Slowly the presence of our surroundings return to my consciousness. We are still standing at the impressive gates of heavens, between all these shimmering and glowing souls that wander aimlessly.
"I don't know when the time comes for me to pass the final gate." Chiye turns her head towards our right and faintly the grand luminous gate stands tall, reaching towards the endless sky, awaiting her arrival.
The sight itself is astonishing, reflecting the overwhelming celestial ambience. At the same time I feel nothing but spite and resentment. Everything about the heavenly realm, be it the in-between realm or the gates to the heavens, everything about is revolting. From the pristine looking floors to the warm coloured endless sky above us, this is the place that will take Chiye away from not only me, but also from her own freedom of choice. Since the beginning of human time the heavens were a place that gave solace and reassurance. A place everyone could reach, a wondrous place that will reward us for our arduous life in the earthly realm.
The place where life the way we know it began. However for me it is the place that changed my life, in the most unexpected and bitter way. I look around.
This might be the place where my role as Airi's tool was determined and where Chiye's fate was dictated.
My eyes wander downwards to our hands. Like a reflex I look at her right pinky finger.
No red thread.
Deep down in my heart I wished for a brief moment to finally see our red threads of fate. And if possible intertwined and connected. A visual representation of our fates linked with one another. I hoped that my confession and her reply would've changed anything.
But for our feelings to be validated a red thread isn't necessary. It is only necessary for us to acknowledge and validate our feelings. Even if the heavens haven't determined our mutual feelings, I'd still believe that it is exactly why Chiye and I are destined.
It's precisely because no one but her and I had a say in this regard. It happened completely on our own free will and that's how love should always form. Not based on a given connection, predetermined by a divine creature, but rather through own experience and intuition. Founded and forged on a mutual understanding, appreciation, communication and consideration.
For the very first time in my life the missing red glimmering threads are a pleasant change. For the entirety of my life until arriving here, the threads have been nothing but taunting. And although the threads have always accompanied me, I really haven't noticed it much earlier, since none of the creatures here in this realm are really human and my consciousness was occupied with more important things than really paying attention to this lacking fact.
Maybe divine beings don't have red threads of fate.
I've seen them all around me for the entirety of my life, shimmering, red, floating, twirling on a normal daily basis. However, here in this heavenly realm where everything is just awestrucking, luminous and compelling, the red strings are missing.
"There must be a way either for you to return back to the earthly realm or me staying here." I turn around to Chiye and she returns my gaze with sad eyes. I don't want to really discuss this with her any further, but I'm not ready to just accept her heavenly fate.
"You mustn't stay here, you have to return to tell my parents and you can't leave your grandmother like this either." She smiles softly but it won't reach her eyes.
Our families.
In the heat of the moment and everything else together the people that we both left behind in the other realm are coming to my awareness. I feel bad for almost neglecting them, not considering them in the whirlwind of my thoughts.
"You must return to tell them yourself."
She grins now, however her eyes are still reflecting her low spirits. Chiye takes both of my hands and carefully examines my fingers and palms as if she is expecting to find something. I can tell that she is nervous and thinking about something really thoroughly.
I silently observe her, taking in every detail about her as best as I can. Between all these other glowing figures and the overall breathtaking sight of the gate to heavens itself, she still outshines everything else. It actually feels like seeing her for real after a very long time, even though Airi was in her body and we were together for most of the time as well.
Nevertheless, the feeling is just different, looking at her now, with my head tilted downwards, slightly leaning in and her head with her dark silky hair in front of me looking at our hands feels truly right.
How it is supposed to be.
"Yuu, there is no other way or option to avoid this. I've always been destined to stay here eventually." Her firm tone gives me a sense of displeasure. It's her kind of tone when there is truly nothing that could change her determination.
She accepted her fate. She accepted the fact of ascending towards the heavens completely, without even returning back home for her final farewells.
I can feel my brows furrowing. Of course I don't want to object to her own wishes or ambitions, but this entire situation is rushed and feels so uncontrollable. Is this how it is supposed to be when humans are chosen to ascend? Such a divine honour shouldn't be accompanied by this suffocating feeling of powerlessness. It should be something glorious and noble.
However in Chiye's case it only feels incredibly forced upon, tearing her from her life with absolutely no regard for her real desires.
"Is this really what you want?" I look at her and I know that this question is unfair.
She returns my gaze before answering. Her face is still blushed and it seems like she is glowing. Her eyes are shimmering from the tears she cried before. Her expression shows that she is settled. Unwavering and confident.
Beneath the pain inside of me I can also feel pride. I'm proud of her, in some way or another, this is Chiye who grew up with me. Devoted and dutiful to the temple and the spirituality.
Certainly, there are thoughts and feelings entirely unbeknown to me, things that made it easier and clearer for her to take upon the responsibility of her own fate.
Naturally, I can't comprehend what's going on inside of her, since the very beginning, there has always been this part of Chiye that I wasn't fully aware of.
What did the deities and spirits tell her every time she was here? She basically grew up with their words and persuasions. Besides her role as a shrine maiden and future head priestess of her family temple, the heavens, their gods and customs have always been an undeniable and essential part of her. Chiye wouldn't be her if she'd try to vehemently avoid or defy this heavenly honour given to her. However, I also know Chiye who exists just perfectly fine and independently from the temple and the heavens.
The part of her that is purely her without any outer influence. And I want to appeal to that part within her. I want to give that part of her a chance to freely say what she truly desires, completely separate from her past and current situations.
She smiles now. A bitter smile, with a painful warmth.
"I want to ascend to the heavens." She squeezes my hands. "But I also want to return home."
A wave of relief washes over me.
"I wouldn't have minded it that much, if it wasn't for it to be so sudden. I would like to say my farewells properly. To my parents, the other temple servants, your grandmother, Ninako and Kyouta. And to you."
Her eyes begin to glisten. "I really wanted to help you choose an apartment." She laughs as tears are streaming down her face. "I really wanted you to watch me dance for the spring festival. I was really excited that you finished your master's degree from university and moved back closer to us. There are still so many things that I wanted to do." She sobs and I can feel my heart tightening.
"You promised to bring me to the ocean." She mumbles as she begins to wipe her tears with her hands. I gently stop her and take her into my arms, holding onto the back of her head.
Chiye cries, letting out all of her frustration and despair. The numbing unfairness is agonising.
I hold her tightly, patting her back in comfort.
It is unbelievably tormenting that there is no real solution to this dilemma. I am the last person to have any influence or knowledge to know any loopholes or tricks to avoid or at least delay her impending ascendence. Chiye on the other hand couldn't possibly defy her fate willingly on her own. She can only accept it with a rebelling heart, but she wouldn't go against it explicitly.
The way out of this situation has to be handed to her.
But I feel too helpless and uninformed to think of anything.
As far as I know I'm not really supposed to be here in the first place. I only managed to do that by paying a price determined by the heavens. Taiyou-Okami said that Chiye is the price I have to pay for entering the heavens. At the same time Chiye has always been assigned to stay in the heavens regardless of my arrival. Her fate as a strong spiritual human gave her the undeniable duty of ascending to the heavens. In addition to that, her spirit is what allowed Airi to not only take over her human body in the earthly realm, but also for her to fulfil her heavenly tasks.
There is simply no way to avoid Chiye to stay here.
Even if I didn't join Airi to the divine realm, Chiye still wouldn't be able to return back home. Airi taking over her body also didn't necessarily trigger the entire process of Chiye's predestination. She would have eventually been forced to stay here regardless of this ordeal. Sooner or later this outcome of her soul remaining here in the heavenly realm would have happened in some way or another.
It could have been a day where she'd fall asleep and simply didn't wake up again.
The only thing that I can see in this situation is that Chiye managed to save not only me but also Airi.
Her weeping calms down and she buries her face only deeper onto my chest, holding the back of my t-shirt.
"Let's not give up yet on your return home." I try to sound confident, but at the same time I'm frantically thinking about a possible solution. When Taiyou-Okami said that Chiye won't be able to leave the heavenly realm, it felt like a final sentence. As if there was nothing that could change it anymore. If the head of the sacred heavens declares that Chiye can't return to the earthly realm, then there must be no possible way for even the most divine deity to change that fact.
It is a heart wrenching situation.
"There might be someone else who is able to help us find a solution." I continue to pat her back as her body stops trembling from her cries.
Like a cue I can see a familiar figure approaching in the distance behind Chiye.
"Airi is coming."
Chiye turns around and takes my hand. Our fingers are intertwined and I try to burn this feeling into my memories.
Between the countless glowing figures Airi easily and effortlessly towers over them.
It seems like she is floating, elegantly and gracefully. Even from a distance her beauty is breathtaking. Somehow she seems to outshine her surroundings even more than before. It might be the fact that her innocence was finally proven and she not only managed to complete her tasks in her exile, but also bring peace and justice over an ancient dispute filled with wrongdoings and betrayal. I can't imagine her happiness.
Her arrival might be helpful and the glimmer of hope burns stronger within me.
"She is stunning." Chiye whispers to me and I'm glad that for now her frustration gives way to her amazement.
"There is a portrait of her human form in a museum not so far from our hometown. It is no surprise that even the emperor in the past wanted to meet her." I grin a little, trying to visualise the situation and how Airi reacted to it.
"I'd like to see it." Chiye mumbles and I squeeze her hand.
"We will."
Airi shyly waves at us as she comes closer and it makes me chuckle. Her timid behaviour is unusual and I hope that between our friendship nothing has changed.
Airi stops before us and Chiye bows down respectfully. Airi takes her free hand and bows down as well. "It is truly a pleasure to meet you Chiye. I've been wanting to have a proper conversation with you and to get to know you better."
Airi's voice is as enchanting and serene as ever. Befitting the sacred realm that we are standing in.
"Thank you for taking care of him." Chiye looks over to me with a grin.
Airi laughs and it sends shivers down my back, her laughter echoes like a delightful melody.
"It was him who took care of me." She looks at me with a warm expression and I smile back at her.
"I wouldn't have survived for even a proper minute without her after arriving here." The memory of the seemingly endless forest and the scary confrontation with the spirit in the garden flash before my eyes. "I will tell you about it when the time is right."
Chiye looks over to me and nods happily. "I would love to hear about your adventures."
"The time might be right sooner than we thought." Airi looks at us cheerfully.
"Do you know something to break her fate?" Excitement runs through me like lightning and I grip onto Chiye tighter.
"Let's talk about it somewhere else." Airi looks around as the formless figures, the souls of other people, walk around us. The silent witnesses who avoid us with a decent distance, roaming around, seemingly aimless, yet proceeding towards the gate.
Airi proceeds to walk to where she came from, but Chiye stops me from following. "I can't leave this area." She lifts up her arm. "I wouldn't have any form at all in different places, Yuu is the one who gives me a form right now. But this won't work anymore when I leave. I'm not supposed to leave the gates to heaven."
Chiye's reluctance is tangible and I furrow my brows as I can hear some faint fear within her voice.
Airi smiles warmly at her. "Alright, then let's just go over there where there are less souls." She points to our left side, where an opening is free from any figures.
"What do you mean I'm the one who gives you a form?" I ask Chiye as we follow Airi guiding us through the crowd.
"As you can see, everyone here has no real form. It's just the pure essence, our human soul. As one leaves behind the earthly realm, they will also leave their human body behind that is bound to the earth. You can only see me in my human form now, because you are the one who projects it onto my soul. If it wasn't for you, then I would have remained as the same formless glowing figure as everyone else here. Since you remember how I looked like before coming here, I'm the only wandering soul here with a proper form."
"But did you remember your human life even as just a soul? Or do you remember, because I do?"
"I can't speak for everyone here, but I could remember everything." She smiles at me. "Mostly, I would remember about you."
"It must have been scary, wandering around here without a body." I return her smile softly, trying my best to hide my sorrow. I'm not sure whether I would've preferred for her to also cast away her memories while being without a form, or if wandering here while retaining all of her knowledge from her life before is less painful.
She shakes her head. "Remembering you gave me solace and comfort." She squeezes my hand. "Remembering everything gave me a sense of goal. My memories reminded me that there is a different place that I want to return to, instead of my rational mind that wants to push forward to the next gate and beyond."
"I'm glad that you resisted."
Chiye gives me a big grin with her eyes closed. "I couldn't have left without saying a word at least to you."
With my free hand I gently pinch her cheeks, smirking back at her as she opens her eyes playfully displeased.
There are still so many conversations that we have to have. So many things left to say, to clarify, so many things left to do, to experience and to share.
I can't give up yet.
"So, what do you want to share with us?" We stand on the side from the crowds of the luminous souls, wandering in different paces and directions, but all eventually drifting towards the looming gate. The final gate where the great sacred heavens lies beyond. A place so promising that countless humans must have tried to reach it within their lifetime and far after its conclusion. I wonder how many people really end up being here, and how many wanted to be here but never did.
"After you left the trial, we had a rather intense discussion on how to handle this ordeal of you both. Airi looks at the gate, following it upwards reaching to the endless sky.
"There is nothing that anybody could do against my fate. It's my destiny to ascend to the heavens." Chiye's tone is doubtful, I know that she doesn't want to let hope prevail of returning home, ultimately deviating from her predestination. That's why it's on me to carry the optimistic hope for both of us. Though, defying fate is certainly easier said than done.
"There are some things in your life that can't be changed or influenced indeed. However, to some extent a decision might have an effect." Airi speaks in a soft understanding tone and it instantly gives a sense of expectations. "And I don't mean to endure or wait out before entering the final gate."
If delaying means for Chiye to be able to live out her life until the very end on earth, then I'd be content with it.
"However, for that I would have to talk with you alone first." Airi turns towards me and her eyes reflect her seriousness. There is actually nothing for me to hide from Chiye, but I also don't have any reason to reject Airi's request.
I look at Chiye and she nods with a smile, so we let go of each other's hand and I walk away with Airi for a bit until Chiye is out of hearing distance.
We stand facing each other and I still can't get used to Airi's divine appearance. Looking at her definitely doesn't make me dizzy anymore, nevertheless I probably won't ever get completely used to her breathtaking beauty.
Despite her overwhelming look, her face has a rather ominous expression.
"Before you make any decision you need to hear about every detail first."
"Okay." I nod and focus my attention to her following words.
"Fate is indeed inevitable. That is a fact that even a deity can't change, that's just how things are. There is also no other, mightier being that decides on the course of human life. You just have to accept it." Her tone is indifferent, soberly explaining the information. "So, trying to find a way out or to change one's predestination is truly unavailing."
Airi leans a bit forward. "However, that applies solely to the possibilities tied to the earthly realm. What if the course of fate might be open for other options outside human capabilities? What if you already changed your destiny to some extent, or rather, what if you obtained new, unforeseen potential?"
I let her words sink in before replying.
"Do you mean the fact that I'm here in the celestial realm paves the way to at least change my fate?"
I remember Taiyou-Okami saying that my presence here was also predestined, but maybe being here enables me to make different decisions based on the new possibilities that this realm offers.
Airi nods. "Nevertheless, your options are still rather grim." Her expression changes again. She slowly raises her right arm and lays her hand on my shoulder in a comforting way. Though her warm aura pours into me from her touch, the ominous feeling gives way to a more dreadful feeling. My body tenses up, half ready to accept the following words and half anxious what the next information might make me feel.
"Yuzuru, of all the options available, all the countless possibilities, there is not one where both you and Chiye will return to the earthly realm."
My heart beats faster, angrily, distressed and profusely disappointed. I gulp. Forming my hands to fist to suppress my agitated trembling and to control my temper.
"Is there an option where Chiye returns?"
I glance over Airi's head and her glimmering presence and briefly look at Chiye who calmly observes all the other souls wandering towards the gate to heaven. My eyes wander back to Airi in front of me. Her eyes, pools of the radiant moonlight, now reflect a woeful yet compassionate shimmer.
"Not for an extended period of time."
"How long?"
"It depends on what is given to the heavens in return."
"What is the longest possible time I can give her?"
Airi squints her eyes for a little, barely noticeable bit and purses her lips. In a faintly reluctant tone she answers. "Most of her lifetime."
I breathe a sigh of relief.
"What is it that I have to give in return?"
I can already imagine it.
"The entirety of your lifetime."
Airi stands up in front of me, pushing her divine energy onto me.
"The entirety of your lifetime and your feelings towards her. Now and for all of your following lifes that you might live."
I gulp again.
"What does that mean exactly?"
"Your soul isn't of equal value to Chiye's spirit, therefore to even the balance out, you have to give what is most valuable to you. Or rather, the one aspect of you that makes you valuable, which is your undeniable feelings towards her."
"So it's basically the same as the price that I would've had to pay anyways for entering the heavenly realm? Just a little bit more long-lasting?"
"Indeed."
"Will I discard my feelings immediately?" The thought leaves me with a bitter taste.
Airi shakes her head. "There is still a small ritual we have to do in order to complete the exchange."
"Essentially, this exchange is one of the options only my presence here in the celestial realm offers in order to change my fate and with that also delays Chiye's fate?"
Airi smiles faintly and nods.
"You aren't supposed to live out your life with Chiye in the earthly realm. However, you can't spend it here in the heavenly realm either. With that you won't stray far from your fate since there aren't any other things predetermined for you."
"Is that the only thing my destiny comprises?"
"Yes, since your fate of helping me has already been completed. Everything after that besides Chiye is free for you to decide."
"Then I -"
Airi lifts up her pointy finger in front of me and interrupts my reply. "Please take a while longer before making your decision. I wish for you to consider all facts. I wish for you to think about all factors included."
There isn't much to think about, the answer is clear, since the very beginning of this journey, the answer to this decision has been predetermined in my mind.
Certainly, I would've liked to say my proper farewells to my family, especially my grandma. I would've also liked to wrap all of my open processes up properly. The apartment and the job offer. I would've loved to watch Chiye perform at the spring festival, spend the summer with her, take her to the beach, take a walk through the changing seasons with all the colourful leaves and have a wonderful winter cozying up under a heated blanket and her favourite movies. I would've loved to do all that for the rest of our lives together, watching and supporting her to follow her dreams, maybe even taking over the temple together or seeing her pursuing something entirely different. Either way, being an active part of her life would have been my bliss.
Nevertheless, me being the one to enable her to spend most of her lifetime back on the earthly realm also suffices. It is still better than having her ascend to the heavens now.
She will be able to enjoy her earthly life for a while longer, free to make her own choices. Of course, knowing that her time will eventually come to ascend to the heavens is kind of dreadful on its own, however, with that she won't be forced to fulfil her fate now. Basically unprepared and all so suddenly against her will.
I also know that she wouldn't agree to the decision that I'm about to make. As if she would ever allow for me or anyone at all to come to this kind of conclusion in her favour.
That is probably the reason why Airi wanted to speak with me privately since she knew that Chiye would immediately object to that.
Obviously this is a solely selfish decision on my end. With that I'm not any better than the heavens itself for making a choice for her.
"Let me talk with Chiye for a bit before I tell you about my decision." I'm a bit surprised about how calm my tone is.
"Take all the time needed." Airi looks at me warmly, yet sadly.
I walk over to Chiye, trying to completely be at peace, in order to talk with her gently about the topic. I don't want to convince her of anything, which wouldn't work anyway, I know her too well to see her accept this exchange without any objections.
However, I would wish for her to not reject the idea immediately.
As I approach her, she turns towards me and smiles happily. Her eyes flicker with affection as I get closer and I want to frame that image.
I silently take her into my arms, holding her tightly.
She also wraps her arms around me.
"I would like for you to listen to me first before saying anything." My tone is composed and I let go of our hug to look into her face for what is going to follow.
"I will." Chiye speaks in a soft and calm manner.
"You will be able to return to the earthly realm for quite a while longer. You don't have to ascend any further for now. Spend time with your family, our friends and enjoy your freedom and a proper future in this lifetime." I take both of her hands, looking deeply into her eyes.
"In return, I will stay here. However, you have to promise to find me again after coming back here. Promise me to come find me, no matter how many lifetimes might have passed, even if I can't remember you, promise to come back to me and make me fall in love with you again."
Tears are silently rolling down her cheeks as she quietly listens.
"It might be difficult, but eventually I will love you again. We will define this fate on our own again and again. Whatever it takes, loving you will always be something that the heavens can't decide or controll."
I gently pull both of her hands upwards and kiss her left ring finger. "In this lifetime as Azami Yuzuru, I will promise you, Miyama Chiye, that I will continue to love you and your soul for all eternity, regardless of what the heavens predetermine, regardless of how arduous it is going to be in the future, I hereby promise you to always find a way to love you again. While standing here in front of the heavens itself, I promise you that with all the confidence and determination that I have."
I kiss her left pinky finger and chuckle. "However, if you come to dislike my other selves in different lifetimes, then I will not object to that either. But even if it doesn't seem like to you, please remember that I will always come to love you again if you give me the chance."
I let go of her hands and cup her face between my palms.
"Grant me that promise, Chiye. There is nothing more between all of earth and heaven that I wish for except for your freedom. I know it's only temporary, but I can't accept it if you were to ascend now. For the entirety of your life you have lived according to wishes and choices of those around you and just for once I want you to embrace a selfish approach. Do what you really love to do, follow your heart and continue on with it. That would give me the most happiness."
"But my heart wants you and that gives me the most happiness. What am I supposed to do if you aren't part of it, how can I achieve true happiness without you?" Her voice is now a mere whisper between her sobs.
"There is more in life than that. We will see each other eventually, live out your life for now and then come and find me and tell me all about it. See it as a reward after fulfilling my wish."
She shakes her head. "That is absurd." She takes a deep breath to calm herself down and then grabs onto my hands still cupping her face. "That is not the way I want to live my life."
I knew that she wouldn't accept it so easily. I understand her point of view, however the alternative is leaving now for good and I actually might push the burden of living without the other onto her as she should return back to the earthly realm without me instead of me returning without her. But I would still stand by the fact that this solution that I offered is the best compromise for both of us.
"We will meet again and then live our life the way we want to, no more special spirituality, no saving ancient divine deities, no fate determining anything for us. We will take this into our own hands."
"I can't do that, you know I can't." Her sorrow breaks my heart.
"I know. I know you too well, that's why you only have to accept it. Please just accept this solution and grant me the promise." I take her into my arms again.
She begins to cry again. "Yuu, I can't do that." She presses out the words between her sobbing.
"You can. Please accept and return. Tell your parents about everything and give solace to my grandma. You should tell Ninako and Kyouta about it too."
Suddenly she pushes me away from her. Her sadness turned into anger. "I will not return back home under these circumstances. Unlike me, you still have your own future ahead of you! An own apartment, a good job offer! Time with your grandmother! How can you throw all of this away so easily." Her frustrated outburst is justified. She isn't entirely wrong though. I stay calm.
"I'm not throwing any of it away easily. But I have lived my life freely until now without any greater ambition. I have fulfilled my heavenly fate already, I helped Airi return back to the lunar kingdom and before that I didn't ever have any other determination. Going through this entire ordeal with her to get to you and to bring you back is the most ambitious and the greatest achievement of my life. You returning back to the earthly realm is what gives my life purpose, just as much as loving you, besides what the heavens have dictated for me. If there is one thing and one thing only that can prove to the heavens, the gods and fate that I am more than what they have planned out, then it will be this promise." I speak firmly yet softly and I can see her anger subside. Her visible tension eases up and I approach her again, only holding onto her left hand, caressing her pinky finger with my right thumb.
"Chiye, you are also way more than just the one strongly spiritual human that has to ascend to the heavens and rise up the ranks. You are also Chiye, the class president, the best dancer of the temple, the kindest and most compassionate young woman that I know. You are Chiye, who loves strawberry waffles with extra whipped cream, the same girl who dislikes drying her hair and is probably a hidden painting prodigy. Prove your fate wrong and show not only them but also yourself that you are more than anything anyone has ever imagined."
She looks down at our hands, observing my touch. Slowly she looks up to me and returns my gaze. A mixture of different feelings are being reflected in her eyes.
Grief, sadness, hope and fondness.
"I love you."
She wriggles her hand out of my grasp and now takes both of my hands, lifting them up to her face. "Azami Yuzuru, I, Miyama Chiye, love you. As we stand here in this sacred realm, at the gates to the heavens itself, I promise you that I will give my everything in this and in every other following lifetime to find you. No matter where you are, who you are and regardless of your soul recognizing me or not, I will come and find you and make you fall in love with me all over again. I will do that even if you don't want me. This shall be your punishment for making us both go through this dilemma." She gently kisses my right ring finger. "Please wait for me, as it is my turn now to get to you. Let's decide for our fates in our own way."
Chiye stands on her tip toes and we kiss each other on our lips. Sealing the promise.
"I love you." I whisper to her and take her into my arms.
With that the decision has been made. A joint agreement between Chiye and I, sealed and made in the heavenly realm. Probably making it the most sacred and special promise between two humans ever.
We signal Airi to come over again and so, we proceed to a different area. Under the radiant glow of celestial lights Chiye and I hold each other's hands as we walk, enjoying the final moments together.
As we move within the celestial realm, the ethereal surroundings seem to respond to our presence, casting a gentle luminescence on the path ahead. The air is filled with a serene melody, as if the very essence of the realm is rejoicing in the resolution that unfolded just before them.
Airi guides us away from the other wandering souls and as we continue one, a different gate appears in front of us. The celestial gate before us holds an otherworldly allure, adorned with different patterns than the ones we saw before. The gate stands tall and shimmers with a tranquil energy. Airi turns to us, her eyes reflecting a blend of gratitude, determination and warmth.
"This gate leads to a realm where the exchange will take place. It is a place where destinies unfold and stories interlace." She looks at me with a gentle smile. "This is where we have to part our ways. I'm forever grateful that our paths have even overlapped, never have I ever imagined to return to the heavenly realm again. You both made this possible and I shall make it my duty to reunite you two in every lifetime that will follow. I shall carry your compassionate sacrifice in my heart for as long as the heavens exist and even then it wouldn't suffice to express my gratitude." Ever so elegantly and gracefully she bows down deeply.
"It's quite the opposite, Airi. I'm grateful for having the privilege to journey with you, learning about all the things left unseen and unsaid. Thank you for giving us this once in a lifetime opportunity." I return her smile brightly.
"Thank you very much for everything, it was my greatest honour and I hope that we can someday talk about all the things that you have experienced together." Chiye and I bow down deeply as well.
"That will be my greatest pleasure." Airi also warmly smiles at Chiye and we all laugh.
I look at Airi fondly, we have been through so much that it would take quite a while to share all of the things, but I'm already feeling excited for it. I couldn't have imagined even one thing that we overcame. It doesn't feel like a farewell, rather a goodbye until a later point in time and I'm glad that this is the overall atmosphere. It would have been painful otherwise.
I turn to Chiye and try to really burn her image in front of me into my long term memory. Every detail about her.
"I will not say goodbye, but rather, see you later. I apologise in advance for all the frustration and difficulties that I might cause you. And I also want to apologise for all the frustration and difficulties that I have already caused you. I know it is all passed now, but again, I'm sorry for releasing my feelings so late, but I'm glad that you waited for me. So for now, I will wait for you and I will make up for it. For every memory now, I'm going to make up for it tenfold later. I have always loved you, I always will and even if you have your doubts, I will never stop loving you."
I bend down and kiss her gently. She looks at me with her adoring, and overwhelming affectionate eyes. I can feel the goosebumps on my skin.
"No one has ever done that much for me and I'm sure that no one will ever be able to do that. I have always felt love from you in your own subtle ways and those are my fondest memories. Please wait for me this time, I will put in all the effort that you did so far for me and beyond that as well. I love you and I will never stop chasing after your reply to that."
Chiye kisses me back and I chuckle. "I love you too."
She grins brightly. "Please remember that."
"I promise that I will." I smirk back at her.
We laugh and hug each other tightly once more.
We then turn towards the gate.
Chiye gazes at the gate with a mixture of wonder and anticipation and I can't help but feel that as well. I don't know what lies beyond that gate and what I will first see again.
I'm also afraid of losing my feelings towards Chiye so quickly. I can't imagine what it exactly means, will she just turn into some stranger?
Whatever it is, we will overcome it. Just like our fate, we will determine it on our own.
The celestial lights embrace us, creating an aura of serenity that transcends time and space.
Together, we step through the gate, embarking on a new journey into the mysteries that awaits beyond the heavenly realms.
"I will see you later." Chiye whispers.
"See you later." I whisper back to her.