Theme song:"Tears in heaven by Eric Clapton"
"Love doesn't end with time. It lingers, sometimes silently, always permanently."
— Mira
---
The silence that followed the doctor's words was louder than anything I had ever heard.
The machines hummed. The room buzzed with medical terms that meant nothing to me.
And Elian, always the center of the storm, now lay still in his bed, his body surrendering to the inevitable.
It had been a week since we returned from the cottage.
A week since we last shared a moment without knowing it would be our last.
---
I didn't sleep.
I couldn't.
The nights were the hardest.
The quiet of the room was deafening, as if every corner was holding its breath, waiting for something to break.
But I held his hand.
Every night, I pressed my lips to his forehead, like I could somehow breathe life into him, just one more time.
---
"Do you remember our first kiss?"
He asked me one afternoon. His voice was weak, but there was still a spark in his eyes.
I nodded.
"Of course. You were so nervous, you almost missed my lips."
He chuckled softly, the sound wheezing from his chest.
"I remember thinking... if I could hold you like that forever, nothing else would matter."
---
He was fading.
I could see it in his eyes.
The light that used to shine with mischief and adventure now dimmed, replaced with the sorrow of knowing time was running out.
But he smiled, and it made everything feel like it would be okay—even if I knew it wouldn't be.
---
"Promise me something," he said one evening, his grip tight on my hand.
"Anything."
"Promise me you'll live. Don't let this... this moment become your whole world. Go see the stars. Dance under the rain. Don't let the darkness swallow you."
I squeezed his hand tighter.
"Promise me you won't leave me."
He smiled then.
"I can't promise that. But I will always be with you. Every star you see, every step you take... I'll be there."
---
The days passed, slower now.
But every moment felt like a blessing.
The doctors continued their visits, their expressions heavy with pity.
But there was no more hope. Only time left to borrow.
---
I spent the evenings by his side, reading him our favorite books.
We watched movies together, just like we had when he was well.
But it was different now. The laughter didn't feel the same.
It felt more like an echo of something that was slipping away.
---
On the fifth night, I sat by his bedside, watching the machines beep in rhythm.
Elian was asleep, or maybe he wasn't. He had been drifting in and out of consciousness.
His breathing was shallow, almost imperceptible.
But when I placed my hand on his chest, I felt it.
The thump, thump of his heart, faint but steady.
And I realized—this was it.
The last chance to feel him alive, even if it was only for a moment longer.
---
The room was dark, save for the soft light from the window.
Outside, the wind whispered through the trees, and for a brief second, it felt like we were back on that beach—no hospital, no machines, just us.
I rested my head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat.
It was slower now, but still there.
Still with me.
I didn't speak.
I didn't need to.
---
He squeezed my hand.
"Mira..."
I looked up at him, my eyes full of unshed tears.
"Don't go," I whispered.
He smiled weakly.
"I never wanted to. But you'll be alright. Promise me you will."
"I promise."
And that was the last time I heard his voice.