[InsainArcaneBirdbrain]

The following is a small excerpt from a certain Bookworm's dairy.

Entry XIII - The War's End

At last, Cornelius has fallen, bringing this bloody conflict to a draw. Many have fought bravely to bring this about, whether it be for the world at stake, or as a form of vengeance for the fallen. 

Currently as I write this entry on Chaturanga's docks, I'm still left a bit unsure what to make of it all. While the death of Cornelius has put an end to Strega, and the atrocities they were responsible for across the lands...  the losses we suffered along the way really have put a damper for me on what should be a time for celebration. Countless lives of people I did and did not know were lost throughout this grueling war, people who others and myself held dear.

 No matter how much we grieve for them, they will not return to us. They will never get to see what became of their friends and family with all of this fighting at its end. The realization that many of those within the Falcon's and Strega's ranks were nothing but pawns to an old man lusting power is also quite painful to me. To think that just one man's greed could have forever changed the lives of thousands for the worse, the thought is quite honestly sickening.

The sight of those who I consider comrades and friends die continues to haunt me. I know that not everyone can be saved in a time of war...  but I wish I could of done something, anything, so that I could continue to spend time with them now. From Latto, to Varen, to every other one I was close to in-between, I shall live on for all of you. All of us shall live on so that your deaths weren't in vain...

.....

Looking out and taking in the vastness of the sea gives me a sense of calm; no matter what happens in this world, the ocean cares not. It reminds me of days gone by too, of time I spent with friends who are no longer here. The surface of the water reflects my form like a mirror upon a wall. In that reflection I see a paradox of self-  for I have changed without changing. I'm no longer the person I once was, and yet I'm more of myself than ever before. 

Though left with such an existential question, I find myself quite content with how things have turned out in my personal life. As I had discussed with my fiancée, I plan on being home more to work on family matters going forward. This is probably for the best anyways, especially with the loss of my left arm. With the wedding day arriving soon, I look forward to see how my life will end up changing over the course of the next few years, especially with all foreseeable threats seemingly gone. 

And thus the wave of my own life lives on, traveling on through the sea of time to experience life as it comes.