"The first emotions that had taken hold of you were your fear, sorrow and pain, which kept you from committing the unthinkable," The Father gestured at the image of the young blue child, rocking back and forth while hugging his knees.

"And that unthinkable would be your courage to stand."

Onel watched as the boy grew gradually in size and age, yet the boy was still in fear and pain and was still embracing himself in sorrow. Seeing his own memories put to play in front of him hurt his heart, and that pain pulled it down into the depths.

"You continued to suffer in fear of losing your life by their hands, that is until you finally decided to break free and almost went to the right path." The Father then swiped with his hand to the side as the spinning water rushed at his command.

Then it slowed again to reveal another image. An image of Onel's traumatised self that stood there, gasping the air into his lungs and losing control of his body's shaking. "That time..." He murmured.

"That time, where a mage had saved my life... Stariaz... " Memories of the recent events flooded his mind.

"That time where you began to depend on others for your safety, every time you fell into trouble you called for others to save you," he turned his deep blue gaze to Onel. Showing clear reproach within his eyes.

"Once you began to have children of your own, your sons noticed your flaws and disliked your unfatherly behaviour, leading you to denial." The waters slowly faded into the colour of red, and what followed after was the booming of thunder in the distance, causing Onel to shrink back a little and his throat to go thicker. The urge to scream had reached the top.

"Does this seem like a righteous behaviour?" 

Am I in a nightmare? He thought to himself as the tears blinded his sight with blurriness.

Onel did nothing else but duck and cover his head with his trembling hands, even though he couldn't see clearly with his rolling tears. The recent memories flooded into his visions again, this time violently than ever, flashing him with violent and brutal scenes.

The men getting tossed by the beast that came for him, his son Fearian receiving cuts and scars by the beast's claws, watching in horror as the beast plucked out Stariaz's beating heart from behind, and finally, him receiving a violent beating and kicking from the Dark Meanians until he passed out.

"Stop! Please stop the pain!" He finally burst into heart-breaking sobs, sobs that let his sorrow and pain on the loose.

But it was getting worse and worse for him, to the point that his past started to haunt him and bring him the worst of memories, followed by voices that laughed in mockery, screamed, shouted and yelled at his miserable state. These loud voices were quickly circling him like soaring vultures and deafening his ears with their hideous loud caws.

"Stop! Stop stop!" His hands moved to cover his ears, but to no avail, the voices became louder and louder, and Onel swore that he felt a thick liquid leak from between his fingers and slide down his arms.

He also felt another pain from his hammering heart that never stopped beating from the sheer horror he felt.

"Hello?"

Onel stopped his sobbing when he heard a calm voice make a curious call. He heard it when somehow the deafening hell around him had stopped and vanished from his ears and sight. He didn't know whether to let relief wash over him or not, but he stood up and slowly looked at his now white surrounding.

There was no lazuli cliffs nor the silver beach, and he was standing in a white blank void, even Father Osyen was nowhere to be seen. That is until he turned to another direction to find something with him that pushed the loneliness away.

"H-Hello? Little buddy?" The voice seemed to be surprised and happy at the same time, and it took Onel a few seconds to realise who it belonged to.

It also shocked him when he realised who he was seeing in front of him, there stood a young duplicate of him in his own clothing. And within the duplicate's gentle embrace was an infant. An infant with the cinnamon skin and sunset hair, with the ruby eyes that widened with curiosity. Onel covered his mouth as the tears lessened. 

The babe cooed at his duplicate's response, laughing softly afterwards. "Aren't you a precious boy?" The duplicate's tears began to roll down his cheeks but in joy. 

"That memory... How can I... " 

"I-I... I don't know what to say, but I'll tell you this, you truly are my light in this dark world," the young happy Onel brought the infant closer to his face. "I promise that I'll give you the best life you'll ever live, and I promise that I'll support you no matter the odds, I hope I could bring you nothing but love and joy... My sweet little boy." He kissed his forehead as the babe laughed more. 

"Fearian... How could I? How couldn't I fulfil my first promise to you? I've brought nothing but hate and sorrow." Onel dropped to his knees as the figures ahead faded along with their laughs that echoed away. 

Onel began to weep gently after losing the energy to let out his pain and anguish through his screams and sobs. But he also wished for an end for his misery. 

"Your denial and dependency have pulled you away from your path," a hand landed gently on Onel's shoulder. "ignoring your mistakes and relying on others to help you or support you makes you look strong and righteous in the others' eyes, but in reality, you are wrong and weak and have lost your place." 

Onel rose his head to look at Father Osyen at his side, and the reproach was nowhere to be seen in his ocean eyes. Instead, disappointment was replaced with wisdom. 

"I never thought my ignorance would lead to a broken family; all I ever wanted was to live in peace and harmony without judgement," he admitted. 

"It is completely fine for a man to make mistakes, but that does not mean you have to ignore them and move on; otherwise, you won't be able to climb to your goal." Father Osyen pulled his hand away and offered it to Onel. 

He hesitated for a moment about his words, then he accepted his hand and stood up, and he noticed that Father Osyen was a little taller than him. 

"I'm truly sorry, and I'm sorry for my terrible actions and how unfatherly I was towards my sons, whom I promised to show love. I ask for your forgiveness Father Osyen." He knelt before him. 

"Those who blindly sin but ask for forgiveness will always be forgiven, and mark my words Onel Grevalon," 

Onel rose his head to look at him. 

"Do not stay silent in the face of evil, whether this evil was being done to you or someone else, stand up to the darkness. And remember to be brave and independent, for I as the Ocean Father will be on your side."

And just as his final word faded away, Onel took a quick gasp as he snapped his eyes open to find himself under the vermillion ceiling. He sat up gently and looked around him at the empty room, but as soon as he did he felt a grasp on his body, he looked down upon his lap and found Gholt who wrapped his arms around Onel's waist in a tight hug as he sobbed silently on his lap.

All Onel did was hug his child back without hesitation.