14 Capitulum 12 - Forgotten Memories 3

|| F L A S H B A C K ||

They walk together, hand in hand, with huge smiles on their faces as they pass town to town. From time to time, they take short breaks and go on again, after short moments of resting.

Her feet were tired but she never minded it, as long as her Leo is with her. Cheesy? Yes, she knows that. But people who are in love, do not care if whatever if they do is cheesy, cliché, or not. As long as they and their partner are happy, then they would careless.

---

"You seem to be a happy couple, young sir and miss," a strange woman says. She was a typical old, creepy woman who wore a midnight black coat and its hood over her head. But inside this coat, was a bloody red dress. Her eyes shone like black coal and her hair like newly polished silver. Her skin was all wrinkled yet it was as milky as a cow's fresh milk. Yes, her clothes looked creepy, but the young couple could say that she was a pretty yet old woman.

The two nodded earnestly, yet with small smiles on their faces.

The woman smiles gently, "I am a bit thirsty and famished," she began, "would you spare me just a piece of bread and a cup of any liquid? Please?"

The woman said it in such a friendly way, in which they could not decline.

They gave her what she needed.

"You have kind and generous hearts. Now, I will offer you something no one else can ever give you," she said after she finished what they gave.

"And what would that be, madam?" Luce asks.

"I will tell you your destinies," the woman replies before holding out her hand.

Luciera laughs, nonsense. But not wanting to hurt the woman's feelings, she puts her hand into her outstretched one.

The woman grips on her hand gently, before stroking her index finger on her smooth palms.

"You were destined to have a brilliant and enlightened future ahead of you, Luciera," the strange woman mentions her name, "however, you had changed whatever fate had planned for you."

The woman closes her eyes. Luciera could see her eyelids slightly flinching.

"Past lives exists. Afterlife exists. And so does reincarnation," the woman said mysteriously.

"It is so rare for us to remember our memories from each life, yet, I see that you will. Maybe not in this life, but perhaps, the next."

Luciera felt a chill up her spine.

The woman continues to run her index finger up and down on Luce's palm with eyes closed, "you just ruined the way things are for you, miss Luce. Now, your fate is sealed and shattered. Now, your destiny is broken."

With that, the peculiar woman lets go of her hand and turning away.

"This love will destroy you," she said as she walks away, "so destroy it before it destroys you too."

Luciera stares at the retreating back of the strange woman, which is now disappearing and becoming one with the shadows. How did she even know her name?

When she felt a hand rest on her shoulder, she jumps slightly before clenching her fist into a tight grip.

Before she could hit the owner of the hand on her shoulder, it managed to hold her wrist.

"Relax, Luce! It's just me," Leo laughs before kissing her clenched fist and putting it down.

Her face must have looked so stressed. She releases a heavy sigh before looking at Leo with a smile on her face.

"Come on, let's get in the room before it gets too dark," Leo guides her with his hand on her back, "and Luce?"

"Hmm?" she hums her response, still caught up with whatever the strange woman had said just a couple of minutes ago to her.

"Don't believe what she just said, okay?" he said before opening the door.

That caught her attention, "why not?"

He shrugs before coming in the room, "I just don't believe in things like that. Destiny? We're living to create our own destiny."

She shakes the thought off with a smile, "you're right. We are."

"But I believe," he trails off as he pulls her inside the room, "we are destined for each other."

She giggles as he closes the door.

"No monkey business, okay? I'm awfully tired and sleepy, I just want to faint on the bed," she laughs as she, literally, falls on the bed.

Leo nods his head before positioning himself beside her. He fixes her position. Now, her head was on his right arm, her left hand on his chest, his left hand intertwined with her other hand.

He kissed her on the forehead before he drifts off to sleep, "good night, Luce. Never forget that I loved you, I love you, and I will love you."

She smiles at his choice of words, "cheesy."

His chest vibrated as he laughs, "well? What do you reply it with?"

She shakes her head, "Today, tomorrow, and forever. I love you, Leo."

She felt him smile as he kisses her forehead for the last time.

"See you in my dreams, Luce."

---

Leo is now asleep, yet Luciera was wide awake.

The words that the woman's mouth just released played over and over again in her head. She couldn't sleep.

With awakened eyes, she surveys Leo's calm sleeping face. It brought a smile on her lips, and finally, she felt her eyes getting droopy and heavy.

With a smile, she closes them gently.

"Bhava tanha, Luce," a voice whispers, "bhava tanha."

Welcome, to my dream world.