Dorothy's eyes locked onto mine, her gaze piercing and intense, as if trying to convey a message that went beyond words. She spoke, her voice trembling with emotion, each word dripping with pain and longing.
"When I said I killed you in your past life, Gabriel, this is exactly what I meant. You died because of me, because you wanted to protect me, to save me from those hunters who sought to destroy me. You sacrificed your life, your future, your everything, for me. And I can't bear the thought of it happening again."
Tears began to fall down her cheeks, streaming down her face like rivers of sorrow. Her voice cracked with pain, as if the mere memory of it was enough to shatter her heart all over again.
"I don't want that to happen again, Gabriel. I don't want to lose you again. I was hoping, praying, that if I ever got to die in the hands of the hunters today, on my reborn, I would become human again, and we would fall in love and grow old together. We would have a life, a real life, free from the burdens of immortality, free from the pain and the heartache."
She took a step closer, her eyes pleading, her voice barely above a whisper.
"But instead, here you are again, about to sacrifice your life for me. Just as foolish, just as brave, just as selfless as you were the last time. You're going to repeat the same mistake, aren't you? You're going to give up your life for me, again."
I felt a lump form in my throat, my heart heavy with emotion, as I realized the depth of her pain, the depth of her love for me. She had been trapped in this immortality, waiting for me to come back, waiting for us to be together again. But fate kept tearing us apart, kept repeating the same tragic pattern.
"I understand now," I whispered, my voice barely audible, my eyes locked onto hers. "You wanted us to break free from this cycle, to be together without the burden of your immortality. You wanted us to have a chance at a real life, a life free from the shadows of the past."
Dorothy's face contorted in anguish, her tears flowing freely now, as if the dam had burst, and all the pain and sorrow she had been holding back for so long had finally been released.
"Yes, Gabriel. Yes, that's exactly what I meant. We're trapped in this never-ending cycle, and I can't bear the thought of losing you again. I can't bear the thought of waiting another century for you to come back, only for us to repeat the same fate again and again. I can't bear the thought of living without you, of existing without you by my side."
As I gazed into Dorothy's eyes, I was overwhelmed by the depth of her love for me. Her willingness to sacrifice everything, even her own immortality, to be with me again, was a profound testament to the power of our love. In that moment, I knew that I couldn't bear the thought of living without her either.
With a fierce passion, I pulled her close and kissed her, our lips meeting in a tender yet intense embrace. The world around us melted away, leaving only the two of us, lost in the depths of our love. I could feel her heart beating against mine, her soul stirring within her, as we savored every moment of our kiss.
As we broke apart for air, I gazed into her eyes, my own tears of joy and gratitude streaming down my face. "I love you, Dorothy," I whispered, my voice trembling with emotion. "I love you more than life itself."
Dorothy's face shone with a radiant smile, her eyes shining like stars in the night sky. "I love you too, Gabriel," she whispered back, her voice barely audible over the pounding of our hearts. "I've always loved you, and I always will."
In that moment, I knew that nothing else mattered. Not the hunters, not the danger, not even our own lives. All that mattered was our love, and the promise of a future together. And so, with a fierce determination, I took her hand, and we faced the unknown, ready to face whatever lay ahead, as long as we were together.
I took a deep breath, my heart pounding in my chest, as I gazed into Dorothy's eyes. "I'm not going to let you die alone, Dorothy," I said, my voice firm and resolute. "If you're really willing to sacrifice your life for us, then I'm willing to do the same. I'm ready to give up my own life, to be with you in death as I have been in life."
Dorothy's eyes widened in surprise, her face pale with emotion. "Gabriel, no," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I can't ask you to do that. I can't bear the thought of losing you too."
But I shook my head, my jaw set in determination. "I'm not just doing it for you, Dorothy," I said. "I'm doing it for us. For our love, for our future, for the chance to be together again. If fate is cruel enough to tear us apart in this life, then I'll take that chance to be with you in the next."
Tears streamed down Dorothy's face, her body shaking with sobs. "Gabriel, my love," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I don't deserve you. You're too good for me, too selfless, too brave."
But I just smiled, my heart full of love and devotion. "You're worth it, Dorothy," I said. "You're worth everything. And I know that if we face this together, if we sacrifice everything for our love, then fate will have no choice but to bring us back together again."
With that, I took her hand, and we stood there, ready to face whatever lay ahead, ready to give up our lives for our love, and hope that fate would be kind enough to reunite us in the next life.