Rey didn't know this, but after the calamity that befell the Capital, his classmates had a meeting.
It was just between the five of them—Adonis, Trisha, Belle, Justin, and Clark.
They discussed many things; including their powerlessness against the enemies and how they felt regarding that.
Adonis apologized for his gross error and his terribly flawed plan that cost the lives of two of their classmates and ended up cursing the third.
Of course, the rest did their best to dissuade him from blaming himself, but they could see how the guilt ate at him.
They could also guess how much guilt Rey had to be carrying.
Many were tempted to ask why his supposed clone didn't do more to help in the situation, or why Rey wasn't alerted of the problem, or why he didn't arrive sooner.
But, no one gave in to that temptation.
All they knew was this…
"It's our fault that Rey decided to keep his identity hidden."
A lot of things made sense now. The fact that, even though he was among the first to choose a Class and Skills, he ended up with such a meager sum, and also how that corroborated with how most people perceived him.
Karma was measured by the perception of others.
The mere fact that no one questioned how he got such a basic Skill and a poor Class meant they all—for the most part—didn't have good impressions of him.
They didn't like him; at least, not at first.
It wasn't like they made their position on him a secret either. Justin was among those who laughed at Rey when he showed his pathetic Class and Skills, and a few members of the group couldn't deny feeling envious when Rey was chosen alongside Alicia and Adonis to have the first pick.
All of these factors culminated into the distrusting nature that now formed within him.
In no way were they justifying his lies and deceit, but who was really in a position to talk?
They all had things to hide.
Belle had her secrets. Adonis had his own. Justin did as well. Clark and Trisha were no different.
Whether they were insecurities, hidden motives, goals, or overall personality traits—everyone was keeping something in.
"Even though he hid his power from us, we can't deny the good he did."
When critically examining Rey and his actions, it was clear that he meant no harm. Even though most of his classmates didn't really care for him, he still looked out for them.
As Ralyks, he made them a lot stronger than they would have been.
He gave the Alliance all the spoils and glory, and he constantly helped them in one way or the other.
They would be fools to throw stones and blame him.
Rey clearly cared about them and the Alliance. But, the honest truth they all recognized was… they didn't care about him.
At least, not enough.
His actions when facing the Divine Beast was irrefutable evidence for his position.
Over and over again, he suffered.
They couldn't even lift a finger to help, yet even though he should have died—or at least been severely injured—he didn't stop fighting.
Rey Skylar was a liar and deceiver… but he was also a Hero.
That was all.
***********
It took a lot of convincing.
There were even hints of emotion here and there, most especially from Belle.
On one end, Rey kept blaming himself for the tragedy that struck. It surprised everyone else how much he cared about them and what his actions caused.
Perhaps that was what fueled their resolve even more to apologize to him for their earlier actions and perceptions of him.
"Rey, I'm sorry for making fun of you."
"Sorry for ignoring you when you were clearly in need of a friend."
"Sorry for… well… you know."
Justin, Clark, and Belle all apologized to him with their heads down, which downright flustered Rey.
Still, he showed no such reaction on his face, and he simply suppressed all the bubbling feelings that were rising from his chest.
Usually, most people would enjoy moments like this. They would savor the sight of the very people who looked down on him finally acknowledging their wrongs and swallowing their words.
But Rey felt no satisfaction.
He was too busy suppressing his emotions to feed his own ego.
"You guys…" He smiled at them, drawing closer to the three. "... Thank you."
Before he realized it, all four of them were in a group embrace.
Rey had seen a lot of things that had desensitized him from most events. He had killed several people, witnessed unimaginable pain, and even died twice. He had seen the wickedness of man, and he had involved himself in abominable acts.
Even through it all, he was still a teenager.
While his emotions were in check, so they didn't overflow, he could still feel vestiges of it dancing in his heart.
Relief… and gratitude.
'They understand why… I didn't expect that.'
After he first saw his Karma, and then witnessed how everyone treated him, he had a negative view on his classmates—no, people in general.
Even before then, he already saw the signs, but the experience definitely decided it for him.
But, when moments like this surfaced, he couldn't help but think he was wrong.
'Maybe… I was a bit too quick to judge.'
Just as he was able to form bonds with Alicia, get along with Trisha, and still understand Adonis… perhaps he could have gotten a lot closer to the rest of his classmates.
'I'm not sure I could have befriended everyone, but… maybe Eric wouldn't have been a bad choice.'
It was too late for that now, though.
'I can only think of the possibilities.' A sad smile coursed through his face as he closed his eyes.
The warmth of his classmates—no, friends—kept him company.
Rey could see everything around him. He could see Ater's proud smile, Brutus' satisfied nod, and Lucielle's overenthusiastic grin.
Something told him that if Brutus let go of her, she would also join in the hug.
'A lot of people have died, but many more are still here. I can still help them, protect them… save them.'
Something rose within his heart—a desire that permeated his whole body.
'I won't give up so easily anymore.' Rey's focus shifted to Alicia and he nodded within himself.
There was a lot he remained unsure of, but one thing was an irrefutable constant.
'I won't give up on you too!'
*
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Thanks for reading!
I know some of you were expecting a more chaotic reunion, but no… this is more realistic, in my opinion.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
