Seize A Lost Identity

Chapter 18: Whispers of the Past

The soft hum of the city outside was the only sound that accompanied Jules as she sat cross-legged on her bed, surrounded by shopping bags filled with the clothes Xio had bought for her. She had unpacked it all, one dress at a time, looking at how precisely every dress fit her style tastes, but a dull ache in her chest would not go away.

Picking up a smooth dress item from one of the bags, she stroked its fabric, and for a brief instance, she could almost see Xio standing there, watching her and every item she tried on, surrounded by his happy grin. She heard in her head, his voice, always teasing her, reminding her to present herself well when she went to school.

A soft laugh escaped her lips, but it was laced with sadness.

One piece of art", she sighed, looking at the dress. "You're not any different from him, are you?"

Her hands trembled slightly as she held the dress, her mind drifting back to the past. Xio she had loved to the death flooded her mind and her heart, bringing pain. She could almost hear his voice—loud and full of life, the words he had once spoken to her echoing in her mind:.

"Even if I die, I'll come back. If you're next to me, I'll find a way."

Tears threatened to spill as she thought of how impossible that promise had seemed then, how desperately she had clung to it when he was gone. Could it be true? Could Xio have somehow come back, against all odds?

She chuckled bitterly, wiping at her eyes. "No way."

Her heart knew, from her feeling, it must be, but her thought, her rational thought, couldn't agree.

Xio had always been the kind to accomplish the unthinkable and fight to the bitter end. She remembered how often he said he would come back to her, no matter what. That idea made her smile through the waterworks, a blend of incredulity and endearment in her heart. He was stubborn enough to keep a promise like that, wasn't he?

A quiet sob slipped from her throat as she buried her face in her hands, the weight of the memories crashing down on her all at once. Still the pain of his departure, still the vacuum of his absence, still in her heart it weighs. But now, here was this boy—this Xio, so much like the man she loved, so full of life and energy.

Was it truly him?

She didn't know the answer, and that uncertainty made her heart ache even more.

Holding her breath, Jules put the dress down and hugged a pillow to her chest and snuggled into the bed. She shut her eyes, her mind spinning in circles, but there was one thing she knew for sure—no matter how confusing or impossible it seemed, she wouldn't let go of the hope.

And that night, with her weeping and peaceful giggles pouring over and mixing in the dark, she began to whisper "Goodnight, Xio. wherever you are.

Her eyes fluttered closed, and she drifted into sleep, holding onto the boy who had returned, whether it was fate or something else.

Jules woke up unrefreshed the following morning, still heavy from the burden of sleeplessness. Staring into the mirror, she couldn't help but notice the puffiness around her eyes. She let out a frustrated sigh. "Did I cry my whole eye out last night?" She spoke to herself, shaking her head while the burden of yesterday's affect remained upon her. "Damn you, Xio. If I ever find you again in this life, I swear I'll beat you up."

As she mentally recalled how much she loved him, a quaint, sour laugh left her lips. The memory of his words—"Even if I die, I will come back if you're next to me"—echoed in her mind. Could it really be him? May the boy she was fun with today be the one she lost? Her thoughts were a tangled mess of confusion, but in the end, she couldn't help but smile at the thought of him. Only he would say something so ridiculous.