The Café Between Worlds

Ren stepped into the café, his heart pounding in his chest as he called out, “Kazuha?” The silence that followed made him uneasy. He scanned the familiar surroundings, but something was off. There was a heaviness in the air, a kind of stillness that made his skin crawl.

Not seeing her downstairs, he hurried up to the second floor, where their room was. When he opened the door, his breath caught in his throat. Kazuha sat by the window, her face pale, her body almost translucent. She looked exhausted, like she was barely holding on.

“Kazuha!” Ren called, rushing over to her. He knelt down beside her, his hands trembling as he reached out to hold hers. But the moment he touched her, a chill ran through him—her hand felt cold, almost like she wasn’t fully there. His heart sank.

Kazuha’s eyes fluttered open, and she stared at him in shock. “Ren…?”

“I’m here,” Ren whispered, pulling her gently into his arms. He could feel her fragile body, but she seemed to be slipping away even now. “I’m back. I’m here for you.”

Kazuha blinked, her eyes filled with disbelief. She tried to sit up, and Ren hurriedly supported her. “Ren... you’re really here?”

“I came back for you,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “I’m so sorry, Kazuha. I should’ve never left you alone. But I’m here now. We can fix this. I’ll help you. We’ll find a way to wake you up.”

He was filled with a desperate hope, believing that now that he was here, they could change everything. But as he looked into Kazuha’s eyes, he saw something that made his heart sink—resignation. She wasn’t relieved. She wasn’t hopeful. She was... sad.

“Kazuha, why aren’t you happy?” Ren asked, his voice trembling.

Kazuha’s lips quivered as she took a breath, her voice barely above a whisper. “Ren... after you left, the ruler of the afterlife came to see me. He told me... about you.”

Ren’s heart pounded faster. “What do you mean? What did he say?”

Kazuha looked down, her eyes filling with tears. “He told me that you’re still alive, Ren. You don’t belong here. But I do.” Her voice broke as she spoke. “I’m fading. My time is running out.”

“No,” Ren shook his head, refusing to accept what she was saying. “That can’t be true. I’m here now. We’ll fix this. I’ll help you wake up. We have time!”

Kazuha looked at him with such sadness that it nearly broke him. “Ren... I’m out of time. The ruler said... I can’t stay much longer. My body in the living world is failing. I’m already too far gone.”

Ren’s heart shattered at her words. “No, Kazuha. We can figure this out. I’ll stay with you. I’ll find a way. You’re not disappearing yet. We have time. We’ll fight this together.”

But Kazuha’s expression didn’t change. She gently touched his face, her hand cold against his skin. “Ren, I’ve accepted my fate.”

Ren felt the world crumbling around him. “No, please don’t say that. Don’t give up, Kazuha. We can still do something.”

Tears fell down Kazuha’s cheeks, but she smiled sadly. “Ren... I don’t want to leave you. But... I don’t have a choice. I’ve fought for so long, but it’s time for me to find peace.”

Ren was speechless, his heart breaking with every word she spoke. He couldn’t stop the tears that blurred his vision. “Kazuha...”

“I need you to help me,” Kazuha said softly. “I need you to help me find peace. You’ve always been so kind, so strong. But this time... you have to let me go.”

Ren’s chest tightened painfully. “I can’t,” he whispered. “I can’t let you go.”

Kazuha’s fingers gently wiped away his tears. “You’ve already done so much for me, Ren. You gave me love, you gave me hope. But now... I need you to help me move on.”

Ren looked at her, his heart completely broken. He wanted to scream, to fight against the unfairness of it all. But as he gazed into Kazuha’s eyes, he saw that she had already made her peace. She wasn’t afraid anymore.

She was asking him to do the hardest thing he’d ever done—let her go.

“What do you need me to do?” Ren asked, his voice barely audible, each word costing him everything.

Kazuha smiled weakly. “Help me remember all the good things. Help me find my peace, Ren. And when the time comes... let me go with a smile.”

Ren couldn’t stop the tears that fell from his eyes, but he nodded. “I’ll do it. I’ll help you, Kazuha. I promise.”

Kazuha leaned against him, her body growing fainter, but her presence still strong in his heart. “Thank you,” she whispered.

And as Ren held her close, he knew that no matter how much it hurt, he would keep that promise. Even if it meant saying goodbye to the person he loved most in the world.