Blame It All on Me. Alternative Ending

Chapter 19. Home

Her body was floating weightlessly, and around her, images changed swiftly, shattering into an infinite number of rainbow fragments.

Scenes kept flickering before her eyes – familiar yet strangely elusive. She heard a cacophony of sounds and perceived dozens of scents simultaneously.

The swirling sensations made her slightly dizzy, but suddenly the chaos subsided, and there she stood on a hill, amidst a swaying field of feathergrass, gently caressed by a light breeze.

Enchanted by the silvery ripples, she didn't immediately notice the weightless fluttering petals of delicate shades of pink. Tilting her head up, she discovered herself standing beneath a fully blossomed cherry tree.

Another gust of wind swept a pink cloud of petals from the tree, twirling it around Arina, forcing her to shield her eyes. When the whirlwind settled, she opened her eyes again and suddenly saw Kakashi standing nearby. His mismatched eyes were filled with warmth, but at the same time also with indescribable sorrow. She wanted to ask him what was wrong – this place embodied tranquillity and serenity, where one couldn't possibly be sad. However, an unknown force compelled her to look in the opposite direction, and her gaze met that of a pair of brown eyes. Maxim.

She did not immediately realise what was odd about him: just like her and Kakashi, he was dressed in a kimono, rather than the more usual "earthly" outfit.

For a while, they stood like that, and then Arina saw Maxim extending his hand toward her, smiling encouragingly. Could this be the chance she had been chasing after? Would taking his hand lead her back home?

However, instead of the expected joy, Arina suddenly felt acute hopelessness. She took a step towards him, but then hesitated and glanced back at Kakashi. After a pause, she returned to her starting point. An expression of hurt flashed across Maxim's face briefly, but he did not lower his hand.

Arina kept looking to her left and right helplessly. There he was, the love of her life, reaching out his hand to her. And Kakashi continued gazing at her with the same mixture of affection and sadness. It was as if he realized his secondary role and had come to terms with it.

As time passed, the atmosphere in their surroundings was changing rapidly: the blue sky darkened with leaden clouds, the sunlight faded, and the refreshing breeze turned into a chilling one, mercilessly plucking more cherry blossom petals and scattering them violently across the sky.

Suddenly, the ground trembled, and two deep cracks appeared on either side of Arina, separating her from the two men, as if urging her to choose at last. Maxim remained in place, but Kakashi unexpectedly lunged forward, though still halted at the edge of the crack, as if unable to go beyond it, now staring at Arina with concern.

For now, Arina could still step over effortlessly to either side. However, she realised clearly that she couldn't make that choice. And this weight – the weight of having to make the decision – pressed on her, tore her apart, while the cracks continued to widen, increasingly separating her from both men.

The wind kept intensifying, and soon what was once a beautiful tree, stood, reaching into the heavy gloomy sky with bare branches.

Desperation engulfed Arina, and she let out a cry, clutching her head. The ground beneath her feet shuddered, and she fell to her knees. Almost instantly, darkness absorbed everything.

She then heard the anxious:

"Stay with me! Stay with me, girl!"

She had no doubt that the voice belonged to Kakashi. Against all odds – Kakashi.

☙ ❦ ❧

Arina opened her eyes and immediately squinted: a painfully bright light hit her eyes.