Once upon a time, In amidst the revelry and lively lands. The setting sun expelled its last rays, drowning the whole world in darkness, and as it did, a veil of shadows devoured the world. Sparse stars shone bright beginning to reveal itself in the vermillion sky, its light unable to cut through the impenetrable darkness. The western horizon is still aflame with scarlet pyre of the twilight, the somber night is approaching from the east.
Xiao Ming, amongst the crowded people, had his eyes on one thing, and that was a play. A playful circus stood, red and white stripes colors were seen and its beautiful clothed fabric painted in a shade of blue and red, enhancing its beauty. Xiao Ming took a large stride, while others rushed he walked alone.
"Frigid cold bites me, my solitary soul moves freely, alone without any attachments; this is the price of absolute freedom."
His face resembled a young man, his eyes filled with a deep abyss. His silken skin caressed by the gentle starlight, his black hair fluttered in the wind draping down his shoulders and barely touching it. He looked average but his charm was splendid. In the eyes of others, he looked plain but felt enchanted by his beauty. He was wearing a white robe, it was softly dancing in the wind.
Xiao Ming finally arrived in front of the circus; Immediately warm heat comforted and embraced him but Xiao Ming remained unmoved. He was seated at the back of the row but was able to see the show clearly. In the next moments the play started.
Under the setting sun.
"Do you believe in fate?"
A human female immortal with soft skin and a delicate, exquisite face. She was slender and exquisitely beautiful, with a pair of beautiful eyes seemingly filled with all the misfortune that existed in this world. She was looking sadly at the afterglow of the setting sun.
Michael Tandra, a goose immortal, spoke in a low, gentle voice. "I am a goose, but I was born with immortality. With this gift I believe that It was not a coincidence and naturally believe in fate. Speaking of fate, Cleonie, ever since I saw you, I knew you were my fated partner, you are the person I will pursue for love over my entire life!!!"
Cleonie smiled lightly, her brows furrowed a little and her gaze turned soft. She looked at the goose immortal beside her: "You are right, we are truly fated to be an immortal couple"
"Eh? What? Really?!" The goose filled with disbelief and was astonished: "Cleonie have you finally accepted me?!"
Cleonie nodded her head slightly.
Michael Tandra blinked, he could have sworn the aloof Cleonie was blushing and had a soft pink color glowing on her cheeks.
"Haha! Oh Gods! I am not dreaming right??" Michael Tandra jumped in excitement, he shouted towards the sky and rejoiced: "After getting rejected thousands of times, I finally did it! Haha!!! Cleonie, from now on, you are my wife!"
Cleonie filled with embarrassment she could feel her heart pounding.
Michael Tandra started to tremble, the goose immortal trembling was intense and filled with vigor. Feathers started falling off the goose.
In the next scene,
Cleonie was laying on top of Michael, using the feathers as a pillow. Usually, in this world, a goose's feathers were their biggest pride. If they were to get plucked out or ruffled up, using an analogy from Earth. It was the same as men getting castrated. However, Michael Tandra would let Cleonie ruffle them up anytime, anywhere, whenever she wanted!
Cleonie looked at the white clouds, it was moving quickly and her eyes were clear like heaven. Michael Tandra was dazed looking at her, his gaze never shifted from her face; he was always looking at her, thinking about her. He would indulge in stealing glances from her time to time.
In the next moment, he spoke: "It's been nearly two decades, but everything felt like a dream! Cleonie, Oh Cleonie. My lovely wife, I swear I will satisfy everything, your needs and wants, I will help you in reaching your goals and always support you no matter what! I will love you and protect you. If you have any wish tell me and I will do everything I can!"
"Is that so?" Cleonie showed a look of suspicion. In the next moments, Cleonie thought about it and said to the goose. Her words were spoken with hesitation and she said with some difficulty: "Then, kill someone for me"
Michael Tandra was shocked but he soon regained his composure. This was the common sense of this world, the world runs on violence and the fist is power. Michael Tandra, who hopelessly fell in love with Cleonie, agreed to the request without hesitation: "Kill who? I will kill anyone for you, whether it's the gods or the heavens or even the demons I will stake my life and kill them for you"
Cleonie soon revealed an expression of regret, she smiled bitterly but the words were already out. She soon spoke: "An infant who has just been born"
Michael Tandra was stunned, he could never imagined his lovely, dearly wife were having such thoughts about an infant but he soon chose to believe that his Cleonie were doing this for a good reason.
Cleonie took a deep breath: "Do you believe in fate?"
Michael Tandra couldn't help but recall the moment Cleonie accepted his confession. That memory was seared into his brain like a brand unable to be removed or extricated. Everytime he would think about that time his heart would flutter and he felt euphoric in his own way.
Michael Tandra soon replied: "I believe in fate, because it is fate who brought us together. It is fate that allowed me to have you. It is fate that allowed me to take care of you, and it is also fate that allowed me to love you…"
Cleonie then continued: "This infant will kill me in the future he will become the ruckus of this world. He is a devil that runs amuck and his name will resound the world. Those who think of him will tremble. Truly unfettered and unrestrained, unbounded by anything and unable to be constrained"
Michael Tandra was shocked "What!? Where did you get this prophecy from?"
Cleonie was bitter, she soon replied "I am an immortal, how could immortals not have special powers? In fact, you have one too. It is called "Perseverance", that is why you never stopped confessing to me, while my power is called "Divination" I am able to predict futures and see the weaves of fate. My predictions are so accurate, that is because fate is fixed and unable to be moved. I will die to that infant when he becomes powerful."
Michael Tandra's mouth became dry and he could feel his throat becoming heavy. It seems as the waves have surges and it has become embedded in his heart. Michael Tandra slowly stood up to his feet, his resolve washed away his worries and he stood up: "Then I shall kill him!. I don't believe that such an goose immortal as myself can't kill an infant"
In the third scene,
Michael Tandra was heavily injured, pure white feathers clothed with blood. He appeared in front of Cleonie in shock, his lips trembled and he was ashamed: "I-I"
However Cleonie cut him off: "I know you met your fated enemy on the way there!"
Michael Tandra was surprised "You knew!?"
Cleonie nodded, Michael Tandra wanted to say why wouldn't you help me? Why didn't you save me? Since you knew! Why couldn't you make arrangements ahead of time? However Cleonie knew what thoughts were going inside her husband's head.
She immediately explained "This is fate's arrangements. If I didn't tell you about the fated enemy, your arch nemesis, you wouldn't have gone to kill that infant! And If you didn't go murder that infant you wouldn't have met your fated enemy! Anybody who tries to change fate will be met with fate's arrangement! Your injuries are the punishment! If I had gone to help you, more obstructions will appear!"
Michael Tandra blinked: "That's good, your decision is correct. I would rather get torn apart than seeing a strand of your hair get damaged."
Cleonie slightly smiled: "This is the power of fate, the inescapable net of fate, the weaves of fate! You don't have to try anymore, stay with me, accompany me, and quietly stay by my side, I will be satisfied and blessed"
Michael Tandra replied resolutely:"No!, I won't stand by and watch you die, I promised to protect you for the rest of my life"
"Oh my husband, death is fate's arrangement you said it yourself, you believed in fate"
Cleonie said meaningfully
Michael Tandra after some hesitation replied with: "Then… I'll cast away my beliefs in fate. I won't believe in fate!"
In the Fourth Scene,
Michael Tandra can only look for that infant again, however Michael Tandra killed the wrong person and ran into some Immortals that hated evil and wanted justice! After a huge battle, Michael Tandra ended up becoming a major criminal and was sent wanted posters by the group of immortals.
In the Fifth scene,
Cleonie overused her ability "Divination" to search for the infant, but her deduction failed and she suffered backlash. Her youth was spent and she became an old woman, she rested in Michael Tandra's embrace, smiling bitterly: "I must seem pathetic right?"
Michael Tandra used his wings and gently stroke her hair, his gaze never wavered and contained deep love. "No matter what you look like, you are my beloved Cleonie".
Regardless of how Michael Tandra and Cleonie chased to kill that infant, they were met with obstacles, obstructions and setbacks. There is always an unexpected mishap, sometimes he caught up to the infant but failed to give a fatal attack. By some strange factors and coincidence, the baby was able to escape.
The situation moved firmly, along the path of fate's arrangement. And finally, in the crucial moment of Cleonie's death, Michael Tandra blocked it with his body. The great enemy was never interested in them in the first place. They were too insignificant compared to his goal.
Michael Tandra was on the verge of death coughing incessantly, followed by the striking pain of his body. He felt dizzy, almost able to see the stars. Michael Tandra fell into Cleonie's arms: "My Cleonie, Oh Cleonie, I did it, I won against fate" He wanted to shout and rejoice but was unable to speak up the words.
He knew he was going to die, therefore he grasped Cleonie's hands with difficulty, he looked at her knowing it was the final glance. He memorized her face, not even the sharp pang of pain obstructed his love. Looking at her with an inexplicable expression he said solemnly "Take care of yourself."
Suddenly, Cleonie's eyes were watering, tears were rolling down her cheek. There was longing, hope, emptiness, guilt, affection, fear and most devastatingly, regret. Cleonie was struggling to breathe and she started panting.
She tightly embraced the goose and whispered: "Did you know? My Michael Tandra, I never believed in fate. I knew about fate's arrangement but who in this world wants to die? Just as people in this world want absolute freedom, people also want to live!"
Cleonie continued her words and inner thoughts spewed out relentlessly: "I never loved you, I was only using you" She started feeling difficulty in speaking. Michael Tandra replied: "I knew that, but so what? I loved you and never once hated you in my life. Thank you for using me, I used to believe in the unstoppable force of fate, but now It's like it has never existed. Look, you are still alive and well. This is truly wonderful!"
Michael Tandra couldn't lift his heavy eyelids and started closing it. His responses were less frequent. Cleonie wept loudly, she had never lost her composure for this goose he was immortal but how could such immortals defy and stop fate? She spoke: "I didn't used to believe in fate but now I do!"
Cleonie clenched her hands tightly and held it up at her head, she prayed. If Michael Tandra's weren't on the verge of death, he would hear her say "Don't go, please don't go! My heart still longs for you! Please, hear my wish! Save him! My goose! My Michael Tandra!"
Instantl, Cleonie's body shined bright with light that slowly entered the goose. Michael Tandra slowly recovered, while Cleonie's body became frail and weak. The goose opened his eyes, he saw what was happening and shouted: "Stop! Stop! You'll die! I don't want you to die!"
Unfortunately, Michael Tandra had no strength to stop her.
Cleonie's figure became increasingly difficult to see, Michael Tandra's eyes became blurry he shakily rose to his feet and wanted to embrace his lovely Cleonie once again, but he just recovered, unable to see his lover pass away his knees buckled and only heard Cleonie say:
"I want to say one final thing to you, the thing I never said to you, and what you wanted to hear the most…"
"You silly goose, my silly goose I-I"
"I love you"
Once she said that, Cleonie became vanishing from this world.
Michael Tandra roared in anger, but what could he do? Against fate he was helpless. How can he try to revive her while fate is watching? He was in pain and powerless, filled with anger and sorrow he cursed the world.
"Oh Cleonie, My Dear Cleonie, Why did you leave me? Don't you know perseverance by oneself is difficult! It's truly difficult! Without you, what is the point of living in this world?"
Then, the play ended. Without any closure, or peace or even a happy ending. Xiao Ming's face was wet! He was moved!
He briefly wiped his eyes and thought about his own experiences. The thought provoking question of "How difficult is the perseverance of oneself?" In this world, some persevered because of love, Some persevered because of duty, calling, faith or honor. Others persevered because of excitement and another persevered because of responsibility.
And XIao Ming's answer?
What guides a heart through endless days?
"Perseverance," he softly said,
I've been lost for so long that I forgot what I've been searching for
I had once lived in a delusion, gradually my eyes pierce through illusions
And now, only perseverance remains in my heart.
The End.