Mystery of Time

Chapter 7: the road of towns in the road of past

Yuri stood in the corner of the guest room, facing the door. The room was
situated directly across from the main gate of the modest house. Kio and
the woman were busy packing the essentials for their journey and staying
in town. They kept repeating, "How quickly the days pass!" The woman
hugged her son, and once again, the atmosphere turned emotional. This
time, however, it wasn’t quite sad or happy. Although she hoped he would
return with her newly adopted daughter, she wasn’t sure if it would be
possible. Yuri felt the weight of these emotions as she watched them. Just
then, her new mother pulled her into an embrace. Despite being adopted
only days ago, Yuri couldn’t shake the feeling that she was part of a family.
Was this what people called family love? Was this what they called a
mother's love?
Kio asked out of curiosity, "Okay, don’t mind, sister. Can I ask you a
question?"
Yuri replied, "Sure."
Kio asked again with her permission to his question, "Do you have any
ability to work?"
Yuri rushed towards Kio, ready to hit him saying with an incomplete word
out of anger, "You—"
The woman screamed calmly to stop them from bickering over such small
things, "Kio! She just helped me with my work. Don’t talk to your siblings
like that, both of you!"
Kio replied back with his complaints, "But she didn’t help with packing..."
Yuri also replied in a low and hesitant tone to defend herself from his
words, "Maybe because I don’t want to go..."An awkward silence followed until the woman broke it, saying, "No problem,
dear. Everything will be alright."
Kio scoffed, uttering his feelings, "You just love your new daughter more
than your old son now, right?"
The woman laughed and replied to him with a playful tone, "Oh! Now I see,
jealous, huh?"
The mood lightened again. Kio and Yuri said their goodbyes to their mother,
unsure of when they would reunite. The siblings walked out of the house.
Yuri felt nervous, like a newborn baby or a bird just hatched. Though not
afraid of leaving, her introverted nature made the past environment seem
daunting. How could the past possibly be?
Kio noticed her behavior and was instantly concerned about her. Even
though he argued with her a few moments ago, yet again he asked her with
his worries for her, "Are you alright?"
Yuri answered with a nervous laugh, "Ye—yes."
Kio assured her again, "Don’t worry. Everything will be fine. The world isn’t
as cruel as you think."
Yuri wondered, ‘How could he even know what I’m thinking?’ As they
walked, Kio stopped her and told her to wait. Confused and panicked, Yuri
didn’t have to wait long before a sleek black car arrived in front of them.
Yuri was pleasantly surprised, and Kio smiled, saying, "Don’t think too
much. Just wait."
Feeling a twinge of ego, Yuri scoffed silently. The driver emerged from the
car and opened the rear door for them. Yuri was taken aback by the
elegance of the driver and the unfamiliarity of her surroundings. As usual,
an embarrassing situation ensued. Yuri and Kio jostled to get inside the car
first, and the driver simply watched, mouth agape.
Yuri apologized to Kio and asked, "Um, sorry, should I go first, or...?"Kio sighed, with a touch of pride, "Why are you so scared? I know it’s
surprising since it’s your first time seeing such a car. You can go in first."
Yuri smiled while trying to hide her excitement, "Thank you, Kio!"
Despite Kio’s rudeness, his truthfulness made Yuri happy rather than upset.
As she settled into the car, the driver whispered to Kio, "Who is she?" Kio
replied aloud, "Why, she’s my sister." Yuri glanced at Kio, still unfamiliar
with the luxury of the car, and a smile crept across her face despite her
best efforts to hide it. She was beginning to experience a kind of love she
had never known before—the love of a mother and the affection of an older
brother. The driver stammered, closing the door gently as Kio entered. The
car set off on a long journey to the capital.
Yuri envisioned herself admiring the beautiful scenery, feeling the fresh air,
and engaging in conversation to better understand and correct any issues,
no matter how minor.
Yet she felt unfit and disappointed in herself with her future in the past
timeline and asked him, "I don’t know the roads, the rules. I’m so out of
place. Why am I going to a place where I don’t fit in?"
Kio resisted her to speak that way and to think about it saying, "Stop talking
and do as I say."
Yuri was still unsure about it and was going to utter something more,
"But—"
The car suddenly stopped. Both siblings adjusted to the abrupt halt. Yuri
wondered what was happening. Kio got out of the car and walked towards
a nearly broken hut, saying, "Wait here. I’ll be back." The scene appeared
to straddle the line between village and town. Sunlight beamed directly onto
Yuri, seemingly unobstructed by the car or the sparse surroundings. Tall
trees and modern buildings surrounded her. The sunlight’s unobstructed
path was possibly due to clouds parting for its rays. Yuri enjoyed the
moment, feeling as though she was bathed in magical golden light.Kio returned from the hut, still smiling, the same smile he had when he left.
Yuri noticed he brought the same smile with him, though something else
seemed missing. She felt remorseful for not noticing sooner, lost in the
daylight. Kio got back into the car and closed the door with a thud. "Please
continue driving," he told the driver. Yuri looked disappointed but masked
her feelings. Kio noticed her and asked, "Aren’t you going to say
something?"
Yuri finally spoke her heart out, "Are you an art student or a psychology
student? Or can you read minds?"
Kio laughed, "Oh, it’s really fun to have a little sister. Ask me whatever you
want to know."
Yuri again asked through what she was really thinking, "About you going
inside the hut..."
Kio suddenly refused to answer, "That’s not your concern. Just focus on
yourself, okay?" giving her a polite but firm smile.
Yuri was about to display her disappointment when the driver spoke up,
"Young master always visits this hut whenever he arrives here." Yuri
wondered why he made these visits. Was it for love, to meet someone
special, or was it something illicit? She decided not to involve herself in it,
though curiosity lingered.
Kio suddenly tried to cover up the questions with useless yet funny words,
"Hey! Did you just fall in love with my sister already? I know she’s adorable,
but come on."
The driver, startled, resumed driving. Yuri found Kio’s words amusing rather
than hurtful and laughed throughout the journey, feeling the soft breeze on
her hand as she held it out of the car window. Kio, normally not fond of
such childish behavior, understood her excitement at new experiences and
smiledThe car arrived at a grand mansion. Yuri thought, ‘Doesn’t this look like
Aroha’s mansion?’ Kio, with a simple laugh, confirmed, "Yes, I’m that rich."
Yuri laughed along.
Yuri asked him, "By the way, do you live with your uncle only?"
Kio replied, "No, I live with many people. Let’s find out!"
Yuri showed a sign of apprehension about interacting with new people. Kio
seemed to understand her concerns. As they entered the mansion, Yuri’s
first step left a bad impression on the family before introductions were even
made. Used to middle-class norms, she found the rules of the wealthy
unfamiliar and daunting. As Kio pushed open the door, Yuri nearly stumbled
but caught herself on one leg. She noticed a red velvet carpet laid out for
Kio’s homecoming. Avoiding the carpet, she accidentally bumped into an
antique vase, causing it to fall and break.
Yuri and Kio stared at the broken vase in shock. Kio, managing a controlled
smile, pulled Yuri close and said, "Stay close to me and do as I say, or
you’ll suffer." Yuri wondered why Kio, seemingly the center of attention and
love, would be fearful. An older woman and a child with distinct features
stood nearby. The woman, with a stern but unwrinkled face, ordered the
child to inform the master of Kio’s return. The child ran off, and the woman
scrutinized Yuri with a dispassionate gaze. Yuri thought, ‘I thought the era
of masters and servants was over, but it seems some wealthy families still
adhere to these rules.’
A well-dressed middle-aged man entered, exuding an air of authority. Yuri
gasped—could this be Aroha’s foster father? He appeared younger than
expected and brought an almost radiant presence. Yuri braced herself for a
reprimand for the broken vase, her hope mingled with guilt. When the man
called her over, "Come here, little girl," Yuri approached cautiously. To her
surprise, he patted her head and said, "Humans break, and they can die.
Why should an antique be any different?"
Yuri was mesmerized and couldn’t help but smile. The man introduced
himself as Henry Peransi."Just call me Henry, and don’t be scared, okay?" Mr. Henry's voice was
gentle as he prepared to leave for his appointments. But before he stepped
out, he caught the astonishment on Yuri's face. Pausing, he turned back
and asked, "What’s your name? Tell me your full name."
Yuri hesitated for a moment before answering, "I am Yuriz... Peransi."
Mr. Henry's eyes widened in surprise, a smile spreading across his face.
"How come I didn’t know my brother had two children, and Kio had his own
little sister? By the way, can I call you Yuri?"
Yuri nodded, her voice barely a whisper. "Ye... Yes, Henry."
Overwhelmed by the revelation, Yuri turned to Kio, her voice trembling as
she tearfully asked, "Please... tell me your name."
Kio looked at her, puzzled by the strange request. But seeing the
desperation in her eyes, he finally relented with a heavy sigh. "Fine, my
name is Kioshiz Peransi."
The world seemed to spin around Yuri as she pieced together the
connections that had been forming since she met Kio. Memories of her
father calling her beautiful, and the striking resemblance Kio bore to him,
flooded her mind. The realization hit her like a wave, and she felt her knees
buckle. As her vision blurred, the last thing she saw was Kio's face, filled
with panic, as he reached out to her, screaming for help. Then, everything
went dark.