He raced towards the receptionist’s desk while trying furiously to hold down the tidal wave of emotions that threw his thoughts into chaos. He had to organise his thoughts. Then it became clear to him once more. Seeing her as soon as possible was the priority that he had lost sight of while engulfed in overwhelming anger or sadness. He didn’t know who, or what his wrath was directed toward. Was it the world for failing to produce a cure? Was it the people who lived in it, moving on in their lives nonchalantly? Was it the doctors and researchers for not doing enough to save her? Or was it him who, inhumane as he was, powerful as he was, could not save the single woman he loved? He knew the answer.

Mdm Oh spotted him and called out with an impossibly cheerful voice. “She is in her suite!” It rubbed him the wrong way. He felt capable of choking that annoying sound out of her. But he still shouted back a word of thanks sincerely as he rushed up to her room.

The door broke open. There. She was stood there in front of the window, supported by her parents beside her. After so long. Wide awake. Before him.

Her eyes widened innocently. She gave him an apologetic look. “The weather is fine today, isn’t it? The leaves are pretty.” Elise rubbed the back of her neck and gave a weak smile, as if she was alright, as if she was happy, as if nothing was wrong. Did it not make her feel worse to keep that up? With shaking knees and trembling hands, he walked towards her.

“We will leave you two for now.” Her parents, sensing the need to allow them time alone, handed her to him and went out of her room.

“I’m back, Luhan…” Her voice was so soft, the words she spoke were almost inaudible. But every syllable that left her lips was relished by the man who held her tiny frame as though she might break, whose muffled sobs still managed to make its way through lips bitten raw. “Luhan…Luhan…” She repeated his name again and again, embracing him as tightly as she could. It was comforting, to finally be close to him again.  

“Elise…It didn’t work out, did it? I am going to lose you-” His throat tightened. This would probably qualify as a Shakespearean tragedy if that man wrote it down as a play. If only it was just a play. Then his heart would not be beaten into pieces by relentless waves.   

“Shh” She squeezed his hand and gently silenced him with a kiss as she supressed the tears blurring her vision. It was so hard, looking into his eyes while trying to keep him from noticing the glistening in her eyes with a smile on her face.

“At last I get to see you again. I missed you terribly over there.” But they already ran down her cheeks. It was then that he noticed how terrible she truly looked. Silvery blue flowers blossomed in her cheeks, in a beautiful, twisted way. Grey-tinged lips. That deathly pallor...and the bruises. All over her. Spiked purple orchids wrapped themselves all around her body that was now tinier than he had remembered it after the severe weight loss. But her eyes were still that same warm honey brown. Her hands were still warm. Still her. He took her hands in his.

“I a-am s-sorry…s-so s-sorry…” She choked out. It took a lot of effort to reach out to him, or even just to speak. But she really was sorry, for being unable to respond successfully to every single one of the treatments, even the experimental medicines, the doctors tried on her body. Arsenic trioxide made her wake up, and that was the only thing good that came out of the treatment. The fact that she could open her eyes and see him again. Her mom and dad, too.

It had been years. They had been involved in a long running lawsuit overseas against a large number of business partners who collectively held the power to sink the family business and force them into bankruptcy. All these had been kept secret from her, and her exhausted parents had little time to spend with her after having to gather evidence for the lawsuit. But it did not matter that they had been so distant in the past to her. Because they loved her enough to be apart from her, just to keep her alive.

In exchange, her life had been shortened. She would last no longer than a month. Her body had committed its final betrayal. But she…would hurt him in turn. And he saw it in her eyes. That she blamed herself.

“Don’t be silly.” He held her face against his chest again, the old ritual that would sooth her. It worked. She borrowed her face into his chest and closed her eyes. “It is not your fault. Not anybody’s. It just happened to be this way.” And his eyes watered as well.      

They did not speak for a long time afterward, just holding each other. As their heart bones broke apart.

She was beside him, asleep. That skin...so white it appeared ashen reminded him of the waxy complexion of the dead. Elise was dying. The mental image of her dead body stole across his mind. He stilled. She was on the verge of death. The sharp intake of breath that cut into his lungs felt laboured. Denial was the option for idiots like him. But it had been closed away. She was going to die. Going to die. It echoed in his mind, like a verdict just pronounced. No, no, no! He shook his head desperately. He would not let that happen. Never. There was still an unexplored option that could be dangerous. And he just had to risk it in a trip to Heaven. 

Author's note: Hello ^-^ This is a bit late...but Merry Christmas!! I hope you all enjoyed it :) and Happy New Year in advance! I will not be updating so much after school starts because I will probably get tied down with a whole lot of activities when I get back. I will probably update about once a week, but it all depends on my schedule because I will have tests extremely frequently (not joking) .___. and Co Curricular Activities that occupy a lot of time. School starts in a few more days so burbye~ *bows head and waves* I'll be back soon!