Tale Of The Half-Blood Wizard

We went further into the forest with Azalea leading the way with her two guards. That woman said that she knew the portal of Between world, and she also had the authority from Master Oka to visit the place just like Kerberos. She had already ordered her best soldiers to guard the marionette, but after Antonie's illusion began to fade, she could not predict what might happen now. 

Several Lichens seemed to be creeping slowly, like black slime that sparkled like a starry sky. From a distance, we saw Mr. Oka as usual watering the flowers in front of his shop. When he noticed our presence, his expression changed into a shock. 

"What are you doing here?" he asked frantically, his finger pointed at me. "How could you go in here?" he added, then he ran towards us. "Go away! How could you go in here?" 

I was so shocked by Mr. Oka's reaction. He did not seem to recognize me. I was like a stranger to him, even though I had been here several times and it was obvious that previously he received me very well. "Sorry, but we are here to pick up Zie." I said politely. 

Mr. Oka looked dubious towards me," Zie?" He asked as if he had never heard that name before. "What do you mean?" Azalea and I looked at each other in confusion. 

"Just give us the marionette you have," Azalea said, "I know that someone has left it here, and it actually belongs to her," She said. She asked me to come forward to Mr. Oka. 

Mr. Oka was still confused. He was about to go inside the shop, but then he did not. He still did not believe our words.

"Sir, do you have a marionette boy with sapphire eyes? It is mine, and Kerberos left it here." I said gently. 

"Just give that marionette to her." A very familiar voice interrupted our conversation. 

I turned around to make sure I was not wrong that the voice belonged to Kerberos. I was right though. That white dog, the realm keeper, looked so much different from the one I used to see.

"The marionette belongs to this kid. Give it to her, the real owner." After Kerberos said so, Mr. Oka went into the shop.

Soon after that, he went out with a marionette as tall as 181 cm. he seemed to have a problem carrying it so Azalea's soldiers came to help him. they sat that doll on a chair in front of the shop. 

That wooden body looked dead now, obeying its master wherever it was seated. I stood before it, and without my knowing tears fell down. 

"If only I knew it faster, and were smart enough," my voice was hoarse. I knelt before that doll. "It doesn't matter if you are in the wooden body, or in a stone box , you remain the same for me." I touched its wooden fingers I adored and I used to play with. The images when I first met him and knew that it was Zie or my fear of him were replayed like a film cassette. All the memories and reality that it was just a game they created were fighting in my mind. 

I wiped the endless tears rolling down my cheeks, got up, and faced Mr. Oka. "Can you give me a favor to allow this marionette to stay here?" I asked sadly. Everyone was surprised to hear me. 

"Tha, are you sure?" I just nodded in reply to azalea's question. 

Azalea asked me several times if I was serious in making a decision to leave the marionette in the Between dimension with Mr. Oka. I saw those pairs of sapphire eyes that looked at me in the empty and cold expression he gave me since the first time we met.  That made me determined to let him go wholeheartedly. 

"Yes, I really wonder if he had better stay here. I will visit this place when I have the opportunity to do it to enjoy Mr Oka's food and forget all the memories of life. He will be the last I visit. That way I hope he will be the last memory I have when I visit him," I was sure of my plan. I brushed his cheek softly and bent down to say goodbye, "Wait for me here, be the last for me to own," Then we said goodbye. 

Our next destination was my house. Azalea helped me to fix several things, such as I would not be able to visit Between dimension unless the spirit was separated from my body and deleting of between dimensions from my memory, including the route to this place and the meeting with Mr. Oka. 

"I want to make sure that you won't be able to go back to this place, and make you unable to remember anything related to this dimension," Azalea told me further. Then she asked me to eat a cake given by Mr. Oka to her. 

I bit a chunk of that cake, a combination of sweet and peanuts filled up my mouth. The taste was so nice and soft. At first, nothing unusual was detected. Perhaps I was not able to recognize it, so I ate it all on the second bite. "How about Darkmoon, Barnes Church, and all the places I have visited?" I could not hide my curiosity. Was I still able to remember all those places? would I have the chance to visit those places again? 

Azalea took a moment of silence, looked at me, and was thinking about something. "I was not informed of the effect of eating that cake. I was just asked to give it to you," and then she left me. 

During our trip from Between dimension, Azalea said that actually, it was not her first time to cross. It was the second time she left her dimension. The first time was when she chased me. 

"Actually I did not want to forget everything," I said calmly and stopped my footsteps. "I still want to remember everything," Azalea turned back and looked at me in surprise. 

"I still want to remember every single moment I experienced, either good or bad. All of them have taken me here at this moment. And I am happy to have them all," I really hoped she understood my feelings. "I want to have all those memories, please," I lay so much hope on her although it was impossible. 

...

We were reaching a shopping center area at midday. Azalea, her two guards, and Mickey decided to wait for me outside, not far from Emma's florist. I walked to Emma's shop alone. 

I saw someone standing behind the cash register, some plants' media were still messy and the plants were in pot changing. She did not realize my presence because she was still busy wrapping some flower orders. 

"The plants will be withered if you leave them out of the pots for too long and the messy media." I said to break the silence as I replaced the plants from the messy pots. 

"Hey! Where have you been?" Emma replied, slapping my head. "You were off work without telling me!" She was irritated,  and somehow she gave me a hand. 

"Emma, I want to say goodbye," I didn't waste my time. Her expression was obviously surprising."I am living in my old house while trying to pick up a job. I will continue my study next year perhaps, so I will stay in my own house again." I extended my hand for a farewell. 

"Are you serious, Tha?! Don't you feel uncomfortable anytime you live there?" It was quite shocking for her to hear my decision. I tried to convince her and she finally understood.  She smiled. "If that is your own decision, of course I support you. Please drop by here as much as you can, anytime you have the chance." We were like two children who would never see each other again. So classic!. 

We were silent to each other for some time on the way to my old house. There was a change in me when I did not feel afraid anymore to go there and was grateful that I still owned that place. At least there was a sweet memory remaining there. 

"I plan to live in my old house and perhaps see my mother on one occasion when I have enough cash." I said to crack the quietness. 

Mickey did not seem to believe what I said. "Are you sick?" It was such a heartless question from him. 

I smiled wryly, stroked the top of his head, and poked his chubby cheek. "No I'm not." I replied in annoyance. 

"I just learned to accept it now. Things I have been through so far made me learn to be grateful to what is still left for me. After I finish taking care of my graduation and all things done, I will move here," I explained. My eyes looked at the scenery outside the bus window.

"It seems that you don't have remorse for what happened to you.." Azalea interrupted and made me turn to her.