"It's been a while since we came here."
Quiet footsteps sounded in the deep forest, old leaves crunched under heavy boots, sticks cracked until the footsteps came to a halt the moment the two people reached a clearing with a withered wooden house in the middle. The sun was setting low, it was slowly getting darker, and the wind picked up its speed. A mysterious quietness surrounded the area.
"We made it in time."
"We did?"
The girl nodded.
The boy wasn't sure what to make of this message, but he just went with it. It wasn't like he understood everything she always said, he was trying though.
"It's always this place, isn't it?" He asked as he watched her strolling further until she stopped in front of a stone formation what looked like a fireplace. It wasn't used for quite some time, or so the old wood told him.
"You remember?"
"No." He sighed and followed her. "But I know, anyways."
A smile formed on her face.
"Your soul remembers, not you."
"I know, I know. You've told me many times."
He didn't know why they were here, but the place felt familiar in a way he couldn't point out. She wanted to be here without question, so he didn't ask.
Wandering around Orience was all they did, watching the events that unfolded right in front of them – the bombing of Lorica, the destruction of the Azure Dragon Crystal, and alas Rubrum invading Milites – major points of the past year's history they had no influence of.
"So," he began to speak after a while of silence, "what are we going to do?"
She was turned away from him, walking to the wooded house and up the few steps to the small patio, ignoring his question. She let one finger slide over the weathered wood before she leaned herself with her hands on the railing.
"I've come her to make a decision."
"Oh?" He followed her, again, up the stairs. "What is it?"
Yet instead of answering, she just sunk her head and sat herself down, stroking over her red cloak.
"I thought about it long enough, for many cycles. I think the time is finally here." A short silence. "They have suffered long enough."
The boy looked at her, his mind slowly catching up.
"So … ?"
"Next cycle is going to be different. I will make sure of that." Her voice sounded confident, full of hope.
"What do you plan to do now?" He asked her curiously, deciding to join her on the wooden ground.
"Now? Wait."
"Wait?" He tilted his head.
Again, no answer from her, but instead the environment explained it for him.
A thunder roared, loud enough to think it was right above of one. The wind from earlier died down in a second, the strange feeling creeping up on the skin, and the so beautiful setting sun vanished behind dark clouds as the sky turned into a deep red.
The boy looked upwards, clenching his eyes as black rain started to fall in his face.
"I see." He said. "When 9 and 9 meet 9."
The girl smiled again. "You do remember. You're catching up."
"Hey, I try my best."
The rain continued to pour over the two, neither of them really caring about it at all. They were drenched, yes, but they both knew that wasn't important for the things that were about to come.
"So that means … ?"
She nodded. "I will see you again in the next life."
"Okay." He took a deep breath. "Looking forward to that."
"Thank you for everything, Lean. Lean Joker."