Professor Layton: Love In All Adversities

29. This Isn't Over

Once more, Hershel opened his eyes to face the stunning seaside view before him.

He found himself at ease on this cliffside, knowing that this is where Claire was. The same sea, a comforting blue against a reassuring sky.

As he looked around, he caught sight of everyone else, all staring at him, warmth in their faces. They seemed to have some hidden knowledge, something that baffled him seeing as this was their first time here.

He then realised that they had seen something. Or someone. Someone special.

“Claire!” He choked, once more swept away by the sight of her. This was different to how he saw her in the real world. The Claire on the cliff. The Claire in a beautiful setting. It was just where she should be. Somewhere safe and beautiful. Not the crazy world he still lived in.

Running towards her, his feet almost tripping over themselves, he caught her in his arms and they spun. Spun as they did all that time ago. They spun until he could spin no more and needed to hold her in his arms once more.

“This is the last time we shall be together.” She breathed, digging her cheek firmly into his shoulder.

“For now.” He responded, his short sobs almost making his words a mess of sounds.

“Yes. But don’t fret, my love. You have all your friends there to look after you.”

Hershel didn’t turn so he could see what she saw, but he knew that each person there looked to him with great affection. He didn’t need to see their smiling faces. Just having the knowledge was more than enough.

In a way, he also realised how selfish he was being. He didn’t want to turn because he wanted to keep Claire in his sights for as long as he could. How many times had he held her once more thinking it the last?

More than one should, and now there was a deep, throbbing sadness, an intensified version of each time he felt it before. This really was it. This was the last time he would see her.

When they finally broke apart – the time feeling like hours – Hershel kept his arms on her shoulders.

“I really have to thank you, Hershel.”

“No, I have to thank you.” He felt his voice crack once more and he tried to clear it. “Because of you, I have kept on fighting when I thought I had nothing left to fight with. You gave me the strength, the love to carry on through all adversities.”

“No, Hershel. You always had that. I just gave you a little nod to remember that.”

“And that nod was wonderful.”

She wiped away a tear of her own and then smiled warmly at him.

“But there is something I do have to thank you for. You did what I asked of you. You kept my father away from me. I feared that seeing me, even just one glance… I feared that that would do it. That it would send him over the chasm to insanity that he is already dangling dangerously over. Now he is here and you have succeeded!”

“Not quite.” The Professor sighed, closing his eyes. “When we leave this place, we shall be face to face with those creatures again. And not to mention Oliver and the Gatherers. And… Clive…”

He felt a gut-wrenching pain as he thought of Clive now, just as lost and twisted as Oliver. He thought he had helped bring Clive to the light, but circumstances had not been too kind on the boy. He had failed.

“Clive suffers a similar fate to my father, but that is why you are here. Why you all are here!” She threw her arm out to signal the others and they all felt their hearts skip a step at that.