Chapter 45 - Pilse Arc
Once Calo announces a village-wide celebration for the fall of Anti Society, Pilse erupts into motion. Within hours, the village square transforms. Vendor stalls line the streets. Decorations stretch from building to building. Lanterns are strung overhead, ready for nightfall.
At the center of it all, a massive stack of wood is built for a bonfire. Large enough for everyone to see.
Restaurants prepare enormous quantities of food. The air fills with rich aromas, drawing people out into the streets.
Everywhere Sonny looks, people are rushing. Preparing. Laughing. Alive.
The celebration is set to begin at sunset.
Zoa returns home shortly after. Her parents are waiting.
“What did Calo want?” one of them asks.
“It was council business,” she says, steadying her voice. “I can’t really talk about it yet. You’ll know more tomorrow.”
They exchange a look, then nod. That’s enough for them.
Zoa doesn’t say anything else. Not today. Not yet.
She moves down the hall and quietly opens her sister’s door. Still asleep. Peaceful.
Zoa lingers there a moment, watching, making sure that hasn’t changed.
A small smile crosses her face.
She closes the door softly and heads to her room.
The moment the door shuts behind her, the tension breaks.
Her shoulders drop. Her breath catches.
And the tears come. Slow at first, then harder as she presses a hand to her mouth to keep quiet.
No one else hears.
The rest of the day smiling, helping where she can, staying close to her family. Holding onto the moment while she still has it.
Sonny returns to the outskirts of the village. He sits in his usual space, away from the noise.
His body has already recovered from the fight. His bandages tighten and settle naturally on his torso, hidden. Within hours, most of the damage from the battle is gone.
He closes his eyes and begins to meditate and train.
Draco appears as expected.
“Still chasing power?” Draco asks.
“I want to better understand demon ether and harness your abilities,” Sonny replies.
He reaches inward. Demon ether flows through him.
It’s heavier than his own. Denser. More volatile. Strong.
He stabilizes it, holding it in place as long as he can.
“Good,” Draco says. “Now let’s test the limits.”
Sonny shifts into Terra form.
He experiments, slowly layering Draco’s ether into his abilities. Ether Orbs. Marici. Ether Jab.
One by one, he integrates the ether.
Each technique becomes sharper. More destructive. Harder to control.
After a few hours of meditation and testing his ether, Sonny starts to question it.
Why does he need this much power?
With the Omegas gone, there is no immediate threat looming over him. Even without Draco’s ether, Sonny knows he is already among the strongest people alive.
He exhales slowly, looking down at his hands. “I might not even need this,” he says quietly.
Draco responds almost immediately. “Maybe,” he says. “You probably won’t. But don’t fool yourself into thinking the world just gets easier from here.”
Sonny looks up slightly. “What do you mean?”
Draco’s tone sharpens just a bit.
“The chase for power will never rest. You saw what that supplement did to Ruin,” he says. “That was a weak man abusing a fragment of power he barely understood.”
Sonny raises a brow waiting for Draco to make his point.
Draco continues. “Now imagine someone stronger,” he says. “Someone trained. Someone with real control. If they got their hands on something like that and pushed it further…”
He lets the thought hang for a moment.
“Who knows what that person would be capable of,” Draco finishes. “Many times, people chasing power are desperate...”
Sonny doesn’t answer right away.
The idea sinks in.
A stronger mage. Perhaps on the cusp of Top 15. Amplified. Unstable. Possibly beyond anything Sonny has seen.
“…And that’s where your ether could be of use,” Sonny says.
Draco hums in agreement. “That’s where it becomes necessary.”
Sonny nods slowly. “It’s possible,” he says. “Rare… but possible.”
He looks out toward the village again. “I just hope it never happens.”
Draco lets out a quiet, almost amused breath. “So do I.”
Sonny pushes himself up, and looks out at Pisle. Ether training will resume later.
After some training exercises and routines, he turns and begins walking back toward Calo’s residence to prepare for the celebration.
Later in the early evening, Sonny arrives at Calo’s home.
He knocks. Calo’s wife answers with a warm smile.
“Come in,” she says. “You’re just in time.”
Sonny steps inside.
“Is it alright if I clean up here?” he asks. “Before the celebration.”
“Of course,” she replies. “I’ll get you a towel.”
Calo enters from another room.
“Glad you made it,” he says. “We’re about to head out soon.”
“I won’t take long,” Sonny replies.
Calo nods. “I’m giving the opening speech,” he adds. “I’d like you on stage with me.”
Sonny pauses. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? There are people here who lost someone because of me,” he says.
Calo nods. “There are.”
He steps closer.
“But there are far more standing out there because of you. And they can return to peace of mind.”
Sonny doesn’t respond.
After a moment, he nods. “Okay.”
Calo gives a small smile and places a hand on Sonny’s shoulder. “You should let yourself feel good about what you did. Peace can return to thousands of people because of your actions.”
Feeling good about his actions is a foreign concept to Sonny. This is the first time his actions have resulted in a clear net positive for society.
Calo’s words shift something in Sonny. Maybe he will try to embrace the gratitude tonight.
After washing up, Sonny returns.
Before they leave, Calo stops him.
“There’s something I want to offer you,” Calo says.
Sonny listens.
“A place here in Pilse,” Calo continues. “A home. You don’t have to leave.”
Sonny considers it. A true place to call home entices him.
Then shakes his head. “I can’t,” he says. “At least not yet.”
Calo studies him, then nods.
“Then know this,” he says. “You will always have a place here.”
Sonny gives a small nod. “Thank you.”
They arrive at the stage as the sun begins to set.
Sonny and Calo step onto the stage, greeting the council members as they take their places. Each of them thanks Sonny quietly, some with firm handshakes, others with small bows.
Sonny nods, but his attention drifts outward.
The view behind the stage stretches across the mountains, the sun dipping low against the horizon and casting the sky in deep orange and gold. In front of him, a large crowd fills the square. Hundreds upon hundreds of people talk, laugh, and wait.
For a moment, Sonny just stands there taking it all in.
He sees it clearly now. The joy. The relief. The lives put back together. He also feels the weight behind it. All of it came at a cost.
He closes his eyes briefly, then opens them again.
Calo steps forward to the edge of the stage as Sonny takes his seat.
He raises his hand.
“People of Pilse.”
The crowd begins to quiet, voices fading until the square falls into a steady hush.
Calo scans the crowd, then speaks again, his tone slower now.
“We begin tonight not with celebration… but with remembrance.”
The shift in the crowd is immediate.
“I ask you all to bow your heads,” he continues, “for those who were taken from us… and never came home.”
The crowd lowers their heads. Silence spreads across the entire village.
Calo takes a breath.
“They were our family. Our friends. Our children. People who laughed in these streets… who built their lives here… who deserved to grow old surrounded by the people they loved.”
His voice tightens slightly.
“They did not get that chance.”
The silence deepens.
“We will carry them with us,” Calo says. “Not just in grief, but in how we choose to move forward. Their lives mattered. And this night belongs to them as much as it does to us.”
A few soft sobs can be heard throughout the crowd.
After a moment, Calo lifts his head.
“And now,” he says, “we honor what their sacrifice enable for Pilse.”
The crowd follows.
“Our nightmare is over. Anti Society has been destroyed. Many of our people have returned home. And this morning… their leader, Ruin, was brought to an end.”
The crowd erupts. Cheers rise quickly, loud and powerful.
Calo raises his hand again, calming them.
“A few days ago, this felt impossible,” he continues. “We feared for our future. For our families. For our very survival.”
He pauses.
“Then we found a man at the base of a mountain. Someone who I questioned as an enemy, but in turn, became the key to our freedom. A man who stood before this council and said he would end Anti Society.”
Calo turns slightly.
“Sonny Hendricks. Step forward please.”
Sonny moves beside him. The applause hits all at once. Louder than before.
“Many of us doubted him,” Calo says honestly. “We laughed at his offer. We questioned his strength.”
A few scattered chuckles ripple through the crowd.
“Never again will I or anyone here make that mistake again,” Calo continues. “He did exactly what he said he would do.”
He gestures toward Sonny.
“He walked into that fortress alone… and returned with our people. The Messiah of Pilse.”
The cheering grows.
“He is the reason you stand here tonight. The reason your families are whole again. The reason we have peace of mind again. The reason Pilse still stands.”
Sonny bows slightly.
Calo turns toward him.
“I know what it cost,” he says more quietly. “The choices you had to make… the weight you now carry. We do not ignore that.”
A brief pause.
“But because of you… we have a future.”
He turns back to the crowd.
“And for that, we honor you.”
The crowd roars again.
Calo gestures, and Zoa steps forward.
“Council member Zoa brings a symbol of our gratitude,” Calo says.
Zoa carefully places the bracelet on Sonny’s wrist.
“This bracelet is given to members of our community,” Calo explains. “It means you are one of us. No matter where you go, Pilse will always be a home for you to return to.”
Sonny looks at it briefly, then nods.
Calo reaches down, picking up a bottle and holding it high.
“Tonight,” he calls out, his voice rising again, “we remember the fallen…”
He raises it slightly higher.
“…we celebrate the living…”
He smiles.
“…and we take back our future.”
He cracks the bottle open.
“Let the celebration begin!”
The crowd explodes into cheers. Music rises. People surge outward toward food, drinks, and dancing.
The night begins.
People approach Sonny constantly.
“Thank you.”
“You saved us.”
“You gave us everything back.”
Each one tells a story.
Each one carries a burden from the Antis.
Sonny listens.
This time, he doesn’t rush them. Doesn’t deflect.
When they finish, he answers simply.
“You’re welcome.”
Again. And again. It feels strange at first. Unfamiliar. But he doesn’t push it away.
The warmth builds slowly in his chest as he stands there, surrounded by people who are still alive. Because of him.
He exhales. “…Good,” he mutters quietly.
And lets the feeling stay.
Eventually, the crowd thins around him.
He finds a bench. Sits and eats. For a moment, he just exists.
“Mind if I sit?” Zoa politely asks.
“Go ahead,” Sonny says.
She sits beside him.
“You look different today,” she says.
“How so?”
“Less… heavy,” she replies. “It’s a good thing. Even with that usual sad expression, I can tell you’re happier.”
Sonny thinks for a moment. “…Maybe,” he says.
A small pause.
“…I think I’m just… trying not to push it away anymore.”
He glances out at the crowd. “The good parts, I mean.”
Another beat passes.
“…It feels different.”
She looks up at the sky.
“I’m sorry,” she says. “For everything.”
“No apology needed,” Sonny replies. “You did what you had to. I’m familiar with that helpless feeling all too well.”
A pause.
“I guess I’ll be gone for a while,” she adds. “After tonight.”
Sonny nods.
“When I’m done serving my time,” she continues softly, “I want to see the world. Get a fresh start.” A small smile forms. “After everything, I still do.”
Sonny looks at her. “You have so much passion for exploring. It’s a good thing.”
She hesitates, then blurts out, “Calo told me he offered you a home in Pilse. You should stay. You said you wanted a home. Live here as a hero and protector.”
Sonny shakes his head. “I cannot do that.”
“Then…” she fumbles, “wait for me to get out here. We could travel together.”
He smiles faintly.
“That sounds nice. But I have my own atonements to handle.”
She nods slowly. “I know. You mentioned that before.”
“Well then, we must enjoy tonight,” She stands and holds out her hand. “Dance with me. Let's have some fun.”
Sonny looks at it. Then takes her hand.
They spend the rest of the night forgetting. Dancing. Laughing. Talking. Not about pain. Not about mistakes.
Just… living.
Later, as the night winds down, they stand together one last time.
“I guess this is goodbye,” Zoa says.
She hugs him.
Then kisses his cheek lightly.
“When we meet again,” she says, “you better have some good stories.”
Sonny smiles and nods. “I’m sure I will.”
They separate.
On his way out, Sonny runs into Calo.
“Is this it? You’re leaving?” Calo asks.
“In the morning.”
Calo extends his hand.
“Thank you. For everything.”
Sonny shakes it.
“You’re welcome. And thank you for letting me stay.”
He walks off into the night.
The next morning, Sonny reviews a list. Thirty-seven names. People he killed as an Omega. Good or bad, it never mattered back then. It does now. They had lives. Connections. Families.
He exhales slowly, letting the weight settle… but not crush him.
For a moment, his thoughts drift to Pilse. To the people who were still alive.
“…It mattered,” he says quietly. Not clean. Not perfect. But it mattered.
He folds the list.
“I’ll keep going,” he says.
He sets his rules.
No unnecessary killing. No recognition. No notoriety. Just help. Heal. Protect. Atone.
…and make it count.
As the sun rises, Sonny looks back at Pilse one last time.
It’s quiet now. Safe.
He exhales. “…I did something right.”
The thought doesn’t feel wrong.
For once..
A place that he leaves better than when he found it.
A place that will never be the same.
