Weeks passed in silence.
No calls. No texts. No secret smiles exchanged in church.
For Splendour, it felt like dying slowly — every day without Alfred was an ache that lived inside her chest. She tried to study, to pray, to act normal, but her thoughts always wandered back to him. Every shadow on the road reminded her of him. Every love song felt like a cruel joke.
At night, she'd lie awake staring at the ceiling, whispering his name into the dark.
"Alfred…"
Her voice would crack each time.
He hadn't written. He hadn't tried.
Maybe he was trying to forget her.
But she couldn't.
Then one afternoon, when the sun dipped low and the air smelled like rain, fate intervened. She saw him again — standing across the street near the school gate, looking taller, quieter, and somehow older.
Her heart skipped. Before her mind could catch up, she ran.
"Alfred!"
He turned. The moment their eyes met, the world around them disappeared. No traffic. No noise. Just two people who had missed each other more than words could say.
"Splendour…" he whispered, almost afraid to speak louder.
She stopped right in front of him, breathing hard. "Why did you stay away from me?"
His eyes dropped. "You know I've been just so busy lately with work and other stuffs ."
She shook her head, tears spilling freely now. " I can't keep pretending I'm fine. Alfred, I need you. I want you. Not for a day, not for a year — forever."
He looked startled, unsure what she meant. "Splendour…"
"Promise me," she said, grabbing his hands. "Promise you'll never leave me no matter what happens. Promise me with something stronger than words."
"What do you mean?"
Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Let's make a blood covenant."
His eyes widened instantly. "Splendour, that's dangerous. You don't play with things like that."
"I'm not playing," she said firmly. "If you won't do it, then maybe I should. I can't breathe knowing we could be separated again. Please, Alfred. I'll never break this bond — never."
He hesitated. Her sincerity, the fire in her eyes, the way her fingers trembled — it broke through his resistance.
"Are you sure?" he asked one last time.
She nodded. "Yes. This is my forever."
And so, beneath the quiet shade of the old mango tree behind the school, they made a promise written in youth and sealed in blood. Just a tiny cut — one on his finger, one on hers — and their fingers touched, red meeting red.
"Forever," she whispered.
He swallowed hard. "Forever," he echoed.
But as the blood dried between their palms, Alfred couldn't shake the unease in his heart. He loved her — deeply, recklessly — but something about that promise felt heavier than love was meant to be.
And as the wind rustled through the trees, Splendour smiled through her tears, believing she had bound him to her — heart, soul, and destiny.