The evening sky was painted gray. The air in the hospital reeked of disinfectant and hummed with the soft, ceaseless beeping of machines—like the slow ticking of time stealing away life. In one of the patient rooms, Tobi sat beside a hospital bed. His hand gently clasped the fingers of Alice—his love, now frail, cold, and pierced with IV needles.
Alice lay sleeping, her face pale, her breaths heavy. Yet earlier that day, she had still managed to smile as Tobi read her a story. Now night had fallen, and Tobi could no longer read. All that remained was a blank stare at the wall, and a tightening in his chest—crushed by reality.
"I've tried everything, Alice…" he whispered, voice trembling. "You're still here, but your soul… it's slipping further away each day."
He swallowed back tears, the pain swelling unbearably inside. Needing air, he left the room and walked alone to the hospital's back garden—a lonely place with only a rusting iron bench and a flickering lamplight. There, at least, he could let the sorrow spill out without anyone noticing.
"If there's anyone—anything—that can save Alice... take my life!" he shouted softly but furiously into the silent sky.
Just then, the wind stopped.
The air turned colder. He didn't notice that someone had taken a seat beside him. No footsteps, no presence. Yet there he was. A tall man cloaked entirely in black, face shadowed beneath a wide-brimmed hat—Azazel.
"Do you truly wish to save her?" the man asked. His voice was deep and quiet, yet it pierced like a nightmare remembered.
Tobi turned to him. "Who are you?"
"Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is—I can give you what you desire. I can heal Alice. She could walk out of this place tomorrow. Healthy. Whole. But... of course, there's a price."
Tobi frowned. "Money? My organs? Take them all."
The man shook his head. "No. All you need to do… is sign this pact in your blood."
He pulled out a tattered piece of parchment. Its surface was yellowed and pulsing faintly, as if alive. At the bottom, a space was left blank—with Tobi's name written above it.
Tobi leaned in. The paper felt warm in his hand, as if it had a heartbeat. He didn't yet realize how the air around him had thickened, grown unfamiliar.
But before he could prick his finger—
A golden light flared from the air, freezing time in place. The wind hung still. And a figure appeared before him. A young man, standing between him and the cloaked stranger.
He was tall, dressed in glowing white, yet humble in form. His gaze was calm but piercing—eyes that seemed to see right through to the soul. Serafim.
"Don't do it, Tobi."
A soft light radiated from Serafim's entire being, reflecting off the bench and casting Azazel's shadow into an uneasy dance.
"Who… are you?" Tobi asked, bewildered.
"I came because you were about to make a choice you'd regret forever," Serafim said softly.
Azazel narrowed his eyes, voice sharp now.
"So… you're still meddling, Guardian of Light. This is not your concern."
"It becomes mine… when a sincere soul is being deceived," Serafim replied firmly.
Azazel stood. He lifted his hat slightly—revealing eyes burning red like embers.
"He came to me. He begged to anyone who would listen. I merely answered. I offered a solution."
Tobi looked between them, heart pounding.
"I just want Alice to be okay..."
"And you nearly sold your soul to do it," Serafim cut in, turning to him. "If you sign that pact, you won't be you anymore. Azazel will use your body to bring darkness into this world."
Azazel chuckled. "Oh, don't be so dramatic. I only want… a little eternity. A touch of power. A few human lives."
Without warning, Azazel hurled a wave of shadowy darkness toward Serafim—like a living nightmare made real. Serafim raised a hand, palm open to block it. The force pushed him back, his feet dragging along the dirt, the earth splitting beneath him.
He dropped to one knee, his shoulders shaking. Tobi instinctively ran to help, but Serafim raised a hand—stay back.
Azazel approached slowly.
"You're weak, as always. Your light was never strong enough to defeat me."
Serafim lowered his head, whispering something in a language Tobi couldn't understand. Then from his chest, a searing white light burst forth—not just bright, but pure. Blinding. Warm like the first morning sun after a long winter.
Azazel screamed.
"AAARGH!!"
He shielded his eyes as his body began to fade. His shadow unraveled like smoke in the wind.
"I will return, Tobi," his voice echoed—as he vanished completely.
The light faded slowly. Tobi knelt beside Serafim, who was now rising to his feet.
"Who… are you really?" Tobi asked quietly.
Serafim looked at him and smiled gently.
"You don't need to know who I am. My purpose is to make sure you don't fall… the way someone else once did. Someone just like you."
Tobi slumped back, breathless. His body cold, his mind spinning. Serafim simply sat beside him in silence, allowing the quiet to become a space for Tobi to rebuild the pieces of his broken heart.
And that's when the memories began to return—like film scenes playing in reverse. Tobi remembered the early days with Alice. Sitting beneath the old tree in the city park. Alice laughing as he played a broken guitar that could only strum one chord. He still remembered her words:
"I don't need a big concert. Just sing for me every afternoon," she whispered, leaning on his shoulder.
Tobi nodded and pinched her cheek. "Deal. But don't blame me if my voice sends birds flying in panic."
They were so happy then. Until everything changed in that clinic room. Alice's hands had turned cold as the doctor placed the test results on the desk. Her tears held back, but Tobi pulled her into a tight embrace, kissing her hair and saying:
"We'll get through this. Together."
And from then on, he fought with all he had. He sold everything—his car, the land he'd bought to build their dream home. He worked day and night. Slept in hospital chairs. Tried to defy fate itself.
But hope wore thin. And fear took its place.
Tobi returned to Alice's room. She was awake now, weak—but still trying to smile.
"Tobi…" Alice's voice was raspy. "Were you… crying?"
Tobi quickly wiped his tears. "No. I just… got something in my eye."
Alice let out a soft chuckle and reached out her hand. Tobi immediately held it tightly. For a moment, they simply looked at each other. But there was something in Alice's eyes that night—something that felt like she knew everything, as if she was ready to say goodbye.
"I had a strange dream," Alice whispered. "Someone tried to take you away… but there was a great light protecting you."
Tobi lowered his head, his heart sinking.
"I'm sorry… I almost… I almost gave up, Les…"
Alice shook her head gently. "No matter what happens to me, Tobi, you must never sell your soul just to save me. Whatever you could do—if it were possible—I would've asked for it long ago. But I won't. I know the state of my body, and I know it can't be changed. I won't last much longer. I'm happy with how things are now, and I don't want you to lose yourself because of me."
"I just don't want to lose you," Tobi's voice trembled. "I… I don't know how to live without you, Les…"
Alice gazed into his eyes, and a shimmer of tears glistened at the corner of her own.
"Tobi… you live because you have a good heart. Don't sacrifice that goodness. I may not be able to stay… but you can. You must."
Tobi said nothing. His tears fell, unstoppable.
"I only want one thing," Alice said softly. "Let me go… but don't ever let go of hope. Don't let go of that white light inside your heart. You'll be the one to say my name in every prayer. And one day, I'll be the one who comes to bring you back into my arms."
Tobi kissed the back of Alice's hand and closed his eyes.
"I… I promise."
Alice smiled. With labored breaths, she looked at the person she loved most for the very last time. And then, she lay still, a gentle smile remaining on her face—one that showed she knew Tobi had finally, truly let her go. Tobi held her hand tighter, and in a hushed voice, he whispered:
"Thank you… for being my home. Promise me you'll come back to find me someday."
Tobi's tears flowed even harder—not out of grief, but peace. It felt like a wound that no longer bled, only left a scar. In the quiet of night, Alice left Tobi—not forever, but just for a while. Her hand still in his, her face still carrying the most peaceful smile she had ever worn. Serafim stood in the corner of the room, bearing silent witness to the most beautiful farewell.
Days passed. Serafim sat beside Tobi, who still remained by the now-empty bed. The room was silent. No words passed between them, only the sound of wind brushing against the windows.
Suddenly, Serafim was struck by a memory long buried. Like a raging river, it surged forward, unstoppable. He closed his eyes. In an instant, he was human again. Younger. His gaze confused, afraid. He saw himself standing before a woman—beautiful, yet pale, as though all hope had drained from her. And seeing her felt like being pierced by a thousand spears.
"Why did you do this?"
The woman's voice echoed—soft, but full of pain.
Serafim didn't answer. More fragments flooded his mind. A yellowed piece of paper, pulsing faintly like it was alive, with black writing and a blood-red stamp that read: "Daniel." Scene after scene played inside his head.
He gasped and pulled himself out of the memory. His breathing was heavy. He looked back at Tobi, who remained crushed by sorrow.
Tobi turned to him.
"Do you know? The life of someone you love is worth more than anything. Even if I had to give up everything, I would."
Serafim nodded, heart aching. "I know."
With a shaking voice, Tobi continued, "But I… How do I let Alice go? I…"
Serafim looked at him deeply.
"Tobi, love isn't about sacrificing everything. True love is about giving freedom and making space for acceptance. Alice… she's found her peace. And you must find yours too. But before that, you have to learn how to let her go."
Tobi lowered his head. Tears fell again. "But what if I can't?"
Serafim looked toward the night sky, as though peering through time.
"Sometimes, loss is life's way of making us stronger. Don't trap yourself in the shadows of the past, Tobi. You must keep living—for Alice. Not for anyone else… but for you."
Tobi held Serafim's hand tightly. "I… I'll try."
A few days after Alice's passing, Tobi stood by the lake where they used to sit in the evenings. In his hand was a small note—Alice's last letter before her condition worsened.
To my dearest Tobi...
Tobi, if you're reading this, I'm probably no longer by your side. But I want you to know… I was so, so happy. Because right to the end of my battle, you were there with me. Don't be sad for too long, okay? The world still needs light from someone like you. Don't let it dim, Tob. My love will never die.
Love you, Tobi
Tobi smiled and looked up at the sunset sky.
"I'll sing again, Les… even if my voice is still off-key," he said with a grin.
Serafim watched from afar. He saw the peace returning to Tobi's heart. And for a moment, the image flashed again. This time, he was certain—the face in that memory resembled someone he once knew. Misel.
***