"You're here," it was more of a statement than a question, as Niel's grandma came from the inner room before they had even set their feet inside the house.
"You told him?" She walked closer to Niel, as her now much more clouded grey eyes drifted between Agate and Niel.
"Uh." Clearing his throat, Niel reached out to hold her hand without saying anything, instead leading her to the rocking chair nearby.
"Come here, Agate." Her voice sounded drained as her wrinkled hands were stretched out to him.
"You seem unwell," Agate muttered lowly when he got close to her.
"I am." She paused, then whispered only to Agate, "It's the price for trying to know too much," while everything sounded ominous, her face held the same soft smile, as her now unfocused gaze landed on Agate.
"It's only the second time..." Agate did not finish the sentence, but she knew what he meant.
"Mmhmm, cause these things are not meant to be rushed. It's going to happen anyway; knowing does not equal changing it."
There was a long minute of silence. Agate did not even notice when Niel shuffled close to them, but the three just remained still for a whole minute before Grandma started again, "Maybe it's because I tried to change it."
"?" Agate just silently stared at her, while he crouched by her side as she continued with some quick pauses in between.
"When people started disappearing, I tried so many things. Everything just to call you back, but after a year of trying, I realized your arrival time and the flow of time passing over here is different...I don't know what I hoped, considering you yourself are not much aware of the situation....But at that time, I also realized something. You-you can explore as much as you want. I don't know what the set rules are...but there's something, only you have no restriction over."
"How can that be?" Agate looked at his bandaged hands that were being clasped by the seemingly weak and shriveled hands of Grandma. It should have been easy for him to take back his hands, but he felt the weight of expectations and someone else's hope. Someone who was already aware of their fate but still had a glimmer of hope for others, so he could not get out of the weak grasp.
"I..."
"Agate," hearing Niel calling out to him, he looked up at him, just to have a hand gently pat him on his shoulder, while he heard him say, "I'm here to help. As much as I can, I will try, so please help us."
Again, Agate went silent, not agreeing or disagreeing with anything as his gaze continuously hovered over his clasped hands.
"Among those disappearing people..." There was a sharp exhale as Niel kept on going, his youthful voice now sounding much more hoarse, "My brother was one of them."
At that, Agate slowly moved his gaze back to Niel as his brain slowly started to wrap everything that had happened this time, his heart stirring slowly, for these people he had barely known for only yesterday, his yesterday.