The Crest of Kokoi

Chapter 1: Embers of Betrayal

There was a silent dreariness in her heartbeat, an emptiness that just grew. Each step was slower than the last as her confidence began failing. The insignificant imprints her feet left in the sand vanished as quickly as they had been laid, like whispers in the wind. She had only wanted simple things in life, simple things that others seemed to come by so easily. She yearned for that unconditional love that could raise a person from the barrenness of solitude, a simple touch from someone who saw life when he looked into her eyes.

Theawn’s face was forever burned into her memory, and it haunted her now. He was “the one,” The man she had loved since the innocence of her youth. But in the midst of her tribulation, he left her. Years of memories, from their innocent childhood to their passionate love, flashed through her mind like a plague. Her love, her life, the very man she lived for had abandoned her. Her heart began pounding relentlessly, and its breaking seemed to magnify.

“Why?!” she screamed. Like the pressure built up in the core of a volcano, the pain burst forth. Her screams filled the valley floor like an avalanche.

“Why must I live in a constant state of torment? Have I failed you Kokoí? What more shall I sacrifice?” Such questions taunted her. His final words, “I hate you, just leave!” were like the repetitive torment of a song undone replayed constantly in her mind. How could he be so cruel after everything they had been through together? His touch, so familiar, lingered cruelly on her skin. Overwhelmed by emotion, she gasped for air and fell to her knees, sobbing until exhaustion set in. She let herself melt into the warm sand as her mind wandered over multitudes of painful memories, her despair consuming her.