The Time It Takes To Fall

One Last Chance

England, 1997 A.D.

Everything was black: the clouds, the clothes, the mood. All was dreary as mourners traveled the short distance between the church and the cemetery. No one spoke, as if the blackness of the day had formed a smog, preventing anyone from evoking a single breath of speech.

The service itself had been short, commemorating all of Rose's accomplishments and lamenting on the shortness of her life. Nieces and nephews had sang a song of farewell for their beloved aunt; brothers and sister-in-laws had given a eulogy and life stories. Tears had been shed, and all the while, Kai sat in the back, silent tears falling down his face for the woman who he loved— though he had never met Rose Zhang.

In all truth and honesty, Kai's tears weren't for the death of Rose, but that he had been so close. So terribly close to being with her. The agony of that feeling alone was enough to tear the ancient prince apart with grief. Not the grief of death— the grief of what could have been.

Kai had found Rose through a recent phenomenon called social media. Kai had watched technology advance rapidly throughout the twentieth century, but it's latest progressions had made finding people from around the world an enormous amount easier. It had taken Kai little time to find the correct Rose Zhang, despite the name's popularity. He would always be able to find his Selene— as long as he never gave up.

And he hadn't, not this time. He had tried so hard. He had searched continents, countries, cities, towns and villages. He had traveled across the entirety of earth for nearly half a decade, constantly looking for Selene's ninth reincarnation. But alas, it had all been for nothing. She was gone now, and time was running out.

When the first social media site had been launched just months ago, Kai had found Rose within weeks. She was there— probably thanks to a niece or nephew— but she was there. And he had gotten into contact with her through the marvel called the internet. He had been so close, and he had lost her.

He had lost her.

And it was killing him.

Kai had done his best not to scare Selene again, and he had succeeded. He had gained her trust, and had been set to meet her in person. Everything was as it should have been— until three days before their meeting.

It had been an accident, though Kai couldn't understand why people felt the need to state such a thing; not many people drowned on purpose.

A day in Liverpool with her three nieces. Just a single afternoon for Rose to spend with the children that were not her own but might as well have been.

The River Mersey had claimed many lives throughout the years, but not in a single nightmare had anyone imagined Rose drowning there. Perhaps if she had known how to swim— to tread through the murky, silt-brown water— she would have lived. Or possibly the solution was the sobriety of the one manning the boat. Maybe there was nothing that could have been done; maybe it was the deft power of the water, or a siren singing Rose to sleep. But there was no use thinking on what could have been done. Rose Zhang was dead.

They hadn't even found the body.

The thought of Rose, her mind and soul that of Selene's, resting at the bottom of a filthy river gave Kai the urge to scream. He couldn't stand it. He had been so close.

A small group of mourners gathered around a grave. Kai didn't join them, but stood a distance away, hiding behind a white marble headstone. He didn't have the right to interrupt her family's grief; he had never met Rose, and he never would.

"It's not over yet, young princeling," A voice crooned from behind Kai. He turned around and saw a mass of blue silk, standing out against the bleak atmosphere. Blue was the only spot of color within Kai's vision, and her presence filled him with an undeniable rage.