Until Forever

Epilogue

The morning traffic in Seoul was just starting but the young woman plodding through the busy street was already exhausted. She had not had a decent sleep for three nights in a row and she was now feeling its toll.

Actually, she had not been feeling well ever since she had received the ring inside an ancient music box. They were bequeathed to her by her grandmother who passed away just last month. With it was a cryptic note that said: 'Find its match or you will never be at peace.'

The ring was ancient but exquisitely hand-crafted, polished jade inlaid with gold filigree and etched with the words: 'Until forever' on the underside. She did not know if she was supposed to wear it for she never saw her grandmother wearing it at any time in her life. But the ring seemed to call to her and when she did try it on, it fit her perfectly; like it was made especially for her. It looked so beautiful on her finger that she decided to wear it without a second thought.  

And that was when the dreams started.

At first they were quite pleasant - nothing distinct, just the feeling of bliss, contentment, peace. Then the dreams took on a different form and the feelings became so intense they were almost frightening - a sense of deep longing, loneliness, helplessness. Just these past three nights, images started to take shape, the feelings that accompanied them were those of pain, loss and finality. She could hear the loud clashes of metal against metal, the whizzing of arrows, of men screaming and chanting. She knew that she was screaming, too, but only inside her head.

And amid all that chaos was the inexplicable need to find something - someone. But she could not tell what or who. The images were always blurred, like what one would see underwater, or through an unfocused camera lens.

However, last night's dream was especially different - she heard a voice. Strong and masculine; entirely new to her ears yet somehow familiar. And it was calling out to her; but not really, for the name he was uttering was not hers. Yet she knew that it was her he was calling.

The sudden rush of the pedestrians around her broke through her reverie and she was forced to cross the street with them. She really had nowhere to go this morning. Her photo shoot was not scheduled until late this afternoon but she felt the urge to stroll through the park ever since she'd opened her eyes. So after a light breakfast, she lugged her trusty camera along and made her way towards the park, which was just two blocks away from her apartment. Having woken up in good spirits, in spite of the constant recurrence of her mysterious dreams, she hadn't counted on feeling physically drained after just a few minutes' walk.

Thankfully, most of the benches were unoccupied, owing to the fact that it was a workday and most of the Yuppies were locked down to their desks at this hour. She chose one that was facing a colorful field of wildflowers. Perhaps she could take a breather and capture a few shots of the refreshing scenery instead of her usual fare of snobby celebrities. She lifted her camera and peeked through the viewfinder, scanning the park for an interesting subject when she was almost taken aback by the image of a man peeking through a camera that was aimed at her. Knowing that they could see each other clearly, albeit through their cameras, the man lifted his arm and waved at her. Strangely, her arm went up of its own accord and waved back. A couple of minutes later, the man was strolling towards her.

"Hello! It seems that we were both caught on camera," he said smiling down at her. The deep timbre of his voice went through her like a shard of ice. She knew she'd never met him before, yet there was something very familiar about him.

He motioned towards the empty space on her bench, apparently asking her permission to sit with her. She nodded as she rummaged through her memory banks in search of a name that would go with the voice. But the information eluded her somehow.

"So, you're a photographer, too. Professional or hobbyist?" he asked, smiling at her. Somehow, his smile tugged at her memories, too. Do I know him? Have we met before?

"I'd like to think of myself as a professional, but yes, I do take photos for a living. What about you?"

His eyes seemed to bore through her soul, searching - but not unpleasantly. It seemed like he was also trying to remember something as continued to look at her. Then he smiled again, that same smile that still tugged at her, urging her to recollection.

"It's just a hobby for me, I don't do it in the actual world. What kind of pictures do you take?"

"Celebrities, mostly. I work for a magazine."

"Wow! That's interesting. Do you have a photo shoot scheduled here now?"

"No. I'm taking a breather. I usually do this often - take pictures of nature or sceneries in between shoots. Just to keep me grounded," she said smiling back at him. She noticed how handsome he was, especially with the cute, little dimples that creased his cheeks whenever he smiled.

"You like wildflowers, then?" he asked, looking around at the abundance of them around the park.

"Yes. I really don't know why, but I've always been partial to them."

"Yeah. Me, too," he said as he continued looking at the field of wildflowers before them with a certain sad air.

"So, what do you do? In the real world, that is?" she asked, trying to break through his sudden melancholy.

"I'm actually a screenwriter. But in the middle of a project when I find myself looking for a break, I indulge my hobby. "

"Well, THAT's interesting. What project are you working on now?"

"It's some sort of historical romance. It will be airing soon but I was having trouble with the female character. This will sound strange, but when I saw you, she suddenly came to life for me. The Deokman in my mind looks exactly like you."

At the mention of that name, everything clicked into place. Now she remembered where she'd heard his voice. His was the voice from her dream! And he also called her Deokman then!

"Is it you?" she quietly asked, not really knowing why she did.

"What did you say?" he asked, turning to her with eyes that searched her face, boring into the deepest recesses of her soul.

"N-Nothing. Look, I think I better go. I still have to prepare for my photo shoot later. It's been nice meeting you. I'm Deanna, by the way," she said, casually extending her right hand.

"Oh, right. I'm Brian," he said, clasping her hand into his.

She felt her jade ring click against something in his hand, and when she looked down at their clasped hands, she saw that he was wearing a ring that was identical to hers. Then, a myriad stars seemed to explode inside her head and she was finally seeing the images in her dreams in vibrant color, clear as day - the bouquet of wildflowers, the bridge by the lake, the identical rings, the arrows, the fallen bodies, his fallen body - everything that had been tormenting her these past few days. Only this time, they no longer felt like mere images in a dream, but more like dormant memories now released from eternity's stronghold.

When she looked up, she saw the same wealth of emotions churning inside her reflected in his eyes. And that's when she knew, it was him, the one that the ring was looking for.

"It is you!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, it's me," he replied, his eyes now shining with a love that had endured through time and space.

They moved at the same time, both longing to touch, to assure each other that the person before them was not an illusion. And as they finally embraced, joy and contentment descended upon them - and with it the assurance that no one, nothing, will ever come between them again.

The rings have been reunited and now they can both find peace - until they reach their forever.

****The End****