I can't forget about that day. The day when my world, the person I cared about the most, left me. I don't know where she is or what she is doing. No matter where she is, whatever she does, I just want her to be happy. Maybe she is happy. Maybe she found someone who is better than me. Or maybe… [main character's POV]
On a rainy day, two lovebirds were drinking coffee in a restaurant. The boy's name was Liam, and the girl's was Elara. They loved each other very much. They were always together in their small university town,Liam, quiet and serious, and Elara, full of laughter and big dreams. They were eighteen, and their love felt like they were made for each other.
They had a place where they spent most of their time: an old stone bench by the river, where they sat and shared their dreams with each other. They were very happy having each other in their lives.
Then one Tuesday, Elara disappeared. She didn't show up for class. Liam tried to contact her through her number, but the phone was off. Elara's parents called the police. The police searched. Liam put up flyers everywhere. Weeks turned into months. Everyone thought she had run away with a boy, but Liam knew her. She wouldn't leave without saying anything.
A year passed, but Liam felt empty, like his heart was still stuck on that day.
One night, his apartment became very cold. It smelled strange, a bit like ozone and lavender. Liam was staring at his laptop when he saw a shadow move in the corner. It was Elara.
She wasn't fully real; she was fading, but her hazel, sad eyes stared at him.
Liam didn't scream. He just whispered her name.
"Liam," she said softly. "I'm so sorry." Tears ran down her transparent cheeks. "I couldn't tell you before. The connection was too weak. But now… I can stay, just for a moment."
Liam finally spoke, his voice rough. "Where were you? What happened?"
She floated closer to him. "I didn't leave, Liam. I was taken. That night, I was walking home from the library like we always did. A drunk man in a car hit me. I was bleeding too much, but there was a chance for me to survive if he had called an ambulance or driven me to the hospital. But he didn't do it. He buried me in a forest. At that time, I was still breathing. I was feeling the pain. He… he buried me alive."
Tears ran down his cheeks. He couldn't believe that his Elara was not alive anymore. His heart started racing.
"Don't cry, Liam. It was written in my fate."
She told him everything, the grave, the car, the scar on the man's eyebrow. Things the police never found.
"I was trapped, Liam. Waiting until the world no longer needed me, so I could speak. So you could find him. So he would remember me."
Then she was gone. Only the cold and the smell of lavender remained.
Liam didn't sleep for three days. He took what she told him the scar, the car, the street, and went to the police. They listened, unsure what to think. They checked the place she described and found old accident reports. It was true. Victor Hayes, the man, was guilty.
But he got away. His lawyers saved him. Liam knew the system had failed.
He quit school and focused on Victor Hayes. He was careful and patient. He didn't want to kill Hayes. He wanted him to feel the fear and pain Elara felt.
He started small. He hurt Hayes's business and leaked small truths. Hayes grew angry.
Six months later, Liam saw his chance. Hayes drank at the same bar and drove the same road home,the road where Elara died.
Liam waited. Not with a weapon. Hurting someone was never his strategy.
The car came around the corner. Liam stepped ahead of the car. Hayes somehow stopped. The car stopped inches away.
"Are you crazy? I could have killed you!" Hayes yelled.
"Do you remember Elm Street, Victor?" Liam said calmly.
Hayes froze. He knew.
"I remember," Liam said. "I know what you did after you hit her. You saw her. You didn't call anyone. You buried her."
Hayes reached for his keys. Liam moved fast. He took them, broke the lock, and disabled the car.
"Your car is dead now," Liam said. "You are drunk. You are miles away from help. Walk home alone on foot. Think of the dark. Think of the girl who smelled like lavender."
Liam melted into the shadows. Hayes panicked—trapped, scared. Hours later, the police found him. Liam walked away. His revenge was done.
He returned to the river, to the place where they used to spend their time.
"It's done, Elara," he whispered. "You can rest now."
For the first time in a year, the cold in his chest melted. He still missed her, but he no longer needed revenge. He looked up, hoping to see her one last time.