THE ETERNAL FIRE

...

Alina stood on the shore.
Her brain obediently stopped working.
She didn't know how to react.
"Alina?" she heard a child's voice.
Her little friend with the roses.
"Sunshine!" Alina rejoiced at the child and wiped her tears away.
"Are you crying?" the child asked, concerned.
"No, darling. Everything's fine." Alina tried to look cheerful.
The girl took out a handkerchief and placed it on Rose's face.
"Are you crying for a boy?"
"The boy will be very angry when he finds out some things."
"He won't be. No one can be mad at you. You are... very nice," the child's little eyes sparkled.
"Can I hug you?" she said, and hugged the child tightly, crying.
"Go to him."
"I love you very much, angel," the girl kissed the child on the forehead and left.
She went to their bench.
He wasn't there...
She had no idea where he could be.
She walked aimlessly, back and forth.
Suddenly Maxim Jonas appeared.
Alina was happy.
"Maxim! You have to help me! Please give me an idea of how to find Ben. He needs to hear all this from me, otherwise it will be misunderstood."
Maxim approached, looked behind her, kissed her lips, squeezing her.
And then...
From behind came a scream:
"Alina Gallegos!"
She froze.
Swallowed hard...
Breath got stuck in her throat.
She closed her eyes.
'Behute?'
...

PREVIOUSLY

"Rose!"
"Ben!"
"What are you doing here?" Ben was confused when he saw Evelyn instead of his Rose.
"Revenge is served cold, Ben." she said calmly.
"I don't understand."
"What's it called when the perpetrator falls in love with his victim?"
Ben started to get nervous...
"Where's my Rose?" he said, trying to sound calm.
"You mean, Alina Gallegos?"
Ben stopped.
"What are you talking about?"
"Your Rose... She arranged a huge game for you... She nicely charged you for the peer violence you've been committing."
Ben swallowed.
Opened his mouth.
His forehead wrinkled.
"That girl is more dangerous than me... I'm starting to admire her."
Ben cringed.
His heart seemed to tighten.
He felt a sharp pain in his chest.
"Alina! No! It can't be!"

...

10 years earlier
"Loser!''
"She's anti reflexive, don't bother in vain! Weirdo, Alina!"
...
"It's not possible!" he became hysterical. "I don't believe you!"
"All right, Ben... Then... Go and ask her yourself... And maybe you'll finally understand who truly loved you."
...
Alina turned away, apart.
"Please..." Ben looked like he was about to cry. "Tell me that it's not you..."
"The chubby child with braces and glasses for sight... Messy hair and a crooked back..." and a single tear streamed down her cheek. "Yes, Ben... That's me... Your most hated classmate, Alina."
He shattered.
As if he lost everything dear to him.
And he approached millimeters...
He gazed into her face.
Silence fell.
"The same look... You have her look..." his voice trembled. "From her, only the gaze remains... That penetrating gaze... Now I understand why your gaze is so deep..." a tear escaped. "That gaze of a wounded little bird... The gaze of an innocent little kitten." He paused, choking on his own breath. "Every time you looked at me,... I felt like you were peering directly into my thoughts, into my heart, into my soul. Like I couldn't hide anything from you... Like you knew how I felt and what I needed."
...
The sun no longer warmed as before...
Dark clouds overshadowed its light.
'Once again, I fly without wings, my Behute, drowning in my own helplessness.'
With human words, it was impossible to describe the pain that squeezed both of them.
Alina, without her veil, without anything, sat on their bench, in the evening... Just with a bottle of red wine in her hand, half drunk.
She couldn't bear it... Neither could he.
Several men passed by here...
They stopped next to Alina, mocking her drunkenness.
One of them caressed her face... Just as Ben appeared.
He flew into a rage like a wild animal when he saw...
He rushed towards this one and grabbed him...
"With which hand did you touch her?" Ben yelled. "I'm asking, with which hand did you touch her?!"
The man turned his right hand... Those who were with him fled.
Ben twisted his wrist so badly that the man screamed in pain...
It was probably broken.
Finally, he let him go.
"Alina..." he knelt before her. "Did they do something to you?" Concern filled his voice.
Alina opened her mouth, wanting to reply but her vision blurred, and she fell onto Ben.
"Alina!" he was frightened. "Are you okay?"
Silence.
"Alina?" she repeated her name. "Am I no longer your Rose, Behute?"
Silence again.
Nothing was more uncomfortable than the newly arisen silence.
"You're drunk, Alina..."
He was aware that he hurt her again, addressing her only by name.
He lifted her in his arms.