Withered (Michaeng) ✔️

Chapter 57: Withered 🥀

3 Years Later

* * * *

Bergen, Norway.

Fantastically charming. That's the words that had often left Mina's mouth as she stayed in the centre of seven mountains for so long, embraced by the overlooking sea. It provides the things that she awfully needing; peace, home, warmth and bonus, a dramatic landscape. The place has calmed the storm inside of her, broadens her mind and most importantly, her shelter to escape and hides from her reality and mend her wounded self.

But it never really did. When the guilt comes again to haunt her. She'll take in a breath. After all this time it still cuts just as deep, but its visits are less frequent and softer in duration. She won't cry hysterically but the tears just come out in silent whenever she's alone or reminded by a random object or just children running around passing her, spark the pain that she's not trying to forget but own it to make herself stronger, wiser than before.

Therefore, she keeps her eyes on the horizon and her mind tuned to create a positive future. Studied her history and learn not to do the same mistakes or she'll be doomed to repeat it.

It is no doubt that leaving is killing her soul as sure as a dagger can stop a beating heart. It isn't easy to leave even when it's the only option available. She knows that she already chooses to leave but she can't help to still think about him from time to time

Him.

There is no stronger glue in all the known universe than true love and she sees in his heart and mind that it is what they share. Yet there are times we must protect the self, protect our own hearts and souls if the damage that love brings is too much. She swore she wanted to walk with him through any and every storm, but it was akin to trying to hold a sharp-bladed sword for years as their love keeps betraying them. And though she tried, he broke her, literally, in pieces, in any possible way.

During those three years she has started college back and study medical degree. She has been too occupied with works and assignments. Or she purposely busies herself to distract her mind from thinking about him. All of this time, as if they are stranger, there's no interaction between them by phone call, email, third-person or anything. Whenever her sisters or parents contacted her, she never asks about him and they never speak about him either.

She knows at the moment of her argument with him, she was blinded by a five-course serving of rage that tasted bitter. The anger burned her on the way out, burning the one on the receiving end. Every time she blew, every mean thing she said, she reckoned the other person deserved it. There was the explosion and then the mental framework afterwards to avoid guilt.

That's how she stayed so foolish for so long, so immature, refusing to learn over and over--- sacrificing who her heart chooses, to keep a pristine ego. But that pain, that realisation, when she let it in, was more school than any classroom ever was. If she kept on being angry, how could she love anyone right?

In her heart, she retracts all the bad things she ever said, they were never a reflection on him, only her terrified soul had unleashed a demon. He worked hard and she only saw what he could not do.

She'll be a terrible liar if she declares that she does not worried about him and his wellness, if she does not miss him, if she does not consume by regret. She only hopes that someone will take care of him, love him, treat him better and lastly...

Stay with him until the very end, as she fails to do so.

"Hot choco?"