2 days later...
The funeral was held at cenotaph memorial with some spectators arriving with family members situated at the front. With partial skies, a honey golden sun gleams down onto the cenotaph. They all stand next to the wilted trees with amber leaves falling down onto them.
The parents of Louis and his sister stand next to the wife and daughter of bruiser with Sophie's grandmother there alone. A black car arrives behind them as roads are closed with Arthur getting out in a mourning suit and in a bouquet of roses, closing the door behind him. Some look at him with others too focus looking ahead to even notice.
The family members are allowed to approach the cenotaph as the footsteps, the breathing and the sobbing gets louder with them walking towards the end of a part of their happiness. This is all but a part of life as they walk down the path of fate. With the family members ahead, Sophie's grandma lags behind as she is visibly struggling to walk and Arthur comes in placing his arm out.
She stops to look at him for a moment and holds on to him as they continue to walk towards it. The others place down their bouquets with Arthur getting shrugged off and she slowly walks towards it, leaning on her cane getting down on knee to place it. She stays like that for a moment and tries to get back up.
Struggling, holding onto the cane and shaking with it. He comes to help her up and stands next to her. Her anger boils, but she doesn't know who to direct it too.
"I told her." "again and again" "Please don't die before me". A tear rolls down her left eye, "She always showed me that beautiful smile and promised me she wouldn't". For a moment she sees her bright smile up ahead as she is leaving, but the moment is gone and only a cenotaph lies ahead of her.
The clear skies that were foretold were no more as dark cloud envelop those in mourning. Drips of rain start and Arthur sticks his hand out to feel it, drip as it falls onto his hand and he closes his fist as if he caught it.
"They told me your name is Arthur." "Were you the one that brought back her smile?" she asks as she looks up to him with tears running down her face and rain that got heavy in an instance. Arthur's eyes instantly get watery and he softly says "Yes Ma'am" and he too begins to cry.
"Thank you sweetheart" "I got to see it recently and it warmed my heart for the first time in awhile." "I got my Sophie back". "and she was taken away from in the same breath". A deep feeling of shame and regret overwhelm Arthur as he faces her saying "Sorry" in a soft tone like he is mumbling it under his breath.
He grabs her hand and lowers himself as he places the back of her hand his on face, apologizing over and over. "I'm sorry" he repeats as if he killed her himself. Over and over as different types of mucus mix together. The first time in a long time has Arthur completely broken down like this and she caresses his head as if to say "It's okay". He wails out as the other just watch in silence.
The rain continues as someone approaches them, she picks up his face by his chin and smiles at him saying "Thank you for bringing Sophie back to me" with a tearful expression. An Umbrella gets put over them and Arthur stands up while looking down. He grabs the umbrella and walks her back. He takes her back to the others and she leaves him with parting words "Thank you for coming". Soon after she leaves with someone from EVOLVED.
Arthur watches her leave and goes a few minutes after standing there alone in solitude. He walks home soaking wet with the rain bringing his hair down covering his eyes. He stands at the door with no urgency or strength to move, just standing. Several minutes later, his mom opens the door and sees him standing there. "Art" she says with an irritated tone and quickly stops as she looks at his face.
She hugs him and gently says "I'm here". He rests his head on her shoulder and starts crying again. "Mom" he utters as he starts to lose consciousness.
He was in bed for several days due to a fever and overexerting himself. Throughout it all, she was by his side to take care of him and ultimately give him comfort.
He woke up at noon on the 4th day, sluggishly opening his eyes and just staring at the ceiling. Devoid of thoughts or feelings. For a couple of minutes and suddenly one thought pops into his head. "What now?". He ponders and ponders and nothing. He turns to sleep on side and closes his eyes.
He feels it..
A person loitering near his home and he gets reminded of everything good he has done so far. The evil he has rid of this world and the lives that have been saved. A soothing voice reiterates, 'You're my Saviour' to him again like it is whispering it in his ear.
But a constant reminder of his darkness always stays near...
He gets up and cleans himself up. He still has a broken look, but a soft smile creeps through slowly breaking him down. A day started with the presence of love and care helps repair apart of the damage taken and a remembrance of those he loves pushes him forward into a new path for him to take.
While staring at the pictures, he remembers what Lucifer said to him at the cenotaph memorial, "I know you won't understand right now kid" "But remember this feeling" "Move forward to never feel like this again".
The feeling of being powerless in front of power.