The Goodbye The Flowers Will Remember

After some time, we finally reached the mountaintop.

A breathtaking sight awaited us. The people of Vaeliris were already gathered, their lanterns glowing softly like a sea of golden light.

The sun hadn’t risen yet, but the sky was slowly lightening with early signs of dawn. Strixx and I gently set down Ms. Finecia and Mr. Vec.

Just then, the sun peeked over the horizon, and like magic, the Vaeliris flowers began to bloom. 

Their petals opened one by one, glistening with tiny dewdrops that sparkled in the golden morning light. It was beautiful.

As the sun rose, the people of Vaeliris slowly lowered their lanterns, then cheered together, welcoming the start of the festival. Suddenly, three small figures came dashing toward us.

“Big brother Luca! Big sister Strixx!” Leney called out excitedly, followed by Kevin and Bred.

“Wow! You’re here too!” Kevin grinned. Before we could say anything, Bred grabbed our hands.

“Come on, let’s go!” I glanced back at Ms. Finecia and Mr. Vec.

“Sorry! We’ll be back soon!” I said with a smile.

Ms. Finecia chuckled softly. “It’s okay. You brought us here, and that’s more than enough. Go enjoy the festival.”

Mr. Vec nodded with a warm smile.

Strixx beamed. Okay!!!

And with that, the three kids dragged us into the festival.

Finecia and Mr. Vec stood still, watching the festivities unfold.

“It’s been so long since I last saw the festival,” she murmured with a soft smile. “I thought I’d never see it again.”

Mr. Vec chuckled. “For me, it’s been even longer.” His gaze followed Strixx and Luca. “Those two… they’re good kids.”

 Finecia’s smile deepened. “They’re adorable. They’ve helped me so much these past few weeks. With them around, life feels… so full of warmth.”

As she spoke, something caught her eye—a familiar figure in the distance, standing amidst the floating petals.

Her breath hitched. Roy.

The love of her life stood there, smiling at her.

Her heart ached, yet it felt full. “I see,” she whispered. “We made a promise, didn’t we? To see the festival together, that last time.”

She swallowed hard. “After that, I never came back. But… you were always here, weren’t you?”

Tears welled up in her eyes, gently slipping down her cheeks.

“I love you, Roy, I love you so much” she whispered, her voice trembling.

The figure before her smiled, calm and warm--but his eyes shimmered with tears, filled with all the love he could never fully put into words.

“I love you, Finecia,” he whispered, his voice cracking. “I love you more than anything in this world… more than words, more than time.”

“Thank you… for showing me your smile. That smile saved me more times than I can count.

 Thank you for loving someone like me… so deeply, so kindly.”

“Through every lifetime… through every dream… through every moment that ever was or ever will be—I’ll love you, Finecia.”

He looked at her as if memorizing everything—her face, her presence, her soul.

“So please… keep smiling. You’re most beautiful when you smile. That’s how I want to remember you.”

The wind began to rise gently, petals swirling around him like a quiet promise from the world itself.

“Goodbye… and thank you, for being here. For choosing to walk beside me.

For filling my heart… with you.”

A breeze stirred, carrying petals through the air. They swirled around him, wrapping him in a gentle dance of color and light—like the wind itself was saying farewell. His presence faded with the petals, as if the world was lovingly guiding him to rest.

 Finecia stood there, her hand resting softly over her heart. Her tears kept falling, but she smiled through them.

“Roy…” she whispered, her voice trembling.

“Thank you… for loving me that much. For staying in my heart all this time.” She closed her eyes, letting the wind brush against her face—carrying him away like a dream she never wanted to wake from.

“This really is goodbye… isn’t it?”

She smiled through the tears, a quiet, aching smile full of both sorrow and peace. “I’ll keep smiling… just like you asked.”

The petals danced around her, brushing her skin like a gentle touch. She let out a quiet laugh—warm, bittersweet.

“Thank you for everything… Roy, Luca, Strixx, Teacher,” she whispered, her voice glowing with happiness. “You’ve all given me so much… more than I ever deserved. You stayed by my side… and because of you, I was never alone.”

As the petals danced around her, she let out a soft laugh, wiping her tears. Then, turning to Mr. Vec, she smiled warmly.

“I’m blessed, aren’t I? With so many good people in my life.”

Mr. Vec glanced at her. “Well, you’re a good person, Finecia. You always have been.”

After a while, Strixx and I returned, wearing flower crowns that the kids had made for us. I grinned. “Well, look at us now.”

We approached Ms. Finecia and Mr. Vec. Strixx excitedly held out a carefully woven flower crown. “This is a gift from Luca and Strixx for Ms. Finecia!”

Ms. Finecia gasped softly, then pulled Strixx into a tight hug. “Thank you… so much.” I turned to Mr. Vec with a smirk. “We’ve got one for you too.”

Strixx placed another crown on his head. Mr. Vec chuckled. “Thank you, Luca, Strixx.” His voice was warm, his smile gentle.

Soon after, more people arrived at the festival grounds, carrying musical instruments and sweets.

As music filled the air, people began to dance, laughter and joy spreading all around.

Ms. Finecia turned to us with a knowing smile. “Why don’t you two go dance as well, Luca?”

I waved my hands frantically. “N-No, no, I can’t dance at all.”

Mr. Vec laughed. “Neither could I, the first time I danced with my wife. But we danced anyway.”

Ms. Finecia nodded. “Go on, it’s fun! You came all this way—enjoy every part of it!” Before I could protest, I felt a gentle push from behind.

And just like that, Strixx and I were suddenly part of the dance.

At first, our steps were clumsy, out of sync. But as I looked around, I realized—no one was judging. 

No one was laughing. Everyone was simply enjoying the moment.

So, we did too.

Strixx twirled, giggling. “Luca, Strixx is glad Luca joined Strixx after all!”

I smiled. “I’m glad I met you, Strixx.” Strixx tilted her head.

“I’m glad you invited me on this journey,” I added softly.

Just then, the three kids shouted from the crowd: “Big brother Luca and big sister Strixx look so cute together!!!”

“Just become a couple already!!!”

I nearly tripped over my own feet, flustered beyond belief.

Strixx blinked at me. “What happened, Luca?” I shook my head quickly, forcing a smile. “N-Nothing!”

She tilted her head, then grinned. “I see. Hehe.”

The festival carried on, full of warmth, laughter, and music.

As the festival came to an end, we walked Mr. Vec back to his cottage.

Just as we were about to leave, he stopped us. “Wait here a moment.”

He stepped inside and returned with a small package, handing it to us with a smile.

“Thank you, both of you, for taking me along today.

 Now that the festival is over, you’ll be leaving Vaeliris soon, won’t you?”

I nodded.

He patted the package. “This has vegetables and fruits from my little garden. Take them with you. Make sure to eat them soon, alright?”

Strixx accepted it happily. “Strixx will eat them all!!”

Ms. Finecia smiled warmly from Strixx’s back.  “Take care, Teacher. I won’t be able to see you for a while, but I’ll make sure to send every new batch of medicine!”

Mr. Vec chuckled. “I’ll always look forward to it, Finecia.”

We waved goodbye and made our way back to Ms. Finecia’s place. By the time we arrived, the sky had turned dark.

Ms. Finecia let out a soft, contented sigh. “It’s getting late already. Why don’t you two stay one more night and head off in the morning?”

Strixx’s eyes sparkled. Yes!! One more night of Ms. Finecia’s yummy cooking!! Strixx thought yesterday was the last time!”

I chuckled gently. “Thank you, Ms. Finecia.” She smiled, full of warmth. “No need to thank me. This is your home too, remember?”

Then, with a clap of her hands, she lit up. “Come on now! Let’s make tonight’s dinner extra special!”

Strixx bounced excitedly. “Yes! Let’s gooo!!” And just like that, we spent one more night in her cozy little home--filled with laughter, the smell of warm food, and memories that settled gently in our hearts.

Morning arrived. It was finally time to say goodbye to Ms. Finecia.

As we stepped out of her cozy home, she stood waiting at the door, smiling gently. Strixx immediately ran to her and hugged her tightly.

“Ms. Finecia… Strixx will miss you so much,” she whispered through her tears. “Strixx loves you… okay?”

Ms. Finecia smiled softly, placing a warm hand on Strixx’s head. “I love you too, Strixx… very much.”

Then, she reached into her basket. “I have something for you before you leave.”

She handed us a small bundle wrapped in cloth—inside were a few glass bottles. I looked down at them, surprised. “Ms. Finecia… this is?”

She smiled. “Antidote potions. They’ll be useful on your journey. You never know what you’ll come across out there. Keep them close, okay?”

Strixx and I both smiled, our eyes misty. “Thank you… truly.”

Strixx’s eyes brimmed over again as she hugged her once more. “Thank you for everything, Ms. Finecia…”

Ms. Finecia said nothing more--just stood there, holding us with her smile.

Suddenly, from behind us, we heard familiar voices shouting--

“There they are!!”

We turned to see Leney, Kevin, and Bred running toward us, tears already streaming down their faces.

They flung their arms around us, crying. “Big brother Luca! Big sister Strixx! You’re leaving already?” Bred sobbed.

Leney stood in front of me, wiping her eyes, sniffling quietly.

Kevin tried to stay strong, crossing his arms. “I told you… we’re not supposed to cry. We said we’d smile…”

But as he spoke, tears began rolling down his cheeks too.

I knelt and hugged them all. “Thank you… all of you.”

Bred sniffled. “No, we should be the ones thanking you, big brother Luca! Big sister Strixx!”

They all gave wide, teary smiles. “Big brother Luca… big sister Strixx…” Bred sniffled. “Before you go… is there something we can do for you?”

“We really want to do something for you too,” Leney added, wiping her eyes.

“That day… you saved my life,” Bred said softly. “And big sister Strixx was so cool…” The three of them looked up at us, determined.

“Please! Let us do something for you!” Strixx and I smiled at each other.

“We’re happy enough just knowing you’re all safe,” I said gently. “That’s more than enough.”

But they all shook their heads, pouting and insisting.

“Please!” “We really want to help!” “Just one thing, anything!”

I looked at Strixx again, and she nodded with a soft grin.

“Well,” I said, “if you insist… can I ask you for a small favor?”

Their eyes lit up instantly, and they all leaned forward, excited.

“Anything, big brother Luca! Big sister Strixx! Anything!”

I smiled warmly. “I want you three… to help Ms. Finecia once in a while,” I said. “Be there for her. Keep her company.  Look out for her for us ? Can you do this for us?

Strixx added with a bright smile,  “And play with her lots!” Also She cooks the best food !!

Ms. Finecia, standing nearby, smiled so warmly at that--her eyes glistening just a little.

The kids all nodded eagerly. “We promise!!” “We’ll help her every day!”  “Count on us, big sister Strixx, big brother Luca!”

After saying all our goodbyes, we took a final look at them--Ms. Finecia, Leney, Kevin, and Bred--waving at us from in front of her house.

“Bye! See you again someday!” we called out. Ms. Finecia smiled, eyes shining.

“Goodbye, Strixx. Goodbye, Luca. Thank you… for everything.”

“Oh!” she added suddenly. “By the way, where are you two headed from here?” I scratched the back of my head. “We’re just exploring, really. Going wherever the road takes us.”

Strixx’s eyes lit up. “Strixx knows!!”

We all looked at her in surprise.

Strixx grinned. “Strixx wants to see the ocean!”

Strixx grinned, eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Strixx wants to see the ocean!”

I stared at her for a moment, then looked out toward the sky, letting out a soft sigh.

“…Fine, fine,” I said with a small chuckle. Then I turned to her with a smile.

“Well, our next destination is the ocean, I guess.”

Strixx beamed, bouncing slightly on her feet. “Yay! Ocean!!”

Ms. Finecia nodded thoughtfully. I see,  “In that case… head west. Go straight to the town’s transport station--they’ll have a carriage going to the western checkpoint. From there, it’s not far to the sea.”

We bowed deeply. “Thank you again, Ms. Finecia.”

She smiled one last time, her eyes soft.

“Take care, Strixx, Luca.”

Just as we turned to walk away, the three kids--Lenney, Kevin, and Bred--rushed forward again, waving with bright, teary eyes. “Bye-bye, Big Brother Luca! Big Sister Strixx!” Bred called out, his voice cracking with emotion.

“Come back and visit, okay?” Lenney added, forcing a smile through his tears.

Kevin tried to stay strong but ended up wiping his eyes too. “We’ll be waiting!”

Strixx turned around mid-step, her eyes sparkling with tears as she waved both arms wildly.

“Strixx love you all sooo much!!”

I smiled and gave them one final wave. “We’ll see you again someday.”

Behind us, Ms. Finecia stood with the children gathered around her. They all waved, smiling brightly despite their tears, standing just outside the little house that had come to feel like a home.

And with that, we turned and walked toward town, waving back at the ones we had come to care for so deeply.

At the transport station, we found a beast-drawn carriage waiting.

The driver looked down at us. “Yo! Young boy, young girl--where to?”

“To the west!” Strixx said eagerly, her eyes sparkling.

I nodded with a smile beside her. The driver grinned. “Alright then! Hop in--we’ll get you to the checkpoint.”

As the carriage began to move, we looked back one last time at Vaeliris.

That little town gave us more than we ever expected.

We met the kindest people… Shared warm meals made with love… Laughed, cried, and felt the comfort of a real home--even if just for a little while.

Every smile, every moment… it stayed with us. In our time there, we learned how far love can reach…

Even across decades. Even through memories. Even when someone is no longer by your side.

The wind brushed against our faces as we rode through the morning light.

Strixx leaned against me, holding her cloak close.

“Strixx loves Vaeliris Town,”  she murmured.

“Strixx loves Ms. Finecia.”

I smiled brightly , gazing out at the road ahead.

“ME TOO STRIXX.”