[R1999] Short Stories' Collection

Sonetto & Vertin: 9.8

Sonetto's world used to be simply portrayed by black and white.

Following the orders was right and not following the orders was wrong.

That's what she has been taught repeatedly as a child.

She seriously did what she was told to do, never questioned once.

As long as things went well, peace and justice were carefully kept, Sonetto wouldn't have a single doubt on her tasks.

Order is always right, always more important than opinion.

"Sonetto, just let me go."

The gray-haired girl stopped her footsteps and let out a small sigh.

Behind her back, the oranged-girl was holding her sleeve with a lowered head.

"I will be fine. Trust me."

Vertin turned back, trying to show the other girl a comforting smile. Yet, she wasn't able to perform a proper one.

Hearing her words, those fingers tightened even more for some seconds, then slowly loosened and let the sleeve slip from them.

"Please be careful and..." Her green eyes finally had the courage to face the person in front, "...return soon."

Despite saying so, Sonetto knew that this examination would only be longer than the last one.

From the beginning, the health check was just an excuse that the higher ups used to make Vertin's new companions follow their rules. They said Vertin shouldn't have an independent unit of her own, because it was too dangerous to let unregistered arcanists under a person's control rather than The Foundation.

To tell the truth, Sonetto wasn't totally clueless about what was happening to Vertin.

"I can't guarantee the exact time, but I will try my best."

Vertin used both of her bare hands to pat hers.

Through the layer of the white gloves, she could feel the warmth as well as the gentleness from Vertin's hands, which were trying to calm the anxiety inside her heart down.

"Take care, Sonetto."

That familiar figure once again walked away, just as the little girl who had promised to come back on that rainy day.

'What can you do this time?'

Sonetto clenched her fist and put it before her right chest.

Thump Thump Thump

Her heart was pounding, faster and faster, as if urging herself to take any action as soon as possible.

'I need to do something.'

As the girl took the first step from her old spot, her green eyes also regained their consistency.

'...anything that can bring her back.'

..........

Sonetto was having a daydream.

She saw herself hurriedly run to a certain location.

It was inside a building, more accurately, a skyscraper.

With a strong belief that there was someone waiting for her on the top, she ascended from floor to floor, passing hundreds of stairs just by her two legs.

As time flew, her feet were all swollen and blistered, her knees were all stiffened and her nose began to be out of breath.

However, the only thing stuck in her mind right now was that she must come there immediately.

'Just a few more steps, a few more!'

The top of the skyscraper was still too far to be seen, so was the person that she craved for reaching.

'Keep running, keep climbing!'

Until this body perished, until this heart withered and this brain blacked out.

Even so, her disembodied soul would keep going forward, till the moment it could meet up with that important person.

Unknown of how many days and nights had passed, Sonetto finally reached the top of the skyscraper.

When she opened the door leading to the rooftop, that person had already stood on the railing.

Her small figure lightly swayed in the wind, making Sonetto's heart almost stop beating.

Lying on the ground nearby were her suitcase and her hat - her identifying symbols.

"Sonetto, this is the real goodbye from me."

The grayed-haired girl didn't turn back to see the one who had been seeking her presence non-stop.

Either as a child or The Timekeeper, she always kept hardships for herself and endured them in silence.

"You used to share with me anything from the outside world that you'd found."

Sonetto continued to get close to her, as she knew this was the only chance to bring that person back.

"A frog, rocks with different shapes and sweet toffees."

She reached out her hand, slowly and carefully, as if scared that a tiny mistake would only push that girl further and further.

'Why don't you share with me your pain too?'

Her fingers were so close to that small figure, just one more inch, one more inch.

"Take care, Sonetto."

As soon as her sleeve slipped from Sonetto's fingers, the grayed-haired girl had fallen into the gravity's embrace.

It happened so fast, so sudden.

Before her mind could generate a single thought, Sonetto had already followed Vertin's step.

"I won't let you go again!"

She shouted, which made her mouth covered with air and her throat burned.

Tears dropped from her eyes, then all flew up to the sky.

"The future without you... I can't stand it..."

Her hands once again tried to reach Vertin, who was now looking at her with a pair of sad eyes.

This time, she succeeded.

Their fingers intertwined and tightened.

"I will come with you to the end of this world."

It was the decision that was made following her own heart, her own opinion.

An unbreakable vow that would continue to last till the day both of her body and soul vanished.

The moment their bodies crashed on the ground, Sonetto returned to the reality.