"Your mom, huh?" I stood up, brushing the dirt from my knees. "I’m sure she’s just as wonderful as you."

Sakura blushed and looked away, her ears twitching in shyness, but then reached out and grabbed my arm with both hands, her fingers curling tightly around my sleeve.

The world shifted in that smooth, silent way of hers; the colors blurring, the air warming up, the hilltop breeze replaced by the soft hush of ancient gardens.

When the teleportation settled we stood at the crest of a gentle rise overlooking the retirement home.

"Wonderful?" she murmured with a weak voice. "My mother aside, I am nothing so... good."

"What are you talking about?" I turned to face her fully, the hand she wasn’t holding coming up to brush a strand of pink hair behind her ear. "You’re one of the most caring and tender people I’ve ever met."

"You only think so, Benjamin." She rested her head on my shoulder as we gazed down at the sprawling complex below, her voice was barely above a whisper. "I’ve been around since twelve thousand eight hundred years ago. Do you really think I remained wonderful and pure all that time?"

I let her words settle between us for a moment, feeling the weight of millennia she carried so placidly, and how damn young I actually am.

"I don’t know what you must have done, Sakura. But I know one thing for sure: you are this amazing fox queen who rules over this very wonderful kingdom of adorable beastkin. You try to put up an act, but you’re pretty childish at times, and kind of needy, which I find to be cute by the way. But at the same time, you are so strong and reliable... I asked you when you were going to release me, some days ago..."

I turned my head just enough to meet her eyes and gave her the sincerest smile I could manage.

"I was REALLY happy when you said you would release me after all. There’s no way you’re bad. And if ’bad’ was what you were, then I guess I like bad—Wait, Sakura are you listening to me at all?"

Her eyes were just widened, staring at me as though I’d spoken something sacred and forbidden all at once.

And before I could ask her what was up, she reached at me, cupped my face with both hands, and pulled me into this lovely kiss—it was very tender and very measured, her lips trembling against mine.

For some reason, tears slipped down her cheeks again and wet our joined mouths, but she didn’t pull away. The kiss lingered there, pleasant and aching, full of everything she hadn’t said aloud.

I understood then; that was the best kiss I had ever received since my reincarnation... no, since I was ever born... Not like I kissed anyone on earth.

When she finally drew back, her voice was a bit husky. "Naivety like this... is going to get you into one hell of a problem... But... that’s what I like about you."

She kept one hand on my cheek for another heartbeat, her thumb brushing the corner of my mouth, then laced her fingers through mine and tugged me gently down the hill.

The environment shifted once more, another seamless teleport, and we stood at the wide stone gates of the retirement home.

The place was enormous, archaic, and quite ornate.

The buildings rose like ancient temples, their stone walls thick and weathered, covered in climbing vines that bloomed with pale violet flowers even in the late afternoon.

Roofs curved gracefully, tiled in deep green and gold, and every pillar and lintel carried carvings of Beastkin in ancient garment or in some weird poses. There were also illustrations of some kind of mythical beasts, and blooming sakura trees.

Courtyards opened to gardens where elderly beastkin sat on low benches, tended small bonsai, or listened to soft music played by younger attendants.

The air carried this scent of clean earth, incense, and faint tea.

It looked straight out of an adventure movie, except the people were nonfiction; living, breathing people moving with unhurried purpose as they cared for one another.

It was wonderful... So Sakura would one day come here...? Yeah, not anytime soon. She’s so young—she’s probably immortal.

But it begs the question; Beastkins generally had longer lifespan than humans. But why were some reaching the thousands? And what age do they reach before they get frail and grey? How come folks like Princess Lily and Sakura don’t seem to age at all?

[Account: Beastkin are commonly long-lived beings. However, they relatively have an insignificant connection with the spirits—85% flesh and 15% spirit—hence, their inability to live forever. But individuals such as Lily and Queen Sakura are closer to spirits themselves—10% flesh and 90% spirit—thus, lack definite lifespan and may as well live forever until physically killed.]

Uh... Wow... Thank you, Sys.

[It was my pleasure, master.]

Ara? Then being an Arch Human makes me long-lived now? You mentioned me being closer to the spirits, at the present.

[Explanation: Master was already a being of significant life expectancy before his evolution—60% flesh and 40% spirit. An estimate of 800 years was master’s lifespan before the new development. But being an Arch Human makes master 60% spirit and 40% flesh, now rendering lifespan to a thing of choice. Master can prefer to age and die whenever he wishes.]

So, I’m now this monster straight out of a Greek mythology?

"Before we see mother," Sakura interrupted my internal conversation, squeezing my hand, "let us see my stepmothers... the ones that are still with us."

Then she led me forward, her steps relaxed and deliberate, as though every inch of the path carried memories she wasn’t ready to let go of.

But stepmothers huh... in fairy tales, they were often mean. I wonder how these ones would be.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com