She kept waiting for a sweep strike. She counted inside her head.
1001.
1002.
1003.
1004.
1005.
But nothing happened.
She opened her eyes and saw him looking away. He had no courage to do it at all.
She bent down and picked up her knife.
She stood back. She pointed its tip near her heart. "I know surgery so I can cut the flesh carefully without damaging any nerves connecting to my heart. When it's opened, then just take it and eat it while it's still beating, okay? My pain tolerance is high also so it's okay."
She started cutting her shirt from the collar, but before it turned into a total vertical cut down to her chest, he grabbed both of her hands and threw the knife away.
"Silly girl!" he scolded her loudly. "I'm not eating your heart!"
"But that's the only way for you to ---"
"Can't you understand why I left? It's because I didn't want to lose you for my sake! Do you think I can live as a human with the sin of taking your life, my family?! What would they think? Musica and Sora are waiting for your return. The people who became your friends are waiting for you. For your dishes, for your guidance. For you, yourself. For your whole being. They're waiting for you."
He slowly let go of her hands. "You may want to die more, but you also want to live. The ratio is 80:20 though. But still you hung on to that 20% reason for living. When you go back, I hope you make wanting to live to 100%."
"But I thought of living to die in your hands."
He shook his head to disagree. "That's not true. I knew from your blood you were expecting something different from your usual point of view, but normal to common people. You have a hope of tomorrow. You give your best and prepare ahead for your work. You want to help those around you so they improve themselves. And you get excited deep within you when you feel you are needed. Don't deny that."
Feeling that his words got through her and that she had calmed down, he put his hand at the top of her head and finally smiled. "You don't have to worry about me. Just live your life. Do whatever makes you happy without compromising or harming anyone. Be happy."
"But, how about breaking your curse?"
"There's another way. A key to it."
"Key? What's the key?"
"That's ---"
Before he could continue, he started transforming in front of her. It was her first time to see him as a wolf. He stood at an eye level. He was twice or even thrice the size of the biggest wolf breed in this world.
As always, he had a very shiny and glowy white pelt like snow. His blue eyes were the same you could tell it was really him.
Claire's eyes blinked and her lips parted a little when he saw him.
"Wow..." she said in amazement.
The beautiful white wolf stared at her.
She slowly took a step forward, reaching a hand toward him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her head.
She felt nostalgic. A deep longing she didn't exactly know what.
Wolf-Clarence rubbed his face to make it feel like he was also hugging her.
They were like that for a few minutes, just enjoying the company of each other, as if a life-and-death moment earlier didn't even occur!
"Claire," Clarence spoke from his mind. "The key is our memory. When I woke up about 300 years ago, I was already in my human form and hadn't aged since then. I couldn't remember anything else. Everyone was the same. "
She didn't respond.
Then he realized something. "As if she could hear me!"
Surprisingly, she spoke up."I heard you, bro."
"What? Really?"
"Can't they hear you?"
"No. This is the first time my words are clearly heard. Well, it's you anyway. So why am I even surprised?"
She let go to face him directly. She looked sad. "Our memory, isn't it? We both don't have memories of our past. And that's what I do not want to know actually. But for your sake, for our sake, I will face it."
She paused.
She continued. "I already have a place in mind to check firstly."
At that moment, Claire's skin glowed in radiance just like what happened during the night of the Flower Festival.
When Wolf-Clarence looked her in the eyes, he saw something. More like some images formed inside his mind, or a vision. He saw a figure of a woman wearing an all-white dress in the middle of a snowy night. She had silky long black hair. It seemed like she was reaching for something and raising her voice. Though he couldn't see her face, she seemed lonely and broken on that cold night.
"Who are you?" he called out from the trance.
"'Who'?" Claire called out in the present time.
Clarence realized he was back in reality. He shook that thought off.
"You must go now," he told her. He didn't mention his vision. "Remember what I told you. Don't worry too much about me. Though I only have limited time, I still want you to live a happy life. A life you can be proud of."
She frowned and raised an eyebrow. "How can I not worry knowing you're nearing death? I cannot be happy with that!"
He laughed lightly.
"Why are you laughing? I'm serious, bro."
"I want to see you happy before I die."
"What?!" she growled a little and pouted. "Anyway, no dying! I won't be happy so you won't die."
He laughed more. "What a crooked thinking, Claire!"
He then put his face (or rather his forehead) to hers. "Be happy while looking for your memories, okay? Live freely. I'm older so obey me."
She put away her pouting expression. "Okay, got it."
She chuckled and hugged him. "Even if we will go separate ways in finding our own memories..."
He continued, "... For sure we will meet again to connect them..."
"Under the moonlight of the second full moon," they both said.
>>>>><<<<<
When Claire went down from the mountain, both Musica and Sora were waiting for her. Her skin already turned back to normal.
They seemed to be looking for Clarence behind her.
"He will not come back with us," she said. "But he will keep in touch."
They both looked a little down but they put an "okay" and brave front. They just nodded and smiled.
They noticed that she didn't have any scratch but there's a slit on her shirt's collar. They just pretended they didn't see it.
"Okay, let's go back!" Musica said.
As they were walking, Claire looked at their backs, since she was following behind them. They were yawning and stretching their arms. It was almost midnight.
Her face softened and filled with an unusual concern. "These two... they were always with Bro to find me. If it weren't for them, we wouldn't have probably met.
I heard Musica's girlfriend broke up with him because he didn't have time for her anymore because he prioritized helping Bro first. Even Sora. He put his duty first to him before finding his own parents but it was too late. Though they did it for him, the purpose was still to find me.
They are my brother's support system. Friends that are even thicker than blood.
Now, they've been helping me ever since that day. I haven't even thanked them, have I?"
She stopped. "Uhmm," she called.
The two men stopped and turned back.
She lowered her head. "Thank you."
Once again, they were speechless. They just blinked their eyes in surprise. They were discussing earlier if she cared for them as an equal person, not low-life servants. Now she was sincerely thanking them.
She looked at them in their eyes. "Is there something I can do for you? Anything."
Musica was the first to break the awkward moment. He felt ashamed for judging her that she had a seniority complex and she's uncaring. He forced a grin. "Ah. No need!"
"But I insist." She said seriously.
This time, Musica relaxed now and smiled from the heart. "Just live!"
Sora seconded the moment with a happy grin. "Yes. Just live!"
She just looked at them, as if thinking "how do they know that conversation between her brother?"
She realized they might have seen through her, that she actually wanted to die. Well, that's before. Now...
She closed her fist tightly and smirked. "Just live? That's what I'm currently doing. Just tell me what you want. I won't be satisfied if I don't return your help."
Musica crossed his arms on his chest and looked up as if thinking. "Well, if you insist..."
Both Claire and Sora waited.
He winked at her. "Massage. We're so busy this month, I haven't visited my masseur. Right, Sora? That would be enough."
Sora shot a narrow stare at him. It was like saying: "As if she would agree."
"Is that all?" she asked.
They were both surprised that she seemed okay with Musica's suggestion.
"When do you want to have your massage?"
"How about tomorrow at 7:00 PM?" Musica answered.
She nodded. "Noted. I will message you two tomorrow."
And they drove off back to the city. They dropped Claire off at her apartment before 7 in the morning.
That night, Musica and Sora went to a 5-star spa hotel with free dinner. Claire did not join them. She just sent them a voucher that was redeemable from that day on until next month.