A Story of Seasons: The Story of Jill | Volume II: Summer

Chapter VII: Ties That Bind

22 years ago...

Jack takes a deep breath as he enters the forest, which leads to the Goddess Pond. It is the dead of night, with the crystal light plants gleaming quietly in the darkness. His eyes are dark and somber, his hands hidden inside his coat pockets. As crickets echo through the air, he makes his way to the spring, standing only a few feet away from the water and staring blankly at his reflection. A memory of Juliet floods back to him, and he smiles fondly, but the smile fades away as quickly as it arrives.

He takes a single strawberry out of his pocket and lays it on the water's surface, the stars gleaming over the reflection. Jack sighed as he sat in front of the Goddess Pond, his face tired and his expression empty. He stares blankly at the strawberry floating in the water, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. Suddenly, a hand pops out of the water and takes the strawberry, with the Harvest Goddess herself revealing herself with fog surrounding her body as she floats over the water.

"Jack. Thank you." She coos alluringly, her eyes sparkling as she takes a bite out of the fruit. "I sense you are not feeling the best lately."

"You could say that." Jack responds, his voice low. He lets out another sigh, the brown in his eyes dark. "You know...There's something about you 'otherworldly beings' or whatever that I've always envied. You don't gotta worry about emotions, the painful ones. You know, heartbreak, anger, regret... You live so freely. I know you have the 'watch over all farmers' gig, but..."

His voice trails off, unable to find the energy or motivation to continue. The Goddess's smile shrinks, grabbing onto the shawl over her shoulders.

"So that's what you believe..." She mumbles softly, shaking her head. She hides her mouth in her hand, her palm balling into a fist. "Immortality does not equal freedom. We are not free of things such as 'emotions'. We cut, we bleed, and we can be killed. Just as a human can."

Jack perks up, his attention now focused on her. She places her hands behind her back and swallows some saliva, her smile now gone.

"I digress. What is on your mind today, Jack?"

His eyes wander, and his thoughts are now scrambled by the Goddess's sudden revelation. He takes a deep breath and pulls at the fingers of his farming gloves.

"Where do I even start?" He mumbles under his breath, following a dry chuckle. He shakes his head, a sad smile resting on his face. "Guess I'll just get to the point. There's...A girl that I want to be with, but I think I screwed up."

"How so?"

He wrinkles his eyebrows, distressed.

"I can tell there's something about her past that... She doesn't want me to know. Whenever I would try to ask about her past, like her family or her days as a wanderer, she just smiles at me and changes the subject somehow."

The Harvest Goddess lowers her eyes, her pointer finger rubbing across the side of her cheek.

"Hm..." Her eyes glimmer, her thoughts swirling. "Sounds suspicious, does it not?"

 Jack's eyes widen, and he shakes his head.

"She's not that kind of person." He mutters, his palms clammy as he feels his throat going dry. He lowers his eyes, a deflated smile forming on his lips. "Even if you're right and I'm getting played... I can't change how I feel. Being with her... Feels so right, like I'm at peace somehow. She came back to see me for a reason, and she... Kept coming back." His face scrunches up slightly, that desolate smile not leaving his face. "I know I sound like an idiot."