"The wheel of fate has been set in motion."
The summer sun warmed the man's cold bones. His tired eyes peered at the sky as hues of crimson, orange, gold, and even violet replaced its brilliant blue colors.
"Enjoying the sunset, Ven?" a woman asked, stepping into the highest balcony in the imperial castle. She looked no older than twenty-one. In reality, she was thousands of years old — her skin kept young by the magic coursing through her body.
The old man—looking as youthful as the new arrival—smiled at the violet-haired woman. "Yeah. Isn't it beautiful?"
She sat in the lounge chair next to him, overlooking the festival and the various glistening rivers below. However, the couple paid neither the young ones nor the streams of rushing water any mind.
Ven interwove his fingers with hers and smiled. "I'm glad I'm spending these last moments with you."
"As am I," she said, tightening her grip on his hand. "Now that you aren't the Magus Maximus, you're free."
The man nodded. "It was a burden. Though—and this might be self-centered—I don't think anyone else could've taken my place. That is, until now."
The purple-haired woman nodded back, a smile on her face. "We leave our son-in-law and daughter to carry this realm into the future."
He gazed at the sky anew. "Yeah. Hopefully, they will learn to get along." His weary ruby eyes closed over time. "I do worry if I did enough to keep this realm safe. There was so much more that I could have done but didn't."
His wife caressed his shaky hand. "You did all that you could. You maintained peace and stability in this realm. That alone is an admirable thing. It is now up to the next generations of Magi Maximi to make this world better."
A grin crossed his youthful face. "I hope so. I wonder what will become of us."
"What do you mean?"
The former Magus Maximus snickered. "You should know; you were once the high priestess of Xian."
She bit her lip. "You mean the afterlife? I want to ascend to the eternal realm with you, but you're not going there, are you?"
The man nodded. "I can't go, not yet. Perhaps at the end of my next lifetime. I'd like to see what lies beyond this life. To experience a chance at having a normal childhood."
The lady snickered, cuddling up to him. "You're anything but normal." Her deep turquoise eyes peered into his crimson eyes. "If that's your decision, then I'll respect it." The light in her eyes became distorted by her tears. "I pray to the goddess that we meet once more, my love."
He gasped. "You are not going either?"
She laughed and rose a little, pressing her forehead against his. "Of course, I am not. Not without you, that is. We are soulmates. I will follow you wherever you go. We endured being separated long enough in this lifetime. It would not feel right going to the other side without you."
Using all his remaining strength to embrace her, he pressed his head against her chest. "As do I, Ya Zhi! I too, hope the goddess will grant us that wish. Even if our relationship is different, I would like to meet you again."
She giggled as she squeezed him. "I am certain we will, Ven."
Ven looked up and smiled. He reached his hand out and wiped her tears away. "Then we shouldn't be crying."
"Yeah." She wiped his tears away and drew closer. The couple exchanged one last kiss.
"May the goddess fulfill our prayer," the two said in unison, laughing as tears continued trickling down their faces. With those words, tears, and laughter, the pair faded into the winds of time, ready to watch over a new era.
**Solar Note: Don't forget to vote if you enjoyed the chapter! 7/7/2022- Revised this for the 6th anniversary ^_^**