Tale Of The Half-Blood Wizard

"That's exactly why we need to know all about it," I said it full of confidence. "We need to know its purpose of killing, its strengths, and weaknesses, and the most important thing is that we have to figure out what is the reason behind its arrival here."

They both looked at me with such a confused stare; it could be that they were thinking that I was crazy and just out of my mind. "Just initiate retreat from the duty, you didn't even know what you're dealing with, let alone defeat it and even get rid of it. You're no one, I'm not sure you can do it, or whether you survive doing it. We're not about to launch a suicide mission or something like that here." Vio tried to warn me once again, this time rather intimidating.

"Well, I won't give up until I've tried," I said firmly, rather stubbornly. I really didn't want to initiate retreat from this command. I want to solve this problem, as I really want everything to go back to normal again. I want no more curfews; I want that people are no longer being afraid to go out at night; also for people around me. The terror must be stopped immediately.

"I just want everything to go back to normal so the struggles and the sacrifices of my friend wouldn't be in vain. I can go out at night and the people around me can do it too." I was trying to give them some understanding just by stating what I was thinking and feeling inside. I just wanted everything to go back to normal, just like before the presence of that creature.

"You can do it, Tha!" Zie said encouraging me. "It doesn't matter whether you're a wizard or not because it isn't easy to be able to go this far. Remember that not all things can be solved by fighting strength because some of the things require observation and knowledge as part of their problem-solving. I'm sure that you will be able to resolve this matter on your own!" His words just made me feel so excited, couldn't help that smile was carved on my lips. Thank you for trusting me.

Vio didn't give me much information concerning the matter of that creature. However, that was one thing that I've got from Vio that the creature wasn't a seeker. It could be that it carried the murder not to find a body to occupy, but for some other motive that we didn't know.

We got out of Vio's place and as soon as we were out of it then the building was slowly disappeared. It made me feel curious so I asked, "Is Vio moving again?"

Zie turned his head towards me and said, "Vio's moving all the time. The only reason why Vio's here is to answer all your questions because Yuurei asked Vio to help you." Just right after saying that, he also said goodbye. He said that he couldn't be outside for too long. "I have to go home," He said before leaving.

I wasn't sure whether it was just me or it was just like that yet somehow I felt that time we spent for our meeting was getting shorter and shorter day by day because Zie couldn't stay outside for too long. I never visited him again in the world of Between, despite being asked to because I knew for sure that Mr Oka would definitely destroy the marionette one day, and I want him to be free as much as it was still possible to do so.

…

I sat on a bench along with people that were fishing. It felt so good just to be here because it felt so calming, relating, and a bit therapeutic that for a moment you separated yourself from the hectic life. I saw Charon who was slowly rowing his boat, carrying the spirit towards the place of Kerberos. Meanwhile, I also saw so many spirits that were still there waiting to be delivered on the other side of the river.

I saw that there were two brides outside their queue. Their faces and their skin were so pale, but I could still see the light makeup on their faces. The wedding dresses that they were wearing were still intact and still in one piece, but looked just a little bit worn out and shabby. One thing that intrigued me was the tiny camellias that were growing through their hair. There was a pair of red and white camellias that were growing on each of the heads of those brides. The camellia grew well and looked so lush and densely covered with its green leaves and both of those red and white flowers were blooming. 

One of the brides looked at me back while I was staring at them. I immediately put on my nice smile so they wouldn't think of me as a rude and bad person doing inappropriate things. 'Did this kind of thing work too? I'm sure they're not human' I thought.

One of those brides with the white camellia gave me a sign to cross while another one with the red camellia was also looking at me at this moment. I got up from the bench then I walked towards the bridge that wasn't far from where I was sitting. Then I crossed to the other side of the river, to the place where they were.

I saw Charon who was also looking at me when I reached their place; it could be that he was observing me at this moment.

"Can you see us?" One of those brides asked me. I nodded in response. "You'd better be very careful with the pair of eyes you're having." She said to me, sounded more like a warning.

"Is it really that dangerous? I mean, just to be able to see the kinds of you guys?" I asked, confused. "I've been through it so many times, seeing strange things that no one else can see."

.

They didn't answer my question, but one of those brides said, "Just watch out for the thief as the thief will always steal anything considered good and valuable." That was what one of those brides with the red camellia said. 

"It could be your eyes." Another bride with white camellia added.

The two of them took me to a ship moored not far from us. I followed them and they led me to a room—inside the ship—that looked like a fancy restaurant that was empty. There was a crystal chandelier that was hung and there was a small stage in front, complete with a piano and many other musical instruments.

They pointed to the door in the corner of the room. When one of them finally opened it, I was looking at something that I thought was impossible but it really appeared there. This small ship had a garden that I couldn't even imagine how big it was. It was so strange indeed and it didn't make any sense indeed, I couldn't even reason what was happening right now.

There wasn't any flower or any other kinds of common plants that we used to see in that garden; there was only one big tree with its dense, lush, big, and thick leaves that was almost covered the entire area, just like a living canopy. The leaves fell down from that tree covered the floor of this garden. It was so thick; making my feet almost sink because of it. As this wasn't surreal enough, there was a sky with few clouds stretched above us. It was so strange that I didn't see any walls of the old ship, just a small door behind me that might lead to the restaurant earlier. That wooden door might have taken us to another dimension, so I thought.

Those two brides brought me closer to the tree. I saw red threads that were connecting one leaf to another among that thick leaves. I was amazed yet confused by what I was seeing; it left me speechless. I was in fact never imagined I would see what was in front of me right now. I think this tree in front of me was the biggest tree that I've ever seen. I felt that I could make a house to live in with just one arch of its roots; I thought as I was standing neat it.

"The leaves on this tree show humans living in the world; meanwhile the falling leaves below show humans who are no longer there. From the first human to the last human that will be, everything is in this tree." One of the brides with the white camellia said.

They pointed to a few leaves that were still green, but it was already off the branches with only the red thread tied them together.

"It's been a few weeks but those leaves haven't fallen yet." One of the brides with the red camellia said. "There are some of 'them' who want to go back then and neglect their duties.. 'They' think that by stealing what's belong to the living, it can make 'them' come back."