"Prophet's lover… please come find me after this is over."
"…"
One would think that the church would be filled with gasps of shock and awe, but no. What followed was perhaps the most deafening silence the church had ever experienced. Even the breaths of almost a hundred people could not be heard, as they were trying to stop the urge of breathing loudly.
Perhaps the only ones that weren't shocked were those already advanced in age, including Bulwark and the Pope. The Pope, even squinting his eyes as he stared at the unpigmented boy beside him.
After a few more seconds, however, the Pope broke the silence.
"Have we… met somewhere before, young man?" He whispered; in which Riley quickly answered,
"Yes. Back in–"
"R… Riley, what are you doing!?"
But alas, as if fate did not want him to say anything, Diana and Hannah quickly rushed towards the altar; with Hannah pulling him down and Diana mouthing an apology to the people inside the church, bowing her head as they carefully stepped down the altar.
As for Hannah, she was trying to cover Riley's face, making sure no one sees or snaps a photo of him so he won't suffer any backlash from what he just did. But seeing as Riley's features were already a dead give-away of who he is… there was really no point in doing anything.
"…" The Pope stared at Riley for a few seconds, before returning to the podium and letting out a small chuckle; his eyes, however, still glancing at Riley even as he took his seat.
"Why didn't you watch your brother?" Diana then loudly whispered as she lightly pinched Hannah's thigh.
"A… aw!" Hannah yelped as quietly as possible, "T… that's child abuse! How is this my fault?"
"It'll always be your fault, he doesn't know any better!"
"He has his own brain, mom," Hannah furrowed her eyebrows as her whispers grew louder, "Stop treating him like he's some kind of–"
"Shh!"
And so, being shushed by her mother, Hannah could only roll her eyes and shut her mouth. If Diana's eyes were already slightly squinted, then that would mean that she had already won the argument by default and would no longer entertain any rebuking.
After just a few seconds, however, a smile appeared on Diana's face as she talked with Bella's parents.
"…" Just how quickly can she change her moods? Hannah thought as she shook her head. But finally, after Diana had calmed down, it was finally her time to diss on Riley– as is how the hierarchy had always been.
"Bro? Why you do that? Now you– we look suspicious," Hannah hissed as she also pinched Riley's thighs. Riley, however, did not even react as he only turned his head towards his sister.
"Speaking of being suspicious," Bella then joined in the conversation, "…How is the Julius guy?"
"I… haven't talked to him yet," Hannah stuttered, "But why did the topic suddenly shift to me?"
"So… you just ghosted him?" Bella's eyes widened.
"What else was I supposed to do?" Hannah sighed, "I can't just approach him and ask if he's spying on us."
"Yes, you can," Riley joined the conversation.
"No, I–"
"Do you like the guy?" Bella raised an eyebrow.
"I– why are you even asking me?" Alas, Hannah was unsuccessful in passing the supposed hierarchy of scolding as she no longer felt like it.
"Do you like him, sister?" Riley also answered as he looked at his sister.
"I… I don't really know," Hannah could only let out a small but deep breath as she shook her head, "We've only really been together for less than a month… but he made me feel somewhat welcome… not to mention he could survive my powers as well."
"I… see," Bella also let out a sigh, "It was quite selfish for us to suddenly ask you to–"
"No, if Julius truly is a spy then… fuck," Hannah once again shook her head, "Let's talk about this some other time."
"If he truly does end up hurting you… then I will be fulfilling my promise, sister," Riley muttered, "I will bathe him in the blood of his people."
"Yeah?" Hannah let out a silent chuckle as she heard her brother's words, "Kill that motherfucker if he ends up just using me in the end."
"Okay, sister," Riley blinked a couple of times, before nodding his head.
And so, more minutes passed until the requiem mass was finally over. With people already stepping out of the church one by one. The place of Prophet's burial was not disclosed to the people, so the event ends here.
And while everyone was busy leaving the church, Riley, Bella, and Hannah sneaked back inside; as for their parents, they thought that the three were going to meet up with their friends and go back to class.
"You think white hair's stunt worked?"
"It better," Hannah scoffed, "Or he would have put himself in danger for noth–"
"What are you children doing back here?"
"!!!"
Bella and Hannah quickly turned around, leaping back as a familiar voice suddenly entered their ears.
"W… we just forgot something, sir Bulwark sir!" Bella said as she saluted for some reason in instinct. Her eyes, almost closed as Bulwark's bright golden hair pierced her ears as it reflected the sunlight seeping from the mosaic glasses of the colorful windows.
"I see," Bulwark then let out a small smile, "And here I thought you were waiting for Prophet's lover," he then said as he turned his eyes towards Riley.
"That was quite a stunt you pulled there, child."
"My brother was only joking," Hannah chuckled awkwardly as she stepped in front of Riley.
"Hm. Well, whatever it is the three of you are up to, I won't be intruding," Bulwark said as he walked away, "But you might as well wait in front of the altar instead of looking like rats in the corner."
"…" Bella and Hannah could only once again look at each other as Bulwark bellow the three of them to follow him; the three nodding before walking back to the frontmost pew.
"I'll leave you, children, here," Bulwark then said, "I need to talk to the Pope about something."
"…You're the one who invited the Pope?" Hannah asked in shock before Bulwark could even take a step.
"You get certain connections when you reach my age," Bulwark said before walking away; his chuckles, whispering through the church even as he disappeared into the corridor.
"…" And so, without any more interruptions, the three just waited quietly on the pew; Bella's eyes, awkwardly trying to avoid Prophet's coffin from time to time.
"…"
"…"
"…"
"You children are still here?"
But alas, even after almost an hour had passed; even after Bulwark was back from talking with the Pope– no one approached them. They were expecting someone to at least approach Prophet's coffin, but there was absolutely no one.
And so, with a sigh, Hannah stood up, "We were just about to leave," she then said.
Bella also stood up, bowing her head to Bulwark before walking away. As for Riley… he remained sitting on the pew.
"What are you doing, Riley?" Hannah then said as she grabbed Riley's arm to get him up, "Nothing gonna happen here."
Riley, however, retrieved Prophet's phone from his pocket… before letting it float towards Bulwark.
"Riley, what are you doing!?" Hannah said as she rushed towards the flying phone.
"I am giving it to Prophet's husband."
"Wha… what are you saying?" An awkward chuckle once again escaped Hannah's mouth as she stretched her hand towards the phone, "S… sorry, my brother is a bit loose in the head sometimes."
But before she could grab the phone, Bulwark suddenly pulled it away.
"…Sir Bulwark?"
Bulwark then let out a small sigh, before slowly walking towards Prophet's coffin.
"How did you know it was me?"
"…What?" Both Hannah and Bella once again looked at each other, this time in confusion.
"You are the only one to find us, sir Bulwark," Riley muttered as he stood up, "You were also the one to call the Pope– I believe you will only do that for someone important to you. The Pope is an excellent storyteller, after all."
And as soon as Riley's words reached Bulwark's ears, a muffled gasp suddenly escaped his mouth; followed by his tears trailing down across his cheeks.
His tears, letting out a golden glow as they drop to the floor one by one; almost like forcing a beautiful sunrise that would never shine again.
Hannah and Bella, who were suspicious at first, could not help but take in a small gulp as they saw Bulwark suddenly bursting out in tears.
"…"
How could they even suspect him of lying, when they could feel the pain with every breath that escaped from his body?
A man who has experienced the past, and a man who could foresee the future. But now the future no longer holds one, and would forever only forever be a part of the past once again.
"You would think I would already be accustomed to the people I love dying," Bulwark then wiped the tears on his face as he gently brushed his hand on Prophet's coffin, "But when people around me die, the hope of what could have been dies with them."
"…" Bella could only close her eyes as a tear fell from her face. Hannah only looked up, but failed in trying to stop the tears that were also starting to fall from her eyes.
"We… are not meant to live forever," Bulwark muttered as he looked at the three students, "That is why love is so beautiful…
…It ends."