Datasets:

mickume

/

wow

like 0

"Maiev!" Illidan's voice stopped the woman as she was ready to leave. "Thank you." he sent another farewell smile, then slowly set off. The night elf watched for a while as the huge, winged figure disappeared into the cover of the trees, then collected her thoughts, and was soon swallowed up by the thicket.

The sky slowly turned from purple to deep blue, and lanterns lit one after another in the open air, illuminating the gathering crowd who came to see the closing of the festival: the traditional dance performances. There were visitors from all the races of Azeroth, from the tiny gnomes to the mighty Tauren. Illidan soon spotted Lysende's petite, fragile figure in the crowd, but decided to stay in place in the back rows , close to the edge of the forest. He saw well what he wanted to from there, too, and at least no one bothered him. The girl was visibly pleased with her existing company anyway, having a cheerful conversation with another Night Elf in whom he recognized one of his brother's students. Certainly Malfurion had entrusted his granddaughter to the man's care. The druid-apprentice showed something up in the sky before the girl's eyes lit up excitedly, and her face radiating with a kind smile, she turned to her companion, who smiled back coyly , a faint blush colouring his face.

There was a sudden applause in the front lines. A fitty-looking Night Elf appeared on the scene. He wore his long beard in well-maintained braids, keeping his hair in a high, tight ponytail like Illidan. He donned a long, simple silken robe with an emerald belt around his narrow waist, a crescent pendant hanging in his neck. The Kaldorei did not waste any time, only said a short thank you to those present, explained the other events of the evening, and then announced the performing dance group, to the delight of Illidan.

The lanterns went out, replaced by bluish-lit court lamps, adding a magical atmosphere to the clearing. In the dark, silhouettes moved, musicians took their places, and a familiar yet alien melody resounded. The slow, rippling pace gradually intensified, becoming throbbing. Illidan could already see what the shadows were still hiding from the spectators, the dancers waiting behind the trees, but he couldn't make Maiev's figure out. A man, probably the dance instructor, gestured as two women jumped onto the dance floor and the crowd roared excitedly. Additional instruments joined in to the music as more and more dancers emerged from the darkness as the mood closened to its peak.

Suddenly time stopped. As if a fallen tear of Elune, glowing like a diamond that took human form, Maiev's figure shone with such radiant splendour from the shadows, taking away Illidan's breath. The woman's bare feet looked as if she wasn’t even touching the lawn, her footsteps seemed so light as she strode on the dance floor. Her slender shape was covered with a snow-white silk tunic, revealing her long thighs and strong arms. Her hair waved freely as it followed every fragile and delightful moment of her body like a chiffon. Her eyes radiated a reverence never seen before as their eyes met for a fraction of a moment. The man watched the breathtaking dance as if he were under a spell, feeling his own heart pounding with excitement in every fibre of his being. Each and every breath felt like the last, and he didn't care if there was no next moment, just let him watch a bit longer... The drums dictating the dizzying pace couldn't compete with his heartbeat. Maiev opened her arms, and Illidan wanted to grab the woman and pull her with that devotion into his embrace and unite it with his own scorching adoration and desire to love...

In a fraction of a second, the air froze. The hitherto sweet and tingling feeling sank like blades between the strings of his heart, and each throb felt like a desperate death scream.

Dazed from the pain, Illidan looked around in the crowd searching for a way out. Still gasping for air, he tried to flounder on his shaky legs into the protective cover of the trees as he finally understood what had happened... The truth couldn't have been more cruel...

He had fallen for the Warden.

The music continued to cry its self-evoking melody relentlessly as the drops of sweat glistened like gems on the dancers’ bodies. The audience was put under a spell by the performance, which had never been seen before by many of them. As a newbie, Maiev was placed on the far side of the group, in an insignificant post, but that didn’t undermine her devotion. She didn't fall out of the rhythm either when she caught sight of Illidan turning his back on the performance at once and disappearing into the woods shortly after she finally took the stage."Maiev!" their dance coach bespake her after the performance. "You look disappointed, is everything okay?"The woman who was about to go and change, looked back at the man questioningly."Yes." she replied, but the apparent disharmony between her body language and her words echoed unchallenged, giving away her dishonesty."I understand if you are bothered that you only got a position on the side, you obviously deserve more based on your abilities." he stepped closer, placing his hand on her back in atonement. "But the other girls have been working for years to perfect their movements, especially Elenaria. It would have been unfair to tell her that a rookie would get the position she fought so hard for, I'm sure you understand." he looked at her apologetically."Naturally. This is the order of things." Maiev replied with such an unflinching expression that her teacher couldn't decide for sure if her hoarse, emotionless words were really meant for him. He pondered on this even as the woman had long been swallowed up by the sooty darkness of the night.

On the blackness of the sky, The White Lady was shining with the silverness of a bride and the boundless love of a mother, illuminating the hidden scenery. Her light drew a long, gloomy shadow in front of Maiev, slowly walking home. Her sighting eyes now led her blindly on the familiar road to the railway, a storm raging in her mind distracting her."They worked hard, they deserve the position," her instructor's words echoed in her head, and she’d have liked to spit. No one knew better than her that it was just empty chatter, a meaningless apology. Where was this mentality when she, the next one in the rank of High Priestess was unjustly deprived of her position and replaced by that inexperienced little favourite Tyrande in her deserved place? Just from the thought of the name, her stomach twitched again, and liverish bitterness danced on her tongue. Well, her thoughts ended up there again... She believed that the wounds of the past had already welded, and her one-sided rivalry with the woman had sunk into oblivion with her own barren ambitions of the past... But that day she was defeated by the High Priestess once again, a failure even more painful than ever. She was unable to put into words the torturous grief that was gradually accumulating in her chest. How would she have known what she would call her feelings that were like the ominously undulating surface of the sea before the storm? For its true depth is unknowable without being disturbed. And so, she took a deep breath to keep her waving soul at rest, keeping the word underwater known before to her only by hearing: jealousy.

The previously so easy-to-follow path suddenly felt like an opaque maze as Illidan, gasping for air, tried to escape the still audible haunting song and the memory of the dancers, chasing after him mercilessly. Not caring the slightest he marched through anyone coming from the other direction. He bumped into a man around his height, but spitting on good manners, he would have gone on without a word if the other hadn't grabbed his wrist."Illidan! I've finally found you!" Malfurion's voice pulled his body and mind back to reality. "Tyrande told me what happened. I must apologize, I'm the one responsible for the events, I forgot to tell her about your coming." the druid apologized, but his words seemed like empty chatter to the bewildered demon hunter."Let me go, brother. It was a mistake to come here." he replied dryly, pulling his hand away to leave, but Malfurion stood in his way."Forgive my words, but I feel it would be a grave mistake to comply with your request." he looked up at him sadly. "I've resigned myself to the seemingly inevitable so many times in the past, believing there's nothing I can do for you, but I only tried to calm my twitch of conscience. I don’t want to make this mistake again." He stepped closer comfortingly, and his younger brother finally raised his gaze at him."Thank you, brother. You have done what you could for me with your words now." he squeezed the druid's shoulder, then walked past him slowly, leaving the man behind."If you feel that..."Then I'll call you." Illidan gestured a little calmer, his figure slowly disappeared into the darkness of the forest.Malfurion looked after him anxiously. In the end, he let him go again... He only dared to hope that Fate won't punish him with the loss of his twin yet again for not insisting more, as he felt his wife's sad and ashamed gaze on his back. He took one deep breath before he turned to join the woman still hiding in the shadows.

The unusually wide door of the tiny apartment opened quietly, then closed just as silently behind Illidan. The modestly furnished apartment looked back at him with unsuspected loving care despite the few personal belongings, most of them being everyday items and clothes he had received from Maiev. Even there he was hunted by her presence through her efforts... He hoped the four walls of his home would bring peace to his mind, but he had to be disappointed. Why did he think he would find serenity there? After all, he should thank the place as well to the woman who's responsible for his thoughts and mind raging like a thundering vortex. As he looked around, he inadvertently remembered Maiev walking across the place, carefully examining every nook and cranny, touching the barren furniture looking for any damage, counting softly under her breath... They checked dozens of flats together before she finally gave her blessing to this one. Not because the others would have been worse. At first, Illidan didn't even understand why she walks up and down everywhere, then stops at once, grumbling "It's not good," then not even saying a disheartened goodbye to the shocked landlord, she storms away. It took Illidan four or five other appointments like that to finally realized what she was doing."Nine... curses... Not good." growled Maiev again as she reached the end of the room, then turned on her heels and headed for the exit, leaving the demon hunter speechless."The length of my cell...?" he stood shocked. The memory, like a tiny shard of a glass broken into a million pieces that rip through the fingertips as one tries to lift it, opened its way into his aching heart, unwillingly bringing a bitter-sweet smile to his tormented face.Wasn't ten thousand years of unrequited love enough? Why did he now have to fall in love with the very woman who would probably never look at him seeing more than a freak of nature? An abomination that should have been destroyed a long time ago... Still, the reason behind his blossoming feelings was not a mystery, as, for the first time in millennia, he received care and attention from someone that he so craved... Even if it was just cheap acting... Acting... The word made his mouth dry with a bitter taste, because even though he had turned blind eyes over the thought like a hypocrite for the longest time, now that he genuinely wished his relationship with Maiev was an honest one, the presumption that the woman had probably planned each of her actions in advance, and she was kind to him only to fulfill his duty or worse, out of some other ulterior motives, pushed him to the brink of despair. Nor could it be ruled out that this was the goal, her endgame all along... After all, what could be a better prison than the torturous passion of love? Then he walked right into her trap, and now Maiev has the key...He sighed heavily as he looked toward the mirror above the sink. A grim, scarred face looked back at him, one that he could barely recognize as his own anymore. Despite wearing the vest he got from Maiev, mimicking his old clothes, it did nothing to bring back what he had lost... Even if he tried to ignore their shared past with Maiev, what would be his chances? Not just with the woman, with anyone else, who does not merely want to use him to please their fetish or curiosity, like that Blood Elf in the night club... Once, he was considered handsome among his fellow Kaldorei, he knew that. But through the ages and battles against the Legion, he slowly became just like the very thing he fought against, both in soul and body. He had lost his eyes but was not blind. If he looked in the mirror, he could see what he had become. He could hear people whispering behind him, noticing how terrified they were on the street, or on the tram... His appearance used to scare people in the past as well, but ever since demons have mostly lived in the public consciousness only as fictional figures in movies and books, his appearance seemed even more absurd to the average person.This, and the fact that the only thing Maiev despised more than demons was him, promised rather overcast prospects... And there was nothing he could do about it... No act could ever pave a way to her forgiveness, he was certain of that.The demon hunter collapsed reluctantly on his couch. He sighed heavily as he lowered his arms, and slowly tiny lights began to appear in his palms... The small spheres soon took shape, and the memory of Maiev's dance came to life in the room, illuminating the man's darkened face. Illidan watched the woman's movements with a pained expression. Her faint smile, her legs" soft footsteps, the waving of her hand, increasingly wishing to be able to embrace her and tell her his feelings, lavish his love on her... Just once...Then all of a sudden the image disintegrated, leaving only longing and darkness behind in the room. The man buried his head in his palms as unspeakable grief slowly piled up in his chest and throat. He raised his eyeless gaze to the ceiling, clenching his fists until the unclipped claws on his non-dominant hand ripped the skin. Only he knew how many tears he was unable to shed that day... 

The battered bell rang over the entrance of the run-down fast-food restaurant as Maiev firmly entered the place. It didn't take long for her to notice what she was looking for. Illidan was already waiting at the usual table, but she was disappointed to see that the man's mood had apparently not improved much since the weekend. He fidgeted bored on his phone, not even looking up at her as she sat down across from him."Ishnu'alah." Maiev greeted him, her voice coloured with uncertainty, surprising even her, but at least the man finally noticed her."Ah." he greeted reluctantly, staring at the display soon again. "What's today's program? Just the usual report?"Yes, primarily ..." Maiev glared cautiously at the demon hunter. "Is he still so depressed because of Tyrande?" she pondered annoyed, but quickly regretted it, for the thought gave rise to an unnameable pain in her chest. She was no doubt hurt by the man's spectacular grief over the High Priestess, but she would rather have bit off her tongue than voice her displeasure. "You should just ignore it." she heard the malicious voice in her head. "You already decided to keep some distance, didn't you?" She turned her gaze away as silence fell upon the shared table. "Alright." She slapped the table loudly, surprising Illidan. His startled image filled Maiev with some much desired satisfaction. Instead of his unvoiced lethargy, it was finally her who held his attention, and she quickly took advantage of that. "You wanted to watch a movie last weekend, didn't you?" she took her bag over her shoulder. She sighed at the man's uncomprehending gaze. "I can't watch your sour face any longer, so move your butt and let's watch something in the cinema." she said, then hurried out of the restaurant. Illidan, as if he had woken from his sleep, looked at the woman in shock, who was already waving angrily at him from across the shop window to hurry. "Ah... I just can't stop falling in love with this woman..." he smiled softly as he stood up to follow her. "Maybe this love is worth the pain after all... And as such, I'll treasure every minute of it, and you as well, Maiev..."

The forenoon sun's light reflected dazzlingly from the crystal clear windows of the skyscrapers, but on the almost completely empty streets it didn’t bother anyone. The sound of footsteps echoed between the high-rise buildings as two unusual figures walked side by side, their free-hanging hands just a few inches apart. The situation did not escape Maiev's attention, and she tried to pull away unobtrusively so that her fingers would not meet with Illidan's, not even by accident. She was already dizzy just from the thought, turning her face to the shop windows next to her, hiding her embarrassment. Why did it suddenly become so difficult to walk next to him? She had felt some disgust due to the spreading demonic smell at most, but she could usually remain completely indifferent before. And now, with her eyes down, she tried to regulate her breathing and thoughts. On the freshly tinted glass of the shops, a faint reflection of her walked peacefully, with Illidan on its side, and she had no choice but to admit, that from that angle they indeed looked like a couple. The observation, like the conductor's gesture, once again made the heatedly pounding heart in her tense chest cry a wild, erratic music, further tormenting the woman who was not enjoying her body's uncontrollable concert at all.

"It's all because Lysende keeps talking about her nonsense fantasies about us, and I'm starting to believe her babble with my twisted mind... I don't even view him as a man!" Maiev growled to herself as she looked at the demon hunter from the corner of her eye.

Illidan walked calmly beside her, with some indescribable peace and perhaps joy on his face as the edge of his mouth curved gently upward. Maiev found herself having her eyes linger longer on the man's pleasantly full lips than they should have. She took a deep breath, but the uncomfortable tingling sensation at the tip of her pointy ears unequivocally indicated that she has indeed turned red.

"Pull yourself together, Maiev! This is not you!" she tried to reprimand her reflection, but even her piercing gaze looked more like a shy lassie's glance with her dark-coloured cheeks. She was fighting an uphill battle, but she wouldn't be Maiev Shadowsong if she didn't try her best to turn the tides.

After a while, the square finally appeared in front of them where the tiny cinema left over from the last century quietly tolerated that modern buildings cast a humiliating shadow on its worn dome. But Maiev waited in vain for the familiar place and the crowd to help her forget her thrillful feelings. There were only a few half-hearted souls, including the employees. In the morning, they rarely had anything to do, except when there was some discount screening. Now, however, they looked at the unexpected customers in surprise, but that didn’t change their professional attitude.

With their tickets in their hands, Maiev and Illidan headed for the buffet. The selection was far more modest than in multiplex cinemas, but the nostalgia delicacies meant more to many than the latest and increasingly more bizarre-flavored coated hazelnuts and chocolates.

Maiev ordered her usual medium-sized popcorn and mineral water, but when she reached for her wallet, Illidan unexpectedly handed the amount to the cashier ahead of her.

"It's on me." the demon hunter leaned confidently toward her in an unusual way. The gesture took the woman by surprise, staring at the man confused.

"Did you do something I should know about?" she asked, hiding her shock, but Illidan self-assuredly refuted the assumption.

"Far from it. However, since you're spending the morning with me for my sake, I feel that's the least I can do for you in return."

"If that's the case, there's no need for that." Maiev handed over her share, squirming, then picked up her popcorn in a hurry and left the scene, not noticing that she had left her drink behind.

Illidan reluctantly put the woman's money away, taking his and Maiev’s water and followed suit. Behind the departing customers, the cinema employee shook his head sympathetically, feeling for the situation of the poor rejected devil, but on the other hand, understanding the woman's view. In her place, he probably wouldn't want to date such a scary figure either...

Maiev took a deep breath, and sank into her chair, closing her eyes, massaging her temple. She had to calm down at all costs before she makes an even more incomprehensible outburst. Why can't she behave normally? That damn Tyrande... If she hadn't wanted to pay back to the High Priestess so fiercely over her weekend defeat, she wouldn't have thought of going to the cinema with Illidan, especially not until she settled the inappropriate thoughts swirling in her head. Why did that gingerbread demon hunter have to show up at the festival anyway? Just when she decided she would keep her distance from him until her mood subdued. But he managed to challenge her and even made her break her vow with that sad puppy gaze of his and she stampeded to please him like a madman... Tyrande and Illidan, the two thorns in her side for millennia. No wonder the latter is so head over heels for that woman...

"You forgot this there." the demon hunter touched the ice-cold drink softly to the forehead of the woman still in her thoughts. To the unexpected coolness, Maiev jumped a little in her chair as her partner rewarded her circus act with a soft chuckle.

"Well, well, look at you, how attentive you are." she murmured it bitterly as she took the bottle.

"As always." Illidan sat down next to her, and Maiev tried to shrink even smaller in her chair, regretting more than ever that she listened to her own offended self-esteem instead of common sense.

The lights in the screening hall room went out one after the other, and as the darkness slowly spread through the room, Maiev was overcome by a previously unknown anxiety. Not even anxiety... an excitement full of anticipation. But it wasn't the kind that one would feel as a child when they get a gift or on the top of the roller coaster...

She looked at the one sitting next to her from the corner of her eyes, but the man visibly enjoyed the previews, unaware of the effect his mere presence had on his partner. Frustrated, Maiev tried to immerse herself in the trailer for a new action movie, but instead sank deeper into her longing feelings.

She found the charming, charismatic mage attractive even at a young age, and while she couldn't stand his hot-headed haughty nature, she had to admit that it also intensified her interest. Like so many young women, she fell into the trap of thinking she could change the man, but her inchoate affection proved short-lived. In order to advance as a priestess, she served in the distant Hajiri Temple, slowly forgetting about him, and during the Legion's first invasion they met again as enemies. Her sense of duty and love of justice buried her tender feelings for millennia. Who knows, maybe those unsated desires were slowly twisted into the blind hatred that finally ended Illidan's life at the top of the Black Temple... She had to learn the hard way how bleak life would be without the demon hunter and her feelings for him.

But the Legion was no more, they were no longer enemies, and the once raffish young man slowly grew into a rash yet resourceful and determined leader, and his undeniably magnetic personality shone through even his demonic transformation. Just by sitting next to this larger than life presence, Maiev felt trembling with furor, desperately wanting to get closer, to feel his warmth, to get absorbed by his radiance. As if someone had just listened to her request, she felt a gentle touch on the back of her hand. Instinctively, she pulled her hand away, and her shocked gaze soon met with the embarrassed demon hunter's.

"My bad, wrong armrest." the man apologized, then leaned over to the other side, and as if nothing had happened, he continued watching the movie undisturbed, seemingly disregarding the woman. Maiev leaned back in her chair angrily, and though she managed to force an indifferent expression on her face, her heart beating in her throat proved to be an unappeasable opponent. Despite all of her efforts, the movie's colourful image slowly blurred and dissipated before her eyes, and in the air-conditioned space of the screening room, the heat flowing from her body became almost visible as she struggled desperately with her suffocating desires.

Resting her hand on the shared armrest, she held her breath back as she waited to see if the accident would recur, but her harrowing longing remained unanswered...

The movie was over and the lights came back. Illidan silently followed Maiev, who was walking in front of him. He would be lying if he dared to say he expected a different result from his weak attempts at courtship. In other words, he was not disappointed by her reaction... But he found it all the more joyful to just relax together as they talked all the way home. When he finally got to his home, he sighed contentedly. Maybe Maiev will never reciprocate his feelings. It could also be that it’s just a silly passing attraction on his part, and then it will go away on its own. But he was sure that for the first time in a while he had found real joy in life.

"No... I'm not going to pursue this yearning. I can’t let my relationship with Maiev be ruined by my selfish affections called love, too... I'm already grateful just to be able to spend time with her as unclouded as I did with my brother and Tyrande back in the day..." he took out his phone and opened the secret photo of the woman, making him smile. "As long as you allow me to be by your side, that's enough for me, Maiev ..." he touched the night elf's face on the display, then pressed the device to his heart, hoping that his feelings would reach the woman and his wish would come true...

It was only early in the afternoon. The Shadowsong apartment stood empty, its inhabitants scattered throughout the city, with the exception of one. Maiev opened the door and reluctantly hung her night-blue leather jacket on the hanger, then pulled out her worn phone, which now had a duct tape holding the battery in its place, and dialed.

"Hallo? No, no, you're not late. That’s why I’m calling you, we need to postpone today’s probation meeting if that’s not a problem. I'll call you about the new appointment, Tarook. Thank you for your understanding." she lowered the device from her ear and finally took off her boots. Although she knew her brother and sister-in-law were still working and her niece was at school, she walked carefully around the apartment to see if she was truly alone and then hurried to her room. She gasped for air, clumsily closing the door behind her, and with all of her might, holding back the flood that was about to knock down the last remaining barrier of her mind. She tilted her forehead against the white-painted door, waiting for some soothing relief.

"Good job, Maiev..." she tried to encourage herself. "You did well, you fulfilled your duty. You managed to behave completely normally and kept your distance. You could even chat. He probably didn't notice anything." she grabbed the doorknob, desperately wanting something to hold on to, but it didn't help her tilting balance. "Then why do I curse myself, and why do I wish I had reacted slower?! He would have taken his hand as soon as he realized the mistake, but at least I would know how it feels when he holds my hand...!" she put her hands in front of her mouth, suppressing the painful sounds slowly bursting from her throat. "I want to know how it feels...! " she closed her eyes, and her fingers slowly got soaked with hot drops of tears as her whole body trembled from her repressed sobs.

She has lost, there was no doubt about that. She has lost and she was lost. Her palms touched the floor as she fell on her knees, and her whining, gasping voice was now left free to leave her lips. She fell in love with the only person she should never have... Why is this happening to her? How did she deserve this curse? She hugged herself for long minutes, her fingers plunging into her flesh, not able to alleviate her suffering, and her lips formed more and more words.

"Anyndra, Kolea ..." she whispered an endlessly long list of names, the faces of each of her lost men flashed before her reddened eyes, then faded into nothingness as another tear ran down on her cheeks, her words slowly distorted into a woesome pleading. "Sarius, Naisha... "Please forgive me... I've failed you..."

The entrance to the office opened, and the small room came by some much needed fresh air at last, as a late probation officer hung his coat, caught between frequent apologies. In the suite two rows of wooden desks lined up, each with a desktop computer waiting quietly for their owners to get them to work. Someone chose an unmatching dark green carpet for the pale pink walls, but that didn’t bother most of those working there. Their attention was usually drawn to the documents and reports resting in piles. Just like the troubled blood elf who leaned over the petition lying in front of her. Nabitha frowned as she read through her subordinate's carefully written lines, looking up at the night elf waiting patiently in front of her. Maiev watched her superior's reaction with an unshakeable expression. Her silvery eyes were empty, not even a spark of emotion could be discerned in them, just the sheer ice-cold professionalism. As Nabitha finished reading, she closed her eyes and meditated for a few moments on what she had learned.

"Are you sure, Maiev?" she finally asked. Her normally tinkling voice was now serious, shelving her usual chatterbox attitude.

"Absolutely." the measured response came promptly. The blood elf sighed. Although Shandris warned her about the possibility that Maiev might behave biasedly or irrationally towards her probationer, she had given no sign of this over the past six months. And seeing her outstanding results, there was no reason to doubt the woman's competence. Nabitha's topaz-blue eyes ran through the application once more, then nodded in agreement.

"I trust you, Maiev. Be as you see fit." she signed the document with her characteristically graceful Sindorei writing, then carefully sealed it and handed it to the night elf. Maiev nodded contentedly, then left in silence.

Nabitha leaned back uneasily in her swivel chair. Did she make a hasty decision? No, the time for doubt has passed. Maiev substantiated her case with evidence, no reason to be worried. And yet... The woman's frighteningly cold look sprang to her mind, and chills came over her again.

"Oh Shandris, what kind of monster did you unleash on me...?"

Spring was almost over, and summer was letting people know it was just around the corner, but the managers of the run-down little fast food restaurant refused to acknowledge it, not turning on the ACs, instead letting their few guests and staff enjoy the benefits of the humid, sultry air during their stay. But Illidan wasn't the least bothered by the not-so-ideal temperature, though it didn't help his impatience. He restlessly drummed his hoof on the linoleum floor, waiting for his companion. It was unusual for Maiev to be late, and even more to not notify him beforehand if it were to happen. A large boulder fell from his heart as he saw the woman passing by the window, and the next moment the door opened. He watched happily as the night elf walked past the other tables in her usual, confident and graceful gait, taking a seat elegantly opposite of him as the man contemplated how much dignity she had even in her simplest moves. Maiev pulled out her familiar folder, gently smoothed a strand from her face, and looked up at Illidan. The air in the room, which had been reminiscent of a sauna until then, suddenly turned shivery, at least it seemed to Illidan as blood froze in his veins from the chilling look of his supervisor. Something was wrong, his senses screamed about an elusive danger as he tried to force peace on his soul.

"Is something wrong?" he asked as Maiev opened the folder.

"No. On the contrary." she picked up a stack of paper, but despite her reassuring words, her voice echoed ominously within the walls of the restaurant. "I brought good news." she said, then handed over the documents.

Illidan stared at the pages suspiciously.

"What is this?"

"Just read it." Maiev replied mysteriously, her lips curling into a faint, mocking smile. At that moment, the terrifying realization finally hit Illidan: the one sitting in front of him was not Maiev, but the Warden. "What are you waiting for, take it." she ordered him, and he obeyed involuntarily.

"What's going on?" his brain rattled as he tried to focus on the lines he read. "Decision to end probation?" "What should I make of this? Shandris informed me that during the two years of parole, you will be my probation officer, and even with good conduct, the earliest I can...

"Shandris is a cop, not a probation officer." Maiev interrupted calmly. "You could learn some good manners. Instead of nagging, you should be grateful. You will be released sooner. From me as well." she grinned.

"What does that mean?!" Illidan squeezed the words between his teeth, trying to keep his calmness.

"Exactly what I said. You're not my problem anymore. You are free! Or I dare say, both of us..."

Illidan's heart tightened at the words. What's happening? He was desperately trying to find a logical answer to the events, while Maiev sat seemingly undisturbed with a smug, victorious look on her face, like someone whose grand plan came to fruition! No, it can't be... So soon...! As if someone pulled the rug under him... The world was spinning.

"And with this, we're done. Today was our last meeting." Maiev stood up from the table.

"Last...?" He didn't want to believe his ears. Two weeks ago they went to the cinema together! And they talked about what else he needs to get in his apartment just a few days ago... About getting that TV thing and then watching a movie that is no longer played anywhere, but she has such a good opinion about it...

"If you're afraid that I might feel like hunting you down, well, rest assured. I have no desire to waste even more years of my life on you." she turned back. As she looked at him, the feeling emanating from her gaze was not anger or hatred, but something much worse: Nothingness.

In her eyes, he was nothing...

"Well then, farewell." Maiev turned her back again.

"Wait!" Illidan reached after the night elf's wrist in his final desperation.

"Get your dirty paw off me right now!" she snapped, pulling her arm away. "How dare you?!"

"I just want to talk! This doesn't make any sense and I want to know..."

"You and I have nothing to talk about!" Maiev hissed. "Who do you think you are that I owe you an explanation? We're not friends, Illidan! You were nothing but a job for me!" she leaned ominously close to the demon hunter, he could feel her hot breath full of rage on his lips. "And I did my job! I made a decent citizen out of you. I expect you to behave like one!"

So, he was right... Their relationship was nothing but an illusion, a cruel facade. He knew it all along, yet he rocked himself into the dream world that he might be wrong. And now he will be punished for his naive and selfish improvidence. He barely recognized as Maiev said something and then left. Not just from the restaurant, but from his life, too. Well, he lost it again... The only person he truly cherished... He fell back into his chair, burying his head in the palm of his hand.

His fist clenched, and a hissing sound filtered between his teeth as his grief began to take on the form of a raging magic spell. Why not? If he feels like it, he could burn this damn place to the ground! Destroy it, with all the memories that binds him here! One of the cashiers watched in horror as the chandelier suddenly began to sway, as if the ground were shaking beneath them. But before Illidan could finish the incantation, Maiev's words echoed in his mind: "I made a decent citizen out of you. I expect you to behave like one!" the memory wrapped around his heart like a cursed shackle, and the magic dissipated. He couldn't bring himself to disappoint the woman...

What did he do wrong this time? What...? Why? He tried, he wanted so badly not to make a mistake this time... Yes, he learned from his past mistake! Then why...? Why couldn't he make the act become real?!

"You know why..." a voice said mockingly in his mind. "What were you thinking?" Really, what did he imagine? That after what he did, Maiev would ever sincerely forgive him? No... He knew exactly... It was all a matter of time. After all, someone like him doesn't deserve happiness...

Although the clock hands were already at six in the evening, the sun was still high in the summer sky. Whistling cheerfully, Jarod fished the last sock out of the washing machine, and he set out to take advantage of the good weather to spread out another load of clothes before setting off to watch a performance with his wife. As he passed the rooms one by one, his eyes suddenly caught Lysende, who was sitting bored on her bed.

"Pumpkin, why are you home? Don’t you usually go to the city with Maiev to practise throwing knives on weekends?" he put down the clothes basket. His daughter pouted and turned her gaze to him, setting aside the book she was reading.

"Well, not anymore..."

"Ever since Auntie moved home, she started to cancel our meetings. And now she hasn't contacted me for a week." she replied, offended.

Jarod listened in astonishment to the teenager's complaint. Indeed, it had been almost two months since his sister, without any warning, moved out on a whim. Since then, they have kept in touch mainly by telephone, although he also had to realize that the number of calls was slowly and gradually declining. And he hadn't talked to her in a week either. He thought his sister simply needed a little self-time after months of living together, but he would not have dreamed that Lysende could fall victim to Maiev's cold shoulder as well. She was so proud that the girl became interested in her hobby...!

"I'm sorry to hear that, darling. But could you help me out? Would you spread out the clothes? I overlooked the time and now I have to run or your mom will take the hair off my head for being late!" He pressed an apologetic kiss to his grumpy daughter's forehead and put on his jacket.

There was something unsettling about his sister's behaviour, he had to get to the bottom of it, but he also knew he would be more successful at teaching a murloc to talk than taking anything out of Maiev. On second thought, the woman's demeanour began to be almost as terrifying as it had been before Shandris had entrusted her with the task to be Illidan's probation officer. A cold sweat ran down his back at the thought. He couldn't let things get that much worse again! He had to do something, right now! He got into his car and glanced at his watch. If he's lucky, he'll get there before opening... He tossed his theatre ticket onto the passenger's seat, then trampled on the gas.

The first stars had already appeared on the darkening sky by the time he reached the Hot and Misty club. He looked around hesitantly, but couldn't see a single soul. But before he could knock on the door, it opened and a familiar figure stepped out of it with a garbage bag in his hand. Jarod backed in surprise, but the other stepped forward with an unphased face.

"Illidan!" he called after the security guard opening the lid of the container. "Great timing, I was looking for you!"

The demon hunter slammed the lid angrily and then walked over to the man.

"Why? Does your sister use you as a postman again?" he said sarcastically, confusing Jarod, who didn't know what to think of his hostile behaviour. Indeed, he gave no reason to be friendlier, but he expected a bit more cordial welcome after their last conversation.

"No, Maiev doesn't even know I'm here." he confessed honestly. "But you're right that I came because of her. Lately, she's..." he started, but Illidan grumbled and tried to go back to the club.

"I don't have time for you Shadowsongs" games." he said, but Jarod didn't give up and stood in his way. He had to talk to him, whether he liked it or not. 

"She's been acting a little weird lately. I was hoping that you, who meets with her every week might know something that..." he said, but the demon hunter laughed bitterly.

"Who? Me?!" he asked haughtily, then leaned to the night elf's eye level. "I haven't heard from your sister in two months!" he hissed, his voice unchecked with rage. "Does that answer your question?" he straightened up. Jarod stared at him in shock.

"What do you mean..." Illidan grinned again, seeing his reaction.

"Didn't your dear wife tell you?" he folded his arms in front of his chest. "I'm no longer under probation. Thanks to the intercession of your dear sister." he growled, and the blood froze in Jarod's veins. What's going on?

"Thank you for telling me." he stammered, and he returned awkwardly to his car, but Illidan called after him unexpectedly.

"If you get to know something... Never mind..." he bit his tongue, and soon was swallowed by the darkness of the club.

Jarod sat behind the wheel with trembling hands, his mind storming with thoughts. The trouble was bigger than he thought! If Maiev was able to sever her relationship with Illidan as well, then... No, it can't be! His worst nightmare might come true! He immediately stepped on the gas, unable to wait even a minute. It may be too late already! Who knows, no one has heard of Maiev for a week! His thoughts kept coming to his sister, and to that damn, crumpled sheet of paper Shandris had found months ago, and which had been lying there in his desk's drawer ever since. Clumsily, he tried to get his cell phone out of his pocket, but it slipped out of his hand and fell on the passenger's seat. Jarod reached desperately after the device, he had to contact Maiev at any cost! Suddenly he heard the sound of braking, and something blinded him.

Then everything went dark.

The popular fast-food burger restaurant proved to be busier than usual. Many of its uniformed staff worked tirelessly to meet the needs of their guests hunted by hunger. The kitchen door opened unexpectedly, and the smell of burnt oil slit into the already confined air. Concealing her disgust, Maiev pretended to blow her nose into a handkerchief to which the gnome woman sitting across from her sighed sympathetically."Cursed allergy season, ey?" The night elf rewarded her words with a forced smile, then stared at the laptop in front of her again. Tixilla was one of the new people on probation she volunteered to take on. She justified her decision toward her superiors with her recently freed capacity, but in truth, she only wanted to bury herself in her work like so many weak souls she used to look down upon before. Ah, how the tables have turned... She ran through the woman's resume with a resigned face."It's even worse than Illidan's." She remarked upon seeing the scanty list of education and experiences, but upon thinking of that name, her heart began to pound with pain once more. Now there she goes... It's about him again... Why can't she just endure a day without getting reminded of him by something? She severed her connections with the man to alleviate her foolish obsession, not to sink deeper into her madness!"So? So? So?" Tixilla squirmed impatiently, but her ice-blue swept-back hair stood the test, resting rock-hard on the gnome's head. She was visibly proud of her brief resume, and Maiev didn't have the heart to break her jolly enthusiasm."Good job, well done. We still have a lot of work to do, but you have taken the first step. Remember this moment, too, when you may have doubts about your ability to continue on this path. Because you are on the right track, and your efforts will be crowned with success. Never second guess yourself!" Maiev nodded, feigning satisfaction and support. It was by no means a foreign act to her, she had to raise the spirits of her men, and as extension, of herself, countless times back in the day. Her words did their part, Tixilla nodded diligently with a determination never seen in her eyes before. Maiev looked at the gnome with some envy, but remained disciplined, hiding the cracks of her mask. As she did every damn day in the last two torturous months."Two months... No, an eternity!" she kept brooding on it in silence even after she had long bid farewell to the pitiful criminal gnome.The pleasant summer weekend with its kind, inviting warmth drove even the most reserved townspeople to the streets. The seated restaurants were filled with young couples and families, chatting and laughing unruffled. Maiev once again found herself scanning pedestrians, looking into the shops, the buses passing by. She peered around every corner, hoping and fearing at the same time to catch sight of him somewhere..."Stop it, Maiev! There's no point in longing for someone you can never allow to have! It was your decision, that's how you wanted it to be, take responsibility for it!"

The lock on the brand new multi-point security door worked so oiled that it made little to no sound when it opened. Instead, the owner of the newly renovated apartment broke the silence with a deep sigh as she kicked her trainers off. Maiev threw her bag on the floor and walked straight to the bathroom to wash her hands. Above the sink, her reflection looked back at her wearily. Her face seemed more broken than that of Akama's, the leader of the Ashtongue tribe did in her memories. She stared at her increasingly tense copy in disgust as her hand clenched into a fist. Eventually, she turned off the tap and threw the hand towel on the mirror, and she let herself fall into her unmade bed. Her nostrils were immediately struck by the nidor of the lavender pillow lying next to her. Somewhere she read that the herb could help to relax the nerves and to fall asleep. Convinced and desperate, she bought one to relieve some of her terrible insomnia, but the smell only got more irritating, and she slowly learned to hate it from the bottom of her heart. She grabbed the pillow and tossed it to the far end of the room, then turned on her back. Her eyelids were pulled down by drowsiness with elemental force, and she was ready to give in to her basic needs. But as her eyes slowly closed, her pulse began to rise, her breathing became uneven, and her throat tightened. Once again, her torturous anxiety took over her as her attention wasn't distracted by superfluous busywork."Where is he now? What is he doing? Who is he with?" the familiar questions came up, and with them so did the fantasies. What if he found someone? If he's with a woman at this very moment? If they have fun somewhere together, or worse... The thought pierced her heart with astonishing misery. She saw Illidan in front of her, with that confident, sly grin on his face, mocking her as he embraced a night elf woman in his arms and kissed her. First just her lips, then her neck...Maiev sat up, gasping for air, then began to gag. Nothing came out... nothing would have been able anyway. Her asitia was almost as severe as her insomnia. Her eyes were brimming with tears from the coughing as her gaze stuck on the pillow she had thrown away, and she scrambled forlornly out of bed to take it, but to no avail. The image had already engulfed itself in the woman's distempered mind.The scene continued mercilessly, turning more and more intimate as the tormented Maiev tried to suppress her raging, pained screams with the pillow. Every tendon in her body tensed as her agony culminated in giving birth to a new figure in the imagination. Armed to the chin, with her Umbra Cresent in her hand she noiselessly walked to the humping and moaning couple, with unbridled bloodthirst in her eyes. Then she struck down. It was done in a blink of an eye. Satisfied, she stepped to the damned whore's head fallen on the ground, grinning malevolently at the sight of her distorted expression. Then she trod on it with all her might. Again... And again and again, laughing madly... Until the face became completely unrecognizable, only a bloody blob remained in its place. Fulfilled, she kicked it into the corner next to the others. A grotesque gallery of remains, oddly resembling a priestess. Then she walked to her next victim. Oh, how many times had she imagined holding the demon hunter's severed head in her hand... Feeling his silky, raven-black hair between her fingers, the sound of still dripping blood from the neck... Maiev raised her Umbra Cresent again, ready to strike down as she had done so many times in her life... But the hand trembled, and she opened her eyes and squeezed the oh so hated pillow tightly. She couldn't do it. She could never do it again... But at least the nightmare was over.Exhausted, Maiev turned over to rest at last, but to her greatest annoyance, her forgotten phone in the pocket immediately let her know that it was still there, pressing her side. She reluctantly got out the device and glanced at the display out of habit before she would throw it through the room out of revenge. To her surprise, she had several missed calls."Illidan...!" The wishful thinking flashed through her mind, but she had to be disappointed. The first few calls were from Lysende. Maiev sighed sadly. She, too, knew the girl didn’t deserve her cold rejection, and she felt just as bad for it, but she had no choice."They would just keep asking me about him... I don't want to talk about him!" Lysende's meek words rang in her ears, she could now fully feel her situation at the time. Knowing her niece, she soon would have noticed the lack of Illidan's presence, and she would have been constantly nagging her about it. And then Jarod would quickly get wind of it..."I'm sorry, Lysende... I know you'd understand..." She scrolled down the list, frowning. Shandris called her, too. "Damn... She must have learned from my gossiping boss about Illidan. Well, what can I say, it took her long enough." she grinned mockingly, but soon the smile froze on her face. She hurriedly scrolled down, but she couldn't find the name she was looking for. If that was the case, why didn't Jarod called her already? Shandris not telling him was out of question, and Lysende decides to call her out of nowhere at the same time...! She feverishly dialled her sister-in-law and waited impatiently."Come on, pick it up!" she quarrelled after each beep."At last I reached you Maiev!" Shandris finally said at the other end of the line. Her voice, though she was trying to hide it, promised ominous news, and Maiev squeezed the phone tightly. "Jarod had a car accident."

The huge snow-white military hospital was located in the heart of the city, looming over like a protective father, and was intended to supply both the district’s residents, the current and veteran soldiers of Astranaar, as well as its employees responsible for public safety. Due to its purpose, it has grown into the most equipped health facility in the region through the years.Maiev had never been to the building before, and at first she was shocked to sense the magical energies passing through the corridors. She hadn’t felt so many magic users in one place for centuries, though she shouldn’t have been surprised. Apart from warfare, witchcraft was allowed at but a few fields.  However, she couldn't care less about it now. She was feverishly looking for someone to guide her, but luckily that someone had found her first."Maiev!" Shandris gestured to her from one of the waiting room. Though she tried to maintain a calm appearance, in her eyes there was boundless concern. The night elf ran toward her sister-in-law without thinking, but suddenly stopped, gasping. Not far from Shandris, her daughter, Lysende, sat huddled sadly, next to her the last person she expected to meet there..."Illidan?!" Maiev looked at the man in disbelief. How did she not feel his presence?! Did the other magic users auras cover it up? Her pulse rose to the skies as she walked past the demon hunter. "What is he doing here?!"I'm glad you're finally here." Shandris greeted her, glancing stealthily at her daughter. Maiev followed her gaze. Her niece dolefully raised her teary eyes at them, then began to fumble with her hands again."Please, your report on the situation. What do we know?" Maiev asked not to waste time on courtesy."Jarod and I were about to go to the theatre tonight." she began. Her voice swayed a little as she talked about their plan, but continued. "We agreed that he would pick me up in front of the headquarters, but he never arrived. I tried to call him, and..." The words left the night elf's mouth one after the other, but no matter how much Maiev tried, she paid little attention to them.She unwillingly glanced again and again at the demon hunter not far from her. What is he doing there? He's sitting next to Lysende, maybe they came together? Why? Outside of herself, no one seems to be bothered by his unseemly presence. She began to wonder if the man was even real and not just a mirage, made up by her insomnia-tired mind to pull a cruel joke on her, but suddenly Shandris's words pulled her out of her thoughts, and the same time refuted her theory."Our car got smashed so badly that the ambulance couldn't reach him and they feared that by the time they can cut the frame to remove the debris, Jarod would bleed out. Fortunately, Illidan heard the collision. He hurried to the scene and managed to free my husband from the wreck. Without him, we would probably be meeting in the morgue... " She said, nodding gratefully toward the demon hunter. He returned the gesture, but his gaze was not on the captain, and Maiev knew it well. She felt his stare on her back, and her heart began to pound wildly again. Slowly, she gathered all her strength and turned to face him.She was right, Illidan was really looking at her. His appearance hasn’t changed in the last two months, except that this time his hair was falling freely under his broad shoulders, evoking a picture of an obsidian waterfall. And that stone face... that unshakable, beautifully wrought stone face that told her just as much as the lips of a real statue. Maiev couldn't really decide what his intentions were. Maybe waiting for gratitude? And what should she do? What should she say? To her surprise, the man uneventfully turned his head and wandered into the distance."What do the doctors say?" Maiev asked Shandris to divert her thoughts, but she shook her head."Nothing... They’re probably operating on him again, trying to stabilize his condition"Then we have no choice but to just stand here, waiting like a bunch of worthless idiots?!" Maiev blurted out irritably, and the night elf nodded sympathetically."Only Elune knows when we'll get any information."The sister and wife eventually also took a seat among those worried about their relatives of similar fate. A long, excruciating wait began.The minutes span slowly. The silence was broken only by a passing cough or Lysende's soft sniff from time to time. But the deceptive peace of the environment was in sharp contrast with Maiev's unrestful soul. Her thoughts swirled like a vortex in her troubled, anxious mind, and every time a doctor appeared on the scene, she hoped she might get news of her brother, but she had to be disappointed. But she was most disappointed in herself every time she caught herself thinking about Illidan instead of Jarod. The mere knowledge that they were in the same space put insane pressure on her soul to just throw away her ridiculous principles and open her heart to the man, reeling off her list of woes. But she pushed the idea aside with iron rigour. Would the demon hunter listen to her anyway? She herself said they didn't owe each other anything, so why would he talk with her at all...? No, she burned the bridge behind her, there was no going back. Illidan will soon get tired of waiting and leave, but no later than once they get news of Jarod. And then they won't see each other again. Maiev's throat tightened from the inevitable, though she was the one who forced this future. She had to accept and take responsibility for her actions.

It was already around midnight, and Lysende was overwhelmed by a grieving dream. Shandris carefully covered her daughter with her coat and pulled her closer to herself as if she feared that something would happen to the girl as well if she couldn't hold her in her arms. Maiev stared wearily into the nothingness as two hooves stopped in front of her."A draenei...?" she looked up curiously. Indeed. A man of violet-purple skin towered over them like a massive fortress. He got removed his species" characteristic tentacles like his many brothers, a medical mask was resting on his smooth chin. The white gown quickly revealed his business."Captain Feathermoon, Lady Shadowsong." the unknown doctor bowed with unusual respect to the two women. "I'm Dr. Fervuun Lightstone. Probably none of you remembers me, for I was only an insignificant healer during the countless clashes on the Broken Shore, but it is an honour for me to see you again, even if I could have imagined more fortunate circumstances." the doctor introduced himself."Pleased to meet you, Fervuun." Shandris stood up without hesitation, shaking her slightly trembling hand with the Draenei's. "If I'm not mistaken, you are treating my husband."Yes." he sighed worriedly, and Maiev got up tensely. She waited impatiently for the doctor to continue what he had to say, but the man seemed hesitant. Finally, he raised his gaze to the two older Night elves. "I am aware of the abilities and spiritual strength of both of you, so I will not wallow: Don't cling to hope." his words echoed like a death sentence in the silent night, evoking continuing pain in the relatives. Lysende cried out quaveringly for her father, and her mother struggling with her own tears leaned over the girl's trembling shoulders to try to calm her, but to no avail.Maiev stood frozen in the middle of the hallway, as if someone had sucked the air out of her lungs, and all her will with it. What she heard can't be reality, right? Then why is that damn doctor looking so commiseratingly?! Why is he acting and talking like Jarod were already on the verge of death?! No, not her brother, not her little brother!"Of course we do our best, including your priestesses and..." Fervuun continued, but his words slowly faded for Maiev, pushed out of her mind by the overwhelming pain in her shattering heart. They still had more than sixty years left! Who?! Who dared to steal it from them?! Why?! Give it back... Give it back immediately! Give back her brother's life! She pressed her trembling hands tightly on her mouth, her last futile effort to hold back her excruciating cry for help accumulating in her throat. Her tear-filled eyes stubbornly fixated on the doctor, as if she could somehow change his resigning judgment by it, but her mind already knew...The shock and tiredness finally took their toll. Her whole body got overwhelmed with a dull, crippling pain, her strength left her legs, and she was about to collapse."Maiev!" Shandris tried to grab her, but she was too slow. Someone already did.Strong, unwavering arms held her grief-stricken body. Arms, that in the distant past she had sworn to leave as numb and lifeless as she felt at that very moment. The ones that she wanted to never part from her again. Their warmth gave her the strength needed to slowly stand on her feet, but the insane noise raging in her head intensified until she could no longer hear Shandris" anxious voice. Little by little, the outside world ceased to exist for her as she slowly turned and looked at Illidan, standing behind her. The man's stone-like face was now grim, as if putting the woman at a crossroads without words. But for Maiev, the two options were not a path but a plank. She were either to stay on the sinking ship of her remaining pride, a miserable pile of self-made sense of justice, having lost all its meanings through the years, or to jump into the shameful unknown. Her lips trembled with a forced back cry as she timidly reached out with her shaking hand, and Illidan's features gradually blurred away. The demon hunter grabbed her arm without hesitation and pulled her close, embracing her tightly, hiding her tear-soaked face from prying eyes, and muffling her mournful sobs. As the last standing walls of her holding collapsed, Maiev's desperate wailing reached his heart as he looked down bitterly at her, falling over his chest. Despite acquiring enormous power over the millennia, he proved powerless in the need of the women he loved.Lysende watched the scene of the two of them quietly, with reddened eyes, contemplating how happy she would have been if she had seen them so tenderly embracing another time...

With its immaculate cleanliness, the snow-white-painted hospital radiated a sense of security and competence to all those who visited the place with their illnesses and injuries. The unfaked, night-side of the institution remained hidden from their inutile seeing eyes. Not from Illidan's. The place was comprehensively different from the healing places of ancient times, where prayers reached to the heavens and majestical forces pervaded the space. Here only the mournful silence and the beeping noises of machines were the sole and impassible companions of those who fought to see another day. The stench of rotting and demise oozed into the corridors from behind the closed doors, Death's aura transpierced the entirety of the place. Under the doctors’ confident and encouraging masks, all there was was indifference and resignation as they informed the family members about the conditions of their loved ones.

"Could this be what they call blissful ignorance...?" The demon hunter looked around, but didn't linger on the misery of others for long. He was only concerned about one patient. Concerned? Oh no, he merely had a slight interest in that soul.. Or that's how he justified his actions for himself and why he was still sitting in the waiting room of the hospital. He should have left a long time ago. After all, that woman said point-blank: they don’t owe each other anything. The memory was enough to force a sour murgeon on his indifferent face. None of his previous betrayals have caused as much pain as the one he suffered two months ago.

The initial desperate void was soon filled with anger heated by frustration, and with it came the denial of his tearing desires and tender emotions. It was foolish of him to fall for the woman's honeyed words and deceptive practices. It was truly for the better that it all ended so soon, at least he didn’t sink deeper into another hopeless longing.