And then, one day, Evan tried to leave the world behind.
He chose the very place where love had once saved him.
The scar on his wrist—the one he'd earned years ago while shielding Maya—was still faintly visible, a pale reminder of devotion and bloodshed. He dragged the blade across it again, as if reopening that wound might finally let him follow her.
By the time he was found, the floor was soaked red.
He was rushed to the hospital, alarms shrieking, doctors shouting orders, nurses pressing hard against his arm to stop the bleeding. His heart was still beating, but only barely—as if it, too, was exhausted from carrying grief for so long.
Twenty-four hours passed.
Then another.
Finally, the doctor stepped back, exhaustion lining his face. "This isn't physical anymore," he said quietly. "This is psychological. He has no will to live. If you want to save him, you need to find what matters most to him—something strong enough to pull him back."
Outside the ICU, Rachel broke down. She covered her mouth, shoulders shaking, tears soaking into Oliver's sleeve.
"Did I make a mistake?" she sobbed. "Maya begged me never to tell him the truth. I thought I was helping… but now look at him. I destroyed him."
Oliver's eyes were red, but his voice was steady."No. You did the right thing. He deserved the truth. Letting him live his whole life hating himself for something he never did—that would've been crueler than anything."
Silence stretched between them, heavy and suffocating.
Then Rachel's hands began to shake as she reached into her bag. "There's… one last thing," she whispered.
It was a video.
Maya's final farewell.
Rachel had planned to keep it hidden. A punishment, maybe. Or a test of time. She thought Evan needed to suffer first—to live long enough to understand the weight of what he had lost. She never imagined he would choose death instead.
They played the video and gently placed the device beside Evan's ear.
On the screen was Maya—thin, fragile, almost unrecognizable. She lay in a hospital bed, her body entangled in tubes and wires, machines humming softly around her. Her eyes were sunken, but when she smiled, it was still the same warmth that had once filled Evan's entire world.
"Evan," she said softly, voice hoarse but gentle. "You're too smart. I knew I couldn't hide this from you forever."
She paused, catching her breath."I've never blamed you. Not once. So please… don't blame yourself, okay? Don't be sad."
Her lips curved into a faint smile."I'm just going ahead first, to set up our new home in the next life. I'll be there waiting for you."
Then she raised a finger slightly, like she used to when she was pretending to be serious.
"But I have a condition. You can only come find me after you've lived to be a hundred years old. Not a month less. Not a day less."
Her voice trembled, but she forced the words out anyway.
"And one more thing… please find someone else to love. Don't hold onto my ghost. Life is long, Evan... and I don't want you to walk it alone."
The room was silent except for the steady beeping of machines.
Then—
A single tear slipped from the corner of Evan's tightly closed eyes.
Rachel covered her mouth again, sobbing.
Oliver bowed his head.
Evan woke up the next day.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
After his recovery, he posted a single thing on Slogram. Just one line:
Creation date of the theme song for Ballad of Love Reawakening: February 14, 2023.
The internet exploded.
"They were still together on that date."
"So the song was written for Maya…"
"I can't stop crying. Why would fate be so cruel to soulmates like this?"
Maya's account gained millions of followers overnight. Under her farewell video, new comments appeared every day.
"You were the kindest soul in this world. You'll be happy in your next life."
"Cancer hurts so much. I don't know how much longer I can hold on."
"The snow melted today. Come play on the slide with me…"
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
Evan lived on.
He lived well.
But he never got married.
Years passed quietly.
On his deathbed, Oliver and Rachel stood on either side of him, hands shaking, tears falling freely.
Evan's lips curved into a faint, tired smile. "Why are the two of you crying? I'm… I'm fine, really. You know, I've been waiting for this day for a long time. Though… I don't know if I'll finally get to see Maya again."
Rachel choked. "Why not?"
"I didn't get to live to a hundred," he said, a soft laugh escaping him.
"Why not?" she whispered.
"I didn't make it to a hundred," he said, laughing lightly.
Oliver squeezed Rachel's hand, his own voice thick with emotion. "But you got to live longer than most, Evan. You even got to see us find happiness, to see us get married. I know you can find her. And if you do... tell her I'm sorry for the words I said."
Rachel sniffled, her voice choked with tears. "Say hi for me too."
Evan nodded faintly, eyes closing slowly. "Alright… alright."
A moment later, the steady beep of the monitor stretched long and final.
Rachel collapsed into Oliver's arms as they held each other and cried.
"Goodbye, Evan," they whispered together, voices breaking.
Evan died at the age of ninety—
ten year short of the promise he made, but a lifetime full of love he never let go.