1 Prologue
The air hung heavy with nostalgia and sorrow as Lucian stood alone in the graveyard. Before him lay two new gravestones, pristine and freshly tended. The scent of the newly turned soil mingled with the delicate fragrance of the flowers Lucian cradled in his hands, placing them on the graves along with the rest of the flowers adorning them, creating a heady aroma that hung in the air.
Black dahlias adorned Kieran's grave, symbolizing the pain and betrayal he caused Lucian. The wormwood surrounding them represented bitter experiences and calamities. Yet, amidst the darkness of these flowers, some purple hyacinths were placed, symbolizing deep sorrow and forgiveness.
On the other hand, Sebastian's grave was adorned with black and red roses, an unmistakable symbol of mourning, loss, farewell, and love. Bluebells, indicating remorse, were also present. And finally, some purple hyacinths were hidden amongst all the flowers, representing Lucian's sorrow and grief.
As Lucian arranged the flowers on the graves, the gentle breeze blowing seemed to whisper to him of the past, bringing forth the memories he once shared with the occupants of the graves. He crouched beside one of the graves, running his fingers tenderly over the name carved into the stone with a pained expression.
"Kieran," he began in a somewhat hoarse voice, "I don't know what went wrong between us or why it ended up this way… but I did realize that some of the blame lies on me. Maybe we would've never been here today if I had realized things sooner or had been better for you from the beginning. But it doesn't matter anymore. Whether I blame you or myself, none of that would bring you back anymore. I do hope that you have finally found some peace. I still cherish all our memories, both the good and the bad." As he finished speaking, a single tear rolled down Lucian's face.
Wiping away the single tear, he moved to the second grave and sat on the slightly damp ground, staring at the name in complete silence. After a long silence, he spoke to the tombstone, his words carrying a mixture of sorrow and love.
"Sebastian…" Just the name alone brought fresh tears to roll down Lucian's face. "I hope you are not in pain anymore, my love…" he said with a sad smile. "It was never meant to be this way… I loved you unconditionally with all my heart, whether you were Sabrina or Sebastian. Every day, I wish I could fix everything; I wish I saw through Kieran all those centuries ago; I wish I could've saved you, but most of all, I wish I wasn't the cause of all your pain, agony, and suffering for so long. Yet I have no power to change the past." He said in a shaky voice as he started crying.
"I miss you, and after losing you twice, everything seems so empty, but I at least had Kieran with me the first time… I don't think I can do this alone anymore…" he stopped talking to wipe away his falling tears.
"Would you hate me if I joined you and Kieran, my love?" he asked in a broken whisper, the weight of his sorrow evident in every word.
