POLAR BEAR ARC END

                                    

                                          

The next arc starts midway in this chapter. Next up is the Lion Arc. 😍

In the polar bear sanctuary, Qiao Qixi and his partner, Otis, enjoyed a leisurely and peaceful retirement. 
In the end, Otis didn't suffer from any illness; he simply passed away quietly on a snowy night, nestled beside Qiao Qixi. Although Otis had always hated the heat, as he grew older, he became more sensitive to the cold. In his final months, he clung closely to Qiao Qixi, no longer rolling around in the snow like he used to when he was younger.
During that last winter, they spent their days in the small wooden cabin, snuggling and cuddling, exchanging kisses. It was a time of simple joy.
When Qiao Qixi woke up one morning to find that Otis had passed away beside him, though he was reluctant to let go, there was no regret. After all, they had been companions for so long, and it was time to be content with the life they had shared.
However, after Otis was gone, Qiao Qixi found it increasingly hard to continue living. It wasn't long before he, too, could no longer hold on.
On the night he passed, it was also snowing, and it hadn't been long since Otis had gone. That night, Qiao Qixi awoke from a dream about Otis, overwhelmed by an intense wave of longing for him. The grief that he had been suppressing finally erupted in the snow-covered night, and he sobbed uncontrollably.
Qiao Qixi's heart, now old and frail, couldn't withstand such profound sorrow. It's likely that even in his wildest dreams, Otis wouldn't have imagined that the delicate little bear he had protected all his life would die in solitude, crying out for him.
It was fortunate that Otis didn't know; otherwise, he would have been heartbroken.
As someone who had experienced rebirth once, Qiao Qixi had often wondered what would happen after his death. Would there be another life?
Probably not. After all, having two lives was already a gift from the heavens. A third life seemed unlikely. And even if there was a third life, what would it matter if Otis wasn't in it?
But Qiao Qixi hadn't considered that whether or not there would be a third life wasn't up to him.
Just as unexpectedly as when he had become a polar bear, Alexander's body shut down after his consciousness had already left, yet he remained unaware of his death because his awareness persisted.
It was like a dream in which Qiao Qixi became aware of something: he would have a third life. When he woke up again, he would be a lion on the African savanna. And Otis? Otis would also be born in this new landscape.
If fate was kind enough, there was a chance they might meet again.
???
'Could this really be happening?'
Qiao Qixi was confused, thinking perhaps he missed Otis so much that he was experiencing a mental breakdown, conjuring comforting delusions to ease his sorrow.
But if it were true, it was too incredible to believe. Then again, considering that he had already gone from being a human to a polar bear once, why not a lion now?
In the "knowledge" that Qiao Qixi now had, Otis was literally reborn on the African plains after leaving the Arctic, becoming a lion.
That meant Otis might not even remember anything.
'How unfortunate!'
Just when Qiao Qixi had received some good news, he couldn't help but get greedy, but his sadness quickly turned into anticipation. Whether or not it was real, he decided to call it a prophecy, for now.