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He stood in front of the tombstone, taking in the pristine shine it still had, and the clean cut of the engravings. The full moon shown down a shaft of light over the cemetery, lighting the stone with an ethereal glow. He didn’t know how long it had been since he lost her. Time had blurred together after his stretch in prison, and now that he had escaped it had remained in a state of unknowing.
As he continued to look down at the grave, he felt the wounds on his heart split open once again. Why couldn’t they have stayed together? Wasn’t death enough for them to be reunited?
He felt like he should be crying, yet his eyes were dry. He had experienced enough death now that nothing seemed to spark any emotion. He had already shed so many tears over her absence that there were none left to give. Instead, he stared down at the earth, eyes dark as he thought of how her body lay beneath it, cold and alone.
A bouquet of flowers sat beside her stone, although they had begun to wilt and shrivel. Dragging his attention from her grave, he looked to the identical one beside it, carved with his name instead of hers. There were no roses beside his, and it looked almost darker and colder than hers had. Sighing, he thought back over the deal he had made with the devil; that if he killed a thousand evil men, he would reunite the lovers for eternity. It wasn’t fair that she had been gifted to heaven, while he had been dragged down to hell.
But that was all going to change soon. He only had a few more souls to deliver, and then they would be together at last. That was how much he loved her. He was sacrificing all of this to be with her. Murdering hundreds of people, so they would be united again.
He focused back on her grave, another wave of pain running through him.
“Oh, Helena…” He sighed, as if she could hear him. “We’ll be together yet.”
Then he noticed something from the corner of his eye. A faint flicker of light, wavering against the midnight air. He stiffened, turning to face whatever was there. Had the police tracked him down? Was a groundskeeper going to throw him out?
But as his gaze searched across the dark landscape, he noticed a faint glow from across the path. Slowly, it began to strengthen into a silhouette, one he recognised far too well. It started to walk closer to him, its feet weightless against the gravel, as though it were floating. The figure was still hazy, its edges wispy and misted, but as it approached further, distinct details began to strengthen.
She stared at him with a longing gaze, her eyes wet with sorrow and face soft with emotion. She wore a beautiful white dress, flowing across her thin form like a graceful waterfall. Her silky black hair was tied back into a bun, although stray strands framed her face.
He felt his eyes widen in disbelief and hope, mouth dropping in surprise.
“Helena?” He asked, voice nothing more than a whisper.
In response, she steadily approached him, dress gently blowing around her in an elegant way. Her skin was pale, and when he looked closer, he realised he could see the cemetery behind her. Through her. Her figure slightly wavered, as though he was looking at her under water. Her vague form stepped closer until she was standing right in front of him. Her beautiful hazel eyes stared into his with glistening pain, but her lips curved into a slight smile as she locked gazes with him.
“Hello, my love,” She murmured, voice almost inaudible as though it were coming from a great distance.
He felt his heart burn, with love for her but also from anguish. Reaching out a hand, he grasped her ghostly waist, surprised to find it felt faintly solid, and held her hand with the other.
“I’ve missed you…” He spoke, voice clouded with emotion. “And I promise that we’ll be together again. I’m coming for you. Soon…”
She pressed herself towards him until they were in a delicate embrace, alone together in the dim moonlight of the cemetery. She kept looking up at him, never breaking eye contact as they stood in the comforting darkness. Her dress blew against him, like a feather brushing against his leg, yet so faint that he would have missed it anywhere else.
Tears began to prick at his eyes as he held her, the reality of the situation too emotional not to. He wanted to stay like that forever, just him with her, embraced for eternity in the soft darkness. He didn’t care if he had to endure dying again, if it meant that he could stay with her like this.
Time slipped by as they stood together in a silent love, but slowly, he began to feel her fading on him. Looking down, he saw she had become nothing but a thin haze, with the ground in front of him distinctly clear through her.
“No…” He sighed, tears dripping down his cheek.
She looked up at him, a thin smile sliding across her face. Her eyes were brighter now, yet still shone deep pools of yearning. Her figure wavered once more in the moonlight, and she began to fade into nothingness.
“I’ll be waiting for you…” The last of her words were lost as her figure dissipated into a soft mist, then blurred into empty space.
He doubled over, despair clawing at his heart. He couldn’t bear leaving her again… but she was gone.
He pulled his head up and looked at the midnight sky, the moon beaming down on him and the stars scattered glimmering through the darkness.
She was gone. But he would do everything to get her back.