A Promise Across Time [Completed]

Full Circle (2024)

2024
Ravenscave Manor
Garden

After my conversation with Aunt Ciel in her library, the atmosphere at the dinner table felt awkward and uncomfortable. There were so many questions bubbling inside me, so many things I wanted to bombard my grandmother with, but the presence of everyone around us held me back. Instead, I sought solace in the garden, hoping to ease my mind from the swirling worries.

The night sky was a canvas splashed with countless stars, the moon shining brightly and casting a gentle glow over the garden. I took a deep breath, inhaling the cool night air, as if the serenity of the moment could wash away my confusion.

"I thought I might find you here," Frida's voice, gentle as it had been all those years ago, pulled me from my reverie. The calmness in her tone felt like a warm embrace, anchoring me in the midst of my swirling thoughts.

"Frida," I said, turning to face her, my voice laced with a mix of relief and curiosity.

Frida chuckled softly as she took a seat beside me. "It's Grandma to you, sweetheart."

I nodded, feeling the weight of the revelation settle over me. "I'm sorry, Grandma. It feels surreal because I had these memories that were all jumbled up."

Grandma Frida seemed to understand what I was trying to say, though I wasn't sure if the time I shared with her in the past was real or just a figment of my imagination.

We sat in comfortable silence, gazing at the starry sky above. The constellations seemed to mirror the fragmented pieces of my memories, slowly coming together. I took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. "Gram... do you... I mean, have you ever met someone with the name Raven before?"

"Oh yes, I did," Frida replied with a nostalgic smile. "She was such a vibrant young girl. And so, I named you after her."

My heart sank a little. I had hoped for a different answer, one that would affirm my significance. "You did?" I asked, my disappointment evident. She doesn't remember me.

Frida's expression shifted slightly, her eyes growing more reflective. "The Raven I met before said that she came from the future," she said, her words sending a shiver down my spine. The realization hit me like a wave. She remembered me. The connection between us was more profound than I had imagined.

"She was playing hide-and-seek in the year 2024 and, miraculously, ended up on my doorstep in the year 1963. She was turning ten that fateful day." Frida's voice was laced with warmth and fondness. "It was a peculiar experience. I had never seen anyone quite like her before. She was full of wonder and curiosity, and she carried with her an air of something extraordinary. And I only realized now that she is you. You're playing hide-and-seek before we arrived, haven't you? And you just returned from your long journey."

"You remembered," I said, my eyes wide with a mix of awe and relief. "You remember meeting me?"

Quietly, Frida took a piece of paper from her pocket and showed it to me. I remembered vividly the time I wrote this to her; I badly wanted her to be part of my life and so I detailed the events of my birth.

I held onto that paper and sobbed. The thought of losing my memories of the past was tremendously saddening. Grandma pulled me to her and embraced me gently, rubbing my back to soothe the pain I was feeling.