In which Sana is an immortal who had been dating the same person in every lifetime in hopes of getting them to remember everything they had done together.

Sana has always been special. Not just to her soulmate, but to the world. No, she wasn't some sort of popular figure; she just had a special ability. A special ability that only her closest friends and her soulmate knows of.

She was immortal.

Sana was actually born in the year 996 A.D. She didn't age after she turned 21 which was great for aesthetic purposes but not so great for her existence. Truthfully, she didn't know if this was a curse or a blessing. She outlived her parents, cousins, friends, relatives, you name it.

She had witnessed the birth and death of what should be her decedents and lived through both world wars but the most painful was her lover. Sana would see her soulmate die in every lifetime. The first time it happened, the pain was almost unbearable. She didn't want to live. She really didn't. She tried all ways to kill herself; stabbing, jumping off a building, overdose, even shooting herself in the head but she just couldn't die. It was almost as funny as a cartoon program but she just couldn't seem to kill herself.

Sana mourned the loss every day. She thought she would have to live till the end of time alone and she hated it. She hated life. But one day, she bumped into someone. Someone that looked exactly like her soulmate who had passed over ten years ago. She chased her soulmate and they fell in love again, living together happily until they were ripped apart by death once again. She hated life and she hated fate.

The third time Sana saw the same face walking down the street, she understood what was happening. It was her soulmate being reincarnated. That was the turning point for her. She never felt as heartbroken as the first two times her soulmate passed. When she kissed her beloved goodbye for the third time, she knew she would see her lover once again in a few years. Of course she would still mourn but she didn't curse at fate for she knows she has something to live for.

Sana made it her eternal mission to always find her soulmate and be together. Of course, her beloved wasn't always the same in each lifetime. Sometimes Sana had to fight with her partner and sometimes she would end up heartbroken. Sometimes she would find her soulmate with another man or woman but she would fight each time, never letting go.

Some would say Sana was a fool for chasing the same person for more than a thousand years but she didn't care and she wouldn't care. She would willingly be a fool for her beloved.

This year, would be no different.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

'Mina, do you want anything from the store?' Sana asked as she slipped on her shoes.

'Wait wait wait wait!' Mina shouted from their bedroom as the girl ran out into the living room while struggling to put her coat on. 'I want to go too!' The girl ran up to Sana and almost slipped since she had her socks on. Sana caught her and laughed, combing her fingers through Mina's hair to kempt Mina's messy brown locks.

She straightened Mina's shirt and stretched the sleeves of her shirt out through the coat sleeves so it wouldn't be all crumpled and uncomfortable. Mina had a silly grin on her face as she watched her girlfriend fuss over her navy blue coat, complaining about how messy she looked.

'What?' Sana asked when she finally caught sight of Mina's grin.

'Nothing.' Mina chirped and quickly leaned in, stealing a kiss. 'Let's go!' The shorter girl slipped her hand into Sana's and pulled the girl out of their apartment with the immortal behind her, shaking her head with a gentle smile on her lips.

'So you saw me when I was a little kid?' Mina asked Sana and the latter nodded.

'You were this small, but very cute.' Sana moved her hand to her mid-thigh to gesture Mina's height.

'Didn't my parents find you weird for creeping on me? I mean, you must have looked like this right?'

'Well, they didn't really know I was creeping since I only played with you when you were at the playground. Do you remember?'

'Of course. I don't think I could ever forget being approached by a real friendly stranger who offered me a lollipop. Now that I think of it, that sounds like a child kidnapper.' Mina snickered and Sana jabbed her finger into the girl's sides, making her squeal and attract the attention of some passer-by’s.

'Then you must be one screw loose to fall in love with someone who tried to kidnap you isn't it?' Sana rolled her eyes and Mina laughed.

'One screw loose for you~' Mina sang as she spun around in front of Sana.

They arrived at the convenience store in the next block and walked in, simultaneously letting out a contented sigh as the warm air from the heater inside hit them in the face.

'Chips?' Mina poked a bag.

'Do you want it?' Sana asked as she slung her arm around Mina's shoulders.

'Let's get popcorn instead. That's better for a movie.'

'Anything for you.' Sana smiled lovingly and they walked through the isle.

They paid for the popcorn and some drinks before leaving, stepping out into the cold again.

'Can you tell me more? What you've seen in the past thousand years.' Mina asked as she looked at Sana.

'That's a lot to tell you know?'

'We could stay up all night. I'd listen to you tell stories forever if I could.'

'One thing I can say is that if I told you everything that happened; you'd have to forget whatever you learnt in history class because half of those aren't true. History books are written by the victors and it only tells their side of the story. I’ve seen the losing side of the story and there's so much more to everything than what historians think actually happened.' Sana interlocked their fingers and swung their hands back and forth.

They were back in their apartment in no time and they changed back into comfortable oversized tees and sweatpants before jumping on the couch.

'Isn't it hard to live forever?' Mina asked as she stretched her legs out and tangled them with Sana's, resting her head in the crook of the girl's neck.

'It's bearable because I have something to look forward to.'

'What's that?'

'Seeing you.' Sana nuzzled her face into Mina's hair and the girl giggled.

'So cheesy.’

‘But it’s true.’ Sana grinned.

‘I think the people you dated way before must have been real pampered by you.' Mina turned over and gently kissed the spot behind Sana's ear.

'They were pampered but it wasn't always easy chasing them.' Sana smiled and Mina looked into her eyes. Mina knew Sana was old. Sometimes the girl's, or should she say lady's eyes, would reflect the many years of hardships and suffering due to the absence of wrinkles.

'Tell me more about them.' Mina whispered breathily, warm air tickling Sana's neck.

'I dated 16 people and married 16 people.' Sana began.

'The people you dated were the same people you married?' Mina asked, mouth curving into a little 'O' shape.

'Yep. Some were really nice and some were a little hard to get at first but in the end, it all played out well.'

'It's painful to outlive them isn't it?' Mina said softly and heard the vibration in Sana's chest as the girl hummed in agreement.

'It was painful at first. I tried to kill myself many times over the span of five years because I really didn't feel like living. What's the point of carrying on with life if everyone you knew was dead? I hated life and I shut myself away from the outside world.' Sana recounted, wistfulness reflecting in her eyes. Mina slipped her hand under the girl's back and wrapped Sana in a hug.

'You were rescued each time?'

'No. It was as if I was immune to death itself. It just didn't work. Stab wounds healed, I just felt queasy after swallowing all those pills, jumping off a building would just leave me with broken bones and even a shot to the head was useless. The bullet seemed to miraculously drop out along with the gush of blood. Then it healed. Sounds crazy but it's true.'

'I'm glad it didn't work. If it did, I wouldn't be able to see you.'

'I'm glad it didn't too.'

'I suddenly thought of a really inappropriate joke.' Mina looked up with her mischievous grin and Sana laughed.

'What is it?'

'They say age matters because it would be counted as ia if the was too big. You're older than me by a thousand and one years so isn't that super severe?' Mina laughed as she talked about the age difference and Sana pinched the bridge of her nose.

'I don't think that's applicable here Minari. Those people actually look visibly older but I don't. I still look 21. It's different.' Sana rubbed Mina's stomach and the girl chuckled.

'It's still a funny thought, no?'

'It's actually quite creepy. Damn it, you're making me feel like I shouldn't be doing this to you because you're like the age of my great-great-great-great-great-granddaughter.' Sana tried to push Mina off her but the girl laughed even louder and clung on to Sana.

'Oh please! Shouldn't you have even avoided playing with me when I was a kid then? Because then you would have basically babysat me.'

'Stop. Right there.' Sana rubbed her face.

'Okay okay~ I'll go make the popcorn.' Mina kissed Sana's nose and clambered off to the kitchen. Sana pushed herself off the sofa and stretched her neck, feeling a few joints pop.

Mina was pouring the kernels into the frying pan and Sana wrapped her arms around the girl's waist, resting her head on Mina's shoulders.

'Don't. For the sake of this kitchen.' Mina wriggled out of Sana's grasp and they laughed.

'I didn't even do anything but hug you. What's wrong with you?' Sana crossed her arms over her chest with an amused smile.

'Just in case.' Mina grinned.

They emptied the popcorn into a bowl when it was done and began their movie night. The movie was a rom-com, eliciting occasional giggles from the couple and eventually some tears near the ending.

When it finished, Sana guided the sleepy Mina to their bedroom and told the girl to go to sleep while she cleared up. Sana joined Mina in bed shortly after and the younger girl automatically cuddled against Sana. The immortal listened to Mina's steady breathing, a clear indication that the girl was sound asleep in her arms.

'I love you. I'll love you till the end of time.' Sana whispered as she looked at Mina’s soft features. The girl looked like an angel. 'I'll tell you that in every lifetime so you won't forget.'

Sana drifted off to sleep soon after.

Mina was home alone today. Sana had gone out to visit one of her friend who was in the hospital. From what she heard, that friend wasn't going to last another month or two so Sana decided to see her one last time.

Deciding to be productive, she started to spring clean their apartment. Sana could afford a mansion but that would be suspicious and a little too much for just two people to live in so they opted for a cosier, small apartment.

Mina dusted the shelves and rearranged the books in alphabetical order. She wiped the kitchen down till it was spotless and made their metal utensils shine with salt and vinegar. She then moved on to wiping the fan blades and vacuuming the carpet, reorganizing the magazines under the coffee table.

She then began on their bedroom which needed the least work since it was always clean. All Mina had to do was dust the bedside tables and wipe the cabinets. While wiping the cabinets, she found a box that she had never seen before. It belonged to Sana and she knew that she shouldn't be snooping around, even if it was her girlfriend's stuff. It would be an invasion of privacy anyway.

She lifted it up to wipe the back but it fell over and the lid popped off, contents dropping out with a loud thump. Oh no.

Mina quickly shifted the box back upright to repack the items but she realized that there was only one album and a wooden box. At least nothing was broken. There was a small slip of paper sticking out of the album and Mina couldn't resist but to take a peep. A peep wouldn't hurt. She gently and carefully tugged the slip out and realized it was a small painting of when Sana was a toddler. This was almost millennium years old.

She smiled at how cute her girlfriend looked. Maybe she could flip through a couple more paintings later. Mina quickly wiped the rest of the cabinet and took a shower before sitting down on their bed with the album on her lap. It was thick and really heavy which probably meant there were loads of pictures inside.

Mina flipped to the first page and saw a portrait of Sana and her parents. It felt special flipping through this album because it wasn't just any old photo album, this was literally treasure. Portraits of Sana and her parents filled the first three pages but then she almost dropped the album in shock. After flipping the third page, there was a painting of Sana and another girl who had an uncanny resemblance to Mina herself. Shaking off the shock and brushing it aside as a mere coincidence, she continued to flip through but page after page there were portraits and paintings of Sana and the splitting image of her.

From paintings to the first developed photos till they had colour, Mina flipped through the pages. She knew that these were all collected over time judging from how they were sorted from old to new and how the later pages had developed films and pictures in replacement of the paintings when cameras were invented.

Mina didn't know what to feel. There were so many different pictures all of what seemed to be her and Sana but she had no recollection of. It was as if she lived as long as Sana but her memory had been wiped clean. Can she even call that person herself?

A piercing sensation shot through her head, giving the girl a glimpse of a black and white image and Mina snapped the album shut. She shouldn't have opened it. She quickly placed it back in the box and closed it, sliding it back into its original position and slammed the cabinet shut. Her head was spinning and a million thoughts raced through her mind. How was this possible? More importantly, why didn't Sana tell her about this? Were those her? Or were they just look alike of her? Does that mean that Sana is only dating her because she looks like her very first love?

Just then, she heard the lock beep and the front door opening. Mina steadied her breathing and pushed her thoughts aside. Sana couldn't know she saw those.

'You're back.' Mina smiled at Sana who was kicking off her shoes.

'Yeah. Wow, you tidied the place?' Sana looked around and everything seemed to be brand new like when they first moved in which honestly wasn’t that long ago.

'Yes. How was your friend?' Mina changed the subject to distract herself from the questions that were eating at her insides. Her head was still throbbing and weird flashes of images were flashing too quickly for her to process anything.

'I don't think she'll be around till the end of this month. She could barely stay awake for more than half an hour. Her family was curious as to how she knew me since they never seen me before so I just said I was one of the nurses that was off duty.' Sana chuckled as she hugged Mina.

'Are you okay? You're a little stiff. And pale.' Sana furrowed her brows slightly at Mina who shook her head.

'I'm fine. Probably just exhausted from cleaning.' The girl forced a smile but Sana could feel something was off. The girl would usually ask for a kiss even if she was unwell but this time, she didn't.

'You sure?' Sana asked again and Mina nodded, brushing her off. 'Alright. I'll go change real quick okay?' Sana said before going into the bedroom and closed the door. She quickly slid over to the cabinet and pulled out the box where she stashed her album along with the little gifts Mina got her in her past life and opened the lid.

'No.' Sana gasped. Mina did arrange everything as it was but the painting which she pulled out earlier was placed back neatly into the album. A little too neatly. Sana remembered clearly that there was a painting sticking out but it was now aligned to the spine of the album.

Mina saw this. She must have or she wouldn't be acting this way. .

'Mina?' Sana called out as she dumped the album haphazardly into the box and left it on the floor as she walked outside.

'Yes?' Mina replied from the couch. Her heart was thumping hard and fast in her chest seeing how Sana walked out of the room still dressed in her jeans and pullover.

Sana wordlessly pulled Mina into a tight hug and the younger girl stood there in shock. The immortal could feel Mina's heart thumping against her own chest and she Mina's hair.

'Mina I'm sorry. I should have told you but I didn't know how to even explain myself. I'm so sorry. This must have been a shock to you.' Sana whispered and prayed that Mina would hug her back. 'I'm really sorry. Would you let me explain?'

Mina slowly wrapped her arms around Sana and she could feel and hear the immortal let out a huge sigh of relief. Sana rocked her gently from side to side and Mina's heart rate gradually slowed down.

They pulled away and sat down on the couch. Sana was silently grateful that Mina wasn't distancing herself although she was being abnormally quiet.

'Do you mind if I bring that box out?' Sana asked gently and Mina nodded hesitantly. It wasn't that Mina didn't want to; her brain felt like it was on some kind of bungee ride. Rising and falling with slight throbbing in between.

Sana quickly brought the box out and set it on the table, taking the album out and placed it on her lap.

'I'll explain every picture from start to end. Okay?' Sana asked and Mina nodded.

As Sana spoke about her parents, Mina's headache eased a little and she could listen attentively. She reached out for Sana's hand and held it in her own which clearly surprised the older but she said nothing. The moment the third page turned, Mina's headache returned and her hand instinctively clenched, making Sana look at her.

'Are you okay?' She asked when she saw Mina's eyes screwed shut.

'Headache.' Mina said simply and waved for the girl to continue.

'I can assure you with hundred percent guarantee, this is you. Hear me out. This is you. I fell in love with you because you were just so elegant and charming but also cute and funny at the same time. You radiated class and were actually one of the most popular girls in that time. It was really a blessing that you were my soulmate. It was in between these two, that I tried to kill myself like I told you.' Sana pointed at two different photos that seemed a little different. One of them had bangs and the other had a long, side swept fringe which Mina assumed was her second life.

'I just couldn't take it. You were everything to me. You meant the world to me but you were ripped from me. I was more than heart broken. I felt like I was torn to pieces physically because it hurt so badly. Every day was just so painful.' Sana said and her eyes welled with tears. The wounds still felt fresh like it was yesterday.

'How was I like?' Mina croaked.

'Just like this. Pure, beautiful and captivating. I dated you 16 times and not once have I regretted it. Earlier, my friend asked me if I found you and I said yes. I did.' Sana blinked and her tears fell. 'I would find you over and over because you mean that much to me.'

The immortal rubbed the tears away and flipped the pages.

'I only realized that it was the reincarnation of you after the third time. Remember when you asked if it was hard living so long? I said it's bearable because I look forward to seeing you in your next lifetime. I know I will find you and that's my motivation to live.'

Mina flipped to one of the middle pages which was a coloured photograph where she was much older. She realized that her head throbbed more as she flipped to the more recent pictures and visions were still flashing like a choppy motion picture screening.

'This was one of the times where I said was a little difficult. When we met, you had another partner and you were pretty insistent on him. You told me that if I was really serious about you-''you would have to wait.' Mina finished Sana's sentence with a slight wince.

'How did you know?' Sana asked, truly surprised.

'It just came out of nowhere.' Mina hit her head a few times.

'Should we stop? I think you need some rest.' Sana was concerned at how pained Mina looked.

'Just carry on. I'll be fine.'

'We got together in the end even though it was later than usual.' Sana said after some hesitance. 'There was one year that your parents were really against our relationship so we ran away and camped out in a little house in the countryside.' She pointed at a picture of them smiling with the background of a peaceful open field.

When Sana got to the second last page, Mina felt ready to faint. She was convinced her head was going to tear itself apart and her vision was starting to become hazy.

'This was the last picture we took from your last life.' Sana pointed at the single picture on the last page. It was their back view in the hospital, looking over the breath-taking view of the sunset.

'I thought that maybe, if I just kept chasing you, somehow you would remember all these things that we have done and the memories we made.' Sana closed the album and that was it for Mina. The girl pulled her hand out of Sana's hand and gripped her head.

'Mina? I think we should go to the hospital.' Sana quickly stood up but Mina dropped to the floor on her knees. Sana bent down again and wrapped Mina in a hug, her head in hopes of relieving the excruciating pain.

The visions were becoming more apparent now. They weren’t just pictures. They were memories. The back story to every photo that she had seen in that album. The memories of the past thousand years were pounding into her brain like a memory hailstorm and suddenly, the pain subsided. She could see everything clearly and remember things she previously couldn't. Things that didn’t happen in her current lifetime. She could remember how she and Sana first met, how they first started dating, how they first got married, every detail and every second spent with Sana over the span of a thousand years, she could remember.

Mina heard the sound of her own ragged breathing in her ears and felt Sana's arms around her wobbly form and she just let herself go, leaning forward and pushing Sana over and crashed onto the floor.

'I love you.' Mina said and she was pretty sure Sana let out a choked sob. 'I don't even know but some kind of magic must have happened when you opened that album because memories came flooding out like a broken dam and it must have been too much to process that my brain almost ripped apart but it's okay. I'm good.' She mumbled and pulled her hands away from her head.

'Everything that I said?' Sana sniffled.

'Everything.' Mina repeated. She got up and hovered above Sana, placing her hands on either side of the girl's head to support her weight as she looked down.

'You were right. You chased me long enough for me to remember. And I’ll probably remember it in my next life. And the next, and the next.' Mina smiled down at the girl who had a hand clamped over as tears slid down the side of her temples.

'If you chase me for the rest of time, I’ll remember you for the rest of time.' Mina grinned and Sana nodded her head through her tears. She pried Sana's hands away and leaned down, sealing their lips in a promise.

A promise that will last till the end of time.