00:00:00
00:03:45
Reader stared at his timer, knowing already he was going to see her soon. The ring was in his pocket—the ring he always gave her. A diamond in the shape of a star. A star for his princess.
And the timer kept counting down.
It didn’t matter how many times he went through this. Each and every time he was nervous. Because each time something was different—she remembered something more of him. And all of them stayed by his side. His beautiful princess was always there by his side. While it was thought to be dangerous by others—Siren understood.
Because Siren missed her too.
00:02:01
So close… He was feeling his heart race a bit and he wondered why he was getting so flustered. Why he felt as if he was going to pass out. He remembered how he would read to her—all the books that she ever wrote in stacked up high against the walls. His Ida. His special someone. He knew he was going to see her soon. She was going to be there soon.
00:01:12
Soon. And he’d be able to do it again. It was getting easier, actually. He was doing better at keeping up with showing her everything and waiting until she looked at him just as she always did. He always waited until he saw that look in her eyes before he gave her the ring.
00:00:48
Siren always said goodbye to her last. Always kept that necklace. Reader felt his eyes well up with tears—because he was so scared. Scared he would have to lose her again. But it was so very worth it. Because he’d lose her a thousand times but each of those times he would love her. He would have her by his side.
00:00:10
The final count down. The last few seconds before he would see her again. How many times was it now? Eighty? Eighty different lives she lived and all of them with him. And each time he saw that she knew him a bit more. Accepted him waiting for her a bit more.
00:00:00
A tap to his arm and Reader lost his breath. He couldn’t find it, but his head turned and there, right next to him, was Ida. A book in her hands and he wondered what he would do without her. If he ever could live without her.
< You’re right on time. >
Reader let out a laugh, knowing already that she knew him. She knew him and he had her back—he had his princess back. But that didn’t stop him from knowing that she didn’t know the full story. The story of all the lives with details upon details.
"I am…" He swallowed, finding his breath again. "Let me tell you a story, Ida. A story about a Princess and her Guardian…"
