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Hao had long grown used to detachment. Burn away unneeded pests. Forget unnecessary thoughts. Cut away weighing branches. While he heard people’s hearts, it didn’t mean he couldn’t take his own and lock it up someplace else. Lovers would grow out of affection, friends would leave, family would betray you, and children would die or grow older and kill you.
Such was life.
So for the next few days before he decided to launch the next half of his plans, he grew silent as he participated amongst the Patch. People didn’t really argue with it. “Hydro” was prone to his whimsically contemplative moments, after all. Loose ties easily cut. Not even Thorim noticed a thing.
And yet…
“Do you think I don’t know?” Sakari smiled sadly, having caught him watching the sunset near an oceanside cliff.
Hao chuckled quietly. “I can’t get anything past you, can’t I?”
He should have known—even if he couldn’t read her mind. Of course, that was one of the things he grew to love about Sakari.
It made her unpredictable, yes, but it was sure less noise for him to work with. With her, he was allowed to feel… almost normal.
He looked over to the sun setting in the horizon. For them, it would be their last day together. From tomorrow onwards, who knew what would happen. Especially with the winner of the Shaman Fight long decided.
For others, it was business as usual. Mostly those cooking dinner, preparing for the night, parents calling their children home.
Children.
Selenium…
Would he ever see his son’s face again? Then again, did he ever get to see any of his childrens’ faces often? It seems he was better at losing them rather than taking care of them.
Hao walked over to his wife. “Do you remember this place?” He asked.
“Of course I do.” Sakari smiled, looked over at the view. “A lot has happened for us here, hasn’t it? Fate is humorous, for we always seem to end up in the same place…”
Hao certainly remembered. When Sakari had first arrived to the village, she had always been barred away from the rest of society. At the time, he was still but a centuries years old soul trying his best to act the age of his youthful appearance. But ever the curious cat, he was naturally drawn to her anyway. Thorim wouldn’t answer a single question he asked about her, but it wasn’t like he could get in the way of his reishi.
Apparently, this mysterious girl was born with powerful abilities. If his reishi was anything to go by, she would soon be serving the next Shaman King. A questionable idea considering who the current winning contender was, Hao thought to himself.
The first time she ran off, her guardians were in a panic, and it naturally riled up the whole village. Hao didn’t care for the alarming and anxious thoughts and feelings this all generated, so he decided to look for a place that would give him a little less noise to work with. It was at this cliff side where they first bumped into each other.
“I sense a lot of furyoku in you.” He remembered saying. “Why don’t you raise your power against them?”
“And prove their point?” She countered immediately. “That all I am is just a weapon and nothing more? I shouldn’t need to do anything if all I want is space! Must every feather picked be used to make nothing but arrows?”
That made him laugh. Okay, this one seemed interesting.
Needless to say, Hydro didn’t tell the others where she went. Or the next day, and the following ones after.
Soon, their conversations had become more frequent.
Hao found himself in commonality with the girl who just wanted some space and privacy to herself.
It was a silent mutual understanding between them both. This spot, in essence, had become their little secret.
There they talked and became friends. One day, she professed her feelings on this very spot and Hao—no, Hydro, had become amazed at her surprising boldness and returned her feelings in kind. It was also the spot where they had their first of everything from kisses, to… other things.
Now here they were again, in the last of a million meetings.
He looked back over the sunset. The sky burst with red, pink, and orange. A grand flame that was about to fizzle out and make way for the stars. The sea and sky intermingled in the horizon, seeming so close yet quite far from each other; never to truly meet.
He truly hated things like this.
“I love you.” she said, bringing him back to present time.
He caught his own breath and breathed out a shaky laugh. “Are you sure that’s something you still want to do?”
Even if he couldn’t stay? Or give her what she really wanted..?
“Of course I do..!” She insisted as if reading his own mind, stepping closer to him and cupping his face into her hands; her touch so gentle as if he was crumbling glass. He would wonder if she had reishi.
“Hydro, Asakura Hao, whatever name you take. No matter what. No matter who you are, wherever you go or whatever you believe. I love you.”
Back where Hao came from, it was uncommon to verbalize such things so bluntly—embarrassing, even. Instead, these sentiments were delivered in eloquent poems worded in other ways or in actions.
It was believed that speaking out as such would trivialize such emotions.
But he detected no such thing from Sakari.
All that she spoke were often blunt, sincere, and brought to reality. She put weight and value to her words. Whatever she promised, she always saw through. Whatever she believed, she always spoke of with confidence.
“…I love you, too.” Hao whispered so softly, as if saying it too loud would somehow let some unknown force take her away from him.
He almost laughed at the absurdity of his words. He loved her, and yet he would leave her and their son at the mercy of their New King.
But it was too dangerous to take them with him. Tomorrow, he would be branded a traitor, and his family would suffer from it. But if he took them with him, that would only paint them in a more suspicious light. They were all doomed either way…
One day…
He thought.
When I become king, I will set you free…
He gently pulled her towards him and closed the distance between them. Her lips were warm and soft, yet Hao felt a thousand needles piercing through him as he tasted salt.
For just a second, just a heartbeat, he wished for those few days back.