Work Text:
This is the world where, when you meet your soulmate, a sign will show
In the age of 17, when you found them, there would be colour
Before then, everything was only black, white, and grey.
/
Aether had always loved the story of his parents. How they met for the first time and how their world change into that of colour. Aether couldn’t wait when it would come to him. He hoped that he would experience something beautiful as that. He really wanted to meet his soulmate – to see colour, to spend time together.
At the age of 10, he met Xiao, who was 1 year younger than him along with his big brother (also older than Aether by 2 years). They all spent time together and of course with his girl-twin too, Lumine.
However, Aether realised that he felt something more to Xiao, he wanted to spend more time with him as time went by.
7 years passed by as they were getting closer until Aether’s birthday night. That midnight, he finally saw colour. He spent time alone with Xiao, to celebrate his birthday, hoping that it would prove something to him. And when he found out that, he was elated. His heart beat so fast. He wanted to share it to Xiao – that they were soulmate. Something stopped him though. He didn’t know what or why or who, but he just couldn’t bring it up somehow.
“Happy birthday Aether, now you can finally meet your soulmate,” Xiao told him. His tone sounded happy, but if Aether listened closely that time, there was a hint of sadness behind it.
“Thank you Xiao! I will tell you when I’ve met mine, you should do the same, okay?!” Xiao smiled and nodded to that. Aether wanted to shout.
“Xiao, you are my soulmate! I couldn’t wait next year and know that you’re my soulmate too!”
Oh, but it was all just a wish.
/
Another year went by and now it was time for Aether to celebrate Xiao’s birthday, which meant Xiao reached the age of 17. That 1 year was such torturous for Aether. One side, he was happy, he could finally see the colour he was looking for. He could see Xiao’s dark green hair. How Xiao’s eyes were a pair of gold almost like his. He was so happy to see them all.
On the other hand, it was not an easy task to pretend to Xiao that he could only see black and white. That he hadn’t found his soulmate.
To be honest, he was super nervous during the birthday. He was somehow hoping that Xiao could finally see colour. That they were soulmate, after all.
“Aether, I could only see black and white,” Xiao whispered.
All hell broke loose. He wished there was a hole to swallow him right then. He gave Xiao an encouraging smile. “Ah, no worries. You’ll find them soon! I still haven’t found mine and I’m okay, hehe.”
‘No, I lied, you are my soulmate Xiao, but I’m not yours,’ he laughed inside his mind.
/
But sometimes not all stories were beautiful as they were told
For eventhough you could see colour, it didn’t mean it worked the same for your soulmate
For perhaps you were theirs, but they were never yours
/
They were still friend and Aether was quite satisfied with that fact. Xiao was famous even with black and white. So many males and females all in line waiting to be his partner. Aether could only see from the sideline and was happy a little bit when his bestfriend rejected them one by one.
After all, Xiao was also a romantic person. He believed that his soulmate and him would be a couple when they met each other. So it was better for him to wait. Aether was sad to know this fact because he knew whoever that person was, they would be the happiest.
‘Why can’t it be me?’
/
Which was more devastated?
That you couldn’t find your soulmate until your last breath
Unable to see the beautiful colour?
Or when you could find your soulmate, able to stare at the colourful life
With the cost of you are unable to be together
For something that was called fate?
/
A statement from Xiao on Aether’s birthday 2 years later fell like a bomb to Aether. He wanted to leave the world right then and there.
“I found my soulmate!” Xiao exclaimed. That was the first genuine big smile Aether had seen in his life from Xiao. “His name is Kazuha. We met during our first day in university. It was like in the movie, you know. We bumped into each other and then I could see colour, and the same with him. His hair is white, but not all white. There’s a hint of red and he also had a red highlight. His eyes are red, like an apple. I have never known that name before.”
Aether nodded, pretended not to know what Xiao told him. He was so devastated. Was this God’s gift to him? On his birthday, nonetheless? How cruel life could be?
/
And when you saw them happy with their soulmate
You could only scream in silence
So many what-ifs in your mind
Why would you be theirs, but they would never be yours?
How ironic could this world be?
/
Lumine realised that there was something wrong with Aether especially since they were twins, it was not hard to see. Moreover, it had been 3 years since Aether claimed that he couldn’t see any colour. Meanwhile, she, at age 17 that year, she found colour when she met with a cheerful girl called Amber and they hit it off. Now they were together like there was no tomorrow.
“I know you lie about your soulmate, but why?” It was night that time and Lumine was in Aether’s room, sitting at the edge side of his bed. The owner himself was sitting too while hugging his knee. “Is it Xiao? Your soulmate?”
Aether finally couldn’t hide it anymore and he nodded. She was not surprised with that. She had always known, but he waited for Aether to tell her directly. There was a feeling that her twin couldn’t share. “But – not with Xiao, he – he didn’t see colour, Lumine. I don’t know I – I really don’t. I lied. I lied at my birthday. Maybe this was my punishment.” He sobbed. His tears started to roll down and he finally cried out his feeling, all those 3 years of worth.
Lumine rubbed his head gently and embraced her twin. “Oh, Aether. How could fate be so cruel? Why do you have to feel this?”
“I,” he sobbed. “I thought to wait. Maybe – maybe this is my punishment. Will it be different? If I just tell Xiao?” Lumine could only hug him for she didn’t know the answer either. She didn’t know what Aether should do.
“I – I don’t know either, Aether, I’m so sorry.” Listening to Aether’s crying in her embrace, she was also dejected. What could she do? True that soulmate was not everything, but there was always a part in us that wish to spend the time with them, was it not?
/
Maybe it was a punishment
Maybe it was a joke
Nobody knew and the wheel of time kept turning
It could only go forward
Tried to take the shattered pieces of the heart
To glue them back together
But, what could be done
To a heart that was already shattered to pieces?
/
Aether tried to spend his time as usual. It was quite tormenting to see both Kazuha and Xiao spent time together. Xiao and him still went home together, but now there was Kazuha in the middle.
There were many possibilities in this world, many alternatives and many timelines – maybe.
//
We have a world where Aether was brave enough to tell Xiao that he could see colour but had to be disappointed again to hear the same thing from Xiao. They slowly grew apart, but Aether in this world was happy. He could see colour. He could enjoy the life as it was – and maybe, just maybe this new orange lad with a cheeky attitude could liften up his world. For that guy said the moment he saw Aether, his world was full of colour.
“Nice to meet you comrade, it’s Childe at your service.”
//
In another parallel world, there was Aether and Xiao who never met. Aether who never knew colour for the rest of his life and he could only wonder. What the colour of the sun was or the sky or anything for that matter. But he wouldn’t know even until his last breathe.
//
There was also Aether and Xiao who were together as couple before Aether reached the age 17. When Aether could see colour, they were happy. They thought they would be soulmate and they were so in love. Not for long though, for again Xiao couldn’t see any colour the next year. Their relationship was slowly growing apart. They were together, still. But it was different.
There was anxiety from Aether of the possibility Xiao’s soulmate would come and Xiao would leave him. Xiao would tell him that he would still love Aether, but the blonde (yes Aether finally realised his hair colour was a radiant of blonde) would say they wouldn’t know.
One day, again, Xiao met Kazuha, they both could see colour. But the first thing Xiao did was apologise to Kazuha and ran back to see Aether. He could finally see Aether’s golden hair and the golden eyes – same as his. He embraced Aether who was still surprised. “I could see colour,” Aether was dejected, Xiao could tell.
“But,” he cupped Aether’s face with his hands. “I wanted to see you, your hair, your reddish cheek, your lips, and oh your eyes.” Aether was blushing hard. Xiao smiled gently. “I love you, Aether, then and now, and always.”
//
But now, we were back with the original Aether and Xiao. That there was untold story of Aether. Aether who was waiting with Kazuha in the red light, wanted to cross to the university. They would pick up Xiao who just finished his tennis club. There was Aether who tried to be friend with Kazuha – and they were good friends. Aether could tell that if only Xiao was not in the middle. Kazuha was a nice fellow, really friendly and a wonderful person. It was hard to hate him, obviously.
So then they spent time together. There was Xiao who got out from the university, waiting from them on the other side of the road, waving his hand, smiling.
There was Aether who saw the light was green and walked together with Kazuha – a smile on his face.
There was a truck-driver, who couldn’t sleep well the night before for his baby was still so young and his wife was sick. And he ended up sleeping while driving. Aether who noticed the truck who was still on speed eventhough it was red already for the cars.
It was an opportunity, somehow. He couldn’t do it though. He couldn’t dare to make Xiao sad, to imagine Xiao without ability to see colour again. For those who lost their soulmate, would also lose the ability to see one.
There was Aether who pushed Kazuha away to Xiao who ran to them, who let himself being thrown away by the truck with high speed. Who, miraculously had his body still in tact on the other side of the road. The truck hit the pavement and the driver was safe.
Aether was then lying on the ground with red all under him. He stared at Xiao who let go of Kazuha. No, why? He should be happy. Kazuha was there.
Xiao was crying.
Ah, Aether could see Xiao’s golden eyes so close. He could still see colour. Was this how death would call him?
“Aether, please don’t go. Please!” Xiao embraced him meanwhile Kazuha was trying to call the ambulance. The other pedestrians try to do something, but alas this was life. There was no a coincidence of someone to turn out to be a doctor.
Aether smiled – or tried to because it was hard to see with red over his eyes. He caressed Xiao’s cheek, leaving a red mark there. “Xi – ao,” he whispered and then his eyes closed. It was so hard to open it. It was nicer to just close and let Xiao’s voice went away in distance.
“Aether! Aether!” Xiao kept shouting his name. Why? Kazuha was there and they could still be happy, o?
“I lied,” Xiao cried again. “I LIED. I LIED! I could see colour 3 years ago when it was your birthday, sobs, Aether. We have the same age – it just. I’m a coward. Please. Please.” Xiao sobbed in the between his words.
However, Aether could hear nothing more. And at the same time, that same second, Xiao’s world became black and white again like before.
/
Or maybe, what if someone could have two soulmates?
Should they choose one?
But at the end, one would be left out, don’t you think so?
After all, a thread only has 2 edges, not three, no?
/
END