A Time For Us: An AkuNami Story

Time is too slow for those who wait,

too swift for those who fear,

too long for those who grieve,

too short for those who rejoice,

but for those who love,

time is eternity.

Henry Van Dyke

Sunset Hills. Twilight. Another day drawing to an end.

Namine gazed deeply out into the sky as she watched the sun's fiery shape slip behind some clouds. The sunlight made her sapphire eyes sparkle as if they were sapphires themselves.

There was a rustle in the breeze that caught her ears, stimulating her dainty head to perk as she turned her eyes towards the open and empty lot beside her. But a few seconds passed before she sighed to herself in disappointment and reeturned her watchful gaze to the setting sun.

Where is he? she wondered in silence.

They agreed that they'd meet each other here every afternoon once they'd done what each of them had to do for that day. Of course, it was not like Namine had anything she needed to do...after all, what else was there that she was needed for? She'd completed her task ages ago. On the other hand, Namine knew there was still some unfinished business that he wanted to settle. That is, if he found a way he culd meet those ends meet.

I want to see him again. He told her. Just one more time, to give the goodbye I never really gave him.

Namine had never seen him so desperate before, but that was the only thing raging inside his own mind. She saw the way the urgency of this task of his manifested in him; more than once she saw him crumple his perfect face in his gloved hands in what looked like agony, tighten his hands into fists and pound them against a wall in frustration, and the way he'd tirelessly keep himself up at night, waiting for the morning to come, so that he'd start searching again.

Having watched him in this routine for some time now, Namine couldn't help but feel sorry for the man who was once her enemy.

The man-no, the boy-who had once taken part in imprisoning her, in intimidating her, in threatening her, and ultimately, in setting her free, was nothing but a helpless and desperate soul with nothing left to hold on to but an existence that he wasn't meant to have, time that was slowly ticking away each time more of his energy was spent on this arduous task, and the hope that he could have just one more chance to say farewell to the friend who made him feel like he was someone worthwhile.

Yet, Namine wondered to herself whether or not he knew that he also had her, as insignificant and lowly as she was, to help him make it through what really was his darkest hour?

A soft rumble surged nearby. Namine looked over her shoulder. Wispy shreds of darkness and thorns emerged from the ground and grew in size.

A foot stepped out of the darkness. Out stepped another. And then, finally, a body.

The dark portal faded as Namine gazed stilly at the arrival of a young man in a long black coat, fiery red hair, and the most riveting green eyes she'd ever seen.

He looked back at her with his familiar gaze-a gaze that was dark and fierce but at the same time, calm, hospitable, and entrancing. As Namine looked deeply into them (for how could she not, the weight of his captivating gaze was so immense), she noticed something that wasn't there before.

She thought she'd saw a twinkle in his eye-one that came through only one means-tears.

"Hey..." she whispered, in her usual gentle, quiet tone. "Did you...?"

He shook his head. And from his lips, he gave her only two words.

"It's over."