Fallight Midit

Chapter 2: Temple

"are you okay 17C?" Alice is looking through the windows of my eyes, into my very soul. Alice is really worried about me. I am trying to not shake, but I am still growing used to this cane. While trying to hide the fact that I am struggling, I answer Alice.

"I am okay. Please don't worry about me Alice" Alice shakes her head to me and places her hand on top of mine, which I am holding my cane with. Halfar and Seive are looking at me with amazed faces. 7P and Felicity are looking at Alice in agreement, while 11O seems to be thinking about something. What could 11O be thinking abut? It is obviously something which is taking up all of his thoughts. Alice grips tightly onto my hand and looks away.

"you have taken a bullet and also a fragment from a blade. You put yourself in harms way just so the rest of the group could be happy. You are not okay, you have received a lot of pain just trying to make sure that the rest of us are happy. So please, do not brush us off, please let us take care of you when you are mortally wounded like you were during that battle. The moment you lost consciousness, the moment you fell to the ground, I never want to see that happen to you again" Halfar, Seive, 7P and Felicity walk up to Alice and I. They all gather around us and simultaneously agree with Alice. Seive steps forward and adjusts his glasses before he speaks.

"you have been friends with Halfar and I for a long time, so we do agree with Alice. We want you to survive the adventure in fleeing from Ismilda. We do not want you to die fighting against her. You are probably the reason why Halfar and I are still alive" I am only doing what should be expected of me. My father always told me to make sure that non of my friends could be hurt while I am around. Even though my father did not practice what he preached, I intend on doing better and going through with protecting my friends until the end. 7P also steps forward.

"I have been helping you on this journey of ours, and you are always the one who went to help the person who was in trouble. When you fell down all those levels in the facility, we could not spare any time to rescue you. We left you for dead, yet you not only returned, but you also continued to help all of us. Even after everything you have done for us, for people who you have mostly only just met, you have not asked that much, if anything at all from us. We are all in agreement that you should become our leader" I shake my head to 7P in disagreement.

"what you said is true, I have not known many of you long enough to be considered a good leader. I am not good at making important decisions either, so there is also that reason for me to not be the leader. 16M is doing a good job as leader anyways. And to address the issue you have with me helping so much, I should be doing more to help. I am not going to just stand idly by while there is something you need help with" while I may want to help everywhere I can, I also feel that the loss of my parents and everything we have gone through, will soon push me to the breaking point. I still want to be the man who my father wanted me to be. My one goal is to be worthy of being called a true friend by everyone in our group. 11O finally makes a move and steps up to me.

"no, you are an absolute idiot. You have no care for your own safety, while also not expecting anything in return for your help. I do not know what kind of game you are playing at, but putting everyone else before yourself is not something that you would expect to find in a world of twenty billion people. I do not know what you have gone through which could lead you towards being this kind of a person, but you do not have to be the only one helping. We are not going to let you do this alone any longer" I am happy that everyone wants to help. But I still need to work hard to earn my place as their real friend. With no other choice, I nod to 11O, who has a firm and annoyed face.

"I will not object to your help. I will enjoy the company when I am out there helping any of you with your troubles" everyone around me are showing me pleased faces. It seems that my friends are happy with the outcome. Camilla steps in-between all of us and turns to me.