The Eternal Fragments of Moonlight
Chapter 26: Death Parade (Part IV)

“What stupid joke are you trying to play, Aji?”

The face of the extinguished red Laras looked at me with those cold eyes. Seeing her look at that time made me remember Mom's expression when she found me bringing earthworms into the house when I was a child.

“A, Aji... What do we do here?” Mira also asked.

“We will stay here until 22.13.” My answer.

At the end of my third trip, I took Mira to the south entrance of the main temple.

The plan is I will protect him in the small temple that was there which has been used as my place and Laras perform rituals to repeat the flow of time. Because after I considered, if there was a safer place without anyone to find us that day, then there was the place.

“Ha, hello Laras.” Sapa Mira while trying to cover up the tension on her face with a smile.

“Ha, hi Mir.” The barrel is so.

But that big smile immediately changed when he turned to look at me. He immediately returned to his original cold face.

“Mm, what is 22.13?”

Laras and I did not immediately answer because at that time we were both busy meeting.

“Nothing, Mir.” Barrel back to smile. “Ah, you happened to stop by, how about we chat in the temple?”

Mira looked at me as if asking for approval, then after I gave a nod signal finally the three of us went to enter the small temple. As we walked there I could feel the terror of wrath from Laras even though he walked in front of me without even turning his head.

Arriving inside, I sat on one of the stone stands in the corner of the room. While Mira and Laras sit on the carpet in the middle.

“Mir, by the way Aji said what? How do you want him to come here?”

“Tadi Aji said she wanted to introduce me to the Wita Grahana dancer. And I guess he'll take me backstage. Uh, I don't know if he brought me here.”

Mira thought for a moment while looking at the traditional clothes typical of the court guard of the temple used by Laras. At that time Laras had not used his dance clothes and indeed since the trip “ repeated the flow of my time” with him began, Laras has never again performed in the Wita Grahana Dance performance that should have been held at the height of the eclipse. Because of course at that time we were busy doing the ritual of turning back the timeline.

“Hmm a minute." Mira said while researching the Barrel from top to bottom. "Don't you, the person that Aji wants to introduce me to is... You, Ras?!”

“Ya... May?”

“Wah!” Mira's face looks bright. “So who has been dancing Wita Grahana is you?! How come you never told me that? I watch you every year. Your dance is so beautiful!

“Ya, there you go.. haha!”

“Today I thought, hmm. surely the girl behind the mask is beautiful.” Mira tapped her cheek like she was thinking. “And it turns out I was right! Hihi.”

“Eh? You can do it, Mir.” Brushless. "But I think you'll be more suitable than me. Do you wear a traditional dance costume sometime? There are a lot of models here. It must be beautiful if you wear it."

"Ah, but Ras, I can't dance."

"Quiet, I'll teach you."

That's Mira. His presence can always bring happiness to anyone. Even for a Baras who had never once looked happy in front of me, it was easily made happy and blushed with embarrassment.

If only the situation was not like this, of course I would soon join them, talking about various things that can make us all laugh. But the burden of feeling that I was carrying at that time felt so heavy that it felt impossible there would be anything that could make me smile even though.

It's been over half an hour Laras and Mira I just let you have a chat together there. While I myself was always busy counting down the seconds that passed on my watch.

Finally, when there was little time left, I stood up to them.

Then I walked towards the entrance of the temple, then closed the trellis fence that was there tightly. Mira asked me why I closed the entrance, but I did not push her. After that I also stood beside Mira while continuing to look around me and prepare with various possibilities that occur.

“Aji, what are we doing?”

“Maybe he doesn't want others to know that we're here.” Barrel answered it for me.

“Why?”

“Hmm actually, I don't want many people to know my real identity.”

“Oh.” Mira seemed to be able to accept that reason.

But after that, we just fell silent with our own thoughts. I myself could not hide the tension in my face and my breath was hunting even more.

As for Laras, he still looked calm with his eyes closed. I don't know what's going to happen this time. Because this small temple does not have a roof, then the only possibility that I can find is the entire temple wall collapsed. But if that's the case, I'm ready to protect Mira with my own body.

“Aji, I want out.” Said Mira who seemed to realize that something was wrong.

I didn't answer and just looked away.

“Aji!”

Because I always did not respond, Mira finally chose to invite Laras to speak. However, just as she was about to open her mouth to speak, Mira was suffocated by the sound of fireworks coming from outside.

“Ah, the fireworks show has already started! Laras, Aji, let's see the fireworks together.”

At that time I immediately hugged Mira who was still sitting beside me and at that time I also saw Laras who was holding both hands in front of his chest while continuing to pray. I quickly looked at my watch and it was only a few seconds before the time came.

“A, Aji? Hey what are you doing?” Mira tries to fight.

At that time I said in my heart. Well, what bad thing might happen? If you want to take Mira, take me with you!

“Hey, Aji freelance! Laras, this is Aji why?"

Instead of answering, Laras joined in hugging Mira and finally the three of us embraced. Looking forward to what bad things will happen to us.

"Uhuk... Barrel? Aji's? You're... Uhuk! I mean. pa..."

Suddenly Mira became unconscious. His entire body twitched and started to tremble violently. I saw his eyeballs flipped over and his mouth spewed out foam.

“Mira? Mira Oi! Race, Mira why, Ras?”

Not long after, finally Mira who was in my arms was no longer breathing. He just left without any cause. I also cried so as to let out all the pain and despair that was still there.

The barrel was the same, at first he was just glued to see what happened. But after she saw me crying, her tears finally broke, even louder than mine. Our wails echoed from the walls of the stone walls that were all around as if they were in a sea. We cried and cried because that was all we could do.

We kept Mira's body there without telling anyone what had happened. For more than three hours before the lunar eclipse occurred I was just silently pensive in one corner of the room. While Laras tried to fill his activities by taking care of Mira's body in order to keep getting proper treatment. Like covering him with a side cloth, cleaning all his dirty parts, and giving him the fragrance he brought from his house.

When the lunar eclipse reaches its peak, we are ready to perform the ritual of repeating the timeline. Then, just as Laras was about to grab my hand for his blood to draw and apply it to the statue, I said to him.

"Baby, all this is free. After this I will not repeat the flow of time."

Baras did not respond and only continued his ritual. Then when all the preparations were completed, a sound came from the direction of the trellis fence at the entrance of the temple. I immediately turned my head and how surprised I was because there I found Ami who fell into the fence.