Love Amidst the Flames

Chap 12

Noticing the strange behavior of Engfa in recent days, Charlotte was eager to find Tif to ask about her close friend. When she finally found Tif, her heart felt like it was being crushed upon hearing the shocking news:

“What? Engfa has gone there?” Charlotte couldn’t believe her ears, her face turning pale.

Tif nodded, her eyes filled with worry.

“Yes. It’s an emergency mission. There’s nothing we can do now.”

Hearing this news, Charlotte felt as if she was about to collapse, struggling to stay upright. She tried to keep calm, but inside, fear and anxiety surged.

“I have to go back to the refugee camp,” Charlotte said, her voice choked. She couldn’t let others see her weakness.

Saying goodbye to Tif, she turned away, her heart shattered into a thousand pieces.

That night, when everyone was sound asleep, Charlotte went to the stream where she had shared beautiful memories with Engfa. The water flowed gently, but in her heart, there was only a terrifying stillness. All her emotions about Engfa surged like a violent wave.

Charlotte sat by the stream, where the moonlight shone, creating shimmering circles on the water’s surface. Her delicate face reflected on the water, but now, that beauty was overshadowed by deep sorrow. Her eyes, which were usually sparkling, now resembled still lakes, filled with unshed tears.

Charlotte’s long hair was gently blown by the wind, but it could not dispel the harshness on her face. Her skin, once radiant like the morning sun, now appeared pale and dull. Her rosy lips had turned to lifeless lines. Each tear that fell etched deeper the sorrow on her face, as if her internal pain had marked every feature.

Charlotte buried her head in her arms, crying like a child, unable to control the anguish within.

“Why do I love Engfa?” she reproached herself.

“Why did I appear in her life? Why did I take on this mission, knowing it could lead her to danger?”

Each question felt like a dagger stabbing at her heart, intensifying her agony.

“I shouldn’t have accepted the watch from her, shouldn’t have decrypted that code…” she sobbed.

“I shouldn’t have let Engfa suffer while avoiding me without a word of farewell.”

Charlotte, why does everything seem to be part of a plan, but why does your heart ache?

In the stillness of the night, only the sound of flowing water and Charlotte’s cries echoed, like hopeless calls in an endless ocean. All she wished for was to keep Engfa safe and, if possible, to have a chance to express what was in her heart. But now, everything seemed too late.

In the dark, the image of Engfa, with her warm smile and determined eyes, flashed in Charlotte’s mind. She closed her eyes, wishing time could turn back so she could hold Engfa, to confess all the things she had kept hidden. But all that remained were distant dreams, while reality was filled with the utmost fear of losing the one she loved most.

The dark night enveloping Charlotte seemed to have no escape. She sat curled up by the stream, her eyes blurry from crying too much for hours. Tears fell like dew drops hanging on a branch, cold and lonely. In her hand, she clutched the pocket watch tightly, as if it was the only connection between her and Engfa.

She feared that if she let it go, she would also release the hope of reuniting with Engfa, the one who made her heart flutter.

Remembering Engfa, her heart felt constricted. The image of that girl, with tanned skin and a radiant smile, was always present in her mind. “How strange,” Charlotte thought, “just meeting, touching hands at most, but why do I fear losing her so much?” - The fear of loss felt like a monster, residing in her soul, making every heartbeat heavy.