The icy blast from the North harshly pierced every inch of her skin. The clear blue sky that once peacefully resided in her heart is now utterly dyed in a dreary gray. But, none of that matters now, in trembling step she goes forward. The sky, bursting with tears, covered the ground in white flakes. Those white flakes danced tirelessly, then rested on her silky curls, touching her cheek. Her hands reached out in the air, and they landed slowly in her palms. Is it snow...? For those who seek the truth, only cruel answers await on the other side. Born in the embrace of love and happiness, what lies at the end of the journey is, inevitably, ashes. The rain of ashes, quietly falling with sarcasm, welcomes her return.

Lily steps her foot through the town's gate. Nothing more than a fiery battlefield, or perhaps its remnants. Everything she knew until this very moment. The stunning houses Lily was always fond of, the bakery she usually bought from, and then the familiar tree where she had spent such a wonderful childhood.

Gone.

How simple is that word?

Lily can still hear the faint sounds of the crowd, of the market nearby, and of the singing children echoing from afar.

Where is everyone?

No. The poor girl could not accept this. This is just a nightmare, she reasoned.

Lily runs.

Running through the familiar burned streets, through the merciless flames, into the night. Raindrops falling down devoured the fire, magnifying her fear. The muddy ground is enough to send her tripping, leaving a crimson scratch on her knee. The pain? Worthless.

She runs.

To the place, she belongs. Every cell in her body, every joint in her bones, was firing. Home...she must come home. Never in all those years did these memories become so lively. The journey into the unknown shines the remains of those who will live on in her heart forever. Their kind faces, their warm hands, their voices... so close, yet so far. Memories roll through Lily's mind like a film playing back the most beautiful moments. How painful and frightening it was. She will not let them fade away, she will grab hold of the imaginary visuals, to cherish them one last time.

No... Eva is waiting for me... Calling for me to go home...

The familiar path, the path she has gone down countless times, is finally revealed to her. Cross this path, and home will wait for her at the end. A teardrop was shed on her cheek. It is still how she remembers it. The floral scent lingering in the air chases away the smell of the agonizing flames. In slow steps, she goes. That tree where she and Eva used to hang out... and this pine tree, the marks she carved to compare their heights are still there all these years. Lily feels the marks, with nothing but poignancy filling her heart. When she's gone, Eva is only this tall. Too little... Too fragile.

I have a promise...promise to her...

Then she runs, runs tirelessly to home. And then... the place she's dreamed of countless times, the place she's always prayed to God for the opportunity to return, even for a split second, is finally here. The humble house on the edge of the city rests peacefully. Home is not always full of sweetness. There were hard times when she had to knock on every door begging to save her sick Eva, but it still holds a special position for where Eva was. The house, though small, was always filled with laughter and happiness. A blink is all it takes for the sight before her to be nothing like she remembers. The house has now been shattered, with pieces falling to the ground and being consumed by fire. Every piece of the house... of her memory was consumed by the raging fire, only to be washed away by the rain.

A brutal reality.

The soulless, utterly defeated body dragged itself. No...This can't be... Until then, a hairpin grabs her attention. The same flower hairpin she gave Eva on her birthday. A spark of hope enlightened her broken heart. Eva...

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

Falling to her knees in front of the hairpin, emotions sucked out of Lily's eyes ... Please... The little hands caress the muddy mess, then squeeze as if clinging to her sister's thin string of life. Please... Don't leave me behind... The newly burned land already makes her hands start to burn. So intense is the heat wave that it ends up bruising the trembling pairs. No, that doesn't matter anymore. The pain. The blooming wounds. They all insignificant. Her hopes were still there, shining as bright as ever. Please...God, I beg you... The wailing voice dominates the terror sound while the nails sink deeper into the mud. Lily can feel an invincible hand strangling her heart. The pain slowly rooting inside her now becomes unbearable.

"BRING HER BACK TO ME!" "BRING HER BACK TO ME!" "BRING HER BACK TO ME!" "BRING HER BACK TO ME!" "BRING HER BACK TO ME!" "BRING HER BACK TO ME!" In an effort to confront fate and its wickedness, she screamed at the top of her lungs. Tears cloud her vision, and she growls.

The rain continues to fall harder, drenching her lonely presence. Dirt and grime had already sliced through the flesh, colored-red the ground. She can not stop now. For she is guilty.

"Please...come back...Eva..."

Her prayers were finally heard. Lying peacefully in her arms is the body of a child. A child, so small that it fits her arms perfectly. Just like the old days. Time seems to stop. Lily carefully caressed its cheek. In tears, she smiled. She can still remember the vivid image of hers. Eva's cheeks were always so full, making her eager to pinch those cheeks even though Eva always scolds her for doing that. Caressing what's left on its head, she remembers. Yes... Eva used to have such beautiful hair. Her hair used to feel like silk, dancing on her back. She used to spend nights combing her hair. And then the hands, her little hands. The hands always held hers, never letting go. Those same hands guided her on the darkest days. Hands in hands, they could conquer the world. Eva... She has always been her lighthouse. So bright... So sweet...The meaning of her life.

Drops after drop, tears roll down. Lily hugs the burned body to her heart, screaming out loud. Why is the world treating them so cruelly?

Eva...My dear sister...

How can I live in this world without you?

Lily can't stop the intense sobbing. Tears just keep falling from her face, dropping on the corpse. "I am sorry... I am so sorry..." She tightens the embrace, "I have promised to come back with a smile," the flowing tears just keep falling, "I am sorry, I can't keep our promise." Pain and guilt squeeze her heart and mind to ashes. The world falls into silence, and only the sound of the rain accompanies her sobbing sound. Soaking from the rain, Lily can't even distinguish between her tears and the rain. The pain broke her from the inside, making her unable to breathe.

I am sorry... for coming back too late...

And then, in the flame, she sees Eva. Her dear Eva, in the pure white dress, genuinely smiles at her. Her little hands reach out to Lily, calling her to come. Lily unconsciously gets on her feet, approaching the shadow, who is standing still in the raging flame. Her arms are already extended forward as if she is about to grasp the illusion's hand. What will happen? ... Forever. She's willing to take it no matter the price. After all, right at this moment, she is ready to unite. "Sorry for keeping you waiting... I will never let you go again..." She comes with a smile.

"Lily!" A firm hand dragged her back, "Do you know what you are doing?" You can kill yourself." That was Alderic, looking terrified. Lily struggles to let go of his hand, "Eva is calling me there, please... I must go." Unsurprisingly, he does not intend to hear her request. "Enough!" Lily is pulled toward Alderric's side by an excessive amount of force, which sends them both crashing down. Thankfully, he had already wrapped around to shield Lily just a fraction of a second before they hit the ground. "Why do you interfere? My life matters that much to you?", she yelled at Alderic, her tears soon ran out. Or perhaps her heart can no longer bleed. Alderic was stunned by her abrupt response. This time, Lily tries to crawl toward the flame, but Cecil already sprints over and grabs hold of her tightly. "Please, Lily, wake up, Eva is not in there." Her trembling voice turns to sob, "Please, there must be another way."

Lily says, "No," with a cold tone in her voice. "This is the only way." Cecil grabbed Lily's collar, forcing her to look into her eyes. "I have lost my family too, Lil... and since then, you have always been my sister, my mother, and my dearest friend." Cecil looks at Lily with adorn and honesty. "You have taught me that there will be hope." "So why don't we hope together this time, for Eva?" Not like Alderic's hand, Lily can easily get out of these, yet somehow, Cecil's hands contain a mysterious power, anchors her. Lily can no longer see Eva when she is staring into the blaze. With the hairpin in her hand, the ache in her heart soon faded. "I will trust you." Lily clings to Cecil.

She can make out the kind blue of the Borage, leaning on the wind and wafting its soothing scent. Forget me not...

No, Eva, as long as this heart still beats... I will come back to you...