Dawn Of Twilight

Chapter 9 : With You (Part 5)

The late evening air carried a hint of coolness, with the faint fragrance of flowers from Riverview Gardens. Streetlights glowed softly along the pathways, casting delicate shadows on the trees and shrubs. Dawn and Erevin walked hand in hand through the park, their steps slow and unhurried, the silence between them filled with unspoken thoughts.

Dawn's gaze wandered to the shimmering lights and the couples scattered throughout the park, their laughter and murmurs blending with the rustling leaves. She stayed quiet, lost in her own thoughts. He hasn't said much... is he really enjoying this? Or is he just being polite? The question lingered, her chest tightening slightly at the thought. She glanced at their intertwined hands, hoping this meant something.

"So," Erevin's voice broke the quiet, drawing her from her thoughts. "We're going home after this?"

She nodded softly, giving a little "Hmm," still unsure of where his mind was.

He hesitated briefly before continuing, "The garden is beautiful. Do you want to take pictures?"

Dawn's mood brightened instantly, her lips curving into an enthusiastic smile. It was like he'd read her mind—or maybe just given her an excuse to shake off the doubts. "Really? Let's do it!"

She quickly pulled out her phone, with excitement taking over worries. The glowing streetlights, the picturesque flowers, the dreamlike scenery—she wanted to remember all of it.

She snapped photos of the beautifully lit paths and clusters of blooming flowers. Then, she turned the camera toward them. "Smile!" she instructed, holding the phone up for a selfie.

Erevin complied with a hesitant grin, looking unsure of where to put his hands. "Relax," she said, as she adjusted the angle. "No, no—tilt your head slightly to the left. Face the light. There! Perfect."

He chuckled, his awkwardness easing with her playful commands. Then he asked for the phone, insisting on taking pictures of her instead. Dawn struck a few poses, giggling when she realized his framing skills were less than polished.

"Erevin, what is this angle?" she teased, leaning over to check his shots.

"I'm trying, okay?" he replied, half-defensive, half-amused.

"Stick to being in front of the camera," she joked, though her heart swelled at the effort he was putting in.

Later, they found a bench near the huge tree in the center of he park. They sat together, and as the laughter faded, the stillness returned. Dawn leaned against him, her head resting lightly on his shoulder.

She closed her eyes, letting the serene atmosphere wrap around her. She thought about the day, about him. Maybe he wasn't overly expressive, but there was something in the way he stayed close, the way he held her hand and let her lean on him.

Her thoughts lingered on a tender memory. Other than my father and Erevin, there was only one other person who made me feel so cherished, so deeply understood. A bittersweet ache filled her chest as her mother's face came to mind, framed in the soft light of her memories.

She broke the silence, her voice barely above a whisper, filled with a longing that carried her into the past. "You know, when people die, they become stars... My mother told me that."

Erevin didn't say anything, but she could feel his attention shift entirely to her.

"When my grandpa died," Dawn continued, "she told me he was close because we could always see him. He was somewhere among those stars, watching us. And when my mother died... I knew she would be watching me too. But sometimes, I think... it would be better if she were here." Her voice trembled, betraying the crack in her heart that had never fully healed.

She hesitated, then asked, "Erevin, do you think... that the people we love think about us and love us even after they die?"

Erevin tilted his head back, his gaze lifting to the heavens. The stars twinkled faintly, tiny fragments of light in an endless void. His voice, when it came, was quiet but sure. "I don't know. But these stars... they're so far away, and yet their light still reaches us. They see us being born, growing up, living, and even dying. If these stars can see us from light-years away... how could the people we love ever forget us, no matter where they are?

"I think they watch us, pray for us. And even though they can't reach us, their love stays with us. It lingers, no matter how far we go."

His words, simple yet profound, seemed to touch something deep within her. Dawn's eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she thought about her mother, about the love she had left behind. But the ache of loss persisted.

"But..." she began, her voice fragile, "people say true love also ends. That people change. And even if you love someone with all your heart, time kills everything. It separates all kinds of love."

Erevin turned to her, his expression soft but resolute. "Time kills the body, but love is what stays. It's etched into our soul. It doesn't fade. No matter how many times we live or die, love finds its way back to us."

Dawn looked up at him, searching his face for answers. "How do you know?"

For a moment, he hesitated, as if searching for the right words or grappling with the sudden weight of his own thoughts. There was a flicker of something in his eyes—uncertainty mixed with a strange, unplaceable familiarity.

"I don't know," he admitted with a soft, self-deprecating laugh. ""I might be wrong. But... who knows, right?"

Dawn stayed quiet, her gaze locked on his face, still searching for the meaning behind his words. His admission felt genuine, unpolished yet comforting, like a small beam of light breaking through a cloudy night.

She shifted closer to him, resting her head back on his shoulder. For a while, neither of them spoke. The quiet of the garden around them, the stars above seeming to twinkle in rhythm with the gentle rise and fall of their breaths.

Dawn's thoughts swirled as she stared at the sky. His words felt so familiar, as if she had heard them before, long ago. Deep within her mind, fragments of something she couldn't quite place began to surface, like a melody she couldn't remember the lyrics to. Words that echoed faintly, "No matter how far we are, how many different lives we live, and how many times we die... the body fades, families change, but the soul remains. True love always finds its way back, not through blood or touch, but through the very essence of the soul, drawing you to where you need to be. And when you're here... I'll be right next to you."

Her heart began to race, an ache blooming in her chest that she didn't fully understand. Who was it? she wondered, her mind desperately chasing the fleeting memory. Who promised to always be there?

The thoughts gripped her tightly, leaving her completely lost in their pull, until Erevin's voice broke through like sunlight piercing through heavy clouds.

"Dawn," he said, leaning slightly toward her, his tone light but laced with concern. "Do you want some more ice cream?"

His words cut through the tension, and she blinked, returning to the present. Her face brightened, the ache in her chest replaced by a spark of childlike excitement.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, letting out a small laugh to shake off the lingering unease. "But you have to pick your favorite flavor for both of us," she teased, pointing a finger at him.

He smirked, rising to his feet. "Fine. But you stay here, okay? Don't wander off."

She saluted him with a cheeky grin. "Yes, sir."

As Erevin jogged toward the ice cream trolley, Dawn watched him go, her heart still fluttering. Whoever that voice was from her thoughts... it didn't matter right now. Right now, Erevin was here.

Anno's Note:
This is the last part of chapter 9 With You, I hope you enjoyed reading. Thanks for reading, Chapter 8 and 9 were First Date specials.

If you read upto here, you can have this icecream 🍨

Bite you nails, chapter 10 is coming sooner than you expect..✌️✨