With the arrival of autumn, the days became shorter. Night had fallen on the Last City, plunged in calm. The lights were reduced to the strict minimum. The transport shuttles were at a standstill. The Tower was deserted, except for a few Guardians posted at the various listening stations and the frames still in service. That evening, repairs had been put on hold. No one was working, no one was resting.

From the foothills of the Wall, citizens marched through the streets, civilians and Guardians gathered in a slow procession. Those who still had homes waited at their doorsteps and joined the march without saying a word.

Some held hands, others carried long candles. Some cried, others held their heads high. Choirs would gather to sing funeral chants, the only ones to break the silence.

They walked towards the Traveler; a cracked sphere released from its cage.

The Red War was over.

Zara walked silently; her eyes riveted on the small candle flame in the palm of her joined hands. On one side, Jayden was carrying a little girl, too weak to stand but too afraid to be alone in her home. On the other, Willow was holding her head straight forward. Her eyes were shining, and her lower lip was trembling.

A Guardian must remain strong.

The Warlock raised her eyes for a moment towards the silent god suspended in the heavens. A few days earlier, a hideous black shell was imprisoning it.

They had seen the Traveler awaken from the burning streets. Few knew what had really happened on that ship. A golden arrow rose into the sky, and the silhouette of Ghaul emerged from it. Recognizing their Dominus, the Red Legion howled its victory, and renewed its efforts to slaughter the Lightless Guardians. The Vanguard ceased to respond long ago.

Then, a luminous glow, barely more visible than a twilight ray, pierced the cage. The crack widened and the chains broke. The Traveler freed himself, and his light eclipsed the Cabals. Like a second breath, the Guardians recovered their Light. The Red Legion was driven out of the City, not without inflicting terrible scars.

After a few days spent gathering the refugees, carrying out repairs and the most urgent medical care, the Consensus decided that it was time to celebrate the victory and honor the lost companions.

For one day, everyone was free to gather, sometimes to celebrate, sometimes to meditate, or simply to rest. By evening, the funeral march had begun.

As they got closer to midtown, other processions joined them. Whispers and words of comfort were heard here and there. The girl coughed and her shoulders shook with a sob. Jayden unfurled his mark and tucked her into his arms, protecting her from the cold.

Hours passed before they reached under the Traveler. At the exact center of the City, a set of marble monoliths had been erected. They bore the names of the missing, without distinction between Humans, Awoken, Exos, or Guardians. They were all victims of the Red War, united in their sacrifice at the hands of the Cabals.

Pilgrims approached the altars. Some left offerings, candles, or incense. Others simply touched the name of a loved one before leaving. The night progressed, but everyone waited patiently for his turn. The members of the Consensus stood at a distance. Sometimes, a civilian or a Guardian would address them a few words.

Zavala's face was, as usual, stoic. His armor did not show it, but the Titan seemed to be bending under the weight of a failure that he surely attributed to himself. Ikora seemed elsewhere, and regularly looked up at the Traveler. Cayde greeted the pilgrims with a quick nod, without saying a word.

Slowly, the square emptied as the citizens returned home. Zara walked to an altar and placed her candle among the other offerings. Jayden knelt and gently let down the girl, who offered a sculpture of an old piece of plasteel representing a lily flower. It was beautiful.

Willow touched the stone with a trembling hand. Her breathing became more irregular, and she finally allowed the tears to flow. The Warlock passed a comforting arm over her friend's muscular shoulders.

Since her arrival in the City, Zara had never attached herself to many Guardians, even less to civilians. She and Jayden were loners. The Great Disaster had taken many of her loved ones away from her, and this trauma had made her close herself in even more. And then Willow came into their lives. The young Hunter had set out to show them the world in her own way and had forged many friendships within the Wall.

Now, most of them had been burned to the ground along with the Tower.

"May they return to the Light," she whispered.

The wax of the candles was adorned with small grains of powder. When the flame reached them, they would ignite and fly away into the darkness. They shone for a long time, swirling with the winds, and never stopped rising.