Cameraman Never Dies

Melina sat near her father, he had a chronic illness that plagued him for the past five decades, and he had been holding on hoping to see his daughter one more time, just wanting to ask her for forgiveness. But now, all of his dreams had shattered, his strength was gone, and his willpower no longer was holding back the disease.

Gereon was outside, he was speaking to March, Melina's aunt. While he did not know her previously. he was pretty enthusiastic to meet someone his disciple always held close.

"What kind of girl was she," Gereon decided to strike up the conversation. "When I first met her, she was like a cornered animal, a girl always on her guard. She even tried to attack me you know. But I could sense her sorrow, her pain, I then took her under my wing."

"Melina huh?" March said as if she was reminiscing of the olden times. "She was the kindest and the most brilliant of the younger generation, our age gap was only about two decades, so we were more like sisters than anything. Always looking out for each other, always the first to lend a hand."

"Then she's really changed," He nodded "She has become a ruthless mage who does not show an inkling of kindness or mercy to her opponents. But to me and Eleyn, she is still that kind-hearted soul." He could not contain his smile, "She's even taken to teaching the younger ones."

"I am glad to hear that!" March's eyes softened, "When she left, she was nothing but a broken soul, so much broken to the point that I did not know how to repair her. So I left her to her own choices, hoping she would find her way, though it pained me— more than I could ever explain."

Inside the room, the chief was having a conversation with his daughter, maybe his last conversation with her, ever. The last chance to bridge the gap between them, a bridge that had collapsed two centuries ago.

"Daughter..." The chief was speaking with heavy breath, his face was a mix of sadness and lingering regrets.

"I told you this before and I will tell you this again," Her eyes were cold and indifferent to the person on a deathbed in front of her. "My father had died two centuries ago, you are nothing but a stranger."

"They say when you learn to love, you should also learn to let them go." He gave her a sad smile, but her face was still indifferent. "You were my only joy after your mother died... and after you left me... every day had been a hell for me."

"I could not care less, you think I have been living in heaven after I left? No... It was the same for me too, it was hell." Her indifferent act was faltering. Happy memories she spent with her mother replaying itself in her mind, her father was with them, but she tried hard not to remember his old face.

"They lied you know, when they said you have to learn to let go... After all, people will never learn to let go." He looked at her, "How could you... cough... love someone earnestly if you learn to let them go?... Only after they have left would you realize that... that they are gone, then you learn to cope."

Melina looked as if she was still in tears, she was hesitant, she never completely disliked her father, she never could. But it was hard for her to accept her part which still loved the person who had killed her beloved.

"Melina," he took her hand, "You don't have to forgive me, but please, will you at least call me your father? You used to call me daddy before... you know... everything."

Melina couldn't hold back her tears anymore, the word struck her heart like a thorn, it was embarrassing, she was an old elf who was more than two and a half century old, yet how many times had she cried after coming here?

Her cold, dry eyes began swelling up. Her father's face became clear in her mind, the moments they had spent together.

"Da... Dad-dy" She spoke with difficulty, "Dad I... most of me still hates you, but there is a small part which still wants to..." It was difficult for her to say the next word, "to love you,"

She started to shed tears uncontrollably "A part that still wants to see you as my dear old father, a part which still wants to forgive you." She spoke through her tears, which ran down her cheeks and dripped off her chin,

"I forgive you, Dad... And when you see Valor after you... after you die..." She closed her eyes and continued, her voice was breaking, But she mustered up a painful smile. "Please tell him that I am living happily."

"Thank you... Melina, I am really glad... and I will tell Valor." And with that he closed his eyes, never to open them again, a happy smile on his face, a face with no regrets. He died like a man who had experienced everything life had to offer, and thus Melina's father left the world, peacefully.

...

'You know Melina, When a person dies, it is said that their brain will play back their memories with the most important person in their lives." She remembered what Valor had said. 'I heard it can last as long as a minute.' So she sat there, near her father's lifeless body, for a whole minute. Hoping he would see the happy memories that they made together... one more time.

March came in, together with Gereon, "He passed huh, I am quite sad." She said with a heavy smile. She wanted to cry, but she had lost her emotions a long while back "What were his last words? Mel?"

"He said he was glad... I forgave him." She still did not get up.

"It has been a minute Melina, I am sure had been seeing you and your mother. After all, you really look much like her."

"Patriarch Gereon," Melina looked at Gereon, "Let's leave after my father's burial."

"It would be discourteous to do otherwise, I would have stopped you if you were to leave before that." He gave her a comforting smile, the one that masters give when their disciple are going through a lot, in order to calm them.

———

In another dimension, Clio sat on a throne, the place was completely dark, yet everything present was visible. "That was a good story with a lot of recording potential, should I give him a clone for just recording? He and Selena being a baby won't currently help." She was talking to herself, weighing her choices. "And they still have to break free to world and out of that damn Night guy."