“Ugh... where is this? It's... such a beautiful sea of flowers.” Clo rubbed her eyes, feeling that everything around her was wonderful, yet her heart felt a faint, aching pain.
She casually plucked a fresh Cecilia flower. On its snow white petals, dew drops slid down her slender fingers, flowing across her palm and down to her wrist.
“Such beautiful Cecilia flowers... but why does it feel so unreal...?” she whispered softly. The flowers in her hand gradually withered, turning into ash that scattered into the air.
Not far away, a figure walked slowly toward her. Her high heels stepped on stairs condensed from the void, making the same sound as if walking on a marble floor.
She seemed to walk out of ancient history, with dots of pitch black light radiating from her body like the materialization of death itself. The surrounding flowers gradually withered, slowly turning into specks of dust.
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
“You cannot always place your hopes on ‘Him.’ Alright, let us stop here,” the figure in the black robe spoke slowly. “You do not need to endure the pain anymore. This is better for both of us.”
“I will take care of their affairs... You must live on...” She slowly turned around, her figure merging back into the long river of history, flowing from the downstream back to the upstream.
“Wait!” Clo threw away the flower in her hand and ran forward with all her might. She suddenly tripped and fell to the ground as decaying hands grabbed her skirt. Her struggling fingers scraped against the ground until they bled, yet she was still forcibly dragged backward toward that pitch black abyss.
“Wait...” Her hand slipped, and her head hit the table. The slight pain instantly cleared her mind. She looked around somewhat dazed as the voices of several professors discussing things echoed in her ears. Her head throbbed with waves of pain.
“You’re awake. Had a nightmare?” Ishtar looked at her with a smile. “You were sleeping so soundly that I didn't want to wake you.”
“Mm... where are we in the meeting?” Clo rubbed her temples, her brow furrowing slightly with a hint of agitation in her eyes. She glanced at the moon outside the floor to ceiling window. The cold moonlight shone on the marble walls, reflecting a faint shimmer that seemed to make the atmosphere feel even more desolate. She let out a long, impatient sigh.
“We are discussing the deployment of the third line of defense in the western Yasolila Mountains.”
“That’s too far ahead... let’s handle the immediate matters first.” Clo stood up and pulled out her staff. The arguing crowd looked at her in surprise.
“Sorry, something came up at home. I have to go. Have my assistant give me the meeting report later.” She put away her staff and hurriedly left the conference room.
“Wait! Didn't we say we were going to see my newly grown flowers after the meeting?” Ishtar caught up with small steps, biting her lip and looking toward a corner.
“Sorry, Kurong... I remembered something more important...”
“I see... then... that’s a shame.” Ishtar hugged her own shoulders with her right hand. “Next time, then. There’s always a next time.”
“Yeah, sorry.”
Clo left in a hurry, not even looking back at Ishtar, whose expression was gradually darkening.
“You said you liked white flowers. For that snow white rose... I studied for so long, even sacrificing lives for it...” She bit her fingernail, her cheek twitching slightly and her legs crossed as if she were suppressing her emotions.
“Miss Kurong?”
“It’s nothing. Continue. I’m listening.”
...
Bang! The front door of the residence was thrown open. Clo didn't even change her boots, her footsteps clacking as she ran through the house. The place was dark everywhere, with no sign of Li Yue.
“How is this possible... where did you go... no...” Clo knelt on the floor, a wave of powerlessness washing over her entire body.
Click. The sound of the front door opening came from behind. A lithe figure walked in, closing the door with one foot before switching into slippers. She was carrying some equipment and what looked like miscellaneous items.
“A Yue!” Clo lunged forward. Li Yue was startled, and after a split second of calculation, she realized she couldn't dodge in time.
“Idiot...” Li Yue was tackled to the ground. Some of the magic tools and items she was about to put away were pulled back into her ring, while others scattered on the floor. Looking at Clo’s anxious face so close to her own, the anger that had flared up was suppressed by embarrassment.
“Get off me... stupid Clo.”
“Waaaah, I thought you left and were never coming back.”
“Let go, let go... I just went home to grab some things and bought some seasonings on the way... Ugh... your tears are getting on my face.”
“Let me hold you a little longer.”
“You didn't even change your shoes when you got home. Idiot, what about the floor you just dirtied?”
“Then I’ll leave the cleaning to A Yue.”
Clo slowly stood up and took off her boots, revealing her smooth, bare feet.
“I’ll go get your slippers. Honestly... I was once the decisive God of Death, so why does it feel like I’m your nanny now?”
“Don't mention your past identity anymore. Let’s just... keep living like this, okay...?” The smile on Clo’s face gradually faded, and a flash of sorrow and fear crossed her eyes.
Li Yue was silent for a moment. Her past identity was something she couldn't abandon; there were things she had to carry out, even if she only had these fragments of memory for now.
“Have you eaten dinner?”
“No...”
“I’ll go make some. Rest well after you eat. Is my room ready?”
“Not yet. There’s no rush for that, hehe.”
“Fine, whatever makes you happy.” Li Yue sighed with a smile and walked to the cutting board to prepare ingredients. A figure slowly pressed against her, resting a head on her shoulder and smelling the fragrance of her hair. Li Yue’s movements slowed, allowing those arms to wrap tighter and tighter around her waist.
If only I could... I really want to just keep going like this...
Rate on N.U.
