Echoes of Fate; Part-1

A woman's head emerged from the shadows, her long blonde hair rippling through the abyss, dancing like golden silk in the wind. On her lap, Kaia's head rested, her eyes closed in a deep, tranquil sleep, the only sound the soft melody of the woman's lullaby.

Kaia could feel the warmth of her touch, gentle fingers brushing her hair. She was awake but chose not to open her eyes. Instead, she let the song wash over her, a voice as familiar as a forgotten memory—the same voice she had once heard, the mysterious blonde lady from the feather.

This feels like a dream... Kaia thought, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "You think you're a good singer?" She muttered under her breath without moving, still nestled in the woman's lap.

The woman's voice faltered, a frown shaping her lips, her face still hidden behind a veil of bangs. "You must have a screw loose, if you can't even appreciate the beauty of my singing," she said, her voice soft but not threatening. "Listen, child, you're eighteen now. That means you won't grow anymore. It also means... along with your immortality, you may lose a lot of people close to you on your long journey. Don't get disheartened real quick."

Kaia's heart skipped a beat. The way the woman said that sent a shiver down her spine, but Kaia only squinted her eyes slightly, her expression a mixture of confusion and amusement. "Who even are you to lecture me?" she asked, her voice lazy as if she didn't really care about the answer. "Who... are you to me?"

The woman chuckled softly, a sound that was half-melancholy, half-amused. "I'm just an adult, giving some advice. But you're so... esteemed, I'm sure you already know everything."

Kaia didn't respond, only letting out a small, unbothered sigh. She couldn't be bothered with it now.

"Everyone in this world is selfish," the woman continued, her tone growing more serious. "I want to create a place where there's no cruelty, where everyone is at peace, where no one dies. That's why I'm guiding you. You're the only one who can help me make it happen."

Kaia raised an eyebrow. "You're asking the most selfish person on earth for help?"

The woman smirked. "Is that so? How? I've never seen you do anything for yourself. Yet you call yourself selfish?"

"Because I said so," Kaia retorted, barely opening her eyes, her voice laced with playful defiance.

The woman laughed this time, unrestrained, her voice full of warmth. "Stubborn, huh? Alright, you are. It's been nice talking to you. Keep collecting those feathers. We might have more time to chat."

Kaia opened her eyes with a dramatic roll of her gaze. "Who even wants to listen to you?" She slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes and blinking into the soft glow of a nearby streetlight. The park was eerily quiet. No one was around, just the hum of a lone light flickering above her. A few bugs flitted lazily around the bulb.

She crossed one leg over the other and settled back against the bench, staring at the empty kids' slide in front of her. The scene before her was so painfully familiar, it stung. Memories flooded her mind.

There she was, a little girl—barely five—sitting at the top of the slide, clutching the handle with all her might, terrified to move. Her small body trembled, her face twisted with fear.

"No! It's too high! Put me down! Put me down!" she cried, her tiny hands gripping the slide like it was a lifeline. A line of impatient boys behind her shuffled and whispered.

"Why'd you climb up if you're not gonna slide?" one boy sneered.

"Hey, just push her. I wanna go too," another boy added, shifting impatiently.

"No, no! I don't wanna!" she wailed.

The first boy rolled his eyes. "She's so dramatic," he muttered before giving her a push. "You won't die. Just go."

The girl screamed, her little body hurtling toward the end of the slide, which was slightly elevated above the ground. It could've ended in a painful crash, but before she could fall, two strong hands grabbed her and lifted her gently.

"Here we go!" A girl—older, almost twelve—cheered, spinning her around in the air like a doll, her laughter ringing out in the bright sunlight.

The little girl's face lit up as she saw her sister. "Yay!" she shouted, her fear forgotten as she swung in the air, giggling uncontrollably.

The older girl set her down softly, but the little girl, Kaia, wasn't done.

"One more time, sis! One more time!" she demanded, her arms outstretched, eager for another lift.

But the older girl's face twisted in pain. She coughed, a faint spray of red staining her lips, and smiled weakly. "Kaia... I can't. I won't be able to lift you again."

Kaia's heart dropped as her sister's complexion grew more pale, but Thalia still tried to force a smile. She grabbed her sister's leg. "What happened? Are you okay?"

Thalia coughed again, this time blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. The other kids gathered around, confused.

"I'm fine," Thalia said, her voice weak but steady. She laughed softly. "We should head home, Kaia. Time's up."

"Are you sure you can walk, sis?" Kaia asked, her eyes searching Thalia's face.

Thalia gave her a strained, unsure look. "Uh... yeah? I... think so?"

"You're lying!" Kaia said, her voice a mix of frustration and protectiveness.

Thalia sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes. "You caught me," she said with a playful grin, before slumping slightly. "Let's go. I'll carry you."

"Of course not!" 

Kaia's gaze lingered on the slide in front of her, empty now, just like the space in her chest. The memories still clung to her like a shadow, but just as quickly as they arrived, she snapped back to the present.

Her hand slipped into her pocket, pulling out the small stone locket—the heart engraved above it. She ran her fingers over it, her mind wandering back to Thalia. The locket which had once been hers, was a symbol of something long gone. Kaia sighed and took out her own locket next. This one had which had a moon engraved on it, with three feathers attached. She looked at both of them carefully.

"If only I wasn't involved in any of those missions..." Kaia muttered to herself, her face darkening as the weight of her own guilt pressed down. "Thalia might've never crossed paths with that eye monster, and I... I wouldn't have caught Meryt's attention."

Her eyes turned skyward, the stars twinkling as if they held the answers to her unspoken questions.

"Then why do I still have hope in my eyes?" Kaia whispered to the night sky, her voice barely audible. Her thoughts twisted like the wind. "Sis wasn't always like this when she was younger... She was bad at lying, and her health? It was worse than a bug. We spent more time in doctor's offices than in the sun. But then... then what changed? Was it aging that made her healthier? Or was it that... incident?"

Before Kaia could finish her thought, a soft touch on her knee broke her concentration. She glanced down and saw a small hand resting there, a little girl holding out a handkerchief.

Kaia's brow furrowed as she looked at the girl, who was staring at her with wide, expectant eyes.

"I'm not crying, kid," Kaia muttered, turning her face away, trying to hide the sudden sting behind her eyes.

The girl didn't let up. "I... I... Thank you for that day!" she yelled, her voice cracking with emotion as she flushed nervously.

Kaia's heart throbbed. Her eyes widened as she recognized the girl—she was the one Kaia had saved that day, the one she had pulled from the chaos. The memories rushed back in full force, and for the first time in a long while, Kaia allowed herself to feel something.

The world had a funny way of throwing people together, and sometimes, it felt like fate was pushing them toward each other, whether they were ready or not.