Farewell
The Snow Prince
He sat beside her motionless body , wrapping her in a thick blanket, looking at her distressed face. Her brows are knitted and tears occasionally flow down her face. He has stayed guard beside her for days and nights since they both fainted after he transferred a huge amount of energy to her. He traced his fingers down the side of her face, finally arriving at her soft tangible lips. The intense kiss left such a vivid impression in his mind,that he found himself fantasizing and yearning. Bit by bit, Ryosuke found himself falling for her charms. Hence, he knew the severity of how the situation seems to be unraveling, and if he doesn't put a stop to it, he'll live in regrets.
I won't let it happen again... No one will be taken away from me.
When he wiped the fringe from her forehead to get a better look of her, she lifted her eyelids slowly and regained her conscious.
"Umika~" he held her up as she struggled to sit properly. the instant their eyes met, the nervousness lead to adrenaline rush. She blushed as she recalled the hot kiss which he shared with her. despite it being part of an act of compassion, she was sure there was a moment of passion and affection as well.
"Are you feeling better?" he asked in a concerned tone that she has not encountered and expected from him.
she nodded subtly with her eyes avoiding his until she realised a long pause of silence.
She raised her head slightly to take a peek at him, only to see him staring right at her with his fist clenched by the side of his body and jaw tightened. She felt the nervousness creeping up to her as she didnt know what his stern face connoted. She could also see slight traces of sorrows from his eyes.
All of a sudden, he stood up and turned his back against her and said, "there's something you have to see, so come with me~"
he realised she wasn't following his footsteps and turned around only to see her still in her original position, looking lost and afraid. He walked back to her, and this time, out of his own will, out of his new found love for her, he took her hands wholly.
"I promise you everything will return to normal soon. No one is gonna hurt you from now, just bear with me awhile more" she was stunned and touched by his comforting words.
what does he meant by everything will return to normal? why is it my heart feels unsettled ever since he took my first kiss. why is it I feel so nervous when he looked at me, even more so than before. his firm grip of my hands as we maneuvered our way through a dense forest gave me nothing but a sense of security, like a boyfriend protecting his girlfriend in her worst of times. it made my imaginations and heartbeat run wild, temporarily forgetting the horrors I faced and replacing them with fluffiness all over my body. I stared at his firm, strong back and tried to let go of my fears.
The two entered the secret garden. Umika was appalled by how dreamy the place looked and how calm it felt.
"w-where is this?" he let go of her hands and continued to walk forward towards the sole tree as he replied her.
"It is a place I created with my love, hope and dreams when I was very young. it's my only escapism. this secret garden only lets the people who could understand it enter its ground"
"I'm one of them?"
He paused for awhile before continuing.
"you did not just understand it, you share it's qualities...and you're not the only one it allowed in"
With his back still facing the confused girl, he slightly gestured his hand in a horizontal direction at the lone tree, and it revealed the body of Hikaru.
"Hikaru!!!" Umika ran towards the unconscious Hikaru and gently rubbed her palms on his face, "wake up~ please..."
His eyes gradually opened and Umika finally heaved a sigh of relief. She threw herself at him, giving him quite a shock but later wear a smile on his frail face. he felt a surge of happiness as the girl of his dreams embraces him wholeheartedly and is undoubtedly worried for him.
"you!!!!" after regaining full consciousness, albeit weak, he yelled and gathered his strength to dash towards Ryosuke who stood several steps away.
"Hikaru, No!" Umika was worried not for Hikaru, but Ryosuke who seemed to have no intention to block the attack. Her worries were of course unnecessary as Ryosuke's minions rushed in between them in full defensive mode. They effortless blocked the rash and clumsy attack and was about to return him a punch until Ryosuke ordered them to retreat.
"if it's not for Ryosuke, you have already died! he gave his own oracle to you... that thing is keeping you alive~ you should show gratitude instead of acting so unruly.!" Yuri has seldom erupt with an explosive anger. Ryosuke knew his best companion felt that he shouldn't have wasted such a precious stone to an unrelated person, especially one that could potential be a subject of a hunt.
Umika, at this instance realised the object of the conversation is the same one that Ryosuke handed to her. She get a sensing that this object is rare and hence precious to Ryosuke, so why did he give 2 of them away? why did he give it to me? Her heart is beginning to believe that a certain bond is forged between him and her, though she didnt know when it started and how.
"Yuri~ enough." Ryosuke tried to appease the anger in Yuri but it only led to more curiosity in Umika and Hikaru.
"no no, what is it about the oracle?" Umika begged Daiki for answers.
"The oracle is made by Ryosuke when he was 5. each one requires 50 drops of tears and 50 drops of blood. At such a young age, he already foresee the dangers he will face as time goes by, so he followed the ancient formula and inflicted harm in himself to create 5 of those oracles. he's the only one capable of concocting this. each of us has 1, including himself, and one more to Yuri..and the last one to..."
"I said enough!" Ryosuke frustratedly put a stop to the conversation as he turned to Umika.
In her mind, she wondered... if his was given to Hikaru... then who is the original owner of the last oracle that Ryosuke gave her yesterday? it must be that someone important that the three of them have been concealing all these while, that someone Ryosuke wants no mention of.
"Listen carefully. your grandma is dead and is one of our artifacts. the only one I could save is him... take it as a return of the favour I owe your grandma. she asked to save his life" Ryosuke said.
tears welled up in Hikaru and Umika's eyes but she held on to it. She has no more kin in this universe she could turn to. Ryosuke could feel her overwhelming uncertainty and loneliness, and he became deeply saddened by her emotions too.
"the two of you~ follow me" Ryosuke signaled Hikaru and Umika to follow, but this was met with some opposition from Yuri and Daiki who seemed to know what he has in mind.
"Ryosuke, you've got to rethink this" Yuri and Daiki held him back.
"I know what I'm doing! this is what I should have done 5 years ago, but I didn't. if I don't do it this time, I'll really regret." he pushed their hands away and hurried Umika and Hikaru to follow.
"how do we know you're not leading us to our deaths" Hikaru asked while he pulled Umika beside him, preparing to shield her if there's any danger.
"it's up to you to believe me~the onus is on you~" Ryosuke turned his back against them as though disinterested with whatever doubts they have.
he's hoping Umika would believe him, though he knew it's hardly possible given the kind of danger he has subjected her into for the past weeks and even threatened to kill her.
"Hikaru, I believe him. lets go" Ryosuke was shocked at her trust in him despite everything that has happened. he felt fuzzy all over...he eyed from the corner of his eyes Hikaru's unconditional protection towards Umika, and a feeling of jealousy grew. He suppressed the negativity and concentrated on the opening ahead - a few steps more and her life will return to normality and that's the best he could offer to her. He understood that in his capacity, he can never give Umika anything more than what Hikaru can... in fact, he'll only subject her to unlimited danger and worst, a death as tragic as her predecessor Mirai.
"R-Ryosuke?" Umika was puzzled at the view in front of her. Hikaru and her stared at the exit of the forest and could no longer grasp what the prince is intending.
"get lost and don't ever return here. this is my last warning to you. Your friends are not worth your life. your life is too precious and there're people out there who care for you and love you. at least, stay alive for them. your grandma and your parents will not want to see your death so soon, and they'll watch over you..."
"you're letting me go?" Umika was dumbfounded by his instructions.
"yes. I have enough of you. you created enough troubles for me."
" it doesn't make sense at all~ you are supposed to kill me... but you're letting me go.. " continued to press for answers.
"I should have killed you on day 1. I won't be able to do it anymore. there's no way I can, with my own hands from now" she sensed some feelings of sorrow in his solemn words. he sounded softer as if mumbling.
"if you let me go, what will she do to you?" she was worried more about the implications of the decision on him.
"as usual, you care too much. my life is really none of your business. Hikaru, take care of her and leave right now before I change my mind" Ryosuke refocused his attention on Hikaru as he could no longer tolerate the continued probing from her. He felt his heart is experiencing the ache as she continued to show her concern towards him.
"needless for you to say, I will take care of her. I don't think I need to thank you since your kind was the one who almost sent us to hell" Hikaru's words are like sharp arrows piercing through Ryosuke's heart. It's a hard truth that Ryosuke has grown to live with... his life is damned for eternity and he could only blame himself for being born into a family like this, where he can only be seen as the messenger of hell, sending fears and blood to whoever who sets eye on him. it's for the same reason, that he realised shutting himself from the outside world, from friendship, kinship and love, and being merciless to his victims are the only way he could prevent tragic endings to people he showed his other side to... Mirai is the consequence of failing to keep his true self under control. Umika cannot be the next one.
What Hikaru said is true, so Ryosuke suppressed his anger and took it upon himself. He clenched his fist and tightened his jaw as he turned his back against them.
"Umika lets go..." Hikaru pulled Umika in the other direction, but unknown to Ryosuke, Umika's eyes haven't left him. She continued to fix her gaze at Ryosuke even with Hikaru dragging her further from him.
As she see his figure getting smaller as the distance between them widened, she finally comprehended her complex feelings and her twisted heart. she broke loose from Hikaru's grip and ran towards Ryosuke, throwing her weight at him and wrapping her arms around Ryosuke from the back.
"Will I ever see you again?" she cried with her head leaned on his warm back.
Tears welled up in his eyes and his fist clenched even tighter while the pain in his heart grew more excruciating as the parting progressed.
He loosened her tight grip around him and gathered his courage to face her.
"Remember what I asked you back at your house... if I asked you to come back, will you?.... the correct answer is no. regardless of what happened, you cannot return to this evil place."
Sorrows and pain transpired as they looked into each other's eyes. without saying, they both learnt of the feelings towards each other that were set free after the kiss they shared yesterday. The love between them also sets the 2 in an unbearable farewell.
"we won't meet ever again." he answered.
She cried even harder. He finally let go of his suppression and let his emotions flow. He cupped her face and gave a soft peck on her lips in an attempt to stop her tears.
"Umika, you're a special girl. you may have lost all your kin, but listen, you're definitely not alone. Don't let the sadness or loneliness get to you. Your smiles, your innocence, your sincerity are what make you special and make everyone around you feel warm. at least, I feel that way. at least, you made me feel the humanity."
she let herself into his embrace as she attempt to seek comfort from the farewell.
"Ryosuke~ I love you" she cried.
it's not like he didnt know how she felt or didn't see this coming since the day he saw the painting she drew of him. But when she explicitly confessed, he was taken aback. he loves her too but it's a love he cannot reciprocate, for there's nothing he could give her except inflict more pain and fear to her delicate soul.
"it's pointless thinking over something that is impossible. There can be no love between us in this lifetime. you hear your friend, I am bounded to my fate as a devil who takes the happiness away from everyone. without me in your life, yours will be much better and brighter"
She grip him tighter around his waist as if he's gonna push her away anytime now.
"no no! since day 1, I've learnt that you are actually very kind-hearted... you're nothing like a devil. you saved me many times! I do feel protected around you." the same words spoken by his first love Mirai echoed in his mind as Umika continued her heartfelt confessions. The helplessness and frustration rushed through the veins of Ryosuke as he recalled the love that's taken from him.
"Stop being naive. it's these assumptions, these stupid conclusions you girls draw that get yourself killed. I'm not born an angel, I'm a devil!" he pushed her away from his embrace to end the depressing debate that is meaningless.
"Hikaru, what are you doing?! get her out of my sight, or I'll kill her!" Ryosuke yelled across to Hikaru who ran towards Umika, pulling her away immediately.
"Ryosuke~!" his heart felt like its ripped apart when he saw her struggling to get to him. Her tears ran like a watershed.
He can't bear to see the scene anymore.. He heartlessly turned his back against her and walked away from them into the dark forest once again.
He ly when the voices faded...he pressed onto his heart as looked solemnly at their figures disappear.
Goodbye Umika~ It's because I love you, that's why I must let you go. I don't deserve a place in your heart.
***********
Hi all.
I do hope all of you can leave a comment^^ I love reading comments from readers. I won't be able to update so frequently because of school work, hope all of you can understand.
Just a sneak peak into the next few chapters. Now that Umika left the forest, the next few chapters would feature less of Ryosuke-Umika...More unexpected events will take its toll on Ryosuke-Yuri-Daiki. And as you can see, Ryosuke has let his victim off, so he has to answer to his mother/the evil Snow Queen. Would she turn a blind eye? Will the love which just started to develop between Ryosuke-Umika ends here, as Ryosuke planned?...You can also expect to learn the story behind Yuri and Daiki's past...as well as Ryosuke.
stay tuned:)
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