Ragnarök, Eternal Tragedy.
Chapter 64: Stay Strong.

Chapter 64: Stay Strong.

Amari hadn’t slept in ten days. His body felt heavy, his mind clouded, but the nightmares wouldn’t let him rest. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the faces of everyone he’d lost—Nana, Apollo, the fleeting moments of happiness that had been ripped away from him. The weight of it all pressed down on him, suffocating, as he wandered aimlessly through the neighborhoods of Algoria. He didn’t know where he was going, and he didn’t care.

For days now, his heightened senses—his abnormal hearing, his sharp instincts—had faded. It was as if they’d been reset, returned to normal. But Amari didn’t acknowledge the change. He didn’t care if he was cured. Nothing mattered anymore.

"Yo! Amari! Amari! Over here, man!"

The familiar voice cut through his haze, and he turned reluctantly. It was the Ocean brothers¹. Maverick, as usual, was the loudest, bounding toward him with his usual energy.

"Damn, kid, where’ve you been?" Maverick asked, jumping onto Amari’s back in a playful way.

Amari shrugged him off, his voice flat. "Been... busy."

"No, you haven’t," Maverick shot back. "I haven’t seen you anywhere."

"I have," Amari muttered. "I just don’t want to be around people right now."

"Yeah, whatever," Maverick said, rolling his eyes. "Just come back to school, man. We miss you there."

"The teachers have been asking about you," Johnny added, his tone softer.

"I don’t care about school," Amari snapped. "I don’t care about anything. I just... I don’t want to be around you guys."

The brothers exchanged confused looks, their playful energy fading.

"My brother... We—" Maverick started, but Amari cut him off sharply.

"Brother? I don’t have brothers," he said, his voice tense, almost shaking.

"Hey, come on, man—"

"I said stay away from me!" Amari shouted, storming off without another word.

The brothers stood frozen, their confusion turning to concern.

"Amari!" Maverick called after him. "I don’t know what’s going on with you, but just know we’re here whenever you want to chill."

Amari didn’t respond. He kept walking, his feet carrying him back to the treehouse he called home. Once there, he made his way to the riverbank, his favorite spot. He sat down heavily, picking up a stone and hurling it into the water.

"Brothers," he muttered bitterly. "I don’t have brothers. I don’t want brothers. Anything to do with family—I don’t want it. More people will die, and it’ll all be my fault. Again!"

His voice rose as he threw another rock, the splash echoing his frustration.

A rustling sound came from the bushes nearby. Amari’s senses sharpened instantly, and without thinking, he hurled a rock toward the noise. It hit its target, and a figure stumbled out of the bushes, clutching their arm.

It was Johnny.

"What do you guys want?" Amari snapped, his voice harsh. "I told you—I don’t want—"

"I came alone," Johnny interrupted quickly, raising his hands in surrender. "Please don’t hurt me."

Amari narrowed his eyes. "What do you want from me?"

"I heard from one of the guards," Johnny said cautiously, stepping closer. "They said your guardian was kidnapped and killed. That you tried to save her."

"So?" Amari said coldly. "It has nothing to do with you guys."

"I know," Johnny said, his voice steady. "But why are you pushing us away? You’re alone, Amari. I don’t get why you won’t let us support you."

"You don’t get it," Amari said, his voice breaking slightly. "It’s not about me needing your support. It’s about keeping you alive."

Johnny frowned. "Bro, what are you talking about? We’re not going to die."

"Johnny, just leave me alone!" Amari shouted, his frustration boiling over.

"No," Johnny said firmly. "I’m not leaving until you tell me what’s going on with you."

Amari sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping. He turned back to the river, staring at the rippling water. Slowly, he sat down, and Johnny joined him without hesitation.

For the first time in days, Amari began to talk. He told Johnny everything—about his life as a slave, his escape to Algoria, the people who hunted him, and the devastating loss of Nana. His voice wavered as he spoke, but Johnny didn’t interrupt. He listened; his expression filled with quiet sympathy.

"I don’t know what it is," Amari said finally, his voice barely above a whisper. "Sometimes, I feel like I’m a curse."

Johnny hesitated, then smirked slightly. "That’s an understatement," he said jokingly.

Amari shot him a look.

"Too soon," Johnny muttered, raising his hands apologetically.

Amari shook his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips despite himself. "You know," he said, his tone softening, "I once met this huge monster in a lake. She looked like a demi-god or something. And she was afraid of me—more afraid of me than any human has ever been. You should’ve seen the way she looked at me, like I was some kind of curse."¹

Johnny placed a hand on Amari’s shoulder, his grip steady. "Well, I guess you’ll just have to be cursed with us," he said lightly. "Because there’s no way the five of us are dying because of some curse."

"You guys are really naive, aren’t you?" Amari said, shaking his head.

"No, we’re not," Johnny replied. "But let me tell you something you might not know about us. We’re not actual brothers."

Amari blinked. "For real?"

"Yeah," Johnny said, smiling. "We all found each other and made a promise—to stick together for the rest of our lives. It’s that simple. And now, I want you to be part of our brotherhood. The others aren’t here but trust me—they’d agree."

Amari hesitated, his gaze flicking to Johnny’s outstretched fist. Slowly, he raised his own hand, bumping his knuckles against Johnny’s.

"I really don’t want to," Amari muttered.

"Just trust us," Johnny said, his voice steady. "We can handle ourselves. Unlike your old family, we’re actually strong."

Amari sighed. "I guess."

Johnny stood, offering his hand. "Come on. Let’s go."

Amari took it, letting Johnny pull him to his feet. Together, they walked back to the building where the other brothers were waiting.

Inside, the room was alive with energy—board games scattered across the floor, playful arguments filling the air. The moment they saw Amari, their faces lit up.

"It’s about time you showed up," Maverick said, grinning as he opened his arms for a hug.

"Hey, Maverick, we’re not done with the game!" Kenneth called out, his voice sharp.

"Wait up, would you? I’m welcoming a brother back," Maverick shot back.

Kenneth rolled his eyes. "He’s been welcomed enough. Now come finish this!"

"Don’t mind him," Maverick whispered to Amari as he hugged him. "He’s just mad I’m beating him."

Amari chuckled quietly, his gaze sweeping over the room. The brothers were loud, chaotic, and completely themselves. For the first time in weeks, Amari felt a flicker of hope.

Maybe, just maybe, he’d found a family again.