I have no place in your future

Inside Mephistopheles, there was silence, broken only by the dull sound of rain hitting the glass. Vergilius sat in his usual spot, lost in thought. Memories of those he had lost surrounded him: Lapis and her bright smile, and Garnet, who always found a way to help, even when it was dangerous. Each of them had left scars in his heart that never healed, only deepened with each passing day. Charon, sitting in the passenger seat, was pressed against the fogged-up window, drawing something. Vergilius stole a glance at her. She was the same as before—childlike, unperturbed, but still carrying the spark of the Lapis he had known. He could not help but feel a deep sense of guilt towards this child who called herself Charon. She was a part of his life, but he had failed to protect her from the cruelty of the world. The silence was broken by her voice. "—The clock said that someday we should all go to an amusement park together," she said, without taking her eyes off her drawing. Vergilius turned his head in her direction, but she continued to draw, as if not noticing his attention. "—And what would you like to do in the park?" he asked, trying to hide his wariness. "—To eat sweets," she replied with sparkles in her eyes. Suddenly, she got up and walked to the back of the bus. Virgil followed, his gaze falling on the misted glass where Charon had left her drawing. There were funny images on the glass — all the Sinners, including himself, were smiling against the background of a huge Ferris wheel. Even he looked happy himself. Vergilius stood for a few minutes, absorbing the image, until it slowly began to fade under the layer of condensation. Suddenly, he felt someone watching him. It was Charon, who had stopped and was looking at him with curiosity. "—I want everyone to be happy and smiling on this day," she said, looking at the intricate pattern on the glass, "—and so does Verg." Charon's words pierced his heart. «Why is this thing called the heart constantly malfunctioning?» He felt this pain, this burden of loss — over and over again he was faced with the fact that he could not protect those he loved. "—Where would Ver like to go with Charon and the Passengers?" She looked up at Vergilius and continued to stare at him with pure curiosity. Vergilius glanced at Charon, his mind drifting away from the current conversation. He remembered those days when he and his colleagues from the office gathered in a cafe, where laughter and jokes were always heard. The caring Lan-Yen, Danver, with her jokes, Rikako, who loved to tease her colleagues harmlessly, and the sincere Nansuel, who could hold a conversation on any topic. They were all a part of his life, and now they were gone. The thought pierced him like a cold wind—they were all dead. Vergilius felt the bitterness of loss wash over him again. He would have given anything to sit with them at the table again, to discuss life and just be together. To be a family.. "—To a cafe that started its journey from District 13. A friend of mine... said the meat was delicious." "—Charon wants to go there" He sighed, trying to distract himself from his gloomy thoughts. "— Okey.." — he replied, but a shadow of sadness remained in his heart. She turned her back and walked into the back hallway, leaving him alone with his thoughts and the fogged glass. At that moment, Vergilius realized that despite all his cruelty and loss of hope, he still wants to see smiles on the faces of those who stayed by his side. It was the very paradox of life - even among the darkness of this City, one could find sparks of light. Vergilius, a little lowered his head, with his hand wiped himself drawn on the foggy window and said, "—There...in your future, Charon, there will be no place for me." He followed her into the depths of Mephistopheles, leaving behind only a faint trace of regret.