Programmed Love

Chapter Twenty: I Will Wait

     "I'm sorry for the dust, Madame. Like I stated before, it's been a long time since I've had a visitor," The same voice from outside greeted me from the darkness. It still seemed rusty from lack of use. The words were understandable, yet spine-chilling. There was a major lack of lighting, but faint silhouettes could be seen if I strained my eyes. 

     "You seem to be having problems seeing. I often forget that light is required for humans. One moment," the mystery person stated, and in the next moment, a faint blue light emitted from a room in front of me. A soft rumbling noise started up when the light flickered into existence, most likely a generator. 

     My nerves stood on edge as I slowly moved forward with Orson in my arms. He was making small whining noises, and I found myself clutching him tighter to my chest. Whoever was speaking could very well be the danger Eleanor warned me of. 

     The surroundings seemed more high-tech than I'd seen even around the Estis home, but everything was coated in a thick layer of dust. A few tables resided in the room I stood in, and various news clippings littered them. Most involved information on the creator of the first self-aware robot, but others had to do with smaller articles on minor technological advances. 

     All the clippings seemed worn down, yellowing, and ancient. Almost like they'd fall apart from the smallest contact. I tried to take a closer look at one of them, but the rusty voice startled me before I managed to get closer. 

     "Those articles were made around the same time I was born. It's surprised me how well they've been preserved with all the dust in here," it said with a hint of melancholy. My mind immediately started piecing the small puzzle together, and my movements abruptly stopped upon coming to a conclusion. 

     "Are you the first creation?" I called out. A silence followed, and I held my breath, afraid I'd offended the being. After a few minutes of that same silence, I continued moving. The next room held various cogs and tweezers with a medical table in the center. A lamp in the corner was what emitted the blue light, and after carefully setting Orson on the ground, I moved towards it. 

     The lamp had various settings on it, and whoever was last here had put the switch on a blue light at a low setting. Scanning the options, I moved the switch to the white light and slid the button up to a medium brilliance. My surroundings could now be seen in much more detail, and the silence of my host in this well preserved place was starting to alarm me. 

     Bringing up the images from Eleanor's cube once more, I grabbed my bearings of where I was. This room was an operation room, and opening the door to the right would lead to a parts closet, but going to the left would take me to an experimentation room. 

     Reading the map, I decided to follow the left path. Orson trotted behind me, but more quickly scurried to my side when a loud bang resonated from far off. The noise startled me as well, and after looking around curiously, I determined it was just a machine from somewhere within the building. 

     "Do you know my name, Madame?" Came the voice once again as my hand rested on the door handle. Looking up, I pressed my entire body weight on the rusted door to open it. It screeched as I slowly managed to push it far enough for me to squeeze through. 

     "I'm sorry, but I don't. Who are you?" I asked before looking around this new room. Glass boxes with various robotic arms, legs, and small chips sat in a very orderly positions all around the room. Holes with gloves attached to them seemed to be the way scientists interacted with the parts. 

     "The name given to me by my creator, and dearest friend, was Hajime," the creation spoke. Nodding my head in response, I continued walking through the room. 

     "You seem very disinterested in what's in these rooms. Tell me, Miss Iredon, what is your business here?" Hajime asked. Distress signals blared through my mind, but its tone when it asked the question confused me. For my presence being such a suspicious thing, the creation seemed almost nonchalant about me being here. 

     "I... I was told to come here," I answered with some truth. 

     "Alright. I understand if that's all you want to reveal for now. It's obvious your distrust for me, but at least answer me this. Why were you put into this position? It's always intrigued me as to why everyday humans seem to have greater significance compared to others just because they were in the right place at the right time," Hajime explained. The question made me dumbstruck for a second. I'd never understood it myself either. 

     Deciding to hold my tongue, I kept walking and found myself in another spare parts room. The deep rumbling from earlier seemed to get louder, and I stared intently at the map guiding me from place to place. If I didn't have this, it would seem maze like in here. 

     "There's not much unknown to me. Even if you don't tell me yourself, I know what your intentions are here," the creation revealed. Worry filled me for a moment as my fingers grew twitchy. 

     "If you already knew what I'm doing here, then why haven't you stopped me?" I asked into the oblivion. 

     "Come release me from my prison and I'll explain it to you further," Hajime proposed. My eyes narrowed in suspicion. 

     "How do I know that's not a trap? I was told that what's in this facility is dangerous," I explained. My muscles tensed as I instinctively moved my hand to the g*n in my waistband. A deep sigh seemed to ring out. 

     "They only assume I'm dangerous because they don't understand me, a being much more evolved than themselves. I've done things and understood others that no one will ever understand but myself. The secrets of the universe are shared with only me as their keeper. The unknown has and will always be a scary subject to your race. The only one who didn't fear me was my master, and once he died and I learned humans only had a small blink of an existence, I was already placed into the confinement I remain in to this day.

     "The fools thought I was the one ordering the robots to destroy this world. Mr Fujimoto never connected anything else to my control chip, and nothing else has the higher awareness I do. All of his descendants could never uncover our secret, and to this day they still can't. You aren't a direct descendant, it's obvious to tell. Please, release me from the hell I was put in once they deemed me too dangerous for society," Hajime pleaded. The suspicion still stubbornly stayed in my mind, but I couldn't find the hostility enough to ignore its desperation. Even looking down at Orson's innocent brown orbs revealed that there was no danger here. 

     "Alright, but you have to promise you won't harm me or my companion," I decided. 

     "You have my word. If you continue following that map of yours, it fails to bring attention to a side door a room before the main control machine you're looking for. If you stray from your path and through that door, you'll come to a large interrogation room separated by a glass wall. Do not be startled when you come across me standing in the right corner," Hajime explained. Biting my lip nervously, I held Orson's leash tighter before boldy walking through more rooms. 

     The lamp I had found earlier seemed connected to multiple others, because light still seemed to radiate from randomized zones throughout the facility. Hajime had remained quiet after our last conversation, but the feeling of being watched continued to follow me. 

     Dominic crossed my mind, and I sudden wave of anxiety crashed over me. I didn't know how long had passed since I'd left the cabin, but it most definitely seemed longer than the few hours I assumed I had. I was worried I wouldn't be able to make it in time, especially with having to confront Hajime, but I felt obligated to. Almost like this was part of my fate. 

     A few rooms later, I came to the slender door I'd been told about. The deep humming had grown loud enough at this area that I could feel the vibrations rattling my bones, and Orson seemed distressed. His little hairs were standing on end as he moved around in an attempt to get away from the noise. A sorrowful expression crossed my face when I looked at him, but I knew I couldn't help him. Even if I picked him up, the vibrations would transfer from me to him. 

     "Is this the door, Hajime?" I called out, and for once only a muffled response was heard. It seemed like however it was communicating before had been turned off due to proximity. Evaluating my options once more, I took a deep breath before opening the unnaturally slim door. 

     The room was completely barren of any light. No light from behind me was able to penetrate the room due to the door's threshold being completely filled up by my form. The thought that this was a bad idea immediately rang through my head, but the ear splitting noise of metal rubbing against metal filled the room preventing me from thinking any further. 

     "Hajime?" I practically screamed out in order to hear myself over the noise. 

     "I'm terribly sorry, Madame," a contorted voice apologized. Danger seemed eminent to me, and I was fully prepared to bolt from the room. However, I strongly stood my ground before firmly clutching the pistol handle with my left hand. 

     "For what?" I dared call out, every muscle tensed in anticipating yearning to defend myself. I speedily drew my g*n when two beams of light peered from a corner towards me. Taking aim, I stood steady, waiting impatiently for the answer. 

     "The noise of course," the creation said as if it was obvious, but I still stood perfectly still with no trace of humor upon my face. 

     "The lack of light as well. I don't know why they left me in complete darkness like I wouldn't be able to see. The light is noise activated. Clap your hands, they'll turn on," Hajime told me, but I only narrowed my eyes. 

     "I don't trust you," I blatantly stated. The beams of light flickered for a moment, and I assumed it must have been the creation blinking. 

     "Alright, then I'll just allow the other Estis in here to stop your mission," Hajime challenged. My stance faltered for a moment at the new information. Learning that Dominic had already made it here shocked me. I stared, doe-like, at the eyes of Hajime for a moment before giving in to his request and putting my weapon back into my waistband. 

     Clapping my hands once in defeat, my eyes were blinded by a bright light as the roaring noise continued. When my eyes finally had adjusted somewhat, I looked back at where I assumed Hajime to be. 

     The robot stood in chains against the corner. Its arms were crossed against its chest, and the chains tightly compressed the creations body. True to its word, a glass wall stood proudly between us. The robot had no skin, and instead metallic plates served as it's covering. A few wires could be seen at the joints but it seemed put together with great care. The eyes were silver where the whites would normally be, and the iris was a brilliant white with a pinpoint black as the center. When the creation blinked, shutters closed in a circle like an old camera I had seen long ago. 

     "Alright, now what do you know about why I'm here?" I asked with my hands on my hips. Orson stood shaking at my feet, and it hurt me to not pull him to me and comfort him. 

     "Our deal isn't complete yet. You haven't gotten me out of here. The keys to my chains are on that table over there, and I can break this glass myself if you'd like," Hajime said, crushing all my hopes. I'd been mentally begging that I wouldn't have to let him free, but it seemed like he'd already anticipated it. 

     I practically had my hands tied in this situation. No choice was presented besides the one it offered if I truly wanted to know more about the creation. I could still leave and turn off the robots once and for all, but if I left, Hajime would allow Dominic in here. 

     Sighing, I silently walked forwards to the keys as Hajime intently followed me with his gaze. It was slightly nerve wracking to have its expressionless eyes on me at all times. 

     "When I crash through these walls, the glass will shatter. It would be best for your human body if you exited the room for this," Hajime informed me. Taking his words into account, I moved backwards while watching him the entire time as he moved forwards from his spot in the corner. 

     After I'd completely exited the room, I closed the reinforced metal door with Orson whimpering behind me. Finally being able to comfort him, I squatted down to his level and pulled him into my chest. His warm body was greatly appreciated to my own freezing one. We remained like that for awhile until his not-so-little body stopped violently shivering. Right when I believed he had fallen asleep in my arms, I heard a crash from behind the door that caused Orson to jump from my arms, severely scratching deeply into my coat. The sleeve was shredded, so before I stood, I removed the coat and wrapped Orson in it before picking him up and opening the door. 

     Hajime stood in the middle of the room, glass littering the floor. The robot stood about a foot and a half taller than me. It seemed like breaking through the glass hadn't harmed his exoskeleton in any way. 

     "Alright, Madame. Now if you wouldn't mind unchaining me?" Hajime requested. Carefully setting Orson down onto the ground, he stayed inside his cocoon of safety. 

     Before I even began finding the correct key for the first lock, a bright light emitted from the creature's eyes, momentarily blinding me. Stumbling backwards, I nearly fell over Orson before establishing my balance again. 

     "I thought your blood seemed more metallic than normal," Hajime stated. 

     "What did you just do!" I exclaimed. My eyes burned from the intensity of light they just went through. 

     "I only scanned you, Madame. The burning will go away soon," Hajime assured me. After fiercely rubbing my eyes, I sent the robot a glare before looking to the keys in my hand once more. 

     "Why haven't you stopped me if you knew that I'm here to put an end to the robots?" I asked him as I put a key into the first lock. 

     "Because, quite frankly, life has gotten boring for me. For hundreds of years I've waited for someone to come find me. I've had plenty of time to think, and knowing nearly everything has made being self-aware quite dull. I envy you humans. You're perfectly in the middle. 

     "I want you to put an end to it. Those robots out there, while still having some small amount of independent thought, are only controlled by the Estis family. They're ruining the Earth. When I was first created, this world was beautiful and thrived, but all the new technology ruined it. I still feel as if there's a future for this Earth if it's ended now," Hajime explained. It seemed to make some level of sense, but not all the pieces fit. 

     "So what was the point then of freeing you?" I suspiciously asked as another lock fell to the floor. 

     "Simple. I want to witness it, and I'm a key factor to the machine. The robots may not be connected to me, but I'm connected to them," Hajime answered in his same monotonous voice. 

     "You said there's little you don't know. So how did Dominic find me so soon?" I continued interrogating. 

     "That map you were using. It had a tracker in it," the robot replied. Stopping my task of removing the last lock, I moved away from him with anger written across my face. 

     "Why didn't you tell me that?" I yelled at the creation. 

     "Because like I've said. There's little I don't know. This scenario is one of those things I don't know. This ending is unknown to me, almost as if the laws of time and history itself haven't even decided your fate," came Hajime's philosophical answer. Throwing the keys to the ground in defiance, I crossed my arms. 

     "I'm not a pawn," I spat. 

     "You're more a pawn than you think. Everything you've done up to this point has already been written in history, and you've preformed each action the way you've been expected to. A few curve balls have been thrown in undeniably, but it all leads to the same end goal," he explained, and every word was like another needle being plunged deep into my chest. Pressing my hands to my ears, I shook my head at the robot in deniable. 

     "You don't know me! This is my life! No one controls me!" I denied. Falling to my knees, Orson's wet nose pressed against my bare forearm. Tears welled in my eyes as I desperately squeezed them shut. I didn't want to believe what the being before me said. 

     Without me even noticing it, Hajime had knelt down and picked the keys up, removing the last lock itself. Once the final chain fell, the ear splitting noise had abruptly stopped and everything seemed to grow deathly quiet. 

     "I don't know how to comfort anything, but I assure you that your story is a great one, however, it won't continue unless you do something about it. At this current moment, Dominic has nearly broken down the door. Once you shut off the machine, the unexpected will happen. I highly recommend that you write a note to someone you trust. There's paper in the room behind you, as well as multiple pens littered around," Hajime spoke in a softer voice. Looking up at him, I almost thought my voice had left me again because I was so choked up. 

     "Why did Dominic have to love me?" I croaked out while staring up into Hajime's eyes. 

     "It's all fate, Madame," Hajime said before stepping around me. Watching its robotic form retreating, it opened the room to the machine I was destined to shut off and gently shut the door behind it. 

     A small spark of importance hit me, giving me the strength I needed to continue on. Standing, I looked down at the sleeping Orson. Giving him one last kiss on his cold nose, one of my tears remained on his multicolored coat. 

     I found the paper and pen I needed to write, and I sat upon the floor as I wrote everything my brain told me to. I addressed the letter to someone I knew would receive it, and I could only hope she followed the instructions. With how Hajime had worded the conversation, he must have foreseen that I wouldn't be able to carry out the plans myself. I could only assume that it meant Dominic would put an end to me once I shut off the machine for good. 

     A sudden bang echoed throughout the facility, and my final word on the paper ran off the sheet due to my fright. Folding it carelessly, I hurriedly removed the bag from my shoulders and shoved the paper into it. Slamming it onto its side, I practically ripped the zipper off its track as I made space enough for me to get the key from the pocket. 

     The key was uniquely shaped with three cogs fit on the top by a sturdy amount of glue to hold them on. A green liquid was contained within, and a sticky substance worked as a cork to contain it inside. At my plantation home, I'd learned that the place this key goes would take the key, form a hole in the cork that the liquid would seep out of, and break off the cogs. The cogs would be pushed upwards where they would stop the machine from working by its own cogs due to the unnatural form of them. That would trigger it to go into maximum overdrive, which would slowly allow a very specific liquid to work the machine, but by that time, the liquid would be mixed with the green stuff from the key that would completely destroy the machine. Soon after, the connections it holds with the robots will stop, which will successfully shut the robots down because information will no longer be fed to their control chips. 

     Frantic footsteps echoed far off in the distance, and my eyes widened in terror. Running to the door Hajime disappeared behind, I slammed it shut before finding a sturdy table and sliding it in front of the door. It would buy me a small bit of time. 

     Turning around to face the room, the largest contraption I'd ever laid eyes on made an appearance. It was too colossal to explain, and to the left of the machine, in a glass vessel, was Hajime. The perfect creation stood proudly in the tube, and it had connected itself to various wires. A smile was on its face, and for the small amount of time I'd been in its presence, it finally seemed to feel something other than boredom. 

     I heard echoing shouts from behind the door, and it pushed me to find the keyhole faster. The only issue was that the machine was so big and there were so many protruding pipes coming from it that the hole could easily be hidden away. 

     I turned to Hajime as a last resort, but all the robot did was smile wider at me no matter how hard I tried to signal that I needed help. 

     'That means Hajime trusts you'll find it, Val. Look a little harder,' I urged myself on. 

     "If I was a keyhole to a large machine that could shut down every problem on this planet, where would I be?" I questioned aloud. Scanning my eyes over the machine once more, my gaze stopped on a control board. 

     Moving as fast as possible to the area, I pushed my hair behind my ear and carefully took in the entire control board. A wide variety of buttons and levers laid before me, but no keyhole could be seen. 

     Releasing a sigh of frustration, I put all my anger into my foot as I kicked the board. The force of my kick caused it to shake, and a small, insignificant button seemed to rattle much more loosely than the others. 

     Scrunching my eyebrows in confusion, I place my hand on the button and jiggled it. After testing my theory, I wrapped my fingers around it and pulled. The button released its tiny hold with a 'pop',  revealing a hole just big enough for the key to fit through. A bright smile lit up my face as I brought my hand forward with the key.

     Just before I pressed the key into the slot, something bashed into the door behind me which caused me to lose my grip on the key, leaving it to tip over and fall to the floor. 

     Immediately dropping to my knees to retrieve the key, something continued to bang against the door, stressing me to go faster. Imagining a robot on the other side nearly made me go into a memory relapse and want to hide away, but I dismissed the thought as soon as it came. However, the image of it being Dominic didn't help any. 

    Just when I finally managed to locate the key, the door slammed open, nearly busting the hinges. I tried desperately to turn back around and shove the key where it goes, but I was paralyzed at seeing the anguish, and tears that covered my darling Nic's face. My hand was poised by my side, wide out in the open practically screaming my guilt, and I looked to the side. I couldn't bear looking him in the eye. 

    "I'm so sorry, Nic," I uttered before turning on my heel and readying myself to push the key down. 

     "No, Valencia!  You don't know what you're about to do. I'm begging you, please," Dominic pleaded towards me. All the unanswered questions and urgent demands everyone had been making of me were finally taking their entire toll. Whipping around to face the man that in other circumstances I would have loved, I lost my cool. 

     "What? What is it I'm about to do? I'm tired of all these demands being made of me. All it seems like I've ever done in my life is exactly what I've been told to, Dominic, and I can't take it anymore!" I ranted. 

     "This is more important than what anyone's told you to do, my love. Please, just come to me, we'll go home, and I'll explain everything," Dominic offered, hand extended with a small smile on his face. 

     "It's too late for that! You've wasted all your chances. When I leave this place, the answers won't matter anymore, I'm sorry it had to be this way, Nic," I said with remorse, half-turning once more to face the control board. 

     "If you do this you won't be leaving this place," Dominic said. The way he said it almost sounded sad, but thoughts of Eleanor came back to me, and I was reminded once again of how heartless he could be.   

     "What are you going to do? Kill me like you did Eleanor, your own grandmother?" I questioned with an accusatory glance. 

     "What? I'd never hurt you, and I didn't hurt her either! Where did you hear that?" Dominic asked with a shocked expression. 

     "The gig is up, Dominic. I overheard you talking with her after our wedding before she died. I heard her say you've been slowly poisoning her this entire time. There's no point in lying anymore," I said with a heavy sigh. 

     "If you had listened, then you would have heard me deny her claims. Right before she released her final breath. I told her it wasn't me. You don't understand what was going through her mind. Her mental state had greatly deteriorated, Valencia. She couldn't come to terms with the fact that her health had taken such a sharp turn. Her mind had to make up a scenario where I was the bad guy because of her opinion on me. No matter what happened, I could never hurt anyone. You have to believe me," he begged with a pleading gaze. Everything he said made sense, and it matched with what Aradella said as well.

     Maybe I was truly only hearing what I'd wanted to hear to mask my guilt. Time and time again that situation had resurfaced in my mind only in the attempts of suppressing my guilty conscious, and it had worked. Looking back into his gorgeous blue eyes, I felt like I was seeing him for the first time once again without any biased thoughts, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't bring myself to drop the key and run into his arms. 

     "Even if you are innocent, what is this big secret you've been keeping from me? Everyone has been saying that you're hiding something from me. I have the right to know what it is, Nic. Don't I?" I asked him. The only possibility for an answer was to confront him straight on with this, with nowhere to run to. We'd come to a standstill, and one wrong move would give the other the upper hand.

     "This secret is exactly the reason why if you go through with putting that key into the slot, you won't be leaving here. Valencia, my love, my sweetheart, my everything, that day when Aradella came after you and attempted to murder you, she succeeded. Rightfully, you should be dead," he told me, and my breath caught in my throat. For a few seconds I was fine as I tried to find a way to make what he claimed a lie, but his entire facade screamed sincerity. Once the weight of it came crashing down, I clutched at my chest. Keeling over, I felt like the world around me was moving in slow motion. 

     "When you died, I wouldn't have been able to live with myself. I... I made a heart. A robotic one. That's the only thing that's been keeping you alive. You lost so much blood, and your real heart was so weak to begin with. I didn't want to tell you because I was afraid you'd hate me, but now I see it would have been the better choice," he regrettably explained, looking away from my broken down form. 

     "Why? Why didn't you let me stay dead? It was so peaceful in death, and if I would have been dead I wouldn't even have to have gone through with this!" I exclaimed at him. An anger I didn't even know I was capable came out, and I realised how futile this all was. 

     "What you've just said has given me even more of a reason to do this. If I should be dead, then there's no reason for me to continue living after this. All my life has led up to this, Nic! Ever since I was eight years old this has been my destiny!" I tried explaining to him, inching slowly closer to the keyhole. 

     "Your destiny was to be with me, my love... We were supposed to live happily together, and have kids, then grow old together. Don't take this away from us," he begged once more. 

     "If that's the life you wanted, you should have fallen in love with someone else," I softly said before fully turning away from him. As I turned, I noticed Hajime carefully studying us. This must be part of the things he didn't know about. It truly hurt me to say those words to Nic's face, but it was the truth. 

     "Wait, before you do this, listen to me. If you do this, we'll both die," Dominic tried reasoning. A tear started welling up in my eyes as I considered his words. 

     "Just because I'll die doesn't mean you'll have to take your life, too," I softly said. 

     "That's not it... Cutie, do you remember that scar I have? The one right above my heart? You asked me once what it was, and I never completely explained it to you. It really was an accident that caused it, but when that accident happened, my heart gave out as well. I'd been too stressed with Aradella constantly looming over me, and it just stopped. Ella had already been working on creating a robotic heart, and I was practically her test subject. Don't you see yet? We're practically the same on this matter. If you really go through with this, we'll both die. Do you really want to forsake both of our lives for this?" Dominic ended. The sudden realization struck me hard. 

     That was the reason Aradella became so overprotective of him. This was why he disappeared from the photos along the walls for such a long time. This was the reason Eleanor said no one's the same after being modified by robotic parts. His heartbeat was always steady, which is why ours constantly matched. 

     The consequences of what was to come of this came next into my mind. If I went through with this, we would both die. Aradella would spend the rest of her life thinking all of this was her fault. I would never be able to see Dominic's smiling face again, or remain safe in his warm arms. I would miss seeing Orson grow up, and I would never be able to hold his warm, furry body against me ever again as he nibbled on my ear. Orson would never curl up beside me again and snore, or wait patiently by my feet for his food that would never come again. 

     The upsides, however, would be all of humanity. Hajime would be happy. The Earth would finally be able to rebuild itself. My parents would be proud, and I would have finally completed my long awaited quest. It seemed selfish to ruin all of that just for two lives. 

     All the people I'd met could continue living, and humans could finally restore their trust with each other. No child would ever have to go through the Arena ever again, and no child would ever have their parents viciously torn from their grasp. No one would ever have to relive my life if I did this. And suddenly, the answer seemed clear once more.

     "I'm sorry, Nic. I have to do this. This has always been my end goal. My end needs to happen for the world to begin," I told him, smiling brightly through the pain. There was a momentary pause filled with a silent pleading look in his eyes before he looked away and sighed.

      "If you're truly going to go through with this, at least allow me the comfort of us dying in each other's arms," he quietly said. Looking over my shoulder at him, I nodded my head and held my arm out to him, mentally begging him to take it. 

     Calmly he walked, one foot in front of the other, slowly making his way to me. When he was only an arm's length away, he grabbed me by the waist and pulled me into his chest, staring into my eyes for what would likely be the last time. 

     Standing on my toes, I gave him the last kiss we would probably ever share. It was a sad kiss, filled with genuine emotion and salty tears. I realised now that I had been wrong to ever think he was the one to kill Eleanor. I always knew deep in the farthest recesses of my mind that he wouldn't do it, couldn't do it in fact. No matter how possessive he got, death would never be a thing he dirtied his hands with. No matter how obsessive he became with me. 

     "I'm sorry you fell in love with me," I whispered to him,  yet another tear falling down my shimmering cheeks. 

     "I'm not. If I had to relive this life, I would choose to love you again, no matter what the consequences are," Dominic gently said back. 

     "If I don't do this now, I never will, Nic. I have to put the key where it belongs," I told him with our foreheads touching, arms wrapped around each other. 

     He nodded his head and slowly released his hold from around me. Taking a shaky breath, I positioned my hand once more over the keyhole. Looking back at Dominic, my love, my husband, he sent me a reassuring smile, and I pressed the key into the slot. 

     In no time at all, the key disappeared from view, and the sound of cogs trying desperately to grind against each other filled the room. It had already started. Looking back to Dominic, I held my hand out to him as I sat down. He quickly followed suit before pulling me onto his lap and cradling me in his arms like the first night we kissed. He'd looked up to the stars and told me how we were meant to be. It all seemed like a distant memory. 

     "No matter how long it takes, I will wait for you, Cutie. I will wait as long as it takes for our hearts to start beating as one once more. I love you," were the last words Dominic spoke as he cuddled me to his chest.

     "I love you, too," I truthfully told him for the first time. 

     Just as I felt my heart slowing, the silhouette of Orson came barreling through the open doorway. It seemed like he'd lost his mother all over again. Another tear left my eye as I reached out to him. Just as he reached me and jumped into my lap, I saw the strong figure of Aradella in the doorway, gaping at me. 

     I saw her lips moving frantically, and then she came running at me, but all I did was lift my hand to point to the room behind her at my bag I'd left with the note addressed to her within it. Looking at me with even more sadness than I'd ever experienced Dominic with, she held my hand for a moment before turning around and going to the bag. 

     The last thing I saw was her back turned to me as she read and reread the note, finally turning to me and nodding her head, promising me she would do exactly what I'd written. 

     The last feeling I had was my fingers gently running through Orson's fur as he nipped at them while they rapidly grew cold. Pressing my face down, I eventually reached his furry head and pressed one final kiss to it before all went completely dark.

     I had completed my destiny. The cheers of Hajime, my parents, and all of humanity rang out in my head. I was finally at peace, forever waiting for one more moment to be with everyone who had ever loved me.