitting from the warm paper bag. Uneasiness swirled in Alfred's stomach, causing him to shut his eyes with a small groan.

"Alfred? What's the matter?" Arthur asked at a red light.

"…I'm fine…" Alfred mumbled. "…Just hungry."

By the time they reached home, Alfred's nervousness barely lessened. He took the food out of his bag while Arthur filled a cup with water.

Sitting down at the table, Alfred opened the carton holding his Big Mac. Its sesame-seeded bun, pale orange sauce, and two beef patties did not make his mouth water. Careful not to get slimy sauce on his fingers, he lifted the bun off, peering down at the burnt brown patty through the soggy lettuce and white onions.

"Alfred?" Arthur asked as he set his drink on the table. "Is something amiss? You're crying."

Alfred only sniffed as he blinked rapidly.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Scooting his seat by Alfred, Arthur set a soft hand on Alfred's trembling arm.

Alfred shook his head no without saying a word. His face began to contort as his lower lip quivered.

"Come here, poppet." Arthur opened his arms.

Alfred wrapped his arms around Arthur and rested his head on his shoulders. His tears flowed down his face and dropped onto Arthur's grey collared shirt. As Arthur rubbed warm circles on Alfred's trembling back, a whimper escaped Alfred's lips. Alfred buried in face into Arthur's shoulder.

"I'm here for you." Arthur tightened his embrace. "Let everything out."

"Arthur? Are you still awake?"

The bedcovers rustled as Arthur turned to face Francis, whose eyes shone in the moonlight streaking past the window blinds.

"Yes, dear." Arthur replied. "Cannot sleep?"

"Oui." Francis pulled the blanket closer to him and Arthur. "A lot has happened this past month."

"Hmmm." Arthur hummed.

"I can't stop thinking about it." Francis continued. "The missing student from Alfred and Matthew's school still hasn't been found."

"I also heard that a student from a neighboring school also disappeared recently." Arthur mentioned.

Francis nodded. "Then Feliciano… He was a sweet, kind child."

"How could anything like this happen to him?"

"Matthieu mentioned that Feliciano liked a boy. I would not be surprised if his family and religious beliefs drove him to take his own life. He must have felt conflicted."

Arthur looked out at the shadows behind the windows. "It's difficult to come out to your family. We both know because both of us had done so."

"It's tragic." Francis added. "As we were walking back to our car, I spotted Julius embracing Lovino and his boyfriend. I think if Feliciano did speak out to his family, with given time, they would have accepted him eventually."

"Well, most of them hopefully." Arthur added. "Some could be particularly stubborn gits. It's difficult to say."

"Oui."

"How was Matthew during the walk?"

"Quiet than usual." Francis said. "Withdrawn. I think he is taking some time to process things. How about Alfred?"

"He broke down after when we arrived from McDonalds. For once, I just have no clue on what's going on in him. I think he knows more about Feliciano's situation than he is willing to share."

"You and Alfred have a close bond similar to mines with Matthieu. However, we now have no choice but to trust both of them. They are both sixteen now. Two years later, they will be legal adults."

"It's just very difficult." Arthur squeezed the blanket softly. "When I look at Alfred and Matthew, I don't see two young adults. I only see two boys. I just want to care for them and protect them."

"But soon, they have to learn how to fend for themselves." Francis sighed. "Only then we can see how adequate our parenting was."

"This should be where Kiku lives." Alfred walked across the parking lot to the apartment complexes. He approached the apartment closest to the washing machine room.

"Hey, is this where you're at?" Alfred asked telepathically.

"I see you. Wait a moment."

The door slowly opened.

"Hey." Alfred greeted Kiku. "Can I talk to you now?"

"Yes, sure. Come in." Kiku said.

In comparison to the living room in Alfred's home, Kiku's was quite plain. The white walls were bare. The sofa faced a coffee table and a small television set. In the kitchen area sat a table with only two chairs.

Littered on the coffee table were graphs, diagrams, and scribbled notes. Alfred first noticed the sketches of a ghastly witch, a witch Alfred felt he had seen before.

"That looks familiar. It feels like I saw it once in a dream…"

"Would you like anything to drink?" Kiku asked as he locked the front door.

"No, I'm fine, dude. What's that?" Alfred pointed to the sketch.

"Sit down." Kiku offered. Sitting next to Alfred, he answered, "This is the Walpurgisnacht. It is a very powerful witch."

"How powerful?"

"So powerful it doesn't hide in a labyrinth." Kiku said, picking up the sketch. "It drifts around the world. And once it arrives, thousands of people will die. Since humans can't see it, they'll assume its destruction was a natural disaster like an earthquake, tornado, or tsunami."

"So, it has to be defeated." Alfred said.

"It's going to be difficult to beat." Kiku added. "A sole magical boy or girl can't beat it alone. I originally requested Ludwig to fight it with me, but…"

"But he's gone now. You're the only magical boy left. Do you need anyone's help?"

"No." Kiku quickly answered, tossing the sketch back onto the table. "It would be very helpful to have Ludwig's help, but I can still defeat it on my own."

"Really?" Alfred rose a brow. "I want to believe you can do it, but I don't know dude. I still have this feeling of doubt. It's not because I think you're weak, it's because I think you're not being honest. You're hiding something from me."

"And speaking of hiding something…" Alfred started. "What was that technique you used when we fled from that labyrinth? I tried asking you before, but you always avoid the question."

Kiku began to feel nervous. "…Alfred…" He barely said, his clasped hands clutching each other.

"You manage to make everything stop!" Alfred continued to ramble. "Everything froze into place! We were the only ones who could move!"

Kiku clutched his fists tightly.

"It's like you stopped time!" Alfred's eyes lit. "I got it! You can manipulate time, right?"

Alfred's excited expression dropped. Kiku gazed at the table, refusing to look up at Alfred.

"Hey, Kiku? You all right?"

Kiku flinched when Alfred's hand took his. As he slowly turned, tears shimmered in his eyes.

"Alfred…" he started.

"Woah!" Alfred exclaimed when Kiku's arms enveloped him and pulled him closer to his smaller body.

Kiku rested the side of his head on Alfred's shoulder. "Alfred," he began as he gave the larger male a tight squeeze.

"I can manipulate time. And I've been traveling back in time over and over to save you."

Author's Notes: Originally, Feliciano's funeral was just going to be a flashback that shows everyone grieving. However, after reading about drama that happened in funerals on Reddit, I wanted to make things a bit more dramatic. Hopefully it's realistic enough.
Feliciano and Lovino's parents are there to offer Lovino more reassurance and comfort despite his outsider status. In most human AU stories I've read, Feliciano and Lovino usually live together with Julius. Their parents aren't mentioned or confirmed as dead. Hopefully, the status of Mr. and Mrs. Vargas aren't too similar to Kiku's which will be revealed in the next chapter.
All future chapters will have spoilers for episode 10 and onward.