epilogue

EVERYTHING FEELS DIFFERENT NOW. The echoes of our battle against the men in black still ring in my ears, even though weeks have passed since our last encounter. Our lives were never intended to be something for the world to see. We lived in the shadows, among the common people, with our tremendous powers hidden like a hidden gem. However, our secret was made public on the day we banded together to fight off the men in black.

Life hasn't been the same since. Not for me, not for us. We used to be something like fiction and a silent bedtime tale. Now that we were substantial and real, many found it difficult to accept this truth. Acceptance of the gifted beings remains precarious, perched between amazement and terror. Still, we don't give up. And by persevering, one thread at a time, we are gradually integrating ourselves into society.

Beads of sweat stuck to my skin when I awoke in the calm safety of my room, feeling as though the world was holding its breath. I held onto my necklace as if it were a lifeline, gasping for air. A dream's echo remained, entwining a complex web of emotions around my heart. I dreamed of Mamori's smile so vividly that it felt like an agonizing mirage. I was aware that she was gone, that she was only a dream, an expression of my deep grief. The familiar friend of anguish took up residence in my chest.

In that dreamlike realm, Mamori spoke to me, her voice a soothing melody that resonated in the chambers of my mind.

"How are you?" she asked. I couldn't suppress the ache within me as I ignored her question. Instead, I hugged her.

"I've missed you," I said.

Her ephemeral smile painted warmth across the dream canvas. "I hope you're doing okay, Prim. Don't worry about me; I'm happy here."

A blend of conflicting emotions swirled within me: gratitude for her comforting presence and the sting of reality, knowing she existed only in the recesses of my subconscious.

"Anyway, promise me one thing, okay? "

I nodded. She walked closer to me and smiled. "Visit Miss Alice's orphanage one last time," Mamori said. "There's something waiting for you there."

I brushed the dream aside, dismissing it as a figment of my imagination as I moved into the world of reality. Nevertheless, there was something about Therslomau Isle that drew me in.

Because of my thoughts, I got out of bed with a sigh as Ophelia gently purred on my arm. Shadows moved in regular patterns as sunlight passed through the curtains and created a mosaic on the floor. I stopped for a while, gathering the shattered pieces of my thoughts.

As I fixed myself up, the vision of Mamori's smile lingered, an ethereal echo of a connection that transcended the boundaries of reality. I embraced the warmth it brought, allowing it to infuse strength into my resolve. Ophelia, sensing my unrest, nuzzled against my cheek. "You feel it too, don't you?" I murmured to my pet. Of course, she didn't respond.

Stepping into the crisp morning air, I made my way towards the pathway and across the canopies that led me to Therslomau, beckoning like a mysterious siren. Memories sprang to life as soon as I stepped upon the island, latent shards of my previous awakening. The academy, which had once been a refuge, was now silent and worn out. The sound of my other orphans laughing sounded like ghostly whispers, and Miss Alice's presence remained still through the hallways.

Entering the familiar grounds, I felt a surge of nostalgia mingled with the weight of unspoken words. I felt like I was floating in a cloud of memories. With interested eyes, Ophelia observed the scene as the nearly collapsed door creaked open, exposing the debris and dusty interior. I felt a mixture of anxiety with every stride, the memory of Mamori's dream pushing me along. The worn-out hardwood floor creaked under my feet as I moved through the corridor.

In a corner, a forgotten keepsake awaited my rediscovery. A weathered photo frame held a captured moment of joy-Mamori's infectious smile, forever frozen in time. As I reached for it, a folded note slipped from behind the frame. Unfurling it, the elegant strokes of Miss Alice's handwriting unfolded a message from the past.

"Primrose, my dear, embrace the path that lies ahead. Your journey intertwines with more mysteries. Seek the truth, and you shall find your way."

My expression was confused as I thought about Miss Alice's mysterious words. Then I headed over to Miss Alice's house and to the quiet resting place under the huge oak tree. The gravestones, worn with time, stood like motionless watchmen, recording both happiness and sadness.

Upon reaching the familiar graves of Elliot and Mamori, a tender smile played on my lips. The memories intertwined with this hallowed ground were etched into the very fabric of my being. Ophelia remained still on my shoulder, and with a deep breath, I touched the necklace that nestled against my chest. It was time to let go, to unshackle myself from the weight of the past that had anchored me for far too long. I know it's time for me to let go of my past. I know that it's time to leave my past behind.

I delicately removed the necklace and placed it on top of Elliot's grave. I ran my fingers over the etched pendant and felt liberated as soon as I laid it on top of the inscription.

I stood, taking in the peaceful atmosphere of the place. With the echoes of past times, the wind whispered through the leaves. I could feel the past releasing its hold on me with every wind gust, making me feel like I was getting a bit taller.

"Mamori, Elliot," I whispered, my voice carried away by the gentle breeze. "Thank you for everything."

The necklace sat on the ground like a gift to the spirits of people I had lost, now a silent memorial to the love and friendship that shaped my history. The panorama was glowed softly and golden by the sun, which was now just a sliver on the horizon.

A tear welled up from the corner of my eye, full of sobs and appreciation and an overwhelming feeling of strength. It gently descended and landed on the grave beneath the necklace. It seemed like a final acknowledgement of the suffering and the healing that had taken place, a symbolic farewell.

After a few seconds of silence, I walked away from the graves, the fading sunlight casting elongated shadows in my wake. Ophelia nudged against my cheek, a comforting presence that reminded me I was not alone in this transformative moment. But as I turned, a familiar face caught my sight.

"Hey," she said. She stood there, staring at me. I then walked toward her.

"Hey."

***

I followed the well-trod path back to Miss Alice's academy. The windows were burned, yet within were the gentle glimmer of memories. The house that had provided me with shelter throughout sunny days and stormy nights was now a symbol of persistence and growth.

Inside, there was a sense of impending renewal in the air. While strolling along the well-known routes in the surrounding area, Noelle and I were able to talk in peace and quiet because of the surrounding environment. The serene atmosphere created by the far-off murmur of the wind and the gentle rustle of the foliage overhead was a sharp contrast to the turbulent times that had molded our lives.

I then turned to Noelle, a genuine curiosity in my eyes. "How have you been? It's been a while since we saw each other."

Noelle met my gaze; her expression was a mix of sincerity and contemplation. "I've been doing well. You know, things have settled, and I've found a sense of purpose, helping Miss Alice with the responsibilities around."

I nodded, sincerely happy to learn that Noelle had established herself and found a purpose in Miss Alice's care. The burden of the past appeared to have lessened, to be replaced by a common realization that life might still contain times of progress and comfort in spite of its difficulties. Then there was silence between us-not the uncomfortable kind, but the friendly silence of long-time friends at ease with one another. A few moments later, Noelle apologized.

"By the way, I'm sorry," she said.

"For what? "

"For how I treated you in the past, for being hostile, I want you to know that I'm sorry," Noelle said. Her sincerity resonated, and I offered Noelle a warm smile.

"There's no need for an apology. We've all carried our burdens and faced our trials. What matters is that we've found a way to move forward. It's all in the past."

We continued our walk towards the open field, the vibrant hues of wildflowers swaying in the gentle breeze. The topic of forgiveness lingered briefly, like a butterfly momentarily resting on a flower before taking flight again.

As we approached the field, two voices reached our ears. The familiarity of the banter made us glance at each other, and without uttering a word, we both understood that those voices belonged to strangers who just happened to be nearby.

Noelle's gaze then lingered on the horizon, and she posed a question, her tone laced with a mix of curiosity and concern. "Do you think the others are doing well?"

I considered the question, letting my eyes follow the contours of the landscape. "Probably," I said. Probably.

"I hope they're happy now."

"Yeah," I said. "They've faced their fair share of struggles, but I believe in the strength that lies within each of them. We've forged bonds that surpass the ordinary, and that, in itself, is a happy memory."

Noelle nodded.

The sun painted the place in hues of gold and amber as Noelle and I continued our stroll, enveloped in the gentle ambiance of nature's embrace. We talked about the scars from the past and the healing we were experiencing in the present, weaving our discourse through the fabric of our lives. But as we meandered, there was this flash of noise that broke the silence. With an energy that seemed to embody the unfettered essence of joy, a frisbee appeared and began to soar into the air. My reaction kicked in-and I caught it without missing a beat.

But then, a lively golden retriever ran towards us, tail wagging, eager to retrieve the toy. Ophelia rushed behind Noelle, alarmed and scared of the dog while hissing. As I turned to see the owner of the dog, my breath caught in my throat. The tousled hair, the hazelnut eyes-there was no mistaking it. Yet, as the realization dawned, an unfamiliar wave of confusion washed over me.

The guy approached with a carefree smile on his face. "Mind if I grab that frisbee?"

My eyebrows furrowed in perplexity. "Bryce?"

He chuckled, a lighthearted sound that carried no recognition. "Bryce? Nah. The name's Dane Matthews."

Dane.

A pang of bewilderment and heartache tugged at my chest. I looked into his eyes, searching for a glimmer of the Bryce I once knew, but all I found was a stranger-a handsome stranger who shared an uncanny resemblance to a love lost in the recesses of forgotten memories.

"Anyway, can I have the frisbee?" he asked. I was taken back to my consciousness as I shook my head.

"Sorry," I said, plastering on a fake smile. "Here."

Apologies slipped from my lips, but the words hung heavy in the air. As Dane retrieved the frisbee, he ran off with an athletic grace, the golden retriever hot on his heels. Noelle, now beside me, observed the scene with curiosity. However, we continued to stare at him as his figure grew smaller in the distance. It was like five to ten seconds before Noelle asked.

"Was that Bryce?" she inquired, her gaze flickering between me and the fleeting figure.

I nodded slowly, the weight of the situation settling like a stone in my stomach. "Yes."

"But why does it feel like he doesn't know us? "

"He doesn't remember anything," I said.

Noelle's eyes widened. "Anything?"

I nodded with a heavy sigh. "Anything," I said, facing Bryce once again in the distance. "But I'm happy to know that he's doing well."

I looked at the girl Bryce was with, and a smile formed on my face. "She's so lucky to end up with him. She's in good hands," I added.

Noelle looked at me, knowing full well that my words were the exact opposite of how I felt. She knew-she's an empath. After giving me a soft smile, silence lingered between us, the implications of the moment echoing louder than any spoken word.

As the golden retriever gleefully returned the frisbee to Dane, I couldn't help but feel a sense of loss. Bryce and I almost ended up together, but now he's nothing but a stranger in the very place that held the echoes of our shared laughter and secrets. But I have no regrets: I'm happy to see him smile, even if that very smile I used to see back then is no longer because of me.

Noelle placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, a silent acknowledgment of the pain coursing through me. "What are you thinking right now?"

I gazed into the distance, my eyes tracing the outlines of a reality altered by forgotten memories. "Honestly, I don't know, Noelle. I have nothing in mind other than the loss. It's like losing a piece of the past, a piece of who we were. But maybe... maybe it's a chance for something new, even if it comes with its own brand of heartache."

The journey of healing, it seemed, had taken an unexpected turn, challenging me to navigate the uncharted territories of acceptance and resilience. The premise around Miss Alice's home, witness to countless stories, stood silent-a sanctuary awaiting the next chapter, uncertain yet brimming with possibilities.

I looked at Noelle and said, "Losing him was like losing a part of me."

Noelle frowns, her tear-stained face swollen with grief. She pats me on the back, smiling.

As I stand here, I can feel the weight of my emotions pressing down on my chest. It's a heavy feeling, one that I've come to know all too well in his presence. But I don't care. I'll never regret loving him, not for a single moment.

"Everything happens for a reason," Noelle comforts me, her empathetic voice calming my grieving heart. Noelle then hugged me. A slow brush of air caresses my cheeks, drying up a single tear. I heave a melancholic smile afterwards as I inch closer towards a single primrose.

The delicate petals of the primrose, which unfold like a daybreak over a dew-covered meadow, delicately curl and unfurl in time with the breeze. I then looked at Noelle as she moved toward me.

"He will never lose me," I said. Then she smiles bittersweetly. I stared at Bryce, and there he was with his girlfriend as he kissed her forehead, making me reminisce about the very kiss he used to lay on my forehead. It hurts like a deep wound, but there's nothing else I can do. I'm happy to see that he's happy.

All of a sudden, a sudden sound removed me from my thoughts. An unfamiliar chime knells. I looked back and froze.

Underneath the oak tree stood a lady with a smile etched on her face. She was carrying a piece of paper she held in her hand. I remembered that the paper was the blank piece of paper tucked together with the photographs I uncovered from Miss Alice's forbidden room. It took me a few seconds to process what was happening. And when it finally did, I slowly smiled as tears blurred my vision.

How did this happen? How is this possible?

I-I must be dreaming. No! This isn't real.

"This can't be happening," I said.

"But it is," Miss Alice uttered, smiling.

In the soft glow of the sun, I approached Miss Alice, my heart heavy with the weight of recent revelations and unexpected twists of fate. She's currently wearing a black dress, but this time it's not her normal black attire. She's wearing black Victorian clothing, adorned with red ruffles, and a pair of elegant earrings with red gemstones that somehow match her ruby lips.

As I stood before her, I felt a deep yearning for the comforting embrace of someone who had been both a guide and a motherly figure in my life. "Miss Alice," I then whispered, the words carrying the vulnerability of my wounded soul.

She turned toward me, her eyes filled with a compassionate understanding. "How are you doing, my child?" she asked.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I admitted, "I'm trying. I'm trying to cope with every loss, with everything that's changed."

Miss Alice extended her arms, inviting me into a warm embrace. I accepted it willingly, finding solace in the embrace of someone who had weathered the storms of time alongside me. The comforting scent of tea leaves and old books enveloped me, and for a moment, the world outside ceased to exist.

As she held me, Miss Alice spoke words that carried poignant wisdom. "Behind hushed corners, bittersweet melodies, and subdued faces of acceptance, the heart discovers how to seek solace in the exquisite tragedy of letting go," she said.

Her words, like a gentle lullaby, resonated in the quiet corners of my soul. The realization that letting go wasn't a surrender to despair but a tender acknowledgment of the ebb and flow of life began to settle within me.

With a gentle hand, Miss Alice wiped away my tears. "You haven't lost everything, my dear child," she said, her gaze now fixed on Noelle, who stood by, a silent witness to the shared moments of our lives.

I looked at Miss Alice in confusion. "What do you mean?"

A serene smile graced her lips as she uttered the words that would reignite a spark of hope within me. She gave me the paper, exposing it in the flame she casted using a small lighter, and as the sun peeked through its blank canvas, letters formed in the area where there was a faint citrus scent. And then, I remembered Eli telling me about this invisible ink a long time ago. That when exposed to air, carbon undergoes oxidation, resulting in a brown coloration, thereby revealing a previously invisible message when illuminated by a hot object. How have I not remembered it all this time?

For some reason, I recalled a line I read back when I was in Perthlochry-in the newspaper laying above Elliot's apothecary table. "The last man standing is a woman," it said. And I stared Miss Alice standing, basking underneath the warmth of the sun's rays.

Hope. It's still there. It's still flickering.

For a moment, time seemed to freeze. The last person standing in front of me is a woman, and she is standing in front of me while carrying with her the hope I had been yearning for for months. The revelation hung in the air like a delicate promise, and a rush of emotions surged within me.

"He's still alive, Primrose," Miss Alice said. Ophelia, sensing the shift in energy, meowed softly from her perch as I realized what was happening. "And he's waiting."

Hope flickered in the sunlight, and I clung to it like a lifeline. In Miss Alice's comforting presence, I found the strength to embrace the uncertainties of tomorrow. She knows. And she knows he's safe.

The journey of letting go had become a pilgrimage toward new beginnings, and in that moment, surrounded by the whispers of hope and the companionship of those who cared, I felt a newfound resilience blossom within me.

And with that, I realized that things have their own twists and turns. The gap between humans and gifted beings is both wide and incredibly thin. We have concealed ourselves from the human eye for centuries, until finally, we became part of what humans considered real.

Listen, I've heard it all before. The whispers, the stares, the judgment. People always fear what they don't understand, and trust me, I've felt that fear directed at me my whole life. But here's the thing: There's nothing wrong with being different. In fact, being different is what makes us unique and special. So what if I have a gift? So what if I can do things that others can't? That doesn't necessarily mean it's a curse. No, it means I'm blessed with something extraordinary. And let me tell you, I've realized that my gift has a purpose, a reason for being. And I'm embracing it.

Our tale is a silver lining between the two, a story in which we are acknowledged by the world. Truth be told, we exist in a faraway land-in Therslomau-until things unfolded. And honestly, there's something more than what meets the eye; there's something more than struggles and challenges. There's something beyond one's imagination. There's something real behind your own fantasies. And when you reach the final page of the tale, there really is no end to it, just new beginnings.

My name is Primrose Dawson, and this is our story. Yesterday was a dream; today is a tale. Our tale. And if you want to know how our lives changed, it's simple, honestly: we decided to write our own chapters. And now, the tale of the gifted beings has finally come to light.