Lovely: Angel's Cry
Chapter 9: Agape
The woman fires, landing a hit on Brandon's left shoulder. He falls to his knees, clutching his deltoid.
Someone is clearing one of the benches of snow. They then assist Grace in lifting Brandon to the bench and setting him down. The woman runs to Brandon's side and begins to fashion a makeshift bandage out of her handkerchiefs. She applies it on the area she injured.
"You call yourself a surgeon. If you were going to fire, why… didn't you just kill me right now?", Brandon asks the lady.
Just then, the person clad in purple who brought you here yells, "Get that racist scumbag, NOW!" Although you are hesitant, something impels you to take Brandon from the bench to shove him to the ground, burying his face in the snow. Wayne manages to escape to the depths of the forest without wrestling himself away from your strange, magical acquaintance, as though phasing out.
"That's because it's called self-defense, you dillpick," the novice magician yells.
Someone is clearing one of the benches of snow. They then assist Grace in lifting Brandon to the bench and setting him down. The woman runs to Brandon's side and begins to fashion a makeshift bandage out of her handkerchiefs. She applies it on the area she injured.
"You call yourself a surgeon. If you were going to fire, why… didn't you just kill me right now?", Brandon asks the lady.
Just then, the person clad in purple who brought you here yells, "Get that racist scumbag, NOW!" Although you are hesitant, something impels you to take Brandon from the bench to shove him to the ground, burying his face in the snow. Wayne manages to escape to the depths of the forest without wrestling himself away from your strange, magical acquaintance, as though phasing out.
"That's because it's called self-defense, you dillpick," the novice magician yells.
Wait a second… are they fading away?
"The only thing you scum are good for is deception! Why don't you show your true, ugly selves to us?" Brandon points at the magician. "I knew you were an alien too, but you told me you'd help me destroy them."
"Pithy mortal, you should have known better than to trust a deceiver such as I. You, of such pitiful hubris to even dare to see our true formes! If you would even survive such a sight, you will be sightless and voiceless for the rest of your days. Truly, you are fortunate that the only deception you receive is of a benign nature." Their skin becoming more translucent, they let out a cackle. "It is not I that time stands still for. My demise is fast approaching. My dying wish is to atone to those I've hurt so much… Orama… and my dearest Storge…"
A dazzling light emanates from the mysterious stranger and floods their immediate surroundings. You look away before you blind yourself.
Grace covers his mouth with his hand, and the cataracts obscuring his sight fade to reveal his dark brown eyes.
"Eros… is this really…", the woman says.
"I have committed the most deplorable of deeds. I will not be surprised if justice calls for you never to forgive me. My hands have destroyed entire worlds." The stranger walks closer to the woman. "Agape… I feel her energy. I think she's still out there, somewhere. Will you forgive Eros for being so reckless?
The woman tries to give the magician, who you assume to be named Eros, a hug. Her arms go through what should be his torso.
"That's right! I feel the radiance and the warmth of forgiveness… because you've become Agape! Continue to spread love into this new world… that is all I ask."
Just then, the figure completely fades into thin air, leaving behind some articles of clothing, right before your very eyes.
"Eish… awr ewe ahll dahn?" Brandon's speech is muffled by the snow stuffing his mouth. You consider stepping on his back so that he couldn't stand up, but he pushes himself off the cold ground. "This sappiness is sickening! I abhor Survival for this very reason. So much smooching and biting under the pretense of 'love'."
Grace and the woman lock each other into an embrace.
"I missed seeing your beautiful face and hearing your angelic voice, Bella." He releases the woman, who you think is named Bella, from his embrace, taking her hands in his.
"It must have been difficult to communicate with me all this time..." She turns to you as she says, "I'm really sorry for inconveniencing you."
Just then, Grace cups both of her cheeks in his hands, turning her head so that she's facing him, before abruptly giving her a kiss on the lips. Seeing this, Brandon is seething in rage. He storms off and walks the same way Wayne escaped to.
Bella hides her face as soon as he withdraws from her, later revealing a dumbfounded look.
"Was that really… Eros right there? How is that even possible?"
"Yes, Bella."
"I wonder what made him change like that. Why would he ask for forgiveness in his last moments? It doesn't seem like him at all."
"That's one of the other things I wanted to tell you."
"What, that Eros was here, and you knew about it?"
"That's not all."
"Then, what is it?"
There is a sparkle in Grace's eyes.
"Agape's essence is in you. I never thought it would have been possible while my visions were clouded, but I see it now. Agape and Eros chose us to continue their legacy.."
"I can understand why he chose you; he always wanted to turn you into his apprentice, all these years. But why me? The fulfillment of my duties as Storge have not even borne any fruit…"
"That's because you've embodied love -- for never harboring hatred for Eros, even after his desires consumed him and turned him into Ghysar. Like your sister, you given so much of yourself for the sake of love. It didn't matter whether they deserved it or not." He gives her a heartfelt smile. "You deserve the love you keep trying to give everyone else."
Bella yells, suddenly falling into panic. "That's right! Wilhelm kept telling me of this mission, that we had to bring love to others." She anxiously tugs on Grace's jacket with both of her hands. "What are we going to do now? Won't Survival be over soon?"
"It doesn't have to be Survival for us to share love with others. Love has no season, it's something you breathe and live." Grace turns to you. "What do you think?"
"The only thing you scum are good for is deception! Why don't you show your true, ugly selves to us?" Brandon points at the magician. "I knew you were an alien too, but you told me you'd help me destroy them."
"Pithy mortal, you should have known better than to trust a deceiver such as I. You, of such pitiful hubris to even dare to see our true formes! If you would even survive such a sight, you will be sightless and voiceless for the rest of your days. Truly, you are fortunate that the only deception you receive is of a benign nature." Their skin becoming more translucent, they let out a cackle. "It is not I that time stands still for. My demise is fast approaching. My dying wish is to atone to those I've hurt so much… Orama… and my dearest Storge…"
A dazzling light emanates from the mysterious stranger and floods their immediate surroundings. You look away before you blind yourself.
Grace covers his mouth with his hand, and the cataracts obscuring his sight fade to reveal his dark brown eyes.
"Eros… is this really…", the woman says.
"I have committed the most deplorable of deeds. I will not be surprised if justice calls for you never to forgive me. My hands have destroyed entire worlds." The stranger walks closer to the woman. "Agape… I feel her energy. I think she's still out there, somewhere. Will you forgive Eros for being so reckless?
The woman tries to give the magician, who you assume to be named Eros, a hug. Her arms go through what should be his torso.
"That's right! I feel the radiance and the warmth of forgiveness… because you've become Agape! Continue to spread love into this new world… that is all I ask."
Just then, the figure completely fades into thin air, leaving behind some articles of clothing, right before your very eyes.
"Eish… awr ewe ahll dahn?" Brandon's speech is muffled by the snow stuffing his mouth. You consider stepping on his back so that he couldn't stand up, but he pushes himself off the cold ground. "This sappiness is sickening! I abhor Survival for this very reason. So much smooching and biting under the pretense of 'love'."
Grace and the woman lock each other into an embrace.
"I missed seeing your beautiful face and hearing your angelic voice, Bella." He releases the woman, who you think is named Bella, from his embrace, taking her hands in his.
"It must have been difficult to communicate with me all this time..." She turns to you as she says, "I'm really sorry for inconveniencing you."
Just then, Grace cups both of her cheeks in his hands, turning her head so that she's facing him, before abruptly giving her a kiss on the lips. Seeing this, Brandon is seething in rage. He storms off and walks the same way Wayne escaped to.
Bella hides her face as soon as he withdraws from her, later revealing a dumbfounded look.
"Was that really… Eros right there? How is that even possible?"
"Yes, Bella."
"I wonder what made him change like that. Why would he ask for forgiveness in his last moments? It doesn't seem like him at all."
"That's one of the other things I wanted to tell you."
"What, that Eros was here, and you knew about it?"
"That's not all."
"Then, what is it?"
There is a sparkle in Grace's eyes.
"Agape's essence is in you. I never thought it would have been possible while my visions were clouded, but I see it now. Agape and Eros chose us to continue their legacy.."
"I can understand why he chose you; he always wanted to turn you into his apprentice, all these years. But why me? The fulfillment of my duties as Storge have not even borne any fruit…"
"That's because you've embodied love -- for never harboring hatred for Eros, even after his desires consumed him and turned him into Ghysar. Like your sister, you given so much of yourself for the sake of love. It didn't matter whether they deserved it or not." He gives her a heartfelt smile. "You deserve the love you keep trying to give everyone else."
Bella yells, suddenly falling into panic. "That's right! Wilhelm kept telling me of this mission, that we had to bring love to others." She anxiously tugs on Grace's jacket with both of her hands. "What are we going to do now? Won't Survival be over soon?"
"It doesn't have to be Survival for us to share love with others. Love has no season, it's something you breathe and live." Grace turns to you. "What do you think?"
< 8: Winter Wasteland | Epilogue >