Yue's Quest to Illuminate the Darkness

The wind blew across the city, stirring up dust and leaves. I watched as they danced and floated through the air, then I looked back down at my feet. My head was bowed and I couldn't look her in the eye any more.

What have I done?

I thought I had been making the right choice for all of those years. But now... I just don't know anymore.

"Yue," she said softly, placing a hand on my shoulder. "You're not ready for this yet."

I winced at her words and swallowed hard, taking a deep breath. I felt her shift and move closer to me, her dress swishing behind her. She put an arm around my waist and squeezed gently.

The gesture brought tears to my eyes and I blinked them away furiously, trying to keep hold of whatever dignity I had left. I could feel her warmth against my skin, wrapped tightly around me like a cloak. Her scent filled my nose - sweet and intoxicating. It was the same smell that filled me with such serenity whenever she was close by. But for some reason, it only reminded me of how badly I'd messed up.

"Yue, please," she said again, her voice dropping even lower. "Don't do anything rash."

There was a long pause where we both stood there in silence, absorbing each other's presence on the quiet street corner we were standing on. And then, finally...

He sighed heavily, sitting down on a bench nearby before looking up at her with his large green eyes full of anguish.

She took a step forward and sat down next to him, wrapping an arm around his waist again and pressing herself against his side as he leaned into her embrace. He leaned into her warmth and closed his eyes, taking another deep breath before he opened them again slowly, looking straight ahead at nothing in particular as he spoke...

"Then tell me what you want from me," he said quietly while looking ahead blankly at nothing in particular. "Tell me what it is you really want from me."