Chapter 12 (Part 3)

She felt as if her breath was caught. To the beloved person who seemed ready to give up his remaining life for hers, what could she possibly say…? 

But then he called her name.

“Cordelia.” 

He seemed anxious when she averted her gaze in confusion.

“Answer me. Please answer.” 

“But, Nathaniel. That woman said it before. Your subordinate. She said you’re a noble being, that you can live differently from me. So why are you trying to give that up?” 

“Because you’re more important to me than that. Much more important.”

He spoke decisively, as if there had never been any other answer from the beginning. Then he gazed down at her with eyes full of earnestness and kissed her. 

“And I’m sorry, but this is something I had thought about from the start. If the day ever came for me to let you go… I decided I would join the cycle of reincarnation with you. I wasn’t born as such a being, but I resolved to follow you. Cordelia, this was a decision I made a long time ago. So now, you just need to answer.” 

“Nathaniel…” 

His sincerity pained her heart. At the same time, she felt happiness from his affection. So, what answer could she possibly give to someone who was willing to leave everything behind to follow her? 

“I… I… Of course, I don’t regret meeting you. I want to meet you again… and love you again. Next time, I want to be with you from beginning to end.” 

She answered slowly, as tears welled up in her throat. Her voice trembled pathetically, like the bleating of a newborn lamb. But he patiently waited for her. Then, once she finished answering, he leaned down and hugged her tightly. 

“Yes. That’s the answer I was waiting for.” 

He went on to say that their souls were likely deeply connected through frequent communion. So, even if they fell into reincarnation, they would surely meet again. 

“Unlike you… I might not lose my memories at all. So, I will definitely find you. I’ll come to meet you.” 

“You must find me… Don’t be sad if I can’t remember. I tend to forget things easily. But I’m sure I’ll fall in love with you again when I see you. So don’t hesitate to find me. Love me.” 

“Yes. You too. We promised. I’ve already reserved the spot of husband in advance. Don’t forget.” 

In the deep embrace, they promised each other several times. They vowed never, ever to forget. 

Then, unable to hold back any longer, they embraced each other again. They had promised not to cry, no matter how much they liked it, but in the last lingering moments, they hugged each other and sobbed. 

It was still hard to believe that the moment of parting was approaching with each passing second.

***

As promised, they rose together at dawn from the bed. 

As they left the house, he explained that they had to leave Skoll behind and that they would have to walk a long way together from now on. She quickly understood. They couldn’t take their innocent, good horse with them, nor could they leave it alone. 

So, they opened the stable door wide, as if urging Skoll to run outside, with a final farewell for all the times they shared. But contrary to expectations, Skoll didn’t want to leave their side. 

“You’ve followed me for a long time, but there’s no need for you to come too. You’ll get used to a new master soon” 

Nathaniel said at last. He tried to release the reins as a gesture of freedom, but Skoll shook its head in irritation, refusing the action. 

Then it approached them and nudged their backs with its nose. It was a gesture it used to urge them to get on its back quickly. 

“What could it mean? Is it trying to take us somewhere?” 

She wondered aloud. 

“Is that so? Usually, it would be so annoyed when asked to go out, but now it’s doing something admirable” 

He replied. 

“But I think I know how it feels. Remember when I went into the stable the other day? It was so soft and nice. Skoll must have liked it here. Maybe that’s why it didn’t want to go out.” 

She joked as she petted the horse, and surprisingly, Skoll wagged its tail. It was amazing to feel that it understood everything.

Thus, they rode Skoll to the entrance of the ‘path.’ 

During that time, a lot happened to them. More precisely, to Nathaniel. People in white cloaks, who recognized him, rode up to him on their horses. “You must not go any further! What exactly are you trying to do?” they implored, trying to dissuade him.

Among those people was the woman she had seen before. Her face was filled with an indescribable frustration and sadness, but as Nathaniel continued to hold her in his arms, the woman gradually slowed her horse and drifted away, as if she was letting go of her regrets. 

Thus, they rode to the vicinity of a white waterfall that seemed to flow from the sky. They were about to dismount from Skoll when suddenly, their unpredictable horse refused to allow them to do so, speeding up and slowing down erratically. Even though it was a mute animal, its actions seemed to convey a clear intent—to go with them.

Accepting the horse’s wish sadly, they both stroked its mane and said, “Alright. Let’s go together.” Only then did Skoll slow its pace. 

They rode on Skoll’s back, walking slowly towards the waterfall. 

The occasional white light looked like flower petals. It felt like they were returning to their wedding day. In a tender mood, she shared a memory that suddenly came to her. 

“Nathaniel, I once had a strange dream.” 

“A dream?” 

“Yes, a dream. In it, you and I were younger than we are now. But our relationship was as good as it is now, and we were playing together in the forest, holding hands. Then we saw a little foal. It looked exactly like Skoll, and when I said, ‘Come here!’ it came over. Then it went to you, acting all familiar. It didn’t seem much different from now, and I remember thinking it was amazing and funny. Could it have been some sort of prophetic dream?” 

“It might have been. Wow, that’s comforting to hear. You had such a dream.” 

He laughed quietly above her head. 

It was peaceful. Up until then. She wanted to maintain that atmosphere until they crossed the waterfall, which was the gateway to reincarnation. But just five steps away, tears suddenly welled up. 

“Nathaniel.” 

She called him urgently and kissed his lips. Tears fell uncontrollably. Fear gripped her. She was terrified of the possibility of parting forever with him and their beloved horse. She pleaded with him not to forget her. To truly find her. Then she even asked if they could dismount right now and stay here with Skoll. 

“I, I’ll die soon anyway… Then we can see each other again. You just have to wait a little longer. We can live like this again then… Isn’t that more certain? Is it really right to draw you into this?” 

Her body trembled with anxiety. 

Nathaniel hugged her tightly and raised a hand to close her eyes. He kissed her forehead and reassured her. He said it was okay, that this was the right thing to do. 

And by then, they were only two steps away from reincarnation. 

The last. Truly the last. 

She finally clung to his neck and began to kiss him deeply. She told him, 

“Let’s cross over while kissing like this. Then maybe we can live as husband and wife again.” 

The kind man looked down at her with gentle eyes and replied, 

“Alright.” 

In the tender kiss, she prayed to God. 

She thanked God sincerely for sending this person to her side. Although the outcome was that he followed her without realizing the value of love, she prayed to continue loving him. She wished that this noble being would not experience all the twists and turns of human life, that he wouldn’t suffer, that he wouldn’t be sad. Even if she had to bear all that pain herself, she prayed for it to be so. 

Finally, when their bodies were soaked in the radiant waterfall, she felt as if she received an answer. It felt similar to the time she thought she had heard God’s answer. A clear warmth spread from deep within her chest. 

“You will definitely meet again. And you will be happy.” 

In the answer that came as a clear revelation, she hugged Nathaniel’s body with longing and closed her eyes.