”It’s probably housekeeping.”

Amari thought as she pushed herself off the bed. Her hair was disheveled and her eyes were black from a restless night. Her body ached, still bandaged, despite her wound being healed by her magic, the pain of it still lingered. Amari wrapped a cotton white bedsheet around her naked form and opened the door. “I thought I said I didn’t want to be bothered.” Sne snapped.

It most definitely wasn’t housekeeping.

It was Shinsou Vaan Osiris.
.
His thin eyes, tired from a sleepless night looked down at her from behind chocolate coloured locks. Amber orbs reflecting the fatigue he no doubt felt. Oh, those glorious golden eyes. Amari found herself indulging in them, drowning in their somber pools. It made her feel nostalgic, reminded her of days long gone; where the sun would catch them just so, and they shone as though his very being was set alight. Now, they were dull and it was heartbreaking. She wanted to reach out and brighten them once more with a gentle caress of his cheek, accompanied by a lighthearted joke which would make him smile and his shoulders move with melodic laughter. But those days were long gone.

“Shinsou….” His name came out as a whisper. Amari wasn’t expecting him at the door, rather...she’d expect anyone but him. The man she loved was standing before her, the man who couldn’t possibly reciprocate those feelings in return. She had just spent the entire night trying to convince herself that she didn’t need him, that she didn’t want him, and that she had to move on from him and now he was here. As though she was bound to some sort of god of misery, who revelled in her despair.

Realising she had been standing there, with the door open for far too long, she quickly slammed the door in his face and pressed her forehead against the wood. “Shit….shit...shit..shit why is he here?” She asked herself.

There was silence on the other side of the door. No sounds of inquiry or annoyance. Not even the soft muffled footsteps of him walking away. Amari’s gaze fixed on the door, just a few inches kept them apart. Amari hadn’t the slightest clue why he was here, she had left in such anger the night before. She may as well have slapped him across the face and spat on his honour. Was he here to shout at her? No… if he were here in anger a simple door would not have stopped him. If not that then what? She rested her head on the door, her heart beat hard and fast in her ears as she tried to rationalise the reason he came. Finally, it dawned on her.

Amari carefully opened the door again, just enough for her to peek through, “Sihinsou, hello.” Amari quietly said. She swung the door open in full and gestured for him to enter the small room. “You’re here for me to heal your soul, yes?” It took all her strength to keep her voice from wavering. He was here because of a promise that she had made long ago; despite everything… Amari was a woman of her word, and she’d heal him… just as he requested. He’d leave her, and again, she’d be left with nothing more than the sweet memories he had given her.


The man stood in the doorway, his blazing gaze boring into her for a few silent moments before he entered. She gently clicked the door shut behind him. Amari wished he would say something, anything. The silence was killing her. “You can stand, or take a seat on the bed if you like.” Amari sounded reserved, cautious. Almost afraid. A stark contrast to the angry and heated woman from the night before. Shinsou glanced around the room before looking at her.

“Do you really think that is what I came here for?” He asked, his voice was equally reserved as her own, with the slightest trace of what could have been anger and betrayal. Looking at him, Amari found it impossibly hard to read what was going through his mind. It had always been that way, the Telgradian always seemed to have some sort of inner turmoil that she could never fathom. Amari pulled her eyes away from his.

“I…” Amari paused, “If not that... then….an apology?” Amari asked before clarifying. “I mean… from me…?” She wanted to make amends with him, at the same time she was desperately trying to keep her distance to avoid further heartache. Everything about him threw her completely off kilter, all of her Masters training and programming, all that time she had built up a strong and powerful facade, angry, violent.. A woman never to be trifled with. All of it shattered in his presence.

“I am sorry, for what I did to you, forcing you to see those things. I anger easily these days. It won’t happen again.”