Quiet days passed on, getting slower as they moved on. We crept towards graduation, something everyone looked forward to, yet didn't want to come. The thought of passing a year of being in this garden, successfully doing your duty learning about the humans, was a pleasant thought, but it was the thought of leaving the others. Everyone would be leaving with goodbyes and bittersweet smiles, knowing they'd never see each other or me, the human they learned with.

All but one.

I walked towards his room, hoping for a miracle, but that shred of doubt hindered. He'd still be the same. Well, the new same. I looked at the white and golden door, imagining what I want on the other side. But it was too quiet for that to be true. Twisting the handle, I walked in.

"...Kusanagi."

"How is he?"

"...Still nothing." Thor sat besides the bed Loki was in. There was a table next to him set up with food, sweets, toys...anything to interest Loki but...he's still unresponsive it seems.

"He's been like this for over a week..." It hurt to see him like this everyday, unchanging, empty...dead.

"...He won't be able to graduate...will he?" Thor asked, eyes shifting to the opal choker still around his friend's neck. After all of that, all of the hard work we did together, he still won't graduate. My heart stung at the thought of not only Balder leaving him, but everyone else as well. Was he aware of that? ...Was he even aware Balder was dead?

...'There is no joy without sorrow, and no sorrow without joy.' I remembered Balder's words, thinking Loki can get through this again. This is just the sorrow, and soon joy will come.

"No, he will. I'll make sure of it," I said. I can't give up on him now. I haven't ever given up on him before, and I won't do it now. Not when we're so close.

I said that with such confidence, I was sure we'd get through. But...even more days passed, and before I realized it, graduation was right around the corner. He was still the same however; still the same dead eyes and broken smile, dazing off into his dreams.

I now sat at his bedside, head down. At this point, my optimistic views went down the drain. Even if I were to wake him from his dreaming, he'd still need to get rid of his shackle. I was unsure of how to help him with that in such a short amount of time. I sighed, already hurt at the goodbyes everyone would say, while just Loki and I remain here. Even if it's just one god that can't graduate, I have to stay here.

"Loki, please, wake up..." I quietly pleaded. I looked at his face once again, hoping for some change. "I miss you...Thor misses you...everyone's worried about you..." I've said that so many times with no luck. "...Balder would hate to see you like this..."

His broken smile shifted, curling into a subtle frown. I perked up at the slight movement, feeling hopeful once again. If he heard me, then he can surely wake up!

"...Doesn't...matter." He spoke for the first time in weeks. His voice was quiet and cracked, not being in use too much.

"Wha...?"

"He's...gone," the redhead whispered, still not wanting to face facts. "So it doesn't matter what he thinks..."

"Loki, don't say that. Where ever he is now, if he saw you like this, he'd be devastated," I told him, taking his hand. He jumped slightly at the gentle gesture and turned his head away from me. "He wanted you to graduate, so please...graduate with us and go back home..."

"No."

"No? But you wanted to go home...right?"

"I wanna stay here with Balder," he said, looking out the window.

"But-"

"I wanna stay here with Balder!" He attempted to yell, which only caused his voice to crack more. "I wanna stay here and play on the beach with him more..." Loki's eyes started to go distance once more.

"Loki, please! Distancing yourself isn't going to bring Balder back! It's just going to make you lose everyone else too!" I tried to tell him, but it was too late. He already drifted off again, into his world where happiness is the only thing he can feel.

Graduation day came, and everyone said their goodbyes. I headed back to the Norse gods' room, to say goodbye to Thor, who left earlier to say bye to Loki. But as I turned the corner, Thor was running towards me, panic across his face.

"...Loki's gone!" He told me.

"Gone? Gone where?" I was confused. He couldn't have just left without us noticing! Where would he even go?

"...I don't know. I've checked the clubroom, the roof, the cafeteria, everywhere in school. ...I was about to check the river," the green haired god quickly informed me. Leading the way, Thor ran off with me not too far behind.

Running past the open fields I could only think of the winter when the four of us had that snowball fight, and the fun we had together.

"Quick, take this!" Loki tossed the abnormally large snowball at me, causing me to squeal a little. I expected it to be much heavier considering it's size but...

"No worries, it's hollow!" The trickster smirked at my reaction.

"W-What am I supposed to do with this??"

"Throw it at them, of course."

"But Balder is over there; if I throw it at him, it'll just avoid him, and if I throw it at Thor, Balder will block it for him."

The redhead closed his eyes in thought. "Good point, I've got a plan! Wait right there!" And before I could stop him, he disappeared. I was now defenseless, with the two other gods ready to gang up on me.

"Did Loki leave you here alone?" Balder said, inching closer with a snowball in hand. "What should we do, Thor?"

"...Get her."

Just as they were about to ambush me with snowballs, the snow underneath Balder collapsed, causing the god of light to go down with it. I took the opportunity to throw the large snowball in my arms at Thor, knocking him down as well.

"Yaaay! We won!" Loki cheered happily, popping out from under the snow near Balder.

Out of breath, we got to the river, but there was no sign of him anywhere. The area seemed pretty untouched and calm.

"...Where else could he be?" The god of thunder asked, catching his breath.

"I wanna stay here and play with him on the beach more..."

My heart nearly jumped into my throat remembering his words, and ignoring my fatigue, I sprinted off towards the beach. Running on the same route we rode on that bike together...

I screamed as we went downhill at full speed, on a rickety bike Loki handmade. The handle bars shook and I was sure this thing was going to lose a tire on the way down.

"Is this too scary for you? Maybe you should hold onto me~" Loki laughed, noticing my terror. Without a second thought, my arms wrapped around his chest tightly, pressing my cheek into his back.

"Is it really that bad? I can feel you shaking." He commented.

"N-No, it's fine, really...!" I yelped as we hit a bump, making the bicycle come up and off the ground slightly.

Grabbing the brakes, Loki squeezed them, only for it to squeak. He tried again and again until...

"Well, the brakes are broken," He laughed.

"What?!"

"We'll be fine, don't worry," He told me, only for us to ride full speed into the beach. We hit another bump, this time large enough to fling us off.

I was sure I was going to crash into the ground, but he saved me.

And now he had no one to save him.

His footprints in the sand led to the shore, until they were faded, and then completely gone. I fell to my knees, unable to accept what happened.

We were too late.

Thor ran up behind me, about to ask what happened, until he noticed the footprints too.

I dug my fingers into the warm sand, warmth that reminded me of him, and my tears soaked the dry sand beneath me.

'There is no joy without sorrow, and no sorrow without joy'.

...He'll be happier being there with Balder, bringing joy once more.