Chapter 139 Avatar of Harmony (17)
Rinoa sat alone on the edge of the cliff, a place where she used to gaze at the stars and make wishes. But tonight, the stars felt distant, as if they knew: the Rinoa of old has begun to drift away from herself.
When they decided to go together, those memories carved a lasting impression. Rinoa recalled the warm moments with Fitran under the same night sky—hands tightly clasped, smiles that bolstered each other, and laughter that filled the serene night without a care. In those days, their love felt whole, like a promise that would never fade.
But everything changed when Fitran began to withdraw. That night, following a minor argument about their future, Fitran looked at her with a lack of passion and said coldly, "I need space, Rinoa. I can't go on like this." His once warm gestures turned cold and reserved. His gaze no longer sought hers but avoided it.
Her hands trembled—not from fatigue, but because she no longer knew what she was feeling.
"Why... after all this, do I feel foreign to my own love?" She struggled within her heart, torn between holding onto a love that once empowered her and the pain that gnawed away at her, wondering if love must always be painful or if there is justice in togetherness.
She loves Fitran. That hasn't changed. But as she looks at him now, what she sees is not a wounded knight, but a touchless entity of solitude. He is no longer the man who once embraced her warmly; instead, he is a figure of indifference, limiting words and touch as if a thick wall separates them.
Amid her reflections, a voice emerges. Not loud. Not pushy. But so... familiar.
"You long for meaning, don't you?"
Rinoa turns, yet sees no one. Still, the voice continues to resonate, echoing within her bones:
"Love is not harmony... but an agreement. And when he breaks that promise, who should bear the punishment?"
In that moment of silence, flashbacks flood Rinoa's mind: their laughter filling the night under a starry sky, Fitran's warm handholding like an untainted promise, and sweet words that used to ease her heart. However, everything changed as Fitran began to distance himself; his once loving gaze turned cold, no longer welcoming her presence with a smile.