(Placed in a timeline after Nevada's death because I never had time to write my feels ;;;;; DON'T JUDGE ME)

It had been several months since Nevada died.. He remembered the morning they had pronounced her dead. He had run from his dormitory room, hoping to make it in time. Not yet.. He had begged, but when he finally arrived to where her dead body rested, he knew he had been too late. "Leaving without notice again?" He asked between his labored pants, a wry smile on his lips. It was a a futile question that would never be answered again. Like always, he was always too late for the things that mattered. It had always been like that. Sin had met her when she was a seasoned hunter- he had seen her after she lost her eye- and now he was here after her death. "Why is it that I can never make it on time?"

~

It was unrealistic for Sin to lock himself up to mourn for her death in the months that followed. It was quite the opposite- Sin actively took on missions, trained with his fellow sun hunters on the sporting grounds, and joked around. But in the immediate days following her death, despite his seemingly normal actions, he felt empty inside. His weapon, sensing his mood, remained mercifully quiet for the most part. After all, his efficiency hadn't decreased so she had no reason to complain. However, Sin remained muddled. He was stuck, like a person who was at a loss to decide on a path when they arrived at a fork.

Occasionally, he stopped by the room where Nevada and he last talked. He sat at the window sill, staring out at the open beach with the windows left open- the breeze and fresh ocean air would infuse the room. The island was the last thing that she had seen, making him wonder if it would be the same for him. Or would he die on the battlefield, killed by some monster? In particular during the sleepless nights, he would find it soothing to come back. Not back in a merely physical sense, but in an emotional sense as well.

Nevada was one of the first people he met on the boat, who invited him to spar. She always surprised him. "It's hard because I keep expecting to see you, showing up at my dorm room with a mischievous smile. But no matter how long I wait, you'll never knock on that door again."

"Nevada.. we both knew that I would survive on after your death. Along with your other friends. But it's hell of a lot more lonely without you here." He couldn't imagine the loss that Alaska felt in the absence of her twin sister. Raking back his bangs, he wondered how much longer he would remember Nevada: the touch of her frail body, the smell of her perfume, the sound of her voice.. Sin wasn't naive enough to think he could hold onto the details of his memories forever. No matter how hard he would hold on, his memories would eventually become vague, foggy, clouded as he would struggle to recall details. "But I won't forget our promise."

But where do I go from here?

The sun hunter had no destination in mind as his footsteps eventually lead him to the beach. He didn't know how long he remained submerged- but as abruptly as he emerged to gasp for air, he felt immensely refreshed. Bringing up his hand where clear water pooled, reflecting the shining full moon, Sin found his answer. Taking off his ear cuff, he let it transform. The sun hunter tightly gripped the hilt in his hand, the heavy weight telling him of the burden he still had yet in this lifetime. The answer had always been there.

"Sorry, you've been waiting a long time, haven't you?"

"Finally." The female voice within his head stated in a pouting tone.

"I didn't just make a promise to her. I made a promise to you as well," He referred to his own soul mate, as well as the partner that had fought with him side-by-side this entire time. "And since it'll still be quite a ways off before I can fulfill my promise to her, I'll apologize to you for by swearing to devote this lifetime to you."