Val approached the ends of the city, where Echo would be thrown off. Though the amount was nothing compared to how busy heaven usually was, there were still a noticeable amount of angels who were headed to the same event.

  All these people seemed to hate Echo. Some where chanting for him to be thrown off immediately, others held up signs. The guy was really not in the best of situations.

  Val noticed this. He was supposed to be hated by everyone, instead of Echo.

  He knew that. Still, he couldn't determine wether what he had done was right or wrong.

  Maybe he was taking this long to find an answer because he was afraid that the correct one would not be in his favor. Maybe, the influence of violence was still pressuring him, even though he had gained some clarity in his mind. He was torn.

  Finally, him and the people around him got to the far edge of heaven, and guards started to be seen. Many of them were also gathered in the area. Echo was brought out from the main temple, about a 12 minute walk from where the crowd was waiting for him.

  Echo had an expressionless face. It almost looked like he didn't care.

  From his perspective, there was nothing he could do, except go by what everyone wanted for him; To be thrown off to Earth, deemed unnecessary and unworthy of standing by the others.

  They were carrying him by the arms; And he was not resisting.

  As they approached the end of the path, more and more people were gathered around Echo and the guards, fueled by hate and dismay. Many shouted at him, many glared at him with fierce looks, some even threw things at him. The atmosphere was unsettling, to say the least.

  Val saw Echo pass by, and looked him in the eye. Echo exchanged the eye contact. His face flashed a look of realization.

  Val rushed to the end of the path, curious about what would be of Echo. He was able to see, through the crowd. Echo was brought to the edge, were a cliff was present, commonly known as the gate to Earth. Then, Echo was mercilessly thrown off.

  The crowd cheered. Val's chest tightened. Was it him who should've been in Echo's place?

  His heartbeat increased pace, and the crowd only cheered more. The lingering guilt in the back of Val's mind grew larger, and he looked down for a moment. Breathing was becoming difficult.

  He hurried away from the scene, not being able to take it much longer.

  Val and Caelira walked toward Val's home, where they would eat.

  The streets were empty, and quiet. Heaven was shaken.

  Caelira's voice broke the silence between the two.

  Caelira: [Oh! I forgot to ask, how are you doing? With the whole violence thing? How'd you react to it?]

  Val kept his eyes on the ground.

  Val: [I'm-- I'm fine.]

  That word came out too quickly-- Was that suspicious?

  Caelira started humming softly, a song Val had already heard, but couldn't recognize. They walked some more.

  Caelira: [Poor Ace. You think he deserved it?]

  Val almost stopped moving.

  For a fraction of a second, his body almost refused to go forward. Then he forced himself to keep walking. The question Caelira asked was one he had already asked himself many times--

  He had spent the last nine days circling it.

  He opened his mouth to give an answer. Nothing came out. Until he tried again, prefacing the speech by clearing his throat.

  Val: [Well-- i don't kno-- i-I mean, we can't.. we can't know. Ahem.]

  His breathing slipped out of rhythm, while his voice carried a thin, anxious tone to it that he wasn't able to hide.

  For now, that was the truest answer he could've given.

  Caelira glanced at her son, then back ahead.

  Caelira: [You know that kid they ended up throwing down? Echo, i think his name was. Wasn't he one of your closest friends?]

  Val didn't answer. His gaze, fixed on the ground, like it was the only thing he could hold onto.

  Val: [...Oh. Yeah, you could say that..]

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  Finally they reached the house.

  Before entering, Caelira spoke once more.

  Caelira: [Well, i don't really think he was the one to kill Ace.]

  Before Val could ask for explanations, Caelira almost hurriedly entered their home.

  Val's heart was beating fast.

  The statement Caelira had made, could have been hinting at various things. One of which could have been that she had found out about Val's murder, and she wanted to tell that to him. Obviously, Val's mind instantly reached that conclusion, without even considering other possibilities. So, was his mother really about to confirm her 'suspicions'?

  The two sat down at their table, which was already readied by their servants. The whole place felt uneasy. Food instantly got served to them, the most appetizing things you could think of.

  To Val, it looked like he was served vomit on a plate. Caelira was the first to speak, swiftly changing topic.

  Caelira: [When i was at the main temple the other day, the big one, they explained some things i think are interesting. Most things we discussed were about the "What to do next!" and "How to save the people!" and all that, but they also told us about some other things that i think were worth my time.]

  Was she still talking about her suspicions? Or was this simply another topic?

  Val stared at his plate. he hadn't even picked up his fork. He was listening, and there was a part of him that was curious to know what Caelira was getting at. He was listening, though his mind was confused, almost disjointed. There was still that possibility that she had found out what he had done, and that possibility lingered in Val's mind. Finally he raised his head with a slight gasp.

  Val: [y-Yes.]

  That's all that came out.

  Caelira remained calm.

  Caelira: [Since you're my son i'll let you in on the fun.]

  Val's eyes returned to gaze at the food on his plate, the least appetizing food he had ever seen.

  At least in his eyes.

  Caelira: [Y'know how that old granny's head exploded? At that gem shop, close to where Ace was killed. That's what happened to many angels throughout heaven, poor them.]

  Val's hand twitched

  His fingers almost refused to close around the fork.

  What happened to those angels was undeniably his fault.

  Caelira: [Well, a theory says that many didn't suffer from the same fate for three factors; Intelligence, Soul strength, and how the concept of v- Violence is presented to them.]

  Val raised his head once more, almost in relief. His mother's explanations seemingly gave him confirmation; This was another topic.

  Caelira: [You seem shaken for someone who went through one of those 'Courses' They set up. How come?]

  That relief that Val had felt before vanished. Was this truly a different subject of discussion or was this just a buildup for a bigger reveal? To anyone, though, those words would sound fueled by nothing but worry.

  He wanted to answer, but he would just be building on top of a lie. He didn't go to the courses for violence presented by the city, he was forcefully fed the concept by someone he hadn't even identified. Val never loved to lie, unless it was necessary.

  Val's muscles tensed up, trying to think of something to say.

  But his head felt too heavy to lift and his chest felt too tight to let out the words properly.

  Val: [W-well, everyone reacts d-differently, i... I guess.]

  His voice trembled, ignoring his efforts to keep it steady.

  Was she really onto him?

  He forced himself to pick up some food, even though his grip was weak. Eating, however, was a whole different challenge.

  Caelira: [You okay?]

  She didn't sound accusing, simply concerned.

  For Val, it gave off the opposite vibe.

  Caelira answered her own question, with an expression of understanding.

  Caelira: [I suppose you're right. You'll get used to it.]

  False alarm.

  His shoulders loosened. Just slightly.

  He was able to add more than the bare minimum to the conversation.

  Val: [I-I'm fine, you shoudn't wo-- You shouldn't worry.]

  Caelira nodded to her son with a sympathetic look.

  Looking at her own plate, she spoke again.

  Caelira: [You know, i think what the guards did was wrong.]

  She paused, staring at her plate, managing her food.

  Caelira: [I don't know why, but i don't think it was Echo who killed Ace.]

  Val finally raised his head, his fork still in his hand.

  Caelira: [You could blame it on intuition-- An educated guess.]

  His heart skipped a beat. He was having trouble masking his anxiety.

  Caelira: [Maybe it's because i know his family? God, now that i think about it, who know how they're doing.]

  To Caelira, this was a quiet, honest conversation with her son.

  To Val, it felt like the room was closing in on him.

  He muttered:

  Val: [I'm sorry--]

  He was the only one that heard that.

  The space around him felt smaller-- too small.

  Val: [Well-- Who w-was it then? I mean, who do y-you think.. it was?]

  Val tried to choose his words carefully, even though he completely failed at doing so--

  Even adding corrections where it wasn't necessary.

  Caelira answered readily.

  Caelira: [Well, we can't know i suppose.]

  Caelira looked Val in the eye and leaned closer.

  Val's breathing spiked along with his heartrate.

  Caelira: [But i do know one thing.]

  She paused any other action.

  Val looked at her increduolous, still with his fork in his hand in the same position.

  Caelira: [Whoever did it should throw themself off to Earth too.]

  Like clockwork, knife and fork slipped out of Val's hand.

  They banged against the plate, then fell down to the floor.

  Val: [i'm so sorry, i'm sorry, i- i'm sorry really, s- so sorry..]

  The apologies spilled out, muffled by the loud sound of metal clattering against the plate.

  He wasn't sorry for the cutlery that fell down.

  Rather, a realization had occurred to him.

  Val's throat clogged up.