Page 24 of Echoes of Eternity

Chivonn chimed in, shaking her head in disbelief. “I could never bring something like that to life. You’ve got a gift, girl.” Her voice was filled with genuine admiration, and it warmed my heart to hear their encouragement.

I felt a rush of pride and embarrassment at their words, bolstering my resolve while I focused back on the tattoo. How could anyone think tattoos as mere images painted on flesh? The atmosphere in the room was electric, and I could sense that we were all part of something bigger, a shared moment of creation that transcended the ink on skin.

“Let me wipe away the excess ink so you can take alook at it,” I told Joel, my voice steady. I gently cleaned the area, noticing the tension in the room begin to dissipate with every stroke of the paper towel. The initial creepiness that had surrounded him was fading, as if he completed an important mission only he knew about.

As I revealed the design, his eyes widened, the wonderment replacing the earlier intensity. The vibrant colors and intricate details shimmered under the shop lights, reflecting the fresh ink just beneath the skin.

“Wow,” he breathed, his voice tinged with admiration as I stretched my shoulders and back from the ache forming. “It’s even more incredible than I imagined.”

I couldn’t help but smile at his reaction. The shift in his demeanor felt significant, as if the tattoo had unlocked something deeper within him. Maybe it was the connection to his pain, or perhaps it was the beauty of the art itself. Either way, I was grateful for this transformation. It felt like a small victory, reminding me of the power that art could hold.

If only I could explain all this to my parents.

11

The neon signof the tattoo shop flickered right before I turned off the lights, signaling the end of another long day. The shop had been quieter than usual in the late hours, allowing me to focus on a few last-minute touches on some designs before closing up. I was looking forward to heading home and unwinding, but when I stepped out into the cool evening air, I noticed a figure leaning against my car.

My heart sank when I recognized him immediately: Kaito. Still the bad boy with a reputation that preceded him, a member of the Yakuza, and someone I wanted nothing to do with anymore. His presence felt like a dark cloud looming over my evening, casting a shadow over everything I had fought to build.

What exactly was it about our relationship that he couldn’t let go of?

Frustration bubbled inside me, a tight knot of exasperation that made it hard to breathe. Why did he haveto show up here at all? I had finally carved out a space for myself, away from the mayhem he represented—away from a past that was no longer me. No doubt, he had one of his men dig into my background and trace me to this very place. It was how Kaito worked, after all. As the only son to his family, he had everything at his disposal.

The weight of our past clashed violently with the hopes I had for my future, and I couldn't shake the feeling that he was intent on dragging me back into a world I’d desperately tried to escape. I never outright lied to my parents about being in a gang; I simply left out the part about dating someone involved in organized crime. It felt like a small detail, but in their eyes, it might as well have been a confession that would have taken them to an early grave.

I wouldn’t be able to live with that kind of guilt.

We were young. It was a moment of weakness, a slip in my sanity. Again, he was an ex for a reason. His presence here was infuriating, and I felt a surge of anger wash over me. Why couldn’t he just let our ghosts die with the past?

“You,” I said, my voice laced with a mix of disdain and irritation while I approached him. “What are you doing here?”

He looked up from his casual lean, his dark eyes glinting with a predatory intensity, the dragon tattoo on his arm shifting under the streetlight’s glow as if in motion. “Mae,” he said, a smirk creeping onto his lips. “How long are you going to keep playing hard to get?”

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes inwardly. Was hereally that delusional? The power he wielded within his world had clearly gone to his head.

“Oh, Kaito,” I shot back, crossing my arms. “If this is your idea of charm, I’d hate to see what your idea of a hard sell looks like.”

He raised an eyebrow as if my statement gave him a green light, his smirk unfaltering. “Come on, Mae. You know you miss this—us.”

“Miss what? The drama? The danger?” I leaned closer, sarcasm dripping from my words. “Because trust me, my life has plenty of both without you crashing the party.”

Kaito pushed off from the car and took a step closer. His dark locks fell carelessly into his eyes, framing a clean-shaven face that could easily charm anyone—except me. He had that dangerous allure, the kind you wouldn’t want to bring home to meet your parents because he would surely ruin the family name.

“You’re still playing hard to get,” he said, his tone teasing yet laced with an edge that sent a shiver down my spine. I tried to watch nonchalantly as he began flicking his lighter lid back and forth, a sign of growing agitation. “I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately. We’ve been apart for too long, and I want to make things right. I want us to be together again.”

I took a step back, creating more space, crossing my arms defensively. As much as I wanted to run him over with my car, I needed to first maneuver around him to get to the driver side. My mind raced with comical imagery. The squeal of tires, the look of shock on his faceas he bled out on the streets. But no, I needed to keep my cool. I took a deep breath, scanning for a path to the driver’s side that didn’t involve pushing past him directly.

“Kaito, I’m not interested. I’ve moved on. I’m trying to build a stable life and stay out of trouble. I don’t need you or the chaos you bring.”

He didn’t seem phased by my rejection. Instead, he took another step closer, invading my personal space, towering over me. I couldn’t back away. It would be a sign of weakness in front of a predator. “Come on, Mae. I know you feel it too. After all the years we’ve been together, you can’t just pretend everything we had didn’t matter. Why throw seven years down the drain?”

I didn’t need the reminder.

“I’ve been watching you,” he admitted easily, “making sure you’re okay. I want to be a part of your life again.”

I recoiled slightly, my heart racing while I tried to maintain control. “You’ve been watching me? That’s not okay, Kaito. It’s creepy and invasive. I don’t want anything to do with you or your world.”

Kaito’s eyes flashed with a mix of anger and determination. I shifted my weight subtly onto my toes in case I needed to do anything drastic. “You don’t mean that. You’re just scared. But you don’t have to be. I’m not going to let you push me away. We belong together, Mae.”

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