The Blazing Heiress

16|| A beautiful nightmare

"When you think this pain is all you deserve, you are right. You are the only one that can decide how long you will walk in hell."

~ Shannon L. Alder

***

Walking several miles into the countryside, Viransh took in the extravagance of nature. He placed both hands on his knees, bending down slightly, hefting a long breath after a long, vigorous walk on the trails into the landscape. His cheeks flushed from the euphoria of a long walk. He yanked off the gray rucksack from his shoulder, placing it on the ground before spreading his arms, enjoying the nippy wind caressing his face.

His amber irises flitted toward the sky as the dark clouds rolled away and the sun began to shine. His ears filled with euphonious music of chirping birds, the sound of a running stream by his side, and the hum of wind in the tree tops as the smooth breezes gushed, blowing his disheveled jet hair. His gaze drifted to the lovely valley of flowers, especially toward the budding colors of spring, as the winter unfurled its cold, weary eyes.

A butterfly fled past him in a beautiful flutter, posing on a flower, unfolding its wings, tethering the buds. His lips tugged into a smile, and his heart warmed seeing the serenity of nature up close. He slowly walked further. His feet dug into the sloppy green grasses underneath as he smelled the sweet-smelling breeze of air.

He suddenly stopped.

His attention shifted to a girl who stood not far from him, draped in a salmon color dress, similar to a hue of spring. His eyes trailed down, noting her flushed cheeks and her cherry lips. Those red plum lips were painfully familiar, as if he'd traced them countless times. The gentle waft of air blew her unruly raven hair, and his hands twitched, aching, yearning to pleat them behind her ears so they won't tease him by concealing her delicate olive cheeks beneath the curtain of her massive curls.

His fiery amber shards found her dark eyes. And he recognized. He could never forget them in the first place, the richness of her brown iris, the thick ebony coil swirling into them. He remembered gazing into them, trying to peek into her soul, endeavoring to unravel the mystery obscured in them.

His throat went dry at the mere sight of her. He raked his hands over his hair, messing them more before walking toward her. The sound of footsteps alerted her, and she stared up, locking her gaze with his. A single glance felt like a sensation tickling him, hitting him like a wave rushing from the ocean.

He watched her eyes squinting shut for the briefest moment. When she opened her eyes again, she searched his face afore taking a couple of steps back, eventually turning and running away. Her actions bewildered Viransh, who increased his strides, jogging toward her. But something was different. The more closer he got, the farther she stirred. He quickened his strides. Now, he was running, trying to reach her, to gather her into his arms. To stop her from running away from him. He kept running after her with his almighty strength. When he thought he took hold of her, she perished into thin air leaving behind beautiful butterflies fluttering, and he kept staring, his mind turmoiled as different thoughts raced his mind, but only a name quivered on his lips.

"Avni."

"No."

Viransh woke up with a gasp. He passed his frigid fingers through his sweating hair when the realization struck him, and an unusual shot of electricity glid down his spine. Avni. She wasn't there with him. His hand rushed over his face while his other hand roamed to the other side, where Avni slept last night, next to him. His hands grazed the soft but empty mattress, and a feeling of hollowness spewed into his veins on finding himself alone in the bed.