Resignation

ㅤ It took immense self-control to contain his surprise and not frighten the cowardly boy with his surging emotions. His resemblance to Aster was striking! If not for his personality, Richter would have been certain his friend had returned from the dead. 'Maybe Ratatosk didn't kill him? Maybe Aster survived, but lost his memories?' there was a glimmer of hope. Memories had a significant influence on character, Richter couldn't deny that. But the cases he knew assumed general knowledge, and this guy seemed to have no experience of life at all. Besides, Richter had known Aster for a long time, and he had never been even close to this. 'It's not him…' Richter convinced himself, perfectly understanding the reasonableness of the conclusion, but his heart yearned to see his friend again despite everything, causing it to ache painfully and beat desperately, echoing with a tense pulsation in his ears. And even if the boy were Aster, it still wouldn't be him. Without the memories, there wouldn't be the same connection, the same understanding. They wouldn't be able to treat each other the same way. They wouldn't be able to bring back the past... Glancing at the boy with hidden longing, Richter tried to let go of the memories: the past should remain in the past. He had already buried Aster. He needed to move on, accept the loss, and not harbor false hopes. ㅤ