To Love Again | LingOrm AU

Chapter 3: Collision of Souls

Notes: Now that we've completed the introductions and explored our main characters' backgrounds, let's dive into the story and pick up the pace.

Also, updates will be posted every Monday and/or Saturday evening at 9 PM Manila time.

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The oppressive heat of the tarmac seemed to intensify the weight of the moment. Ling and Phailin stood side by side, their hands intertwined so tightly that their knuckles had turned white.

The roar of the C7 aircraft's engines filled the air, drowning out the rapid beating of their hearts. Ling could feel the vibrations through the soles of her boots, a tangible reminder of the impending separation.

As the plane made its final maneuver, Ling's mind wandered back to the day she first met Lin. It had been a crisp autumn evening, the air filled with the scent of fallen leaves. Ling, still in her training days, had reluctantly agreed to a blind date set up by a well-meaning friend. She remembered how Lin had walked into the café, her long dark hair catching the golden light of the setting sun. Their eyes had met, and in that moment, Ling felt something shift within her - as if the axis of her world had suddenly tilted.

Now, three years later, they stood on the precipice of their greatest challenge yet.

Ling, no longer a trainee but Major Sirilak Kwong, head of a Royal Thai Army Special Forces team, was about to embark on a classified mission. The weight of her responsibilities pressed down on her shoulders, heavier than any pack she'd ever carried.

She glanced at Lin, whose eyes were fixed on the aircraft. Silent tears tracked down Lin's cheeks, each one a testament to the fear and love raging within her.

Ling longed to wipe them away, to promise that everything would be alright, but the words stuck in her throat.

They had both known this day would come, had steeled themselves for it, but the reality was far more brutal than either had imagined.

Lin turned to her, dark eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "I'm proud of you," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the engine noise. "So proud. But I'm scared, Ling. I'm terrified."

Ling swallowed hard, fighting back her own tears.

This was why soldiers weren't supposed to fall in love, she thought bitterly. It made leaving so much harder, made the stakes so much higher. But as she looked at Lin, she couldn't bring herself to regret a single moment.

"I know," Ling replied, her voice hoarse with emotion. "I am too. But I promise you, I'll come back. I'll always come back to you."

The call came for boarding. Ling's team began to move towards the aircraft, their movements precise and disciplined despite the emotional weight of the moment. Ling hesitated, her hand still clasped in Lin's.

For a moment, time seemed to stand still. All the unsaid words, the shared dreams, the quiet fears - they all hung in the air between them. Then, with a gentle squeeze of her hand, Lin let go.

"Go," she said, mustering a brave smile. "Your team needs you. Thailand needs you."

Ling nodded, unable to speak. She shouldered her pack, straightened her uniform, and with one last look at the woman she loved, turned towards the waiting aircraft. Each step felt like a battle, her training warring with her heart.

As she climbed the stairs to the plane, Ling allowed herself one final glance back.

Lin stood tall and proud, her hand raised in a farewell that felt far too final. Ling committed the image to memory - it would be her talisman in the dark days ahead.