𓏲𝄢 Epilogue

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Vienna's voice softened, almost absent, as she continued, "This was our playground."


Her words felt different this time, as though the weight of memory had shifted within her. The past she was speaking of now wasn't some abstract sentence written on the board; it was a reflection of her own story—of the things that had used to be, and the quiet losses she had carried for so long.


The sound of the students echoed faintly in the background, their voices rising and falling like the soft hum of distant waves.


"This used to be our playground."


"This was our playground."


"This is our playground."


Vienna stood there, her voice barely joining the chorus, as though she were on the edge of two worlds—half in the classroom, half somewhere else entirely. The repetition of the sentences filled the room, but her mind was wrapped around something much deeper.


"This used to be our playground."


She repeated it, her voice barely above a whisper, though no one seemed to notice. It wasn't just a sentence now; it was a truth, an unspoken grief. Her lips formed the words again, "This was our playground," and the weight of that statement pressed heavy on her chest.


This wasn't about a playground or grammar anymore. It was about everything that had been taken, the things lost to time, to growing up, to the choices that couldn't be undone.

"This is our playground."

Then, the bell rang, sharp and abrupt, signaling the end of the session. The classroom buzzed with the noise of chairs scraping against the floor, bags being packed, and hurried footsteps as the students spilled out of the room like a wave released from a dam.


All except one.


Vienna watched as the girl from the last row lingered, her small hands still fidgeting with the hem of her shirt.


The others didn't notice her, just as they hadn't noticed Vienna all those years ago.


Quietly, she made her way over, her footsteps soft against the classroom floor. She knelt beside the girl, her presence gentle but firm. "It's the end of the day," she said softly, her voice holding more than just words.


The girl stood, and together they left the empty classroom, side by side. The late afternoon sun filtered through the windows, casting long shadows down the hallway, and Vienna kept her close, her protective presence like a shield.


As they walked, Vienna's heart ached with a bittersweet nostalgia. How she remembered that someone who had done this for her back then—had walked with her through those long corridors of silence and fear.


She had fulfilled that silent promise she made to herself long ago: to protect the world, even if it was just one person at a time.


And behind them, in the fading light of the day, there was a quiet figure—Ni-ki. He had been walking at a distance, his steps silent but steady, always just a few paces behind.


He was always there, fulfilling his promise in the way he knew best: watching over Vienna as she, in turn, protected others.


He had told her once, in a moment of raw vulnerability, that he would protect her.


It wasn't a grand vow, spoken with the weight of ceremony. It was quiet, almost offhand, but it was a promise nonetheless. One he had never broken.


As Vienna walked alongside the girl, Ni-ki's gaze never left them. He didn't need to interfere, didn't need to step in—Vienna was strong, stronger than she realized.


But he was there, ready if she faltered, ready if the world pressed too hard on her shoulders.


Ni-ki walked behind her, his hands tucked casually in his pockets, a soft smile playing on his lips as he watched his wife's back.


This time, he wasn't just a shadow in the distance, silently guarding from the sidelines. He was with her—truly with her. No borders, no secrets.


They were together after all the struggles, all the heartache, all the silent promises exchanged in fleeting glances and unspoken words.


The years of distance, where he'd watched her protect the world, were behind them.


Now, he wasn't just protecting her in secret; he was beside her, walking this path together. She was his, and he was hers.


The weight of the past fell away with each step they took, leaving only the warmth of being together.


In the biting chill of winter, there was warmth — a warmth born not from the world around them, but from the two souls who had made their promises in the darkest of nights. They had whispered their hopes into the void, clinging to each other when the world seemed unforgiving, and now, side by side, they fulfilled them.


Together, they had faced the storm, and together, they had found their way to a place where the cold could no longer reach them.


They were no longer bound by fear or shadows, but by the quiet, steady flame of promises kept.



No more borders. No more distance. Just them, together, forever.





 Just them, together, forever

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⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ˳༄꠶ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

BISHHHHH I'M CRYINGGGG!!!! AGAIN!!!!!😭😭😭😭😭

3d ago

1
how talented are you author TT it's so good that I wanna cryyy please never stop writing coz like gurlyy the way you write it's immaculate✨

1w ago

1
𝐕𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐚 |  nishimura rikiWhere stories live. Discover now