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Urbain feels sore in places he didn’t think were possible to be sore.
After the white-hot blinding light begins to fade from the tower, he squints open his eyes, finding Mega Floette protecting him with her own body. Metal and debris fall at his feet as a quiet cry pushes through the ringing in his ears. The telltale sign of Mega Evolution wearing off, in the form of purple and black swirls, fill the space in front of him. When it clears, Floette begins drifting toward the ground.
“Hey!”
He leaps forward, catching her in both hands. Her breaths come short, her eyes closed, but she doesn’t look hurt. She’s exhausted, and he can’t blame her.
“Don’t worry, Floette,” he murmurs, holding her gently to his chest as he looks around for some way out of this tower, or whatever’s left of it. “It’s my turn to protect you. I’ll get us outta this.” Escape comes in the form of a long metal beam, charred on the sides but at just the right angle to the ground.
Urbain steps toward it, a breeze ruffling his jacket and hair as he looks out at the starry night sky. Below, Vinnie is smiling, Harmony is ruffling Zygarde’s fur - feathers? - and Lida and Naveen are gleefully hugging each other. Suddenly, Harmony looks up, searching, and they make eye contact. Her shoulders relax a little upon seeing him, and even from this far away he can tell she’s smiling. Urbain takes a breath and steps down, leaning against the metal beam as he rides it down to the ground.
Still holding Floette safely to his chest, he looks up, watching Harmony’s concerned expression mirror his own as she runs up to him. He smiles, like he always does, and slowly holds out his hands. Floette murmurs quietly, picking up her head with a slow blink, then a smile of her own. Urbain fist bumps Harmony, and the fact that they won finally washes over them.
Floette floats into the air, leaving both of Urbain’s hands open now, and Harmony takes that opportunity to rush forward, throwing her arms around his neck. “We did it!” she breathes, and suddenly, Lida and Naveen are at his side too, joining in the hug.
“Jeez, Urbain, I’m so glad you’re okay!” Lida cries from his right.
“Pretty brave, what you did up there,” Naveen adds from his left.
Urbain smiles again, letting himself relax in his friends’ embrace. “Thanks. But you know I couldn’t do it without you all! Team MZ!”
The three of them pull away from the hug as Vinnie approaches them, his sunglasses now pushed up to the top of his head. His eyes are alight with pride. “Congratulations, you four. Lumiose is forever in your debt.” They all pause for a moment to look up at the destroyed tower. It’s now covered in grass, probably thanks to Floette. “I know we have asked much of you already, but can I trouble you to visit Quasartico? I believe the president has something she would like to give you for all your hard work.”
Urbain grins, looking between his friends. “You know, you don’t have to do that. We all worked together to save the city. That’s all we wanted from the beginning.”
Vinnie chuckles, clearly not phased by that sentiment. “Yes, well, you know Jett. She’s quite persistent.”
“We wouldn’t want to keep the president waiting!” Lida says, nudging Urbain’s shoulder.
“You don’t have to be so modest all the time,” Naveen murmurs, mostly under his breath.
Out of the corner of his eye, Urbain notices Floette with a strange look on her small face. As if almost in a trance, she begins floating down a nearby street. No one else notices, but before Urbain can say anything, a terrible feeling of dread nearly knocks him off of his feet. He stumbles backward, unable to show anything else on his face other than surprise.
“Whoa! You okay?” Harmony asks, a hand coming up to support his back in case he falls. He doesn’t, but his gaze flicks toward the street Floette disappeared down. He’s not one for keeping secrets, especially not from his team, but he can’t shake this feeling of unease.
Swallowing thickly, Urbain plasters a smile onto his face. “Totally just got lightheaded, there. I think I’m gonna head back to the hotel. Would you all go meet the president for me? Tell her I’m really sorry I missed her, and I’ll come by in the morning?”
Lida and Naveen exchange a worried look. Harmony stares at Urbain, clearly wanting to argue, but perhaps the look in his eyes is enough to convince her that he needs to go alone, whatever the reason may be. Slowly, her hand falls from his back and she straightens up. “Go. We’ll catch up with you.”
This time, the smile comes a little easier. After one more sweeping glance at his friends, he heads down the street, turning the corner. When he’s sure he’s out of their line of sight, his shoulders sag a bit as he looks for Floette. As he expects, she’s heading right for the hotel.
“Floette! Wait up!”
She either doesn’t hear him or ignores him. He quickens his pace, nearly at a jog now as he races down the empty streets. His heart sinks as the feeling of dread blossoms into an indescribable fear.
He shouldn’t be afraid. They won.
The familiar sight of the hotel looms ahead as he passes through the stone gate. He watches wordlessly as Floette floats upward toward the roof, that strange look still on her face, and bites his tongue on accident when he tries to call out to her. Instead, he just stares upward, assuming she must be going to meet AZ, but the anguished cry that escapes her is unlike anything he’s ever heard before.
The indescribable fear he’d been feeling envelops him completely as he darts inside. The ride in the elevator feels like it takes years. When the doors open, he gets his answer.
The roof of Hotel Z had always been rather small, but it’s very obvious now under this starlit sky. Spread out nearly across the whole thing is AZ, his much-too-long limbs brushing the fence around the roof. He’s laying on his back, his eyes closed, a small smile on his otherwise still face. His cane lay beside him, and Floette has positioned herself on his chest, whimpering softly.
“AZ!” Urbain cries, rushing forward to kneel beside him. “Hey, are you okay?”
It’s with a start that he realizes that AZ’s skin is cold, and not just because of the night air. Darkness threatens to swallow him whole as his gaze drifts toward AZ’s chest. It’s not moving.
Urbain feels like he’s going to be sick. He shakes his head, reaching forward to take AZ’s hand in his own. His thumb presses against his wrist. “N-No, no, you’re…you can’t…”
He was too late.
The scream that rips from his throat doesn’t sound like his own voice. He screams until he’s out of breath.
“How could you?!” The unrelenting burn in his eyes and the tightening in his chest are familiar feelings, but he’s not sure he can hold them back like he usually does. “This isn’t fair! We won! You aren’t supposed to be able to die - !” He chokes on the word, because it makes it real.
His breath, short and ragged, gives him something else to focus on rather than the impending tears. It feels like the ground is being ripped out from under him, and he tightens his grip on AZ’s hand.
When he speaks again, his voice is quiet, pathetic, broken. “We won, AZ. We won.”
For the first time since he’d come up to the roof, Urbain glances away from the old man, finding a small envelope on the table nearby. The letter is addressed to Team MZ. With a shaking hand, he reaches forward to take it, but before he can open it, the elevator dings. Harmony, Lida, and Naveen tumble out of the elevator, one after the other.
“We heard screaming,” Harmony breathes, clearly winded from the trip over here. “Is everything -”
Before he can say anything, Lida shouts. ““AZ!” She rushes to kneel on the other side of the old man, her face twisted with worry. “What happened to him?”
Urbain can barely find the words, but he has to. He’s Team MZ’s leader. He has to find them. “He’s…” Floette whimpers sadly as he glances up at Naveen and Harmony. “He’s gone.”
The words linger in the air for a long time. Naveen, surprisingly, is the one to break the silence. “Gone,” he echoes, sinking to his knees, staring with a sort of far-away look on his face.
“He can’t be,” Harmony mumbles, staring down at the old man with a very confused and hurt expression. “He was…He was fine, just a few hours ago.”
Tears are streaming down Lida’s face. She stifles a sob and rests her forehead on AZ’s chest, mumbling something that ends up being too muffled for the rest of them to make out.
Swallowing the lump in his throat, Urbain forces himself to move, to look down at the letter in his hands. “AZ left us a letter,” he says, though every word feels like an individual punch to his gut. He has to act like a leader now. “It’s addressed to us all. I’m…I’m gonna read it.”
My dear Team MZ,
I can’t thank you enough for everything you have done for me. You have saved the people of Lumiose, reversed my callous mistakes. For that, I am eternally grateful. It is my time, after 3000 years, and my only regret is that I will not be able to say goodbye. I apologize.
I have already taken care of all preparations for what is to happen to me when I am gone. I could not burden you with this, not after everything else. Emma will take care of it. When you read this, call her over, and she will know what to do. For now, all I ask is that you continue to care for Floette while I am gone. My sweet Floette, being reunited with you was the best thing to ever happen to me.
And you, children, mean the world to me. Thank you.
Urbain doesn’t realize his hands are shaking until he finishes reading, hearing the paper rustle in his tight grip. Lida is staring at him, large tears still rolling down her face, her breaths stunted with each strained inhale. Naveen is staring blankly at the roof fence, though Urbain gets the distinct feeling that he’s not really looking at it. Harmony is quietly wiping her cheeks, standing a respectful distance away, perhaps feeling like she doesn’t deserve to mourn as fully as the rest of them do.
Despite the fact that his entire body feels heavy, Urbain manages to take out his phone. When Emma answers, she doesn’t have her usual smile, as if she’s been expecting this call all along. Her demeanor is soft and unwavering, the way Urbain has been desperately trying to be since Lida, Naveen, and Harmony joined him on the roof. She tells him to hold tight. They don’t have any other options.
The next hour passes in a blur. Emma doesn’t come to the hotel alone; Tarragon, uncharacteristically stoic, stands by her side with a handful of workers. When they come up to the roof to gently pick up AZ’s body, Urbain has to hold Lida back. She screams and cries, begging them not to take him, that she’s not ready yet. Her sobs echo into the sky as Floette tiredly lands on Harmony’s shoulder, whining softly.
When the elevator doors close, Urbain feels Lida go limp in his arms as she knows she’s lost the fight, but he doesn’t let go right away. He peers over the fence of the roof, watching the construction workers handle AZ with care. Emma and Tarragon are talking, but Urbain is too far away to make anything out. Instead, he gently moves Lida back a bit, holding both her shoulders. Her head hangs uselessly, hair falling in her face.
“C’mon,” he says quietly, knowing he has to be strong enough for them all right now. “We should…we should get inside.”
Slowly, Lida lifts her head a bit. Her voice is small and broken, barely a whisper. “And then what? What’ll we do without AZ?”
Naveen and Harmony look at Urbain expectantly. He has to come up with an answer for them.
He exhales shakily, attempting a smile. “We’re still Team MZ. We’ll help the people and Pokémon of Lumiose, just like we always do.” He shakily gets to his feet, hauling Lida with him. “We should go see what Emma has to say.”
Still offering some support to her, Urbain places a hand on the small of Lida’s back, slowly leading her toward the elevator. Naveen and Harmony have no choice but to follow, with the latter gently picking up AZ’s cane before they go. The ride down to the lobby is eerily silent.
When the doors open, they’re met with Emma, who is standing uncomfortably in the middle of the lobby. They step out of the elevator one by one, and she eyes each of them with a somewhat tired look in her eyes. “AZ knew his time was coming.” She answers their unasked question quietly, as if to spare them from asking it aloud. “He asked me to make the preparations a few weeks ago. He is to be buried in the Dormez Bien Cemetery tomorrow morning. Tonight, you should get some rest.” Her gaze then bores into Urbain, like she knows something he doesn’t. “Can I have a word?”
Blinking, he looks between his friends. He manages a small nod and walks across the lobby to join her, and up close, he sees just how frazzled she looks. Her hair is messier than usual, the circles under her eyes slightly darker. Perhaps he’s imagining it, but he thinks she might have been crying, too.
“We found this in AZ’s pocket,” she says, quietly holding out a small envelope to him. It bears his name in messy scrawl. “He really loved you, Urbain. He wanted to greet you before…well.” She takes a sharp breath. “I’m sorry it turned out like this.”
He stares down at the envelope for a moment, then gently sticks it into his jacket pocket, swallowing the large lump in his throat. As usual, he manages his signature smile at her. “Thanks, Emma.”
She nods, taking one last look at the rest of them, then turns. She pauses in the doorway, her shoulders sagging slightly. “I am sorry, you lot.”
When she leaves, Urbain can’t help but think that, although the hotel has always been quiet, it’s never felt quieter.
He makes the first move, stepping toward their armchairs, making an effort not to look over at the reception desk, and takes a Pokéball from his belt. Tossing it, Emboar materializes in front of him, immediately noticing a strange air to the room. He looks at his trainer curiously, and Urbain smiles at him, though he’s not sure if it reaches his eyes.
“Hey, buddy. We gotta get a fire going. Think you can lend a hand?”
Emboar bellows an affirmative, turning his attention to the pile of wood in the fireplace. He shoots a steady stream of fire from its collar, setting the wood ablaze. Urbain smiles again, reaching up to scratch under Emboar’s chin the way he likes it.
With the fire going, Urbain notices Harmony move first, stepping up to also quietly thank Emboar, forcing a smile of her own. She releases her Meganium, where the two Pokémon perk up upon seeing each other. “No battles tonight, guys,” she says with a slight chuckle. “We’re taking it easy.”
Floette floats up, landing on Meganium’s nose, which makes her sneeze. Lida has to stifle a watery laugh as she lets Starmie out of its ball, quickly followed by Naveen letting out Scrafty. With their partners free, Team MZ sits in their respective chairs. For a moment, the silence isn’t bad, but familiar and comfortable.
While Harmony talks about Zygarde to fill the silence, Urbain takes that moment to head toward the kitchen, making a comment over his shoulder about making tea. The kitchen is still in a mess from where he left it. He can nearly imagine AZ at his side, chuckling good-naturedly at the fact that Urbain seems to have so much fun in the kitchen. Now, though, it’s just quiet and empty.
He steps toward the stove, grabbing the kettle to fill with water. While the faucet runs, Urbain reaches into his pocket, pulling out the envelope that says his name. He knows he ought to wait, that he shouldn’t be reading this when the others are depending on him to help them get through this night, but these thoughts don’t stop him from sticking his thumb beneath the seal. He’s about halfway through when approaching footsteps stop him in his tracks.
Sticking it back into his pocket, he whirls around to find Naveen in the doorway, looking somewhat pensive. “Hey,” he greets softly. “The girls are talking about, um, girl stuff.” Urbain decides not to pry on the details, which prompts Naveen to continue. “I wanted to ask you something.”
Urbain twists to turn off the faucet, pulling the kettle up onto the stove. “Go ahead.” The fire roars beneath the metal, and he turns his gaze back to Naveen, who looks uneasy.
“How did you…know?” When Urbain gives him a confused look, Naveen shifts his weight from one foot to the other and takes a step closer. “You knew something was wrong, right? That’s why you came back to the hotel instead of going to Quasartico.”
Somewhat caught off guard, Urbain blinks. “I -”
“You should have told us,” Naveen cuts him off, a little more emotional than before. “We’re supposed to be a team! Why did you go alone? We could have helped! We could have…”
He trails off, his face screwing up tightly as a few tears roll down his cheeks. Urbain steps forward to meet him, shaking his head slightly. “Naveen, I’m sorry,” he murmurs. “I didn’t know what it was, but I knew something was wrong. I didn’t want to worry you. Floette went off on her own, so I just followed her. A-And by the time I got here, it…” His voice catches in his throat. “it was too late.”
Naveen’s hands begin to shake. He curls them into fists in an attempt to stop it. “It’s…not fair,” he mumbles. “We won, but at what cost?”
Urbain shakes his head and reaches forward, pulling the other boy into a quiet embrace. “It’s not fair,” he agrees, feeling Naveen tense under his arms, though he doesn’t make any attempt to pull away, “but we saved the city. We made AZ’s wishes come true before he…before he left.” He can’t bring himself to say the word.
Slowly, arms come up to return the embrace, and Naveen rests his forehead on Urbain’s shoulder, stifling a quiet sob. AZ had helped all of them, and though Urbain had been the one to say the words, he’s not sure if they truly were able to repay him for everything they did for him. He supposes they just have to assume it was enough.
Urbain holds Naveen until the tea kettle begins screaming.
Naveen quietly pulls away, wiping at one of his cheeks, somewhat embarrassed. “Thanks,” he mumbles, turning toward the cabinets to grab a few mugs while Urbain grabs the teabags.
“Anytime.”
They work together in silence to finish making the tea, and grab two mugs each. Naveen has regained his composure completely by the time they make their way back out to the lounge, and it’s as if the last few minutes hadn’t happened at all. Naveen gives a mug to Lida, and Urbain gives a mug to Harmony.
When they all sit together, Urbain holds his mug up. “To AZ,” he says, and the other three nod and lift up their mugs as well, toasting their dear mentor before allowing themselves to drain their mugs.
An hour later, empty mugs lay forgotten on the floor, and what’s left of the fire burns gently. Urbain looks at his friends; Lida is curled up on her side, with Starmie sharing the chair with her. Naveen has an elbow on the armrest, supporting his cheek with his hand while he dozes. Scrafty sits on the floor, his back against the chair. Harmony lay back against the seat, with Meganium curled up on the floor at her feet and Floette curled up in her lap. Despite the fact that he wants to join them in sleep, Urbain can’t.
His body is tired, but his mind is racing. He recalls Emboar back to his ball and sits up a bit straighter, knowing that the envelope burning a hole in his pocket is partly to blame for this. With the remaining embers in the fire, he shakily finishes unsealing the envelope and pulls out the letter.
Urbain,
I had hoped to tell you all of this in person, but I fear I will not be able to hold on that long. I write this now, as you, Harmony and Floette race to stop Ange, my creation, the culmination of all of my sins. And yet, in this moment, I find myself thinking of you, my boy. In all of my long years roaming this Earth in my shame, I never could have imagined I would find another being besides Floette to care so deeply for. We have known each other for a short time, but it has made the last year of my life the best of all.
Just as I believe fate brings Pokémon and people together, I believe fate brought me to you that day. Team MZ is special to me, but you, dear Urbain, gave me the strength to carry on. Your unwavering optimism reminds me so much of myself as a boy, before my mistakes. I pray that you live a life free of regret, free from any burden. You are the best of us. Keep training, keep battling Harmony, and please, take care of yourself.
Your friend,
AZ
With a start, Urbain realizes he hasn’t breathed the entire time he was reading the letter. He exhales, but finds it difficult to inhale. He’s barely able to fold the letter back up and stick it back in his pocket because the edges of his vision are blackening. Despite the fact that his chest feels like it might explode, despite the fact that he’s terrified of this feeling, his first thought is that he can’t wake the others.
He shakily stands up and stumbles toward the front door, simply because it’s closer than the elevator. The night air is cool on his sweaty skin, and suddenly, for the first time ever, Urbain feels the urge to get as physically far away from Hotel Z as he can. He runs.
He runs as if he’s being chased by an alpha Pokémon. It’s late enough now that the streets are mostly empty, but stray Pidgey and Trubbish seem to stare at him as he tears down the road. He still can’t see much of anything, and his chest is still dense with sharp pain. He focuses on the burning in his lungs instead. There’s no destination in mind; just away.
Naveen’s voice echoes in his head as he thinks over the letter. It’s not fair. It’s not fair. It’s not fair it’s not fair it’s not -
Suddenly, his foot catches a jagged stone and he trips, falling onto all fours. He’s practically heaving now, desperately trying to force air through his lungs, and he thinks he must be dying. His vision goes in and out, but before he can succumb to death or whatever this is, a pair of shoes appears before him.
“Well. This is unexpected.”
That voice. Urbain knows that voice. It’s all he can do to make himself lift his head a bit, hair falling in his face as the owner of the voice crouches down. Familiar gold eyes narrow as the man tilts his head, and through his limited vision, Urbain wonders if he imagines the slight concern.
“What is the savior of Lumiose doing out here at this hour?” Corbeau muses, placing a hand beneath Urbain’s chin to help him lift his head. “I can’t say I’ve ever seen you look worse, Urbain.”
“I -” he chokes on the word, like he’s forgotten how to speak. As the burning in his lungs begins to subside, he notices the burning in his eyes.
“This won’t do,” Corbeau continues, as if he hadn’t said anything, taking Urbain’s arms and hauling him to his feet. “C’mon, kid. Headquarters isn’t far.”
Urbain wants to ask how Corbeau knew he’d be here. He wants to ask why Corbeau even cares. All he can do is focus on his breathing.
In any other circumstance, having Corbeau’s hand on his shoulder would have been unnerving, but right now, it’s grounding, and Urbain slowly comes to realize his vision is clearing, despite the fact that he’s still heaving his breaths. He can’t be sure if it’s minutes or hours later that they ascend the steps to the Rust Syndicate headquarters. There aren’t any grunts around when they enter the elevator, and Corbeau’s office is significantly empty. No trace of anyone, not even Phillipe.
Corbeau gently shoves Urbain back onto one of the couches, and he sits across from him. He presses his fingertips together, his shoulders carrying uncharacteristic tension. For a long moment, neither of them speak. Then, he exhales slowly, his voice strangely quiet. “This emotion you’re feeling…I know it quite well. And I know you can’t run from it.”
“What?” Urbain’s first coherent word sounds strangled in his throat. The panic in his chest is replaced, briefly, by a sense of anger. What does Corbeau know?
“Ah, yes, the anger, too. How predictable.” Calmly adjusting his glasses, Corbeau leans back against the couch, eyeing him carefully. “The feeling of needing to push through for others, that you’ll be fine if you don’t talk about it. If you don’t think about it. Sooner or later, no matter how far you run, it catches up to you.”
As if he pressed a switch, the anger suddenly dissipates. Urbain blinks, gripping his chest like he could pull his own heart out and make it feel better. “So, you know that AZ…”
“Has passed on, yes.” Corbeau seemingly gets some satisfaction from watching some surprise etch itself onto Urbain’s face. “The Rust Syndicate has eyes everywhere, Urbain. You should know this by now.” His expression twists into a more serious one. “My…mother died, you see, when I was quite young. I was left alone after that, so I ran. I poured my heart and soul into surviving, into helping stray Pokémon, until someone found me and took me in.”
Urbain blinks, finding it somewhat easier to breathe now. “Corbeau, I’m sorry.”
The man lifts a hand to stop him, shaking his head. “I am not sharing this for pity. Especially not from you.” He leans forward, his gaze rather piercing. “The man who took me in was rough around the edges. He had a troubled past as well. He took one look and saw right through me. Just as I see through you now.”
“What?” Urbain frowns, slowly releasing the fabric of his shirt from his clenched grip. He lowers his hand to his lap. “What are you talking about?”
Seemingly annoyed, though perhaps just pretending to be (Urbain can’t shake the feeling he’s getting some amusement out of this), Corbeau tilts his head. “You spent tonight only thinking of your team, is that correct? You didn’t let yourself feel anything, and then something happened that made you feel like your heart was going to explode.”
Urbain wants to be angry that he hit the nail on the head, but he can only sigh dejectedly. “Yes.”
“As I thought.” He leans back against the couch again, this time with a clear air of satisfaction. He sobers within a moment. “Look, kid, I’m gonna be honest with you. It sucks. But you gotta let yourself feel. Otherwise, the state I found you in tonight will continue to overtake you. You either let it happen, or it will come when you least expect it.”
Despite himself, Urbain’s thoughts drift to AZ’s letter. Please, take care of yourself. The burning in his eyes comes quickly and naturally. He turns his face away from Corbeau, but he doesn’t hold it back this time. For the first time in a very long while, Urbain cries.
He thinks of the day he and AZ met. He thinks about how empty the hotel seems without his commanding presence, and he thinks about Floette, finally reunited with him after all this time, to only be separated once again. He thinks about Lida and Naveen, openly weeping for AZ too. He thinks about Harmony, the best friend he’s ever had, how easily she seemed to enchant AZ as well.
He thinks about all the things he wishes he could say. He thinks about how much he wishes he could hear AZ’s voice again.
Suddenly, there’s a tissue hovering in front of him.
At some point, Corbeau had stood up, and is now standing in front of him with a tissue held out, somehow still looking cool. He’s not looking Urbain in the eye, but there’s an expression on his face that Urbain registers as empathy. Slowly, gratefully, he takes the tissue.
“Why did you…” It’s not as hard to speak this time, and he forces himself to look up. “Why did you help me?”
Corbeau blanches, but then seemingly remembers he has a reputation to uphold. He clears his throat. “Just because you paid your debt to me does not mean you are impotent,” he answers, though his voice is slightly more strained than usual. “We can’t have the leader of Team MZ rendered useless, now, can we?”
Urbain smiles as he wipes his face, finding himself, strangely, feeling a little better. “Still can’t admit you’re a good guy, huh?”
That makes a blush spread across his pale cheeks, and if it wasn’t such a weird night, Urbain might’ve gloated. “You know quite well how ruthless I am.” Corbeau’s voice doesn’t have nearly the same bite it usually does. “Besides…” He drops the act, just a little. “I vowed to protect and help the people of Lumiose. You, Urbain, are a person from Lumiose.”
“Guess so. Thanks.” Urbain smiles again, wondering how he was ever wary around this guy.
Corbeau nods, taking a seat on the couch opposite him once again. Strangely, when they talk about AZ, it’s not awkward, and it doesn’t make Urbain want to vomit.
The next thing he knows, Urbain wakes up.
A small sliver of sunlight is poking through a nearby window. He’s laying on his side, with a blanket thrown over his body. When he sits up, he finds Corbeau at his desk, who smirks slightly upon seeing him. “Good morning. I was just about to wake you.” He stands up, and Urbain does too, rolling his shoulders back. “It’s almost time for the funeral. Are you ready?”
Urbain blinks, glancing toward the window. Today’s a new day. He’s going to live it free of regret and burden, like AZ wants him to.
“Yeah. Let’s go!”