Time flies…
Sixty tick-tock-tick of a clock makes a minute, sixty steps of the bigger hand make an hour. Hours gather and we play by the side of the ever-flowing river of time.
Hours pass as we sit with a loved one, or talk with a stranger about things that make us forget the ever-present passing of a moment.
Days pass as we play with our little ones.
Months pass as we learn, forget, live, and die.
Years pass as we reach the destination only to find that wasn't the end, and… continue the eternal cycle of time.
Time is an illusion we create. A lie we can't separate from ourselves.
It is vicious, hurts people, and makes us vulnerable.
If passed, it doesn't come back. Once lost, it just vanishes from our worlds.
It doesn't come back, doesn't reply even while called with broken words and bloody tears.
It is ruthless.
If it contains the power to heal the deepest wounds, the power to cure incurable diseases, the power to create the greatest arts of the world or show the greatest miracles of nature… it also possesses the ruthlessness to rip anything apart.
It is a lie so veracious and yet, people can't ever separate from it.
Yes, it is a lie but, aren't lies some beautiful stories until someone ruins them with the truth? Isn't it great that we are commonly subjected to this beautiful lie?
Time… it is eternal, unlike us born with a limited period in this amazing world.
How good would it be to just enjoy the sweet moments, accept the bitterness of loss and move on, or welcome the inevitable future with a happy smile rather than eyes full of resentment?
We don't know what will happen in the next moment. We don't know when or how our prediction will go wrong. We don't know when we will receive a wound or the opportunity of a lifetime. We don't know…
"So isn't it great to live in the present and hope for a better future?"
I was in my room, surrounded by round furballs, a huge lizardman, my dear sister Zoe, and my grown Celes who was now as big as my hand.
"Hehe. But isn't hope also sometimes poisonous?" Zoe asked as cheerfully as always.
With this passing time, I had grown up into a fine young adult.
The physical growth was more than I had expected as [Energy circulation] boosted the growth during my adolescence more than I thought and then there was new enlightenment and Solnova breakthrough.
I was on the taller side among young adults like Carla, but just like me, others changed a lot too.
Carla was technically the eldest in the house now, Alf was just a bit shorter than us, and Chry was tall like me and Carla but he was also bigger in physical size.
Zoe was a fine young lady now. Gorgeous enough to stop even adult hearts with her ethereal beauty.
It was sad but my cute, awesome, best, little Anna was also grown up.
She was cuter than before but she was cuter for me when she was little.
Every one of us changed, except for our parents and elders. They were the same, but with us, Rein also changed.
She started her second growth phase after her grandma was cursed.
She was a handful. Difficult to handle. A little kid few could handle. But she was a fine lady in true meaning now.
She looked… haaa… too divine to ignore.
These past few years were special for us as many things happened but we were in the present right now, on the night of my birthday and coming-of-age ceremony.
The day could have been too hectic if it wasn't for mom and everyone else.
I was preparing everything by myself which definitely wasn't necessary but I couldn't help these things.
The time that passed was small for many others but for the two of us, it was longer than it could ever be.
We were close. Far more than that night of the winter festival.
There were obvious difficult times and these small anger moments but they were necessary elements of a relationship.
Both our families knew about us and they also knew what would happen today, of course except one person.
She could have barely noticed it if she wasn't angry over something as futile as a piece of metal but she was playing upset, which was cute on its own, but she had no idea what would happen today.
She was still the little dum-dum as back then but unlike before… she was ready now.
She was ready to accept things and I was ready to take a step.
It will be difficult but…
"Hope… I have it and it gives me strength." With a warm smile, I looked at my wise little sister who had an excited smile on her pretty face.
"Sure it can be poisonous. Simply thinking of having it could be poisonous in some cases.
Hope is just like time, going hand in hand with the eternally flowing river.
But Zoe, children, Mave, and Zuroro…
Isn't it better to have an undying hope rather than be trapped in a self-made abyss with no light?"
I smiled at them and the smart children jumped in excitement.
"Brother Eon is right~! We always hoped mama will save us if we encountered that evil thing in our previous house!"
"The glowing flowers mama creates always help me sleep at night! It's my hope~."
"I… hoped to see the surface. And if not that, I always hoped to live a good life with my children. But now, I have a different hope."
The golden furball with bright blue eyes looked at me with a warm smile and I patted her soft fur head.
She was a cool mom who everyone in the house loved.
[ "Haha. Yes! I always had hope that I will kill that baster-, I mean that bad evil being who killed my family and trapped me there.
I was able to gain strength because I had that hope but sure, I overdid many things, so my own hope was like poison for me." ]
Zuroro's accent while talking with mana speech was unique, just like those old uncles who gave children candy.
He was good and he had definitely helped Carla with many things.
He had grown strong, just like all these children who were now a bit bigger but they were still just cute little furballs.
"Right. Right~. Hope is as important as acceptance of the present. So, dear present living big brother~. Wanna know how sister Rein is dressed?"
There was a smirk on her pretty face, her long blazing orange hair and serene blue eyes making it seem more mischievous.
"I would have loved to but Zoe, please don't.
They have done some wonderful work on her, as mom said, so I want to see it with my own eyes.
It would be even more fun with her angry cuteness."
[[ Yei~! That's why I said no the last five times you asked. Hehe~. ]]
They all chuckled at the words of my partner which pierced right through my heart.
My own Celes was restricting me from seeing my Rein. And if that wasn't enough, she said it all before all these people.
She was bigger now, far stronger too as I had grown stronger, but she was still the same mischievous being I knew.
"Alright, alright you all. It happens alright? It's a big day for me!"
It was embarrassing. Who wouldn't want to see their finely dressed friend when the ones helping her had teased you for hours with all those tempting things?!
"Hehe, big brother. You should go now. It's time~.
Go greet everyone with others. We will be there soon~."
It was still early so not many people would be there but as I was the one to organize everything today and as it was my birthday, it was only proper for me to greet everyone first.
The ladies will definitely take their time as almost all the nobles and important people of this empire would be here.
It was more than a birthday party. It was coming of age party of one of the most famous people in this empire as well as nearby lands.
It was only three years ago that I first appeared before the world and society.
Things were fine before that but after the first day of the winter festival, I was a topic present almost everywhere in this empire as well as in other nations of the continent.
The rumors spread like wildfire and as Rein and I were already invited by all those people who danced with us, things became even more intense.
Far more because the famous representative of Atraxia actually attended all those invitations with me.
Time passed, and now I was probably more famous than the twelve prodigies or imperial princes and princesses.
This was my coming-of-age ceremony so there were naturally going to be daughters of all the invited people present here.
I was famous, strong enough to beat even the famous prince, and noble enough to attract the eyes of those old people who didn't even pay much attention to royals.
I was naturally rich from being one of the most important families of the empire, plus I was the son of one of the richest people, and already had many things to my name.
I was probably the best person nobles would want their daughters to be with. So ultimately, I was the best bachelor possible right now.
They all knew about the unique relationship I had with Rein but, what reason was there not to try?
Certainly, there was no reason. But there will be one after tonight.
It wasn't just a special night for them but for Rein and me too.
Everything was ready. I had done my best. They were doing their best to prepare Rein. And things were preparing themselves to become true.
She wanted to be with me and throughout our time, we couldn't do so because of many things. But after today… we would be one, hopefully.
"Hopefully…"
Looking back at these creatures who were nothing less than a family to me, and my special sister, I nodded at them with a smile.
"Good luck big brother~."
She was cheerful. And I knew Anna would be the same cheerful while helping the ladies and her big sister.
They were my best sisters and these jumping furballs were good support.
Things were ready so the only thing left was…
"Rein."
Shaking my head with a smile as I thought about her blushing face, I left the room and walked downstairs.
