A diamond hidden within the gray line

Chapter 97: Memory lane, the letter, emotional response and mike's explanation.

-Max pov-

Walking up these stairs...yeah..i remember when these stairs were full of life no matter what time of day it was. And now? Each step feels almost...depleted and heavy. And kooky punching me..did he know that it would practically force me to remember, or did he do it out of anger that he's had for so many years? It hardly matters now...

-Narration-

It didn't take max long to find what was once his room on the fourth floor. It reminded him on the room he has now back at bowser's home back in the koopa kingdom, but the only difference is that his room looked more humble and that the bed is a full size. Aside from some cobwebs on the wall and dust on a bookshelf and nightstand, it looked as if it was untouched by time itself. Max walks to the bed that had an old blue blanket and sits on it even though it was a bit too small for him to lay on. "Heh..pretty soft.." Max muttered with a chuckle before sighing.

For him, this was a moment of somber reflection. He remembered the many memories that happened in this very room. He was so focused on remembering all of the memories as tears silently rolled down his face that he didn't hear the yelling going on downstairs and he didn't even notice that bowser had already found him up until he found him. "Hey kid.." Bowser says to him who is deeply saddened while trying to hide the fact that he's angry after reading the letter and hearing what mike had to say.

-Thirty minutes earlier-

Mike hands bowser the letter who impatiently grabs it and started reading it which says:

To max: 

I'm sure you wonder why most of my letters to you were shorter than intended. It is because of my actions. I have been there from afar as i watched you while antagonizing the magishadow by way of sabotaging them in subtle ways and i would just barely escape their grasp, but that's not the main reason. The main reason...is the fact that i stole what they call: the vision. A synthetic drug that renders the minds of others susceptible to control. Zöhm could easily do so on his own with ease, but it seems that he found another way and has claimed  that showing the truth to others who ingest this drug can make the mind more willing. To this day, i have no idea what he's talking about nor do i know why he would ever need the help of a pill.

As for me...without zöhm's influence, my mind is slowly becoming muddled, yet i can see the future in glimpses. Is this what happens when zöhm is not a factor? All i know now, is that i have seen how this ends, and even as my life is slowly ebbing away which has been doing so ever since i escaped from zöhm, i know that one day...one day i will fly away, but not before i see zöhm's end. The same can be said of your mother. She hides it well, but her health is declining and can't hide it forever. Her heart is full with grief and sadness and i cannot possibly comprehend how she's keeping herself together. It makes me wonder what really happened when she and clawdia fought with zöhm.

I will let you know where to go next by text. I..i cannot bear for you to hear my voice...please..you must keep going.

-Bowser pov-

My hands began to tremble as i read this. "Oh no.." was all i could say before i dropped the letter. This...this is far worse than i ever imagined...i don't believe this...nate, you stupid IDIOT...

-Narration-

"M-my king..?" Kamek noticed how bowser reacted upon reading the letter and picks it up from the ground and reads it himself. Oh..oh, how horrifyingly dreadful..." Kamek utters as all the koopalings took notice of this while roy growled. "JUST LET ME READ THE DAMN THING!!" He demanded while grabbing the letter from him while mike looked down at the ground while sighing in a helpless manner.

-Kamek pov-

My goodness..this is what max was hiding?? That nate...he's sacrificing himself...that crazy, foolish human...now i see why he tried to keep it from roy, who just rudely took the letter from my hands...