The Eternal Fragments of Moonlight
Chapter 27: The Paradox

I was surprised when I found Ami who fell in front of the trellis fence at that time. Immediately my constellation digested why Ami could get there. Since when was he there? Then why? Is that just a coincidence? I'm not sure. Because an event like this had never happened in the flow of time before.

I remembered immediately too. It's appropriate that since the start of time travel even from the first, I think Ami has always been acting strangely. Many times I found her peeping at me through the doorway while I was alone in my room. Once, in this third timeline, I found Ami reading the "Book of Events" when I entered my room after school.

And you certainly still remember in the first timeline, Ami also never acted fussy asking to buy ice cream when I was about to go to the Temple on Wiwitan Day.

As if all the evidence was floating in my mind, I understood why Ami was there at that time. Yes, the only reason Ami could be there at that time was anyone else if not Laras.

I feel my head boiling. This time he was completely outrageous. How presumptuous he was to bring Ami into this matter that hurt life and death.

I could hear myself snorting and while holding my anger to stay in my fist, I turned towards Laras. I saw him fall back and then for the first time I saw him squeak in front of me.

"Lo..." I try to control my unfailing breath. "There is only one chance to answer... Why is Ami here?"

He was silent for a long time, but not long enough for me to lose my patience. After rearranging his sitting position, he calmly said.

"Ami, already Brother Laras said right, your task today is finished dear. Gih, go back to Laras' house now."

Hearing that, I felt the veins in my neck bekedud. Ami bowed, then after apologizing he immediately excused himself and ran away. While I was still wringing my fists furiously waiting for what Laras said next.

"Yes, it's true that all this time I always asked Ami to make your ngawasin also deter elo to go out of the house every Wiwitan Day. I also want to know that we both come from the future. But just calm down, as I said, only the two of us can carry the memory of the previous timeline. So in the end, Ami will still forget all this."

"What?! Elo himself said, don't ever tell anyone about this! What if something happens to Ami? Lo see Mira, right? Looky!" I said while pointing at Mira's body lying next to us. "Why if this happens to be the same Ami, huh?!"

He immediately stood up and held both of my cheeks. "Nothing bad is going to happen to Ami. I'll take full responsibility." He said while looking right into my eyes. "Just calm down, Nitehake will not take the life of someone who has not reached the deadline."

"Lo..sure? Won't anything bad happen to Ami?"

"Yes." Yeah."

After that Laras looked up and spontaneously I followed him. At that time a small portion of the umbra on the eclipse had crossed the outer line of the moon. Finally he told me to finish the ritual. Because if until the total lunar eclipse ends we have not repeated the timeline, then we will not be able to return to January 31 where the Super Blue Blood Moon happened.

Because if we have passed a lunar eclipse, it means that a period of eclipse has been completed and Nitehake will complete the human charity record and set a new destiny for them. At least that's what I remember from the explanation that Laras once gave.

So if we go through the lunar eclipse this time without repeating time, then we won't be able to go back there forever. And that means... Mira's gonna be gone for good anyway.

When Laras sat back down, resting near the round statue in front of me, he extended his hand so that I could follow. But I do doubt. Because it's... Should I go back to repeating all this? After seeing Mira who had no cause at all died in my arms a few hours ago, I felt that all this was in vain. What's all this for? In the end Mira always ends up dead.

After I sat back down, I saw Mira who was stiffened right beside me. By itself I moved towards him then opened the side cloth that covered part of his face and I saw that he had turned pale white once. I could not interpret the knot on her lips whether she was smiling or wailing. Oh, should I make him suffer even longer? Repeating the tragic suffering he had experienced three times?

Without me realizing suddenly my eyes were hot and only a blink of my tears melted.

"Aji, we have to keep repeating the timeline. So that Ami's memory can be erased." The voice of Laras also broke my daydream.

"Yes, we have to erase Ami's memory in this timeline. That's why we have to go back to repeating time." At least for the last time. Add me in my heart.

Finally, we continued the ritual that had reached the final stage where we only had to pull the gold rope knotted on the stake in the center of the statue.

***

"Paradox."

"Paradox?" Ronny asked.

"Yes, paradox. That's what happens when Aji always fails when he tries to save Mira from death. In today's science there are various theories of 'time paradox' and in this case the Aji, scientists call it the Predestination Paradox theory or the paradox of closed destiny."

I looked towards Ronny who was currently frowning like a dried cork.

"All right, I explained first. So that 'time paradox' is..."

"Conditions in the timeline that have conflicting, contradictory, or ambiguous causation." Cut me.

Miss Mustika looked surprised at my answer, then she smiled proudly as if I had just answered the quiz question in class. Then he patted my head like he was bouncing a basketball.

"During four times repeating time, Laras always ngingetin I do not let the strange thing until finally make the condition 'time paradox'. Even killing mosquitoes, I was scolded all out with him." My next. "But what I do understand, why do you call me the one who always fails to get Mira is a paradox?"

"Aji, you've traveled through time, back in time, to save Mira who died on Wiwitan Day. Well, from there do you not think that what you do is contradictory?"

I just shook my head a little. "What is contradictory?"

"Mom's answer is, what makes you repeat time?" But before I could answer, Miss Mustika answered her herself. "Mira's death isn't it? Since you want to save Mira from her fate, that's why you're repeating time. Right?"

"I, yes."

"Well if Mira had never died before, would you and Laras repeat the timeline?"

I was also stunned. "Ti, no."

"That's why you always fail, Aji. Understand right? Because without Mira's death you'll never repeat time. Then now, you're repeating the time to save him from death? It's the same as trying to eliminate the main cause you repeat time from the beginning. That's what the name is contradictory."

Hearing Miss Mustika's explanation I became staring at two glasses on the table that was now empty. For almost three hours I told them both.

"By repeating the time to save Mira, it means that you are making yourself the cause of Mira's death in the later timeline. Keep yourself stuck in a circle of cause and effect that always ends the same. This is called the 'closed paradox of destiny'."

"So, from the beginning I couldn't possibly save Mira." I said with a slight smile.

"Yes." Yeah." Answer Miss Mustika. "But..." Continue while drinking the syrup that should be my ration. "I don't think that's the only paradox that happens as long as you repeat the flow of time. Because there are generally two types of paradoxes, namely; which can damage the consistency of time and which does not."

"The paradox of closed destiny, will not undermine the consistency of time. But for the type that can damage, once it happens, it will have a big effect on one's future even the future of the entire world. Memory, the origin of things, even one's existence can become forgotten and even disappear."

Until there I understood that Miss Mustika was offending my current condition. Separate between body and soul. Plus the memories of people who disappeared about me.

"Well, Aji for your story on the fourth time travel, which you said was there an 'accident' that caused you to be like this, could it be if Mom gave the title to the story?" He approached me with enthusiasm.

I was surprised, spontaneously nodding.

"Mom just got a good idea, how about the title... The abandoned soul."