A Harsh Goodbye

Layla had a puff from her cigarette.

“You know about Leo, right?” she asked Belphie. “Our brother?”

“Yeah, I think at this point.” He answered, “He was killed by a demon, and that’s why Estella hates us so much.”

“Yeah, but that’s not the whole story.” She flicked her cigarette to the ground and stomped it out. She didn’t turn to him, she just went back to leaning against the tree. She lifted up her finger.

“Estella’s only told me this once, so I’m gonna tell you once. Be sure to listen, okay?”

“Okay.”

She took a deep breath.

“Leo died because of a demon, that part’s true. But what happened before was that Estella was its initial target. I don’t know why, I don’t even remember where I was when it was all going down. She told me that the demon made a beeline straight towards her with a sword in hand and before it could even land a hit on her; Leo blocked it. He took that sword straight through the heart, at least, that’s what Estella said. The world went silent, as he turned to her and gave her that same dopey grin. The demon took his heart, and he fell but she caught him and just…held him there for a while. As he bled out onto her clothes, the light in his eyes dying, she screamed. She screamed so loud to this day, I still wonder if it was a plea to God or some other higher being.”

“A scream of agony and pain that I don’t think she can muster up today. She cried over her brother’s dead body, and wished for death upon herself because what was the point in living if she couldn’t live alongside her dear brother? I think what got me the most about it all was…Leo died smiling. I went to the memorial service, I saw his smile as I saw his hands crossed over his chest. He died with a smile on his face, and I don’t know why he did that. I don’t think Estella knew either. He smiled as she cried over his dead body, as his blood stained her clothes, as her tears colored his cheeks. He died in the arms of his sister, and honestly? I think, maybe, that was his ideal way to go if any. Spending his last remaining minutes on this Earth in the arms of someone he held so dear to his heart.”

Belphie didn’t say anything, what could he even say to all that? Layla continued.

“I know this is probably just noise to you, the concept of death is as alien to a demon as the concept of a shower is alien in Invidia. Humans are weird like that, I guess. We live, we die, we mourn, we cry, we do all these things throughout the cycle of our lifespans. We do stupid things sometimes.”

“Layla,” he finally spoke up. “Do you believe in a god?”

She shrugged. “Not really.”

“Does Estella believe in a god?”

“To an extent, yeah. I don’t put it past her to ask God to have mercy on Leo’s soul. To take him up to that warm blanket of grass and sun in the sky. Now, I think she’s just…over it. Over all of it; God, demons, angels. I’m kinda over it too given you demons aren’t nearly as cool as I thought you’d be.”

He let out a half-hearted chuckle before the sigh. 

“Do you miss Leo,” he asked.

“Do you miss Lilith?”

“Every day.”

“Then there’s your answer, Bel.”