Chapter Three: A Farewell in the Rain

The rain came softly that morning, like heaven whispering down a final lullaby.

Elira stood at the cemetery gates, her fingers clutching a bouquet of pale white lilies. Beside her, Ares held an umbrella, his other hand never straying far from hers—offering silent support. They hadn’t spoken much on the ride here. Some wounds required silence to breathe.

Elira’s steps slowed as she approached the headstone, her breath catching in her throat. Leo Ardent Vale. The name still echoed like a prayer in her chest.

Beneath his name were the words: "The brightest flames burn the fastest."

She knelt, brushing her fingers gently over the damp stone. “Hey,” she whispered. “I’m sorry it took me so long.”

The memories had returned slowly—like fragments of a shattered mirror. Leo’s smile. The sound of his laughter. The day they’d planned to leave everything behind and start fresh. He’d held her hand on the highway, told her love was worth running for.

And then he was gone.

She couldn’t stop the tears. Not anymore. She didn’t want to.

Behind her, Ares stayed respectfully quiet.

But they weren’t alone.

From the edge of the trees came the soft crunch of footsteps. Elira turned, her heart twisting.

Leo’s parents.

They hadn’t aged much, but grief had carved its story into their features—deep lines around their eyes, shoulders heavier than time should allow.

“Elira,” Mrs. Vale said softly. “You came.”

Elira stood, hands shaking. “I’m sorry. I should have come earlier. I—I forgot everything. The accident, Leo… us.”

Mr. Vale stepped forward, his gaze unreadable. “We were angry, Elira. Not at you. At fate. At life. At the kind of world where two good kids couldn’t even be happy for one more day.”

Elira lowered her gaze, guilt clawing at her throat. “He died protecting me. I should have—”

“Don’t,” Mrs. Vale interrupted gently. “Don’t carry that. Leo wouldn’t want that"

Her voice trembled as she reached out, taking Elira’s hands. “You were his everything. He made that clear every time he came home with that spark in his eyes. Even the night before the accident, he told us he was going to marry you someday.”

Elira wept openly now. Her heart felt too full, too broken. “I loved him. I still do.”

They stood together in the rain, mourning the boy who’d been their world.

And then something impossible happened.

The air shifted.

The rain grew still.

And Elira felt it before she saw it—a warmth wrapping around her like sunlight. She turned slowly… and there he was.

Leo.

Not the Leo from the accident, but the one from her memories. Tall, smiling, dressed in his old blue jacket, standing beneath the willow tree with the faintest golden light around him.

Elira gasped.

The others froze, sensing something but seeing nothing.

Leo stepped forward, his eyes gentle. “El,” his voice echoed like wind in the leaves. “You have to let go.”

She shook her head, trembling. “I don’t want to forget you again.”

“You won’t. I’ll always be here.” He touched his chest. “In here. But you can’t stay trapped in the past, love. You’ve got a life waiting.”

Elira’s eyes darted to Ares, who stood back with wide eyes—his lips parted as though he could feel the spirit too.

“He changed,” she whispered. “He hurt me before. But he’s different now.”

Leo smiled sadly. “He was broken. So were you. Sometimes two broken people can learn to heal together.”

A soft wind rustled the lilies, and Leo’s image began to fade.

“Don’t blame her,” he said louder now, looking at his parents. “Don’t hold her pain against her. I chose to protect her. And I would do it again.”

Tears fell freely down Elira’s face. “I miss you, Leo.”

“I know,” he said gently. “But it’s time to live again, Elira. You deserve to be loved… not in memory, but in life.”

With a final smile, he vanished.

The silence that followed wasn’t heavy—it was peaceful.

Mr. Vale exhaled deeply, as if releasing something he'd carried for years. Mrs. Vale stepped forward and hugged Elira tightly. “He always did have a way of making things right.”

They stayed by the grave for a while longer. The clouds parted slowly, sunlight breaking through like a promise.

That night, back at the lakeside home, Elira sat on the porch, her hair still damp from the rain. Ares sat beside her, unusually quiet.

“I saw him too,” he finally said.

She turned to him.

“I saw Leo,” he repeated. “I… I didn’t think I’d deserve to, but… he looked at me like he forgave me.”

Elira nodded. “He did.”

“I was jealous of him for so long,” Ares admitted. “Because you loved him with your whole heart. I think I hated myself for never being able to love someone like that.”

She reached out, brushing her fingers over his hand. “You can.”

Ares looked at her, his eyes rimmed with unshed tears. “Do you think... I could ever be someone you love again?”

Elira didn’t answer with words. She leaned her head against his shoulder and let the silence speak.

She had mourned Leo.

She had found closure.

And now, just maybe… she was ready to live again.

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