The Deadman

She had been sure that she had lost him forever, and yet, here he was, standing before her.

She didn’t want to lose control. Not again.

She’d be so foolish if she’d lash out again.

Not after that accident in her island.

Never again.

She wanted to rush to him, throw her arms around him and let the tears of grief turn to tears of joy. She couldn't believe that he was really alive, that he had come back to her. It was a moment that she would never forget, a moment of pure and unbridled happiness.

She couldn't bear the thought of losing him. 

If this was truly him.

Her obsession had started to become all-consuming, and she knew deep down that it wasn't healthy. But she couldn't seem to shake the feeling that she needed to be in control, to know everything about him. What happened to him? She controlled herself. Reining in that affection inside for a moment and calmly speaking a spell that would distort the prying eyes of others.

Gia stood in front of him, her arms crossed over her chest. She had been suspicious for a while, but now, she was ready to confront him.

"So, you want to explain to me why you have been using a fake name?" she said, her voice laced with cold anger.

He looked taken aback, his eyes widening in surprise. "I don't know what you're talking about," he stammered. “I’m Robert Oswa–”

"Don't lie to me," Gia snapped. "I heard what you have said. You've been using a fake name with me this whole time. Why?"

He looked down, avoiding her gaze. "I don’t know," he mumbled.

"You don’t know?" Gia demanded. "And how do you think using a fake name  will suit either of us?"

He looked up at her, a pained expression on his face. "I'm sorry, Madam," he said. "I never did intend to."

She let out a sigh, her anger dissipating slightly. "I don't know if I can forgive you," she said somewhat smugly. "But I'm willing to try if you're willing to be honest with me from now on. So tell me your true name.”

He stood in front of her, his eyes scanning her face as he tried to make sense of the world around him. It had been over one hundred years. It was a lot to take in.

"Hi," he said, his voice tentative. "I'm...um...I'm not really sure or anything about myself lately. I'm sorry."

There was a sympathetic murmur from Gia, but she stepped forward, a kind smile on her face.

"It's okay," she said. "I can help you figure things out. My name is Gia. What do you remember?"

He shook his head, a feeling of frustration and sadness washing over him. "I…," he said. "I don't know. It's like a blank slate."

Gia reached out and took his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "It's okay," she said again. "I’ll help you fill in the blanks. Let's start with the basics. Do you remember anything about your appearance? How old are you, what do you look like?"

He looked down at himself, taking in the unfamiliar clothes and the unfamiliar face reflected by the marble. "I...I don't know," he said. "I don't recognize myself sometimes at all."

Gia gave him a reassuring smile. "That's okay," she said. "We'll figure it out together. And in the meantime, you can just call yourself...um...what do you think you'd like to be called?"

He thought for a moment, then a slow smile spread across his face. "Kato," he said. "I think I'd like to be called Kato Lores."

Her eyes were fixed on his face as he spoke. She had been suspicious of him for a while, convinced that he was hiding something from her. But now, as he stood there and told her the truth, she couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over her.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," the man said, his eyes filled with remorse and then some sort of recognition that came to him. "I was wary of what you would think, of how you would react. But I can see now that it was wrong of me to keep it from you. You know me then?"

Gia reached across and took his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I'm just glad you're telling me the truth," she said. "I was starting to think that you wouldn’t tell me, that you are keeping secrets from me despite boldly saying that name. It's a relief to know that's not the case."

Kato nodded, his eyes holding back.

Gia gave him a warm smile, her own eyes filled with tears. "I forgive you," she said and then whispered her name to his ear. The name that Kato thought he wouldn’t hear again.

"I can't believe it's really you," he whispered, his eyes shining with tears. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too," she said, her voice choked with emotion. "I never thought this day would come, that I would see you again."

They held each other tight, unwilling to let go for even a moment. It had been a long and difficult journey, but they had finally found their way back to each other. And as they stood there in the hall, surrounded by the people who gave them strange eyes, they knew that they had a second chance, a chance to make up for all the time they had lost.

They both knew that they needed some time alone to talk and catch up.

"Come on," she said, taking his hand. "I know a quiet place where we can talk."

Kato nodded, her heart racing with excitement and nervousness.

She had so much to say, so much to ask.

She led him through the hall, her hand never leaving his. They walked out into the cool evening air, and then she stopped, turning to face him.

"Close your eyes," she said, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

Kato hesitated for a moment, then closed his eyes. He felt a rush of excitement as he realized what she was about to do.

"Okay, open them," she said.

Kato opened his eyes, and gasped in delight. They were standing on a beautiful beach, the waves crashing against the shore and the sun setting on the horizon.

"How did we get here?" he asked, turning to her in wonder.

She grinned. "I have my ways," she said. "But that's a story for another time. Right now, I just want to be with you, to talk and catch up and make up for all the time we lost."

Gia, no, Katey smiled, her heart overflowing with love and gratitude. She had never been so happy.

She sat across from Kato, her eyes sparkling as she told him about her one hundred years of experiences.

"It's been an incredible journey," she said, a smile spreading across her face. "I've seen so much, done so much. I've traveled to every corner of the world, and met so many amazing people along the way."

Kato listened in silence, his eyes wide with wonder as she told him about her adventures. He came to realize that she had lived for so long, and had seen so much of the world.

"I can't even begin to imagine everything you've been through," he said, shaking his head in disbelief.

Katey laughed. "It's been a wild ride, that's for sure," she said. "But it's also been incredibly rewarding. I've learned so much, and I've grown so much as a person. I wouldn't trade it for anything."

Kato smiled, reaching out to take her hand. "I'm just glad you're here," he said. Katey squeezed his hand, a warm feeling of happiness and contentment settling over her. She had lived for one hundred years, and she had not loved every moment of it. But now, as she sat with the man she loved, she knew that she had finally found her some peace.

There was a serious look on her face as she talked about her enemies.

"I've made a lot of powerful enemies over the years," she said. "People who are jealous of my success, or who feel threatened by my presence. And to be honest, it can be intimidating at times."

Kato nodded, a concerned look on his face. "I can imagine," he said. "What do you do when you have to deal with them?"

She shrugged with steel on her eyes. "It depends on the situation," she said. "Sometimes, I try to defuse the situation by talking it out, by finding common ground and coming to a resolution. But other times, it's not so easy. When I'm dealing with someone who is completely unreasonable, or who is out to get me no matter what, I have to be more...assertive."

He raised an eyebrow. "Assertive?" he repeated.

Katey nodded. "I have to stand my ground, and make it clear that I'm not someone to be trifled with," she said. "It's not always easy, and it's definitely not my first choice. But sometimes, it's the only way to keep myself and the people I care about safe."

Kato nodded, a look of understanding on his face. "I see," he said. "Well, I can understand that."

She smiled, a warm feeling of gratitude and love filling her heart. But then she had to tell him. Tell her about what she had done. His eyes fixed on her face as he tried to understand her actions. He had always admired and respected her, but now he was struggling to come to terms with what she had done.

"I just don't understand why you would do something like this," Kato said, his voice laced with disappointment. "You're better than this. You have always been someone I looked up to, someone I admired. And now, I just don't know what to think."

Katey looked down, a feeling of guilt and shame washing over her. She had let him down, and she knew it.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I know I shouldn't have done it. But I was under a lot of pressure, and I made a mistake. I didn't mean to disappoint you."

He sighed, his shoulders slumping. "I know you do it to go back home," he said. "But that doesn't change the fact that you did. And it's going to take some time for me to process this, to understand how I feel about it. I just hope that you can learn from this, and make better choices in the future."

Katey nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. She knew that she had a lot of work to do to regain some of his trust, and she was determined to do whatever it took. It was better to do this now than let others say it to him. She'd rather confess now than let some other cunning person speak ill of her. She had let him down, but she was determined to make it right. She had to make it right. She didn’t want to lose him again. She felt that he was looking at the woman he knew before all of this.

And he had always admired her determination and her strength, but now he was struggling to reconcile those old qualities with her stubbornness.

And despite this reunion of theirs.

She felt that there was a big part that they didn’t see together.

"I don't understand why you won't just let it go," he said, his voice laced with frustration.

Katey sighed, a feeling of exhaustion washing over her. She was glad that he was here. That they had met up again despite the odds. But she knew it herself that she had grown greedy by the years. That she couldn’t accept not seeing her family again. Her relatives who she cherished and probably thought of her as dead.

"I'm not saying that I'm right and you're wrong," she said. "But I have my own thoughts and opinions.”

Kato nods in frustration. "I do respect your desire to see them again," he said. "But you're being unreasonable. The world is coming after you. And they aren’t exactly happy about you summoning a demon to this material plane"

She shook her head, a feeling of determination settling over her. "I know they will hate me," she said. “And maybe you will hate me as well… but I don’t want to give up on them.”

“Oh, I know,” he said bitterly. 

Kato and her sat on the beach in silence, shoulders touching as they watched the waves crashing against the shore. It was a peaceful, quiet moment, a chance for them to catch their breath and reflect on what had happened.

He was the first to speak, his voice soft. "I don't want to see you getting hurt."

She reached out and took his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I know," she said. "I'm sorry for being so stubborn."

He nodded, a look of understanding on his face. "I get that," he said. "I want to see them too. Why wouldn’t I want that? I missed them. I want to see them too, but if it costs the lives of many. We don't have to agree on everything. Please, it’s all I ask, that we don’t point guns at the end of that dream of yours."

Katey smiled, her heart overflowing with love and gratitude. She knew that the man she loved was right, and that if she ever goes far. He’d be there to stop him.

He’d try to stop her.

She knew that very well.

But She didn’t want to think about it.

What she did and what she will do in the near future.

Right now, she was glad that he was around.

The convocation that judged her.

The world that wanted a piece of her.

She just wanted to go back for now to being that foolish wife.

The wife that waits happily for her husband. Caressing her stomach, and then watching the door, hoping that he’d come back alive. Because after this, she had to wear Gia’s face and be as far.

Gia Silva has a lot of enemies.

And she didn’t know what she’d do if her actions would hurt him. Oh if she’d known that one day this would have happened. Maybe she’d stay put and wait for him to find her.

She can’t run away from her duties.

It’d be an insult to those who she had wronged.

To what she had already done.

And yet… and despite it all… she just wanted to have this. To let him have this before she’d go back to being the awful woman that everyone looks out for.

She felt a warmth and comfort just having her husband, sitting next to her, not saying a word. She was grateful for his presence and for the fact that he understood her need for silence at that moment. Together, they sat in peaceful harmony, each lost in their own thoughts.

The world won’t stop.

For Kato it hadn’t been long.

But she felt that not seeing her husband for one hundred years was enough to make her feel like it was her right to have this moment before they go back to their troubling lives.

A moment of silence was all she wanted right now.

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