After lunch, the group scattered. The couple left first, Noah soon after, leaving Arianne alone with her thoughts.
Why… does it feel like I lost something…?
A sleek black car pulled up beside her. The one she usually rode in.
The driver stepped out and opened the door.
Once inside, she sat staring at her feet, fingers twisting together as her foot tapped softly against the floor.
Did I forget something…?
Why does it feel like something important is missing…?
The low hum of the engine filled the silence as the car began to move.
—
A few weeks later
August 1st. Kyle's birthday
After what happened a few weeks ago, everything continued like always. Except this time, the feeling of constantly being watched finally disappeared.
What remained was…
"Happy birthday!"
Anathasia suddenly appeared in front of me, holding an elaborate cake drenched in glistening dark chocolate. One that looked definitely heavy on the stomach.
Also… what was she about to say a few weeks ago after the timeline continued?
I squinted at the cake.
"Wait. Did you make that yourself?"
She nodded, letting it float beside her as she crossed her arms and puffed out her chest.
"Course I did. You're not the only one who knows how to bake, y'know?"
"Fair," I muttered, glancing at the floating cake before patting her head. "But… thanks. This means a lot."
She chuckled, then walked around me and guided me toward the table, where our usual dishes were already laid out.
Even for an Outer God who hates putting in effort… this was—
"Impressive?"
Anathasia cut in, pulling out a chair and pushing me into it, standing proudly behind me.
"I know, right? I'm the perfect wife material."
I froze, then slowly looked up at her.
"Girl… you did not just say that."
A small laugh slipped out as I shook my head.
"Since when did you start saying cheesy stuff anyway?"
Her form flickered, reappearing across the table.
"I don't," she said lightly. "Doesn't change the fact that we're bound to get married."
A pause.
My body went rigid as I met her gaze, that small smile still on her lips.
"Hah…?"
"We're bound to get—" was what she'd said back then.
…I should've expected something like that.
"It's not something as grand as fate or anything," she waved it off. "You know I hate stuff like that."
I leaned back in my chair, expression flat.
"Yeah. You made it pretty obvious that fate doesn't apply to you."
"I'm the one who decides what's valid and what isn't," she replied, casually cutting into her food as the cake settled in the center of the table.
She pointed her fork at me, eyes meeting mine.
"You were already bound to me the moment you saw me as the First Outer God and survived."
She shrugged.
"Marriage wasn't technically mandatory. But with you accepting me as your girlfriend, and how things are now… causality itself basically locked it in."
I glanced down at my plate, then back at her.
"But aren't you already outside causality—"
"Because I love you."
She cut me off, leaning forward, eyes fixed on mine.
"I care about you. And I refuse to lose you."
Her voice softened.
"Tell me… do you really want this to end?"
I went quiet. I didn't even know why I was hesitating.
Silence stretched between us as she kept looking at me. Her expression was one I'd only ever seen once before. Back when she first barged into my life. The same look that made me feel something again… for the first time since Marianne.
"Of course not…" I finally whispered. "I don't want it to end."
I looked down at my plate.
"I don't even understand why…"
That was when I noticed how hard I was gripping my fork. My knuckles had gone pale.
My throat tightened, like something was slowly closing around it.
A dry, humorless laugh slipped out.
"It's stupid, isn't it? You're pouring your heart out in front of me and I'm still hesitating."
I shook my head.
"It's unfair. Being this uncertain when everything's already laid bare."
My eyes stung. I wiped them quickly before the tears could fall.
"I guess I'm just… scared."
Anathasia didn't say anything. She just watched, listening to every word.
I took a breath and met her gaze again. This time, I didn't look away.
"You said you only started watching over me when I was ten, right?"
She tilted her head. A habit I'd seen a hundred times.
"Yes… that's right."
A small smile tugged at my lips.
"A couple years before that," I said, "there was this guy I knew."
I nudged my food absently.
"He used to boss me around. Had me buying cigarettes, liquor… all that stuff. I was basically his errand boy."
I paused.
"But even so… he was the only real person I had back then. He drank. He smoked. But he always told me not to copy him. Said he'd beat my ass if I did."
Anathasia let out a small, startled chuckle before covering her mouth.
"S-sorry… I see. So he was… kind of a father figure?"
I nodded.
"Something like that."
I exhaled softly, glancing out the window beside the dinner table.
"He taught me things… like how to treat people properly. How to act around strangers. What not to do in certain situations."
"He even made these wooden toys for me to play with."
I swallowed.
"He's the reason I even had something like a childhood. Outside of being treated like an outsider at school."
"I didn't really have friends, so he was always the first person I went to when I needed help."
My chest tightened. My throat burned.
"I thought it would always stay like that… just the same old routine."
Anathasia frowned slightly.
"You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but… where is he now?"
A heavy silence.
"He's not with us anymore," I said quietly.
Her eyes widened.
"Cancer," I continued, nudging my food. "He smoked too much. His lungs and throat just… gave out."
"Before I even understood what was happening, he was already lying in a glass coffin. Cold. White."
I smiled, looking at her as my expression softened.
"That's why… I'm really sorry if I'm being unreasonably hesitant," I said, trying to sound casual. "I love you, that's already obvious enough… but I'm scared,"
"I'm scared of leaving you alone… especially with the sheer difference in our existence."
My hands slowly rested on the table.
"You're going to outlive everything… while I'm—"
"—just a human. A mortal, fragile human you could lose at any moment."
I went silent, my gaze lowered.
"I don't want that to happen—"
"I know that," she cut in, her eyes glistening as she glared at me.
"Seven months ago… when I cried in your arms… did you think I never considered that?" her tone lowered, her voice on the verge of breaking.
"All those moments we spent together. I knew how short human life was from the start,"
I fell silent, the words dying on my tongue.
Of course she did…
"And yet, I still wanted this to happen. So why are you scared of hurting me when I'm already setting myself up for pain by loving you?"
A tear slid down her cheek.
"You don't even know how long I've been waiting for you… searching for you… billions of billions of years—"
"—just to find you. So don't go choosing what's best for both of us…" her voice cracked. Tears slid down her cheek, something I only ever saw once.
"You're the one I've been searching for… even before time was a thing. The one constant who wouldn't see me for what I am… but for who I am,"
Her gaze sharpened as she wiped her tears away.
"I stayed because I want to be here. Because I want you to choose me on your own… not push me away in fear of hurting me when nature does its job," she said through sobs. My throat tightening further as I watched her tears continue to slide down her cheeks.
"Don't just decide for me… for us… aren't we a team here…?" she continued, her chest heaving as she held back sobs.
Of course, I knew what she meant. But still…
"Anathasia… I—"
"Kyle," she cut in before I could continue. "You asked me why I stayed, right? Aside from everything else I just confessed,"
She suddenly stood up. The entire room suddenly shifting as the floor under be turned into a depthless… void of galaxies and stars.
"I think it's about time you finally know,"
"Who or what you really are."