𝐀 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 /// ᴋʜᴜɴ ᴇᴅᴜᴀɴ

9th Petal

He loves me.

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

"Arlene! Hurry!" Lilia exclaimed as she gently tugged the pregnant Arlene along, V running by her side.

I have always seen my feelings as such a trivial thing. If it weren't for always watching Arlene and V, I would have never considered it.

"Lilia-- I'm too tired! I won't make it!" Arlene cried as she struggled to breath. The said woman gritted her teeth as she led the couple towards an area out of sight to rest. It broke her heart to see her closest friend trembling from exhaustion. But this was a life or death decision for them. If Arlene dies here, so will their unborn child.

Considered that we too, could be something genuine and pure.

"Come on, love. Just a little more and then we'll make it," V encouraged. The exhausted lines on his face says otherwise. All three of them were tired. Lilia's proper and keen appearance was now disheveled. Her blue lily hairpin barely hanging on her head.

Lilia watched as Arlene struggled to get up and keep moving. She could already hear Jahad and the others catching up in the distance. The woman remain standing in her place as Arlene and V looked back from their position.

Ironically from the two most impure beings of the tower.

"Lilia? What are you standing there for? Come on!" V ushered. Lilia smile as she sprinted towards the couple, embracing them in a bear hug, something that she had never done before. The couple's eyes were widened in shock at the sudden show of affection.

"Lilia..." Arlene muttered as she firmly grasped onto Lilia's arm, the reason of her friend's action quickly dawned upon her. The woman smiled, her jewel eyes shined under the luminescent light of the tower. She cupped Arlene's face between her hands, and placing her forehead against the brunette's.

Nobody's perfect, Eduan. Not even me.

"Go on, Arlene. Go and live a happy life, a life away from the tower, away from everything." Arlene felt herself tearing up as she grasped onto her friend's red hanfu sleeve.

Lilia then turned to V, who was also giving her the same look of desperation. "V... you better take care of her, okay? Make sure she's always happy... and-"

"NO!"

Lilia quickly turned to Arlene who was biting her lips until it bled.

"No... you're not leaving us! We're gonna leave the tower together! All of us! And you're gonna be our child's godmother! He will call you Aunt Lilia and-" Arlene could barely force out her words as she struggled to choke back her sobs. "-and we'll be happy! To-together as a family..." the woman sobbed as she refused to let go of her friend's sleeve.

Lilia could only watch Arlene now sobbed openly as she leaned onto her slightly taller frame. "Arlene..." she muttered, unable to look her friend in the eyes. Because the moment she does, she'll start crying too. The woman felt her other sleeve being tugged as she looked up to see V staring at her with the same teary eyes as his wife's but no tears were pouring out for he was still trying to suppress his sobs.

"Lilia, please... don't do this. We can find a way for all of us to leave... And Jahad, he won't be so forgiving.. neither will the others. What about him-" his voice was hoarse, making it obvious that he was choking back more tears.

But that chance of protecting something that inspired me to cherish you trumped all logic.

Lili gave V a sad, but reassuring look. "Don't worry. He won't hurt me... I trust him."