"You've changed," Aurora said, her voice soft and laced with a faint smile as she looked at me.
"Yeah," I replied, realizing that I appeared exactly as I did in my new life, with the same white hair and golden eyes. But I knew that wasn't what she meant.
"Not just your appearance," she continued, her gaze never leaving mine. "You've changed as a person. You're more calm and composed. You used to be so anxious about everything."
"What would you know?" I said, my voice tinged with bitterness as I turned my gaze toward the waterfall. "You're just a fragment of my imagination. The real you wouldn't notice anything about me."
"You know that's not true, right?" she asked, her voice gentle yet firm, cutting through the walls I'd built around my heart.
"Yeah, you're right," I admitted, a sigh escaping my lips. "I just miss you so much that I'm throwing a tantrum." I paused, then added, "I've gotta go. I don't want to waste my time on the past. Besides, maybe we can meet in real life." I stood up, the thought of returning to my new life pushing me forward.
If it was possible for me to be reincarnated, then maybe, just maybe, it was possible for me to visit Earth again someday.
"Maybe," she said softly as she stood up as well. She reached out, her hand brushing against my face, and for a moment, I felt the warmth of her touch, the familiar scent of jasmine that always clung to her.
"Remember, you deserve to be happy," she whispered, her voice filled with a tenderness that made my heart ache.
"That's something you would say for sure," I replied, a faint smile tugging at my lips as memories of how she always made me feel like I mattered resurfaced. She had been the only one who treated me as if I was worth something.
I stood there, savoring the feeling of her touch for what felt like an eternity. But when it finally faded, I opened my eyes only to find a blade pressed against my throat. Apparently, the time I spent lost in the illusion had been enough for Agnes to stabilize herself and close the distance.
"My loss," I admitted, accepting defeat.
"Took you long enough," she replied with a smile, clearly pleased with her victory.
"But I won't lose again," I promised, returning her smile.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that. You seem to have deep affection," she said, smirking. My smile faltered for a moment, realizing that she must have seen everything that happened inside the illusion. I had hoped it wouldn't be the case.
"Your ability is too nasty for good people like me," I said, trying to lighten the mood.
"I'm still not sure if you're a good person," she teased. "Who knows? You might be looking to seduce me."
I looked at her, playfully raising an eyebrow. "That sounds like something a good person would do, my lady," I said, giving her a wink.
"You'll have to work hard then, Mr. Good Person," she replied, winking back.
"I never back away from hard work. Don't you see how strong I am?" I said with a grin, and we both started laughing at the same time.
I was relieved to see her laugh, glad that she could momentarily distract herself from the negative emotions she had been feeling earlier in the evening.
"Let's get back to our tents. Ruby might be worrying about us," she suggested, and we began walking back together. The distance between us had closed, and we walked side by side, a stark contrast to how far apart we had been when we first came out to spar.
When we returned to the campsite, Ruby was waiting for us, her eyes immediately scanning Agnes for any sign of distress. Noticing that her sister seemed more at ease, Ruby decided it wasn't the right time to ask what had happened. Instead, she turned to us and asked, "Who won?"
"I won, of course," Agnes said, her voice brimming with the eagerness to flaunt her victory.
"I let her win. I didn't want to hurt a lady too much," I thought, but I held my tongue. I didn't want to give Agnes a reason to start explaining what had happened inside the illusion. That was something I'd rather keep to myself.
"I'm feeling tired, ladies, so I'll go to sleep," I said, making a quick exit to avoid any further conversation.
Once I was out of earshot, Ruby turned to Agnes and asked, "Did something happen?"
Agnes looked puzzled. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, you seem closer to him," Ruby replied, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"Do I?" Agnes smirked, a teasing glint in her eyes. "Are you jealous?"
"What? No! Of course not!" Ruby firmly denied, but her shyness betrayed her as she averted her gaze, her cheeks flushing red with embarrassment after being caught red-handed.
Agnes chuckled at her sister's reaction. "Well, if you want him, you have to be more vocal about it," she teased further. "It's not like he can read your mind and will just confess to you."
"Shut up!" Ruby yelled, her face burning with embarrassment as she ran away from her sister's teasing. Agnes watched her with a smile, clearly enjoying the playful exchange.
As Ruby disappeared into the tent, Agnes's smile softened. She was glad to see her sister's lively spirit again. Despite the day's events, they both found a moment of lightness, a brief escape from the challenges that lay ahead.