As Jim remained frozen, grief-stricken before his parents' bodies, a distant rumbling filled the air.
A massive army approached.
From the remains of Soluna's ruins, the Solar and Lunar forces-rescued and gathered by Tim, Rei, Aron, and the children-marched forward.
They had survived the massacre.
And now, they had returned.
Tim and Rei stood at the front, leading them.
Their bodies were battered and exhausted, but their eyes burned with determination.
Aron walked beside them, his coat stained with blood from the countless wounded he had healed. The children followed closely, their faces filled with fear but also hope.
At the same time-
Sheila and Jeromy's forces arrived from the opposite direction.
The Resistance and Celestic Justice ships landed, and hundreds of warriors emerged.
It was a sight unlike any before.
The new allies-Resistance fighters and Celestic Justice warriors-stood side by side with the remaining Solar and Lunar people.
They were once separate forces.
But now-
They were one.
Sheila's eyes widened in shock as she spotted her children-Darren and Maria-rushing toward her.
"MOM!!!"
She barely had time to react before they crashed into her, wrapping their small arms around her waist.
Tears instantly welled up in her eyes.
She fell to her knees, embracing them tightly.
"You're safe... you're safe..."
For the first time in what felt like eternity, she let herself cry.
Jeromy, standing beside her, smiled at the sight, though his expression was still heavy.
This moment-this reunion-was proof that they had saved lives.
But-
As Sheila, Jeromy, and the rest rejoiced in their reunion, Tim and Rei's gazes drifted to Jim.
And their hearts sank.
Even amidst the celebration, Jim remained motionless.
Still kneeling.
Still grieving.
Tim clenched his fists.
He had seen Jim fight through everything.
He had seen him rise against impossible odds.
But now-
He had never seen him so broken.
Rei's eyes softened with sorrow.
She could feel his pain.
And it hurt even more knowing that nothing she said could make it better.
Jim-the one who always fought for unity, who always tried to protect everyone-
Had just lost the two most important people in his life.
And now-
He was all alone.
After a few tense moments...
Jim knelt in the ruins of Soluna, his eyes locked onto the lifeless forms of Heatsun and Moonsalt.
His breathing was shallow.
His hands trembled.
He tried to speak-tried to say anything-but no words came out.
A sharp pain twisted inside his chest, unlike any wound he had ever received.
His parents were gone.
For fifteen years, he had believed they had abandoned him.
For fifteen years, he had fought, survived, and suffered-all alone.
And just when he had finally gotten them back...
Just when he had finally felt their love...
They were stolen from him.
His vision blurred.
A soundless scream built in his throat, but no voice came out.
His body felt cold.
His mind felt empty.
Everything-
All the memories, all the dreams, all the hopes he had for a future where they could be together-
Gone.
Tim and Rei approached slowly, their faces filled with sorrow.
Rei had never seen Jim like this.
Not even when the world called him cursed.
Jim had always stood back up.
He had always kept fighting.
But now-
He wasn't moving.
Rei's voice was soft. "Jim..."
Jim didn't react.
Tim took a step forward. "Jim, I-"
But before he could finish-
Jim suddenly stood.
His movements were slow, almost unnatural.
Tim and Rei exchanged a glance.
Sheila and Jeromy noticed the change, and their smiles from the reunion vanished.
Something was wrong.
Jim's aura had vanished.
He turned away from his parents' bodies.
His expression was blank.
His eyes, once filled with passion and determination, were now...
Lifeless.
Then-
He walked away.
Without a word.
Without looking back.
Just... walking.
Sheila's breath caught in her throat. "Jim?"
No response.
Jeromy frowned. "Where's he going...?"
Tim shook his head.
But a deep, suffocating dread settled in his chest.
_ _ _
Jim continued walking-his steps slow, mechanical.
His body moved, but his soul felt absent.
Tim and Rei instinctively took a step forward to stop him, but-
"Wait."
Sheila's voice was firm.
She reached out, placing a hand on Tim's shoulder.
"Let him be."
Tim turned to her, frustration in his eyes. "Sheila, we can't just-"
"He's had it hard."
Her voice wavered slightly, as if she herself wasn't sure how to explain.
"Jim just lost his parents... He's even... Maybe-just this once-we should let him..."
She stopped.
Because she didn't have the right words.
How could anyone explain what Jim was feeling?
Tim clenched his fists. "But-"
"Alright, alright! Enough tension, I hate it."
Gravik suddenly cut in, waving his hands.
Everyone turned to him, confused.
"What?" Sheila asked.
Gravik groaned, rubbing his forehead. "Listen, when a story gets too slow, the tension of me getting killed by Dark Void just gets worse. I hate tension, so screw it-I'll just say it."
Tim narrowed his eyes. "Say what?"
Gravik crossed his arms. "What really happened back against Goblin."
Silence.
Sheila and Jeromy froze.
Tim and Rei tensed.
Even the Resistance and Celestic Justice members exchanged uneasy glances.
Jim, still walking, didn't react.
Gravik sighed. "Look, you guys think you understand what Jim is going through, right? You don't."
Sheila's eyes darkened. "Gravik... you are seriously gonna say everything?"
Gravik ignored. "No, seriously. You all saw Jim break down, yeah? But did you see what actually pushed him past the edge?"
Tim's stomach twisted. "What do you mean?"
Gravik looked at Jim's back-the warrior still walking, still not responding.
Then he took a deep breath.
And spoke.
"Jim... watched Edward die for him."
Everyone went still.
Tim and Rei's eyes widened.
Sheila and Jeromy's expressions tensed seeing the truth was out.
Gravik continued.
"Goblin was too strong. Jim used everything he had to defeat him-but even his strongest attack didn't kill him. Goblin called himself 'imperfect' for surviving. Jim was too exhausted to react when Goblin launched his final attack."
He exhaled sharply.
"And then Edward... pushed Jim out of the way."
Rei covered her mouth. "...No..."
Gravik's voice lowered. "Edward took the full blast. It was enough to disintegrate his body completely."
A heavy silence fell over the group.
Even those who didn't know Edward personally felt the weight of the words.
But Gravik wasn't done.
"Goblin then proved his point-bonds are fragile, emotions make you weak. And to 'free' Jim from his bonds, he slaughtered thousands of Resistance and Celestic Justice soldiers in front of him."
Tim's fists tightened.
The Solar and Lunar people gritted their teeth, eyes burning with rage.
Gravik turned back to Jim.
"Jim told him to stop. Again. And again. But Goblin just kept killing more and more."
Then he said the final blow.
"And that's when Jim snapped."
Tim couldn't breathe.
Rei felt sick.
Aron's calm expression seemed to crack on hearing it.
Even Darren and Maria clutched him crying, somehow understanding the emotions.
A Solar man clenched his jaw so hard it hurt.
Sheila looked away, her heart aching as she didn't have the courage to look at Tim and Rei.
Jim-strong, unbreakable Jim-had been pushed so far that he lost control of himself.
Gravik sighed.
"So yeah. That's what broke him."
The group stood in stunned silence.
Jim's lifeless movements now made sense.
It wasn't just his parents.
It wasn't just Soluna's destruction.
Jim had lost everything.
His mentor.
His comrades.
His people.
His faith in his own ideals.
Gravik shook his head. "You guys still think we should just leave him alone?"
Tim looked down.
Rei wiped her eyes.
Jeromy exhaled sharply. "...We can't."
Sheila closed her eyes. "Then what do we do?"
No one had an answer.
Jim kept walking.
And with every step, it felt like he was disappearing.
Tim and Rei sobbed.
The weight of Jim's suffering crushed their hearts.
Tim wiped his eyes, voice shaky. "...I don't know what I'd do if I were him."
He turned to Gravik. "But... thanks, coward. For telling us."
Gravik scoffed. "Yeah, yeah. I still hate tension."
Dr. Aron, who had been silently comforting his children, finally spoke. "...This is a disease even I can't heal."
Rei hugged herself. "How do we even reach him...?"
Tim clenched his fists.
Then, his eyes hardened.
"...I'll stop him."
Rei and the others turned to him in surprise.
"Tim?" Rei whispered.
Tim exhaled sharply. "When I first met Jim... he had these distant, empty eyes."
He looked ahead at Jim, still walking away.
"That's why I called him my friend, then later on little bro. I didn't just say it for fun-I said it because I wanted to give him even a little warmth."
His voice trembled, but his resolve did not.
Rei wiped her tears, looking at Jim.
"...You really are like the sun, Tim."
Tim turned to her. "Huh?"
Rei smiled sadly.
"When I first joined your side, Jim never trusted me. He was cold, distant... and I understood why."
Her voice softened.
"But I still tried to look after him whenever I could."
She laughed lightly. "I'd sneak extra food onto his plate, made sure his wounds were properly healed... little things."
Tim listened, eyes softening.
Rei sighed. "Slowly, he started respecting me. Even when the Soluna people discriminated against me, he defended me-someone who was once their enemy."
Her lips quivered.
"Maybe... I was like an older sister to him."
Tim looked at her. "...Yeah."
Rei smiled. "And you, Tim, were his brother."
They turned back to Jim.
The broken warrior kept walking.
Silent. Distant.
But Tim had enough.
"JIM!!"
He charged forward, his heart burning.
Rei followed close behind, while the others approached slowly- except for Gravik, who sprinted ahead.
They blocked Jim's path.
Tim, breathing heavily, glared at him. "Where are you going?"
Jim didn't look up. "...Does it matter?"
His voice was hollow.
"I'm useless now. I can't even transform into the Grey Warrior anymore. My power is gone, my parents are gone... I've lost everything precious to me."
Tim's fists shook. "...Look at me."
Jim didn't.
Tim's rage erupted.
-SMACK!!!-
A brutal slap across Jim's face.
Jim staggered, eyes wide in shock. He actually felt the pain.
Tim's chest heaved. "You idiot."
Rei gasped. "Tim-stop!"
But Tim wasn't holding back.
He pointed at Jim, furious. "I'M STILL HERE!"
Jim said nothing.
Tim shouted. "Even if we're not related by blood- I'M YOUR BIG BROTHER!!"
Rei stepped forward, softly.
"...And even if we're not related by blood... I'm like your elder sister."
Jim's breathing hitched.
Rei's voice trembled. "You still have us."
Jim clenched his fists, ignoring them.
Tim growled. "If you don't listen- I'll beat you to death."
Rei gasped, knowing Tim's recklessness- just like the Sun. "TIM, STOP!"
Jim, emotionless, whispered. "...That's fine. Better to be killed. I have nothing left."
Rei froze.
Tim's fury vanished.
And instead-his hands shook.
"...Don't say that again." His voice cracked as he grabbed Jim by the collar.
Jim didn't resist.
Tim's grip tightened. "I mean it."
Rei, tears forming, gently pulled Tim's hands away.
And then-without hesitation-
She hugged Jim.
Tim, exhaling sharply, followed.
They held him.
No words.
Just warmth.
Jim didn't move.
Tim's grip was firm, Rei's embrace was gentle.
He should've pushed them away.
He should've kept walking.
But...
His fingers trembled.
Something inside him-that hollow, endless void-cracked.
"You still have us," Rei whispered again, her voice almost breaking.
Tim clenched his jaw. "We're not letting you go, Jim."
Jim's vision blurred.
He wanted to believe them.
But his mind still screamed-his parents were dead. Edward was dead. Thousands were dead.
He had failed everyone.
"...Why?" His voice was barely a whisper. "Why won't you just let me go...?"
Tim pulled back, gripping his shoulders. "Because you're our brother, you idiot."
Rei nodded, eyes shining. "And family doesn't abandon each other."
Jim shook his head. "But I-"
Tim cut him off. "Listen to me, Jim. You've been carrying everything alone for too long." His eyes burned. "It's okay to fall sometimes. That's why we're here."
Jim's breathing hitched.
Tim's grip on his shoulders tightened. "You don't have to bear this alone anymore."
Jim finally looked at him.
For the first time since the battle, his eyes weren't empty.
There was still pain.
Still guilt.
Still grief.
But deep within-there was something else.
Something small.
Something flickering.
Rei touched his arm, smiling softly. "You're still here, Jim. And that's enough."
Jim's breath shuddered.
For the first time in what felt like forever-
He felt warmth.
_ _ _
Jim stood frozen.
Tim's hands gripped his shoulders tightly. Rei's soft touch lingered on his arm.
Their words-their warmth-seeped into the cracks in his heart.
But he was still afraid.
His voice was hoarse. "I don't deserve this."
Tim's eyes flared. "Shut the hell up, Jim."
Jim flinched.
"You think you're the only one suffering?!" Tim shouted. "You think Edward would want to see you like this? Your parents?!"
Jim bit his lip.
Rei's grip on his arm tightened. "We all lost something, Jim. We're all in pain. But that doesn't mean we give up."
Jim shook his head. "But I-"
Tim suddenly punched him- hard.
Jim staggered.
Before he could react, Tim grabbed him again, his fingers shaking.
"You are not useless." Tim's voice cracked.
Jim's breath caught.
"You are not alone."
Rei stepped closer. "We need you, Jim."
Jim's eyes widened.
Tim gritted his teeth. "You're our family. You're my little brother. So don't you dare act like you don't matter."
Jim felt something snap inside him.
His body shook.
Tears spilled from his eyes before he could stop them.
Rei pulled him into a hug-Tim joining in, their warmth wrapping around him.
Jim's fingers dug into their clothes.
And for the first time since he saw his parents' lifeless bodies-
He cried.
Jim's tears fell freely, his body trembling against Tim and Rei. His breath came in ragged gasps as the weight of everything crushed him all at once.
His parents.
Edward.
The countless dead.
It hurt.
But through the pain-they were still here.
Tim. Rei.
The Resistance. Celestic Justice.
The survivors.
He wasn't alone.
Tim's grip on Jim's back tightened. "That's it, idiot. Let it out."
Rei ran her fingers through Jim's hair soothingly. "You don't have to carry it alone."
Jim shook his head weakly. "I... I just..."
"You don't have to say anything," Rei whispered. "We understand."
For a moment-the battlefield was silent.
Only the quiet sound of Jim's sobs remained, muffled against Tim's shoulder.
Sheila, Jeromy, Gravik, Aron, and the rest watched from a distance.
They felt it too.
The pain.
The grief.
The overwhelming despair of loss.
But in this moment-they saw something else.
Hope.