Timeless - Mark Tuan

Chapter 42 - End

The sun is up and, as expected, the city is in turmoil. 

The girl's tears don't stop rolling down her cheeks, dripping on the wet cement as she sits alone on the rooftop of one of the highest buildings in Seoul. She is oblivious of the chaos happening below her. Only aware that the boy who, just hours ago, was laying in front of him, has been taken away by his mother and an ancestor. Her companions long gone, too. Mae was carried to a safe place where she could recuperate with the help of Jackson and the couple. 

The ashes of the burned bodies are washed away by the flowing water to the gutter and down to the ground below, where people are crying, in a panic, thinking that the end of the world has happened over night while they laid there sleepy heads to bed, thankful that they're still alive. But, they too, are clueless as to what really happened. 

They don't know that a woman is mourning just above them, causing the storm-like weather that's washing off the remnants of the battle from last night. The woman who's crying for a lost lover, regretting, knowing she could've done something, hating herself for letting that happen to the boy, and wondering what would happen to her now that her purpose in life is gone. 

She's been trying over and over to go back to the past and change anything just to bring Mark back. But, as weak and emotional as she is, she couldn't make it to even a minute before. She gathers her powers, wielding her energy from the lightning that crashes at a nearby hill, concentrating on channeling that energy to use it for her own. Yet, as hard as she tries, she goes back down on the cement, frustrated, heartbroken. 

"MARK!" Her shouts are accompanied by the deafening clap of the thunder. Her cries blown by the strong wind that passes through the city. Her flames dying to ember as the pouring rain cool them down. 

It's already late in the afternoon when the rain stops and the girl's cheeks dry up, too. Shivering cold, she stumbles to the exit. Heads turning towards her as she stands dripping wet in the elevator taking her to the ground level of the building. She's not even strong enough to transport herself away from the place. 

Her lips are blue, her vision blurring, and her knees buckling under her when she gets out of the building. She starts walking to the east, not knowing where her feet are taking her, she just walks, wanting to get away from the noise, the lights, and everything that reminds her of last night and the boy. 

The shade under the bridge becomes her refuge when the rain falls down again at night. Her body is weak, wanting to collapse under her, yet, her grieving mind keeps her awake 'til the sun rises again the next morning. 

The dark clouds are gone and she gets up from her spot, not minding to wipe off the mud from her clothes, and she starts walking again. There are lesser buildings now, only houses. Children rush past her as they run to the waiting bus by the street. 

Their innocent laughter makes her stop. She swallows hard, trying to moisten her dry and aching throat. She can hear their heart beating in both excitement and nervousness, she can feel the warmth of blood running through their veins. 

She squeezes her eyes shut, she purses her trembling lips and stop breathing. She knows that just one heart of the young could bring her back to life, but she won't dare. "What's the use?" She thinks. "What would be my reason for living anyway?" She hastens her steps away from the giggling kids. But, she stops again. 

Rethinking what she should do. Should she let herself die like this and end their story in this manner? 

She turns back around and spots a little girl walking on her own with her head bent. Would she take a life of an innocent person in exchange for another lifetime with Mark?