It Is Not The End

In some room, Heaven

Long corridors stretching in all directions, all adorned with the most beautiful golden details and the brightest of skies shining through the windows. A place of peace and tranquility, interrupted only by the sound of footsteps approaching at full speed, as if the person was running for his life. The silhouette of the owner appeared, a girl in the distance coming straight towards me, it was easy to notice that she was not human in any way, beautiful large wings proudly displayed on her back, short hair falling like a precious and delicate mantle over her head, in addition to a shy blue tint painting her entire body. But by far the most unique feature of the girl was that her body was transparent like glass, it wasn't like anything was missing from her body or anything like that, but it was literally easy to see through her body without any difficulty, she was truly made entirely of glass, undoubtedly a unique angel like no other. When she was by my side, she spoke immediately.

"I am so sorry for being late!"
"I wasn't prepared for anything as it happened very quickly, the news just reached me a few minutes ago and I came as fast as I could."
"I'm really sorry to see you here again so soon."

The girl in front of me was Momo, an angelic engineer who helped me on one of my adventures in Italy some time ago. Although a bit shy around strangers, she is passionate about all that has to do with technology and is a spaceship mechanic with a great reputation behind her. We became friends when she tried to repair my plane after I crashed in the middle of nowhere.

"Hello again, unfortunately."
"It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"I didn't think it would happen this way and so fast."
"Tell me, how are you?" I said, trying to make it sound like it wasn't a big deal.

"Oh, now I'm the captain of Team 7 Engineers and Supplies."
"Although that sounds very important, it actually just means that I'm in charge of repairing the battle ships of those lunatics who think they're the hero of a mecha series."
"It's a pretty stressful job, and hardly anyone gives us the importance we deserve; our department has been suffering from cutbacks."
"Also, the pay is not as good as I would like."
"I'm seriously thinking about quitting and maybe doing something else."
"Maybe open my own mechanic shop back home, although I'll need a lot of money to get started.

"Wow, I'm sorry. It must be hard to have such an important job and have no one notice."
"It's a shame to lose someone as good as you that way."
"Although, if you're looking for work now, I need help and someone I can trust without question."
"When I arrived, I checked my bank account and mysteriously it was half empty. When I asked why, I realized that my father was responsible."
"From what I've heard, he seems to be taking my money and doing strange things with it, I need to stop him before he does something worse."
"Maybe I should hire a caretaker to keep an eye on my things and the money he spends."

"Well, that doesn't sound too bad, certainly better than having to rebuild a fleet of 15 fighter jets in just 30 minutes."
"Tell me, will I have to live in your retirement home?"

"Ah, good question.
"Clearly, you will need to be nearby to watch over Rafael."
"But I'm sure you'll want privacy; perhaps I should build a guest house near mine."

"No! That's not necessary!"
"I have no problem living in your house!"
"You don't need to spend more money to build another small house on the island."

"Are you sure? I think it's better for you to have your own place than to live with me."

"No... that's not... What I mean is..."

"You know, I was actually on my way there."
"I'm a little lost at the moment, even though I asked for directions at the entrance gates."

"Oh, if it's to get to your house, it's pretty easy."
"Just turn right at the motorcycle market in the central district, then just go to Transportation Terminal 4, from there it's just a solar rail to the planet Avesta 7."
"Then it's just a matter of getting to Lagoon Paradise Station and taking the Happy Fiesta Bus, which stops at the Lucky Dice Hotel and Casino."
"The transport ship will drop you off right at the port of your private island.
"If you're going, try to get there before 17:00 Avesta time, after that the bus is always full and it's hard to get a seat."

"Why do you know exactly how to get to my house yard, and why is there public transportation right there?"
"Isn't a private island, you know, private?"

"Ah!"
"I forgot it was supposed to be a secret!" said the surprised Crystal Girl.

"It can't be!"
"It's my father again, isn't it? What has he done with my tropical island?"

"Well... About the missing money in the bank."
"Your father became quite a celebrity with that money."

"Oh, forget it, I have more important things to do."
"Do you happen to know where Stella's office is? I need to talk to her as soon as possible about something serious."
"It's something important concerning Atlantis and Nanami."

"Oh, about that, I heard that there was quite a fuss about what happened in Oslo."
"I heard that there's an important meeting going on right now with the higher-ups of the Celestial Security Section."
"Apparently, even THE BOSS is attending the meeting, and no one is allowed to interfere."

*Ring*Ring*Ring*

But just as Momo spoke, her phone began to ring with a majestic and ominous melody. The glass girl was startled and quickly grabbed her smartphone; it seemed to be an important call.

"Captain of Supply Team 7, Momo speaking, sir!"
"......"
"Just a moment, there's something..."
"!!!!"
"Yes, of course, sir!"
"Yes, it's right next to me!"
"I understand, sir! Immediately!" said the girl, startled by the phone call.

"Who was it? Was it important?"

"It was the important message."
"It was THE BOSS."
"He wants to see you right away; he's waiting in the main hall."
"I've been ordered to take you there."

"Okay, that's fine, no problem."

After we started walking, I could see how the long corridor in the clouds we were walking through was adjusting to our footsteps, changing direction and shifting pieces to fit where we needed to go. Even though I could see it with my own eyes, the pieces came flying in from different directions, perfectly fitting together to form a solid and stable path, as it would have been on the ground. Meanwhile, looking out the window, one could see the endless void of a fall, illuminated only by distant stars from another galaxy. After walking for a while, a huge temple of titanic proportions could be seen, placed on a floating island that could be seen flying, gradually approaching our corridor until its doors connected perfectly with the end of the path without making the slightest noise.

When we arrived, Momo took the door and forcefully opened it for me, then just made a graceful gesture for me to continue without her, saying goodbye with a simple "see you later and good luck" as I walked past her to continue closing the door.

So this was the main hall.

It was of enormous size, as its exterior betrayed, decorated in a unique and perfect way. It somewhat resembled the most famous ancient churches of Europe, but with a size that could not be measured by sight alone. Perhaps the only thing one could even dream of remotely resembling it were the great halls of the Emperor Atlante's throne. While its predecessor was unique for its beautiful neon and blue colors, this place was also unique for its perfect use of majestic gold and soothing white.

Near what appeared to be the main altar, in one of the chairs in the front row facing the table, someone was sitting. A person who looked enormous despite the great distance that separated us, I could only see their back. He was wearing a large golden armor, perfectly decorated with motifs and light, and a beautiful white cloak made of what appeared to be fine fur. The man heard the echo of my footsteps and turned to look before turning back to the temple; it was the only time I could see what seemed to be his head, and yet I couldn't make out anything because he was still too far away to notice anything.

"Hello, how are you, Cesar?"

The booming voice echoed with power and grandeur through the huge dome of the building, strong and clear despite the distance, as if he were right next to me. But at the same time, with compassion and tenderness trying to comfort me, it was clear where the source of that voice was. I stopped walking because I didn't feel able to get any closer.

"I'm fine for now, I guess," I said calmly.

"I think you already have a rough idea of why I called you here."

"I'm really sorry, I failed again in my mission to retrieve the Codex."
"..."
"Forgive me for asking, but how should I call you? The last time we spoke, you never told me your name."

"Isn't that obvious?"
"Well, you could say I'm THE BOSS of everything."
"Everyone around here calls me that."

The man in the distance replied kindly to my silly question.

THE BOSS:
"I think you have a rough idea of how this should go."
"Usually there's a process to discuss all the good and bad things you've done in your life, and to see if your accomplishments are worthy of reward."
"But the truth is, we all know the outcome of your victory in Atlantis.
"For us, you are an honored guest, and it's quite exceptional to thank the leader of such an important allied faction as you and your eternal kindness on such a dark day."
"The least I can do now is to speak to you personally, as the friend you are."
"But I'm afraid we don't have time for that anyway, the situation has changed a lot in a very short time."

"Too many things have happened, too many bad things."
"It's a cruel world out there."

THE BOSS:
"You did the right thing in the moment."
"No one can criticize you for trying to make what you thought were the best decisions."
"Is there anything you regret about your journey?"

"Too many battles, too much effort."
"Too much war, even for me."
"I'm very tired of the pain and the sacrifice."
"I can't bear this path anymore, I'm not that strong."
"Nobody wanted me there anymore, I was unnecessary."
"It is my time to rest.
"I have people waiting for me here."

THE BOSS:
"And what do you think about what you found today?"
"Didn't it seem strange to you to see them and how the people found them?"

"!!!!"
"You're right!"
"What was it all about? Why did the humans have Nanami's body there?"
"No memory of Atlantis or the dragons should be left on Earth!"
"She sacrificed everything and more to end those cruel beasts, and this is how you repay her?"
"Are her hardships and those of everyone else nothing to you?"

THE BOSS:
"I'm sorry, you're right."
"There should be nothing left of Atlantis after you used the Codex to fulfill the only wish a good person would have."
"I'm afraid this is just the prelude to a disturbing 'situation' in the future."
"I haven't told anyone yet; first I need a friend I can trust, and only now have I been able to contact you again without arousing suspicion."
"Something strange is happening in your world, on Earth; many events that shouldn't be happening are happening one after another.
"There are strange signs everywhere, clues that are out of place."
"First, one of my best agents, Lisa, went missing, and somehow she seems to have turned violent against her boss."
"The humans unconsciously discovered Nanami's body and the codex."
"The C.S.S. lost an agent during a critical mission by not taking the necessary precautions for such an important case."
"'Leaving my good friend to his fate with such a difficult task."
"These are things that cannot be left unchecked."
"Such great coincidences do not exist."
"....."
"The reason I called you is because I need your help.
"And from what I can see, you could use a little of mine, too."

"Well, it's true that what happened with Nanami was strange."
"But there are no second chances."
"Besides, both she and Luna are waiting for me."
"I can't just..."

THE BOSS:
"Nanami's soul is not in this place."

"Excuse me!"

THE BOSS:
"When Nanami died, her soul never came here in the first place."
"Details I can't discuss, secrets of the Atlanteans who hated the heavens."

"What do you mean, she's not here?"
"Shall I call the dragons to demand their release?"

THE BOSS:
"I'm sorry, but a much bigger plan is already in motion."
"The answer will come when the time is right."
"...."
"I regret having to ask you this, especially considering everything that has happened during this time."
"Despite all the efforts you've made, I must ask one more thing of you.
"You are the only friend I would ask such an important task of.

"And if you are so much THE BOSS, why should I be the one to work when I've already earned my rest?"

THE BOSS:
"Well, yes, but I can't intervene in the world of Earth when it was the same actions of man and his will that caused it."
"After all, every man is the master of his own destiny."
"Isn't that the motto of every True Dragon?"
"You know that better than anyone."
"....."
"But that doesn't mean I can't put the right person in the right place at the right time and trust them."
"...."
"Maybe I'm overthinking it, but I think there might be someone lurking in the shadows, trying to steal a future that doesn't belong to them."
"Or maybe I'm overthinking it too much."
"What I do know is that I'm not going to take any unnecessary risks, not with the Codex on the line again."
"But of course I can't leave such an important and dangerous object in the hands of just anyone."
"It has to be someone important, trustworthy, someone who can protect it, one of the very few people I know who won't use it for any reason."
"Perhaps something like a dragon, guarding such a treasure with its life, as in the legends."
"Or maybe it's something I could only entrust to a close friend."
"And I can only think of one person with such a background for the job."
"The true dragon of war, the last emperor of Atlantis, the unknown hero of the last day, the rat, the dark cloak, the lost, the tired, the useless.
"He's called by a thousand names, yet he's known by almost no one."

"Well, those are very specific requirements for such a task, no doubt," I replied sarcastically, knowing full well to whom he was referring.

THE BOSS:
"This time you'll be working directly for me, above the C.S.S."
"The Dragons almost ended the world in the most horrible way possible over something less than a vague idea."
"What couldn't happen if a new threat set its sights on the Codex?"
"With nothing else to stop the injustices they have already planned, they will end it all, just as they tried before."
"We can't let that happen."
"You were there, you know exactly what happened, you know what the price was."
"You know better than anyone what is most important, and you protect it with pride and passion."
"The only human to survive the war against the dragons."
"......"
"In exchange for your help in protecting the Codex, I'll grant you one of the greatest exceptions I can make."
"The right to return."

"What!?"
"To return!?"

THE BOSS:
"The job won't be easy."
"In fact, it is quite demanding.
"The threats could be more serious than what happened in Atlantis if the enemy is competent.
"The cost of failure is much higher.
"Your mission will be to protect the Codex in perpetuity."
"Let no one have it, NO ONE."
"Not even the Angels themselves."
"Other than that, just do what you think is right."
"Let no one stop you from fighting for what you want."

I took a moment to think about what he was telling me, I had an idea of the true weight of his words and my story behind them. All the broken promises and heavy sacrifices for the cause, Nanami, Rose, Luna, were names that time and dragons had erased. Their struggles and deaths went unheard, but the fruits of their labor were enjoyed by all. I promised them that I would end the war against the dragons, and now it is my duty to keep it won, to ensure that their sacrifice was not in vain. But perhaps above all, there was something else I wanted to do once more, deep within me was the tiny hope that something would change, something for me, to enjoy a less lonely life, the luxury of maybe one day being accompanied in my sorrows as they had been with me in those days of despair. Maybe to finally break the cycle of sadness and grief, of tears and goodbyes, of secrets and lies. And most of all, perhaps one day to gain the greatest honor a warrior can have, to return home alive and rest.

"Alright, agreed."
"I accept the task."

THE BOSS:
"I knew a good friend like that wouldn't let me down."
"That's the answer of a true friend."
"Thank you."
"I'll do my best to make everything work out this time."
" Maybe, we'll even be able to make up for the mistakes of the past."
"I'm sorry the goodbye has to be so abrupt, but you must leave now. "
"For now, I'll register you as part of the Valkyries Division."
"Perhaps your actions will gather people who are attracted to you by your deeds or your loyalty to being good, and they'll trust you wholeheartedly."
"I will create Special Operations Team 10 of the C.S.S. by special directive, by my authority, and put them under your command."
"They will act autonomously above the rest of the command, as their mission to protect the Codex takes precedence even above Heaven."
"Do not be surprised by what may happen along the way this time, trust yourself and your heart to make the right decisions that will save others from a cruel fate."
"Maybe this time the change will be permanent, maybe next time your body will flow like water."
"You better get used to having what you like to hide for once."
"I know my friend pretty well, and I know what he likes, even if he tries to pretend he doesn't."
"After all, I think the title Valkyrie suits you well."
"See you later and good luck."

Right after that, a strange pattern appeared right below me, glowing with blue light and making a strange sound. What is that for?

"Wait a minute!"
"What do you mean, Valkyries and permanent?"
"Aren't all Valkyries girls?"
"Wait, what is that hole in the ground for?"
"!!!!!"
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!"