Prologue
It's been two years since he's left and three since I've last seen the others. The Ten Wise Men were defeated then and Nede vanished without a trace. Claude, I recall, left with Precis back to his home planet Earth. Noel and Chisato set off to learn more about Expel. The later said something about going into publishing books rather than journalism as well. Celine disappeared to go back to her treasure hunting and Leon went back to his castle--I haven't heard from either since. I tried my best to persuade Dias to stay in Arlia but he refused, saying that his mere presence would endanger the place. He promised me he'd return soon though, since I guess I kind of forced him to--I wouldn't let him leave again without saying so. I wonder if he remembers..or even really cares.
On the other hand I managed to persuade Ashton to stay in Arlia with me instead. To tell the truth, I felt a little bad for him because of Precis' leave. It seemed that his only true interest lay in her rather than the rest of us, and since she was going with Claude..I thought he might be lonely. First of all, it was possibly my fault that Claude was leaving in the first place. He made it seem like he was overly interested in going back to his mother to comfort her about his father's death, but both of us did become rather distant after "those events" occurred. Or more like I kept my distance, and he didn't force his way closer to me. The others I'm sure noticed the change as well.
Truthfully I thought I was in love with Claude for a long while myself. But as the days went on, the feeling I recognized was the same as my feelings for Dias--a love as in sibling love, and not quite romance love. If anything more, I considered Claude as my best friend. Sure I got along well enough with the others in the group, but Claude I felt was my closest and dearest friend. The day when everyone decided to go their own separate ways, Claude asked me to go to Earth with him. He confessed his love..I turned him down. I had to. I had my own worries and my own mother whom I couldn't leave just yet.
Still I don't regret, even up to today. I think I didn't want to be alone with him for much longer either. I don't think I could ever quite return his feelings, at least not as strongly as him--and I didn't want him to get hurt further. I met up with Precis seconds after I left Claude and found that she had been listening in. Not that she told me, but the look on her face was proof enough. She didn't look angry, she just gave me a sad expression, then said, "Well, you've just lost your chance..." and ran off toward where I had left him. I found out an hour later that Precis had somehow convinced Claude that she should go with him. I guess she was interested in the machinery Earth had to offer..but even I know that that of course wasn't her only reason. I wasn't dumb enough not to have noticed her feelings toward him as well. Then again, she had always considered me a rival when it came to Claude. Though most of the time it seemed as though her love for Claude was just a simple childish crush, I know that she truly meant it. She was much more grown up than everyone else believed her to be.
Ashton took a while to talk into staying in Arlia. However much it _seemed_ he was used to his two dragons, he felt that they made him stand out too much and wanted to be rid of them. He told me at first that he didn't want to cause me trouble by staying at my village and sticking out. I tried my best to convince him that everything would be okay, and he seemed to believe me enough..he didn't stand out in the very least, and he seemed really happy to me here.. but after a year of staying, he simply told me that he would go and travel to search for a way to release his curse. I offered to go with him but he refused, saying that the village still had people who needed me. "Thank you for everything, Rena," he said, "But I don't think I can stay here any longer. I...guess I won't be seeing you for a while--I might never see you again. ...take care."
He didn't promise me he'd return.. more likely, that would be the last I see of him. No matter what I said, his heart was set. He wouldn't listen to anything more. The first year he was away, I of course felt sad and missed his presence and worried about him, but after the second year I think I'm starting to understand what it all meant.
I think I am in love--though it is too late to say now. He meant more to me than everyone else and I just never noticed.. He was more than Dias, who was like my dear older brother, and more than Claude, who was my best friend. But he's gone--been gone for two years exactly now. I can't even search for him because he left me no clue as to where he went, and I still have my mother to take care of. The more he's absent, the more I think I feel for him. I love him.. but it hurts.. because I'll probably never see him again..