World After Worlds

"But you have to promise me," she uttered, "I can only be assured and happy if you promise me those three things. I only ask three things."

Matteo breathed heavily, why would she be happy if he granted those? He wasn't happy about that at all. He peered at her eyes and it was not wavering… yet…  he was. All he wanted to do was spoil her on her whims.

Matteo sighed again, he gave up, how could he win over her? He couldn't win at all. "... I promise." He whispered to his breath and grimaced at the floor. He felt this was too unfair, but since it was her, he couldn't defy a single thing.

Matteo didn't want to prolong the conversation anymore, she might have asked another thing from him that could become another torment on his welfare. He pulled her to the circle to commence their ascending. He sat in front of the cup and she did as well.

"You won't break it no matter what?" Yanarym asked as she picked the cup in her hand. It was poison, she would die when she drank this. How funny, this would be her fifth time dying.

"Yes, whatever happens, I will follow them, I keep promises… " Matteo uttered with a heavy heart, he took his cup and looked at her.

Ten years, he had to wait for ten years after this moment… she lifted her eyes and met eyes with him, she smiled. Matteo's heart exploded, he smiled back at her. 'It would be worth the wait,' he thought. 'All of her would become him, her sole existence would be his.'

Yanarym raised her cup and invited him for a toast. "...then, see you in ten years, Brother." The cups made a 'cling' upon colliding, and she drank it in one shot.

Matteo was about to drink it with her when he heard her say that. He didn't think about it at first and contemplated it later when he finished the drink.

"Brother?" He asked her as he put down the cup on the floor.

Matteo creased his brows as his heart started to race in anxiousness. Something struck him. He abruptly looked at her. Her eyes glowed sadly as her smile turned sad.

"Why did you call me brother, Rym?" He stood up and walked in her direction. She held his hand and pulled him to sit down again. She snuggled on his body, sitting in his lap. "You aren't answering me." As she wrapped his arms around her body, she nestled her head to his shoulder. As if ready to fall asleep.

"It tasted like a chocolate drink, and it's making me sleepy." She murmured. But Matteo could still feel a cold bucket pouring on his body, he could feel her… Azkin, Azkin's soul was in her.

"Yanarym, answer me. What's going on?" He whispered- and looked at her, he was about to carry her off of him and see her face but she held his arms tightly, locking herself in his embrace. "Tell me, what's going on!" He asked terrified, confused --- flabbergasted.

'Brother', there was only one person who could call her in that way, in that manner, in that tone, and with those looks on her eyes! It was Azkin, it could only be Azkin! But it was impossible- she ascended already. Azkin was already freed! He felt Azkin's presence-- no, presence… He felt Azkin's presence but not her soul on that woman. Then, why? Why was her presence in that woman?!

But it made sense, that was why he didn't feel a thing for Tiana, why he was so nonchalant about her- because Tiana was not Azkin. She was a fraud… and the real one-

Matteo's eyes drifted to Yanarym, he violently shook his head. "You are not, this can't be… R-rym."

"Brother, it's so unlikely of you to lose composure over me." She replied with a whimsy tone. "Remember? When you broke my heart in heaven, you didn't blink an eye or get sad - you were such a stone-cold man." She brushed her fingers on his arms and slid them on his hands, intertwining their fingers. "You went into my room to harshly bid your goodbye and I begged you not to push me away, but you insisted on throwing me here."

Matteo froze as her mellow voice echoed in his ears. His mind flashbacked to the past but his consciousness was all on her. "This is all your fault, you killed me. Do you know why I was eaten by Francis?" She looked up at him, and he looked down on her. His eyes became warm and wet, his heart was clenching --- he never felt this pain before. It was so painful but he couldn't move or make a sound.

"Because he found out that my heart was only beating for you. That was why he was blinded by jealousy for you. And I promised him five reincarnations to make it up for him because I was sorry for using him as your substitute." She redirected her eyes to the cups that were on the floor but Matteo kept his eyes on her. He digested everything she was saying, he wanted to speak but he couldn't move…

"Maybe because father only gives me the ability to love, I cannot hate you at all, I am still in love with you- but it feels so painful to love you… " her voice cracked, she repressed her trembling body. She began to cry in his arms. Matteo gulped, he parted his lips to breathe and held her waist. "Now you have to kill me again---you have to stab me in the heart to set me free from this body, isn't that right?" She smiled at him.

"A-azkin." He called her but he was voiceless. He couldn't understand, he should have known. He recognized her as soon as he landed on land but why didn't he consider her as Azkin at all? He shouldn't have asked their father to alter her appearance or lose track of her, he shouldn't have sent her here!

"I did what you asked me to do, I tried to love someone else. I did try my very best… but I keep coming back to you. Always you. And you're here, suddenly- protecting, loving, getting possessive over me when in fact this all happened because of you." She tried her best to speak without pausing but Matteo could hear her sobbing and her sniffing.

"I don't blame you, of course. I am happy to be in love with you but also miserable. So, before I die, I promised myself to love myself, more than I love you." That made Matteo move, although he heard her loud and clear he couldn't help but interpret it as she wouldn't love him anymore.

He couldn't - he won't be able to take it. If he lost her love. No, he can't! He acknowledged his wrongdoings, and he was willing to get punished but her love… 'it' was his. She belonged to him, she cannot take that away!

"Azkin, Azkin, let's talk about this, Rym! YANARYM! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!" She became lethargic, he could easily lift her body to face him. But that also meant that the poison was kicking onto her system.

Matteo became panic-stricken, he laid her on his arm and brushed her hair away from her face. Holding her tightly, she smiled at him. Smile- he didn't want to see that smile right now.

"Don't be scared, I will still fall for you because we're tied to be together. However, you can not take me for granted anymore." She uttered drowsily and extended her arms to caress his cheek. He caught her hand and grasped it tightly. He shook his head and creased his brows.

"Y-you're not doing this to me. You can't do this to me, Rym! You can't." She giggled and looked at their hands.

"In ten years, I will be born again as your wife. I wish in that second chance I gave you- you won't break my heart… love me tenderly and protect me with all your might. Because if you tried to hurt me again, there would be no next time, Brother. No more third time… " she gently shook her head with a sweet smile.

Matteo sobbed, "... I'm sorry, Azkin… please, Azkin talk to me. You can't leave like this - "

"I can, I can leave you with no goodbye." She cut him off and closed her eyes. Matteo felt that she was losing her life, his eyes became blurry and held her languid body closely.

"Azkin, don't go yet!"

"... You're crying." She mumbled, "I am happy to witness you cry, this is my revenge … my revenge on you, brother. I hope that I caused you a… lot… of… pain…  " Matteo was stoned, she stopped speaking and her hands fell on the ground. Her heart stopped beating.

"No…" he murmured. "No, no." He laid her to the floor and she was already asleep. "No! No! NO! YANARYM!"