Cosette opened her eyes, her surroundings slowly dawning on her — the world around her awash in gold, soft light spilling across endless clouds that shimmered like glass. A strange melancholy wrapped around her, so unlike the world she remembered. Then it struck her: it wasn't a dream. She was in heaven. But peace didn't come with the realization. Instead, a sharp ache bloomed in her chest as she realized that she never got to say goodbye to her loved ones, their faces she could never see again. She wanted to go back. A cloud of mist settled in front of her, revealing an angel, wings fluttering gently against the calm breeze. The angel opened her mouth to speak, her voice as tender as a warm hug. "If you want to return... you must alter someone's broken fate," she explained while pointing to a hologram of a young man before disappearing, leaving Cosette in confusion.
The words echoed in her mind long after the angel had vanished, leaving her mind racing with questions. Alter someone's broken fate? She didn't even know who the man was, even more so what he had been through. And yet, something within her stirred, a spark of determination to succeed. If this was the price for one more chance to see the world she loved, she would pay it. When the light swallowed her whole, she felt herself falling through clouds, time, and fragments of the life she once had... until she awoke again, not as herself, but in a body meant for another purpose. A body made to save his life.
The first time she saw him, he was sitting alone beneath a half-wilted tree, his gaze fixed on the horizon where dusk and dawn seemed to meet. There was a quiet sadness about him, the kind that wasn't conveyed through tears but through the way he breathed, like every inhale was a burden. She didn't know how to begin, to connect with someone who seemed worlds apart from her. So she just simply sat down next to him. No words, no explanations, just comfortable silence between two strangers who seemed to recognize each other's loneliness. And when his amber eyes finally met hers, something in them softened. A hopeful glint in his eyes like he genuinely felt seen.
That evening, she convinced him to go somewhere new: the night market that came alive with color and sound, the vibrant neon lanterns glowing brightly. He hesitated at first, mumbling something about crowds and noise. But she insisted, and the moment that the aroma of grilled skewers and sizzling noodles wafted into his nose, he forgot he ever turned her down. Children darted between legs while beaming with laughter, cheerful smiles on everyone's faces. Cosette and her new friend, Osmo, were in the center of it all, surrounded by couples and families. But her eyes were only on him, smiling blissfully like nothing in the world mattered when he's right next to her. It was a genuine smile, despite the deepest secret that she was still hiding from him.
She held a candied apple in one hand, munching happily while he stared at her from the side. His gaze held adoration, hiding a smile he couldn't manage to express. He never imagined that someone with such a strong light could burst into the darkness he was so used to, pulling him out from the depths of the gloomiest parts of his life.
He was snapped out of his thoughts when she handed him a skewer of caramelized strawberries, laughing when the syrup stuck to his fingers. He retaliated by buying her a cup of bubble tea and teasing her when she couldn't finish it before the ice melted. They stopped at a street performance of a musician playing a melodic tune on his guitar, and time felt like it had stopped for a moment.
They shared a glance at each other, noticing the faint reflection of the bright lanterns in his eyes and that tiny twinkle of hope. She couldn't read his mind, and neither could he, but the spark between them felt like they already understood each without the use of words. Her chest tightened slightly, as if sensing an unfortunate event incoming, or the fact that the time that they spent together was too short for them to part ways so soon.
Secrets were shared under the moonlight as they walked further away from the bustling night market, the music fading into the silence of the night. A faint tune drifted from somewhere down the street, blending with the soft hum of lights. They sat on the top of the concrete wall barrier near the sea, gazing out at the stars reflected in the ocean. "You know," he said quietly, "I used to think nights like this were for other people, the ones with someone to share them with."
"And now you do," she spoke with a soft smile, gaze still locked on the horizon. She had missed out on the small chuckle under his breath and the smile tugging on the corners of his lips before silence fell between them once more. The peaceful crashing of the waves and the muffled whispers created a pleasant atmosphere, making her wish that time would stop in that moment. At least long enough for her to forget that this happiness was only borrowed, and that every heartbeat brought her closer to disappearing.
He walked her home that night, though neither of them really wanted the day to end. The streets were quiet now, with the scent of the ocean still lingering in the air. They spoke about little things: the stars, the songs they liked, and what they would do tomorrow if they had the chance to. At one point, she stopped and turned to him, the soft glow of the streetlight outlining her face like a halo. "Promise me something," she whispered gently. "If things get hard again one day, promise me you'll still move forward." He frowned, puzzled by the sudden seriousness in her tone, but nodded anyway. "Only if you promise to stay," he replied with a faint, lopsided smile. She wanted to tell him the truth so badly, but she knew he wouldn't believe her. So instead of answering, she just smiled back, hoping that the warmth in her eyes could say all the words she couldn't speak.
That day was the start of their friendship. Although slow and steady at first, that friendship blossomed into an unbreakable lifelong bond. He started to change, gradually but noticeably, like winter giving way to spring. New memories occupied his mind now, instead of the negative thoughts that once brought him despair. Cosette was the one who opened up to him first, sharing secrets from her past life which she might never go back to. She knew that they might never meet again in the impending future, so she had no regrets.
Osmo found himself falling in love with the small joys in life. For the first time in years, he didn't wake up dreading the day. Every time he thought of her faint laugh replaying in the back of his mind like a recorder, he'd catch himself smiling. It felt strange, but it was genuine. Somewhere deep down, he realized that she had quietly