Salvation of The Scum Fifth Prince

[66 - goodbye; refuse the truth]

"Why did you write a tragedy, Damien?"

The question that left Alvara's curious lips without hesitation lingered in the solemn air. Everybody heard it, but nobody said anything.

Damien strolled leisurely near the back, hands in his pockets and his eyes indifferently observed each person with every sway of his raven tail. His eyes flickered to hers and paused. 

"The ending, whether I wrote it or not, wouldn't have a happy ending." replied the teenager simply.

Alvara frowned, furrowing her brows. "I don't really get it."

"Did I say I wrote the entire story?"

"That--"

"And if it was merely an unfinished story I picked up, how do you think I felt when reading it?"

If what Damien had originally found during his travels was the incomplete story of Raphael Han, how would that impact him? When he, himself, was a prominent character in the early chapters who suffered betrayal, over and over again?

How had he felt knowing his whole world was a lie, but unlike Raphael who was surrounded by others, he was left to understand that fact alone?

How did he feel after looking at Sage, his close aide that'd betrayed him? Did he hope that the story would change, that the betrayal wouldn't occur? Did he desperately push away the thoughts of suspicion every time that man smiled or laughed with him?

"The ending of the world is predetermined. It will collapse and bring everything down with it." Damien stopped momentarily before admitting, "I attempted to write a happy ending the first time."

The confession was unexpected.

"And what happened?"

"The words dyed the pages in inky death, and the words that promised happiness bled away."

It was then that the young boy understood — this story wasn't fated for a sweet conclusion. However, he didn't wish to leave the story incomplete. 

A story without an end didn't necessarily mean any ending could be written.

But a completed story, even if it ended with tragedy, may unknowingly land itself in the hands of a quiet reader. Damien had one goal in mind when he wrote out the gruesome tragedy of betrayal; to have the story find a reader, and to one day rewrite the ending himself. 

Back when he'd found it, the world had refused a happy ending. But now, weren't things already steering away from the original path of destruction? 

It was a complicated thing to understand, and perhaps, had it been another person, they would've made a different choice. Only, there was no other person, only Damien and Damien alone.

And this was the choice he made.

Raphael was the first to understand Damien's decision as he walked over in steady strides and ruffled the tangles of night hair with a sigh. "Thanks for your hard work, kid."

The listening, perched ears twitched. 

"Doesn't matter. This world won't end because of random words on a paper." said Soren as he stepped forward too, cooly gazing at the fox. "You're going to change that ending, Damien."

The prince's words that were like statements, not allowing any wisps of disagreement. The forest stare remained calm and unwavering, but his eyes didn't move from the confident stance of those two men — the two that would become heroes of this tale.

"Yes, master."

However, an unforeseen person voiced their complaints.

"Sorry Miemie," There was a rare frown decorating the magician's lips. "I can't accept it."