Gate Guardian - Song of the Frozen Soul

TIARA'S FORGOTTEN MEMORIES - HAPPILY EVER AFTER

TIARA'S FORGOTTEN MEMORIES - HAPPILY EVER AFTER

7,324,867TH TIMELINE

It's a cool Saturday morning, and I was surprised when my only friend visited my apartment in Dradecim.

"Hey Tiara, let's eat in that new restaurant. My treat! B-Because... w-well..." Rikkun scratched his head and turned away from me, an attempt to hide his blushing face. "I-It's my birthday... S-So I owe you a friendly date..."

Everytime Rikkun blushes, it makes my heart throb. He's really cute whenever he tries to hide his embarrassed face.

His friends Chrisprel, Ranley, and Daughty doesn't exist in this timeline. On the other hand, Heushac is not aware of Rikkun's existence because he's already a Gate Guardian serving a Legion in Heightsburg City. And he just got friendzoned by his love Jeannette two weeks ago, so they are in cold terms.

So to wrap it all, Rikkun in this timeline is a full-pledged antisocial... like me.

Rikkun presented the most beautiful food tickets I have ever seen in my life.

"I-Is that the all-you-can-eat Mongolian barbecue buffet!?" I excitedly exclaimed. It took me a while to realize that I'm already drooling.

"Y-Yeah. Let's go!"

<>

The best thing about Rikkun is that he doesn't care if I eat a lot. He would just sit there, entertained, watching me as I chomp all the meat on my plate. He would even turn generous and give me delicious treats every time I save him from an Eidolon.

This trait of Rikkun never changes even if I switch timelines.

After we ate all the delicious barbecue, I made a surprise to my beloved friend

"Happy Birthday, Rikkun!" I made a smile as I presented him with my hand-baked blueberry black forest cake.

"T-Tiara..." Rikkun sniffed three times and then his green eyes produced crawling tears. He used his hand to hide his expression, but his nervous yet happy voice made me realize that it is a genuine tear of joy. "Y-You're the first one...who surprised me... on my birthday..." He hollered. "...I'm so happy!"

"Stop crying now, my dear Rikkun~" I patted his head like a dog. "I told you, you are always dear to me."

That bright smile and happy tears of your loved one is the best. I wouldn't mind being imprisoned in an infinite time loop as long as I can see him like this.

Suddenly, Rikkun turned to a serious expression. He looked at me in the eyes with his swollen dried up eyes and his face became red. Then he held both of my hands.

"Tiara!" He shouted with all the courage in his heart.

"E-Eh?" Because of this sudden surprise, that's all the word I can mutter. Those reddish cheeks of him are contagious!

"Please stay with me forever! Toujours et a jamais! Forever and ever!"

For seven million timelines, he never said those lines to me.

I don't know if that counts as a confession, but this is the right time to release all the feelings I have stored in my heart! I mustered all the bravery and shouted.

"Y-Yes! R-Rikkun! I... I... !!!"

Suddenly, everything disappeared. The restaurant turned into an abandoned room painted red. Everything is red. There is the blood moon which makes it clear that we have been transported to Yami.

And then there is a cloaked man behind Rikkun. A silver-haired man with red irises and triangle sigil on each of his eyes. He has this dark katana-shaped sword on his right hand. His face... is a lot similar to mine. I am fully aware that he's my twin, Diadem!