Chapter 78: Won’t Delay Happiness!

Draven took a deep breath, his heart pounding.

"Mysa," he began, his voice shaking slightly, "I… I don’t think it’s the right time to—" He was cut off by Mysa.

“Please, Draven.” Her eyes searched for his with desperation. “I know you are hiding something.”

“Did someone… Did Fabian or Diva say anything?” he asked to be sure.

She shook her head in denial. “No, they didn’t. And before they do, you should tell me. I don’t want to stay in the dark. I didn’t come here to stay to once again be shrouded in mystery about my life. I want to know who Mysa was. What was her surname?”

He knew the time had come to reveal the truth. He looked at Mysa, who was gazing at him with a mixture of curiosity and trust.

"What is it, Draven? Please, tell me."

“Fabiona,” he muttered.

“Huh?”

Draven took her hands in his, his gaze steady and filled with emotion. "Mysa Fabiona is your full name,” he finally started.

Mysa Fabiona — the name ring a bell in her mind.

“We have known each other since we were kids. We grew up together, best friends from the start. You were always there for me, and I for you."

A faint smile formed on Draven’s lips, remembering when Mysa used to tease him and he used to complain to his mom. ‘Mommy! Mysa teased me again saying I was a baby. But I am five years old. How can I be a baby? And if I am a baby, she is too.Complain to her mommy, okay?’

He shared every tiny thing with her. He shared about Clave being a father figure to him during their kindergarten days. ‘Superhero. My superhero, Mysa. When I see what a dad does for their babies, I can only think of my superhero. He did everything for me like a dad.’

Heck, he even wanted to go to Disneyland only because of Mysa. He had requested his parents when he was seven years old to take him to Disneyland. ‘Actually, I wanted to go for Mysa. She wants a Tinker Bell pendant from there. Her parents promised her.’

He could never see her in pain. He remembered how he promised his parents saying, ‘When I grow old like you, I will fulfill Mysa's every wish.’

He chuckled on his own, thinking of their teenage years, when he gave a bad haircut but he didn’t believe it was that bad until Mysa told him. Only then did he change his hairstyle.

One time, he was complaining to Clave about Mysa teasing him all the time.

‘Maybe her way of telling you the truth is different, but she is honest. You can't deny that,’ was what Clave had replied.

‘She behaves so politely with everyone, but when it comes to me, she doesn't even bother to put in the effort to be nice,’ Draven replied to him with a scoff.

‘If she thinks twice before talking to you, then that's not friendship,’ Clave explained to him.

‘I am not telling her to think twice. It's just that sometimes she should act nice to me. I feel bad when she is all polite and smiles with other boys in our class except me. All she ever does is roast me.’

How foolish he had been! He was always jealous of other boys getting her attention, yet he failed to understand his emotions.

"Best friends?” Mysa’s voice brought Draven out of his memory lane. Mysa's brow furrowed as she tried to piece together the fragments of her memory. “That sounds... familiar."

Draven nodded, squeezing her hands gently. "Yes, best friends. But it became more than that. You fell in love with me first. I didn't realize my own feelings until later. You were always so patient, so understanding."

Mysa's breath caught, her heart pounding. "We were in love?"

His eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Yes, Mysa. Deeply. We had dreams and plans. We wanted to build a life together. We were about to get married too. But then the accident happened — just before our wedding day and then, everything changed.”

“You thought I was dead?” she asked to be sure, her eyes becoming watery, seeing him in tears. Why couldn’t she see him in pain?

“Never, Mysa,” he said, smiling through his tears. “I was the only one who believed you were alive. Everyone tried to tell me that you were… but I followed my heart. I knew you were safe and somewhere out there.”

“Why…?” she mumbled, looking at him in disbelief. “How can you be so sure I was alive? What if I was really dead, Draven?”

“Well, even if that had happened, I am pretty sure the Universe would call me too. After all, it knows that Draven is a nobody without Mysa,” he gently caressed her cheek, wiping a tear that slid through her eyes with his thumb. “Or else, I would be living a lifeless life like I had been for these three months.”

“You loved me that much?” her words came out almost as a whisper.

“I love you more than you can imagine, Mysa,” he mumbled. “And look, by the Universe’s grace, you are here, back to me.”

“But I don’t remember anything, Draven.” Mysa felt a rush of emotions, her mind a whirlwind of confusion and longing. "I... I don't remember, but I can feel it. I can feel that what you're saying is true. Why don’t I remember these moments? I want to remember."

“It’s okay if you don’t remember. We can always create new memories.” He pulled a few strands of hair behind her ear. “Even if you never regain your memories, I don’t mind at all. I am confident that I will make you fall in love with me all over again.”

Mysa felt her heart grow heavy with the weight of his words. She could see the sincerity in his eyes, feel the warmth of his touch.

The memories were just out of reach, like shadows dancing on the edge of her consciousness.

But there was something about Draven, something familiar and comforting.

"Draven, I..." she started, her voice faltering as she got up from the bench.

She felt a sudden rush of emotions, memories flashing before her eyes in rapid succession. She saw a young Draven laughing with her by a park, the two of them in her room when he first told her he loved her, them holding hands under the stars, the look of pure joy on his face after she said yes to marrying him.

"Mysa? Are you okay?" Draven's voice was filled with concern, his grip on her hands tightening.

She clutched at Draven, her vision blurring. "Draven... I don't feel so good..."

Before Draven could react, Mysa's eyes fluttered shut, and she went limp in his arms. Panic surged through him as he gently shook her. "Mysa! Mysa, wake up!"

"Mysa!" Draven shouted, catching her just before she hit the ground. His heart raced with fear as he cradled her in his arms. "Stay with me, Mysa. Please, stay with me."

###

Draven's heart pounded in his chest as the ambulance raced towards the hospital. He held Mysa's hand tightly, his mind filled with fear and hope. The moments from their past flashed through his mind, mingling with the uncertainty of the present. He couldn't lose her now, not when she was so close to remembering.

At the hospital, doctors and nurses swiftly took Mysa from his arms and onto a stretcher. Draven followed closely, his eyes never leaving her pale face. He felt a surge of helplessness wash over him as he watched them wheel her away.

"Sir, please wait here," a nurse instructed him gently, guiding him to a waiting area.

Draven sank into a chair, his hands trembling. Every second felt like an eternity. He buried his face in his hands, whispering prayers and pleas to anyone who would listen.

After what felt like hours, a doctor approached him. Draven sprang to his feet, his eyes filled with anxiety. "How is she? Is she okay?"

The doctor gave him a reassuring smile. "She's stable now. It seems like she fainted due to an overwhelming surge of emotions and memories. We're running some tests, but she'll be okay."

Draven let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Can I see her?"

"In a moment," the doctor replied. "I need to speak with you first. It appears that Mysa has regained her memories. This is a rare occurrence, but sometimes, a significant emotional event can trigger the return of lost memories."

Draven's eyes widened. "She remembers? Everything?"

The doctor nodded. "Yes, it seems so. She's asking for you."

Without waiting for another word, Draven hurried down the hall to Mysa's room. He paused at the door, taking a deep breath to steady himself before entering.

Inside, Mysa lay on the hospital bed, looking pale but alert. Her eyes lit up when she saw him. "Draven..."

He rushed to her side, taking her hand in his. "Mysa, are you okay? The doctor said you remember everything."

Tears welled up in Mysa's eyes as she nodded. "Yes, Draven. I remember it all. Our childhood, our love, the accident... everything."

Draven's heart swelled with relief and joy. He leaned down, pressing his forehead against hers. "I can't believe it. I was so scared."

Mysa squeezed his hand, her voice trembling with emotion. "I was scared too. But now, I feel... whole again. Like a part of me that was missing has finally come back."

Draven wiped away the tears that had slipped down her cheeks. "I've missed you so much, Mysa. I never stopped believing that you'd come back to me."

Mysa's eyes were filled with love as she looked up at him. "Thank you for never giving up on me. I love you, Draven."

"I love you too, Mysa," he whispered, his voice breaking. "More than anything in this world."

They embraced, holding each other tightly, as if afraid to let go. The room seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them and the love that had endured through time and memory.

After a while, Draven pulled back slightly, just enough to look into Mysa’s eyes.

The joy of their reunion was tempered by a lingering question, a shadow that had haunted him for months. He took a deep breath, his eyes searching hers.

"Mysa, there's something I need to know," he began. "Why didn’t you tell me about the threats? Why did you hide all of that from me?"

Mysa's smile faltered, replaced by a look of guilt and fear. She glanced away, unable to meet his gaze.

"Draven, I... I was scared. I didn’t want to put you in danger. They threatened to harm you if I didn’t do as they said. I thought I was protecting you."

Draven's grip on her hand tightened, his jaw clenching. "Protecting me? Mysa, we promised each other no secrets. We were supposed to face everything together. Do you know how much it hurt to find out you were dealing with this alone?"

Tears welled up in Mysa's eyes, and she reached up to touch his cheek. "I am so sorry, Draven. I thought I was doing the right thing. I didn’t want you to get hurt because of me."

Draven sighed, his anger softening at the sight of her distress. "Mysa, I was already hurt. I lost you. I spent months searching for you, not knowing if you were alive or dead. We have to trust each other, no matter what."

Mysa nodded, wiping away her tears. "I know, Draven. I realize that now. I should have trusted you. I’m sorry for breaking that promise."

He cupped her face in his hands, his eyes boring into hers. "I need you to promise me, right here and now, that you’ll never hide anything from me again. No more secrets, no more lies. We face everything together, okay?"

Mysa swallowed hard, then nodded. She showed him three fingers of her right, a small, hesitant smile forming on her lips. "Star promise?"

Draven couldn’t help but chuckle through his tears, the gesture so innocent and reminiscent of their childhood. He placed two of his fingers over her fingers."Star promise."

Mysa leaned forward, their foreheads touching once more. "I promise, Draven. No more secrets. We will face everything together."

Draven kissed her gently, sealing the promise. "Together. Always."

Mysa smiled, the weight of her fears and regrets lifting from her shoulders. "Always."

Both of them were in peaceful silence for a while.

She gazed into Draven's eyes, her heart overflowing with love and determination.

"Draven," she began softly, "I don’t want to wait any longer. I want to marry you tomorrow."

Draven's eyes widened in surprise, his heart skipping a beat at her words. "Tomorrow?"

"Yes," Mysa nodded eagerly, her smile radiant. "I don’t want to delay our happiness any further. I want us to start our new chapter together as soon as possible."

Draven chuckled, his fingers gently tracing patterns on her hand. "You know, Mysa, I can’t argue with that. But if we’re going to do this tomorrow, there’s something I need to do tonight."

Mysa tilted her head curiously, her eyes searching his. "What is it?"

"I want to spend tonight with you," Draven replied softly. "I won’t let you out of my sight again. I want to cherish every moment with you, from now until forever."

Mysa felt her heart swell with affection. She reached out to cup his cheek, her touch tender. "Draven, you’ve already waited so long for me. I don’t want to make you wait any longer."

Draven shook his head, a smile spreading across his face. "Mysa, waiting for you has been worth every second. And tonight, I want to make sure you know just how much you mean to me."

Mysa's eyes shimmered with unshed tears, overwhelmed by his love and devotion. "Okay, Draven. Tonight, then."

Draven leaned in to kiss her forehead gently, his arms wrapping around her protectively. "Tonight, and every night after. I promise."