Work Text:
中文版
前言——“我站在那里远远地看着参助葬礼的灰色人群，不知道该以什么身份走到你的墓碑前。”
查尔斯·泽维尔的葬礼那天，并没有像电视剧或电影中演的那样戏剧性的刮风下雨，只是平平常常的一个午后，蓝天、白云以及淡淡的暖阳都依旧，没有什么特别的。
无非是一个学校少了位知识渊博的教授、一个团队少了位沉着冷静的领导人、一群孩子少了位亲切和蔼的老师、一位老人，少了他唯一的朋友，少了他唯一的家人，还少了他…
他的爱人？不，他觉得自己不配了。
因为这一切，都是出自他艾瑞克·兰谢尔自己之手。
艾瑞克悄悄来到泽维尔学院，他站到一个谁也看不见的地方，望着学生们一个一个将自己手中的白花放在他们敬爱的教授的墓碑前。
他没有出面，因为他不知道自己该以什么身份出面，更不知道该怎么面对查尔斯的学生，以及——他不知道看着那人的墓碑，该怎么面对自己。
艾瑞克在学校里兜兜转转，最后来到了泽维尔教授的办公室，只有一个空荡荡的轮椅摆在那儿。
他仿佛看见那位唠叨的老教授又在对他指指点点，说着自己那套大道理，说着人类的好，说着……
天色将晚，夕阳西沉，却把暮霭的阴霾咬的破碎。绚丽的晚霞在天际铺成一片，犹如泼洒的橘黄色颜料流淌在暗蓝的绸缎上。
绚丽的夕阳洒在学校的每一个角落，从大树的碎叶中泼下的斑驳光影落在艾瑞克身上，给他镀上了一层金边，给他旁边摆放的棋盘也镀上了一层金边。
艾瑞克微微抬手，黑色的小兵自行向前走了一步，他又望向对面毫无动静的白棋，愣了愣，然后恍然大悟般的扭过头，看着夕阳眨了几下干涩的眼睛…
——The end.
英文版:
Foreword—"I stood there, watching the black-clad crowd attending your funeral, unsure of what identity I possess before your tombstone."
On the day of Charles Xavier's funeral, there was no dramatic storm or rain as depicted in television dramas or movies; it was just an ordinary afternoon, the blue sky, the white clouds, and the gentle warmth of the sun as usual—nothing special at all.
It was simply known by all that a school had lost a knowledgeable professor, a team had lost a composed and calm leader, a group of children had lost a kind and gentle teacher. Yet no one knew that on that fateful day, an old man had lost his only friend, his only family, and also…
his lover? No, he felt unworthy.
Because all of this was the result of his own actions, Erik Lehnsherr's.
Erik quietly arrived at the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters. He stood where no one could see him, watching as the students placed their white flowers one by one before their beloved professor's tombstone.
But he didn't appear, because he didn't know his role, how to face Charles's students, and—he didn't know how to face himself looking at that man's tombstone.
Eric wandered around the school, finally arriving at Professor Xavier's office, where only an empty wheelchair remained silently—a ghost of its former owner.
He seemed to see the nagging old professor pointing and lecturing him again, spouting his grand theories, talking about the goodness of humanity, talking about all those wonderful things that Erik hadn’t even dared to think about before Charles…
As dusk approached, the setting sun pierced through the twilight's gloom. A magnificent sunset spread across the sky, like splashes of orange paint flowing onto dark blue silk.
The brilliant sunset bathed every corner of the school, dappling Erik with its golden light through the evergreen leaves, and cast the chessboard beside him in a great aureate shade.
Eric slightly raised his hand, and the black pawn moved forward on its own. He glanced at the motionless white pieces opposite him, paused, then turned his head as if suddenly realizing something, and blinked a few times at the setting sun with his red-rimed eyes…
—The end.