The Price Of Eternity

"If we were not meant to love, to be love, then why do I feel this warmth in my chest when I'm near you?" Shen Ru asked, her voice soft and vulnerable. She gently took Tian Ming's hand, guiding it to caress her cheek, her breath catching slightly at the touch.

Tian Ming's gaze hardened, though a hint of something unfamiliar flickered in his eyes. "Divine artifacts were never meant to feel emotion," he said, his voice flat, cold, though there was an undertone of something softer, like the warmth of a flame fighting against the chill of a night breeze. His eyes-those eyes-lingered on her face, tracing the delicate curve of her lips before moving to the subtle violet hue of her irises.

"And yet, you look at me like that," Shen Ru whispered, her voice quivering with the weight of unspoken questions. "If we aren't meant to feel, then why are you looking at me as though you see me, as though you understand?"

Tian Ming was silent for a long moment silently admiring Shen Rue's face. Slowly, he leaned in, his lips brushing her hand as he kissed it gently, the gesture laden with meaning. He lingered there for a heartbeat, then pulled back, his expression unreadable, though something flickered in the depths of his eyes-something akin to longing.

"I wonder," he murmured, his voice quieter now, as though the weight of the question itself had almost become too much to bear. "Why it feels like I'm falling, even though I know I shouldn't."