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A faint shuffling sound fading away gradually brought a momentary silence to the other end of the line as Mom went to go get my only sole help left of fixing this mess.

That silence, that brief absence, was also a chance for those that didn't have a chance to speak, to finally say.

And they indeed have a lot to say…

"You really are such a stubborn little child, aren't you?" Amelia was vocally blunt with her critique, looking once more her usual contemptuous self. "You should know that many, far many, have been killed for less than for your little display of insubordination."

I wasn't in any mood to indulge anymore of her taunts. I kept my mouth shut, my eyes away, but that only ended up serving to infuriate her even more.

"Who are you to defy her? Questioning her the way that you do? You believe yourself truly knowing better than her? Feeble, powerless, little you? It's insulting, it's degrading! The world won't sway to your whims just because your persisting arrogance wishes it so! You think yourself selfless, a beacon of morality, no! Selflessness isn't self-serving, morality isn't conceited, so what are you really?!"

Then, out of my sight, two things quickly happened that I only too late realized. 

All of a sudden, Irene moved, quickly darting past me, a hand up in warning. To the side, Amelia had also become significantly closer, her glare significantly tenser… kept only at bay, barely within arm's reach, by Adalia keeping hold of her tight.

"What do you think you're about to do?" Irene said sharply, planting herself directly in between us. 

"What I've been told," Amelia menacingly growled. "Terestra is - "

"Listening to her son," She calmly stated. "And you will too, as much as you don't want to."

Though Irene came unhesitatingly charging to my defense, I could tell clearly from the sound of her voice, she didn't have much hope in it too. Understandable, I couldn't blame her. I step out of my own shoes, I'd probably look at myself like an idiot too.

"Everybody is saying to kill me, everybody says that is the only way," blurted Harry in the middle of it all. "Everybody except for you," Those unfeeling eyes again, Jay's gaze manifesting through. I didn't wanna see it, didn't even wanna hear it. I wasn't in the state to listen to him talk. "You must really care a lot for this man, don't you?" 

"I care about people's lives," I whispered, addressing… I don't even know who exactly I was addressing. "That's all there is." 

"Oh, that makes sense, that's very nice of you too," He said, an almost earnest admiration to his words. "But if that's the case, doesn't that mean I count too? Aren't I people?" 

My eyes whirled, froze, found his in an instant, staring, asking, "Now that I'm alive, don't I have a life too?" 

I was saved for an answer by a harsh noise emitting from the loudspeaker - something clunking, something creaking - someone approaching. I recognized that raspy grunt that followed almost immediately. It's what he always does before speaking, like there was something in his throat he needed to unclog, but it never helped - he spoke, and his voice was as low and hoarse as ever.

"Speaker's on. Turn it off," He quietly ordered. "No one else needs to hear me but you."

Just like the case with Mom, just with his voice alone, Dad commanded a presence over everyone else in the room. The disbelief, the shock, hearing his words… sometimes it feels as if everyone else knew my parents better than I could ever.

Complying with his request, I took my phone off the table, and him off the speaker. To everyone else, the request seemed a little eccentric… but Dad's never been the boisterous type, never liking attention of any sorts. So to me, not wanting total strangers eavesdropping in was within reason.

"You're off," I said, pressing the phone to my ear. "So… you know, already? From Mom?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"Before that, we haven't talked much, it's been a long time, and you must be upset," He said, clearing his throat again, only to sound even huskier than he did prior. "Are you upset? Your mother said you were when she came back. I'd like to apologize for that."

It took me a moment to figure out what he was talking about. He does this often too, talking about things seemingly unrelated to the discussion at hand, and it's on you to unravel just what exactly it is he was referring to.

In this case, I think I knew.

"I'm over it, secret's out now, and you're a hero of a realm, apology accepted," I told him. "Now if it's possible, I really need that hero's help now."

"I heard."

"So what do you think?"

From all sides, I was beset by piercing stares, all curious, all in suspense. I avoided them all, focused more instead on what he had to say.

"I think you're right for wanting to save him," He said. "I also think you're wrong for thinking that you can."

"But you can!"

"No."

"What?" Once again, I was feeling that rush of disbelief, hearing what I was hearing. "Why won't you?"

"Because I don't know how to," He said bluntly. "It is not my expertise, the soul… I wouldn't know the first thing about it."

So, what - it's just Mom then that knows how to deal with this thing?"

"Yes."

"Then can't you talk to her or something and - "

"Your mother already gave her answer," He interrupted, speaking in a rush. "And I am inclined to agree with her too."

My reserves at that point were nonexistent, I groaned, I hissed, feeling the strain of frustration in the clench of my jaw.

"Not you too, come on!" 

"You're upset."

"Yes, I am!" I shouted. "Give me a good reason why I shouldn't be!"

"No, it's okay to be. You should be upset. I get upset too, I always do."

"What?" I was confused, I couldn't unravel this. "What are you talking about?"

"Being in the position knowing that there's nothing you can do," He said quietly. "It's very upsetting."

"But there is, Dad, damn it, you know that there is," I spun around, marched, funneling out my anger through every stomp of my feet. "If you can just help me convince Mom to - "

"There's risks."

"I know that!" I snapped, fluttering stray pages on Irene's desk as my hand slammed hard against its surface. "You think I don't know risk? You think the Blightfall just disappeared that easy?! How did you think I found out the truth about the two of you? It wasn't from a fucking google search, let me tell you."

"You're shouting. Don't shout. I can hear you."

"So then what if it were me?!" I continued to shout. "Or Sammy, huh? Will it still be too much of a risk if it were us instead of some random nobody you don't know?"

There was a quiet on the other end of the line. It lasted for so long it was as if he just hung up on me. But he hasn't… he just preferred taking his time to answer.

"A single life means this much to you, I see," He remarked.

"Every life should mean this much," I responded. "Not just one in particular."

Another pause. "You sound just like me."

"Then why aren't you the one saying it now?"

"Because as a hero, you care about everyone," He said. "But as a father, that is simply no longer the case." 

Was this really how things were going to play out? Denied, refused, rejected, every opened door slammed closed in my face. I've never felt so out of options before, so cornered with no way out - the bitter irony being, it wasn't even my life this time that was on the line.

I thought, I truly thought that this was it. That just like with Mom before, I'd be dashed of any semblance of hope, and in the silence that followed, just for that single second, I nearly, reluctantly, accepted the reality of it all.

Then in the next second, returning from thought, Dad spoke again. "I won't be able to convince your mother alone." 

My eyes widen on impulse. "You mean - ?"

"Like you, your mother's very stubborn. I'll need some help." 

"Yes, yes, of course," My heart was beating fast, my lips even faster. "P-put Mom back on the phone! I-I'll talk to her now, I'll - "

"No."

I blinked. "No?"

"How is she supposed to know how serious you are about this if you're reaching for her help through a call? Show her your resolve, show her how much this one life really does mean to you." 

Once again, despite being on topic, I couldn't wrap my head around what he just said. 

"How do I… how do I do that?" 

"Irritate her."

I blinked even harder. "Irritate?"

Amelia perked up at that, her gaze a sharp, scrutinizing one, but I turned away from her - the drab grey wall now my only source for a scenic view.

"Make it her problem. Bring it to her doorstep. She can't ignore what she can't avoid," His voice went quieter than usual here, no doubt on his end, there's now another person's attention he didn't want to attract. "From experience, her and I before… it's bound to work." 

There's a story there, but not now… not now.

"Just tell me what to do."

"I think you already know what to do," He said, and admittedly, he was right about that. I did.. "Bring him back home here with you."