EPILOGUE

From his corner of the Astral Plane, Xellos watched a group of strangers and distant relatives bury Lina beside Gourry. It had taken them a long time to figure who Lina had been, and where her hometown was, but once they did, the procedures went by him like a blur. He didn't help, in any way, nor did he take any part in it. He merely watched, the constant pain within his chest growing with each second.

It angered him a little, that these people had the audacity to even say anything about her, someone they had barely known. Most of Lina's living relatives were either dead or too distantly removed to remember her for what she had been, instead of what rumours claimed she was. It was almost enough for him to break his silence.

As he watched the final moments of the funeral, he felt an overwhelming presence behind him, but he didn't move, nor did he look away. Soon, he felt long, perfectly manicured fingers bite into his shoulders. He exhaled sharply, his eyes closing, his body going limp in the iron grasp.

"Mother," he said weakly. He rarely ever called her that, but at the moment, he was so out of personal control that he lacked the ability to care.

"You failed, little Xellos," Zelas said dispassionately. He could easily sense her displeasure in the cool voice. "You wasted your time, and now you're damaged beyond my control."

Xellos managed a short laugh. "Damaged?" he echoed.

One hand slid down from his shoulder and gripping into his chest, on the left side. "I can feel your pain," Zelas answered. "You're dying."

He nodded slowly. "Yes," he agreed simply.

"You loved," Zelas concluded, her voice thick with disgust.

"Eventually," Xellos nodded, his gaze on the event before them.

"You're useless to me now."

"Yes," Xellos whispered.

The hand on his chest dug in hard, and he felt a sudden stab of bright hot pain. His eyes opened, then shut tight. He hunched forward, but Zelas held him up, pressing him to her.

"A shame," she said calmly. "You were my best creation. To be wasted like this...a shame..."

Xellos smiled weakly. "Inevitable," he answered softly.

"Who was it?" Zelas demanded. "Who did this to you?"

"Ah, Mother," Xellos whispered, feeling his very essence fade away. He surrendered to it, relaxing into it. "That is a secret."

Zelas held him tight until the last glimmers of his Astral form vanished into nothing. She dropped her hands, staring at the boring human ritual before her. For a moment, she felt regret, but it was quickly swallowed by ambition.

Perhaps a General this time, she thought idly, walking away, leaving the scene behind her.