Chereads / Stories of Aestridin / Chapter 4 - The Last Meeting {Cycle 5} Part 1

Chapter 4 - The Last Meeting {Cycle 5} Part 1

Year A.G.E. X999 - 1 year before the new calendar, A.M.W.

In a room of the endless void-like pocket dimension, lay a fancy white circular table with two chairs, and two entities sitting on the chairs, having a cup of tea. One is a crying young woman with a strange, ethereal hair colour, and the other is a sisterly-looking young man, who appears to be glitching out as if he doesn't belong in the world. 

"What is this about..." The young woman cried out.

"The end...I don't remember much, but I was reprimanded for messing with time, and I'm here now, old friend," The other looked dismayed seeing his friend in this state, and pouring her a cup of tea, simply asked if she would want some. Shaking her head in acceptance, although very slowly, he continued to speak whilst pouring the tea and handing the cup off to her, before pouring another for himself. "...I..remember being there with you as well, but..my memory is scrambled, so many timelines, so many possibilities, but I can tell you've been through a lot, old friend. I would've in the past been childish or idiotic as usual, however, I can tell when things are serious." 

The woman stayed silent before wiping a tear away from her eyes and taking a moment to compose herself before speaking, although, not very loudly or clearly, but still understandable. "...Does...does killing my own husband after being betrayed by him, and some of my fellow Magi in every single life, forced to repeat this fate with every life that I live, and I always end up remembering after it is done. Does...that? That counts as 'been through a lot', right? I was called a traitor by him so many times, like he knew something I didn't, but I was betrayed instead, in every, single, life, always forced to remember in the end, everything but why the punishment was placed. This...this has to be some cruel joke to the gods...what did I do to deserve this- what did we all do to deserve this cruel fate given to us!" She cried out as her tears no longer came, although it could be told that she was crying. 

Allowing himself a window of time to compose his thoughts, the glitching young man began to speak up again, hoping to get any emotion in his friend, despite the disdain and hatred in his eyes towards those who curse them as well as pain that isn't easily overcome, "It is something none of us truly deserve to go through, the endless cycle that traps us. It is a burden that, we of course, both share, aside from the killing one's lover part, but doing everything and living through it over and over again."

"...Why'd he have to betray me in this life too? What did he see that caused all this? Was it something I did-" The young woman is crying out even more, beginning to not pay attention to the words the young man is saying. 

"The gods...those bastards...due to their idiocy, I managed to foresee my future, and I grew to a God that can rival the bastard who did this to us." Upon his words, he took notice of his friend not listening through her cries as she placed her head on the table. 

"What did I do? What did we do to deserve this...why am I the traitor when I was betrayed..." She begins to say his name, but it's distorted, "----, tell me please! What did I do, what did we do to deserve this fate placed on us all!" 

"I don't know...but whatever you did...it couldn't have been bad enough to make you suffer like this...right? Those heartless bastards do know how to put on a good show...not caring about the casualties and suffering it causes..." The man sighed before proceeding to take another sip of tea. 

"...---- promise me please." 

The silent tone of his friend worried him, as he proceeded to answer her. "I-I'm your friend -----." Her name was also distorted as he stated it, continuing on with his worries and attempt of a promise, his voice filled with worry and a serious, but genuine tone. "What do you need me to promise? You're one of the only ones who gets my suffering, and the only one I can truly call a friend."

The young woman looked back up at her friend, tears staining her face as she began to speak, her eyes with something else, a newfound rage and hope. "Promise me, Promise me that no matter what happens, you find out the fucking truth behind all this and tell us. Tell the Magi. Tell whoever ------ is in that next life-" Another name is distorted as she continues to speak. "Tell whoever I become in the next life. Tell the truth behind our cycle, this cruel fate that the gods placed us into, if you find out. I will not remember this until it is too late, but if it is you...then perhaps. Perhaps there is a way. If you are in a situation where you can't...then find a way. This cycle. It needs to fucking end. No matter what happens...promise me." 

"I...this..." A tear streams down the man's face as he reveals the truth he has hidden, her name again distorted as he speaks. "-----...my future sight is limited by those bastards above, but here, I think we are safe from their watchful eyes, so...I can assure you of this. Our future is not going to be pretty. We grow distant, unable to rekindle our friendship, as I grow stronger with newfound powers, but this will not be enough to break the cycle. I grow more and more insane...until nothing of the current me is left, and I become your enemy, however, in one of these times, I saw something past those cycles..." 

The young woman stayed silent before taking a breath and continuing to speak. "Just promise me that. Because I know you will truly never betray me, my friend. Not like they did, at the play of the Gods. Not like ------, not like Acerola, not like my children and the people of this world. I need to find out what I did to cause this to happen to us, no matter the cost."

---The Last Meeting Part 1 END----