Unsealing Emptiness

You look lovely.

Opening his eyes again, It was dark. Ozul stood up and wanted to check on Grandma Carol.

Walking into the living room, he saw that she was again sewing a white shirt. She kindly smiled at him when he sat next to her.

“You seem down. What happened?” Grandma Carol was the only person who, even from his expressionless face, could tell that he was not in a good mood.

“It’s nothing.” Ozul did not want to worry her.

Ozul did not say anything else and just sat in silence while Grandma Carol kept stitching.

After a while, Ozul quietly stood up and again went outside. Outside in the garden, Raven was again meditating next to his usual spot.

He sat down while he gazed up in the sky. Ozul started thinking, but sometime later, he shook every thought out of his mind.

‘I can’t gain anything by thinking. I can’t do anything right now. It’s better if I just wait it out.’- Ozul did not want to think about things that he could not solve.

.....

It was at this time when Raven opened her eyes and smiled beautifully, seeing Ozul beside her.

“Hey! Ozul, Which element do you think I should focus on?”- Raven asked as she couldn’t think of any element that she especially wanted to concentrate on.

“Darkness,” Ozul said. He knew all other things were but impurities. Only the emptiness had no filth.

“Eh...?! But isn’t it like... evil?”- Raven was confused as it was just common knowledge that darkness was an evil Element.

“Evil? Why do you think it’s evil?”- Ozul wanted her to realize things on her own.

“Um... Many Evil Mages used Darkness Element in the past?”- Raven nervously replied.

“Evil Mages used Darkness Element. So, did the Evil Mages not wear clothes? Did they not breathe air? Did they not use Mana in the atmosphere? Why are all those things not evil?”- Ozul calmly explained to her.

“But if you’re afraid of being judged... judged by some sheep, it’s your choice.”- Ozul gave her a simple choice.

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Hearing Ozul’s earlier words, Raven was stunned. It was true; all those Evil Mages also breathed air. Yet no one calls it evil.

But hearing that she was afraid of some sheep judging her, Raven did not hesitate anymore and decided that Darkness Element would be her path.

Seeing her resolve, Ozul said the last part.

“Besides, in this world, nothing is pure — a contradicting sentence...because only ‘Nothing’ is pure. Only the absence of all is genuine. Darkness is the closest thing to the emptiness that you can wield.” Ozul explained to Raven his insights on this ‘filthy’ world.

But it shook Raven. Raven did not doubt any word that Ozul had said, but it was just too shocking for her to hear that Ozul considered anything that existed to be impure!

Ozul just closed his eyes as he had nothing more to say.

Raven took some time before she could digest the words. She then stood up and went inside to sleep as Grandma Carol would be worried about her.

. . .

The next day went by, and nothing unusual happened. Ozul did not go hunting today, either.

He only slept and helped Grandma Carol with minor tasks.

Night came, and Ozul again went to the living room and sat near Grandma Carol as she was still sewing a white shirt, albeit it was not Ozul’s size but bigger.

Ozul did not say a word, and you could only hear the sound of fire burning at the fireplace until Grandma Carol spoke.

“You do not go to the forest because of me, right?” Grandma Carol could observe that Ozul was not going to the forest because of her. She then continued without waiting for his reply.

“Be yourself, Ozul. Don’t worry about my health,” Grandma Carol said with a weak smile, and continued,

“And start smiling a little more. You look lovely, smiling,” Grandma Carol patted Ozul’s head and then turned her focus into sewing.

Ozul listened to her quietly and took his time until he left for outside.

He saw that Raven was meditating at her usual spot near the tree. Just as he laid, Raven opened her eyes and looked at him with a smile.

“I keep getting a feeling that the Core will emerge any minute!” Raven excitedly told Ozul. If she becomes a Mage, Ozul will definitely take her with him!

“Slow.”- This time Ozul actually said a little bit of harsh truth. Raven had told him that she was training for three years! Only now was the Core near the completion!

Talented people will only take one year! Three years was only above average. Besides, Ozul required more than just above ordinary people.

Raven hearing that her progress was slow became downcast until she again resolved herself and decided to work harder next time.

She then stood up to go to sleep.

Ozul also slept, but the next morning was not so usual. Things changed...

. . .

Ozul was just waking up because of the sound of rain. He was going to sit up when,

”

Ahhh!

“- Ozul heard the scream of Raven.

Thinking something must’ve happened, Ozul rushed towards the house when he heard Raven’s sobs,

“G-grandma *sniff*... Wake up.... *sniff*...plea...”- The voices were coming from Grandma Carol’s room.

Ozul entered and saw that Grandma Carol was lying on her bed with a peaceful expression on her face, while Raven sat next to her holding her hand and sobbing.

Nearing her peaceful figure, Ozul slowly shook her. Getting no reaction whatsoever, he checked her pulse, then her heartbeat.

There was nothing...

Only the sound of Raven weeping was heard in the room.

Ozul just stood there, staring at Grandma Carol. The unfinished white shirt was just left at the side of the bed.

No one knew how much time passed before Ozul moved. He went outside in the rain and stared at those flowers.

Ozul then left to call some people who had become acquaintances with Grandma Carol over the years.

While it was raining, the funeral was held.

They buried her in the common graveyard nearby.

Some people, like Mr. Smith, came to give their condolences. Only Raven and Ozul remained in the graveyard when it was afternoon.

It was still raining while Ozul stared at the gravestone which read,

“Here lies the lovely Carol.”

Grandma Carol’s words began to replay in Ozul’s mind.

“...You look lovely, smiling...”- These were the last words Grandma Carol had said to him.

“...Be yourself, Ozul...”-

Her words then reminded Ozul of his mother...

“...Be yourself, Ozul...” These were the last words that both ladies had said to him before leaving this world.

“Be me? For that, I will need to find out what I am...” Ozul quietly muttered while gazing at the sky.

He then looked towards Raven, who was still quietly crying. In just these three days, Raven had gotten attached to Grandma Carol.

Ozul went towards her and patted her head. Raven looked towards Ozul, and when she felt his hand on top of his head, She hugged Ozul and cried.

Ozul patted her head and her back to calm her down.

Only several minutes later did she calmed down, and when Ozul looked at her, she was already sleeping.

Raven was exhausted, so when she found comfort in Ozul’s embrace, she quickly fell asleep.

Ozul picked her up and brought her into the house. He went into the room and put Raven on the bed before covering her with the blanket.

He then got out of the room before moving to his usual spot.

All this time, Ozul did not show any emotion towards the death of Grandma Carol. Looking at him, people would think that he did not care as he was just indifferent, but Ozul’s real thoughts were unknown.

No one could guess as to what was going on in his mind.

He knew that death was inevitable. Grandma Carol was not a Mage or her lifespan would have been much longer.

Perishing under the wheels of time was a fate that no human could ever overcome.

Just like that, the tragic day came to an end...