The Shadow of Eudaimonia

Chapter 37: Voice of Veross

Protesters in different parts of the galaxy came forward with one clear voice: they wanted Lazzi to choose other Inheritors and distribute back the Obelisks. A reason why Obelisks are forbidden to have intimate relationships since they would be able to share their abilities liberally. And so Lazzi having all four made the people scared of the absolute power he held. Over the course of a few weeks, Lazzi had visited different planet to planet; explaining his case, telling everyone what had happened in a desperate attempt to appease the people.

"I need more time to fix the damage Ortus had done," he told a crowd of people once on the planet Nuvamond.

"What damage?" they had asked. "Why not now? What's our assurance you won't keep the power to yourself?"

Lazzi thought very carefully what he would say next. The planet Nuvamond was the one he was watching out for the most since Ortus had killed their supposed Inheritor. He could feel that they are ready to bring war to Gaia, the planet where Wren and Ophelia were from, as revenge. He knew things would not be immediately okay but he didn't expect things to be worse.

"I need more time..." he repeated. And that was the truth. He needed time to grieve. Ever since he left Earth and fixed the timeline, he buried his sadness under his responsibilities—hid it to the people that would misinterpret his misery into weakness. He felt mourning for Calvin was not permitted. At the rarest chance that he was alone, he would inadvertently fall asleep due to exhaustion and would wake up feeling betrayed for having a dreamless sleep. Because he was desperately hoping that at the very least, just in a dream, he could see Calvin one last time.

"Greedy!" he heard someone yell. "You're only thinking of yourself!"

"Tyrant, you're a failure of an Obelisk!"

"You're the worst!"

Lazzi clenched his fist. Words came flooding on his head; words able to drown their cries out. But he knew better and tried to calm the rage building up. Frankly, part of him wanted to control all of them. He could do it. With a snap, things will be easier. Just like that. He could easily change their perspectives, silence their voice, and force them to accept every word he says . But what makes him different to Wren if he does that. "I'll return the other Obelisk and give them to the rightful people!" he bellowed with a strong voice. The crowd's disappointed calls hushed for a second. "This tragedy that we went through is unprecedented. I have never encountered any of my training and study how to handle this. And I know everyone of you is scared that I will abuse this power. But that is an insult to what Ophelia, Calvin and I fought for. They had to sacrifice their lives to prevent such abuse to occur. That's why I would never dare to sully their sacrifices. That's your assurance. But for now, I need time."

Lazzi walked out as soon as he was finished but the people weren't done with him yet. Hovering cameras started to follow him like bees, not letting him to show any kind of emotion. His only wish right now was to be alone.

"Do it." a voice in his head told him. "Do whatever the fuck you want to do." He imagined Calvin telling him so. Lazzi grinned, his eyes glowed a pure white light and before the people realized it, he had already disappeared.

***

Lazzi teleported back to Kepler. Specifically, to Creo's grave. The place was freezing but Lazzi was almost immune to it now. There, he was finally alone and the questions from the people were replaced by the gentle rustling of trees as it swayed by the chilly Keplerian wind. When he read his former mentor's name etched on the newly made headstone, he lost it. He collapsed onto his knees and bawled out his tears that he kept to himself for months now. He was ashamed. Ashamed that he hadn't visited him earlier. He busied himself with tons of work but deep down it was an excuse for he was terrified that when he's truly alone, he would finally break. Ashamed to realize that he blatantly asked time from people as if he could not stop it literally. Ashamed that he just walked-out on them, the people he promised to serve. Ashamed that after all his mentor had taught him, he still felt lost.

"Go to him." a voice in his head, once again had suggested. At first, he thought that it was his own idea, something that he hid in his subconscious fizzing out. But it was clear now that it wasn't. It's almost like an instinct. The word flashed in his mind like fireworks. He remembered Calvin talking about this. The instinct of Veross.

"But what about my responsibilities here?" he thought. He foolishly waited for a response as if he was actually talking to someone. But there was nothing. Instead he remembered his own words "Veross is the happiest." He smiled and wiped the tears off his cheeks. He knew what to do.