He looked all over the place but there was no sign of her. He ran frantically through the woods shouting her name, he ran and ran, having dropped everything he had brought with him. Various presents and fancy things, he wanted to surprise her with an estate and many other luxuries he knew she had probably never experienced before so she could spit in the faces of all those that shunned her. 

He wanted to do so many things for her, but now he may not have a chance to. A deep sadness welled within him.

“Liet!” A elderly woman ran for him. She looked very familiar.

“Yan?”

“Yan!” They ran for each other and Liet picked her up in his one hand and they embraced.

“I thought something had happened to you, why do you look so different?”

Yan held his still youthful face in her wrinkled hands. “You left for so long Liet, I thought I would never see you again while I breathed. I’m glad I could at least see you one more time.”

“What are you saying?”

“Liet your hand, did you lose it in the war?” Yan gasped, he nodded up at her. Yan looked at him focused on every bit of him and lastly she ran her fingers through his hair that had lost its white shine and was dull.

“Liet, your light, it’s going out.” Liet’s eyes widened, that was impossible, his source was limitless there was no way.

Yet he couldn’t deny how he got tired now, he’d never been able to before, he couldn’t run as fast or lift as much or think as quickly. It was possible that the time he spent in this world had started to diminish his light for good.

Would he die? He wondered, he’d seen so many people die in this world that it was a curious thing for him, did he want to try it? A very curious thing it was.

He looked at Yan’s aged face and asked, “Are you scared to die?”

“Liet what are you talking about you need to go back.” Yan replied sternly.

“If I left, would you come with me?” He asked seriously.

“It wouldn’t make a difference now.” Yan replied.

“So then answer my question, are you scared to die?”

“No.” Yan whispered.

“If we can be together, neither am I.” Liet finalised.

“Liet, it’s impossible now, it’s too late.”

“Not if I can be selfish for one more time in my life.” Liet smiled at Yan and she was too old for these shenanigans. But Liet had a spark in his eyes that she didn’t want to ever put out so she went along with him as Liet took her with him to his world

Liet petitioned his brothers to be wed to Yan but alas opposition came from the deity’s brothers, Kharys, was especially against it.

“Never! A marriage between a mortal and a god? Have you gone mad?!” Kharys exclaimed, and Liet being the youngest remained silent.

“Brother, she can not live in our world and you can not live in hers. Their land has contaminated your power and it makes you sick. Listen to reason and marry one of your own.” The second brother, Orphee added sighing with exasperation from the constant barrage of illogical behaviour by his brother.

“I don’t want to defy any of you, my brothers, so tell me who among our people could stand beside me?”

No reply came.

“Can’t you see that she alone doesn't shy away from my power? For this mortal woman, I am ready to make any sacrifice necessary.”

The brothers flinched at their youngest’s words, he was resigned to any fate. What sort of sorcery could that woman have used on him, meek, and yet seemingly undisturbed by the power which was no doubt pushing out of them in torrents.

“You are making a foolish decision and for what?! Love?!. Is that the spell she cast on you?” Kharys exclaimed.

“ I just want Liet to become better again, if there is another way then please just do it.” The woman said, determinedly holding onto Liet’s robe from behind him.

“Silence woman! For you know not what you speak! Can’t you see this is all your fault?!” The oldest’s voice boomed through the estate.

“Brother, enough! It is my own!” Liet shielded his woman from his brother, this displeased Kharys who stood up, slowly towering over the youngest and staring at him with a piercing gaze.

Orphee looked on hesitantly.

“Liet, you know we can not stop you. So the only thing I can think that would make you go this far is that. Are you really going to disown your people for her?” The second brother piped in because he had finally figured out what his brother was trying to do which was not entirely illogical. 

Liet’s body was no longer strong enough to hold his power, his body had been contaminated by that other world, yet the only other person who seemed capable of holding his power was the woman and she could live in her realm without contamination and keep Liet’s power safe until they could safely take it back.

Yet Liet would eventually succumb to the weakness of his own body.

“Disgraceful” Kharys spat.

Liet’s head hang low. 

“Sadly. The consequences of your actions will not be borne by you alone. Brother.” Orphee concluded, looking away from that truly strange woman.

 Liet could not continue on as a deity after being wed to a human. They returned to Jatan and he became mortal, his powers were locked away within the woman and had the unusual effect of restoring her youth. 

 She contained his power, becoming the only key between the mortal world and Liet's former domain. 

From the two came forth their descendants who went on to have very unique features, such as, Liet’s white hair and Yan’s ability to interact with the other side.

The power that was passed down could only be accessed to a small degree.

 Because if it were ever fully unlocked within a mortal body that was not special like Yan’s? the immense power would rip that person to shreds.

Thousands of years later

The walkway of the bridge was lit up in some places and in others the lights were dead. Shizuko, a 13-year-old middle school student, stood on top of the railing of the bridge, her uniform skirt flapping in tandem and beating against her skin. She stared at the water below, it swirled and bashed against the pillars of the bridge ricocheting off it just as fast.

Shizuko’s lips curled upwards, she walked along the railing with her arms spread eagle, and teetered precariously.

 She suddenly lost her footing and flapped wildly as her eyes widened at the water that seemed to have gotten closer. She regained her balance yet it was hard to ignore the thrumming in her ears, a giggle erupting from her mouth. 

 The next moment she was falling in, her body crashing into the water from a height that defied time itself, or maybe it only felt that way. 

Drops of blood stained her white school shirt. She was tossed to and fro by the waves, several times having to watch the concrete pillars get closer and collide with them at an alarming speed that cracking noises would emanate from within her body. Her fight against the water became less and less urgent due to the blinding pain.

 It was not long before darkness consumed her vision, the immense pain ceased, and her ears and nostrils were being flooded with water. The last thing she ever heard was the whistling of the wind.

--------------------------------------------

A shrill cry ripped through the cold misty air, the coffin being lowered into the ground was the last straw for Shizuko’s mother. Her first born son Kei tried to hold on to her but she was too heavy for his 15 year old body to manage alone.

There were so many people standing around the grave, Kei could see all of Shizuko’s classmates all of them crying because they loved her so much, when they talked about her they all had funny stories to tell and Kei thought he was glad this is how they would remember her.

He wished he had more recent memories of her, maybe if their mother hadn’t divorced their father and moved away with him, he could have been there for Shizuko.

He would have given anything to have protected her from whatever made her want to jump off the bridge. She was always so happy, why did she do it? Kei could only agonize within himself. He wanted another chance to be a better brother to her, how could he have left her with their father.

The man in question stood apart from everyone else looking dead in the eyes. His black suit was ill fitting and tattered. He was gruff and his belly hung low over his belt from all his drinking habits. It wasn’t entirely his fault, at times his job required him to drink with clients but it just kept getting worse and worse.

When Kei heard that his father had lost his job some months ago, he wondered about how they were living, if Shizuko was alright, whenever they spoke on the phone she never complained.

Kei gripped his chest, he hadn’t let a single tear fall from his eyes yet, but recalling the last time he heard her voice, involuntary coughs burst out of his chest and he didn’t know he was crying until his mother pulled him into a tight hug and they held each other mournfully.

“My Baby!!!” Shizuko’s mother cried with desperation echoing through her voice, no one who heard her could hold back tears.

When the last bit of dust was thrown on top of the grave and flowers placed on top, people began to disperse, Shizuko’s mother was finally able to lay eyes on her ex husband and rage filled her. She stormed to him, started to punch his chest when she arrived and he just let it happen. 

She slapped and clawed at him in anger and aggravation, Kei tried to pull her back but she was too angry to be stopped, some older relatives came to help Kei and finally managed to pull her back.

She began to shout, “If you weren’t such a useless father, maybe, maybe my baby would be alive!” She screamed tears welling in her eyes as she struggled against her sister’s grip.

“The worst part is she would never blame you!!! It's your fault! you killed her! you killed her! you horrible man you killed my baby!” She shouted breaking every time slowly falling to the ground.

Kei’s father said not a word, he didn’t look up and the deadness in his eyes never left him. That day was the last time Kei ever saw his father alive.