"Well," Sueka says, pivoting around, her dress spinning, back towards Mydrea-sama and me. "Here we are!"

After we take a few more steps, the forest grass we tread on becomes riverside pebbles flattened by the flowing water of the nearby creek. A few meters in front of us is a large boulder Sueka and I used to sit on watching the stars after a long day's work. The stars are now much clearer to see. Orion's belt. The Big Dipper. At least the night sky hasn't changed much over the ages.

"This is our favorite spot!" remarks Sueka. "It's where I met my brother."

"Really?" asks Mydrea-sama. Judging by her tone of voice, she doesn't believe it.

And I don't blame her. Three years since that incident. When I was found, nearly lifeless, drifting through this now clear pool of water. I cannot imagine what it was like for Sueka, seeing what seemed to be a corpse adrift in what was normally a peaceful creek, tainting the clear water with blood. I put my right hand to my head, feeling a bit dizzy.

"Are you alright, brother?"

"I...yes...I'm fine. Don't worry."

"Anyway, this way, you two!"

"You really seem to trust Mydrea-sama."

Sueka turns around and smiles, "Normally, I don't like the thought of other girls around you, Oren. But I can tell by the smell of this necklace, she gave it to you so you could give it to me. A friend of my brother is a friend of mine!"

"Friends, huh?..." says Mydrea-sama under her breath.

"Guess you can't argue with an animal tone's sense of smell," I reply, smiling.

But...even so...I'm still wondering about her myself.

We continue towards the tallest tree around. Our special tree is riddled with worn out slabs of wood with text written on each. This is the village's wishing tree. The final tradition of the Rebirth Festival, which, to my knowledge, was customary during First Age Japanese festivals as well, is to write our wishes on these slabs and hang them on this tree in the hope of having them come true.

"After you," I say to Mydrea-sama.

"You serious?"

"Consider this thanks for what you did for this family. For the necklace."

Though hesitant at first, Mydrea-sama picks up a blank slab from a nearby bucket and begins to write her wish on it. As soon as she finishes, Sueka and I prepare ours. All three of us pray simultaneously to the tree in the hope of wishes being fulfilled.

Sueka lets out a yawn and says, "Well, I'll be heading home to get a cat nap."

"But, Sueka, the festival will still go on for a while."

"Tomorrow, we've got work to do. You should get some sleep, too."

"I see your point, but still, at least try to relax a bit with every..."

"And brother..."

."..Yes?"

"I'd like you to sleep inside tonight."

"OOooookkaaaayyy. Why?"

"That was my wish," she says with a smile.

"You wasted your wish on that?"

"Well, it's one of my wishes."

"You're supposed to only make one."

"Come on, please?"

.....

"Well, alright then. See you tonight."

"Bye bye!" she says, waving back to Mydrea-sama and me.

"Quite a lovely sister you have," Mydrea-sama remarks.

"Yeah. Funny how much she's changed."

"Changed?"

"Can you believe she was once an aggressive tomboy?"

My guess is that she is remembering a few of Sueka's "yandere" moments over the course of the day.

"Actually, I can," she says with a chuckle.

"Can't entirely say I understand why, but she's changed from aggressive to sweet over the course of the three years I've been here. Guess everyone changes in one way or another."

"I have a request," Mydrea-sama says.

"And that is?"

"I have a few more questions."

I let out a sigh. "Again with the questions."

"I only have three left."

I look back at her for some time and see the determination in her face. She remains unwavering, her face unaltered. The sound of the creek is all there is to remind me that time has not stood still.

"Alright, three."

She faintly smiles and gestures for me to lead the way. I choose to walk up a small hiking trail to show her some more of the scenery as we talk.

"Why do you need money?"

"Ah, that. Don't tell anybody, but, as much as I love it here, there's...some things I wish to take care of. To honor a promise I made to my father. A promise I doubt I can fulfill here, and traveling requires money."

"And this promise is?"

"Honestly, as I've said before, you really do ask very personal questions.... But, I'll answer that just this once..."

"Enlightenment. To understand myself better."

"Next question please," I ask, then jump over a log.

"Why do you know so much about others, but so little about yourself?"

"I can really only answer the first part. When you don't know much, you desire knowledge, to grasp a better understanding of the world around you."

"At what cost?"

"I...don't know what you mean. My pursuit of knowledge isn't at nobody else's expense."

...

"Very well."

As we reach one of the highest cliffs on the trail, I stop and sit down to look towards Terraz. A small city, vibrant with the colors of the festival amidst a lush forest, a beautiful body of water, and under a sea of stars.

"My last question."

"Alright then. I'm listening."

"Or rather..." she begins to say.

However, before she can finish her sentence, I hear the rustling of clothes. The untying of the obi strap. Please, don't tell me...

"This is my wish."

I imagine the spectacle behind me. This isn't like the Mydrea-sama from earlier today. Judging by the sound of the clothes, she's removing her kimono.

"The wish I made on that tree."

"I want you to..."

Bachi.... Bachi.... The...crackling...of flames? Against my better judgment, I turn around...

To see Mydrea-sama pointing a ball of fire at me.

"Die," she says coldly.