As Ishira stood by the window, looking at Yue while she slept, he felt sad. He wanted to check on her again but worried about earlier when he had upset her.
He slowly walked closer to her, feeling guilty for not being able to speak to her about his feelings. Memories of his childhood flooded back to him, especially a happy day at the park. But then, everything changed when a group of knights attacked them.
In a panic, he and his family ran into the jungle, trying to hide. While they were trying to be quiet, Ishira accidentally stepped on a thorn and cried out, which revealed their hiding spot. His father told them to stay quiet, but it was too late.
Seeing that they were in danger, Ishira's father decided to surrender so Ishira and his mother could escape. However, his mother was too tired to run and hid Ishira, telling him not to make a sound. When knights found them, Ishira had to watch as they killed his mother. Traumatized, he was too shocked to cry out. The knights didn't bother with him and let him live, leaving him alone to bury his mother.
For the next ten years, he faced a different kind of darkness. He was captured and sold into slavery, forced to become an assassin along with 200 other children, but he was the only one who survived their harsh training. One day, nearly dead from exhaustion, he met a kind queen who fed orphans. Feeling desperate, he tried to steal food from her but was caught. Instead of punishing him, she offered him food and promised to help those in need.
Eventually, Ishira had to leave to escape his captors. He wanted to thank the queen, but she was gone. Instead, he saw Yue, a girl who looked just like her. He felt drawn to her, and soon found himself falling in love.
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On what he thought would be his last day, he watched her from afar. His heart ached as he realized he was saying goodbye to a life filled with pain, but he never imagined fate would bring him back to Yue again.
As Ishira knelt beside her, he wanted to share everything his sorrow, regrets, and the love that had begun to fill his heart. "Yue," he whispered, "I'm really sorry for earlier. I didn't mean to upset you."
Yue slowly woke up and looked at him, surprised. "Ishira?" she said, still waking up.
"I wish I could change the past," he write , emotions rising. "I just want to protect you."
Yue sat up a little, looking concerned. "You've been through so much. I wish I could help you."
"I don't want you to take on my burdens," he replied . "But…" he paused, searching for words. "But I need you in my life."
Yue's gaze softened as she listened to Ishira. She could feel the weight of his pain. "You've been carrying these heavy memories alone for too long. You don't have to face it all by yourself anymore."
He looked down at his hands, lost in thoughts about his troubled past. Doubt filled his eyes as he thought about how heavy his feelings were.
Yue gently touched his arm, and her warmth chased away some of the coldness he felt from his memories. There was a strength in her eyes, and it made him feel like he didn't have to fight alone anymore.
Taking a deep breath, she spoke softly. "You won't bring me down. I want to be by your side. We all have our struggles, Ishira. You're not alone in this. I see good in you, even if you can't see it yourself. Let me help you. You deserve love and support, and I want to offer that to you."
Her words filled the space around them with hope. A small warmth started to bloom in Ishira's chest, reminding him that maybe there was still good in his life. Opening up to her made him both scared and excited.
Yue saw his hesitation and smiled reassuringly. "Take your time. I'm here for you whenever you're ready."
She leaned back against the pillows, her eyes focused on him. The trust and kindness in her gaze encouraged him to think about sharing his feelings, to let her see the parts of him he had kept hidden for so long.