Chapter 99: Chapter 99: System's Family

From the moment Ivan and Varick arrived at her door with urgent news, Lena felt the world crumbling around her. The words "Elio" and "dead" intertwined in her mind, forming a nightmare that threatened to consume her.

The journey to the wall was a blur of motion and suppressed emotions.

Lena maintained her composure for her children, but inside, she felt as if she was being torn apart. Each step away from their home was like a dagger in her heart, a constant reminder that her firstborn would never return.

Varick, wearing an expression of guilt that Lena couldn't fully comprehend, left them at the foot of the wall.

Ivan guided them up the wall's stairs, the ascent seeming endless. Lena felt Rian's weight in her arms, the little one clinging to her as if he could sense the emotional storm shaking his mother.

When they were around half the stairs, Lena encountered a group of young people, two of whom she recognized as Elio's friends. Micah and Zara were there, their faces showing confusion and concern upon seeing Elio's family.

"Mrs. Lena," Micah was the first to speak, his voice soft and cautious. "What... what are you doing here?"

Lena felt the words stuck in her throat. How could she voice the terrible truth aloud? Finally, with a broken voice, she managed to say, "Elio... we were told that Elio is..."

She couldn't finish the sentence. The tears she had been holding back finally overflowed, running freely down her cheeks.

Zara and Micah exchanged a look of astonishment and then understanding. "Oh no, Ivan didn't know," Zara said, approaching Lena. "No, Mrs. Lena, there's been a misunderstanding. Elio is alive."

The words took a moment to penetrate the fog of grief enveloping Lena's mind. "What... what did you say?" she asked, barely daring to hope.

"Elio is alive," Micah repeated, his voice firm and clear. "He returned flyi... Returned to the wall not long ago. But there was an explosion in the direction of your house, and he jum... He went to investigate if you were alright."

Lena's world stopped for an instant and then began to spin again, this time in the opposite direction. Hope, bright and powerful, blossomed in her chest.

"He's alive?" she whispered, her voice barely audible. "My Elio is alive?"

Lola, the eldest of her daughters, let out a cry of relief. "He's alive!" she exclaimed, hugging Jeanne, who had also started crying.

The news spread like a wave among Elio's siblings. Laughter mixed with tears, hugs and exclamations of joy. It was as if an enormous weight had been lifted from their shoulders.

Suddenly, a figure in the distance caught Ivan's attention. "Wait," he said, his voice tense. "There's someone there."

As they approached, the details became clearer. A body lay motionless on the ground, its face familiar despite the injuries.

"Varick," Ivan whispered, shock evident in his voice.

Lena felt her heart constrict. Varick, the young man who had saved them, who had cast aside his pride to keep them safe. Seeing him like this, motionless and pale, was a blow she hadn't expected.

"He... he saved us," Lena murmured, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

♢♢♢♢

And then she saw him.

Lena felt her heart stop for a moment. There, amidst the destruction, was her son. Covered in dust and blood, but undeniably alive.

"Elio!" Lena cried, her voice breaking with emotion.

Zara reached Elio first, wrapping him in a fierce embrace. Lena saw how her son staggered, clearly exhausted and injured. But he was alive. He was there.

The world seemed to pause for an instant. Lena watched as Elio turned slowly, their eyes meeting across the distance. She saw the exact moment understanding dawned on her son's face, quickly followed by a mixture of relief, joy, and... guilt?

Elio's family moved forward as one, with Lena at the lead. When they finally reached him, it was as if a dam had broken. They all rushed to Elio, forming a knot of arms and tears.

Lena took her son's face in her hands, her eyes scanning every detail, every wound, every mark of the battle he had fought.

"You're alive," she sobbed, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. "You're alive, my child."

She felt Elio crumble in her arms, his body shaking with sobs. "Mom," he whispered, his voice broken with emotion. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry."

Lena pulled back slightly, taking Elio's face in her hands. She saw the pain in his eyes, the guilt, the remorse. But more than anything, she saw her son, the boy she had raised, the man he had become.

"Shh," she soothed, wiping his tears with her thumbs. "You're safe. That's all that matters to me."