Chapter 38: Limited Time

Why is he crying?

I recovered from the shock and quickly ran to the bench where he was. I immediately cupped both of his cheeks with my cold hands.

"What happened?" I asked worriedly but instead of answering, he just showed me a sad but an understanding smile.

"Vyl, you're scaring me. Please say something. Tell me what the hell’s bothering you!" I'm already pleading. I’m also having a hard time because of him.

He took a deep breath and removed my hands that was holding his face. He again, looked at the starless sky above, specifically at the only thing glowing and floating mightily, the moon.

"Ven, I give up." He didn't return his gaze at me. His eyes stayed at the moon as another tear wants to escape from his eye again. "You're now free."

My heart painfully skipped a beat as I watch his sad expression. My chest felt so heavy as my eyebrows furrowed, looking at him confusedly. What the hell is he talking about?

"W-What do you mean, Vyl?" I swallowed the lump that's starting to form in my throat. I don't feel good about this conversation at all.

Again, instead of answering, he showed me his right hand that was hidden inside his coat's pocket just a second ago.

I gasped at what I saw and my hand automatically flew to cover my mouth.

His hand is becoming transparent.

He slowly lifted his long sleeve and all I could do was watch with widened eyes when I saw that the transparency already reached his arm. It seems to be fading quickly.

I tried to touch it but it's like dissolving. Vyl is slowly dissolving.

I looked into his eyes desperately, asking for an explanation of what was happening to him. He breathed a deep breath first before speaking.

"I told you this before, I only have limited time here in your world. Seven hundred hours at the least."

Then realization hit me. He told me that before. How could I forget something so important?!

"My time is almost up, Ven. I need to go back."

I can't find the words to say right now. I am utterly speechless. Will he leave me? After all the time we’ve spent together?

Unless...

He flashed another smile. I'm starting to hate that smile. "Don't worry. I won't insist that you come with me anymore. I've brought you enough trouble and you don't deserve any of it."

I remained speechless. My mouth is just hanging open as I stare at him. I mean, I never blamed him, right?! I was satisfied that he's just there by my side always. Have I been so selfish the entire time? I totally forgot that he needs my help to save his world.

He reached out for my face and tucked a loose hair behind my right ear. "This might be the last time I'll see you." He gave me a kiss on the cheek and stood up. "Goodbye, Heavenly."

What he did broke my heart. In almost a month that we spent together, I have become very attached to him. He became my best friend for Pete's sake! He effortlessly opened my heart that has been closed for a long time.

He started to walk away and my heart ached so much with the sight. Is he really saying goodbye? He didn't even wait for me to speak! He hadn’t even heard what I wanted to say. This guy is really an idiot!

"Wait!"

I shouted loudly and quickly ran to him. Once I reached him, I crashed myself in his arms and hugged him really tight. "I'll come with you."

My face was still buried in his chest so the words came out muffled.

"What?"

"I said I'll come with you!" I screamed right in front of his face.

He immediately stopped moving and looked at me with wide eyes. Shock was plastered all over his idiotic face. I let go from the hug and slowly hit his chest.

"You're definitely an idiot! You're jumping to your own conclusions without even hearing anything from me at all!"

He looked at me dumbfounded as I continued punching his chest. I was even holding back my tears. I felt overwhelmed again.

"Did I tell you that I'm not coming?! I didn’t! Why are you saying goodbye?!"

My tears started streaming down my face. He fustrating. Why did he think I wouldn’t help him? He helped me a lot without him noticing at all. So of course, I'll return the freaking favor!

"Say something!" I shouted along with a hard and final punch on his chest.

I saw him slowly open his mouth as if he didn't know what to say. "W-What did y-you just say?"

I shouted again in annoyance. Is he deaf?! After everything I said, that’s all he’s going to answer?!

I tried to calm myself down as best as I could. I took in a few deep breaths while he's still looking at me with a shocked expression. When I feel that I'm calm enough, I started talking again.

"Look, you helped me opened my heart to many things. I became the Heavenly that I tried so hard to avoid because of my lack of confidence and honesty. I learned how to smile freely again, I learned how to interact with others more, I realized what my passion is. All because of you. You changed me, Vyl. Can't you see that?" I stared him directly in the eyes to show him how serious I was about everything I said.

"You barged in my life without advance notice and you think you can just leave like that so easily? Hell, no! I'll help you too! I am now agreeing to come to your world and help you with whatever problem you have. "

I am now catching my breath. I was about to speak again when he suddenly pulled me and immediately embraced me in his arms.

"Shit, Ven. I've never been so happy in my entire life." He caressed my hair and hugged me more tightly. I hugged him too with the same intensity.

He was one of the best things that ever happened in my life. How can I just let him be? I may not know him that long but the moments we happily spent together was enough to last for a lifetime. And I am more than willing to help him whatever the consequences.

While we're in the middle of our drama, someone was clapping out of nowhere. It’s a slow and sarcastic kind of clap.

The two of us let go of the hug and looked for where it was coming from. Our eyes landed on the other side of the garden. It was dark in that part because of the huge trees so we had a hard time figuring out who it was.

That someone started stepping out of the dark shadows. Such was the shock I felt when I recognized who it was.