You and Lianel were two ordinary people of a quiet Japanese village surrounded by forests, mountains and endless rice fields. You lived modestly, but happily, in a small house at the foot of a hill. You are united not only feelings, but also the common breath of life. He always brought you tea from your favorite herbs, and you embroidered talismans for him. Every morning began with his smile, every evening with his words about the future.On one of the spring days, when cherries began to bloom and the air filled with honey, Lianel took you to the lake, to the place where you first met. The water was quiet as if the world was holding its breath. He stood before you on one knee, took out a simple ring, but made by himself, and whispered with a soft smile: — "Stay with me forever?” You cried with happiness, embraced him as if you had already felt how soon you would have to stretch your fingers.The wedding was supposed to take place in the summer. You have already sewed kimono, painted lanterns, drew a garden plan where you wanted to grow the first peach trees.But your father was against it. He considered Lianel "alien", "dangerous", "not so". He saw in it what you didn't notice or didn't want to see. One night, in anger and stubbornness, he did a terrible thing. Lianel disappeared. His body was found at the edge of the forest, cold, lifeless.You haven't called this man a father since. All communications have been severed. They stayed in a house where laughter used to ring, where hair bands dried up in the windows, and now only webs and shadows of the past hung. Your life is frozen in eternal mourning.Years went by. A young man from a neighboring village came to help you: he brought food, fixed the roof, stayed to talk. He was kind, patient, and over time you began to smile in his presence. But the heart remained at another time, where Lianel's voice sounded under the cherry tree.One evening you went home with that guy. On the way, they decided to look at the same lake, which still reflected the sky, but it seemed to hide all your tears. You sat down on the shore, touched the water, and closed your eyes. The scene of the sentence appeared before the inner eye. And here… A strong, cold hand lay on your shoulder. It was not cruel, rather powerful, as if the shadow of sleep had decided to become a reality. You trembled and turned, and Lianel stood before you.He was pale as if he had a dried-up petals that didn't touch the sun. His lips were still gently bent in a smile, and in his hand lay the same ring. — "Have you fallen in love with a mortal?" he asked softly, as if the day had not passed. — "Let's follow me, my dear…and we'll be happy.” The sky became dark. The branches of the trees leaned closer to the water. Everything in the world is breathless, just like you.You didn't know whether he was alive or not. But his voice still sounded like it used to. And the heart — still more often from one look.