A Reversal

“But why?”

Wind rushed between my ears–bringing along the familiar scent of car fumes and rumbling engines from the bustling city below. I couldn't help but shiver. Clouds stayed clear of the bright blue sky, moonlight shining against the stars.

Against the skyscraper's edge, she stood perched on the roof's thin rail.

No fear or worry showing through her cool expression. I stood a few steps back and a bit to her right, eyeing the distance between her and the cityscape below.

"Why not?" she replied, turning her back towards me and walking even closer to the edge. “Don’t you see the folly of it all? We're graduating next spring, heading our separate ways. I don’t see any reason to continue this facade of ours. What could keep us together–but a shallow sense of duty and responsibility?"

"That—" Amidst the butterflies, her cheerful words struck one by one. "You promised Mana! When you took my grasp, when we danced together against God's foundation, you swore you would declare war against the sun and moon for us! I even turned my back on my own god."

She just chuckled. "So naive."

Her ice cold legs leaned back from the edge, walking toward where I stood. "What was it all?" I asked. "I put everything up for you, we sealed the bond with Eros!"

A familiar sensation graced my chin as she lifted it gently, forcing my eyes to meet hers—a deep blue swirl. "Honestly it was suffocating, dealing with you and those sheltered beliefs. Seriously! Outside of that bubble of theirs, no one seriously believes those fairy tales; gods convincing mortals to die for the greater good." She smiled. "So, be free, Yumi, and let's never see each other again."

I watched as she started walking towards the exit. Bile coated my tongue, sickened by the words she cast into the wind. The poison of the past she brought with her, when she gave into the wind. My body had enough. In one sudden move I ran up and grabbed her shoulders, turning her towards me with force. What strength left in her knees failed, causing her to stumble forward. But, I caught her.

She didn't stop laughing. The very air shook at her giddiness. "Did those empty promises affect you this much? A bit of teenage rebellion? The only reason I reached out to you was because every other girl was hooking up with one another. It'd be weird if I didn't find someone for myself."

She looked down at me. "Besides, even though that time was fun it never meant anything."

Fear spilled out from within my being. Words came out staggered, stuttered. I spoke aloud the feelings I thought were tied to us. "S-so it was all for nothing..."

"Now you get it!" She rolled out from my grasp, landing on her feet.

As I stumbled back towards my feet, her face broke back into that familiar grin.

I turned, anything but having to see that grin. My leg shook as I took the first step. Away from her. Away from it all. My muscles burned, my head spinning, breath constricted.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised. You always took those fairytales school taught us about Thanatos way too seriously! What a moron. Having your god rule over death is the biggest red flag I've ever seen."

My second step wrung out louder than the first, teeth clenched.

"Like, seriously!" She continued, muttering to herself. "Who would believe such bullshit in the twenty-first century?"

My hand clenched against the cool steel of the roof's door. I sighed as my desire won, turning to take a look at her face, Mana's face for the last time.

Yet the moonlight which once shone on her perfect face was no more.

Against the sky he stood, beautiful in ways indescribable. A sea blue blanket flowed gently behind him, as cloudless as the night. The black shadow of his wings blocked the stars. Wisps of light peaked from between them. Beautiful, beautiful were his pitch black locks, the shadows on his long muscular legs. Gold streaked across his being, the colors shining in the pure whites of his eyes.

He didn't speak a word, yet the thoughts rampaging in my mind disappeared.

"Mana, have you ever met Eros?"

"Hmm?" She looked up from her perfect nails. "You're still here?"

"Have you?"

"What? No! You get off your meds or something? I can't meet something that's not real.”

"The stories were right, you know. Thanatos is real, and his beauty..."

Her eyes went wide. "Yuma-"

"I've been blind this whole time. We may have sealed our bond with Eros, but His embrace makes our bond look like child's play. He wanted to invite us to join him, to receive his peace and happiness together, until now. For so long he waited. And finally, now, Thanatos has come and revealed himself for us."

My body was wracked with waves of satisfaction. Every part of my being exhilarated. "He's just behind us, blocking the light of the moon."

"There's nothing there, wha-"

My hands grasped her waist, dragging us both toward the skyscraper's edge. "You've never seen Eros, correct? Forget him! Forget everything but Thanatos's undying love and join me!"

"What! No! Get off-"

Her wailing hands felt like mere scratches as I approached him. His black hair flowed back, wings spreading. Light shined against the clouds of his body, an encompassing warmth spreading across every inch of my body.

The edge approached, a fresh breeze now flowing up against our clothes. "Don't you see him, Mana?" I screamed against the sudden wind. "Look for him, and you will see his beauty!"

I glanced down towards the street below. Against the night's chill, cars zoomed along the bustling streets alit with streetlights and shops alike. Peace awaited me down there, just a short drop and everything would be good again.

"Let's enter a new age, Mana!" I screamed, letting myself fall from the edge with Mana in my grasp.

But, as I fell, that familiar warmth of Mana's heart disappeared.

Upon the building's top, I could see her looking down upon my falling form, a look of horror against her face.

"Ah, what a pity..." I muttered, falling toward the streets below.