Timeless | rorasa

Chapter 23: The Fight and The Acceptance

Asa wiped her tears with trembling fingers, her voice soft yet laced with heartbreaking resolve. “Rora,” she whispered, stepping closer, her eyes searching Rora’s face. “I need you to listen to me carefully. I cannot predict what lies ahead, but I have come to terms with it.”

Rora blinked, her brows furrowing in confusion. “What are you talking about? We’re not giving up, Asa. We’ll find another way.”

Asa gently cupped Rora’s face, her touch warm despite the cold dread that had settled between them. “I know your spirit, and I understand your desire to fight. But should I not make it through—if the universe draws me back to where I belong—I need you to vow something to me.”

Rora shook her head fiercely, refusing to let Asa’s words take root. “No. Don’t speak like that. You’re not going anywhere. You belong here, with me.”

A sad smile formed on Asa’s lips, her eyes glistening with tears once more. “I shall always belong with you. But should my time here end, I need you to continue. To live. And, Rora…” Asa’s voice cracked, though she pressed on, her heart fracturing with every word. “Eisa is part of who I am now. She is my present self, and she deserves love, just as I once did. You must promise me that you will try—try to love her as you loved me.”

Rora’s chest tightened, her breath catching as the weight of Asa’s words pressed down on her. “Asa, I… I can’t… You’re you, and Eisa… she’s not you.”

“She is, in a sense, me within this timeline,” Asa whispered, her forehead now resting gently against Rora’s. “And should I be forced to leave, I wish for you to love her. She is the part of me that will remain with you. In time, you will see me in her.”

Tears spilled down Rora’s cheeks as she gripped Asa’s hands, shaking her head in disbelief. “I can’t… I can’t lose you.”

Asa’s hands trembled as she held Rora’s face, her voice breaking as she spoke. “You will not lose me. I will always be with you, even if it is through her. Please, Rora. Do not let my absence rob you of the chance to love again.”

Rora’s heart splintered, torn between fighting for Asa and accepting the cruel fate unfolding before them. “I don’t know if I can,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

“You can,” Asa said softly, pressing her lips to Rora’s forehead in a tender, lingering kiss. “You possess more love within you than anyone I have ever known. And Eisa… she will need that love, just as I once did.”

Rora clung to Asa, the truth of her words crashing over her like a tidal wave. Asa was preparing her to let go, to find a way to continue even if they couldn’t break the balance of the timelines.

“I love you, Asa,” Rora whispered through her tears. “I always will.”

“And I love you,” Asa replied, her voice filled with all the love, sorrow, and hope she had left to give. “But you must continue. For me. For Eisa.”

With those words, the weight of their choices settled upon them, both knowing that no matter what came next, nothing would ever be the same.

The impact of Asa’s words hit Rora like a punch to the chest, and she turned away, fists clenched at her sides. “It’s not fair,” she whispered.

Asa placed a gentle hand on Rora’s back. “I know. None of this is fair.”

For a long moment, neither spoke. The room was filled with the ticking of a distant clock, a constant reminder that time was slipping away.

---

Meanwhile, Minju had reached Master Kai’s sanctuary. The old man sat in quiet meditation, but his eyes opened the moment Minju approached, as though he sensed the storm that followed her. His calm, aged face betrayed no surprise as she explained everything in a frantic rush of words—Eisa, the coma, the reincarnation, the impossible choice between Asa and her counterpart.

When she was done, Master Kai sighed deeply, his eyes closing again for a brief moment. “The balance of timelines is delicate, Minju. You are already well aware of this.”

“But there must be another way!” Minju pleaded, her voice thick with desperation. “Something we’ve overlooked, some loophole. Rora… she can’t lose Asa.”

Master Kai opened his eyes and stood up slowly, moving with intention. “Look, the universe doesn’t work with loopholes, kid. It runs on balance. The connection between Asa and Eisa is stronger than you think. If one soul stays where it shouldn’t, the other will get yanked away. If you try to break that bond, the fallout could mess things up across the timelines.”

Minju’s breath caught in her throat. “So you’re saying… there’s nothing we can do? We must choose?”

Master Kai's gaze softened, reflecting years of wisdom and experience. “What I’m saying is that every choice has a price. You, Rora, Asa… you all need to get that. You have to decide if you're ready to pay it.”

Minju’s shoulders slumped. “But Asa... she has fought so hard to stay.”

Master Kai nodded. “And that fight isn't over yet. But in the end, it is not solely about the struggle—it is about what is just. And what is just is often the hardest to accept.”

---

Asa gently wiped the tears from Rora’s cheeks, her fingers brushing softly against her skin. “We still have time, Rora,” she whispered, her voice trembling but determined. “Let us not waste it. Whatever may come, let us make this moment ours.”

Rora’s breath hitched, her eyes searching Asa’s for any glimpse of hope, but all she saw was the same heartbreaking resolve. “Asa…” she choked, unable to finish her sentence as the gravity of their situation pressed down upon her.

Asa silenced her with a tender kiss on her forehead, her lips lingering as though trying to memorize the feel of Rora’s skin. “Shh… Do not dwell on tomorrow. Not now.” Her voice was barely a whisper, her hands cradling Rora’s face. “Be with me, here and now.”

Without another word, Asa leaned in, capturing Rora’s lips in a deep, passionate kiss. It was filled with all the unspoken emotions—the love, the pain, the fear they had been carrying. Rora’s arms wrapped tightly around Asa’s waist, pulling her closer, unwilling to let go, unready to face the inevitable.

The kiss deepened, their tears mingling as they pressed closer to one another, desperate to feel every inch, to immerse themselves in the fleeting moment. The world outside faded away, leaving only the two of them, their hearts beating in unison as they poured everything into that shared intimacy.

Asa’s fingers tangled in Rora’s hair, her touch gentle yet urgent, as though attempting to memorize every detail, every sensation. “I love you,” she whispered against Rora’s lips, her voice breaking with emotion. “I will always love you.”

Rora’s chest tightened, her breath coming in shallow gasps as she fought to hold back the sobs threatening to break free. “I love you too,” she whispered, her voice raw and trembling. “I don’t want to lose you, Asa.”

Asa kissed her again, more gently this time, as if to soothe Rora’s pain. “You are not losing me,” she murmured, her forehead resting against Rora’s. “Not yet. We still have this.”

They remained in each other’s embrace, their tears falling silently as they exchanged kisses and quiet words of love and solace. The universe, the timelines, the impossible choices—all of it receded into the background, leaving just the two of them in this precious, bittersweet moment.

Asa’s voice was soft but steady as she spoke again. “No matter what transpires, I want you to remember us like this. Remember us as we are—happy and together.”

Rora nodded, her heart breaking as she whispered, “I will. I promise.”

They held each other tighter, both aware that their time was slipping away, yet neither willing to release the other. In that moment, they were everything to one another—lovers, warriors, two souls entwined in a love that transcended time itself.

“I will cherish every second with you,” Rora said through her tears, her voice filled with determination despite the pain.

Asa smiled through her tears, her heart full even as uncertainty loomed. “That is all I ask,” she whispered, her lips brushing Rora’s in a kiss that felt like both a beginning and an end.

And for that brief moment, time stood still, and the universe held its breath, granting them one final moment of peace.