See you soon

one

"Ah… It's you, Khun Kornwit..."

"Why do you flinch every time I touch your shoulder?"

Phongsakorn would have answered, but only his voice trembles on the first syllable, his heart sinks to his knees, and most of all he wants to turn into a small grain of sand, invisible to the sharp gaze that rams the soul. Well, what should he do if all his fearlessness and all his courage crumble to dust in front of the young master.

"Excuse me, Khun Kornwit," he rises from his knees and, prayerfully folding his hands, makes a bow.

"Where are you going? Sit down," they clap on the empty place.

He awkwardly falls back, which causes his master to smile coldly. Some ten years ago, they swam naked in the river together, learned to fight in pairs with wooden swords, and once ran off into the mountains for the whole night, for which both then received several dozen blows on their naked backs. Phongsakorn took all the blame on himself, but the young heir proudly told the king that it was his idea, so "punish me alone, father." They poured it on both of them. But even as he got older, Phongsakorn remembered to the sweet scratches in his heart how tightly they cuddled together, trying to keep warm in the night, how they rejoiced, offering their palms to the silver rain, how greedily they ate wild berries from each other's folded hands.

Now they are twenty. And there is no trace of the former friendship left. Now they are a warrior and a master. Let the last one be the same warrior. But if Phongsakorn dies in the upcoming battle, no one will notice. And Kornwit is the hope and future of their people.

"I'm going anyway… I won't bother you, Khun."

A hot palm lies on his back, near his temple with sweat coming out, he hears:

"Let's finish the prayer ritual together? We'll both be in battle soon. Its outcome is unpredictable. And if we are destined to die," the palm slides down to the waist, "I want us to meet in the next life."

Then everything seems to be in the morning fog that creeps along the river valley. Phongsakorn cannot cope with the trembling in his wrist and almost overturns a bowl of consecrated water on Kornwit."

"Hey, what are you doing? Why are you so restless now? After all, we are still alive."

"Goodbye, Khun."

"See you soon, Phongsakorn."

They will die with a difference of two strokes of the sword, the tip of which was burning with their blood mixed forever.

***

"Pete? And you're here?"

"Y-yes… You know, it's a day off, Khun Vegas. So... I decided to come here."

"Let's go listen to the sermon."

"No, no, I... I don't want to bother you... and I still have stuff to do."

"Let's go, let's go, it's not up for discussion."

Pete expected a lot when he was assigned to monitor Vegas. But the fact that he would have to sit and listen to mournful moralizing about the commandments for an hour — this was definitely not part of his plans.

"Khun Vegas, do you really like listening to the sermon?"

"Sure. Is there anything wrong with that? As for me, the heart finds peace at such moments. Agree?"

"Yeah…"

By the end, Pete begins to listen, repeating all the ritual gestures after Vegas. And he also thinks about the strange dreams of the last month, where he sees, as in a fog, a man without a face, but in antique clothes, holding out his hand, which he is scared to death to take with his own and every time he wakes up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. Pete blames these nightmares on stress and endless lack of sleep.

"Oh... can I get you another jug, Khun Vegas?" Pete catches himself.

"Shall we pray together to meet again in the next life?"

A warm, strong palm rests on his back. Vegas strokes him there with short movements, not taking his eyes off stunned Pete. And he catches himself thinking that he is too familiar with a strange premonition of the inevitable. It was as if someone had really played the card of his life a long time ago, even before he was born.

"Will you pour it for me?" Vegas shows to the consecrated water.

Pete nods and hurries away. His cheeks are burning so much that he wants to splash all the water on his face. And there is still a trace of his touches on the back.

But Pete remembers his mission. And when he returns, he finds only an empty place and a note on the jug:

"It would be great to see you in the next life. But I want you to stop being afraid of my hand in this one. See you soon."