A gentle breeze blew past, stirring her white hair and fluttering the pages of the book on the table.
With a FLUTTER, the pages turned, pausing briefly on one that had been frequently touched, covered in fingerprints and tear stains. A short line of ancient poetry flashed by.
"Black silk turns to white snow in but an instant; to whom can one lament the fading of youth? If the spring breeze harbors pity for the blossom, might it grant me my youth once more?"
After a long time, she wiped away the moisture from the corners of her eyes and silently took out an amber pendant from her bosom. Sealed inside was a teardrop-shaped Crystal. It was none other than the wish-granting Tear of Time.
Holding the Tear of Time, all traces of sorrow vanished from her face, replaced by a deep sense of anticipation.
"The epiphyllum has bloomed. I have waited until this moment," she murmured softly.
"The person... I have also waited for him.
"Now, it is time for me to go."
