(CELESTIAL)
'TAKE this as a sign of our promise and the very thing that will lead us back to each other. The half of the star that's temporarily be away, but soon will become one again, by that time, your half star necklace of 'spica' and my 'rigel' will see each other again. Until that time comes, promise me that you wouldn't ever forget about me. Will you swear?'
"I promise,"
I whisper within myself as those words suddenly echo into my ears like I was the one giving that promise to someone I treasure dear, but I could not remember or even recognize.
"Rafael," I call out the name that in those glimpses and chance from the same reoccurring moment and scene is the name of the one who promises and the one promising to holds dear. "I wanted to remember everything?" closing my eyes as I pound my chest with my fist calming the pain that suddenly surges, I ask the same thought and want that is getting stronger and stronger by each passing time and worst now that I knew who 'she' is.
'Remember, Rafael.'
Recalling that one chance and moment when Luna calls me with that foreign name yet brings the familiar gentle and longing within me. My mind and heart got worst from its seeking want right after I own the land 'she' also holds with my past that-that land elder calls me. "How long should I be waiting?"
Whispering the wish that continues to echo and ticking its worst ever since that incident happens. The illusion that I saw in that time and in that forest. The place I've never been but somehow screaming that I already did. And the boy from that illusion or perhaps my delusion from fatigue and blood loss is lingering as my heart is warning me somehow from the things I should have known, but somehow something made me forget.
"This is driving me nuts." As I mumble, sitting at my hospital bed as the night passes through as it should be.
Laying my back on a pillow, I closed my eyes thinking of those words as a glimpse of a familiar half star crosses my mind. From the name, he owns and hinted to be my lost past and the golden half-star necklaces that contain the promise to meet once again, my heart is breaking into a tiny million pieces inside.
"Tsk!" smirking as I realize how things had been since I saw 'her'.
My mind and a corner in my heart are somewhat urging me to call it a distant memory I forgot, and it happens that in the middle of it is her. That she is the most important person in my life. Beyond her unknown identity that I somehow knew more than I expect for. For the way, my heart beats when I am around her, worst as my mind is screaming its demand to protect her no matter what, and the time I saved her, the way I acted and think about her is knocking the hidden desire have inside. With my greed to have her close to me and only mine as it is taking a tool out of me now, are all but a chance for me to meet her with the past where that one I dearly hold and looking for is her. All along and up until I finally got a hold of her identity.
From the ticking second of the clock knowing that she's just a wall apart is making my heart flooded with the desire to see her, that's only getting stronger and stronger with each passing second. My wish to see, to hug, and stupidly wanting her for myself only leads to one concrete explanation, I'm bewitched of her once more.
Taking a deep breath as I snap back, in reality, I ask, "Is everything settled?" as I demand, hearing the door opens then closes beside. I open my eyes and look ahead as Luna walks forward and at the edge of the bed, arms folded as she hands me down the documents I needed.
"As you command." Confirming, I immediately stand, neglecting the slight pain of my freshly stitched wounds. Removing my IV out impatient enough for any help as I always used to be. I took a clean undershirt, red long sleeves polo, black tie, and suit. Wearing it quickly as I don't have all the luxury of time, I ask for the door to be open and taking the step as we both walk outside the room with some bodyguards at the sides. Luna stops my track as she asks.
"Wouldn't you at least see her?"
With her tempting words, knowing what I was thinking, and figuring everything out at the moment I ask everything about 'her'. Luna's decisive personality, tactical, smart, but cunning planner made me think of the possibility that 'she' may be the one I am looking for. That what happened between the two of us in that time was not just a mere inevitable thing, but her script as the playwright like she always used to be. But with all the things that I hardly cope with, like I am being tormented with the pounding pain inside my heart. One thing is left for me to choose, I will just have to see it all for myself. Manipulation, destiny, or even fate's chance, in Luna's guidance I will take a hold of the thing that I've been searching for, ever since.
"Should I?"
Hitting an understatement. She chuckles, convinced that I am in a struggle from the flowing and lingering circle of questions about 'her' and now to myself of why, how, what, when, and where. "Or perhaps, you should explain everything to me now, Luna?" provoking her with the same old thoughts and questions I keep on asking within myself upon knowing that she knew, yet she always finds the perfect reason not to tell. Her cunning smile shut it down once more.
"The thing that you lost, the one that lingers in your mind, wasn't it her?"
Knowing greater than that as she need not to ask, I smile back as I turn around heading for the door.
"You learn everything that I want you to know, you escape death multiple times, and gain the power you needed greater than I expected. I know that you are aware, and though still in a vex of confusion, I know one thing as I say to you and had always been reminding you, trust no one, not even me, but yourself as I promise to do my part until the end. That's the deal we signed from the very beginning."
Ticking the mark and the truth that only she can answer, the deal that is too vague for me to uncover as something greater than my wants and questions are stopping me to take, and further. She who hides and places everything in place is the one I should not trust as her warning. Everything since then is all for my sake.
"Then one thing I can finally say that is true, but as you figure, I am in a complete daze right now, losing something that I nearly hold, but I don't know why? Yet, I knew somewhat in her eyes I am there."
Smiling back as I step outside and immediately greeted by my bodyguards, I look back to the room where she is, but enough to restrain myself to give in to my desire and wants. And as I walk past her room followed by my bodyguards, my heart beats its regret as its urges are screaming for me to at least take a peek of her making me wonder that, I'm bewitched.
'The one that I wanted to see, the one that I wanted to hold near and dear, is so close, yet so far away, maybe not now nor tomorrow, but not never, one of these days, I will find her.'
Crumpling my fist as the days that passed suddenly came back rushing within my memory. The place that knocks its importance to my life and the gamble I won leads me perfectly to the path Luna wanted for me to take.
'If you wanted to take back the past you lost, then will you gamble everything to take a land even if it means you will be the devil in disguise?'
Recalling the warning she gave me at that time, with conviction and the path I already gamble upon. I smirk, ending our conversation with my words.
'I long have been the devil myself.'
'YOUR... YOUR HIGHNESS.'
'I FINALLY FOUND YOU,'
"Life or death." Whispering the choice that took his attention back at me.
I draw a sinister smile behind the mask that I wore as I sat on my throne in the vast kingdom of the gambling world, I build myself.
"Make your choice before the time runs out." I taunted.
To the person that is bound on his knees and pointed with my men's gun unto his head, from the upper deck of my throne room overlooking the lively dean of my casino.
"Tsk!" I smirk, amused by his petty face and cursing through my sight of how filthy he is for gambling more than he could bargain for and now is in the line of life and death for a depth he cannot pay for.
"One." I started to count, and the same as my men revolve their guns, making him tremble in fear and start to cry which piss me off. "How about a name, perhaps, Mika."
I sat facing down as I played a psychological game, catching him in return.
"I ring the bell, didn't I, Francis?"
Provoking him to speak as I lay a smirk aside, his eyes turn into anger as his every being is screaming the confirmation I wanted.
"Don't you dare touch the Young Miss!" claiming in a protective tone as he struggles to break loose, I laugh, taking the first goal.
"Young Miss, so that's what you all call her." Provoking more, I throw his phone, sliding it in front of him with the clear photo of the entire Village people of his Village of Sakura Farm.
"Do what you want from me, but don't you dare lay a single finger out of her, out from everyone and anyone!" in almost a complete mess, I smiled back tapping his head as he struggles to break loose, but is too unbound to do so.
"I set the rules out here, my words are the law, and my command is absolute as my will is the truth. The day that you set foot in this place, you should have known that I own this castle. I am the king in the black market and this very casino, as your greed is the end of you and everything that you hold dear." Threatening him to speak more, he hopelessly falls in misery as his plan to run away and escapes backfire to his face.
"Just let them go, I promise to pay my depth, I swear that I will do everything, so please don't hurt the people in my Village, especially the Young Miss." Pleading, I gain a hole to harvest everything that I want to know.
"What if we set a deal, me and you, I promise to let you go as I will never set a finger out of anyone in the Village, but in exchange, tell me everything about her."
Determined to know everything of the name that first hit my investigation that is supposed to drag the foolish ones to obey the contract and pay their depth as I always did for the rest. Yet that name rings the unbearable pain and unknowing longing from deep in my heart.
"I don't know what you are talking about."
Refusing to surrender, I held my fist out, ready to strike his face, but I restrain myself in doing so.
"You know that the price of lying is death, right?" threatening him once again, but with a firm stand this time as somewhat my patience is running low and fast, I snap a finger as a gunshot fired just beside him echoes in the soundproof room.
Now shivering with fear for his life but still mark the firm stand of not giving in, I draw the straw. Sliding the documents from my hand his expression changes into a complete horror as the original title of the entire Village is the very first thing, he held a sight of.
"Remember the time you made this deed as collateral?"
Now in complete fear of what I could do, I smile winningly but not enough as I press him even down where he could not resist anymore.
"Don't tell me that you forgot, or perhaps you still think that you can get this back after losing billions this time." taunting him more, I grab the documents as I handed them out to Luna by whose face is drawing her very own cunning tone.
"Now what should I do with that place?" scaring him from the possibilities and things that I can do, I tap his face warning him.
"You know that more than a greedy person, I hate those who lie and making a fool out of me. You just call her name, yet you deny that you did not know her. As you deem failed to my test." smirking an evil tone and disappointment, I sat back on my chair resting my chin on my hands taunting him more.
"The day that you set foot in this place, you knew what I'm capable of. Money is not an issue, but your greed puts you in this position. You had your time Francis, so do your part of the bargain. You owe me big time and I was generous to want only this, yet you still reject it. Perhaps I should take things in my way."
Nodding, my men drag him away as he screams, begging for a thing and two. And as the door closes, her footstep went near stopping as she sat beside.
"I already prepared everything." Smiling as her gesture signs for the next move of the plan, it sets the puzzle piece that she wants me to find in motion.
"You said it yourself. Everything that I want to know and need to know starts and ends in that place. You won again this time, Luna."
Smirking she looks back clapping her hand as my façade subsides and my mask falls out for a second.
"I told you I will set everything right, this time,"
'You wouldn't leave me, right?'
"HIRO."
Taking the steps out as the door of my car opens leading me to the front gate of the said Village, nuisance filled my mind as the place unknowingly and unrecognizably screams the longing inside my heart.
Greeted by the people whose unwelcome gaze pins off, their elder took the steps forward as his face rings a familiar tone within me. Showing him Francis identification card, they all knew and were taken quite aback changing their expression from wonder, to worry and finally to hate. Letting me in, in a small house where we sat facing each other, the game I initiated started.
"What it is that you want from our Village Young Man?" asking, I immediately place on the table the title of the land that becomes collateral for the gambling depth of one of their comrades.
"How did you?" asks by one of the men who is sitting beside the village chief elder and somehow on the verge of confronting me with violence, the elder immediately stops him, yet could not subside the entire villagers shaken heart.
I draw a smile, knowing that their elder's silence and gesture said it all from the moment I let him see the identification card of Francis, he figures everything out.
Wondering as the suspicion arises from the rest of the Villagers and their un-trust glaze and anger towards me, I show them the picture of Francis in front of him.
"Francis?" a young lady replied in a heavy tone of worry towards him.
"Who are you?" aggressively taking their authority as their men stand up and on the brim of confronting me violently, the same elder stops them all.
"Enough!" the elder screams making everyone in that room fell silent, taking their seat as the elder's eyes met mine, I then know what he's having a question for.
Reading the true situation, I commend their elder for being just and observant as I lend them everything I came to do.
"I see, so perhaps Francis probably told you about me, or at least heard about the 'Black Casino'?"
Nailed on their position as the name rings the bell, their young ones probably the Villagers guard held a defensive position ready to strike reading that this wasn't the first that someone like me went for this very land.
"Stop!" yet as the elder yield them all down and face himself back at me, he frankly asks, "It's been three months since Francis left the Village along with the title land of the entire community promising to return with much wealth that we can ever hold, now I know what his greed took him through."
Understanding everything, I laid out the details.
"A depth of a hundred billion. That's the consequence that he bargains as he hoards tons of depth at the end. So now, let's just say, I am here to collect that depth that your property is worth and exact off. Your Village and everything that is in it."
Handing them the facts and the truth of their land end up to. The card game Luna sets for the foolish one leads me in this gamble where no matter how skillful my enemy is, my inevitable victory is already set. To the plan, we held for a while and long. From a bit of the pretense and facade, I wore. Leads me in this same place, toned time and chances from the land 'she' owns and gave to them, but is now secretly being in twine by mine. Luring the greediest one, fooling the most foolish one, drags everyone into my very palm, and now is circling for the plans that have long in motion.
"But Francis is the one who owned that depth from you, so why do we need to suffer the same consequence?"
Asking with their pleading wants, I smirk back not yielding an inch as playing the villain is my very façade, to begin with.
"You clearly don't understand anything, so let me explain. The day that Francis set foot in my casino, everything that he holds in possession of is collateral in return, everything including his life. Well, I compliment his dedication of not giving up despite his great loss in the games, but a limit is a limit, and he already exceeds it and so much that he can't handle anymore."
Reading their expression as their taunting gazes is asking me for the truth of Francis's state. I commend their passion that even though he betrays them, they still worry and think of him as their trusted comrade. Smiling I assure them.
"Don't worry, he's safe, as I can assure you that I wouldn't lay even a slight hair strand out of him as long as you abide with the bargain that he exchanges."
Calming down as the elder took a nod in defeat, they all shiver in guilt, disappointment, and disbelief, but they stood in conviction and determination asking the only left thing for them to hold.
"Then before you could think of anything of a chance and will to shove us out of this land. I want you to know that we will put a fight for it even if it 'cause us our lives. For a promise is a promise and to protect this place is the will we forever hold until she comes back again."
Hitting the mark as her name rings from the elder's mouth. I undoubtedly smile, claiming my home run.
"Do you think you can win against me?" Threatening a little as their urges get hype, I laughed, simplifying everything.
"What if we make a deed out from the first one? A deal that you can't resist?"
Looking back as they, all having the second thought to accept everything or not, I confess everything from the underlying façade of my desires.
"Let me have this land, as I will protect everything in it including you, in exchange for being a part of it."
Nothing but a winning proposal in their stead, they look at each other murmuring with wonder and questions from the unexpected proposal I laid out.
"I know that many people wanted your land for a reason and two as all of you here will try and do everything to keep it the way it should be. But my proposal will only do you good than harm."
Wondering, even more, the elder speaks, "Just what do you intend to achieve with this proposal?"
Smirking, I lay a vague answer, "To see her."
Earning a mix of thoughts and expressions from the villagers, the elder smiles somewhat knowing as he softly nods.
Bargain or not as they will see me as the devil, I do not care as I only wanted one thing, not their village as it is just my bridge. But to meet the one they all care about so much. Assuring them even more that I am someone that they can agree with, I gave my words.
"I'll make sure to bring back Francis safe and sound as I wouldn't cease this land and do any reckless things, but in return let me be someone in the shadows that will take care of this Village. I will help you in any way and everything that I can until that day."
Puzzled and still in doubt I promise something too vague for them to believe, but not in the side of their elder who somehow taking his silence.
"If we agree, what doubt, you possibly gain after?"
Smirking, I quietly laid saying, "Your trust."
Ringing the bell from the same words that hit a reminder of someone to the elder's mind. His tears start to fall, and with a painful heart from his shivering hand, he smiled back, finally realizing the same features and confirming himself for everything. In defeat, as he nods telling everyone to leave for a while and alone, the villagers oblige as the both of us were alone.
Looking back as his teary eyes weep, his lips gaze into a smile as those letters escape, calling the name.
"Rafael."
Hearing the name that everyone claims to be my lost past, the elder who then was the caretaker of the orphanage and the only one who survives that unfortunate night leads for everything to take its lead.
"You came back. I waited, for years I hope and knew that both of you will eventually lead everything back. But time is too cruel, you miss a step and just a close one. You both almost got the chance to see each other again."
Having him confess something. As his words relay the details of the past I forgot, I keep in silence, as her name rings.
"MIYU." Whispering the name as I head up looking at the vast blue sky above with its gentle breeze that sways the leaves and twigs into a gentle lullaby. I close my eyes and let the peace in as I sat down in my car's trunk alone and waiting.
'You forget as she also did, inevitable or not, but I believe that once you find each other the memories you both losses will eventually come back.'
To the words that came back to me now, for the elder that knew everything but could not relay the detailed moments, my heart only aches with the wants to remember everything soon.
With the same scenery that did not change even for a bit for the past eight years since where I played the villain role and then becomes the hero. To the last five years as my life went even wild and bloody, as I never had the chance to come back. The name that still lingers in my mind, the girl that is too mysterious to stay hidden after all the efforts I've done, and somewhat from the played chances for us to meet, but could not. The force that kept me from knowing her close and the identity that's too vague to know and link everything into one piece. I'm still looking for it as I'm still hoping for it to come true, for me to meet that one person.
'One spring day of your innocent smiles, you've met, and on that same day, she smiled and trusted the only person who gave her a name. Miyu, that was her name, the name that you gave her, and the one you are been looking for.'
Taking everything from that time into scratch yet is too impossible since the orphanage and everything that will give me a hint even just a tiny clue from my past and hers is now in ashes. The traces that have somehow been buried co-incidentally from the tragic past. The names that might hide us from everything of our current lives. For the past eight years that I have been waiting for nothing, the last five years where death is everywhere in my life and I was left to face it head-on stopping me from returning. The times where our paths almost cross, but could not, our existence that is unaware by each other, somewhat is being played across the left ticking time.
'She left three years ago, leaving only the title of the land, and her promise to return, but none of us didn't know when. Just like you, she swears by her name to protect this land and bring only the name she used to then, but the rest is still a mystery for us all. Ever since that time, she never came back and visited once, and now you, who then came back.'
Opening my eyes as I heard a couple of familiar footsteps coming closer, I look back as elder Peter greeted me with a bright smile welcoming me back.
"It's been a while, Young Master,"