Chapter 304: To The Strongest

"I... want you to kill me."

Van stared at Charlotte for a while, his expression completely unfazed by what she said as he let out a long and deep sigh. "Miss Charlotte, you need to rest."

Van then said as he stood up from the roof, "Maybe everything I told you made your mind a little stressed out, we should continue this conversation tomor--"

"My mind has never been clearer for a thousand years," Charlotte grabbed Van's wrist before he could walk away, "There's a reason why we found each other first, Evans. There's a reason why after a few thousand years, you came and instantly found me... I think this is it, it's destiny."

"...You're really not thinking straight," Van let out a small chuckle as he tried to move his hand, but the only thing he could do was slightly budge Charlotte by a millimeter, "I told you, your son could have met with you a hundred years ago, he just didn't do it for whatever reason. I found you not because of destiny, but by coincidence. Let's discuss this some other time."

Van wanted nothing but to go, but he still could not do so as Charlotte was not letting go of him, "Miss Charlotte, please let go of my hand."

"..."

"Let go of my hand."

"..."

"Please, let go of my hand... Miss Charlotte."

"..."

"Let go of my fucking hand!"

Van once again pulled his hand away, and this time, Charlotte finally let go. And without even waiting for her to say anything, a trail of lightning emerged from his eyes before he instantly disappeared from his spot, leaving a thunderous echo in his wake.

Charlotte looked at her hand, before letting out a long and deep sigh and shaking her head. In truth, she wouldn't be asking this of Van if she wasn't sure that she was losing it. Due to her System, her body would always find a way to be at its healthiest state.

Her looking younger was not some form of or wanting to retain her beauty-- it was her body trying to accommodate her tiring mind. It's preventing her body from reflecting the damage that was slowly being accumulated to her mentality, so that Charlotte would always wake up in her prime.

This is the strongest she has been, the most controlled she has been in her life. She could even hold a glass bottle to sleep and not break it. But most importantly, she could probably hug her son and her granddaughter tight without accidentally hurting them.

Oh, how she wished that she could feel their embrace for the first time before her mind completely fell into the madness that was slowly eating her away. Just once, just once she wished to hug her family.

In truth, when she first heard Van say that his son had known about her existence for a hundred years now. The first thing she did feel was relief-- a relief that her son was alive. But there was one thing she didn't show-- anger.

She was so angry to the point that she might have wreaked havoc in this place. Charles had always been troublesome as a child, mostly because of his upbringing.

They were a family, but Charlotte understood why Charles felt distant. Her strength was a blessing, but at the same time, a cruel curse. No matter how strong she had become, she was just… a sad old lady with no one by her side who truly loves her.

But a hundred years. A hundred years and not even a single hello from her own son. She wanted to rage, but she chose not to do so.

Instead, she chose to understand.

Her son had always been eccentric, even amongst her list of acquaintances excluding Angela. Perhaps he got it from her, but he was always gone, even when his family needed him. But in truth, he had always been watching from afar, guiding Victoria in the most random of ways.

So, with that thought, Charlotte was able to prevent her rage, instead replacing it with the sorrow of thinking about what her son was going through right now. Her son not even showing himself to him for a hundred years-- he must have a very good reason for it.

He must have.

...He must have.

He must have… right?

Tears once again started to form on Charlotte's face, unyielding even as she tried to wipe them off. She had done unspeakable things in this world, things that she omitted from the story she told Van.

She just wanted her family back. That was all she wanted, but she knew it was too late. Her mind was crumbling at an exponential rate… Van's appearance brought her back from the deep, but she knew she would continue syncing into the abyss that was her mind.

If only Angela was here, she would know what to do.

Charlotte's tears continued to trail on her face as she covered her face. "I… I miss all of you. Please… please don't go."

Her quiet whispers echo through the air, along with the stuttered gasps that tried to escape from her breaths. The memory of her family and friends was the only thing she had left… but even that, soon, will be taken away from her.

She could hold the world in chains if she wanted to, but why was it so hard to hold onto her memories?

Charlotte then closed her eyes, trying to relive the moment of her son's birth. She wanted to hold him so badly, she wanted to place him on her bosom, she wanted him to know that she would protect him from the evils of the world.

But even if she tried her hardest, the feeling of Charles within her arms was not a memory that existed in the first place. Maybe, just maybe… her broken mind would at least give her the gift of allowing her to hug her son before she completely fades away.

"Please… please at least give me that," Charlotte thought as she opened her arms, trying to physically embrace a memory that she never had, "Please… please…

...I just want to hug my son."

A second.

A minute.

An hour.

Charlotte no longer knew how long she had been hugging the air. She could hold this position for a thousand years more… but for some reason, it was starting to get heavy.

The heaviest thing that Charlotte had to carry… was the empty air where her loved ones should have been standing.

A second.

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A minute.

An hour.

Her hands began to tremble... until finally, they just gave up.

But before her arms could fall, she felt a warmth that she had never felt before. Her arms… felt full. She slowly opened her eyes in slight bewilderment to see what or who it was, and it wasn't his son.

But still, right now, she couldn't ask for more.

"Thank you," she whispered as Van grabbed her hands, gently wrapping them around him before he embraced her slowly.

"Can... I call you grandma?" Van's muffled voice traveled through her ears, "It was true what I said back when we were in Africa. I… do not really know what it means to be a family. But the brief moments I had with you were… nice."

"O… of course," Charlotte once again whispered as her arms now voluntarily embraced Van, followed by the tears that once again endlessly fell from her eyes.

"Remember when I was trapped underground? I thought I was alone… but you were there," Van's voice slowly became sedated as Charlotte started to feel his tears trailing on her bosom.

"You… you taught me to overcome it. And I don't think I really thanked you for it, so thank you."

"It's okay… it's okay."

"Grandma…"

"Hm?"

"Thank you... thank you for everything."

"It's okay," Charlotte continued to embrace Van.

"And I'm so sorry that your family isn't here with you right now," Van's embrace also became tighter, "I also miss them… I miss them too."

"It's okay."

"I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," Charlotte once again repeated as she kneeled down, resting her head on Van's shoulder, "I… I'm ready."

"No," Van's embrace became even tighter as his muffled voice whispered into Charlotte's ears.

"It's okay," Charlotte gently shook her head on Van's shoulders.

"We'll find them… we will find them."

"It's already too late."

"No."

"Evans, it's okay," Charlotte then leaned back and looked Van straight in the eyes, "Please, let me die in the arms of someone I hold dear."

Van's eyes trembled as they refused to look at Charlotte, but as soon as they did so, the tears that they were still hiding completely fell,

"Okay…" Van then once again embraced Charlotte, "I… surrender."

And soon, a ringing echoed throughout the entire 9 realms-- a quiver. A quiver that made the entire Branch tremble.

"I am so sorry, Charlotte," Van's tears continued to fall as he felt the warmth of Charlotte's blood drop on his face, "I am so sorry."

Charlotte could feel consciousness slowly fading away, but still, her hands only gained strength as they remained embracing Van… because in the end, she got her wish.

"It's okay, Evans. Whatever happens in this world. Do not waver…

…my grandson."

"!!!"

Upon hearing that, Van closed his eyes, for it to reopen like a phoenix as a pained roar burst forth from him.

And soon, the entire 9 realms all looked towards the light that suddenly filled their skies.

Everyone looked up, completely mesmerized and in fear as the golden light then trailed across the Branch, like a colossal serpent that wished to devour everything beneath it.

But not matter how much this world will soon fear or bow before him, Van knew...

...He knew that he will be never as strong as Charlotte.

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