I walked and I walked. For years and years, I walked. One step at a time. One, two. Left, right. Sometimes in the rain. Some other times against merciless winds or the scorching heat. I walked through long and steep mountains. Crossed entire oceans. Rose above the clouds. Went across planets. Met different galaxies. Wandered over dimensional barriers. Traveled through worlds. Until I finally found it. After a long, long time, I reached it. The world where God’s gaze does not fall. And there you were.

On it lay a flower field as far as the eye could see. A vibrant yellow shone from the flower’s petals, reflecting the sun eight times the size of our own. Although the sun was still up, the starry sky was also present nonetheless, making it a place of perpetual day and night altogether.

Above my head, a single petal carried by the warm wind met my gaze. I grab it. Opening my hand, however, I see that my palm is empty and something far away appears. In the middle of the field stood tall, an olive tree. The olive tree where we used to dream of dreaming. Under it, was your silhouette. It was made of nothing at all or rather, it lacked everything. The paradoxical void reflecting its surroundings stared at me, although it had no eyes.

What are you doing here?

You said although you had no mouth.

“I came to see the flowers.” I say, in hopes that my words reach you, although you have no ears.

You stood silent for a few seconds.

You’re late.

So that’s what this is. Your words made me understand the situation a bit more. Understand where we are. When we are.

“Sorry, I got lost on the way here.”

Hmpf. Always with some excuse.

“I’m here now, right?”

Next time you don’t show up in time, I’m leaving.

“You won’t need to, because I’m never gonna be late again.”

Oh really?

“Really. From now on, always on time.”

Why do I feel we have been through this already?

We have.

“With our beloved tree as witness, I’m here now forever a changed person.”

I won’t hold my breath.

You reach out your hand.

Come.

My body answers your gesture before my mind does and it mimics you. However, I stop myself before I meet your intangible figure. I remind myself why I came here. 

?? What has gotten into you?

“Hmmm. Last one to the lake pays for dinner!” The time to hold you has been lost. Towards the truth, I start to run.

Hey! That’s unfair! Hey, wait!

And you follow.

Through the never-ending flower sea, we roamed around the fragments of our past. Our first stop was the giant monolith that could be seen as far as our village. It had been there, apparently, since before the ancients came to this land. That was where we met for the first time.

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What do you think this was built for?

“Good question. It most likely was a place of worship. Or it had some practical use we just don’t understand.”

Boring.

“Reality is often boring.”

Sigh.

“How about this? It’s a structure made a long time ago using lost technology, to attract two souls in a distant future to each other, for they must meet.”

You’re an idiot.

“You flatter me.”

 I like that one better though.

Through time we continued. Always in the presence of the yellow field. This time we passed by the campfire of the midsummer festival.

Watch this.

“Careful!”

You jumped through the fire. Landed clumsily but somehow without a scratch.

Easy.

“Why?”

Why not?

“Fair.”

Forward we went and eventually reached a hill. The hill that overlooked our little world. For a stranger to this land, climbing it up would be a daunting task but for us, it was nothing of a challenge. Quickly we arrived at the top.

From here, everything looks so small.

“It puts everything into perspective, doesn’t it?”

…

…

We stared for a few minutes at the long-gone view.

“I haven’t forgotten it.”

What? What are you talking about?

“The promise we made.”

…

“And I never will.”

I know.

…

…

Did something happen to you?

“Hmm? To me? No, I don’t think so. Why?”

You look down today.

“It’s not that, I just gotta keep my charming mysterious demeanor up of course. Come. We have one last place to go.”

And with that, we first wandered aimlessly. We spoke about how nice the weather was. How there seemed to be more flowers this year. About the past. About the future. We spoke about everything and nothing at all. And again, we ran. We smiled and laughed as we ran without a care for the world. We ran and ran, until we finally reached the place where everything changed. The lake where our dreams were drowned.

“We’re here.” Time to wake up. The place where our cruel fate began to unfold was right in front of me yet again. The place where I lost myself and, you, along with it.

“Do you know where we are?”

Yes.

…

“I’m sorr-“ No. “I’m here to-“

This is where you betrayed me.

…

You hurt me, you know?

I know.

How could you do it?

I don’t know.

Did you orchestrate it from the very beginning? Was it all a lie to you?

It wasn’t.

Everything was meaningless?

No, everything was true.

Every word that came out of your mouth was designed to fool me?

No.

All those memories we shared, meant nothing? All those dreams? And what about our promise? You liar. You faker. You are rotten to the core.

I am.

You hurt me. You broke me into pieces.

The wind lost its warmth and started to become stronger.

You monster. Why? Why? You ruined my life. Why? You tore my soul apart. Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Everything. I gave you everything. And you took it all. Why? Monster. Monster. Monster. Everything. Why? You. You. Die. Suffer. Suffer just like me. Curse you. You. ToiT. SDslfl. You. TEE. FF.

Along with those words, the scenery started slowly getting distorted. You don’t need to wait anymore, I’m gonna end this once and for all.

“I’m here to take you home. As I have promised long ago.”

A raging fire appears spreading all out with you at its center. All the flowers get caught on fire. It gets exponentially harder to breathe. Even the sky starts to burn. Quickly a giant whirlwind forms around you.

You get louder and louder. You no longer say any comprehensible words. Your suffering cannot be expressed by them. The damage I did can only be shown like this. I reach my hand to you and of stone, it becomes and shatters. I close my eyes and They protect me with their purple kindness. We are not alone. It’s thanks to Them that I’m here.

“Thank you. And goodbye, my friends.”

Now protected with Their sacrifice, towards the inferno in front of me, I walk.

How long has it been? How long has it been since everything went wrong? Have you been here ever since? Screaming. Crying. Suffering. All alone. With all this rage. You didn’t do anything wrong, and yet this is where you ended up in. The only thing you ever did was love me and this is how I repay you. But all of that doesn’t matter now. It’s long past time. And I’m here. I’m here to uphold my word. You don’t need to suffer anymore.

The fire no longer has a hold of me and eventually, I finally reach you. Rest. I reach my hand to your void and crossing it, it starts to take form. I take your heart out, although you have no heart. You have been missing it for a very long time. Ever since I took it. Everything I hold dear, ends up meeting his end with my own hands. As it was, so it is now.

“You can sleep now. You did enough.”

The fire starts to subdue, and one tear appears before getting evaporated along with everything.

It’s over. My reason to live is extinct. What I could do with the rest of my pathetic existence has been done. What was holding me here, is now not. If there’s an afterlife… I hope we don’t meet.

Swallowing the sun, I wonder. Who’s gonna fall first? Me? Or the worlds? Everything turns dark, and I start walking again.