Chapter III – Traitor.
*Back at present, in Byrne's room, where he awoke from his nightmare.*
"It still haunts me…", Byrne thought while tears ran down off his face, "For 4 years long, when I go to sleep… I keep on having the same dream… Where I keep killing her… Over and over again… It's all my fault… I should've protected her…" Byrne's door cracked open, "Byrne! Is everything alright?" Anjean asked. Byrne turned his face away from Anjean, "Do I look like I'm alright to you?" he said with a cold heart. Since the day that Byrne lost Jessie, he was wearing his scarf again. He lost his self-confidence and locked his heart away for everyone, even for his Master. The only one who can unlock his heart again was Jessie herself, and no one else. "You were dreaming of her again, weren't you?", Anjean asked as she walked into his room. Byrne got angry when she talked about Jessie, which only hurt him more. He got up and put his scarf on, turning his back on her, "Just… stop it, Master…"Byrne said. Anjean knew that this was going to happen someday… that Jessie would die and leave Byrne alone, but she never knew how soon it would be. Lokomo-Guardians live longer than humans, so it was hard for them to love one. "No… You stop…" Anjean said. "What?" Byrne raised his voice, still not looking upon her. "Byrne, you have been like this for 4 years now. You disobey me all the time, you keep missing your lessons! The "Spirit Tracks" are slowly disappearing, bit by bit, and you're not at your post to guard the Tower!", Anjean raised her voice. Byrne clenched his hands into a fist and got angrier by the second. "It's not your fault for what happened! I know it's hard for you to go on without her, but this is not the way! Jessie would never wanted you to be like this!", she said.
That was the last straw! "JUST… SHUT UP!", Byrne screamed and the pictograph of he and Jessie on his desk to the ground. " STOP MENTIONING HER! YOU THINK THAT I'M NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO BE YOUR APPRENTICE? FINE, I QUIT! I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE EVER AGAIN! I WON'T GUARD THIS PLACE FOR NOTHING!", he screamed out, took his arm-weapon and ran away, only this time, he leaves that place forever. "Byrne, wait!", Anjean said but he was already gone. She remained in his room, "My words are lost on you, Byrne…", she thought, looking at the shattered photo, "No matter what I say, you refuse to listen…". She walked over to the photo and picked it up, "Jessie wasn't the only one who died 4 years ago… Byrne died as well. His heart is no longer alive…", she whispered and took the photo out of the frame and kept it with her.
Byrne kept on running… He ran to a place where he always went to when he felt alone… Where he was close to her… Close to his angel… He arrived at the "Castle Town's Cemetery"… Byrne stopped at the front gate of it, panting for air. Once he was rested out, he moved into the cemetery, looking for one place… Byrne stopped and looked at a tombstone… A tombstone with an beautiful statue of an angel, her hand was raised up with a bird upon it and the wings of both of them were spread open . Byrne kneeled down and rubbed with his right hand the dirt off… A plate was revealed… Golden letters was written on it… Byrne reads it…
"Here lies Jessie, a beloved angel that left the world too soon."
Those words brought tears once again into his eyes, and sat down. He leaned onto the tombstone.
"Why you?...", Byrne thought, tears rolled down from his face and scarf, "I want to be with you again… To hold you… To love you… To be there by your side… I miss everything of you… The way you smiled at me… The way you breathed against me when you sleep… The way you loved me back…". Byrne buried his face between his knees with his arms wrapped around them and cried… For hours long he sat there, releasing his pain… But this pain never ended for him… Byrne fell asleep within his tears of sorrow and exhaustion…
Hours later, Byrne woke up, it was nearly dawn. The sun started to rise above the horizon and mist was covering the ground. Byrne groaned of his position he was sleeping in. Byrne thought of the moments that he was praying for her to the spirits, where he used to continue their work to protect Hyrule. "Why didn't the spirits answered my prayers? I know they can bring people back to life, but they didn't do anything…," Byrne thought, "I even prayed to have more power, equal as them, so I can bring… her back into the living world myself… No matter how hard I worked, or how long, they never granted me more power or anything else…". He slammed his hands onto the ground and screamed, "WHY DIDN'T YOU LISTEN?… WHY?". He tried to calm himself down, "I'll do anything to get my angel back… Anything…", he whispered loud enough that only he heard it.
"There's another way for it…", a voice said. Byrne looked around and stood up. He saw a little man, standing there a few feet away, wearing two hats and a green costume. "W-who are you?", Byrne asked. The little man moved closer, "To the humans, I'm just Chancellor Cole, but to you… I'm Demon Cole.", he respond. "D-Demon…?", Byrne wondered, but his question was then answered when Cole revealed his two horns upon his head that he was hiding underneath his hats. "I've been watching you for the last few days, Byrne. It hurts, doesn't it?" he continued, "Praying to the spirits… Asking them to bring this human back… And look what you got… Nothing… They never helped you… Those disgusting spirits…".
"You… you said there's another way?", Byrne asked. "Yes. There's someone else who's stronger and more powerful than the spirits themselves…" Cole said, silenced for a few seconds, "Malladus." Byrne couldn't believe it that he said that name, the reason why he guarded the Tower of Spirits before. "The spirits couldn't defeat him, they kept battling each other for centuries.", Cole continued, "He was too powerful to be killed by the spirits, so they decided to lock him away with those "Spirit Tracks"."
"You're responsible for it… You let those tracks disappear, piece by piece…" Byrne said. "That's right… But I'm not done with those tracks yet. There's more to be destroyed.", Cole chuckled with a smirk. "Why are you telling me all of this?" Byrne asked. "Just think of it, Byrne… You… helping me to resurrect Malladus… If you succeed, you can ask anything to Malladus. He has many powers, even the power you desire to have…". That took Byrne's attention. "Don't you want her back, Byrne?" Cole continued, "I can get you to that goal, but I need you to achieve it…" Byrne kept silenced. "I give you time to think about it…" Cole said and walked away. Byrne looked at the tombstone of Jessie for a while… Would he do it… Betray everyone? Abandon his country just for Jessie?
Obviously. If he didn't, this story wouldn't exist!
Cole just walked out of the cemetery, "Cole!" he said while running after him. Cole stopped walking, his back still turned away from Byrne. "If I help you, will Malladus grant me the power I desire?", Byrne asked. "Yes… He will be grateful for his resurrection, and anything you want, will become reality.", Cole answered back.
"…I'll do it.", Byrne said. Cole smiled on his evil way and turned around, "We have a deal then.", he said and lift his right hand, Byrne took his hand for their agreement. "Perfect… Everything is according to my plan…", Cole thought.
To Be Continued…