He quickly sat up and realized that he was still in his world's Naraka Bridge, and the last thing he remembered before becoming unconscious was being under the feet of Bamir.
"Bamir! Where is he?!" Viktor became worried, wondering if anything worse happened while he was down and looked around, only to be astonished to see that there were no more cages and the ceiling had a large opening.
He had no idea what the hell happened other than the fact that he was dreaming events that felt too real, like memories.
"It's fine...Bamir is gone. We are safe," Sae said with a smile as Viktor slowly got up, fastening the robe around his body.
Sae didn't expect Viktor to wake up so fast after becoming unconscious. Just a few moments after helping him put on a robe, Viktor had already stirred awake.
However, to Viktor, it felt like he had spent hours in an unconscious state.
"Aros?" A familiar voice of a man, filled with happiness, sounded from behind.
Viktor turned around to see ethereal images of a couple he easily recognized...his parents...or the parents who brought him up like his own son.
Avan was his adoptive father, and Del was his adoptive mother. Both were looking at him with overwhelmed expressions while their ethereal images continued to flicker.
They no longer had horrifying appearance but had their original appearance, though in an incorporeal state.
"Father...mother…" Viktor mumbled, seeing that they were finally freed from their hellish torture though he had no idea who or how they got saved. He speculated that Sae and Nyissa saved them, and all he knew was that everything came to an end finally.
Viktor immediately kneeled before them as he tried to touch their feet only to have his hands pass through them, realizing that they must be in their soul form, "Please forgive this unfilial son. I...I failed you both...I never knew you all were suffering so much...because of me," Viktor never felt so bad about himself. He felt as if he was unworthy to be their son.
"Son, please get up. Don't be like this. You have no idea how happy we are to finally see you after all these years…" Del said with teary eyes as she looked at her only son, whom she loved with her entire being.
"Yes, Aros. It is not your fault. You could have never known, and we only held on since you know that we would never give in to evil. Now please rise. Don't blame yourself for what others did to us," Avan said gently as he caressed Aros' head though his hand could not make direct contact with him.
Viktor pressed his lips together as he slowly got up and badly wanted to hug them, to feel their warmth again...something he always longed for all these years. However, since they were just incorporeal images, he could only stand before them and look at them with a woeful expression.
Ever since he came to know that they had been suffering for centuries because of him, he felt as if his heart became too heavy.
And now, seeing them again and feeling the familial warmth through their words and eyes, he felt as if his heart was getting lighter.
However, his eyes quivered when he saw that their incorporeal images were slowly waning as if they were about to disappear.
"Father...mother...what's going to happen to you two?" Viktor knew they were just souls now and had no idea what was going to happen to them. He wanted them to stay, but he knew it could never be a reality.
Avan and Del also didn't want to part away from their son after seeing him for the first time in centuries.
"Aros...don't be sad. All we wished was to see you once more, and now that we have seen you, we feel fulfilled. As long as you are healthy and happy, we have no regrets. We can't stay here anymore, and what happens to our souls, we can only leave it up to the gods," Del said as she cupped Aros' hands while Avan nodded along with a warm smile.
Viktor felt his chest tighten, seeing that they were about to disappear, and tried to grasp his mother's hand but could only catch empty air, "Mother…"
"Aros...remember...even if we are gone...our love for you will always live on in you...Be happy, son...We will always be watching over you…" Avan said in a feeble smile, as he himself couldn't continue to put up a brave expression since he couldn't bear letting go of his son. But they were not supposed to be here, and Viktor could only watch as Avan and Del suddenly turned into two bright flashes before disappearing away.
"No!" Viktor tried to reach out for them, but Sae hugged him from behind as she said with a complicated expression, "Aros...it's fine...they are at peace finally…"
She knew how sad Aros was to see his parents again, only to see them go away forever from his life again.
Oben, who was continuously becoming pale and weaker, said, "Aros...I know we had a lot of bad blood between us in the past. But the moment I learned the truth, I decided to let go, and the things I did were because I had no choice. I know I can't ask forgiveness from you, but I hope you would understand and not hold any bad feelings against my clan."
Viktor took a deep breath as he slowly turned around to look at Oben and saw how Oben seemed as if his body was slowly disintegrating away with white cracks covering almost his entire body.
He could see that Oben, for some reason, didn't have much time left.
"Brother…" Sae felt sad to see her brother like this and knew that Oben didn't want his clan to suffer anything for playing a part in Aros' parent's misery.
Sae quickly explained Oben's motives to Aros mentally, making Viktor look at him in a new light, realizing why something seemed off from the beginning.
He already felt that Oben purposefully gave many opportunities for him to take down Borin and even let Nyissa help him. Otherwise, there was no way a powerful expert like him could make amateur mistakes like those.
Even though Viktor felt a lot of pain to see how his parents suffered, he knew how to differentiate right from wrong and could understand Oben's point of view.
He was also one who knew when and when not to keep a grudge, especially not towards someone he heavily wronged as well.
So he decided to use this moment to clear things between them as he said with a slight nod, "You don't have to worry about me having any bad feelings towards your clan. I was not in the right as well in the past. I caused misery for not only you but...Sae as well…" Viktor's voice became low as he glanced at Sae, who held his hand, indirectly telling him to not feel guilty.
"But it's time I right the wrongs I did.. Since I caused the destruction of your and Sae's family, I will protect and look after your clan for as long as I live," Viktor said in a resolute tone, making Nyissa raise her brows with a dumbfounded look.
