In the morning, Orion is all geared up. Ready to do his routine each month like always.
"....you sure, Orion?"
Latina came, asking for confirmation. With Alicia on her side, she goes after Orion in front of their house.
"Orion, I don't think you're well enough,..."
The two of them worried for Orion, first of all, Orion was an ordinary human. He didn't have much power to protect himself against something unexpected like before. The unknown variable that didn't bother any of them made them worry. Orion is worried about the other two and vice versa.
With a reassuring smile, Orion says, "Yes, as I said before, I can't stay cooped here and do nothing,"
"I see,....."
"If you already made up your mind then, I can't do anything,"
"Just, stay safe, Orion," added Alicia.
Hearing someone wishing him to stay safe puts a smile on his face. Over and over he reassures them that he will be okay. In the end, Latina and Alicia let him go with worried expressions instilled on their face.
Latina and Alicia stand still in front of their house, looking at Orion that slowly disappears into the woods. They're not moving, looking at the distance, prying that Orion will be okay on his way in silence. Alicia moved, she walks back to the house, breaking the silence that already took a long time. Not long after, Latina follows her, inside the house, Alicia makes a dessert. She's bringing them to the study room. Inside the room, there's Latina, sitting on the sofa alone while looking outside the windows.
"Are you still worried about him?"
Alicia tried to break the ice between them.
"....un,"
Latina nodded, and then said, "Somehow I can't stop worrying about him,"
"I know, but, it's his routine right?"
"Yes, two times a month, he went out. He went to the village down there, and after sometimes he's back bringing many goods on his back,"
"Until some certain things happen,"
While saying that, she glances toward Alicia. Sensing that, Alicia stuttered and began apologizing.
"W-well, I'm sorry, okay,"
"You already know how we live this entire century,"
Latina let out a sigh. She understands what Alicia meant, she knows the pain. The pains of loneliness and frustration caused by those curses. The two of them become silent, not even a single sound except their breath comes out from their mouth.
In the room where Orion always spent his afternoon, the two of them sat down with a cup of tea in front of them. Alicia stands up, pouring the tea and serving the cookies.
"Oh my, it's quite good," said Latina while covering her mouth with one hand.
Hearing that, Alicia's face lightens up, and says, "Really? The secret behind it is to steam the leaves a little before pouring the hot water,"
"....I wonder, when did you become so skilled?"
"Hmm?"
With a smile, Alicia says, "Ah, I always bake cookies and make tea for my friends,....."
"Cookies?! You bake cookies?!"
"Ugh,... to be able to bake cookies and be all happy with your lives,...."
Alicia, seeing Latina's tantrum becomes confused. With an innocent face, she says, "Why are you mad?"
"I-I am not mad!"
"It's not because I'm envying your full of happiness daily life and I spent my time in the library or something!"
Latina was shocked by the truth, the two of them was a classmate in the school. But their relationship was no more than that. Latina may be shy and awkward in front of strangers but, it's different with Alicia. She was the one that fought with her, entrusting her back a long time ago. They have such a history that they can't be called strangers anymore.
The time passed, the two of them has been talking this whole morning. Eating cookies and enjoying the morning tea, reminiscing about the time when they were still in school. Fooling around, enjoying their youth to the fullest even though mostly that story coming from Alicia's mouth. But, like it or not, the depth of conversation steadily increases.
At some point, with a gloomy face dangling on Latina's face, her hand that still lifts the cup slowly puts it down.
"I, see the living being as a horrid monsters,"
Latina Cloven, an earnest girl that spent her time inside the library. After the calamity befall them, Latina was walking alone. She has been running since then, alone on the road of loneliness like she usually does even before the calamity. Thinking that everything will be the same but in the end, it's all just her wishful thinking.
As soon as Latina fell silent, this time Alicia was the one that opens her mouth. Alicia looking at her hand, makes her face look down.
"I am,..."
"....Hated by everyone,"
Alicia Cromwell is a very social girl. Liked by everyone, the proud daughter of her mother, and a talented person. When the calamity befall, she tried to go back to the village that raised her. But when she stepped inside, what she got was not praise but fear from them.
All of the witch, not only two of them has their own curse. But there's a curse that all of them share, the curse of immortality. They can't die, and they can't live normal life either.
"Well, it's true that I hate you," said Latina.
"Me too, I also hate you,"
The two of them went silent for the second time, Alicia tried to break the silence because she knows that with Latina's personality she won't open her mouth again.
"That time,"
"Are you running away because you hate me?"
Saying such a thing, Latina looked into her eyes. There are fears and uncertainty in her eyes, Alicia is afraid to hear the truth that will come from Latina. But with her head up. She stared back at Latina, trying to preach an answer out of her mouth.
"Wouldn't things will turned better if you had not run away alone?"
"We could've lived together after that calamity,....."
"We could save each other,....."
Hearing that, Latina greeted her teeth. She knows that well, if they're together the two of them will save each other. She will not live alone, haunted by the nightmare that eating her sanity away bit by bit but,
"I thought,..... everyone was making fun of me,"
"Not only you, I also hated everyone around me,"
"That's why at that time, I decided to leave alone,"
"I thought it will be the same, but I was wrong,....."
Smile carved on Latina's face, a soft smile with a bit of sadness. She realizes the foolishness of her action and reasoning back then.
"But, well,...."
"It's all in the past now."
"It's been decades, we have been live for almost two hundred years now,"
"Things like family,..... it has been left behind in the distant past,"
"A lot,..... has happened, you see,"
"Both to me,.... and you and even Orion as well,"
"We are no longer who we were back then,... that's why,....."
Slowly, Latina gets up from her chair and then directs her hand to Alicia. Looking at that, Alicia gasped. She didn't expect what Latina said.
"Let's start anew, Alicia. As a classmate and family for now on,"
With her tiny hand, Alicia took Latina's hand. With a smile on their faces, a new leaf of the story has been written. The story of the past that the two of them hold crumbles, becoming a piece of memories of a distant past.
"You're right,"
"Let's start again, from square one,"