Eternal Flame

Blissful Peace

I watched him watch her for years. Every day I said maybe, maybe one day he will watch me but finally after more than a decade my patience had finally reached its end. I watched for far too long. I spent my life being strong and never surrendering to anyone so why? Why did I feel so weak and helpless? I knew that I should walk away from that I was just torturing myself but some invisible force kept me grounded. I couldn't move or look away, even if my heart was breaking this very moment. I needed to hear him say even just this once to know that I wouldn't have a chance. So finally, finally I could move on.

"Momo." He said softly as he brought his hand to her cheek.

In all the years I had known him I'd never heard him speak so gently, so kindly. I felt my heart being pinched and myself being suffocated.

"Shiro-chan." She said in the most feminine sweet voice you'd ever heard.

"I love you."
 
The air left my body and my heart skipped a beat. There was no denying it, that deep icy voice was one  I could never mistake. His words repeated in my head. "I love you. I love you." They were like a dagger. I was strong and yet and this moment I felt like a helpless child. I waited and waited but all I heard was silence.
 
"I'm sorry  Shiro-chan." She said and I heard movement and he stood there all alone.

A small part of me felt satisfied with the result but the other wanted to comfort him. I slowly got and walked away, I got what I came here for.

"Karin."

My body tensed and my heart skipped yet another beat. I didn’t turn around I couldn't my pride wouldn’t let me. I was finally going to get to start over without him in my life. I closed my eyes and continued to walk.

"KARIN." He yelled after me.

I shuck my head and shunpo'd away. I stood before the Senkimon and waited for it to open. I didn’t feel anything at the moment I was completely numb.

"You just going to leave without saying anything?"

That voice that haunted me said. I wouldn’t turn around, I refused. I watched as the Senkimon opened and I stepped closer to it.

"Say something."

Realization hit me and I turned. I met those piecing teal eyes. "Goodbye  Hitsugaya Toshiro. Thank you for all the great years." I said and walked through the gate. For me the chapter of my life was over and honestly I never wanted to see the soul society or this man ever again. I knew that day I could never return to my life how it was before. I'd given everything to a world that wasn't even my own and in return, I was promised my freedom. They would leave me be for eternity. I had won their war and now I was finally free from them and from my shattered heart.

That day was a day I reflected on many times, a day I wanted to forget but knew I must remember. I was no longer a human but I wasn’t a shinigami either. I spent the last century roaming the world free from my past life. One hundred years had passed since I left it all behind and sitting on top of the tallest mountain looking at the beautiful sky I don’t regret a damn thing. I loved every minute of the last one hundred years. Freedom was all I ever really desired. I left this life behind me, the one of Katakura town and the soul society. I was no longer Karin Kurosaki or Shiba. I was just Karin an aimless nomad. That was how I wanted life to be but when I felt that familiar reiatsu I knew my freedom was about to come falling apart.