Stray

In the faint candlelight, Nadine put the bottle full of medicinal liquid on the tea table and carefully turned the label in the same direction. Her fingertips were trembling with aging, and she nearly dropped the will envelope she was holding. The long wooden worktops were well mopped, and the bookshelves were covered with ash-proof cloth.

The flowers in the vase have been taken away, and the water has been poured out. Everything has been neatly tidied up, and nothing left to rot in the corners before the potential new owner of the house steps in.

This is not the first time she has made such preparations. Before Nadine decides to leave Caleb for her final journey, she does a very similar sort of tidying up—only this time she won't be returning it from the trip.

The pudding given by the black seal became her last supper. Her tongue could not taste much, but she insisted on finishing it. After dinner the witch hesitated for a moment, washed and dried the rough glass bottle, and placed it carefully with the vase. The napkins were folded flat at the table, and the tablecloth was repeatedly smoothed without a single fold.

Everything is perfect. She thought wearily, moving her increasingly uncontrolled body into the rocking chair, letting fear and emptiness bite her back.

On the small table next to the rocking chair was a brass candle holder, which was about to burn out. But that's okay, she thought slowly, turning her head to look out the window—the moonlight was so bright, illuminating the bare sand of the backyard.

The miracle did not happen, no life fluctuations came from there.

Her cat emerged from the shadow of the table. The chubby orange cat meowed straight, jumped on her knees skillfully, and purred loudly in her throat.

"I found a new home for you," she muttered, stroking the soft fur on the cat's back with her thin hands. "Lisa has always liked cats, she will treat you well... I leave all my money to you."

The huge room was immersed in candlelight, and the creaking sound of the rocking chair rocking slowly was very clear.

There is nothing left to do and nothing she can do. Nadine suddenly wanted to cry a little out of some complicated emotion that couldn't be named, but she didn't succeed in tears.

"I should have died." As usual, she began to nag to her only audience, the cat. "I did procrastinate for a long time, but the procrastination makes no sense..."

The hydrangeas are not blooming. She left the world an unfinished promise.

She left Caleb just to look around before she died, and to hide the fact that she was about to age. Nadine didn't deceive her best friend, she did go to all the places they made an appointment - wearing the stars and wearing the moon, non-stop.

And she naturally discovered the truth of that agreement. "On the Disappearance of Earth Hyland" can always be found in a larger library. Lisa's mind is very easy to guess - every time she thinks of this little trick of the other party, Nadine can't help but twitch her lips. Of course, she didn't intend to give up this joke-like agreement, she was going back to Caleb Village after all. And by that time, she still had a little chance to finish it.

Nadine stroked her cat silently, the orange cat's hot belly covering her boneless knees, heavy and soft. To be honest, her return journey started earlier than she thought.

Because she is getting old so fast.

"I picked up yours a few years ago?" She coughed twice and pinched the cat's ears. Caramel turned her head away and licked her fingertips. "You said you are a good cat, what are you running in the desert?"

Six years ago, when her journey had just ended. Nadine found that her teeth were starting to loosen, her bones were so fragile that she risked breaking her limbs if she fell. Her inherently incomplete talent began to decline rapidly, and the world in front of her became more and more blurred.

Her body is no longer fit for running around. So she chose to go back to her home, her pre-determined grave. Crossing the desert would be her last adventure, and it might be her last letter-worthy memory. But she unexpectedly encountered nothing worth mentioning—except for a group of half-dead bony lizards.

Six years ago, in the middle of the desert, a group of knuckle lizards were biting each other's tails, moving with difficulty on the hot sand that was almost burning red. Nadine knew that it was her natural enemy, so she subconsciously planned to stay away from there.

The knuckle lizards probably also smelled her scent, and they had no intention of approaching or calling for help. The one in the lead—it should be the leader by the looks of it—hesitated for a moment, bit his own tail, and fed blood to the cubs in the team. The purple-black liquid fell on the hot sand with a harsh hissing sound.

Nadine stopped.

The smell of blood reminded her of the ordinary girl who was lying on the railing many years ago, and the first gift she received—the not-so-beautiful bunch of wildflowers.

She hesitated for a few minutes, and finally walked over. The jointed lizards watched her silently, motionless.

"Don't touch me," she whispered. "You happen to be you, and I happen to be me—I know, listen, I'm not hostile."

The witch raised her hand, and the green vines drilled into the sand.

Plants know how to find water sources better than any creatures, and soon the hot and dry air smells of water. The vines gradually opened the sand pit, and built a root system to draw water in the ground. A little water light began to appear in the sand pit, and then there was more and more water—the bone-jointed lizard, which was like a dead corpse, stirred. Their neat queue slowly spread out, and the lizards surrounded the puddle, sticking out their slender tongues, licking the hard-won clear water.

The biggest tail is still bleeding. It came closer to her, hissing tongue out, his eyes glowing eagerly.

"Okay, I really want to touch you." A smile appeared on her wrinkled face, "But you'll wilt me."

It seemed to understand her words, and immediately stepped back cautiously.

Nadine sighed and tightened the scarf around her neck. She turned and continued toward her goal—

"Goodbye," she said at it, waving her cane casually. "...No, I don't think we'll ever meet again."

There were no scary monsters or beautiful visions like mirages on her last adventure. There is only one small interlude. Then she successfully relied on her "grandmother" status to take over her house, waiting quietly for her death inside.

The cat ran to her by herself.

At that time, Nadine was looking for traces of Dihailan in the desert ruins outside the village, and it ran to her with a hoarse and pitiful cry. At the time it was covered in sand and gravel, as if it had just emerged from some rubble. She glanced at its **** hind feet and hugged it back.

Then she has a patient and obedient listener, a new friend.

"Are you saying those lizards are still alive?" She was too old to even remember. "If they knew how to take care of that water source, they should be fine."

The cat arched her palm with her wet, cold nose. Nadine sighed slightly. The candle was about to burn out, and the flame began to shake violently.

There was a sudden knock on the door.

Perhaps Lopez changed her mind, she thought numbly, the blood all over her body turning cold with fear. But that's okay, she's ready.

"The door is unlocked." She raised her voice laboriously. "Please come in."

In a trance, she really thought it was Godwin Lopez who came early. But when she turned her gaze to the simple blouse on the youth, Nadine realized that her judgment was a little off.

"Mr. Ramon," she said, unsuccessfully getting up from the rocking chair. "What are you here for?"

"...We have an idea. Miss Nadine." The young man wearing the black badge crouched down slightly in front of the rocking chair and held the pair of thin hands. "We may be able to break your roots and remove your power."

Nimo was right behind Oliver, and he could see clearly. A flash of light flashed in the eyes of the old woman who was not very old, and then quickly went out, like a flickering candle around her.

"I don't want you to be enemies of Horizon." She said softly, "Then again, you are too young to be worth it."

"If you lose your power... according to the law, they don't have to hit you again." The female warrior folded her arms and spoke softly. "Strictly speaking, it doesn't count as being an enemy of the horizon."

"We just happened to find a way, and it doesn't cost much." Oliver said patiently, "I don't want to lie to you, the success rate is less than half, but it's a way - we decided to fake you death, deceived those roots."

"I'm not the first to try to escape this racial curse." Nadine shook her head, "No one can see the roots."

"I can." Nemo found his voice unexpectedly steady, "I think you've noticed a little... I'm really a 'big guy', I can see it."

Nadine was silent for a few seconds, and she looked Nemo up and down for a moment.

"...I can probably guess what you're thinking," said the witch, her voice trembling a little. "But... please come back."

"Can I ask why?" Oliver's expression didn't change, his voice was very patient.

"I finally got ready," said the witch with difficulty. "I don't want to see hope, I don't want to have any more thoughts of 'could have lived'. Thank you for your kindness, considering the trouble it may cause, let me be like this..."

"Will you give it a try?" An equally trembling voice sounded, "Nadine, please."

The witch Nadine shuddered violently. She took out her glasses tremblingly and tried several times before putting them on the bridge of her nose.

Lisa went around her back, wrapping her arms lightly around her neck. The female boss buried her face in the thin shoulders of the "old man", and tears slid down the witch's collar.

"You liar," she said hoarsely, "...you liar, Nadine. You always like to lie to me."

The witch trembled like a dead leaf in the wind. She trembled so much that she couldn't even utter a complete sentence.

"You've always been my dream," Lisa said softly, "beautiful and powerful, perfect like no one in this world. Look at me... a serious illness, a war, I could die just about anything. But I'm still alive... I'm still alive, and you've got a way to survive."

Nadine tried a few times and finally grabbed her best friend's arm. "...don't say that."

"I know I'll be like this in my life, but you..." The female boss raised her voice, "I believe the one I know, you obviously love more than everyone I've ever met" Alive'...do you really want to leave? You promised me I wouldn't forget me! How could you go first..."

In the end, she almost broke down in tears. "Now that someone has reached out, can you just… try to hold it?"

"...I didn't lie to you." The witch clenched her arm, "Those letters are true, I have really seen those... and I have seen so many things."

Nadine's voice was a little choked up.

"I did see dragons fall, and mountains hang upside down, and those are true." She finally began to cry, "Trust me, Lisa, you are the most special of them all. I'm sorry, I'm so scared."

The turbid tears fell down the wrinkles.

"I want to live," she said, crying more and more. The composure completely disappeared, and a young breath emerged from the old skin. "Of course I want to live. But I finally got up the courage to face it all... If I fail, what am I going to do..."

"Shh." Lisa wiped her tears and kissed her slightly withered white hair. "I'm here. It doesn't matter if you fail, even if..." She shuddered, but her voice was very firm. "Even if the horizon comes, I will see the end. You don't need to face this alone."

That "ordinary" girl really never left her again. Perhaps she was far inferior to Lisa in keeping her promises.

Her life may have ended once. Many years ago, when she closed herself off and made up her mind to cut gerbils alone for fun. Her world went from a room without light to a yard full of sunshine, and she decided to stop there. Then one hand grabbed her and pulled her out of the narrow courtyard.

Will there be a miracle this time? If "the most special person" is here, does she still have a chance to see a completely different world? Maybe... Nadine clenched her warm arm, thinking in a daze, maybe it's her turn to ask questions this time.

"Can I try?"

"Of course."

"Even now?"

"Even now." Lisa rubbed her eyes hard, showing a forced smile. "You're still... good-looking and amazing, you can do anything, have you forgotten?"

"Then...sorry, I...I still want to try it." Nadine turned to Oliver's direction, she was still holding Lisa's arm tightly, her voice trembling violently. "Please help me, Mr. Ramon."

"I don't want to die."

(m..=)