Beyond The Gaze: A Love Unseen

Chapter 29

Past - 12

Third Party's POV:

Sven swiftly turned the page, anticipating more of Elysia's memories.

Blank!

His eyebrows furrowed, and he continued flipping through the diary, page after page, all of them disappointingly blank. The frustration of not understanding what happened after those beautiful memories weighed on him.

Just as he was about to give up and close the diary, he felt something inside. Sven's curiosity was piqued. He gently placed his finger on the bookmark and carefully turned the pages, revealing a plastic-encased flower as it fell from the diary onto his lap.

With a puzzled expression, he picked up the flower, studying it intently. Then, with a sense of intrigue, he returned his attention to the diary. There, he found a finely-drawn sketch of a young boy entering a car, followed by Elysia's memory:

"This is the first time I'm writing a memory after years. I met someone today; his name is Ares. He stopped the kids who called me jinx and gave me a flower, symbolizing that we are stronger than we think. After mom and dad, he was the first person to be nice to me. I want to be happy but I'm scared... What if it's all a dream? Would they be taken away from me if I become happy?"

Sven's heart squeezed as he read her last words. An array of emotions crossed his features. He examined the plastic-encased flower again, his gaze shifting between the flower and the picture of Ares that Elysia had drawn.

So, that's how everything started...

Sven proceeded to flip through the remaining pages, immersing himself in Elysia's memories, from her moments of Ares to her cherished times with her mom and dad. Laying on his bed with one arm under his head, supporting himself, and the other holding her diary as he smiled, reading her beautiful recollections, chuckled at a few due to her simplicity, laughed at some because of her endearing clumsiness, and felt genuinely happy while reading others that reflected her infectious joy.

As he turned the final page, he was greeted with a beautiful picture Elysia had drawn. It depicted a younger version of herself sat on the grass with a radiant smile, accompanied by a majestic young white horse. On one side of Elysia, a man and a woman were seated, presumably her mom and dad. The woman bore a resemblance to her mom, Sandra Lawson, whom Sven had met earlier. On the opposite side of the horse, there was a younger version of Ares, also sitting on the grass.

It didn't take long for Sven to recognize that this was an imaginative artwork of her world, with everyone wearing broad smiles, portraying the people she loved unconditionally. It was a small yet complete representation of her innocent wishes.

Sven's hand gradually rose, his fingers approaching the young girl seated in the middle of the picture, a beautiful smile on her face and her eyes shining. Subconsciously, he lightly stroked her face, his gaze fixed on her innocent expression as Elysia's figure flashed before his eyes.

In that fleeting moment, an odd desire crossed his mind – he found himself wishing to be a part of that picture, to exist in her world, to be one of the people she would hold close to her heart. He wanted to be her person; Elysia's person, a strange yet compelling desire...

Unbeknownst to Sven himself, a small smile graced his lips. His pupils dilated, and his gaze grew intense, a slight mist gathering in the corners of his grey eyes. In that very moment, Sven Neve Damaris remained oblivious to what life had in store for him. Little did he realize that the "little mouse" he had encountered months ago would one day become his entire world...

Realization had yet to dawn upon him, but the game of fate had already begun. The web was woven, and it was the path he needed to walk on, to discover his true self and to give meaning to his once aimless life.