"Perhaps, in another universe, we could be together..."
The voice echoes, then slowly fades like a whisper on the wind. Once again, those words haunt your dreams. Spoken by your own voice, they are directed at a man holding you tight—a figure you can only see as a silhouette.
That morning, you are in a rush. You are already very late for work. Yet, amidst the bustle of the streets, your footsteps suddenly lock in place. You cross paths with someone. A tall man with an aura so powerful it feels as though an invisible magnet is dragging you to turn around, staring at his retreating back.
Your heart beats with anarchic violence. Your breath hitches. For no logical reason, tears fall to dampen your cheeks. Your heart is suddenly struck by an agonizing pain, as if a part of your soul has been forcibly ripped away.
Your legs move without command, trying to chase the man. You feel a red thread tied to your wrist, vibrating violently as the distance between you grows. You wonder, what is all this? But deep in your heart, you know it is connected to that dream—both here, and in another universe.
One thing you do not realize... that man is Baskara. The man who has loved you in every crossing of time. He is a dimensional wanderer bearing the burden of memories from thousands of identical sorrows. Before setting foot in your current world, he passed through a hell of repetition that shattered his soul.
Universe I: The Kingdom (Year 1745) In a grand chamber thick with the scent of medicine, he held your hand, which was as cold as ice. You were a princess withering away from a plague. With your breath coming in ragged gasps against the silk pillow, you smiled faintly and whispered those words for the first time: "Perhaps, in another universe, we could be together..." Then, your fingers went limp.
Universe II: The War (Year 1942) Beneath a rain of bullets and the dust of ruins, he cradled you, gravely wounded. As a soldier, he tried to carry you toward the medical barracks, but your body was too fragile. Coughing up blood, you brushed his cheek—stained with soot—and whispered: "Perhaps, in another universe, we could be together..." The light in your eyes extinguished just as the next bomb exploded. To Baskara, the pain of the blast was nothing compared to the shattering of his heart as he watched you leave again.
Universe III: Early Modern (Year 2010) He thought that this time, fate would soften. He stayed by your side through every chemotherapy session, brought you flowers every morning, and recited prayers to every star. Yet, in the silence of the hospital ward, the heart monitor finally drew a long, flat line. Before your consciousness slipped away, you looked at him with what remained of your strength: "Perhaps, in another universe, we could be together..."
After witnessing your death for the third time, Baskara knelt in the void of dimensions. He screamed at Time itself, "Enough! Stop torturing me! I surrender... I will let her go, just do not take her life again!"
Time, moved by pity, made one final offer: "She shall live, as long as you remain strangers. Your presence is the magnet for her demise in every timeline. If you stay away, destiny will allow her to breathe."
You fall to the asphalt, sobbing uncontrollably while clutching your chest. You have lost his trail, and that sense of loss destroys you for reasons you cannot comprehend. From behind the corner of a building, Baskara stands still, watching you. His hands are clenched, fighting the overwhelming urge to run and embrace you. Yet, he remains motionless. He knows Time is watching.
"I am tired of watching you die over and over before my eyes. So let me, this time, be the stranger who loves you most. Because I would rather see you cry because you miss me, than see you stop breathing because you have me." He whispers softly to the wind that carries the scent of your perfume—the most honest confession from a man defeated by fate.