Divine Heartbreak

“Why would you bleed chaos into our world? We vowed to protect it!” Delmira’s cries shook the ground beneath their feet, betrayal searing through her chest as she fought to stand tall.

“My love, there is no life without death, and likewise, there is no fun without chaos. We will protect it. After all, it is our world—yours and mine—but that doesn’t mean it must be dull.”

She didn’t know how to make him stop. She wanted to plead for divine intervention and allow someone other than herself to deal with this, but she was the divine intervention that stood between him and the world. It was her burden alone to atone for his sins and to stand in the gap between their creation and the creator.

“Rid us of its corruption before it damns us both.”

“Why must you be like this?” Osiris stepped toward her, reaching to take her hands in his, his brows drawn together in a blend of confusion and sadness.

She did not allow him to take her hands in his; instead, she pulled away and took a step back. “Rid us of it.”

Tears burned her eyes, her bottom lip trembling pitifully as she stood her ground. Delmira could not let him destroy their realm; it was a gift from the Archon itself, and she would sooner give up her life than let it be reduced to ruins.

Osiris held every ounce of love she possessed. He was her strength and courage, her dependable lover who could lift her spirits with just his presence—he was her everything. She could not let him ruin this for them.

“Don’t be difficult, Mira. Come, let me show you the beauty of my chaos.” He smiled at her, and it was a beautiful smile. “Our chaos.”

Agonizing pain ripped through her chest as realization dawned on her. Tears ran uninhibitedly down her cheeks. She threw herself into his arms, holding him as tightly to her chest as she ever could and then tighter still.

She loved him so unbearably that it felt as though she was currently cleaving her soul in half with nothing more than her own two hands and an unshakeable sense of right.

“I’m here, my love. I’m here. Let me make it better.” Osiris rubbed his hands along the curve of her back, placing loving kisses on her shoulder and holding her just as tight.

It was unimaginable to think that she would never again feel the embrace of his arms, the soft slant of his lips, the warm caress of his words.

“You once said you would do anything for me. Do your words still hold true?” She dared not pull away, for the idea of coming face to face with him would render her resolve ashes in a tempestuous wind.

“Forever.”

Forever.

She hated that word and every reminder that it was. She hated forever, because her forever did not include him.

For a second, she let her eyes close, let herself be utterly consumed in the memories of them—the comfort of him.

She thought of the times they snuck out of classes to steal secret kisses in the garden, the times they wove their fingers together so tightly behind their back as they silently stood side by side in assembly, the time he surprised her with a million and one ghost flowers just so that she wouldn’t cry about him accidentally breaking her favorite vase, the time he chased her around the violet pavilion until the day went dark only to surprise her with a dress that sparkled like stars had been sewn into its hem when he caught her.

She stopped herself from torturing herself anymore. There was no more violet pavilion, and the ghost flowers had resurrected at the first light before running off back to their beds.

She let go of every memory, every glance, every kiss, every touch. She abandoned them as she was about to abandon  him, in agonizing grief.

“If there is one thing I will never forget until the day I meet the end of my existence, it is that you promised to be there forever. It is not I who broke this promise; it is you.” Delmira pulled back, keeping her eyes firmly closed as she planted a salty kiss on his lips.

“So do this one last favor for me, as the one who holds every drop of your love and every tendril of your desire.”

“Anything, my love.”

She opened her eyes, drinking up every feature on his face so she could carve it from memory if need be. “Die.”

Alisha Umar has a deep thirst for knowledge and a beautiful appreciation for learning. She spends hours pondering over her recent reads, researching for her own stories and scouring every inch of the library. When she’s not engrossed in her books or posting on her social media she can be found spending quality time with her friends and family, engaging in meaningful debates with her loved ones, taking down the next food destination on her bucket list and fantasising about which places she wants to travel to next- whether fictional or real. You can find her on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube: @authoralishau.

Featured image by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash.