To Lemuria

ETERNAL

I opened my eyes to a cold breeze.

This was the cliff in my dream. Meia smiled at me confirming it. At her back was the drop and not far in the horizon we were facing the ocean.

The sky and the ocean met somewhere hues of pink and blue and black and white blended like a big painting.

I breathed in the salty sea wind. It cut through my damp clothes and made my hair rose up unto my nape.

"Here and now, I leave you."

Meia was at the edge as another gust of wind pulled and pushed her down to the drop.

I held my breath as I rushed after her but I was a second too late. I had my arms and hands groping for her before I looked down. She was gone.

I turned around half expecting Meia was there, just like she did in the distant dream. She was not.

I turned back anticipating a floating show off that she was, rising up from the fall just like she did when she started attacking us. She didn't.

I gulped back the pain.

I should've held her. I should've caught her.

What good did having gifts of control do, if I couldn't even save the important people I knew?

Another gust of wind that chilled me to my bones blew and circled us. It seemed to hoot softly as if whispering. Good hearts, it said.

I sighed hard, breathing in the Lemurian air and taking the vast Lemurian sight in. It was home, Meia said. She said this was where my great grand aunt Juana used to be. This was where gifted people like her have found home.

Bless her soul, she said. Bless her soul.

And I might never understand everything, I might never comprehend even half of what I learned today, but in time, I knew, in my heart I would.

For now, I guess what I needed to do was go back home, maybe ask a thing or two but mainly to spend the Christmas with Mother and Father. If I will have to discover something, might as well start there. And maybe I might find out a bit more.

I didn't realize that I was holding Kim's and Mira's hands way too hard. I squeezed them before I moved and released them.

Mira smiled at me, a sad but encouraging smile. And I stopped on thinking of things I wanted to say and I guess we have reached the point of understanding beyond words.

She held on my arm and leaned her head on my shoulders.

Kim on the other hand, cleared his throat and put his right arm around my shoulder which I supposed reached until Mira's shoulder at my side.

This feeling of belonging, togetherness in silence, it was special, it was home.

And I couldn't imagine having to journey all the way up to here and now, without these two. Yes, we've only been together for the past 24 hours but I felt like I've known them forever.

That was thanks to our ancestors and their covenant that we now have.

Light was beginning to seep in from the east. The dawn was breaking and the sun will soon rise.

Realization hit hard.

"So, I guess we proved a whole lot of things today," Mira started.

"Sensei was real," Kim said. He looked up to him greatly just Mira adored Meia. "And so was the map."

I fumbled through my jacket, and surprisingly it was there. It was destroyed wasn't it? I guess, memories were never easily destroyed. They came back to you over and over again.

I took it out and handed it to him.

He shook his head.

I nodded and pushed it to his hand. He jerked his hand, I bet because he was still afraid that it was cursed. But I have lifted the spell already. So I took his hand and folded it in.

"Seriously?"

"Drifters dreams do come true."

Then he hugged me, for only a heartbeat and then let go.

I heard him murmuring awesome several times as I turned to Mira.

"This one's for you."

I held her hand as I drop the charm bracelet on her palm.

"Oh no, no," she exclaimed.

"Let me," I insisted as I pulled her wrist and tie it on.

"I can't," She said on the verge of crying. "You found these treasures, you get to keep them."

"Meia said, these treasures will mean a whole lot different for other people," I said as I give her a hug. "For me, now, it meant my friendship with you."

She hugged me back.

"And besides, Meia would really love it on you."

And then I raised her arm to show her. It was chunky, with all these trinkets. But it was beautiful with a character, very much like Mira and her personality. And it went well with the crocheted vest and floral dress.

I heard a familiar bip bip. The two didn't seem to hear. Then I felt it vibrate. I fumbled inside my pocket and there Precious was, with its twinkling light flashing a reminder note:

MISSION DONE: Middlemas time

I never remembered encoding this. I actually couldn't remember how I got it back. Didn't it break from the fall? Did it return to me just like the map?

Did everything I lose came back?

I looked around anticipating. But only the winds hugged me to comfort me. Should I knew that they will never come back like these things in my pockets?  Should there be some that I needed to let go? Memories made that I needed to remember, remember and cherish in my heart.

I put Precious back inside and thought how glad I was to get to keep it. At least I get to keep something.

I let them look at their souvenirs as I turn around and saw that just beyond the cliff down a few steps back was where the hall was located. It was desperately ruined from this perspective but it was still one of the most beautiful places I've seen. It was like a bird's eye view of the island. The beaches around boasted of white sands and deep blue sea. The green trees though scarce lined up well, to keep the edifice in. The marble structures limited in the middle, were wonderfully white with touches of limestone. The stairs were unseen from here but the rounded landing that held the dome underground and the circular hall after the two big posts and archway, they were a familiar vision from where I stood. It was grand, regal and royal, fit for an Empire so silently majestic.

"I guess, this ends here now?" Mira asked approaching me.

"No," I answered her. 

 "We have just begun."

And it sounded like an overrated overplayed flashback and rewind.

"Perhaps, this should be how we do it," Kim said as he laughed, something he seldom did then pulled both of us to the edge.

The rang of laughter filled the air as we all free fall, the wind swinging under us and a flock of seagulls passing by us at their flight.

I smiled as the wind whipped my hair, the sights of ocean and beach and sky and early sunshine tumbling as I rolled around.

Then Kim caught me and as we steadied, I used my force to pull Mira to us, who was giggling hard.

We were fast approaching the water surface, the gravity pulling us in, when I heard Kim screamed, "Here goes nothing."

We never hit the ocean.