"Vera's so beautiful, like a shining star in the universe, but I..."
"Boys at this age are always more petite than girls of a similar age."
Childhood must be let go of to welcome the coming of the adolescent years. It's not too late to think about it now...
Real melancholy finally hits Vera.
—Death Awaits in Abyssal Waves—
As Vera and Sachi grew up, the chemistry between the four changed in subtle and inexplicable ways.
"Enough with excuses," Sachi said to Ike. "Vera will not cease pursuing you even if you never reciprocate her feelings."
Ike was a symbol of a faraway land. He stood for the unknown, for that which was waiting to be discovered. A brave bird would never nest there, but would be forever adrift in the winds of admiration.
Ike retorted, "No matter which way you look at it, being a thousand years old makes you an elderly person."
"Then we are well-matched in age." The Princess merrily chipped in on their conversation.
When Sachi finally mustered the courage to declare his love, he met with the most dreadful fate.
Remember the ancient sword that Ike and Vera received from the old ones when they first met? It was what Ike needed to propel destiny forward! But now, Vera had her finger slit by its blade, and a malicious ancient virus sapped the life out of her.
"This is all your fault!" Sachi grabbed Ike by the collar. If the tragedy had not happened, Ike would have laughed it off, for he was a gentle soul. But this time, he slapped Sachi's hand away.
"Don't you know how to rewind time? Please Do it to save Vera!" Even the Princess begged.
"You don't understand. Only the future can save the past, not the other way around." Ike bit his lip until blood came flowing down.
"A local myth speaks of a Silver Age when people enjoyed a seemingly endless childhood that could last up to two hundred years. This only made their short maturity a pain to bear."
To the others, childhood was long gone, but youth was forever beyond their reach.
To be continued in "Vera's Melancholy" without Vera.