One crisp winter evening, Lena arrived at the manor to find it bathed in moonlight. Snow covered the ground like a glistening veil, and everything felt eerily quiet. When she stepped inside, the house seemed colder than ever, and an inexplicable sense of urgency filled her."William?" she called out, her voice echoing through the empty hall.He appeared before her, his figure flickering as though caught between this world and the next. His eyes were more sorrowful than she had ever seen them, and his voice was filled with resignation. "Lena, tonight is my last night here."Her heart dropped. "No... William, you can't leave. Not yet.""I don't have a choice," he replied, his voice barely a whisper. "I think my time has finally come. But please, don't mourn for me. You have brought light into my world, Lena, in a way I never thought possible."Tears filled her eyes. She wanted to touch him, to hold him, but her hands passed through his form, leaving only a chill. "I... I love you," she whispered, feeling as if her heart were breaking.A gentle smile crossed his face, and for a fleeting moment, his hand brushed against her cheek—just a faint sensation, as soft as the winter breeze. "And I will carry that love with me, wherever I go," he said.As the clock struck midnight, William's figure began to dissolve, fading like morning mist. Lena reached out to him, but it was too late. All that remained was a faint whisper in her ear."I'll be waiting... wherever I am. And maybe, one day, we'll find each other again."The room was empty, and the silence that followed was absolute. Lena stood there, alone, but she didn't feel abandoned. She had felt his touch, his warmth, and his love. Even if it had been brief, it was something she would carry with her always.As she left the manor for the last time, she looked up at the stars, and in her heart, she felt a promise—one that went beyond time, beyond life and death. Somewhere, in some other place, William was waiting for her. And she knew, with a certainty she couldn't explain, that they would meet again.
