✔ | At Least We Have Forever

Chapter 21 - Her Tragic Fate

xxxxxx

Several hours later...

Yusuke and the others already left Riya's apartment just as soon as they made sure she was alright. Even though Genkai already confirmed that all the girl's wounds were healed, Kurama insisted on staying by her side and he was only convinced to go home when Riya asked him to do so. She used Shiori as a reason and somehow, it worked.

But even though they left her sleeping, Riya woke up because of a phone call. It wasn't a surprise when she saw the name displayed on the screen.

"Hello? Riya here," she started.

"Good thing you're still awake," came out a woman's voice on the other line. "I guess you know the reason why I called you."

She sighed. "More or less, I already had an idea since the symptoms showed a while back when we were fighting two demon shinobis who suddenly attacked us from out of nowhere."

"You don't have much time left, Riya-chan," the woman said seriously but sadly. "You think you can still handle it?"

Silence filled the room before she clutched her fist on her lap. "I'm not sure, Haruna-neesan."

The woman calling her was her sister-in-law and her late brother's wife, Miyuzaki Haruna. Hiroto and Haruna had twin daughters Misako and Sachiko—both six years old—and a son Satoshi—four years old. Those two girls were only four years old and Satoshi was two when Hiroto got killed. Right now, Haruna was the one who took over the position Hiroto was supposed to inherit—leader of the Miyuzaki clan—since she was a legal family member and the wife of Riya's brother.

"I don't know how long I will be able to handle it, Haruna-neesan. Now I'm scared of losing everything because of this... I'm scared..." Riya admitted, her voice began to crack and her hand started quivering.

Riya heard Haruna sigh on the other line.

"Whatever happens from here on, you don't have to be scared. For as long as he can accept you for who you are and can support you no matter what, don't hold back. Fight for what you think will benefit many. He'll always be there for you. I know it."

She frowned at her sister-in-law's words. "Are you sure you know what you're talking about, Haruna-neesan?"

"Yumi-chan informed me of what's happening to you there. Somehow, the demon fox was the reason why you're scared right now. Kurama-kun doesn't know he's the one holding you back to fight before your time is over. Just leave it that way for now. It might not be easy but it's for the best," Haruna said.

"He shouldn't know... so that it wouldn't be too painful..." she muttered that almost tearing her heart apart. Riya knew where those words would lead her no matter how she analyzed them.

And it was too painful for her to utter the answer she realized. It was as if each word would tear her heart completely.

'But I guess it's the only way... even though just thought of it will be too hard for me to bear the pain...'

"So what do you want to do now?" Haruna asked after moments of silence, snapping her out of her musings.

Riya gave herself a few more seconds to think before she looked outside the window and gave her answer to Haruna's question.

xxxxxx

Minamino residence, Kurama's room...

Three hours had passed since Kurama left Riya's apartment and went home because she insisted on it. But that period was more than enough for him to think over a lot of things bothering him after all that had happened a while back, especially the facts that he and the others discovered from Koenma and Genkai.

And to tell the truth, he didn't know what to think at first. But all of those thoughts bothering him only concerned one person and that was Riya.

The fact that she possessed a considerable amount of powers had surprised him, especially when she blocked the initial attack with her bare hands and absorbed it in the process, thus saving him. Learning that the level of her powers matched his own and that it has grown weaker because of her life force being devoured slowly gave him a mild shock and extreme worry at the same time. He kept on thinking how could a 16-year-old girl like her managed to go this far.

Secrets after secrets had been slowly revealed to him that concerned the girl he loved. It was making him restless, afraid, and worried all at the same time and it was already frustrating him. This hasn't happened to him before, not unless it was Shiori that was related. But in Riya's case, it was even more intense.

Something was about to happen and he knew that since a series of events slowly began to unfold the answers to finish the mission. Not only about the mission but also everything about Riya, as well.

But he could only hope that it wouldn't be something that might take Riya away from him. It would be too unbearable for him if he lost Riya because of the mission. A lot of possibilities could happen and he didn't want to think of all those possibilities that might drive him crazy.

But his worst fear for his beloved would be the possibility that she would be killed either because of the demon shinobi or her life force reaching its end and her string of life would be cut soon. He hasn't prepared himself for that and he never could, no matter how hard he wanted to try. Just the thought of it was enough to tear his heart to pieces.

And because of that, he has to do something to let Riya know his feelings for her already. In other words, he must tell her his feelings. His true feelings.

That way, he has more reasons for him to do whatever it takes to protect the woman he loved truly...

...even if he has to deal with Death itself.