The silence between us felt louder than thunder.
Our eyes met.
God… is this a dream?
If it is, then please — let me stay here forever.
She stood in front of me. Real. Breathing. Smirking the same way she always did.
Before I could say a word—
"Did you have a death wish?"
"…What?"
"Why didn't you fight back?" she snapped. "That's not the Estelle I know."
I blinked.
What kind of reunion is this?
Aren't we supposed to cry? Hug? Say "I miss you" a hundred times?
But instead, she's scolding me.
Still… it doesn't matter.
As long as she's here.
"Aysel…"
"I know what you're thinking," she cut in quickly. "Why I suddenly showed up, saved you, flew you here, and now you can see me. I'll explain everything. But let's sit first. My back hurts from carrying you. You're heavier than I remember."
"If you want to die, just say it," I replied flatly. "Even though you already did."
She stared at me for a second.
"Your jokes are too dark, lady."
And just like that—
We both smiled.
Like we used to.
We walked toward a large tree at the top of the hill, aster flowers brushing against our legs as the wind passed through them.
She sat down first.
"Okay. First, this place. It's called the Garden of Aster."
I looked around again. The endless purple field. The river glistening nearby. The sky impossibly clear.
"It's where souls stay when they still have regrets they couldn't fulfill while alive," she continued. "They wait here. Sometimes for decades. Waiting for someone to fulfill that regret for them."
"The living can't see this place," she added. "This entire hill is invisible to them."
"But I can," I whispered.
"Yes." She looked at me carefully. "For some reason, you can. I think… you're the chosen one."
"Chosen?" I scoffed. "Don't make it sound like a fantasy novel."
She nudged me lightly.
"So you're here because you had regrets?" I asked.
"Yeah."
"…What happened that night?" I asked gently. "You don't have to answer if it hurts."
She was quiet for a moment.
"I don't remember" she admitted. "The last thing I remember is you leaving. I turned around. Then everything went dark. Maybe someone hit me from behind."
My chest tightened.
"I'm sorry."
She looked at me.
"It's my fault" I said. "I shouldn't have turned you down. I should've gone with you. Maybe you'd still be—"
"Hey." Her voice softened. "It's not your fault."
I shook my head.
"Because of my death, your life fell apart" she continued. "You even tried to take your own life yesterday."
I froze.
"How did you know?"
"For three months" she said quietly, "I've been following you. I tried to talk to you. But you couldn't see or hear me."
I stared at her.
"Creep. Stalker."
"Shut up."
The wind picked up slightly.
"What time is it here?" I asked.
"Time works differently. One day here equals about fifteen minutes in your world."
She stood up. "Stay here. I'll get you something to eat. If other souls realize you're alive, it might cause trouble."
"Yeah, yeah. I get it."
She walked away, disappearing behind the flowers.
The sunset painted the sky in gold and crimson. It was the most beautiful sunset I had ever seen.
For a moment…
I felt grateful.
While I was lost in the colors, someone approached.
A man.
Tall. Calm. Too calm.
"Are you new here?" he asked.
"Me? Ah… yes."
"I see." He gave a faint smile. "I'm Clyde."
"Estelle."
"It was nice meeting you, Estelle."
"Nice to meet you too…?"
His eyes lingered on me like he knew something I didn't.
"We'll meet again soon" he said softly. "Pardon me."
And just like that, he walked away.
There was something about him.
Not ordinary.
Not just a wandering soul.
Aysel returned, holding strange-looking fruits.
"Here. It wasn't easy to gather these."
I stared at them. "What are these?"
"This one's Are. Tastes like mango. That's Barfley. And those are Kospl and Quxty."
"They look weird."
"Don't judge a book by its cover."
I took a bite.
"…It's good."
After a moment, I asked casually, "Do you know someone named Clyde?"
"The good-looking one?"
"…Yeah."
She shrugged. "He talks to himself. Barely talks. Sometimes laughs alone. I think he's a little… unstable."
"Just like us."
"Exactly." She narrowed her eyes. "Why?"
"Nothing."
"Hmm."
Night fell quickly.
"Is there somewhere I can sleep?" I asked.
"We don't sleep here" she said. "But I know the best place for you."
She led me to the edge of the hill.
The field of asters stretched endlessly beneath the stars. The sky was filled with constellations brighter than anything I'd ever seen.
If I lay down here, I could see the entire universe.
"Do you like it?" she asked.
"Yes" I whispered. "I wish I could stay here forever."
"You better not think like that."
"Why? It's peaceful. Unlike the other world."
She didn't answer immediately.
"Don't you like it here?" I asked.
"…I don't know."
I lay down among the flowers.
The night air was cool. Gentle.
But fear crept into my chest.
What if, when I open my eyes again, this place disappears?
What if she disappears again?
I closed my eyes slowly.
Dear God…
When I wake up,
please let her still be here.