Chapter Four ~ Epilogue

Arthur had a concussion and a broken left arm from the fall down the stairs. He was also been shot in the side, but it turned out to be only a flesh wound that would heal with time and rest.

That meant however that he wouldn't be playing any soccer for the coming few months, especially not under careful eye of his mother and father. He was even grounded by his parents for a month, for being disobedient when he left the class room when he was specifically told not to. Morgana was all too happy about the grounding, and hadn't lost him out of her sight for at least the week that followed.

When Arthur was released from the hospital, Arthur had told Merlin what he had done that day; that he went out of the safety of the classroom to go find him. Merlin had slapped him hard and full of frustrations and had let all his emotions flow out when Arthur had told him that.

Arthur had let him, he knew that Merlin was scared about the possibility of losing him and Arthur afterwards knew that Merlin and his parents were right. He could have died that day.

It had been three long and hard months so far, for Merlin, for everyone involved and for the whole community.

Merlin still needed time to overcome everything that had happened and especially when he learned that his uncle had killed three police officers, three students, and had injured a dozen of other students who appeared to had the same characteristic as him; brown hair and pale skin. Merlin will never know if his uncle would've killed him too if the policemen didn't came when they did, and honestly, he would rather not think about that.

He learnt that John, the one who had ushered him into the classroom, had survived against all odds. Merlin went to visit him and had pleaded for forgiveness. John had told him what many people had told Merlin before; it wasn't his fault. But Merlin could hardly believe that.

He didn't dare to show his face at school for at least a period of three weeks. He blamed himself for everything that happened, but not one person had blamed him for it. The people didn't held him responsible for anything that happened, they knew that Merlin was as much the victim as anyone else.

Merlin didn't have any physical damage from the whole ordeal, but he had been mentally tormented.

Merlin knew he still had to take a long way to go before he could completely leave it all behind him, and have peace with it. But he knew that with the help of his parents, boyfriend and friends he could walk that road and start looking towards the future.

THE END.