Epilogue

Epilogue: This Time For Sure

The funeral was over.

The sound of rain tapping against the gravestones filled the silence left behind by the departing guests. The cemetery was nearly empty now, save for one man who remained standing before two freshly covered graves. Shawn's grip tightened around the soaked envelope in his hands, the ink on the surface slightly smudged from the rain.

"For Shawn," it read, in Horace's familiar handwriting.

His vision blurred, whether from the rain or the emotions welling inside him, he wasn't sure. He had spent the past hour staring at their graves, unable to move, unable to accept that this was real. Horace. Yue. Gone. Just like that.

His best friend, his brother in everything but blood, was gone.

With trembling fingers, he finally tore open the envelope and pulled out the letter inside. His heart pounded as he unfolded the slightly crumpled paper, bracing himself for the words left behind by the man he once believed was invincible.

Shawn,

If you're reading this, then it means my journey has finally come to an end. I don't know how much you've already figured out, but there's something I need you to know.

I had a secret, something I never told anyone-not even you. I had the power to leap through time.

I know it sounds insane, but it's the truth. For years, I have rewound time, lived through the same moments again and again, all for one purpose-to save Yue. No matter how many times I tried, she always... she always...

I lost her over and over again, Shawn. It was unbearable. But I refused to accept it. I used every chance, every fragment of time I had left, just to get one more moment with her. But time isn't infinite, and neither am I. This was my last leap, and I chose to spend it with her.

Please don't be mad, okay? I know you would have tried to stop me. But this was my decision. My final wish. I just wanted to be with the woman I loved, one last time.

Take care of yourself, alright? You were the best friend I could've ever asked for. Thank you for everything. I just hope that, in another life, we can meet again, maybe under better circumstances.

Goodbye, Shawn.

Your brother in this life and the next, Horace

Shawn's hands shook as he clutched the letter to his chest. A choked sob escaped his lips, and before he knew it, his knees buckled, collapsing onto the damp ground.

"Damn it... You idiot... You absolute idiot..." His voice cracked, barely above a whisper. "Why didn't you tell me...? Why did you have to do this alone...?"

Tears mixed with the rain as he grieved, his shoulders trembling under the weight of the words that had shattered his heart. It wasn't fair. None of it was. His best friend had fought a battle no one else even knew about, had carried a burden too heavy for one person, and now... he was gone.

And yet, despite the pain, despite the overwhelming loss, Shawn knew he had one last thing to do for Horace.

The following morning, with red-rimmed eyes and an ache deep in his soul, Shawn stood before a clerk, sliding the marriage registration form across the counter.

"For Horace and Yue," he said firmly, voice steady despite the storm raging within him.

The clerk glanced at the document, then at Shawn. "Are you sure? They..."

"They were husband and wife," Shawn interrupted, his tone leaving no room for argument. "They deserve to be recognized as such."

The clerk hesitated for a moment before nodding, stamping the form with finality.

Horace and Yue Fibel.

They were finally together, even in name.

***

Years passed.

The pain never truly faded, but time had a way of softening the sharp edges of grief. Shawn found love, built a family of his own. And when his son was born, there was never a doubt in his mind about what to name him.

"Welcome to the world, Horace."

As he held his newborn son in his arms, Shawn smiled softly, brushing a hand over the baby's tiny fingers. "You'll be strong, just like the man you were named after. And one day, I'll tell you all about him."

He glanced out the window, the sky clear and bright, the sun shining as if the heavens themselves were at peace.

"I hope you're watching, buddy," Shawn murmured. "Your name, your story, will never be forgotten. I promise."

And somewhere, in a place beyond time, he knew Horace was smiling too.

_________________________________________

Horace's pov

The crisp scent of autumn filled the air as I walked along the familiar path. Leaves, tinged with hues of gold and crimson, crunched softly beneath my boots. The sky stretched in muted grays above me, the quiet hum of the wind carrying whispers of a season preparing for its end.

I wasn't sure why I always felt drawn here. My father and I visited this grave every year, paying our respects to the man I was named after. Horace Fibel. A man my father spoke of with deep reverence, a man who had once been his closest friend. Yet, despite hearing the stories, I always felt there was something missing—something I couldn't quite grasp.

As I walked, my eyes caught sight of an old tree standing tall by the hillside. Its gnarled roots dug deep into the earth, its branches swayed gently, whispering with the wind. It was ancient, weathered by time, and yet, there was something about it—something familiar.

Without thinking, I reached out, placing my palm against its rough bark.

And then—it happened.

A flood of images burst into my mind. The tiny sprout breaking through the soil, nurtured by an old couple's careful hands. The way it stretched toward the sky, growing stronger with each passing year. I saw children laughing beneath its shade, lovers carving their names into its bark, families gathering, generations passing as the tree stood through storms and sunshine alike. It had witnessed lifetimes, held stories within its very roots.

A soft smile tugged at my lips. "You lived a good life, tree."

The vision faded, and I stepped away, continuing my path through the quiet cemetery. Soon, I saw it—the gravestone that bore my namesake. But this time, I wasn't alone.

A girl stood there, her gaze fixed upon the name etched into the stone. Her hands were clasped in front of her, her brown hair swaying with the gentle breeze. There was a quiet sorrow in her posture, a stillness that told me she had been standing there for a while.

I hesitated, assuming she must be a relative of the deceased. Perhaps a daughter or a distant family member. But as I took another step forward, something in my chest tightened. An unshakable feeling gnawed at the edges of my mind.

Continuing down the path, I finally arrive at the graves. The names carved into the stone are ones I have seen since childhood:

Here lies

Horace Fibel and Yue Fibel.

I stare at the inscription, my brow furrowing. My father has told me stories about them—his best friend and the woman he loved. A part of me has always been curious, always wanted to know more about the man who shares my name. 

I had tried for years to see what kind of life this Horace Fibel had lived—to touch the stone and glimpse into his past the way I had with so many things before. And yet, no matter how many times I tried, nothing ever came.

But now... something urged me to try again.

Slowly, I kneeled before the gravestone, my fingers trembling as they brushed against the cold surface.

And in an instant, the floodgates burst open.

Memories-thousands upon thousands of them-came rushing back like a dam breaking, overwhelming every part of me. I saw her. I saw us. A past life, a love that transcended time. I saw Yue laughing beneath the cherry blossoms, her eyes shining like the stars. I saw her crying in my arms, reaching for me as she faded away, as time ripped us apart over and over again. I saw myself-desperate, broken-leaping through time again and again, fighting against fate itself to save her. To save us...

 I was once him...

I was Horace Fibel...

I gasped as the truth crashed into me. Tears slipped down my cheeks as I clutched my chest, my breath coming in uneven gasps. The memories weren't just visions of another's life—they were mine. I had lived this. I had loved her. I had fought against time itself for her.

A shuddering breath left me as I lifted my gaze to the girl beside me.

She was already looking at me, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.

"...Yue."

She let out a shaky breath, her lips trembling as her voice broke through the silence. "It's been a while, 'Race."

At that moment, something inside me shatters. The weight of lifetimes spent searching, struggling, losing—everything crashes down all at once, raw and unbearable. My breath stutters, my vision blurs, and before I know it, I surge forward, wrapping my arms around her, holding her as if she might slip away again if I dare to let go

.

"YUE!"

A broken sob rips from my throat. "I missed you," I choke out, my body trembling, my heart pounding against hers. "I missed you so much... I love you, Yue. I always have. I always will."

She gasps softly, her breath hitching before she clutches onto me just as desperately, her fingers digging into my back. Her body trembles against mine, and when she speaks, her voice is barely more than a whisper, fragile yet overflowing with longing.

"Me too... Horace, I missed you so much..."

Her words shatter what little control I have left. I bury my face into her shoulder, my tears warm against her skin. I feel her heartbeat, the way it races just like mine, proof that this moment is real. That she is real.

We hold each other as the wind whispers around us, as the autumn leaves swirl and dance at our feet, like echoes of the past lives we've endured, of the love and loss we have suffered through time and time again.

But not this time.

This time, we will stay.

"I won't let go," I whisper into her hair, tightening my grip, anchoring myself to her. "No matter what."

She pulls back just enough to meet my gaze, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, her expression soft yet filled with something even deeper—hope. A hope I have chased for what feels like eternity.

"Even if fate tries to take you away again," she murmurs, reaching up to cradle my face between her hands, her touch gentle yet firm, "this time... for sure... we'll find our way back."

A trembling laugh escapes me, equal parts relief and disbelief. "This time, for sure," I echo, letting my forehead press against hers. I savor the warmth of her presence, the quiet, unshakable truth that she is here, in my arms, in this life.

And as I tilt my head and capture her lips in a kiss—our first, our last, our infinite reunion—I know, without a doubt, that this is where I am meant to be. Where we are meant to be.

Together.

Always.

This time, we were finally home.

Fin~