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墨書 Inktalez
Time flies, and the years pass like a shuttle.
In the long stretch of time that seemed to have no end, he kept his promise, remaining quietly by the riverbank without leaving.
"Do you remember anything about your past?"
Since a certain period, after escorting other souls back, I had developed a habit of approaching him whenever I saw him nestled among the rocks.
"Well..." He scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed. "I'm sorry, but I really can't remember..."
"Then what about the woman you once loved deeply?" I asked casually. "You don't remember her either?"
"Huh?" He looked at me with a bewildered expression. "Was there such a person? I have no impression of her..."
I then recounted in detail everything he had once shared with me about her.
"...So I really had such deep feelings? I actually fell for someone?" After listening, disbelief mingled with a sense of longing crossed his face. "If that's true, I would really like to see her again..."
"In that case, have you considered returning to the world to gather fare for a boat? At least you could hold onto that hope for your next life, and who knows, maybe you'll have another chance to meet in the future," I encouraged him.
He pondered for a moment but then shook his head gently.
"Why not?" I couldn't understand.
"Well... even though I can't remember anything about myself..." He looked at me shyly. "For some reason, I still remember some things about you..."
"Huh?" I was taken aback.
"I remember saying that if I were to take a boat, I would hope it would be yours." A faint smile graced his lips. "At least, I still remember that."
I could only smile helplessly in response.
Clang—
"Eh?"
A sudden, unexpected sound caught him off guard. Curiously, he reached into his pocket, which felt oddly different, and to his astonishment, pulled out a shimmering gold coin from what had previously been an empty pocket.
"What is this…" He stared in disbelief at the coin that had appeared out of nowhere.
I glanced at the coin in his hand, distinctly different from those held by other departed souls, and felt a wave of shock wash over me.
This was the first time since I took on the role of the Ferryman that I had witnessed someone exchange a century's worth of memories for a coin.
"Congratulations, the hundred-year limit has been reached. You have earned a chance to board the boat," I said, genuinely smiling at him from the bottom of my heart.
"Has it really been a hundred years already…" He gazed silently at the coin, his expression turning complex.
"Do you wish to board?" I asked.
He pondered for a moment, looking up at the monotonous and unchanging River of Souls for quite some time before slowly turning his gaze back to me with a faint smile.
"…Yes, sorry for keeping you waiting."
I extended my hand toward him.
"The fare for the ferry is one gold coin."
He placed the coin in my hand and, under my guidance, stepped onto the boat, finally leaving behind the riverbank where he had spent a hundred years.
"I can't see anything at all..." He looked around at the gray mist enveloping us, curiously waving his hand by the side of the boat. "I really can't tell which way is which. Are we sure we won't get lost?"
"There's no need to worry; the river's current is reliable," I replied, steadying the boat without hesitation.
"By the way, why did all those forgotten memories come rushing back to me the moment I got the gold coins?" he asked, puzzled.
"Well... I don't know either; it's my first time experiencing this," I said with a somewhat awkward laugh. "Maybe it's what they call a trial? After forgetting everything, you suddenly regain it all at once, forcing you to face your true self unprepared, allowing you to understand your real thoughts... or something like that?"
"I see..." Suddenly, he smiled bitterly. "To be honest, I never intended to board a boat at first. I just wanted to stay on that riverbank forever, not wanting to go anywhere until my soul faded away."
"Oh?" I couldn't help but be taken aback.
"I've always felt out of place in this world. No one is willing to accept me, and there’s no place that feels like home. I can't find a reason for my existence... Since this world rejects my presence, I hoped to leave it behind completely, wanting to break free from its constraints. However, death is merely a passage into reincarnation, repeating meaningless mistakes over and over again without escaping..." He sighed softly. "So, I decided not to board the boat, wanting to put an end to that endless cycle of fate..."
I listened silently, refraining from expressing any opinions.
"But I promised you that I would take your boat... For some reason, that promise has lingered in my heart and never left..." He suddenly looked at me and smiled. "If during this century I were to vanish as I wished, then so be it. But now that I've successfully obtained the fare for the crossing, if I were to let you lose this redemption money, that would be my fault."
"Honestly, you don't need to worry about me so much..." I stammered, unsure of what to say as a heavy feeling settled in my heart.
"I wonder what kind of scenery awaits on the other side?" he asked casually. "Have you ever seen any memorable sights?"
"Well... to be honest, I don't know," I couldn't help but chuckle ruefully. "After all, the memories of the other side don't belong to me; as soon as I return, I'll forget them all."
"I see... that's a bit of a pity," he said regretfully.
"Even though I have no recollection of them, I still know I've witnessed many wondrous sights before. I think that's enough," I replied with a calm smile.
"Mm."
Before long, the thick fog ahead began to dissipate, and the opposite shore became faintly visible.
"...Huh?" He looked ahead in surprise.
There, apart from the scattered gravel and a hazy, indistinct mist, there was nothing else—an utterly desolate sight.
It was almost identical to the riverbank we had just departed from.
"...Have we turned back?" He couldn't help but feel puzzled.
"No, this is the other side," I replied. For some reason, I felt a bit surprised myself.
However, the current of the River of Hades could not be mistaken. So indeed, this was the correct opposite shore.
"I see..." After a moment of daze, he couldn't help but smile. "Well, that's fine."
Once the boat had docked, he slowly stood up.
"Well then, it's time to say goodbye."
"Wait." I took out the gold coin and handed it back to him. "The fare has been paid; this is yours."
Upon reaching the opposite shore, it was an unwritten rule that the Ferryman must return the gold coin to the deceased.
However, he glanced at the coin, merely smiled, and did not take it.
"Keep it as a memento."
"Uh?" I was genuinely taken aback, unsure of how to respond. "But..."
"I once said that I wanted to completely sever ties and start anew. That gold coin was forged by my past self, so I don't need it," he said with a calm smile. "Although I don't know if this decision to enter the cycle again is right or wrong, at least letting go of the past is something I can choose."
I held the gold coin in my hand, frozen in mid-air, staring blankly as he gracefully stepped off the boat.
He turned back and waved at me with a smile.
"Goodbye, it was nice to meet you, my friend."
I tightened my grip on the coin, took a deep breath, and returned a somewhat helpless smile.
"Yes, goodbye."
I silently watched him walk away with determined steps, not looking back.
As his figure gradually faded into the mist, I sighed heavily and turned the boat around, preparing to return to that place of missed connections.
He moved forward while I went back, and from then on, our paths would never cross again.
1
In my pocket, however, there unexpectedly lay a gold coin that did not belong to me.
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