Stern words assaulting his ears relentlessly, pointing out his weaknesses, his strengths that cannot seem to please, and the folly in his swordplay. Training with the Vice Captain in swordsmanship will always be the fondest memories Alfrei had of her. She was by no means an exemplary Vice Captain, hence the need for him, a Lieutenant, but she was also by no means an incompetent one. Alfrei struggled to hold the tears back for their fallen second-in-command, he should not cry, she wouldn't want to see him cry.<br/><br/>Knocking his head a few times on the hardwood of his room in the Mayor's house, Alfrei tried to numb the pain in his heart in a futile effort. He knew he wasn't ready, but he would do his best to fill her shoes to the best of his abilities. Tear-filled eyes glancing back on the bed, Alfrei walked over it and picked up the sword Brynhildr owned. He had made up his mind, with this sword added to his own, he would continue to fight.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">____________________________________________________________________________________</div><br/><br/>Still weak from being drained empty by Lillith, Vlad pushed himself up on the bed forcibly. He couldn't rest, there was no way he should be resting. In his mind, as a tank, had he not been so careless and avoided being taken out of action first, the outcome might have been different. His thoughts, no matter how hard he wished to stop them from drifting over to their deceased Vice Captain, he could not find the strength to do so.<br/><br/>Bryn was one of those who appear cold-hearted but was actually a very warm person once she opens up to you. Vlad recalled the years they spent fighting together. Their Vice Captain was not exceptionally strong per se, but her true strength shines in her ability to keep a level head despite overwhelming pressure and still keep their squad functioning. There had been many times their squad was saved by this quality of hers.<br/><br/>Though he may be a man, it was not reason enough for him to hold back the tears that slowly trickled down the corners of his eyes.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">____________________________________________________________________________________</div><br/><br/>Georg was alone at the abandoned dock. There was no other way he could think of to hide the pain that stung his heart other than to stay away from plain sight. He swung his large<span style="font-style: italic">Judgement</span>sword around, recalling the voice of their Vice Captain as if she was right before him, drilling formation tactics and combat strategies into him. With each swing of his sword, images of Bryn's different facial expressions flashed in his mind.<br/><br/>He couldn't quite find the words to describe how he was feeling, but the high level of respect and fondness he had for her was evident with each swing of his sword. A lone tear escaping his firm control for emotion was easily hidden by his sweat, it was a testament to the sadness this old knight carried. Grunting as he pulled the heavy sword back, Georg unleashed a full powered slash that struck the ground; the force that shot forward strong enough to leave a fissure in its wake.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">____________________________________________________________________________________</div><br/><br/>Piles of notes lay scattered around the Dreamer's assigned room. The man opted to lose himself in study to try and escape the stinging pinch that plagued his heart... to no avail. His red eyes flicked back and forth between his notes and that golden crystal that rolled back in forth before him. All these formulas and calculations he scribbled felt wrong, none of those even made sense but he desperately needed something, a breakthrough of sorts. Deep in his heart, had he found a way to utilize the crystal he had some other way, Bryn might still be alive right now.<br/><br/>They may have fought lots of times and he might have clashed words with their Vice Captain on numerous occasions, but Hyuga still held her in high regard. Though she may be one of the 'normals' he so often teased, Bryn's outside thinking had helped him see angles from a different perspective, thus leading to a feasible solution. Grabbing the crystal with one hand, Hyuga stared at it fiercely, promising not to rest until he had found a way to use it and stop Sin for good.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">____________________________________________________________________________________</div><br/><br/>Joaquim watched over a battered and unconscious Natalia. His thoughts were in disarray for him to process everything clearly. First they nearly lost Natalia and now their Vice Captain died. It was one grief after the other. It was never easy dealing with a loss, and with each member of their squad a family to him, it only made it harder to deal with.<br/><br/>Although he doesn't always show it, Joaquim thought of Bryn like an independent daughter. He always admired how headstrong she was and how she never liked troubling anyone over trivial matters. He would miss her no doubt, but his weary eyes gazed over Natalia who thought of Bryn as her older sister. If he was this broken by Bryn's loss, how much more would Natalia be if she finds out?<br/><br/>Curling his hands into fists, Joaquim silently made a vow to do everything in his power to keep the rest of his squad members alive.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">____________________________________________________________________________________</div><br/><br/>Alone with his thoughts once more, Guilford quietly stared into nothingness. He had his doubts, his questions, his grief, his anger, and his duties to deal with. None of those seemed to matter at the sight of his lifeless Vice Captain that smiled serenely under the rays of sunlight. Eight years, eight years of their companionship only for her to end up like this under his command. If there was any kind of devastation out there that he couldn't take, this was no doubt one of them.<br/><br/>His thoughts drifted to the past, of when he and Bryn were still cadets eager to take the oath for the Divine Light. Being the only daughter of a great knight, she was always the proud one, never willing to accept defeat. Bryn would give it her all and more to best anyone at any given task. Competitive with a fiery nature, she always had this sizzling rivalry for Guilford's prodigal ascent above the rest of their class. She would challenge him to a match that would take hours and hours to end, she would always bet on the silliest things just to prove she was better than him, yet at the end of the day, she would always acknowledge her own weaknesses and strive hard to improve them. She was an exemplary warrior, more than that, she was a treasured friend.<br/><br/>Rising from his seat, Guilford slowly walked towards his Vice Captain who was already at peace. The closer he drew to her, the heavier his heart felt. No words could even begin to express the weight he suddenly found himself bearing.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"I'm so sorry Bryn..."</span>he muttered, a stray tear dropping down to Bryn's cheek. He moved his left hand to wipe away the tear, only to get stung by the feel of Bryn's cold skin beneath his touch, another painful reminder of the reality before him.<br/><br/>Guilford closed his eyes forcefully. He could no longer hold it in. He finally gave in to the emotions swirling in him and lost the strength to muffle the sobs that were now freely escaping his lips. His knees followed, buckling under the stress of trying to remain standing until they could no longer keep up. Guilford fell down to his knees, leveling himself beside Brynhildr with only his arms supporting the rest of his weight. He felt powerless, now more than ever.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"What... should I do?"</span>he asked nobody in particular but himself.<br/><br/>He had spent minutes, hours even, in that position. He cried his heart out, his sobs the only sound echoing throughout the entirety of the halls. He did so until he could no longer afford more tears, until the sadness was replaced by anger, an emotion he could easily control.<br/><br/>Finding the strength to stand again, Guilford looked at Bryn once more and promised to honor her in any way he possibly could. He always knew how much his Vice Captain adored him, yet not once had he found the strength to acknowledge them. Even in her death, he never once told Bryn how he felt about her. This time he would let her know, even if it was already too late and was nothing more but a pointless gesture. Lethe's words rang back inside his head,<span style="font-style: italic"><span style="color: silver">“To die for the sake of something we love, is that really so bad a thing?”</span></span>The answer was simple.<span style="color: #0080FF">"No Lethe. It's not."</span><br/><br/>Guilford leaned closer to Bryn, planting a soulful kiss on her forehead, grimacing at the feel of her cold skin on his lips.<span style="color: #0080FF">"I will never forget you. Rest easy Bryn... and... goodbye."</span>he whispered and looked up to the stream of light coming down from the roof.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"I have always... given you more than you ask of me. This time, let me be the one to ask this of you..."</span>he paused and clasped both hands together in a personal prayer. He bowed his head and continued,<span style="color: #0080FF">"Divine Light, grant me the strength I need to see this through!"</span><br/><br/>With new-found strength, Guilford's resolve fiercely burned within him, his purple eyes reflecting his intent with the cold look in them. The Seraph turned around after his final goodbye and walked on outside, his strides filled anew with purpose.