Until the Day We Meet Again

Kai knelt before the grave, his trembling hands clutching the hilt of his blade. The chill of the earth beneath him seeped into his bones, but it was dull compared to the hollow, consuming cold within. Kai stared at the inscription etched into the gravestone—Thea Valens—which was too sacred to speak aloud and carried the weight of every moment they had shared.

A heartache wracked Kai’s body as he bowed his head. He had felt the searing sting of death before—the sharp agony of a blade driving through his heart—but even that anguish was a fleeting shadow compared to the endless torment of losing Thea. To live in the echo of her memory was a wound that would never heal, a pain that hollowed him with every breath. Even the sting of a thousand deaths would pale against the sting of her absence.

The blade’s edge glinted in the moonlight as Kai raised it to his chest, his tears streaking down to darken the earth.

“I'm sorry Thea. I don't think I can keep my promise after all.”

Kai’s grip steadied, his resolve hardening through his anguish. But as the blade hovered above his heart, a warmth—familiar and gentle—brushed against his hand.

“No, don’t!”

Kai stared, stunned, as Thea stood before him, alive and radiant. Her eyes, filled with love and sorrow, met his, and for a moment, it was as though she had never left.

For a heartbeat, Kai was too awestruck to speak, until he finally muttered, "How… how is this possible?"

With a familiar sparkle in her eyes, Thea replied with a playful grin, "I guess the saying was right. True love does find a way."

A wave of joy surged through Kai, shaping his face into a smile so wide it felt like his heart might burst. But just as quickly, a pang of sorrow settled over him, grounding him in the bitter truth that this reunion might only be fleeting.

“Is this real?” Kai murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. “Am I losing my mind?”

Thea took a step closer, her eyes holding Kai’s as if to anchor him. “It’s as real as anything else in this world, and it’s real to me.”

Kai wanted to believe Thea, but doubt crept in. Thea, seeing the shadow of disbelief in his gaze, softened.

“I saw what you did back there,” Thea said gently. “You turned away from the easy escape and chose the path of sacrifice. It’s the choice I would have made—the choice that believes in the worth of every life, that there’s still beauty in the world that’s worth protecting, no matter how broken the world may seem.”

Thea smiled, but there was a sadness in her eyes as she continued, “I wish I could’ve been there to make it easier for you.”

“I wish you were here instead of me,” Kai proclaimed, the weight of his grief evident in every word.

Thea touched Kai’s face, a feather-light caress that somehow felt both real and surreal. She wanted, so desperately, to lift the burden from his heart, to wield the artifact and cleanse his memories of her, to ease his pain. But she knew it would rob him of the love he still carried for her. For a moment, she hesitated.

“I’m sorry,” Thea said, her voice trembling. “It was selfish to leave my burden to you, to make you carry the pain of my memory. I only did it because… the thought of losing you was too much for me to bear. Please, forgive me.”

Kai’s hand closed over Thea’s, his voice steady. “There’s nothing to forgive. I should be the one apologizing. I wish I could’ve saved you. Without you, I don’t know if I can keep going.”

Thea’s gaze held Kai’s, filled with bittersweet sadness.

“The world is still worth experiencing, even without me,” Thea said softly. “You’ve changed so much since we met, all because of a silly, little flower girl. In a way, a part of me will always live on through you, even if you forget me.”

Thea steeled her heart, ready to do what must be done—to use the artifact to cast herself from Kai’s memory and spare him from the unbearable agony of losing her. But Kai shook his head in protest, the idea of forgetting her was an absolute impossibility.

“I’ll never forget you, Thea. I will love you for the rest of my life, even if you aren’t here for any of it.”

Thea was overcome by the depth of Kai’s love, unshaken and resolute even in the face of her absence. It pierced through the quiet sorrow she carried, and for the first time, her heart stirred not with the need to shield him from the pain of her memory, but with the desire to stand beside him in spirit, as close as she could. She could no longer bear to fade into his past or become a forgotten shadow. Instead, she yearned to be a lasting comfort, to wrap her love around him like a warm cloak, to be a presence he could feel when the world grew cold.

Thea pulled away, her form glimmering like morning mist, yet she held something in her hand. It was a flower, soft as stardust, glowing with a faint, otherworldly light. Thea moved closer, and Kai, sensing a farewell, felt his heart begin to crack. Her lips curved in a tender smile. Instead of using the artifact to cleanse his memories, Thea had reached out and materialized an amaranth from another world, vibrant and eternal.

“I was wrong about the ending of The Phoenix and the Songbird,” said Thea, her voice almost a whisper. “The Songbird doesn’t search for the Phoenix in false hope. He knows that someday, in another life, no matter how distant, they’ll find each other again… just like we will.”

As Kai's gaze fell upon the amaranth in Thea's hand, a revelation stirred within him, a forgotten melody on the edge of memory. He recalled watching the play of The Phoenix and the Songbird, when the sight of the amaranth in Thea’s braid had felt strangely familiar. Its meaning eluded Kai at the time, and he had dismissed the thought, distracted by the warmth of Thea’s presence as they watched the play together. But now, the truth unfolded with aching clarity.

Kai’s eyes widened as realization dawned. “This isn’t the first time we’ve found each other, is it?”

Thea smiled, a promise in her eyes. “No, and it won’t be the last. I don’t know where or when, but I know someday, we’ll find each other again, just like we have countless times before. Until then, take this.”

Thea placed the amaranth against Kai's chest, tucking it carefully into his straps. “To remember me by.”

Kai looked down, fingers brushing the soft petals. “You never told me what this flower symbolizes.”

When Kai looked up, Thea was gone. Kai jolted, finding himself alone, the world suddenly darker and colder. For a moment, he wondered if it had all been a delusion born out of grief and loss. Yet when Kai looked down, the amaranth was still pressed against his heart, gleaming softly. He held it, bewildered… but smiling.

Kai gazed at the amaranth, mesmerized by the way it seemed to glimmer with an otherworldly light, almost pulsing with a heartbeat of its own. Yet, for all its beauty, he didn’t understand its significance.

Clutching the amaranth gently in his hand, Kai turned his steps back toward the heart of the village. The market square buzzed with life, a stark contrast to the stillness of the cemetery he’d just left. Amid the hum of voices and the scent of fresh bread and herbs, he sought the elderly florist he had passed earlier that day—a woman with kind eyes who had tended her blooms as though they were treasures. Kai needed to know how to care for the fragile flower he had been gifted, as if nurturing it might somehow keep a part of Thea alive.

Finally, Kai arrived at the stall of flowers he had passed earlier. He glanced at the elderly florist in front of him, who was watching him with a mixture of curiosity and tenderness. She raised her brow at the flower in Kai’s hand, her eyes twinkling with recognition.

“That’s an amaranth,” the florist said softly, with a kind of reverence. “Very rare, that one. It’s worth a fortune, you know.”

Kai looked up, surprised. “I… didn’t realize,” he admitted.

The florist chuckled, her wrinkled hands brushing across the other flowers at her stall.

“Not many do. Part of the reason it’s so valuable is because of its usefulness for vitamancy, when ground into a powder. A mere novice could use a dash to fortify a simple recovery charm into a life-saving miracle, on par with those granted by Gracilia Herself. Skilled alchemists use the powder for crafting potent healing potions. Just a pinch can mend wounds that most magic can’t touch, and it’s rumored to restore vitality to the gravely ill. That’s why you almost never see one in bloom—anyone who finds one usually harvests it right away for the coin it can bring.”

Kai was enthralled hearing the florist speak of the flower so excitedly, her passion matching his own fascination.

The florist continued. “It’s a powerful flower—some say it has the power to extend one’s natural life. In some old stories, it’s rumored that the amaranth could even bring a person back from death itself. Just a superstition, mind you—there’s no magic in our world that’s ever made it so. Not according to any scholar or mage worth their salt.”

Kai disregarded the florist’s skepticism. His fingers tightened around the delicate amaranth as his memories flooded back. He could almost feel Thea’s gentle touch, the warmth of her magic as it pulled him back from beyond the veil of death itself. He remembered the world slipping away, the cold grasp of the beyond, only for her voice—soft but unwavering—to call him back, a flame sparking in his chest as life returned to him.

Thea had pressed an amaranth against Kai’s heart, whispering foreign words in a song so beautiful it would remain engraved in his heart forever. To most, the flower was rare and precious, but to Kai, it was a reminder of Thea’s love—boundless and powerful enough to even defy death.

Kai listened intently, feeling a flicker of hope and sadness intertwine. He thought of Thea, her warm laughter, her teasing smile. The memory was like a soft ache in his chest.

The florist continued, her tone softening. “Among lovers, it has a special meaning. It’s used to declare an undying love. Giving an amaranth means pledging yourself to someone for eternity—as soulmates, bound across all lives, no matter how many times the world reshapes itself. Some believe that it’s not a new declaration of love, but a promise fulfilled—that two lovers who made a promise in a past life have found each other again in this one.”

The florist hesitated, then proceeded to add, “Though the Church considers that blasphemy. We only have one life and one afterlife, should we live a life of virtue, according to the Scripture. I only know that incredulous tale from a scholar of those ancient ruins I met years back. It’s likely a tale most of the world has forgotten.”

Despite the florist’s apprehension, Kai felt that part of her wanted to believe the tale. Perhaps she had also lost someone and hoped in the deepest corners of her heart that they would reunite someday.

The florist watched Kai, a knowing glint in her eye. “Whoever gifted you that flower, they must have loved you dearly.”

Kai swallowed, feeling his heart fracture in the most bittersweet way.

“Yes,” Kai murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. “I know they did.”

Kai held the amaranth gently in his palm, tracing the delicate, immortal petals with his fingers. A thought lingered in his mind, bittersweet yet certain. Someday, I’ll have to give this flower back to her.

Kai’s gaze lifted to the night sky, to the shimmering stars scattered like whispers of old tales and ancient promises. There, glimmering softly, was the constellation of the Songbird, a shape familiar and comforting. As he looked around, Kai also noticed a bright streak of light—the Phoenix comet—arcing just past the heart of the Songbird constellation. The Phoenix and the Songbird had met for only a moment and were already separated.

Kai couldn’t tell how many untold lifetimes it would take for the Phoenix to return and meet the Songbird again. But in the deepest recesses of his heart, Kai knew they would reunite one day.

Kai’s eyes softened as he whispered to the sky, “Until the day we meet again.”