Chapter 28 - Beyond Destiny

Ray's POV

We searched and searched and we couldn't find them. Two years passed without much progress.

"They're nowhere to be found."

"How could we have no clues after looking so hard?"

I'm on the verge of giving up, but I know Y/n and Emma wouldn't give up if I was the one who was separated.

I have to keep searching and I must stay strong.

"Th-They're alive, right? They're in the human world, right?"

"Could it be...that even though they're in this world, we're destined to never find them again?"

"Separating them for us was the reward for the promise?"

"But it doesn't make any sense! I understand why Emma was separated, but why Y/n? She didn't do anything!" Phil exclaimed.

"Yeah! Emma forged the promise, but why was Y/n affected too?" Yvette agreed.

The kids started whining about Y/N's absence. Norman managed to calm them down after a short moment.

"Forbidden zones..." Gilda muttered. Forbidden zones?

"You know! Like when Norman asked us to search for Mujika and Sonju!" Gilda exclaimed.

"Huh? So what about it?" Don inquired.

"Maybe there are places like that here too. Areas where we can't go or aren't allowed in." Gilda explained. She has a fair point.

"A country that doesn't exist anymore..." Norman mumbled.

Regions and countries that were destroyed by war or disasters. Places people won't be living in because they don't exist in 2049.

"Like, remember that time we played hide and seek with Y/n and we couldn't find her?" Anna mentioned.

"What about it?" I asked as I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Well, she hid at the roof of Grace Field which was a forbidden location." she reminded.

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We're never giving up.

No matter how much we search and come up empty...

No matter what the reward was...even if we're destined to never see them again.

We're going to change it. We're going to fight back with everyone. That's what Y/n thought me.

For the sake of them...we'll even overturn destiny.

"Damn it! Nothing in this area either..." I groaned as I scrunched up the map with my clenched fist.

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"Nothing on our side either." Norman informed.

"We can't stay much longer. We're going to miss the bus." Gilda reminded.

"Let's come back later" I suggested and they agreed and we began to walk.

"After we meet up with Norman's group, that's when we'll look in the next area." I informed.

Just as I was walking around, I caught a sniff of a familiar scent that I have grown to love.

It had a floral scent mixed with books and a specific shampoo that the girl I love uses all the time. I know it's her.

"Go on without me!" I yelled as I began to follow the scent that was slowly disappearing the more I stall.

"What, hey, Ray!" Gilda called, but I simply ignored her and followed the scent before it would vanish.

I didn't even care about the odd stares I got from people, I just pushed them aside and followed the smell of flowers, only to be met with a flower shop that sold seeds.

'Maybe it was just my imagination' I shook my head to get back to my senses.

But even if it was a flower shop, that wouldn't explain the specific shampoo that only she uses.

Then the smell vanished. Damn it!

Just as I was about to leave, the floral scent came back as it started dashing to where I am.

I felt something or someone collide with my back as a 'thump' was made. Turning around, my eyes widened.

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Y/N's POV

Right now, I'm going grocery shopping for my mother in search of more flower seeds to plant.

It's been around 2 years since I became Stacy's adoptive daughter.

My life is great so far! Although I still have this empty hole in my heart, I can handle such a thing.

I saw a bouquet of pink and red carnations so I gave a small smile and approached it. Carnations. Carnations are common "I miss you" flowers.

I'm not sure why, but my body started to move on its own to get to the flower. It was like I was drawn to it for some reason.

Pink carnations are often used to signify the concept that someone is unforgettable, while red carnations symbolize both admiration and missing another.

I reached my hand out to touch the petal, but I was stopped when I felt an aching sensation in my heart.

It's happening again. Every time I try to touch a flower, it's like the strings of my heart get pulled with so much force.

I retract my hand back immediately as I clenched my f/c blouse. My chest feels so heavy, I want to cry and scream, but nothing comes out.

What's happening to me?

Why am I in so much pain?

Who am I missing so much?

Every time I try to touch a flower, it reminds me of some people who I do not even know of.

I touch the flower again and I saw him. I keep getting this weird dream about him.

No, it's too vivid to be a dream. A flashback perhaps?

༻✦༺ ༻ 𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤༺ ༻✦༺

"Y/n, I made us some hot chocolate milk. Let's go and read. If you want, we can read a book together." he said as he placed a book on a table and patted the seat next to him.

My body began to move on its own as it made its way over to him and sat on the chair next to him.

"Here." he handed me a cup of chocolate milk.

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"Out of all the flowers that exist in the world, I will always choose you." he said as he placed a flower behind my ear.

"That was so cheesy, ew..." I said, disgusted. It was like the words just slipped out.

"Oh shut up, you idiot. I got it from a book." he flicked my forehead which caused me to wince. I felt my lips curl up into a grin.

What's happening?

Where am I?

Whose memories are this?

Who is he?

"Damn it. I love you, Y/n." he whispered in my ear as he snaked his arms around my waist with a smirk.

"I love you too, Ray." the words came out of my mouth against my will.

It was like I'm seeing someone's memories. This place seems familiar. We were in a forest.

"Stop flirting you two!" a booming voice shouted. I turned to see an orange-haired girl who pouted.

Next to her was a boy with platinum blonde hair and blue eyes. He wore a small smile as he waved at us.

"We weren't flirting!" the boy next to me fumed.

"Yeah right, Y/n stop spending time with Ray, and let's play tag together!" the girl grabbed my wrist and stuck her tongue out to the boy with black hair.

"Oi, Emma!" the boy huffed as he rolled his eyes at ' Emma's ' childish behavior.

"You two shouldn't be fighting over Y/n. I can't help but laugh at how childish you two are acting." the boy with platinum blonde hair laughed.

"Stop laughing, Norman! Help me kidnap Y/n! Ray, stop grabbing Y/n's arm!" the girl shouted.

༻✦༺ ༻ 𝐄𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 ༺ ༻✦༺

'Y/n...Ray...Norman...Emma? Who are they? I don't know...Who's Ray and Y/n? Who's Norman and Emma? Why did they do that to each other? Why are they so friendly? Why does this...why does my heart feel so warm...' I placed my hand back in my pocket.

'Why...do those words make my heart skip a beat? The insides of my stomach start to flutter when I remember the words he told me. My lips curl upward when I remember the orange head and the platinum blonde-haired boy.' I held my stomach.

"I had people who meant everything to me. Who filled the empty hole in my heart." I muttered.

That's just a hunch though. Hunches are usually wrong, so I shouldn't expect them to be right.

I'm pretty sure that was a flashback. That's what my gut is telling me, but I shouldn't keep relying on my hunches.

I shook my head and remembered what I had to do. I strolled around the market in search of flower seeds.

There was a girl with orange hair skipping around with a bright smile as she passed me. I stared at her for a few seconds and shook my head.

I could feel a pair of eyes watching me, so I turned around to see the orange-haired girl staring at me. She looked like that girl from that thing I saw.

Her green orbs stared at my petite figure with so much curiosity. She tilted her head as she approached me.

"Do I...do I know you, perhaps?" she asked. I stared at her and she did look very familiar. She was from that weird flashback I saw.

"We haven't met before." I said. Yes, she may have appeared in that thing I saw, but that was probably just my imagination.

Maybe she...no, I can't always trust my hunches. I'm sure they're always wrong.

"Are you sure? You look awfully familiar." she argued.

"I really don't know you. Although, you do look familiar. Other than the fact that you look familiar, we have never met before." I said.

"O-Oh, I must've mistaken you for someone I know then. Sorry." she chuckled before going away.

For some reason, I wanted to run to her and hug her, but...it would be weird if a stranger would do that. I don't even know her.

I want to run to her. I want to call her, but I shouldn't. After all, we don't know each other that well to do such a thing.

Oh wait, without realizing it, I passed by the flower shop where they sold the seeds that mother had requested.

Turning around, I started walking back while staring at the sky since it looked lovely today.

Lovely? I feel like...didn't I say that a lot before? Nah, it's probably just my mind playing tricks on me again.

My body then collided with something or someone. I snapped back to reality when my butt landed on the ground.

Looking down, I noticed the necklace that had an eye on it. It was quite eccentric but in a good way.

It looks familiar...didn't someone used to wear this often? Wait...someone? Who was I talking about again?

I've been so forgetful lately...

"Y/n! There you are, you dummy!" I heard someone shout as I was suddenly engulfed in a warm embrace.

This hug...is so warm...so comforting...it makes my heart pound really quickly too...

This feeling...it's the same feeling I felt when I saw what boy in that flashback...no, the voice is familiar too.

Hold up...did he just call me Y/n? The boy in that flashback called me Y/n too, is that my name? I never had a name as far as I remember.

My heart...it's pounding in such speed. This feeling is very familiar. I know this feeling. I've felt it before...

I can feel it. My jar of happiness is slowly filling up. I can feel this emptiness going away.

"Y/n, where were you?! It took us forever to find you." Gilda whined as she crossed her arms with a pout.

Did I just call her Gilda? Is that her name?

You know...it's like I can't remember anything about them, but I know...deep inside of my empty heart...are memories that I treasure dearly to me.

I remember...I finally remember everything now, that's what my heart is telling me. My heart is slowly softening as I recalled my memories.

This embrace, this feeling...everything is all coming back to me. Everything that I cared about is all coming back.

My past...the escape...the hell I went through...my near-death experience...I remember everything now.

Meanwhile with أ£#$...

"I-Impossible! I thought I erased her memories! I thought I erased her mind!" he exclaimed.

"You indeed did. But you see أ£#$...the memories I shared with my family are engraved in my heart, not in my mind." Y/n whispered.

Back to you!

"Ray!" I exclaimed as I returned the hug. I missed him so much...this yearning for the empty hole in my heart to be filled up is indeed overwhelming.

"Y/n!" I heard them shout. I can even distinguish each of their voices. I'm glad they're okay.

"I'm glad you're okay." Norman sighed in relief as he ruffled my hair with a soft smile.

"You idiot! Where were you?" Ray grumbled as he smacked the back of my head and pinched my cheeks.

"I don't really know what happened, but I ended up meeting Stacy who became my mother." I explained vaguely.

"I'm glad someone's taking care of you. I wouldn't be able to sleep if I knew you weren't safe." Ray sighed.

"Hold up! Where's Emma?" I asked as I looked around and I couldn't find the orange head.

"We haven't found her yet. But if you're here then that means she's here too!" Gilda exclaimed.

"We don't know where she is, but we're not going to give up!" Phil jumped into my arms.

I caught him and snuggled him closer to my chest. He giggled and wrapped his arms around me.

"Worry about yourself more. We lost you for 2 years and you're here worrying about Emma. You really are Y/n." Ray said with a small chuckle.

"I can't help it. It doesn't really matter what happens to me, as long as you all are safe then I'm absolutely fine." I giggled. Ray mumbled something but I couldn't hear it.

"Emma..." I mumbled as my eyes widened after recalling the orange-haired girl I saw earlier.

"This necklace..." I remembered the necklace that I had noticed earlier. Looking down, I saw the familiar necklace that Emma always wore.

Emma will come back for this for sure. I'll just have to locate where she is.

I know I just reunited with my family that I have been separated from for 2 years, but my family isn't complete without Emma.

"Ray, hold Phil for me. I'll be right back!" I handed Phil to Ray and began sprinting to where I last saw Emma.

"Not again!" I heard Gilda whine from the distance. I'm sorry, but everyone's lives matter more than my own life right now.

In the middle of running, I stopped to actually use my senses to locate Emma.

Closing my eyes, I listened to my surroundings. I may look crazy to others, but that doesn't matter.

Listen Y/n

Voices. Their chats, their mumbles, their whisperings, their minds. Find the right one.

Listen closely

Search for someone. Find the body of a 15-year-old girl with a petite figure. Listen to their bloodstreams, their pulses, their heartbeats, listen to it.

Think

Who's gasping for air? Who's the one panting as they frantically search for a missing item?

Find their location

Who's the one inhaling oxygen as they search for something dear to them?

Think. Use your senses.

Who's constantly running around in search of their belonging?

There you are!

I shot my eyes open to see an orange-haired girl at the next two aisles.

It was like seeing something on the radar. I can see living creatures on a radar that I have made up in my mind.

There are many who are inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide and some who are moving constantly.

Creatures such as humans and animals including small insects all need air to live. They use their bodies or move.

There are endless possibilities on who could Emma be on the radar. There are plenty of creatures doing what Emma could possibly be doing.

But there is only one taking up more oxygen and moving quickly as if they were searching for something.

Following the radar, I ran after Emma who was now in the aisle next to me.

There I spotted her looking under a table. I dashed towards her and grabbed her arm.

"It's you! You scared me, is something wrong? Who are you?!" she asked as she looked at me in shock.

"Emma...do you remember me? I'm Y/n. You forgot your memories, right? I did too." I wrapped my arms around her.

"Wh-Who are you? Who's Emma?" she asked as she pushed me away and stared. She looked terrified.

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Ray's POV

Damn it. She really is Y/n. She's already running off somewhere without telling me anything.

She's so dumb but smart at the same time. She's selfless and doesn't care for her well-being. She only cares for others.

That's the Y/n I know.

"Hmph! What a complete idiot!" I puffed my cheeks out and looked away. But still...

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"Norman, hold Phil." I handed Phil to Norman who looked surprised as I tossed Phil to Norman.

"Don't treat me like a ball!" Phil shouted as he huffed. I ran to where I saw Y/n run off to.

Seriously she's so annoying. How did I even fall for a girl so annoying? Annoyingly cute...

She disappears once and she vanishes in an instant. She reappears, I get all happy, and just when I think everything is going to be all sunshine and rainbows, she goes 'poof'.

Like, can I hold her in my arms for a little longer? At least for a few minutes. I want to be with her a little longer.

It's not like I need her touch or something! And it's not that I want to squeeze her in my arms and cuddle with her forever and give her all of my love and affection.

It's not like I want her to pat me on the head and kiss me when I don't feel good or even if I'm in a good mood.

It's nothing like that at all! I think...

Maybe she took a right?

I felt a tug on my backpack as I heard multiple whispers. They all said 'Over here, Ray'.

In desperation, I followed the voices as it told me where to go. I recognized the voices, it was mama, Yuugo, and Conny. At least I know they're watching over us.

I could hear multiple footsteps behind me. Turning around, I saw Norman and the others following behind.

After running, I ended up looking at a sight that I thought was impossible to see.

Y/n comforting a crying Emma.

"Emma!" we all shouted as we ran up to her.

"Who are they?" Emma mumbled. So she also had her memories erased. But...why did Y/n get hers back?

Forgot to mention that Y/n told us what happened by stating her hunches and theories like the amazing girl she is.

Puberty made me think of Y/n different. At first, she was this annoying, cute girl who loved flowers and helped others out a lot.

Then out of the blue, she becomes this woman who I don't recognize anymore. She became prettier and even more beautiful each passing day.

Technically, pretty and beautiful are synonyms, but she's beyond those words that could easily be found in books.

I don't deserve someone like her. She's way too out of my league. But then, she accepted me and maybe she won't leave me for someone smarter and even more good-looking than me.

If that happens I'm gonna lock myself in a room and never come out. I hope Y/n won't leave me.

Wait, what's happening again? Oh yeah, we found Emma, oops...

"They're our family. We went through a lot together. We escaped, fought for our freedom, and we did it all together." Y/n replied.

"I still can't remember. Who are all of you? I know Y/n, but who are you?!" Emma panicked as she slowly backed away from us.

"You can't be serious! What the heck?!" Don began to shake Emma's shoulders.

"No! You remember us, don't you? It's me! Gilda!" Gilda pushed Don off as she placed her hands on Emma's shoulders.

"You recognized us, right Emma? How come Y/n did, but you can't?!" Mark yelled.

"Children, stop it." Y/n placed an arm in front of Emma which caused Gilda, Mark, and Phil to back up.

Y/n is so cool. She's so cool and cool. No wait, I said that thrice already. I need to stop thinking of Y/n. She's so annoying, she should just leave my head already.

But don't get the wrong idea! It's not like she's always in my head or anything like that. Hmph!

"She doesn't remember anything, so we shouldn't leave a bad first impression. What if a bunch of strangers started yelling at you, that wouldn't be lovely, now would it?" Y/n crossed her arms which made everyone silent. Y/n held Emma's hand in hers.

"Y/n's right. Emma is obviously frightened and I'm sure she's pressured too. She really doesn't know who we are." I agreed.

"Dang...this is too much." Thomas mumbled.

"Thank goodness you're safe Emma. You're eating well, you're running around with a smile, you did break your knee like last time." Y/n giggled. That was dark...

"Yeah...I'm glad the two of you are alive. Looking happy and not alone. We were able to meet the two of you here...at the same time too...and I'm really happy about that." Norman sighed in relief.

"Before you ask Y/n, we've all been well." Norman cut Y/n off before she could even say a word. Y/n sighed and chuckled lightly.

"We're all going to school now. Cislo and I and everyone are starting to feel better. Medicine was developed thanks to the technology in this world and Adam's special DNA to suppress our side effects." Norman mentioned.

Y/n looks great today in that f/c blouse with flower prints on them. She looks great in everything, even witho-

Here she goes again...she keeps occupying my mind and she won't leave. This is all her fault. Hmph!

"Using that medicine, the children from the mass production farms don't need the help of respiratory systems and can even walk on their own..." Norman paused.

"Mike Ratri is a neutral person and is acting as our guardian, giving us a hand when needed. It might be to prevent us from doing whatever we want to, but still, I can't forgive the Ratri clan." Norman continued.

Emma's POV

I can't remember anything about this person or the person holding my hand. I know her, but at the same time, I don't.

I don't know who she is, but...her touch is comforting. It makes me feel safe. It's like all my worries just...vanished like...'boom'!

I don't know any of these kids at all...but...

Tears started to roll down my cheeks.

Why am I?

Though I don't know anything...

Though I can't remember anything...

Why does it feel so warm but so painful in my heart?

"I feel like I've always wanted to see all of you." I whimpered. The girl who was holding my hand gripped it as she stared at the ground.

I noticed how drops of water started to fall on the ground. The source of those tears came from the girl named 'Y/n'.

"My heart was so empty...I couldn't feel happiness. I had everything, but something was always missing. I'm glad you never gave up." Y/n said with tears pouring out of her eyes.

Y/N's POV

There was a future we wanted.

There was a destiny we couldn't change.

We fought and fought back.

We grasped something...we lost something.

We sacrificed for the sake of others.

"We wanted to see you too. Our hearts felt empty without Emma's recklessness and Y/N's motherly acts." Gilda joked.

"It's okay if you forgot. Even if you can't remember...even if you're different from who you used to be..." Norman couldn't finish his sentence as tears started to stream down his cheeks.

"That's why...once more and forevermore." Ray paused as he looked at me with a wink, telling me to continue his sentence like we always do.

"...Screw destiny" I continued as I looked at Emma with determination. The determination that I only have when I'm with my family.

"Let's live together." Norman croaked out as he offered a hand at us. I looked at Emma who smiled at me with tears in her eyes.

"Okay." Emma and I both said at the same time as we placed our hand over Norman's. The three of us looked at Ray.

Ray rolled his eyes as he wrapped his arm around my waist and placed his hand over mine.

The love we share with our family is unbreakable.

We can even go Beyond Destiny

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(A/N: Hey hey hey! Looks like this story is coming to an end. But don't worry my fellow readers, I will still be doing an epilogue and some fun behind the scene stuff or off-camera moments. Anyways, that's 4168 words for you. Peace out!)