Chapter 143 Don’t let her suffer the same agony.

XAVIER

The morning was beautiful—ironically so. I found myself gazing at the tranquility of the rising sun and the way it crested the high walls of Bando City. It was a terrible thought, but I couldn’t help but wonder if it would serve as the last rising sun I would ever seen.

It took me back to the morning after my mother died. When Caesar finally returned from his reckless aid on Weshield. Or, maybe it was the morning after that. I couldn’t remember. What I did recall was the morning sky—golden and violet, like a painting traced from an artist’s hand. I recalled snarling at anyone who dared try to move my mother’s body—insisting no one touch her until my father returned.

I sat and watched the morning sun rise through the window, beside the corpse of my mother. I had never felt so lonely than I did in that moment. And still, I was afraid to leave her side. Even in death, she was my comfortable place.

Back then, I’d still thought Caesar might somehow be able to bring her back. I was a