12
Ryan and Bella’s wedding was held at the Golden Swan Hotel.
Ryan stood on the stage in a crisp suit, with Bella on his arm, looking as beautiful as a princess.
The banquet hall was decorated like a dream, with white baby’s breath flowers everywhere.
“The bride and groom will now exchange rings…
Before the host could finish speaking, the big screen suddenly flickered, switching to a scene in an operating room.
I was lying on the operating table, with Ryan standing nearby.
The anesthesia hadn’t fully taken effect, and my fingers were twitching slightly.
“Captain Quinn, are you sure?” the doctor asked.
“Yes,” his voice was soft, “She said she couldn’t die.”
The entire hall erupted in chaos.
I saw Ryan’s hands start to shake, his face turning pale.
“Since we’re showing videos, let’s show everyone the whole thing,” Luke said calmly, standing next to the projector.
The scene switched to the mountain area a month ago.
Bella had led the advance team and was trapped by a landslide. But the surveillance footage showed that the landslide was man–made.
“Bella, or should I say, Nora White.” Luke opened a file, “A core member of the border organ trafficking organization. They specifically seek out people with special abilities, and then…”
He paused, his gaze sweeping across everyone present: “Then they kill them and sell their organs.”
Guests started to flee, only to find all the doors locked.
“Don’t panic, everyone, Luke pushed up his glasses.
New images appeared on the big screen: several girls with bright smiles, all with the ability to be reborn, all of whom had lost their organs in
“accidents.
He turned to Bella: “Captain White, care to tell us, how many hearts have you gone through?”
Bella smiled, her beautiful face suddenly becoming unfamiliar.
2:49 PM
<
She applauded, “You’re very clever, but it’s too late.”
She turned to look at Ryan, her eyes cold: “Why do you think I came back? Just for this wedding?”
“I came back because I discovered Lily’s ability. She was more special than the others before her, able to come back to life so many times.”
Ryan staggered backward: “You… you knew all along?”
“Of course,” Bella’s smile grew brighter, “Otherwise, did you think that landslide was an accident? That the doctor saying my heart was failing was an accident?”
“I knew you loved her, that’s why I wanted you to kill her with your own hands. This sin, you’ll never be able to wash away.”
I saw Ryan’s eyes slowly turn red.
“What a pity,” she gently touched her chest, “This turned out to be her last chance.”
Ryan’s eyes widened in terror.
“What, what did you say?” His voice was hoarse, his whole body trembling, as if he had lost all strength.
“I said,” Bella enunciated each word with a smile, “The life you ended was her last one.”
“No…” Ryan muttered, “Impossible!”
The big screen was still playing scenes from the operating room.
My organs were being removed one by one, sent to Bella’s operating room, sent to the operating rooms of other rescue team members.
The final shot froze on my body gradually growing cold.
“Look at this,” Luke opened a file, “Lily was the ninth person with rebirth abilities that she killed…”
His voice suddenly choked: “She truly loved you, Ryan.”
Ryan fell to his knees, his whole body shaking.
He finally understood why I hadn’t come back to life this time.
Lily would never come back again.
“Lily…” his voice was choked with tears, “I’m sorry…”
Bella tried to escape but was subdued by police who had been lying in wait.
“Ryan,” she turned back laughing, “This heart, consider it the last gift you’ve given me!”
My soul stood in front of Ryan, watching him break down.
At this moment, he seemed so unfamiliar, yet so familiar.
He picked up the invitation card from the ground, printed with baby’s breath flowers.
My favorite baby’s breath.
“No–r
He clutched the invitation, screaming with all his might, tears streaming down his face, like a wild beast out of control.
13
The moment Luke opened the refrigerator, Ryan went mad.
2:49 PM
<
He rushed over without care, holding my cold body in his arms.
At that moment, he looked like a helpless child.
“Lily, wake up, his voice was shaking, “Didn’t you say you couldn’t die?”
“You said…”
My parents and relatives had also arrived. When they saw my body, they broke into heart–wrenching sobs.
Several police officers tried to take my remains away, but Ryan held on tightly, as if protecting his last treasure.
“You can’t take her away, he repeated over and over, “She’s about to wake up, just about to…”
The police forcibly pulled at him. My relatives were crying and hitting him.
He was beaten and bruised all over, but still refused to let go.
Blood soaked through his white suit, but he seemed to feel no pain.
He was sent to a psychiatric hospital.
The doctor said he had developed delusional disorder, always believing I was still alive.
Every morning, he would say good morning to the air, as if I were still by his side.
“Lily loves desserts the most, he told the nurse, “When she comes back, I’ll take her to eat the best cake.”
“She’s most afraid of the dark. Every time she had a night shift, she wanted me to keep her company.”
He began to record every little detail of our life together, filling an entire notebook.
From our first meeting to our last wedding anniversary. He remembered every detail so clearly.
But the one thing he didn’t remember was that he had sent me to the operating table with his own hands.
“Lily just went on a trip,” he would always say, “She’ll be back soon.”
My soul kept vigil outside his hospital room every day, watching him gradually waste away. That once cold and strong man now looked like a lost child.
October 18th was my birthday.
That morning, he suddenly became very quiet.
The nurse said he had a rare good sleep and woke up smiling.
“Today is Lily’s birthday, he spoke to the air, “I want to give her a surprise.”
He took out a hairpin from under his pillow, the one he bought for me on our first date.
It was shaped like a musical note, adorned with cat’s eye stones, glittering in the sunlight.
“You said you liked this the most,” he said softly, “I’ve kept it all this time.”
No one knew where he had found it.
They say that morning, he extraordinarily tidied himself up and even asked the nurse for a rose.
At noon, when no one was paying attention, he went up to the hospital’s rooftop.
M
The sunlight
like the serve is me.
Jy be sta be age of the treat curching the harmit. The water song why taert
Tize wil nou trigive me
ཨཱཅམྤ་ཐག་་
When the nurse discovers he was missing twas arean be
He whzet tan the egr four with a cong sert smie arms tace
se helt that harming this pain, as wanting to weather warna
The stewit was ir panc but any my sad stor nuet where he hat talen
St. be tu vet me Love me enough to deter ne
But this love was wrong from the beginning count give me the lhe wanted and court to his heart
The harbin, stained with beet, stil gimimerez tamty
When the nurse was sorting through his belongings, she found the book recording our every moment together On the last page was writer
Ly this time it’s my turn to find you. If there’s a next life. I promise. I promise wont let you go again.)
But he didn’t know there’s no such thing as a next life in this world.
Just as I thought I could win my bet he thought I would always come back.
In the end, we were both wrong.
14 Enlogue
In his last moment before death, Ryan saw Luke.
“You think dying can atone for your sins? Luke asked him
“know there’s a ritual Ryan said calmly To exchange one’s life for her rebirth.”
“Do you know the price?”
7 do,” he smiled. To forever lose the chance of reincarnation, to become the guardian of the Bridge of Helplessness
“Do you regret it?”
“No, he looked at the hairpin in his hand, “As long as she can live well
Luke sighed: “Too bad, she’s already reincarnated. And you will wait for her forever on this bridge, waiting for someone who will never appear
“It’s okay, this is what I owe her”
Ninety years later, on the Bridge of Helplessness.
Ryan stood at the head of the bridge, sending off batches of souls as usual.
He still looked like his younger self, only his eyes had grown much more weathered.
That day, an elderly couple with white hair came.
The old lady’s smile looked exactly like Lily’s, even the way she tilted her head when speaking was the same.
The old lady’s smile looked exactly like Lily’s, even the way she tilted her head when speaking was the same.
She held her husband’s arm, her face showing the happiness of seventy years of marriage.
“Old man,” her coquettish tone hadn’t changed, “Do you think we can be together in the next life?”
The white–haired man looked at her lovingly: “Of course, we’ll drink the soup of oblivion together, and be husband and wife in the next life too.
Ryan stood in the shadows, watching as they were about to drink the soup of oblivion.
The old lady suddenly turned back: “I feel like I’ve seen this bridge guardian somewhere before”
“You haven’t,” Ryan wiped away his tears, his voice a bit hoarse, “I wish you two, not just in the next life, but in all lives to come, to always be together as one.”
The elderly couple thanked him with a smile, exchanging their soups of oblivion like sweet young lovers.
As she drank the soup, the old lady took one last look at the bridge guardian.
She seemed to remember something, but quickly forgot.
Ryan watched them leave, seeing the old lady’s gentle smile gradually disappear into the mist.
So she really did get her rebirth, and lived the life he had wanted to give her but couldn’t.
“Lily, he murmured to the air, “Do you remember? When we first met, how you were shivering on the stretcher”
I should have protected you properly back then.”
He looked down at the hairpin in his hand, its cat’s eye stone still as bright as new.
This was the only thing he could keep
Another batch of souls approached, and he wiped away his tears, continuing his role as the bridge guardian.
Life after life, forever and ever.
This was what he owed her, his final vigil.
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