They say that if a person dies, they will be immediately ascended, or descended, to heaven or hell and will soon live there where eternal glory or suffering occurs.

 

They say if a person dies, good or bad memories will forever be erased and forgotten as if nothing has happened in their past lives.

 

They say if a person dies, they will leave the earth, vanishing like ashes, completely dissolving into the air, turning into non-existence.

 

But why is Karina, who died 40 years ago because of a brain tumor, still sitting on the bench in front of her now abandoned house, vividly remembering all of her memories about her love that hasn’t even started yet?

 

If those things happen when someone dies, why is Karina still here? Freely walking around her past subdivision, still able to witness what happens in the world of the living? 

 

If Karina had already died, why was she still able to see the beautiful smile of the love that she had already left decades ago? 

 

If Karina is already dead, then why is she still here, at the bench, sitting beside her Solen, watching her sing the song that she had composed for her in a video that she had recorded before she’d passed away? 

 

If Karina is dead, then why is her cold heart still beating loudly as she listens to the honey-like voice of the person that she adores the most? 

 

If she is dead, why does she feel more alive now than she ever did when her body was still conscious?

 

Honestly, no one, even the most genius of all can make sense of what happened to her. 

 

Even Karina herself was questioning why she was left on the earth after the heart monitor in her hospital room had made it clear that she was already gone. Karina was and is still asking those questions even after 40 years of living here not-so-life in this world, but she still couldn’t find an answer. 

 

What she had found, however, was the figure of Winter, crying at the tomb of her grave, telling her the things that she wasn’t able to say when she was still alive. But even with that, it was still not enough to give her the answers that she wants. 

 

After her encounter with Winter in her grave, Karina had just accepted that she will live longer than she had expected, even if living with only being a soul wandering the earth wasn’t the life that she was used to, she still considered her 40 years of stay on earth as living as it gave her an opportunity to watch out for Winter even if she couldn’t see her. Living for Luna only meant Winter and seeing Winter living her life happily, makes her happy as well. So, she stayed in front of her abandoned house, the spot where Winter and she had first met, and still didn’t fail to see the love of her life, even after death, every day because Solen also is always coming back to the place where their love had grown and withered.

 

40 years of just watching, and observing Winter. 40 years without any communication but Karina still continue to fall for her every single day, even if she couldn’t talk to her, Winter, every single day, was still able to make her fall even without using her words; Karina's feelings are continuing to bloom— just by seeing Winter— just by watching her. And Karina was already content with that– but she thinks that’s also what’s stopping her from making it to the afterlife. 

 

Her craving to see Winter even if it’s just from afar.

 

The need to know if Winter is doing good. The constant requirement to see if Winter was already able to really appreciate the world around her. Maybe, that’s the reason why she was still commanded to be here. For her to watch for Winter to achieve her own peace. 

 

Maybe… 

 

But the duration of it was still bothering Karina. 

 

Because with that 40 years, Karina was sure that even after a decade, she was already content and was already at peace with what was happening in Winter's life. Karina is sure that she’s all ready to go away because she already saw how happy Winter is with her life. 

 

But, why was she still here?

 

-

 

It has already been 50 years and Karina's search for answers has just come to an end right at this exact moment. 

 

11:11 pm, inside the white room full of hospital machines that are supporting Winter's breath, Karina was just standing there, shocked after Winter had called her for the first time after 50 years. Stoned in her spot, trying to convince herself that she was dreaming even if Karina herself knows that she was not capable of sleeping. Karina just stayed there, staring at Winter, who just smiled at her. It was the first time that Karina would see those smiles from Winter again, and because of that she was convinced that her love could actually see her. So, she took tiny steps before she could be at Winter's side completely, looking at her. 

 

It is only then that Karina's heart became peaceful, more peaceful than she had ever claimed it to be. It was only when Karina's cold hands came in touch with Winter's warm ones that Karina was able to finally see her death flash before her. And when Winter, whose eyes are now looking intently at the one who gave it, uttered the word “I love you”, that is when Luna felt that finally, her time had come. And it was also when Karina had answered with “I love you too” that Winter's eyes shut permanently as if she was only waiting to see her greatest love that she thought had already been long gone to be able to complete her mission on earth. 

 

And it is only after the two lovers ascended to heaven that they both realized that they were just both waiting for each other for them to continue the next life that Winter uttered in Karina’s tomb. 

 

That the last mission for their life to be complete was for them to tell the feelings that they’ve failed to say directly when they were still alive.