I held onto the boys for a little while, not wanting to let them go. I was too worried, too scared about everything to want to leave them just yet. This had all been a long process. We were tired. I personally was sore. And I just wanted to get out of this place.
However, no matter how much I wanted to get out of here, there was still something that I needed to do. There was one more thing that I wanted to take care of before I left the underworld for good.
I wanted to say goodbye to my father. Edmond had done so much for me during this fight. He didn't need to do that for me, but he did. And I didn't want to be ungrateful. I wanted him to know that I appreciated it.
"Boys, will you stay with your Uncle Rudy and your Uncle Alexio. I need to do something really quick." I was looking at the top of their heads and toward the platform. I was staring at the place where Edmond's body had fallen when he died.
"Okay."
"Yes, Mommy."
"We will wait right here." The three of them were speaking in unison, like those old cartoons with the triplet duck boys. I thought it was cute, but they better not start looking for their rich uncle that swam in money. I already had two overly rich men in my life, I didn't need another one.
Now that I knew the boys were going to be safe while I did what I needed to, I got up and walked over to my father's body. It didn't even look like him anymore. His white hair was dyed red with blood. His blue eyes were lifeless and pale. His already pale complexion looked even whiter, like freshly fallen snow.
However, despite all of that, it looked to me like Edmond was happy. I think that he was truly happy and proud of himself in the end. He knew what he was doing. He knew that he was giving his own life to save his grandchildren and my friends. He knew that he wouldn't be there in the end, but he still did it anyway. And that right there told me that he truly had changed. He truly was a different person.
"Thank you, Edmond." I said as I knelt next to him. "Thank you for saving them. I wasn't going to be there in time, but you managed to do it. At the very last second possible you saved them for me. Thank you. I am so happy to have met you again. We didn't have the best of relationships, especially before you died, but I know more about you now and it has made me think about you differently. I know that you were not entirely evil, and that you were pushed into the life you led by different means. You were never given much of a chance in life, but I want you to have the best afterlife."
"Trinity?"
Alexio was coming toward me as I spoke to my twice dead father. I looked behind him and saw that Rudy was holding all three of the boys in his arms. In a way, he really did look like their uncle. It was kind of sweet to see him there with them. But that wasn't important right now. What I needed to focus on was Alexio as he came to kneel next to me.
"What is it, Alexio? Is there something wrong?" I was already starting to feel paranoid. I think that I was just too tense at the moment. I just couldn't relax at all.
"No, nothing is wrong. Not technically, anyway.
"That doesn't sound very promising." I sighed and hung my head. I didn't want any more bad news.
"Well, it's not technically something that is wrong. Like I said before. It's just that, well, I think that your father's soul is still inside of his body. Well, inside this form of his body."
"It's still in there? Does that mean that I can bring him back?"
"No." Alexio shook his head with eyes that held sadness for me. "I am sorry, Trinity, but once the soul dies here, it cannot be revived. I merely wanted to tell you about this so that you could release his soul."
"Release it?" I was confused but also slightly happy. "And what would that do for him?"
"Well, he would either be reincarnated. Or, if he were truly lucky, he could be sent to paradise. He has sacrificed himself. He has redeemed himself. The powers that be might just let him be rewarded for it."
"Then, I will release him. I can't let him stay like this for eternity. If his soul is still in there that would be too harsh of a punishment. And as you said, he deserves to be rewarded for what he did."
I was looking down at Edmond now. There was a smile on my face that, prior to this experience, I never would have worn when looking at my father. However, things were different from how they used to be, and he had earned this smile from me. He was a good guy now and deserved to be treated like one.
"Alexio, how do I release his soul?" I looked up at the demon and asked the question that I should have started with when he told me about Edmond still being in there.
"That is something that I do not know. However, I am sure that you will figure it out for yourself." Of course. I always had to do things for myself. Isn't that what led to a lot of my problems in the first place? Hahh!
Alexio stood and took a few steps away. It was like he was giving me room to work while also staying where he could watch me work. This felt really weird but I didn't say anything to him about it.
I decided to wing this like I had done so much in my life. I placed my hands on the sides of my father's face, cradling his head in my hands. I looked into his eyes, the ones that were permanently open.
After a few deep breaths, I start to pour magic into him while speaking softly. I didn't know if this would work, but it was worth a try.
"Gannon Cornelius Edmond, you have redeemed yourself. You sacrificed yourself to save those that the old you would have killed. You are a changed man, a changed soul. Because of this, I grant you a new life. I release you from this ravaged husk that you were in and urge you to move on. Seek out your paradise. Have the best afterlife that you can. If you so choose. If you would like a new shot at life instead, then please find a path to reincarnation. Find a new life. Hopefully, a life that is filled with love from the very beginning. Find happiness, father. That is my hope for you."
I saw that his body started to glow, much like Hekate's had earlier. I knew that he was leaving his body soon. And before he was gone, I had one last thought.
"If only I had the chance to give you that love you deserved. I would have made sure that you were happy. I would have made sure that you didn't turn out evil. I would have given you the life that you deserved." After whispering those words into his ear, I gently kissed his forehead. It tasted like blood, but I didn't care at the moment.
As soon as my lips touched his forehead, I saw the light leave his body. This light wasn't angry or spinning like Hekate's had been. Instead, this softly glowing light moved higher and higher until it was out of the hall. I had a feeling that it was going to find its paradise. He deserved it after all.
"Goodbye, Edmond." I felt the tears stream down my cheeks then. Just a couple of them. I shed tears for this version of my father. The man that had done bad but saved me in the end. "Maybe I will see you again one day, father. I hope that you find peace and happiness, wherever you end up."
My words rang through the now eerily silent hall.. That was when I realized that all five of the spectators were watching me with very intent eyes.
I held onto the boys for a little while, not wanting to let them go. I was too worried, too scared about everything to want to leave them just yet. This had all been a long process. We were tired. I personally was sore. And I just wanted to get out of this place.
However, no matter how much I wanted to get out of here, there was still something that I needed to do. There was one more thing that I wanted to take care of before I left the underworld for good.
I wanted to say goodbye to my father. Edmond had done so much for me during this fight. He didn't need to do that for me, but he did. And I didn't want to be ungrateful. I wanted him to know that I appreciated it.
"Boys, will you stay with your Uncle Rudy and your Uncle Alexio. I need to do something really quick." I was looking at the top of their heads and toward the platform. I was staring at the place where Edmond's body had fallen when he died.
"Okay."
"Yes, Mommy."
"We will wait right here." The three of them were speaking in unison, like those old cartoons with the triplet duck boys. I thought it was cute, but they better not start looking for their rich uncle that swam in money. I already had two overly rich men in my life, I didn't need another one.
Now that I knew the boys were going to be safe while I did what I needed to, I got up and walked over to my father's body. It didn't even look like him anymore. His white hair was dyed red with blood. His blue eyes were lifeless and pale. His already pale complexion looked even whiter, like freshly fallen snow.
However, despite all of that, it looked to me like Edmond was happy. I think that he was truly happy and proud of himself in the end. He knew what he was doing. He knew that he was giving his own life to save his grandchildren and my friends. He knew that he wouldn't be there in the end, but he still did it anyway. And that right there told me that he truly had changed. He truly was a different person.
"Thank you, Edmond." I said as I knelt next to him. "Thank you for saving them. I wasn't going to be there in time, but you managed to do it. At the very last second possible you saved them for me. Thank you. I am so happy to have met you again. We didn't have the best of relationships, especially before you died, but I know more about you now and it has made me think about you differently. I know that you were not entirely evil, and that you were pushed into the life you led by different means. You were never given much of a chance in life, but I want you to have the best afterlife."
"Trinity?"
Alexio was coming toward me as I spoke to my twice dead father. I looked behind him and saw that Rudy was holding all three of the boys in his arms. In a way, he really did look like their uncle. It was kind of sweet to see him there with them. But that wasn't important right now. What I needed to focus on was Alexio as he came to kneel next to me.
"What is it, Alexio? Is there something wrong?" I was already starting to feel paranoid. I think that I was just too tense at the moment. I just couldn't relax at all.
"No, nothing is wrong. Not technically, anyway.
"That doesn't sound very promising." I sighed and hung my head. I didn't want any more bad news.
"Well, it's not technically something that is wrong. Like I said before. It's just that, well, I think that your father's soul is still inside of his body. Well, inside this form of his body."
"It's still in there? Does that mean that I can bring him back?"
"No." Alexio shook his head with eyes that held sadness for me. "I am sorry, Trinity, but once the soul dies here, it cannot be revived. I merely wanted to tell you about this so that you could release his soul."
"Release it?" I was confused but also slightly happy. "And what would that do for him?"
"Well, he would either be reincarnated. Or, if he were truly lucky, he could be sent to paradise. He has sacrificed himself. He has redeemed himself. The powers that be might just let him be rewarded for it."
"Then, I will release him. I can't let him stay like this for eternity. If his soul is still in there that would be too harsh of a punishment. And as you said, he deserves to be rewarded for what he did."
I was looking down at Edmond now. There was a smile on my face that, prior to this experience, I never would have worn when looking at my father. However, things were different from how they used to be, and he had earned this smile from me. He was a good guy now and deserved to be treated like one.
"Alexio, how do I release his soul?" I looked up at the demon and asked the question that I should have started with when he told me about Edmond still being in there.
"That is something that I do not know. However, I am sure that you will figure it out for yourself." Of course. I always had to do things for myself. Isn't that what led to a lot of my problems in the first place? Hahh!
Alexio stood and took a few steps away. It was like he was giving me room to work while also staying where he could watch me work. This felt really weird but I didn't say anything to him about it.
I decided to wing this like I had done so much in my life. I placed my hands on the sides of my father's face, cradling his head in my hands. I looked into his eyes, the ones that were permanently open.
After a few deep breaths, I start to pour magic into him while speaking softly. I didn't know if this would work, but it was worth a try.
"Gannon Cornelius Edmond, you have redeemed yourself. You sacrificed yourself to save those that the old you would have killed. You are a changed man, a changed soul. Because of this, I grant you a new life. I release you from this ravaged husk that you were in and urge you to move on. Seek out your paradise. Have the best afterlife that you can. If you so choose. If you would like a new shot at life instead, then please find a path to reincarnation. Find a new life. Hopefully, a life that is filled with love from the very beginning. Find happiness, father. That is my hope for you."
I saw that his body started to glow, much like Hekate's had earlier. I knew that he was leaving his body soon. And before he was gone, I had one last thought.
"If only I had the chance to give you that love you deserved. I would have made sure that you were happy. I would have made sure that you didn't turn out evil. I would have given you the life that you deserved." After whispering those words into his ear, I gently kissed his forehead. It tasted like blood, but I didn't care at the moment.
As soon as my lips touched his forehead, I saw the light leave his body. This light wasn't angry or spinning like Hekate's had been. Instead, this softly glowing light moved higher and higher until it was out of the hall. I had a feeling that it was going to find its paradise. He deserved it after all.
"Goodbye, Edmond." I felt the tears stream down my cheeks then. Just a couple of them. I shed tears for this version of my father. The man that had done bad but saved me in the end. "Maybe I will see you again one day, father. I hope that you find peace and happiness, wherever you end up."
My words rang through the now eerily silent hall.. That was when I realized that all five of the spectators were watching me with very intent eyes.
