Soul Digger-Chapter 43 - 43: All is vanity

At nine o'clock on the dot, the people of Sant Flores gathered around in the Homes District to perform a send-off for the mass dead.
Some came with bandages and crutches, while others arrived in wheelchairs; in the end, all of them were survivors of the Old Woman's visit. They came to mourn and celebrate the misfortune of that event.
Though few, some despised Cole despite his heroic deeds—or at least, that's what the majority called it.
The dark area was poorly lit by the soaring lanterns. The villagers wore gloomy faces around a circular garden adorned with the photos of the deceased. Their black attire perfectly complimented the depressing atmosphere.
The air that night had an acidic smell, making it unpleasant for many, while others endured and carried on with the rituals. A young woman with a covered face circled around the left side, lighting the candles of all the people in that direction. On the right side, a young man with a veil did the same.
Once everyone's candles were lit, they began to hum harmoniously as they swayed their bodies to the rhythm.
"Oohhhhh... the lonely nights.
Ohhhhhhh... the horrid silence.
Creeping into our hearts!
Sleeping in our minds!
What will the future hold?
How will our deeds be rewarded?
Will we be purely departed?
Or mentally abstracted?
Coming! Coming! Coming!
The soil calls for our bodies!
Our minds will be put to rest!
Our resolves will no longer be put to test!
Once we return...
To whence we came!!!!!"
They sang in a beautiful chorus.
Cole, who happened to be on a tall building, watched the people carry out their customs with a mix of glee and caution.
His sister stood by his side, quietly observing with a piercing glare which made Cole slightly uncomfortable. Once the song concluded, it was Cole's turn to partake in the ceremony.
He gave Gothel a nervous glance, and she responded with an optimistic face and two thumbs up.
'That's not very reassuring.'
Cole sighed and walked closer. "My people of Sant Flores..."
The Mayor stood with a potent smile along with the other authorities.
"I know I am but an outsider, but... allow me to rectify my grave mistake by partaking in the Unbinding Custom," Cole spoke with order and confidence.
'This feels so weird,' his thoughts contradicted.
Some looked at him with loathsome eyes, others with happy, overjoyed faces.
Cole brought out an empty golden vase, spread his arms apart, and hummed. The other villagers followed him accordingly.
The Unbinding Custom was a ceremony held when a large number of people died in Sant Flores; it hadn't been performed in several years since the appearance of Gothel's seal. As a result, the ceremony was done based on ancient chronicles, thus it wasn't expected to be performed perfectly.
However...
Cole's humming changed the ambiance of the Homes District. The air looked like it shifted and swirled upwards like smoke; people's bodies felt lighter, with some seeing dark silhouettes with no bodies beside them.
The air became laced with sweat and anxiety; the Mayor himself was unable to utter a sentence. Gothel stood there smiling the whole time.
'As expected from my only Venerable,' she glazed.
The vase cracked and shattered into particles, mixing with the wind before scattering into nothing but a forgettable memory.
All the lamps floating up switched to a purple light out of the blue as they twirled together in a single linear direction, above the limit known as the sky. Unfortunately, the moment each of them got close to the ozone layer, they broke and rained back on the villagers.
Not as debris of falling glass and solid matter, but rather fragments of sparkling light blessing their heads as they fell to the ground and sunk into the soil.
Cole lowered his eyes with a visible frown.
"Gothel, I have to tell you something," he briefly muttered.
"Go on, brother."
Cole inhaled strongly. "I need you to guide these people."
"Huh?"
"Listen to me," Cole continued. "What I did now didn't feel sufficient for my acts. I want us both to atone before making up for lost time."
Gothel parted her lips with an empty yet pained gaze fixed on Cole.
He couldn't dare to look her in the eye. "I don't know what you did in the past, but you have to make up for it. Souls cry for vengeance; their cries are heard eventually, and when they are, the pain is returned tenfold."
"I don't want those souls to cry for vengeance anymore; I want them to cheer us on. Our deeds will affect our immortal lives forever, so why not make a good path for ourselves?" He spoke calmly as he glared softly at the people.
'Please buy this,' he thought.
Gothel first twisted her face in a hideous rage, then released the wrinkles folding on her skin, softened her expression, and finally just stretched a fake smile with tears rolling down her eyes.
"As you say, big brother."
Cole's heart grew heavier in his chest, but it was a weight he had to bear.
"It won't be too long. I promise I'll come back." He turned, his facade breaking from the pressure. "I have to do this for US."
Gothel's eyes fell heavily to the side of the floor. "Sure."
'That's exactly what you said the first time,' she thought in a soft, melancholic way.
Cole clenched his fists together. "I'm happy you weren't stubborn about this."
"...." She didn't respond.
From the look in her soulless eyes, Gothel had long drifted into deep space. It was evident she didn't hear a word he said; Cole was essentially blocked from her reality.
'Liar.'
Cole felt abstract; he was calm, yet simultaneously panicked. His arms were still, yet his bones quivered; his face was stiff, but his eyes shook restlessly. His feet were still, but even the smallest word from her... could push Cole off the edge, all the way to his death.
"Goodbye," she whispered, averting any kind of visual exchange with Cole.
'Is that it?'
'You didn't even try to stop me?'
'Why, Gothel, why?'
'Do I not mean much to you?'
Something within Cole kept screaming for answers, only to be responded to with an abysmal silence. The current Cole? He couldn't help but stretch a dying smirk hanging on his face.
The authorities watched him, all wearing grimmer expressions for them than for the Unbinding Custom. Even Sandra, who lost her husband due to Cole's recklessness, felt a merge of disappointment and heavy pain after spectating.
The Mayor stared like he had a deep understanding; he was the least affected.
Cole struggled to speak his parting words.
"Be a good girl while I'm gone. I'll see you soon." He concluded, not a shred of positivity standing with him.