Author's Note
This is the final piece.
Like Ajin, this last piece belongs to Earth. And like him, this piece will be transmigrated to Nirvana.
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A warm October sun shimmered over the beach, turning the fine crystal sand into something that looked almost alive. The dancing waves rinsed the shore again and again, each curl of foam sparkling as if the beach itself were smiling.
A beautiful girl in her late teens sat alone with her legs crossed, wearing a simple one-piece that somehow made her look even more striking. She watched the high waves where surfers cut across the water, but her eyes held a sadness that did not match the bright world around her.
A woman in her mid-thirties paused beside her.
In a gentle voice, she asked, "Darling, may I sit here?"
The girl did not respond.
The woman tried again, a little louder. "Darling, may I sit here?"
The girl turned her head.
Her breath caught. The woman's face, glowing in the sunlight, made her whisper without thinking, "Goddess…"
With a brighter smile, the woman replied, "I hear that a lot."
The girl continued staring, completely unaware of the words spoken to her. Only after a second, as if waking from a dream, she shook her head and said quickly, "Sorry, I was lost in thought!"
This time the woman smiled warmly, the kind of smile that could rival the comfort of a mother's lap. "Don't apologize, darling. I'm not the kind of person who gets offended by compliments."
A flicker of a smile touched the girl's lips, but it vanished almost immediately. Her gloom returned.
"May I sit?" the woman asked again.
The girl nodded.
They sat side by side, watching the rolling waves in silence.
After a few quiet moments, the woman lifted her hand and pointed toward a man standing near the water, letting the waves wash over his feet.
As the girl looked, the woman said, "That handsome one is my husband. His name is Obero, and mine is Isha."
The girl finally spoke. "I'm Mahi." She felt Isha's eyes on her as she said it.
Isha smiled. "Mahi… it means 'the union of earth and heaven' in Sanskrit. A lovely name, darling."
Mahi said nothing, her gaze drifting back to the tall waves.
Isha's voice softened. "A little while ago, I saw you smiling at my husband. It was a warm smile—so beautiful that I couldn't look away. But then it disappeared from your face without a trace." She gently gestured to Mahi's gloomy expression. "And this took its place."
She turned toward the sea. "I hoped to see that smile again. But it didn't return. It made me wonder why such a pretty girl, with such a beautiful smile, is carrying so much sadness. And hearing your voice now… it only makes me more curious."
Mahi finally spoke, her lips curving into the faintest smile. "My smile is beautiful? It's rare for me to hear that. And it's been a year and a half since anyone told me they saw me smile."
She pointed toward Obero. "The way he fidgets his fingers… someone I know does the same."
Isha turned and noticed Obero's restless hands.
Mahi continued, "I can read his thoughts most of the time. But sometimes, rarely, I can't. That's when his fingers tell me everything."
She lifted her hands. Mahi curled her fingers inward, pinky to index, then snapped them open again repeatedly, fast and precise—almost like a little dance.
"This means he's thinking seriously about something. It also means I shouldn't disturb him."
She brought her thumbs together and repeated the movement with both hands.
"This means he's planning something, and that he needs my help to correct him."
She lowered her hands and looked at Isha.
The baffled expression on Isha's face made Mahi laugh softly. "Feels weird, right? But he made those habits for me. So I could read him all the time."
Isha tilted her head. "When you talked about him, you smiled again. Is he the person you love most?"
Mahi answered calmly, "We don't believe in fictional things like love. If you want to name our relationship, call him my husband."
Surprised, Isha asked, "Where is he now?"
Mahi smiled faintly. "Somewhere I can't reach. We had a small misunderstanding. He's not talking to me right now… But I had a dream about him this morning."
"Was it a good dream or a bad dream, darling?"
Turning back to the waves, Mahi said, "It was both good and bad. Good because I felt his warmth again. Bad because I had to hear him tell me how much I hurt him."
Isha leaned closer. "What was the dream about, darling?"
Mahi blinked, then asked suddenly, "Are you a real Angel?"
Isha smiled faintly, opening her mouth to reply.
But Mahi lifted a hand. "Don't answer. I'm sure you won't tell the truth. And honestly, I don't even know why I asked."
Isha laughed lightly. "Then will you still tell me the dream, even without knowing who I am?"
Mahi nodded. "It was a strange dream. I was sitting on a bench. When I looked to my right, I saw him sitting alone reading a book… a diary, the one I made him start."
"Even if it was only a dream," Mahi said softly, "just seeing him made my heart skip."
She drew a slow breath. "I tried hugging him, but no matter what I did, I coudn't move an inch. That's when I realized… even in a dream, I can't reach him."
Her eyes dimmed as she continued. "I gave up and stayed beside him. And somehow, I could hear his voice, reading the diary."
A faint smile rose on her lips. "He was not your typical teen. He knows how everyone thinks. He knows what to say to make people listen. And—" Her voice softened. "He truly believes he is an evil person."
Isha cut in, amused. "Evil? How much evil are we talking about?"
"Evil enough to end the world."
Isha lifted a brow. "That is a lot of evil for a teenager."
Her eyes shifted to Obero in the distance. "What else did he say that made you think it was a bad dream?"
Mahi's expression darkened. "I always knew how much he was hurting. But after so long apart, I hoped the pain would fade. In the dream, though… he was bleeding. He was in so much pain. He sounded mad."
A dead crab washed onto the shore. Mahi stared at it, her eyes filling with tears.
"I always worry about his twisted personality. No matter where I am, I keep tabs on him. But being far away… I'm scared."
A couple of thin tears slipped down her cheeks.
Isha reached out, voice soft. "It was only a dream, darling. He will be alright."
"But it felt too real," Mahi whispered. "Too real to call it a dream."
Isha asked gently, "Don't dreams always feel real?"
Mahi's lips curved into a sudden grin. "Probably. But this was different. After he stopped reading the diary, I was suddenly in his college bus. He was standing right in front of me. His eyes looked even more beautiful than the last time I saw them. And all the feelings I'd sealed up inside just exploded. I kissed him all over."
A shy blush warmed her cheeks. "I've kissed him in many dreams, and hugged him a million times but he never hugged me back."
Her smile widened. "But today, I hugged him. And he hugged me back."
Isha nodded gently. "That is why you called it a good dream."
Mahi agreed with a quiet hum.
Isha smiled. "A twisted husband and an understanding wife. A perfect couple."
Then she turned toward Mahi. "Now leave the husbands aside. Tell me about yourself, darling."
Mahi hesitated. But Isha waited, patient and steady.
Mahi began while pointing at a Grand building nearby, "I'm from that college. I'm intelligent. And I'm beautiful, maybe not as beautiful as you, but enough that the boys keep staring. And he taught me fighting, so I can handle myself as well."
Isha chuckled. "Intelligence, beauty and strength. That's a convenient resume, darling, but not what I meant."
Her voice grew serious. "Tell me everything about yourself. From the beginning."
Mahi met Isha's warm yet piercing gaze. "You're even more frightening than my husband when he's mad."
Her eyes changed. They sharpened, turning into the terrifying eyes of a beast. Her lips curved into a devilish smirk.
Her entire face transformed, chilling and predatory, enough to scare any normal person off. But Isha didn't flinch.
In a dark, rumbling voice, Mahi said, "But I am the one who can scare even him."
Isha turned slightly, noticing people on the beach suddenly running from a towering wave rushing toward shore. It looked as though the ocean itself had turned furious.
But the moment Isha's eyes met the wave, it collapsed into harmless foam.
Oblivious to the miracle around her, Mahi continued, "I will tell you my tale."
Isha snapped her attention back to her, surprised.
"It's not because you asked," Mahi said calmly. "It's because I want to tell you."
Isha laughed softly. "You are as twisted as your husband."
Mahi smirked. "After all, I'm half of him."