Chapter 100 Epilogue
Epilogue
Darius’s POV
The afternoon sun fell softly over the wide field, turning the grass into gold. I sat quietly on a branch of the old willow tree, its leaves swaying gently around me, as if keeping my secret. From here, I could see her—my Vishiea.
She was running half-fast across the grass, her white dress brushing against the wildflowers.
Her laughter, faint but clear, reached me like music carried by the wind. She stretched out her hands, chasing a small butterfly that danced freely in the air, wings glowing in shades of yellow and white.
I smiled without meaning to.
It’s been a long time since I last heard her laugh like this. Even if she doesn’t remember me, even if she doesn’t know the weight of everything we once shared, this sight was enough. For me, it will always be enough.
I leaned back against the trunk, resting my arm over my knee, never taking my eyes away from her.
She looked so free, so untouched by the heavy chains of the past. Maybe it’s better this way. Maybe forgetting me meant she could breathe lighter.
And I… I will carry everything silently, so she doesn’t have to.
Her hair flew with the breeze, her cheeks pink from running, her lips curved in that smile I’ve always treasured more than my own life.
For a moment, I let myself imagine—what if she still remembered me? What if she still looked at me the same way she once did?
But dreams are only dreams. Reality is different. And reality is this: she no longer remembers my name, but my heart remembers hers with every beat.
I saw her pause, hands on her knees, catching her breath while the butterfly escaped into the sky.
She lifted her face upward, eyes sparkling with a childlike wonder, and then… she laughed again. My chest tightened. That sound was both my pain and my cure.
“Vishiea…” I whispered, too soft for anyone but the wind to hear.
Then I heard voices from a distance. Her friends were calling her, waving their hands. “Vishiea! Come on! Let’s go!”
She turned to them, her face bright with joy. She waved back, her smile blooming even wider. And just like that—her smile reached me, filling the empty parts of my soul.
I felt myself smiling too.
Someday, I’ll be the reason behind that smile again. Someday, it won’t just be your friends or the simple beauty of life that makes you happy.
Someday, it will be me. I don’t know when, I don’t know how, but I will wait. Because for you, Vishiea, I can wait a lifetime.
She ran toward her friends, laughter still lingering in the air, until her figure grew smaller and smaller against the horizon.
And yet, even when she disappeared from my sight, I stayed. My eyes remained on the path she took, as if holding onto the faint trace of her presence.
The field turned quieter. Only the rustle of the willow leaves and the chirping of crickets kept me company. Slowly, I closed my eyes.
“Vishiea,” I murmured, my voice trembling with both pride and longing. “You’re the bravest woman I know.”
Brave enough to walk through storms. Brave enough to let go of the past. Brave enough to live even when the world tried to break you.
And I—your shadow, your unseen watcher—will remain here, carrying the memories you left behind.
The wind brushed my face, soft like a caress. Somewhere deep inside, I felt her spirit still tied with mine, invisible but unbroken.
And so I stayed there, under the willow tree, heart full of both sorrow and hope. Watching from afar. Loving in silence.
Always.