Tassa sat on a cliff, perched upon a large boulder, gazing out at the immense and intimidating waves crashing below. The sky was obscured by thick clouds, concealing any trace of sunlight or warmth. As Tassa looked into the distance, she listened to the resounding splashes of the waves, their sound echoing in her ears.
Standing up, Tassa placed her hand on her chest, feeling the weight of her emotions. Despite the strong wind blowing her hair into her face, she paid it no mind. With a somber expression, she stared straight ahead, swallowing hard. "Someone once told me that the reason seawater is salty is because it is made up of the tears shed by those who endlessly cry, grieve, and suffer," Tassa murmured.
A tear suddenly escaped her eye, rolling down her cheek. She wiped it away with a bitter smile. "And now, I have become one of them," she added, her voice filled with sorrow. It had been two years since it all began, since the events that had led her to this desolate cliff.
Chapter 1: In which Tassa met Nia'le
In the bustling chaos outside the hospital, Tassa, an 18-year-old blind woman, navigated her way through the crowd. Her nurse uniform and impeccably tied bun set her apart, though she was oblivious to the commotion surrounding her. As people hurried back into the hospital, whispers and hushed conversations filled the air, leaving Tassa perplexed.
Despite her uncertainty, Tassa clenched her fist and pressed forward. The outside world was a mystery to her, but the determination to escape the confines of the hospital propelled her steps. Trembling but resolute, she continued her journey, avoiding the temptation to retreat back into the familiar walls.
A throng of people gathered around, and in the midst of the crowd, a criminal observed Tassa with a calculating gaze. The nurse uniform caught his attention, and a sinister idea formed in his mind. Slowly tailing her through the gathering, he saw an opportunity to exploit her unwitting presence. In the midst of the clamoring crowd, the criminal boldly strode forward, brandishing his gun as a makeshift scepter. The sea of people, recognizing the peril in his eyes, hastily parted to make way for his sinister advance. As he closed in on Tassa, he seized her, his grip firm and menacing.
The onlookers, now spectators to an unfolding drama, watched in tense silence. Tassa, held captive in the clutches of the criminal, stood undeterred. With a calm demeanor that belied her predicament, she implored, "Don't do it. Not in front of everyone."
The criminal, his intentions masked by the cold steel of the gun he wielded, sneered at her plea. "Who do you think you're talking to?" he demanded, the weight of his malevolence evident in his voice.
Undeterred, Tassa, with a baleful smile, retorted, "Can't tell. Because my mother taught me not to talk to strangers."
The criminal, a figure named Nia'le, regarded her with a chilling gaze, the tension between them palpable. "Can you talk to my gun?" he jeered, his voice dripping with arrogance.
Unfazed, Tassa responded with a steely resolve, "No, can you?" In the tense standoff, Nia'le maintained a baleful gaze at Tassa, his coldness mirroring the chilling situation. The arrival of the police injected a new element into the unfolding drama, as they ordered Nia'le to surrender. However, his response was a defiant smirk, accompanied by a menacing gesture with his gun.
"Listen, ya'll. If you don't stand back, I will gonna kill this nurse. And I'm not even kidding," he declared, escalating the stakes.
Suddenly, a Grim Reaper materialized, an unexpected and surreal presence in the unfolding scene. Its eerie form loomed over Nia'le and the faux police officer, Ixartxist. A strange calm settled over the chaotic moment as the Grim Reaper asserted, "I'll take care of him. And I'll take care of her."
Ixartxist, masquerading as a police officer, remained silent, observing the supernatural intervention without offering a response. Tassa, caught in the crossfire, desperately sought Ixartxist's attention. She called out his name, pleading for him to face her, to acknowledge her presence amid the turmoil.
Unmoved by her pleas, the Grim Reaper insisted that the officer before her wasn't Ixartxist. Ignoring the supernatural entity, Tassa persisted, convinced that the man standing before her was the one she sought. Tassa's conviction remained unshaken, her senses attuned to every detail that defined Ixartxist. She could discern his posture, his hair, his skin, even his scent. From every angle, she had studied him, memorizing his features with unwavering determination. To her, it was undeniable—this officer standing before her was her Xart, her Ixartxist.
Ayamani, the enigmatic Grim Reaper, remained silent, aware that Tassa possessed an intimate knowledge of Ixartxist that surpassed ordinary perception. The connection between Tassa and Ixartxist ran deep, a bond forged through shared experiences and unspoken understanding. Yet, Ixartxist continued to deny his true identity, refusing to acknowledge the connection that Tassa insisted upon.
Growing increasingly frustrated, Nia'le, the criminal who held Tassa hostage, lashed out at her persistent calls to the officer who had raised his hand. He demanded that she silence herself, but Tassa's glare met his anger head-on. Defiantly, she turned the tables, commanding him to shut up instead of succumbing to his intimidation. Ixartxist lowered his cap, a subtle signal for everyone to stand down and let them go. However, dissent lingered in the air, as one individual opposed his decision. Unfazed, Ixartxist, with a mesmerizing gaze, hypnotized the dissenting figure.
"She's a civilian, and I won't allow harm to befall her, especially at the hands of an insignificant adversary," Ixartxist declared, his voice carrying an authoritative weight. The hypnotized officer succumbed to unconsciousness, collapsing to the ground as Ixartxist stepped over him, resolute in his intent to protect Tassa.
Without glancing back at Tassa, Ixartxist led the way as they made their escape. Ayamani, the Grim Reaper, remained behind to watch over Tassa, an unexpected guardian in this surreal drama. "Wait for me, Quart. I'll gonna save you, my love, and we will be together again. I promise," Ixartxist vowed, his words lingering in the charged atmosphere