Chrono Requiem — A Death Song For Time.

Rivan Aster

The afternoon sun shone brightly, its orange hue beautifully reflecting on the shallow water beneath the bridge. Rivan leaned against a pillar and watched it all.

Rivan sighed in awe — No matter how many times he saw this view, he was always captivated by it. The gentle breeze brushed against his skin, carrying a soft chill.

He lowered his gaze and enjoyed the peaceful scenery until the sound of a violin caught his attention.

The melody blended perfectly with the scene before him, adding a tender, strange feeling to the moment. Rivan closed his eyes and let himself drift away on the music.

After listening for a few minutes, he hurried down from the bridge, searching for the source of the sound.

Five steps from the riverbank, he stopped, his eyes widening in wonder at the sight before him.

A girl with long, lilac hair stood there, her one-piece dress swaying in the wind. Some strands of her hair caught the orange light, making her seem to glow.

Rivan stood frozen, holding his breath — afraid that his presence might disturb her.

The violin suddenly fell silent. The girl lowered her head slightly and exhaled softly.

"Did it work?" she murmured.

She waited a moment, then sighed in resignation when no answer came.

The lilac-haired girl turned around, pouting slightly — only to gasp when she saw Rivan standing behind her.

"You...?" Her pupils shrank and her lashes trembled lightly.

Rivan was stunned by her silver-violet eyes; he had never seen a color like that before.

Realizing she was confused, Rivan quickly spoke. "I didn't mean any harm."

Your violin playing was so beautiful that I just..." Rivan scratched the back of his head awkwardly, too shy to finish his sentence.

The girl remained silent for a moment before softly chuckling. Glancing at his blushing face, she said, "Thank you. My name’s Lunara. What’s yours?”

His heart pounded wildly when she smiled at him. Her gentle, polite voice brushed softly against his ears.

Feeling his face grow hot, Rivan quickly looked down, too embarrassed to meet her gaze.

Lunara...what a beautiful name! A smile appeared on Rivan’s lips and his blue eyes gleamed as he replied cheerfully, "Rivan Aster! You can call me Rivan.”

Lunara smiled calmly. Her eyes flicked to his uniform before she said, "Melvale High School."

"?" Rivan didn’t understand for a moment — until he realized she was looking at his school uniform. "Ah—yeah, that's where I go to school."

A soft silence fell between them. The breeze blew through, lifting a few strands of her hair. Lunara tucked them behind her ear and smiled again, her gaze returning to Rivan.

"I used to go there, too," she said.

"Really?" Rivan asked excitedly.

A perfect chance to keep the conversation going! But before he could respond, Lunara looked up at the sunset sky and watched quietly as the sun sank below the horizon.

Noticing Rivan’s silence, she blinked and apologized softly. “Sorry. I was lost in thought.”

Rivan quickly shook his head. "No, it's fine. I’m the one who disturbed you.”

Drink... Drink...

Rivan pulled out his phone and saw a message from his mother telling him to come home.

He quickly typed a reply, then looked back at Lunara with an awkward smile. "Sorry, my mom's calling me home."

Lunara blinked, saying nothing. She kept her calm smile as she watched Rivan fidget, clearly unsure of what to say next.

"C-can I have your phone number?" he asked, his hand trembling as he held out his phone to her.

Lunara froze for a second, then laughed softly. She took the phone, entered a few digits, and handed it back.

Rivan gripped his phone tightly, his eyes sparkling. A wide, joyful grin spread across his face, and he ran off, waving at her and jumping every few steps.

Lunara chuckled quietly. "Such an energetic boy."

Then, her gaze turned back to the other side of the river, to the spot where she had played her violin earlier.

A flicker of intrigue appeared in her gaze as she whispered, "Fascinating...two identical essences existing in one place."

...

"I'm home," Rivan called out as he placed his shoes on the rack and walked inside.

“Welcome back,” a 16-year-old girl replied from the couch in front of the TV, where she was munching on snacks.

Rivan sat down beside her and nudged her to the side. He grabbed one of her snacks, prompting the girl to yell, "Mom! Rivan's stealing my snacks again!"

Ignoring her protests, Rivan calmly chewed and continued watching TV.

“Don’t be stingy! I only took a few,” he teased with a grin.

A middle-aged woman emerged from the kitchen with a spatula in hand. Looking helplessly at her two children, she said gently, "Riv, give it back to your sister."

Rivan pouted and glanced between his mother and Elena. Then he smirked, grabbed as much of the snack as he could, and sprinted up the stairs to his room.

“Rivan!” Elena screamed, her voice echoing through the house. Their mother just sighed and shook her head before returning to the kitchen.

Lying on his bed, Rivan chuckled softly as he remembered Elena’s furious face.

He rolled onto his side, grabbed his phone, and stared at the new contact.

"Lunara..." he whispered.

He opened the chat box and typed a few words, but then deleted them. After several attempts, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and pressed Send.

[Rivan]: Hi.

[Rivan]: It’s Rivan. We met earlier by the river.

He stared at the message, tapping the screen whenever it dimmed.

Even without a reply, he didn’t give up.

“Dinner’s ready!” his mom called from downstairs.

With a resigned sigh, Rivan went to the dining table and sat next to his sister.

His mood instantly lifted when he saw his favorite mushroom soup.

"Mushroom soup! Thanks, Mom!” he exclaimed, digging in.

"Eat slowly," his mother said with a warm smile. "Remember to come home early tomorrow."

"Is there something happening tomorrow?" Rivan asked between bites.

"..." His mother and Elena exchanged glances and stared at him silently.

Rivan tilted his head, confused. Before he could ask again, a voice came from the door.

"I'm home," said a man who looked similar to Rivan.

Instinctively, all three turned toward him as he walked closer.

“Sorry, traffic was awful,” he said, placing a box on the table before sitting down.

Their mother stood up to put away his coat and bag, then sat back down.

“What’s this?” she asked, pointing to the box.

The man smiled and whispered something in her ear that made her smile, too.

Rivan just watched quietly, accustomed to their playful banter.

“So, Mom, what’s happening tomorrow?” Rivan asked lazily.

The three of them exchanged glances, then burst out laughing.

Rivan raised an eyebrow in puzzlement.

"Ahem. Just don't come home too late tomorrow, okay?" his mom said gently.

"Mm." Rivan nodded and went back to eating.

The atmosphere was cheerful. They chatted about their days and laughed at his father’s terrible jokes.

After dinner, Rivan went back to his room and flopped onto his bed, rolling around lazily.

He sighed softly and reached for his phone, hoping for a new message. But the screen stayed empty.

"Guess she’s already asleep," he muttered.

He tossed the phone aside, hugged his pillow tightly, and closed his eyes as sleep slowly pulled him under.