CHAINED FLOWERS ( z. dragneel )

00 | "the girl, cursed"

Her thoughts are muddy, the flow of time escaping within the gaps in her fingertips and she tries to walk forward, tries to steady her trembling legs, because by all the holy beings in this dreadful planet, she knew that escape was futile. She knew that escape was as impossible as those cold stars above caring.

The woman didn't know what instance it was, but she had been led by her clumsy legs and instead of fulfilling the necessities of the cycle, she fled and she met this man, who was beatiful and she foolishly thought that this was it, but then she noticed all the similarities, that everything was still the same. How their first shared kiss was still under the moonlight, how he danced with her under the falling stars. How she didn't age. It was too late when she tried to stay away. He had died. Right in front of her. And it was one of the worst times in the cycle, because...

It was her who killed him. Her dainty hands had moved on their own. And if someone had seen it, they would tell her that she hadn't killed him. They would tell her that she slaughtered him. She bathed in his blood with a smile that she knew wasn't hers. She died the minute after; he had stabbed her with the very knife she used to end his life.

And so they lied in each other's arms that night. Lifeless.

She didn't learn a lesson because for the eighth time the cycle repeated. She still ran away. She made it a point to avoid any man she encountered, but the curse is as witty as it is cruel. It still led her to him. She was out of the forest, away from that lake, in a quaint village where wizard guilds blossomed, she curled up in an alleyway and only rats to keep her company. A sack had been placed over her head and the next thing she know, she was being sold off to a man. That was him. The smile on his face was so wicked that she couldn't believe it was him. She tried to become as repugnant as she could, but they still fell in love with each other.

It still ended with their deaths. His heart ripped from his body in front of her.

And so she learned her lesson.

The cycle repeated. Over and over again.

It was a never ending cycle.

What's more is the fact that every time they are reborn, he doesn't remember anything. New memories lay in his head, a new identity. And it is horrible, because she is the only one who remembers. All the damned things. All the heartbreak, all those dying kisses and embraces that tear her from the inside.

She parted the chartreuse wildberry bush separating the two of them and there he stands, eyes closed as water ran down his body. She didn't make a sound, she is a wraith in this forest and so her presence has become one's.

She assessed the sight calmly. He looked so different from her past lover.

She didn't make her presence known yet, but he discovers her anyway. He opens his eyes and startled, he dresses quickly and scampers away from her. Surprise paints her face. He is not different. He is not the first one to stay away, but there's something in his eyes. Those beautiful eyes.

"Please don't make this harder for me," she whispered as she tried to go near him. Legs dipped in lakewater and the cold startled her, but she was as frigid as the water, so her face muscles don't twitch. He placed his hands in front of his body as if he's scared of her. And really, she didn't blame him. She was afraid of herself too. Of the two of them. But it is hopeless and she was like clockwork. The cogs inside her continue to turn and even without purpose she continued because this is what she is intended to do.

"Please," he says and his voice is deep, reminds her of sitting in the porch stirring dark chocolate on mugs and the fresh cream that makes everything a little sweeter. It makes her skin tingle, makes her toes curl at the edge. Feels like falling in love for the first time all over again. "Please don't go near me. I will hurt you."

Her eyes widened at the prospect, hope is thrumming in her veins. No no no no no.

"Could it be that you...?"

You remember, my love?

The lake water has paused. Its wild ripples calmed. It is so tranquil that it manages to reflect the stars in the sky. Iridiscent.

"It's okay," she said. Not because it will calm him. Not because it means something to both of them, but because it is the only thing that escapes her mouth.

"No, no, no, no," he says and he looked afraid. More afraid than her. "You don't understand."

There is a feeling bubbling in her chest and she knows that this is not good. She's hoping. Hoping that he remembers.

"I understand," she said, smiling but he merely shakes his head. He pauses. then blackness starts to emanate from him. She freezes.

"It's coming!" he yells and then he places his hands on the side of his head as if trying to stop it from breaking into pieces.

"R-Run!"

The woman would never ever run away from him again.

The once vibrant leaves begun to wither, the barks slowly turning to dust. The birds that fly past all pause and drop dead. This is...

"R-Run!"

The squirrels that reside in the now dying trees tries to but he pauses and the blackness swallows it too. The leaves continue to disappear and the grass that lay on their feet bows down and just disappears.

Everything is too fast and her feet move on its own. She tore his hand from his head and he looks at her, bewilders. His eyes are the color of the darkest obsidians and his jaw is apart.

"You..." he trembles as her hands grips his.

"Who are you?" he manages to splutter and she let go of his hands.

"I am Esen Rietvield and you will fall in love with me."

-

e n d.
[ thank you for reading chained flowers. ]
c o m i n g:
01 | "the deathless."

• this was written before plastic flowers (my bnha book) and around the same time as supermarket flowers (my haikyuu!! one) so the writing style is still sorta simple. hope you still like it regardless :)