Fifty-Four
1485 Words
A Best Friend's Memento?
As far as Zaire is concerned, she reincarnated into a world similar to the medieval era. From clothes, transportation, culture, and even food...
She doubts that this world's current civilization has a bucket of fried chicken– Juliebee at that.
In front of Zaire is a large flat-screen TV displaying Kyla– her best friend munching the bucket of fried chicken.
"Is she doing a mukbang...?"
She thought out loud while staring at the TV screen.
Kyla is wearing a white dress, her long hair is arranged neatly as if she ran her comb a hundred times just so it would look perfectly straight.
Zaire chuckled to herself before she felt a pang on her chest.
Zaire placed her hand on her chest with a bitter smile. She misses her, Kyla... she misses her best friend.
She is not sure of what is happening, why Kyla is in front of her but regardless of what reason, she felt relieved to be able to see Kyla's face once again. When she reincarnated as Jozine, slowly, there are times where her memories of her life on earth seemed to blur.
As if this world is shaping her into Jozine and Zaire at the same time.
Those blurring memories include Kyla's face... she is relieved to see her best friend.
But she won't deny that she is weirded out by the entire setting.
A large flat-screen TV with her best friend – doing mukbang – is displayed while she is in a white room with nothing but the TV. She had to sit on the ground and watch Kyla eat, doing so, her stomach grumbled.
She frowned and tap her stomach to ease it. She also has to tell herself that she is not really, it was just Kyla's eating show that affects her.
'But the chicken looks delicious...!'
The brown and oily sauce in the reddish-golden brown chicken, it looked exactly like how she remembered it!
Once Kyla is done, she looked at her.
Zaire flinched before she heaved a deep breath.
She is mistaken, Kyla did not look at her, their eyes did not meet. It looked as if she was looking at her because Kyla looked at the camera.
"Hey..." Zaire's eyes widen upon hearing the familiar soft voice of Kyla. There is a small smile on her lips as she greeted.
Zaire's lips formed a smile of her own... ah, she missed her. She missed having Kyla with her, comfort her, cooks for her, and just be simply with her.
It was a friendship born from gratitude, and as she and Kyla spent their time together, unknowingly, their friendship bud.
Kyla was her best friend. Her only best friend.
"Ky..." she whispered longingly looking at the TV screen.
"You must be wondering why I'm here in front of you right now... Zaire."
Zaire's eyes widen hearing her name rolled out of Kyla's lips. Not only that, the knowing smile on Kyla's lips made her even more suspicious.
It's as if... Kyla knew where she is. Like she knew what happened to her... but how?! Did the same thing happened to Kyla?!
"I... Are you here too, Ky?!" She shouter her question ready to close the distance between her and the TV when Kyla chuckled.
"I can already imagine the expression on your face, Zaire, and hmm, I'm sure you're super shook right now and thinking whether I transmigrated like you."
How... how accurate! It was exactly what she is thinking! Could it be that while Kyla did not reincarnate like her, she was able to read minds?!
'... from different worlds...?'
Yeah, not possible. How can Kyla do that?
Zair's mind is stuffed with so many questions but she can only listen and watch when Kyla explains it to her.
She can't talk to her like she wants, how she would love to talk to Kyla about the current trends and gossip, about her job, what the outside world is since she's a shut-in.
She missed cozying with Kyla. It was such a simple activity but right now, for Zaire, it's a very precious memory.
"I did not experience what you did, Zaire. I simply... returned to where I belong once I finished my mission."
Mission...?
What mission is she talking about?
Kyla smiled once again before she spoke. "I want to tell you the truth... the entire truth Zaire but now is not the time. You achieved the necessary requirements to resume the flow of time in that world but it's still not enough. I... I'm afraid that once you remember everything you will abandon what you hold dear right now, and that is something that we cannot allow."
What the hell... What is it that Kyla knows bit she doesn't?!
What is happening?
Zaire's anger suddenly flared as if a lit torch. Her face crumpled in annoyance. She couldn't control her emotions.
It's like she is being played by someone else right now! And darn, she's playing quite well in their palms.
Is it the price for becoming Jozine, is that it?
Who is manipulating everything behind the scenes?!
Zaire's gritted her teeth. She wanted to shout at Kyla to answer but she's not stupid. What good will it do when Kyla is simply a recording right now.
Honestly, she is not mad at Kyla, how could she? Her longing for her best friend outweighs her anger toward whoever is playing a game with her. It also looked like Kyla genuinely wanted to tell her something– the truth– but from the expression on her best friend's face, she is powerless too.
For now, her best course of action would be to listen to whatever Kyla will say and engraved it on her mind to help her decide the next course of action she has to take next.
Zaire watched Kyla softly sigh. "To be honest Zaire, the day I found out the truth, about my existence and yours, I felt cheated. Our meeting was planned, you know? I felt like I simply went with the flow." Kyla chuckled, "But when I think about it, isn't a human's life, in a way, predicted? It's so silly, right? I often say before that we forge our own path, that we make our destiny... but then I realized, our fate is still decided. We were simply made unaware of our fate and were given the freedom to decide. Maybe in hopes of finding a different, a much better road that still leads to the same destination."
Zaire earnestly listened and intently stared at Kyla's smiling face.
She's more refreshed now than before, it's obvious, the truth she spoke of freed her. Freed her from what exactly? That, she is not sure too.
"Zaire, I hope that when the time comes, when you regain your memories, all of your memories you won't... disappear."
THUMP
... what was that?
Her heart suddenly started beating erratically. It was so sudden that she felt she is out of breath.
Why? Was it because of the pained and regretful expression that crossed Kyla's face?
"Oh! Something must have happened that triggered this recording if you're seeing this now, that also means that they are moving. Zaire..." Kyla's expression changed. "Let me give you a warning. The world you are in is far wider, greater than you thought it is that's why I pray that you, along with what you call now your friends, successfully defend it. Because the destruction of Pralea is the destruction of Prismalyvic."
Zaire's forehead creases. When did she become a defender of the world? Why doesn't she know of this?!
She runs a hand on her hair. "Why is this getting more complicated?" She mumbled grudgingly. She can already see it, her 'chill' life going farther and farther away from her.
"I'm running out of time but once you recover all your memories, I know you will remember who I am. I might not have the same name or face right now but I know that you will know me. When that time comes, I hope you will smile at me again. Be careful Zaire... Jozine... please... may your journey, this time, be fruitful... I hope to see you soon..."
With that encouraging and sweet smile from Kyla, the TV disappeared, the once white room started to turn gray, the once peaceful and soundless place became lively. She can hear some sounds from the distance...
There is only one thing on Zaire's mind as she thinks about what Kyla said.
She has to survive.
She needs to uncover the reason why she is brought into this world, she needs to grow stronger, stronger than she is now. She has to.
If only she was informed that she would become a superhero before her reincarnation.
Zaire can only heave a deep sigh.
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To be continued...
- Writer
