Ruins of Memory: Twilight Light

ACT 4: REUNION

ACT 4: REUNION ~
Karasake, Karasake... A name recovered from another's memory. The other side reacted, 〇〇 turning back as if his name was called. Karasake, Karasake... A name lost to Fate, a name lost to the void, restored and forcefully pulled out of the sea of forgotten memories.

〇〇 continued to hold that imaginary hand close to him, their fingers feels as if intertwining as tears continued to fall from his red, teary eyes. As 〇〇 sat there and grieved, perhaps we should peek into the other side of this world.

Or rather, Karasake's side.

Kara, who has departed and ventured to the mountains first. The Repelling Mountains, filled with wisterias hanging from a tree branch, as if infinite as it extended to the horizon.

Pushing aside the wisterias, which had occasionally blocked his view, he hiked up the peak of the mountains. The wind rustles, the vines lightly flutter. The wanderer stared at the fluttering wisterias as the leaves seperated and fies around and around.

... They gathered around Kara, specifically, like welcoming their supposed "god"... No, this is wrong. He shouldn't be put on a pedestal, heck, he shouldn't even be considered a candidate for a god. And yet here he is, surrounded by the petals and the wind blew strongly against his will.

...春蘭.

Petals flew around aggressively like a storm, the wind blows fiercely as the petals cut through Kara's skin.

"Kr—!"

He grunted in slight pain, it didn't hurt, it was more like a paper cut. Well, if it piles up too much, it ain't good. Kara turned back nearly immediately, as he headed straight back to the Palace.

However, the further he went down, the fiercer the "storm" gets. He stood there in stasis, perhaps that was when he thought of a risky plan. A plan he was willing to take.

"This time... I'll surely get you back."

Enduring the pain that the fierce spring storm is giving him, he walked slowly to the peak, against the fierce winds holding him back from it.

"Hnnn..."

He grunted as he forced his way up, and up again. The painful process went on for quite a while, before the storm finally ends when he reached the top. He looked down and took a deep breath, panting, before looking at the center. A tree stump.

Closing his eyes, and sighed.

"I would've expected even a clue after going all the way up here..."

He sat down on the tree stump, looking down as he rested on the stump, turning and glancing behind him as he felt an "invisible barrier". It seemed, familiar, an eyebrow raised of suspicion.

"That's strange... There shouldn't be a barrier here."

"...! Unless, my hypothesis was true.."

Karasake. Reach out.

Just this time, he'll let that voice guide him again. Neglection, hatred, resentment against this voice in his head. Time and time again, this voice only led him to utter failure before the world entered another loop. Only this time, he'll trust its judgement...

Hesitantly, he extended his hand towards the "barrier"... Warm. An embrace. The overlapping layers of fingers intertwining as if it was held tightly.

An avid sense of nostalgia. He doesn't know why, but it feels so familiar.

"...Have I... Finally found you?"

Memories. Like a tsunami of emotions, a wave of memories clashes with each other. The broken heart of this worn-out traveler seems to heal, the wounded body of this exhausted traveler seems to heal. Something has changed again.

Emotion. Intense emotion, or perhaps, the feeling of reunion. It feels as if he had just reunited with someone important. His grip tightened as he held the other hand tight...

"...Have I... finally reached the end...?"

A shedded tear as he stared at the unseen figure.

"What I'm feeling right now... This must be how it feels..."

"The feeling of reunion..."

Memories, and memories. And then more memories. Pulsating and strong, evoking emotion like provoking a beast of sensitive feelings.

He cries out, their fingers continue to intertwine.

"Oh... My dear, how I missed you so much... My love."

"Wandering for years and years, waiting for the day I finally get to you..."

"After watching this world be on the brink of destruction, time, and time again... I've finally reached you."

"I missed you so much..."

"I love you so much..."

"**Tengoku...**"

~ ACT 4: REUNION ~
        END