*
“So, who exactly are the others? The other people in Barsch's mind, I mean.”
They had begun walking along the see-through path at a steady pace, with the river of broken shards hanging overhead to light their way. The Unknown Woman's smile had returned soon after The Void had left their conversation, and she was now humming a small tune as she walked.
“We are... Barsch's guilt,” she said, in a sad tone that did not match her joyful visage. “He was unable to save us... to protect us... and so we live on, inside his mind, constant reminders of the mistakes he had made.”
“But why? Why are you tormenting him like this? You said it yourself, that Barsch could not have helped you, so why does he have to suffer for something he could have done nothing about?”
“You misunderstand, Alza. We are not the ones who are tormenting him... He is the one who is unable to forgive himself... to let us go. He believes that if he forgets about us, he will end up making the same mistakes... and so he keeps us in his thoughts... even if it pains him to do so. If I could, I would make him forgive himself this instant, I would let his mind finally be at peace... but I'm nothing more than a fragment... a nameless woman who asked a mere boy to save her.”
“I'm sorry, I did not know,” Alza said, meaning every word.
“It is not I whom you have to feel sorry for, it is Barsch who needs your forgiveness. Just as you need him to forgive you.”
Alza did not fully understand the Unknown Woman, but something about what she had said felt... right.
“Hey! What took you so long? I've been waiting here for ages!”
The voice that called out to them had come from a young boy, about six, who was sitting in the middle of the path. The child had long, brown hair, which partially hid his olive green eyes. He wore a grey sweater and brown shorts, which were covered in red spots that at first appeared to be designs or logos. However, as he stood, Alza could see what they truly were: blood stains.
“Sorry, Rigel, we had a bit of trouble with... It.” Rigel flinched at the word, his eyes darting around, most likely searching for the monster. “Don't worry, It's gone now,” the nameless woman said, obviously trying to console the frightened boy.
“Good! I mean, good thing it didn't meet me, or I would have shown it just what I can do!” Alza chuckled to herself at the sight of Rigel's attempt at bravery. The young boy was still shaking from the mere mention of The Void, but he was trying to act courageous, for their sakes.
“I'm sure that monster would not have stood a chance,” Alza said, in the kindest voice she could manage. It was still new to her, being able to express her emotions so easily, but she had Barsch to thank for that. In his mind, despite being broken, she felt at ease. Her emotions, which had previously been hidden behind an unbreakable wall, now flowed out with barely any effort.
“I wish I could stay here. I wish I could be like this in the real world, but something tells me that when I go back, that wall will return, and my true feelings will be bottled up once more...”
“Come on, she's waiting,” said Rigel, taking Alza's hand. With the young boy leading them, they continued down the glass road.
Awakening Page 236