Evolution begins with an ant colony

With a strained smile, John tried to reassure her, although pain laced his voice. "This is nothing. If it’s what I have to do to save you, it’s worth it." Continue your journey on empire

Serah managed a feeble chuckle, despite her dire condition. "Seems my little brother is all grown up," she muttered softly.

John’s brows furrowed as he insisted, "Stop that. This is not a time for jokes. You have to conserve your energy."

With a determined look in her eyes, Serah persisted, her voice trembling. "John... I want to tell you something."

A sense of urgency filled the air as John leaned closer to his sister. "What is it?" he asked, eager to hear her words, yet tinged with concern for what she might say.

Serah’s voice held a heavy weight as she spoke, recounting the struggles and sacrifices she had made since their parents’ tragic accident. Her story unfolded like a tapestry of hardship, threaded with moments of determination and desperation. Her voice was filled with love and concern for her younger brother, John, who had become the center of her world.

"Ever since Mom and Dad died in that car accident," Serah began, her words punctuated by a somber tone, "and I had to take care of you, I was always moving from one job to another, searching for what would pay more. I wanted you to be able to go to high school with no worries, and I also wanted to afford your college fees. That’s why I started gambling.

Sometimes it helped out greatly, but sometimes it left me with debts to pay. I wanted to stop gambling, to stop taking those huge risks and hoping for a huge payout."

Serah’s voice grew more passionate as she continued her story. "So, I decided to become a reporter. Even then, I embarked on a bigger gamble, one with my life on the line. I was always looking for the next big story, regardless of the risks."

As the full weight of her words settled, John couldn’t help but ask, "And your point?"

With a faint smile and a look of wisdom in her eyes, Serah replied, "Tonight, as I look up at the stars, just like this, I’ve realized that taking a huge gamble is like letting your fate depend on the whims of luck. Instead, it’s better to be the captain of your own ship. Life is unpredictable, and it’s up to us to steer it in the right direction.

So, John, promise me that you’ll be the sailor of your own ship."

John, however, was left with more questions than answers. He couldn’t fully grasp the meaning behind her cryptic words, his tone reflecting his confusion and concern. "What do you mean? You’re sounding so cryptic," he replied, the pain in his voice palpable.

Serah’s heartfelt message left him in a state of contemplation, the weight of her words urging him to reflect on the choices he’d make and the path he’d follow.

As John carried his sister through the dark and treacherous night, her words echoing in his mind, he couldn’t have known that they would be her last. Serah’s life was slipping away, and moments later, he noticed her body growing colder with each passing second.

The anguish that had started as a distant shadow within him now fully consumed his thoughts as he ran towards the city. Finally, when he reached an area with a signal, he frantically dialed the emergency number, calling for an ambulance to come to their aid. The minutes that followed felt like an eternity as they raced toward potential salvation.

The ambulance arrived in a whirl of flashing lights and blaring sirens, but John’s world was unraveling before his eyes. As he gently handed his unconscious sister over to the paramedics, the words that reached his ears felt like a crushing blow.

"Sir, this woman is already dead," one of the paramedics declared with solemn finality.

The world came crashing down around John as he grappled with the incomprehensible truth. His sister, who had worked so hard, who had fought so tirelessly, was gone. She had lost her life in pursuit of taking care of him and ensuring his future.

He sank to his knees on the cold, unforgiving ground, tears streaming down his face, mourning the loss of the person who had given everything for his well-being.

In the midst of that darkness, John was left with the profound emptiness that the passing of a loved one can bring.

John’s thoughts turned inward as he reflected on the life-changing events of that fateful night, his sister’s voice and her final words etched into his memory. Grief and determination swirled within him, forging a solemn promise to honor Serah’s memory.

He spoke to himself with unwavering conviction, "In that moment, I swore to myself, I would live according to my sister’s last words. I would never rely on luck. I’d depend solely on my own hard work and intelligence." His voice brimmed with resolve, and his gaze was unyielding. "From then on, I detested weakness, and I couldn’t stand anyone who clung to the notion of luck. Leave luck to gamblers.

I would no longer risk my life in fights against overwhelming odds, hoping that I would be ’lucky’ enough to come out unscathed."

The lessons Serah had imparted in her final moments had fundamentally changed John. He had learned the hard way that relying on luck was a fragile foundation. And now, in her memory, he was determined to build his life on more solid ground.

He contemplated his decision with a hint of sorrow, understanding that his path would diverge from the villagers. "Following my sister’s last wish," John continued, "I shall be abandoning these people. I’ll leave them to handle their own problems, after all, they are relying on ’luck’ to save them." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

As John made this resolute decision, the weight of responsibility and newfound purpose settled upon him. In memory of his sister, he would forge a life that stood on his own merits, free from the whims of chance.