Dear Thanatos

Asahi!!

Asahi!

He could hear a woman calling him.

Who?...

Who was she?...

Asahi struggled to consciousness. His eyelids felt heavy. It felt like he was opening his eyes after a long time. He raised himself to a sitting position and when his eyes finally focused, he realized that he was in a hospital. His head was bandaged and so were his arms and ankles.

He suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head. An image of a woman flashed across his still confused mind.

“Wh-what was that?" Asahi muttered under his breath.

He came to know from the doctors that he had been in a serious accident and was unconscious for days. No one came to visit him. Days passed while he gained strength.

He heard and saw other patients talking to each other. He could see from the window of his room into the terrace garden outside. Children who came with visitors ran and played noisily.

He lay on his bed and his mind shut down. He was exhausted. It seemed like he was alone in this world. Asahi could not remember anything from before the accident.

The only thing he could remember was the image of a woman. He could not make out her face since it was hazy. Was it his memory or was his mind playing tricks? Or did he hit his head too hard in the accident and now his brain was just making up random images?

He decided to check out the Garden. At least it would divert his mind.

Asahi slowly walked to an empty bench in the Garden. It was a bright morning. The azure sky was dotted with wispy clouds drifting away. The greenery was pleasing to the eye.

He peered at the streets below the hospital, people were going about their normal daily activities. The patients in the hospital, on the other hand, were fighting to survive.

As his eyes wandered, they came to a halt. He noticed a young woman sitting at the corner of the garden. A light breeze fluttered through her hair. She turned her face and then her eyes met Asahi’s. Her violet eyes mesmerized Asahi.

Tears welled up from deep within and rolled down Asahi’s cheeks. He immediately covered his face and lowered his head. His hands started to tremble.

“What is this?!” Asahi mumbled.

Before Asahi could calm his mind, the woman got up and walked towards him. Asahi’s eyes were fixed on the ground. Suddenly he noticed the woman’s shoes and looked up to see the most beautiful being. She didn’t look human.

“I’m glad to see you doing well”, she said.

Asahi’s eyes widened. Who was this strange woman in front of him? Did she know him? Before he could ask her, the woman left the garden.

After this perplexing encounter, Asahi went back to his room wondering about the mysterious woman. A week passed but he kept on thinking about her.

One day, he overheard the patients beside him talking.

“Did you hear about the woman with violet eyes?”

“They say that patients in this hospital go missing after seeing that woman. The CCTV captured a small boy talking to that woman and then he disappeared the next day. Another person who met her jumped from the hospital roof and eventually died”.

“That’s terrible.”

“Wait… a woman with violet eyes?” Asahi gasped.

Asahi started to follow their conversation. He came to know that whoever met her either went missing or died.

It had been a week since their encounter.

“Why did I tear up when I saw her? What was that sharp pain in my head?” mumbled Asahi.

An image of a woman, her face unclear, flashed across his mind again.

“Wai- wait a minute. Was she the same woman from my memories?” Asahi exclaimed.

Two days later Asahi visited the garden again. He was frantically searching for the woman. If she knew him, she would know who he was.

“Looking for something?” he felt a light tap on his shoulder.

He turned to find the very person he was looking for. The woman stood there while her violet eyes glistened.

“Uhm.. I- I wanted to know”, he stuttered.

“Yes?” the woman asked with a smile.

He mustered up his courage and asked her “Who are you?”

“Me?” , the woman let out a light chuckle.

“I am Tsukiko”, she answered.

“What did you mean when you said ‘Long time no see’. Do you know me?”

“Hmm, maybe”, the woman smirked.

Again a sharp pain like an electrifying current, thundered throughout his entire body. He lost control and fell to his knees.

What was she? That she had such an effect on him?

The woman stared at him, unmoving for some time.

She finally opened her lips and said, “Come here at midnight“.

“Why?!” he cried.

“Do you want to know who you are?” , she slightly tilted her head.

With no other choice he assented.

“This is our secret, okay?” Tsukiko giggled.

Late in the night Asahi woke up and sat in his bed for a while.

“Am I going to die after meeting her?! Is she going to kill me?” he wondered.

Terrified but also anxious to know who he was, he made up his mind to meet her; the Woman who would soon be his Death.

Asahi made his way and opened the door to the Hospital Garden. His eyes immediately focused on a woman standing near the railing.

Her beautiful raven hair was shining in the moonlight. Rather than looking terrifying she looked welcoming.

Before he could take a step forward, she turned towards him. Her eyes lit up and a smile spread across her face. Her smile was so radiant it was dazzling.

He made his way and stood beside her. He was tense and could not look at her.

“Ah- Hi” , Asahi said.

Embarrassed at his own clumsiness he looked away shyly.

“You didn’t change”, she chuckled.

He looked at her confused.

She raised her arm and placed her hand on his cheek. She ran her fingers over Asahi’s cheek and gently tugged his hair behind his ear.

“Wha-” , Asahi stuttered.

Asahi felt a sudden rush of heat. His cheeks flushed. The moment her fingers touched his face, memories revived as vivid images.

The memories were of days when they had been together. He was a mortal but lover of the God of Death, Thanatos. She wouldn’t take his life as she loved him. But their love was disapproved. How could a lowly human dare to love a divine being?

Their love became a curse to them. A curse which would separate them forever. He was cursed to die and she was banished from the heavens to roam the mortal world forever. The woman who called herself Tsukiko was Thanatos, his beloved.

“Do you remember me now?" she asked with a slight grin.

“Yes….Yes I do, my dear Thanatos." Asahi slightly nudged his face into her palm.

As Asahi gazed into Thanatos’ eyes he felt a huge sense of relief. The feeling of not knowing who he was and why he was here finally vanished.

“I missed you”, she said.

“I waited and searched for you for a hundred years hoping you would be reborn. I’m glad I looked for you”.

Asahi felt a huge rush of emotions. His beloved who he had lost, who he could never be with, was finally standing in front of him.

Asahi gently held her hand, his fingers intertwining with hers. “Even if I lose my memories, my heart and soul will always yearn for you Thanatos", he said.

Thanatos looked at him shyly and let out a sigh. “Of course, you’re the strangest human being I’ve ever met. Falling in love with the God of Death? I mean who would’ve thought that?”

Asahi's face turned red from ear to ear. “But you fell in love with me too, right?” he asked.

Asahi became nervous. Scared at the thought of Thanatos’ answer he started blinking rapidly. His palms started sweating and he let go off her hand.

“Yes. Yes I did. I did fall in love. I fell in love with you….. Asahi”, Thanatos replied while looking at him with her eyes full of love.

“I can finally die happily now” , he let out a huge chuckle.

“Oh we are not dying” , assured Thanatos.

“We’re not?” he turned to her puzzled.

“Let’s live, let’s live and explore the world. Let’s stay together, forever”, Thanatos said.

“Then shall we?” Thanatos extended her hand.

“We shall”, Asahi said as they laced their hands together.

Thanatos was the God of Death for the world but not for Asahi. She was his God of Life.

On 15th August it is reported that two adults, a man and a woman disappeared into thin air. The man, Asahi was a patient in the hospital. The CCTV captured them holding hands in the Hospital Garden and leaping into the sky.