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His arm hurt like hell, crimson blood flowing from the multitude of small cuts upon his skin.
It was the result of having Sunday try to pull him out with those imaginary vines of his. While he was grateful for Sunday's attempt at saving him, he wondered if it was really necessary to use vines adorned with thorns. The fact that he failed didn't particularly matter in this case, as even if he had succeeded in pulling him out, Caelus was sure his hand would still have cuts and abrasions.
Maybe it was payback for ramming him with a train.
"..."
His arm was outstretched, towards a direction he perceived as upwards. And yet, the blood from his wounds didn't simply flow down along his arm; rather, it spread out in all directions, creating a cloud of crimson above him.
Beyond the red mist, a faint silver sheen was visible on his finger. A silver ring adorned with a purple gemstone, a ring he proudly wore.
It was now stained red with his blood.
Unacceptable.
After all, that's probably the color that she hates the most, having seen too much of it throughout her life.
Try as he may, he couldn't stop casting his gaze upwards.
It was hard to tell what exactly was 'up' in a space like this.
He felt like he was weightlessly floating, suspended in mid-air.
Not a ray of light existed within here; the surrounding space was pitch black. Caelus couldn't tell if the space was small and claustrophobic or unimaginably expansive to the point of overwhelming.
"...I can see why they call it a memoria tide." He muttered to himself, not expecting to get a reply.
And yet a reply was what was received. "Humans do have a tendency to simplify things for the sake of their own understanding. In that sense, I suppose that is what makes you undeniably human, my dear Caelus."
"..." He kept his silence, unwilling to exchange words with the 'thing' that was using his friend's appearance.
"That's rather hurtful... Though I suppose you're not too far off." She responded to his thoughts.
Her voice came from all directions, and thus, it came from nowhere. She was the pitch black void itself.
"...If you wanted to talk, you could at least show yourself."
He didn't have a particular plan in mind. With Evernight being the master of this space, along with her control of memories, it was useless to even have a plan in the first place. Hence, Caelus opted to wing it for now until he saw a chance, though he suspected Evernight was already onto him by now.
"Oh?" She almost snickered. "I assumed you didn't want to see me, considering I look like her."
"Of course." That hadn't changed. Evernight was not March 7th, just someone who looked like her. "But I might calm down if I see someone familiar."
He tried to reason with her, unsure of what exactly getting her to show up would net him. Still, it was better than talking into an empty void.
"Fufu... in that case-" A wave of static washed over the space, sending a jolt of electricity through Caelus' nerves. "-Here I am."
He didn't immediately catch sight of her, but her voice had changed from being omnidirectional to coming from behind him.
He desperately tried to turn around, the air, or water, or memoria, whatever filled this blank void, it was thick, like a liquid sludge, making it hard to move.
After taking a great amount of effort to turn around, probably partially due to not knowing how to swim, he managed to turn around and face Evernight... Only for her to be upside down.
"Fufu... you struggled so much you ended up rotating." Her voice edged the border of teasing and mockery.
Caelus didn't immediately respond; instead, his eyes trailed to his perception of up, Evernight's down.
And he was immediately disappointed. He should've seen it coming. With him suspended in the air the way he was, there was no way gravity would have a place here.
"...I'm beginning to understand how she feels," Evernight spoke, her face, even from his upside-down orientation, was evidently irked, if only slightly.
"If you're willing to show me even a bit, I might consider going along with your plans." His voice was rather serious considering the request. Had it been anyone else, they might have been convinced.
"But you would never willingly go along with my plan, isn't that right? I may be stubborn, but I can understand that much."
"Heh, it was worth a shot..." He sighed as he felt himself slowly rotating, most likely Evernight's doing.
"So, what's your plan? Are you going to keep me here forever? I may not be as patient as Zandar, but I'm confident I can hold out until help comes."
"Oh? And what made you think help was coming?" She seemed almost genuinely surprised, the act a clear insult to his faith.
"Heh, I'll have you know, I'm quite popular. I'm sure someone will come for me eventually."
"...Fufu. You're right. But..." A peculiar, unnerving, wide smile formed on March's- no, Evernight's face. "...By that point, it will be too late."
"...!" The smile got on his nerves. No, was that even a smile? Could something like that be used to express joy?
No, that wasn't an expression of natural emotions. It was an expression of Evernight, her true appearance, obsession given form.
"...Still, I'll be polite for now. Come here-" Caelus' body was forcefully drawn to her despite his struggles, and she went to take his bleeding hand into her own. "Let's get this treated, shall we?"
"..." Unable to discern her intentions, he decided to let her do as she pleased. Having his wound treated wouldn't be bad by any means.
Out of nowhere, a pale red translucent jellyfish appeared, slowly coiling itself around Caelus' bloodied arm. It was cool to the touch, almost pleasant.
And then he felt a slight sting.
"Ouch!" The unexpected pain made him involuntarily wince and whine.
"Easy now. This is just like treating any other wound, so it will, of course, sting a bit. Bear with it for now, my dear Caelus."
The nickname she had taken to calling him irked him somewhat, more than the stinging pain in his arm, but he managed to get through it.
"Your pulse is rising. Does that nickname get your heart racing?" Her tone indicated she already knew the answer.
And yet, Caelus decided to indulge her anyway. "Yeah, it does."
For the wrong reasons, though.
"Ahh... If she were here, I'm sure she would be happy."
"..."
"'What did she mean by that...?' Is that what you're thinking? Haah, despite all your good qualities, you can be rather dense, don't you think, dear Caelus?"
"..." He didn't like where this conversation was going.
It's not like he didn't realize it... It's just...
"You didn't want to."
"...If you know that much, then stop pestering me about it." He shot back; his patience was beginning to wane.
"Oh, how hurtful... Would you have the same attitude if it were her standing in front of you? That girl whose feelings you've been trying to ignore all this time?"
As she said those words laced with spite, the jellyfish around his arm began to tighten its grip on his arm, the cooler sensation from earlier replaced with an almost searing hot warmth.
At the same time, something happened to his mind. His memories. Was it something he had forgotten? Or was it a memory that never existed in the first place?
In that memory, he and March were sitting atop the rooftops of the Penacony's Dream's Edge. It was their last day on Penacony before they made their way to Amphoreus, one last chance to enjoy the sweet dream.
"Hey, Caelus." She asked without really looking at him.
"What?" he did the same, answering her whilst keeping his eyes on the eternal sunset.
"About you and Firefly..."
"Hm? Could it be... you're jealous? Hehe, looks like I'm entering my popular phase."
"...What if I am?" She uttered, quietly, but enough for Caelus to hear.
To which he couldn't help but turn to her in surprise. "Eh?"
"What if I am jealous...?"
"M-March?"
She, too, turned to face him, a faint blush on her face, overpowered by the determined look in her eyes.
"I mean... We've been together for a lot longer, based on what you remember anyway... So I thought-"
"Do you like me?" He cut her off with the only thought permeating his mind.
"D-Dumbass! I never said that! I mean, I don't really know myself... B-But...!" She could barely string together words to answer him, which in itself was an answer.
"I see..." His gaze turned back to the sunset, his face dyed red by the sunset, or was it a blush? "I-I'm not really sure what to feel about Firefly myself, nor about you for that matter... I guess what I'm trying to say is, if you ever feel like it, maybe you can try beating Firefly to the punch."
"S-Seriously... What are you saying? Did Penacony make you that much of a sweet talker?"
"...I thought you liked me this way."
"Argh, whatever!" She got and prepared to storm off, leaving Caelus behind to admire the sunset by himself.
But not before digging in her heels and turning around.
"I-I'm not sure if I like you... But I know I don't like to lose... So uh, you better not get up to anything with Firefly until I'm ready!"
Such were her last words to him before she stormed back to the express.
Or were they?
*Squeeze*
"...! Evernight!"
"What's wrong? Is it too tight for you? This is approximately how tight her chest would feel every time you went frolicking around with other women."
"Khh...! You know what I'm talking about! Don't mess with my memories."
Evernight's smile was slowly dissolving, the corners of her mouth lowering into a frown, her eyes sharpening to the point of cutting through the space between them. It wasn't the same expression that he had chalked up to be Evernight's true face, but this could be said to be another facet of her.
Obsession? No, this was... jealousy.
"Oh? Are you saying what you just saw was fabricated? How mean... What if they were real? What if I merely blocked those memories the moment you entered Amphoreus to test you?"
"...You!"
"Do memories make a person? Evidently not. I have all of her memories, but you most certainly see me as someone else."
Caelus had long forgotten about the cuts on his arm, the pain of the jellyfish squeezing its long tentacles around it hurting more than those shallow cuts ever could.
"Now that I've 'restored' your memories, who do you think you're in love with?"
"..."
"Don't want to say? Haah... Well, I can tell you her feelings. In just your first meeting, you were already willing to sacrifice yourself for her. Who wouldn't fall for such a person?"
Jellyfish were typically soft, yet Caelus felt none of that as one began twisting his arm, making him unable to utter any words as he tried to withstand the pain.
"And right after that... You had the gall to die right in front of her... Do you know how worried she was? Do you!?" Her usual calm and cunning demeanor was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a fervent and genuine wave of raw emotion.
"Of course I do! It's not like I got killed on purpose!"
"...Hehe. Good answer. Of course. It wasn't on purpose. That's just like you..."
"...! E-Evernight... We can sort this out later... Just let me go for now. At the very least, let go of my hand."
His plea fell onto deaf ears as Evernight's face contorted into an expression of... sadness?
"Do you want to know just how much she cares for you? When you met that Firefly girl back in Penacony, her heart was crushed, the idea that you already had someone special way before this, but she let it slide. Because she knew that Firefly must've been someone important to you."
"...I-It's not like that led anywhere."
"Yes... That's why, deep in her heart, she was happy. It was then that she saw the opportunity, and she decided to seriously pursue you..."
The pain in his arm hadn't lessened one bit, but it felt irrelevant compared to the sight of Evernight... or March, shaking as she tried to hold it in.
Her gaze now cast downwards, Caelus couldn't even see her blood red eyes, making him question if the girl talking to him right now could be March.
The way she was speaking, that was, expressing her honest emotions to him... It certainly felt like March.
"She thought she'd finally get a chance... But then... But then..."
"...March?" He dared to call out her name. He dared to assume, to hope, that the person in front of him was March.
"But then... those vermin from Garden of Recollection interfered, dragging her into this accursed planet... It's all their fault... It's all their fault...!"
The pink-haired girl clutched her head, shaking left and right, tears falling about like rain as she did so.
He couldn't bear to see her like this.
"March! Calm down... Please...!"
He remembered the jellyfish coiling around his arm, how tightly it squeezed him. He wasn't sure if she had closed up his wounds or not, and he wouldn't be able to tell, as the tightness of the tentacles constricted the blood flow in his arm.
"Ahh... but you're at fault too, you know? You go around being her ideal prince charming... and then, when you disappear from our sight for just a bit, you're fooling around with another woman again."
"...!"
"Was I not enough, my dear Caelus? What was I lacking that you would rather go out with that reaper?"
"I-It's not that I don't like her- you. It's just... It's just that I consider you like family. I don't want to ruin that between us."
*Crack*
That wasn't a metaphorical sound of Evernight's patience snapping, though that did occur. The sound came from Caelus' hand, particularly his ring finger, which was now bent way too far back.
"Argh!!!"
Her face had returned to the placid calm she usually had, though her eyes didn't betray even a hint of rational sanity left.
"Family... Is it? Then what's this? This ring... Isn't that a sign of family as well? If you consider us family, why are you proudly wearing that filthy thing? Who gave you the right to start another family without us?" Her voice was chillingly cold, almost making Caelus literally freeze under her intense gaze as even her pupils dilated to half their usual size.
"Stop this, Evernight!" he shouted through the pain as he felt his hand slowly crushed under the deceptively soft-looking jellyfish.
"Even if we're family, that shouldn't be an excuse to deny her that love. Even a wife could still be considered family, right? Let's go with that~"
"You're insane! Let go already!"
"Tch... If you'd rather frolic around with that useless woman, then let me absolve you of your worries..."
"What are you-"
*Snap*
From its overbent position, his finger was pulled back and forth. At first, there were a few pops, the sounds of his joints realigning. The tearing sensation came later as his skin and tendons were pulled apart. With one final tug, the jellyfish finally let go of his arm, leaving his ring finger a mere bloodied stump.
"AAAARRGHHH!!!"
The jellyfish, which was originally a pale red, had now appeared a deep crimson red, stained by his blood, as it carried his severed finger to Evernight.
She toyed around with it for a bit, tossing it from hand to hand until she brought it up to her eye, staring intently at the ring snuggly attached to his detached appendage.
"Hmph, what's so special about this ring anyway? Given that it's made by her, it's merely a construct of memoria. With even the slightest touch..."
She gave it a light flick, and both the finger and the ring disintegrated into pure memoria particles.
"...It will all fade away, just like your memories of her."
She had realized it a while back. That ring, which only existed within Amphoreus' 33,550,336th cycle, was what acted as Caelus' memory anchor to this world.
It was why she had so much trouble trying to wipe his memories by force.
But now... with it gone, she could finally-
"Like hell I will!!!"
His voice echoed throughout the void, causing even Evernight to flinch slightly.
He clutched at the newly formed wound on his right hand, blood dripping down and along his arms.
"Heh... Haha...! You really shouldn't have done that."
"Oh? Now you've made me curious." She still remained confident, as she knew there was little he could do to escape her grasp.
"...Now that you've destroyed that ring, I'll do whatever it takes to remember. Until we meet again, until she can gift me a new one... I'll always remember her!"
The lance of Preservation appeared in his hand, the blood from his wound flowing down it, dying the spear red.
"...Tch. How troublesome."
At the same time, a vast amount of red jellyfish memosprites appeared around them, evidently hostile and ready to attack Caelus once more.
"Listen here Evernight..."
"..."
"What you're doing won't lead to anything. Nothing will change."
"...Yes. I know that. So that she may continue Trailblazing with the rest of you, everything must return to as it once was."
"Then... you won't be able to claim my love."
As testament to his words, the lance in his hands emitted a pale fire, turning a deep shade of red as it mixed with his blood.
"If you're gonna trap us all in this stagnant moment, then so be it."
She had already grown tired of his words. They were the heroic words that March herself liked, yet here, they were being used against her.
It was aggravating.
"Enough." She outstretched her hand, commanding all her memosprites to swarm Caelus.
"Because... in this moment, the only woman I love is Castorice!"
"Enough!"
The swarm of memosprites was nearly uncountable, their numbers so vast they appeared as more of a collective red mist rather than individual masses. They all spun around him, creating a torrential vortex of memoria.
Despite that, Caelus seemed oddly calm, his feet firmly planted despite there being no ground to plant his feet.
"Sorry about this, March, Evernight..."
He lifted the lance upwards, pointing it downwards as if pointing to the ground. Yet, he kept raising it, the angle of the lance slowly shifting to point at something else.
He recalled how a wandering Emanator of Nihilty had once helped him wake up from a long dream. The first time she did so to him... it was rather shocking considering he had to be 'killed' to wake up.
"...!"
"...But I'm already taken. The only person who's allowed to touch me is her! May Thanatos welcome me in her arms!"
"Stop!" Evernight cried out, yet it was too late.
Caelus had driven the lance to pierce himself in the chest, just like it had two years ago on their very first Trailblaze expedition.
Evernight was an existence born from March 7th. She was just another facet of her. Aside from the true nature of their shared existence, her only memories were those that March had acquired throughout her life.
Do memories make a person?
If so... then, in this instance, 'Evernight' was feeling exactly what March felt at that time.
"Argh!" It was painful, yet he was smiling as he finally managed to see the vulnerability in Evernight.
He watched with an expression that appeared almost gleeful, blood sprouting from the gaps of his teeth as he grinned.
"Ahh..." Evernight, overwhelmed by the recreation of that moment, let her guard down for but a second. In that singular instant, it was as if time had halted, her memosprites froze in place, and even she froze in place.
The only movement was Caelus, as his fading body fell down into the void.
Perhaps it was due to that glimmer of vulnerability that something managed to slip through the cracks.
Shadowy hands sprouted from the abyss, claiming Caelus' fading existence, cradling him like a beloved child.
Despite being of shadow, the hands stood out as foreign compared to the void of Oblivion surrounding them.
Before Evernight had a chance to regain her composure, Caelus had already slipped from her grasp, into another, colder, yet gentle embrace.
After a thousand years of solitude, she was told of a prophecy, no, a promise, by a short pink-haired girl.
She spoke with such confidence and certainty that it felt less like a prophecy and more like foreknowledge, like it was set in stone.
She often lamented fate, for it was fate that cursed her with those icy, cold hands.
And yet, in that instant, she desperately awaited, she hoped for fate to play its hand once more.
And thus, she waited for a thousand years, and a thousand more.
And yet, that promise never came.
How cruel a mistress fate was.
'No, it wasn't prophecy or fate. It was a promise. So... I'll hold onto hope that he will come to fulfill it.'
Even in the void of non-existence, the realm beyond even death itself, she held onto that hope.
Even after the world had ended, after every single soul that once lived returned to her arms, after she herself went past the point of no return, she held onto that hope.
'An embrace I've waited for a millennia too long... So what if I have to wait a little bit more?'
It was illogical. To await someone she had never even known.
Even if she was told that they once knew each other, that was her past self. In effect, it was another person.
The Castorice of the 33,550,337th cycle was a different person from the previous.
Or was she?
"Miss Cyrene?"
"What is it, Cas?"
"May I ask you about your companion...? The Deliverer from beyond the sky whom you call Caelus."
She had once posed that question to the waning vestige of the Ripples of Past Reverie.
"Ah, it was about time you got curious about that. Would you believe me if the two of you were madly in love with each other?"
Surely, those words were in jest. Yet... She sensed a peculiar sense of sincerity in those words.
"R-Really...? M-Me and deliverer?" Still, she found it hard to believe.
"Fufu~ I don't know for sure. What do you think?"
"W-With all due respect, Miss Cyrene... but try as I may, I have no recollection of ever meeting Mr. Caelus."
"That's fine. Just ask yourself. What does your heart say?"
"...My heart?"
"Yep. If Caelus were just another human. Not the Deliverer, not even someone you'd typically be able to touch. Do you think you could fall in love with him?"
"..."
"That's essentially what he was when you two met. Ah, but don't feel too pressured! It was just a hypothetical after all! Caelus, as he is right now, is an amazing person!"
She didn't know.
After all, she had never even met him. She knew nothing of him.
And yet...
"...I'd like to."
From beyond the veil of nothingness, a realm beyond Death itself, the remnants of Castorice thought to herself.
Though to call them thoughts, to call what 'she' was doing thinking, would probably be an overstatement.
A collection of memories, of data, simply replaying on loop. That was all that was left of the person who once knew herself as Castorice.
It wasn't a bad thing.
After all, it was proof that she, too, had once lived.
*Splash!*
As she lay on the seabed of oblivion, it should've been impossible for her to detect the presence of someone coming in from the surface.
That was to say, whatever just entered this place must've had an incredibly large presence.
But so what?
She didn't have the strength to bother anymore.
Best conserve her strength until she can finally meet him... again.
...
The 'space' she was in was not literal, so it's not like describing that presence as far away would be accurate, but that was the only word that could be used to describe it.
Even though the presence was faint, it radiated a warmth.
A warmth that felt almost familiar.
No, it was familiar.
How odd. That shouldn't be possible. She had never been able to embrace anyone, even until her last breath.
Causality had lost all meaning. She had never experienced something as such, yet it felt inexplicably familiar.
She remembered.
It never happened. She had no memory of it.
But she remembered.
That warmth.
It belonged to him.
'Ahh... I want-'
She wanted to chase after it. She sought it.
She tried to remember.
She tried to remember what it felt like to live. She dug the deepest recesses of her memories to remember what form she had taken when she once lived.
*Swoosh!*
She flew towards that form in the form she last remembered, that of the Netherwing's Corpse.
It was useful for traversing long distances, but it wasn't exactly a fitting appearance to meet someone.
She dug deeper, trying to remember a more suitable form.
*Tap tap*
The sound of her heels clicking against the floor as she ran reverberated throughout, despite there being no space to reverberate through.
"Haah...!" She let a labored breath as she remembered that living beings breathe. "Finally...!"
Her running became even more frantic, even more desperate as she chased that faint yet unmistakable warmth.
"...I've found you!"
At last, she had caught sight of him, reduced to a faint, golden ball of light, Caelus fell slowly into Castorice's arms.
"Thank you...!" She couldn't contain her tears, a mix of sadness and happiness washing over her.
Even if reduced to such a state, she was glad that she had found him.
His warmth was unmistakable.
Transcending time itself, that was his warmth. That was their love.
"Mr. Caelus... Your soul..." She noticed how faint his existence had become, no doubt a result of his perilous journey.
She didn't know exactly what had happened, but she had an inkling that it had something to do with the sea of void she was in.
And endless oblivion, much too harsh compared to the sea of flowers she had cultivated.
"Don't worry. Even if we're trapped down here... I'll keep you safe."
For not even death could do them apart.
...
Whether it was an instant or another millennium, she didn't know.
What she did know was that their time together was far too short, nowhere near enough to make up for their time apart.
"Three of a kind." The Earth itself called out.
Unfortunately, their time was up for now.
But that was fine.
"Two a pair." The dragon rose from its dormancy.
Because... they could always meet again, at that place called 'tomorrow'.
"Ace!"
The golden dragon of Permanence soared, cutting through the sea of oblivion that had entrapped them. It took Caelus into its arms, carrying him out of the expansive maze.
"Until next time..." Castorice thought to herself.
'Don't mind us. Go on if you want to.' A nonexistent voice, followed by a nonexistent force that pushed her forward.
"Ah!" She didn't have time to think of what had happened. The next thing she knew, she was clutching the dragon by the tail, desperately hanging on as she stole a ride.
Hopefully, Dan Heng wouldn't mind the extra weight.
From the depths of Oblivion they rose, the radiant light of the blazing sun slowly coming into view. It was blindingly warm. Too warm. It was blazingly hot.
It was then that she thought, how Caelus' warmth was truly the best fit for her.
It was that warmth that eased her heart as she returned to the world long abandoned, the world she never thought she would get to see again.
They were one step closer to tomorrow.
As his consciousness returned to him, the first thing Caelus felt was the sensation of arms comfortably wrapped around him.
If he had to describe it, it was like being a newborn being embraced by their mother right out of the womb.
Not that he knew what that felt like.
But this sensation, these arms, were far too large to belong to that of a mother. The chest that his head lay in was far too broad. Far too... hard.
He looked up, only to see Dan Heng, now with horns and a slightly more mature look, staring down at him with longing.
"Dan Heng, did you... get taller?"
"Yeah... While you were trapped, I've experienced... a lot."
"...Sorry about that." Caelus looked away, feeling bad that he had caused trouble for his companions once more.
"Hmph. It's not like you to get sentimental about these things."
"I guess... Still, thanks."
"...Save it for later."
The two men weren't exactly the most emotionally open people, so such a personal moment was bound to be awkward. Thankfully, there was someone to break the tension.
"Ahem..." The siren's voice rang out, an almost judgmental tone following it.
"Hysilens?! Thank god you're okay." Caelus remembered how the last time he saw her was back in the Vortex of Genesis.
"Okay is a strong word... But yes, thank you for your concern."
"If I'm not mistaken, Evernight was trying to wipe your memories of Amphoreus and the Chrysos Heirs, right? It seems like she didn't succeed yet, given that you still recognize Lady Hysilens."
"Fufu... If I made that much of an impression on Little Gray Fry, then I'm naturally delighted."
Caelus eyed her a bit; the bigger impression about her now was that she appeared to be made of translucent gold. Along with the faint physicality of her presence, he decided not to pursue that line of questioning, knowing she had done more than enough for this world.
"That being said, I assume you have someone else on your mind." She spoke, turning back slightly to address the person behind her. "Your escape from Oblivion... was thanks to someone else."
Caelus was stunned into silence as he saw the girl walk out from behind Hysilens, clad in the same translucent golden hue.
"Castorice...?"
She gave a slight, shy smile before answering. "Nice to meet you, or... should I say, how have you been?"
"...This little butterflyfish seemed to have tagged along with you from the depths of that whirlpool. To think Thanatos would have the power to protect the living, you bring many surprises with you, Little Gray Fry."
"Miss Cyrene often spoke to me about you, Mr. Caelus. Though... Though we have never met in this life, I would like to believe that warmth I felt... was one that transcended time itself."
He couldn't believe it. He didn't think he would ever get to see her again. Not in this cycle at least. He thought he had failed her. This incarnation of Castorice, who waited until her end for him.
"Castorice... Thank you... I'm-"
"No... Thank you for keeping your promise. Ah, and... when I protected you in the sea of Oblivion, I'd like to apologize if I seemed improper. I hope you'll forgive me."
Even past the golden hue, it was evident she was trying to hide a faint blush on her face.
"...Thanks. In the end, you were there for me. That's all that matters."
Their reunion, if one could call it that, could not last forever, for their journey had yet to come to an end. Evernight was still a problem, and Zandar was still skulking about.
Caelus and Dan Heng had no choice but to move forward, leaving the two women behind as they were anchored to the dark tides that bind them.
Still, a short farewell wouldn't hurt.
"Go on with courage, Little Gray Fry. Though I may be lacking, I hope at least my songs may accompany you on your journey."
Though she hadn't spent a large cumulative amount of time with him, the short while that Hysilen's spent with Caelus was filled with trust. It stood to reason she would be more than fond of him.
"Goodbye, Hysilens. When this is over, let's have a feast on the express. I might even be able to convince the Pom-Pom to set up a bonfire in the parlor car."
"I don't think the conductor will be happy to hear that." Dan Heng interjected.
"Oh, come on. After all we've been through, I think we deserve it."
"Hehe... Thank you, Little Gray Fry, for remembering my silly fondness for fires and feasts. It's a promise then. I'll wait for your return... and once we reunite in the ocean boundaries of this world, let me play you a song under your home."
"Yeah..."
With his farewells with Hysilens settled, he turned to Castorice, who was way ahead of him, already standing rather close to his face.
"...At the end of the sea of flowers, the souls of the living shall warm thy fingertips, and after an embrace, there shall be eternal separation." She recited the prophecy that haunted her all her life, but this time, she did so with a soft, felt satisfaction.
"If I hadn't met you, even if at the end of the world, I would've thought Lady Trinnon's prophecy to be wrong."
"...About that, there's a part of the prophecy that hasn't been fulfilled, right?" He questioned her as he recalled a certain something.
"Eh?" Castorice's eyes widened in slight surprise, not immediately understanding what he meant.
"'I promise I'll find the courage to ask you for... an embrace I've waited for a millennia too long.' Isn't that what you wrote?" He remembered the contents of that postcard with all his heart.
"S-So you found it... Erm, it's rather embarrassing knowing you've read it..."
"But you're also happy, right?"
"Yes... Then, Mr. Caelus, if I may, allow me to borrow your warmth, even if my body may not truly be corporeal."
"Don't sweat it. I'll hug you as many times as you want. After all this is over, let's hug all day."
"That's a bit... -Hyah?!" She let out an undignified stutter as her partially physical form was pulled into an embrace by Caelus.
"In the new world, the sea of flowers will surely bloom. I'd like to go on a date with you there." He whispered softly into her ear, a tinge of sadness following his words.
"Yes... I think I would like that. Thank you, Mr. Caelus. With this, my own path... has finally come to a gentle end." She reciprocated the hug, pulling her hands around his broad back, unbothered by the other two spectators as she took in his warmth.
In turn, she whispered into his ear, a tone of hopefulness accompanying each word. "Take all of our beautiful wishes with you, and don't look back, my love."
"...See you tomorrow, Castorice."
She simply smiled in return, as her time was truly up, fading away into the depths of Amphoreus once more.
But it didn't matter, because they promised to meet again. Tomorrow.
"Alright. Let's do this, Dan Heng." He turned to his companion, only to see the man gesturing behind him.
"Hm? What- Hysilens?! You're still here?"
"...Don't mind me. You're free to go on." Or so she said, but her plain expression betrayed a hint of... yearning?
For someone who had yearned for his arrival for over a thousand years, a little bit more couldn't hurt.
"Haah... Come here." He pulled her into a hug as well, leaving the siren mute as she reciprocated his gesture.
"Thank you... Little Gray Fry." With her... regrets(?) satisfied, she too faded away into Amphoreus' heart, leaving the two men to continue onward.
"Okay, for real this time. Let's go, Dan Heng."
"Caelus... Are you sure you'll be okay?"
"Hm? What's that supposed to mean?"
"... Never mind. Let's go."
"Yeah. Onwards, to tomorrow!"