When destiny comes knocking, will you rise to its siren call? If FATE was carved in stone, do you have a choice to change the course of your life?
"One hundred thousand lifetimes,
Twenty-five to a fragment,
Four chances to a rotation complete,
And b...
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After returning, she had not been bothered in the slightest. She was so completely ignored by every one of them, that she felt like she had stepped into a completely new dimension, a new life. Nevertheless, she continued to perform her duties with the utmost care and with military precision. She became very responsible in her walk with the Goddess, taking seriously the times she needed to self-isolate and touch the divine in her encounter sessions. Although returning had a price, it was here she had learnt about her true heritage, her inheritance.
They had met on the pastures of the glen by the temple every festival, just like she was promised. She looked forward to every visit, when she was allowed to leave and just soak in the presence of her friend; sometimes sweaty from practise in the meadows, other times from the smell of salt from fishing and mending nets, and occasionally the scent of burnt vegetables as she tried another new recipe she had thought up. But more so than anything else, the scent of sunshine. She has no words to express her thoughts - playfulness wrapped in pure joy and a whole heap of happiness. That's the scent. And she craves it. To saturate herself in it and let it carry her through until the next meet.
They talk about everything and nothing. Laugh at the silliest of things, talk about their trainings, their future, play games, tell each other stories, munch on the delicacies Kǎi bought at the festivals, or sometimes, just quietly lie side-by-side, just enjoying the other's presence.
As the years passed, Kǎi became more refined, taller, more muscular, as she was going through the same training as the boys her age who also wanted to enrol in His Majesty's force. She's grown up too, less wild, more restrained, coiled power waiting to be unleashed. She still talks, though not as much, and with an air of authority and command she naturally exudes. She listens more too.
Io has realised that Kǎi however has not changed in the way she treats her. Always with tender gentleness, never a harsh word, and saintly patience on days she just wants to rant and complain. Io can't say the same for herself. Sometimes she just wants to fight, and Kǎi gives her the freedom and space she needs, ensuing which she eases her ruffled feathers and comforts her.
Sometimes Kǎi just makes her want to scream with her composure. 'Isn't Io supposed to be the one who personifies those traits? Why is it Kǎi who epitomises them instead?' she muses. Whatever the case, Kǎi has become her cornerstone, her pillar of strength, her solid rock and fortress. In times when Io feels she's swaying, unable to bear the yoke of her calling, the burden of separation, Kǎi is there, immovable, holding on, and carrying the faith and hope for both of them, unshakable in her belief of Io, her source of warmth and comfort and iron-clad strength.
