An invisible red thread connects those destined to meet, regardless of place, time or circumstance.
In Reki's city, everyone grew up with a legend about soulmates called
The Red Thread Of Fate.
People here believed that soulmates were polar opposites but completed each other or balanced each other out. According to that legend, the ulnar artery that connected your heart and went all the way to your pinky finger went beyond that and connected the fingers of two people who were destined to meet.
Only two fated soulmates could see that red thread; it was invisible to the rest of the world. The thread connecting them could shorten or stretch, knot or tangle, but it would never break. Those soulmates would always meet eventually, no matter the time, place or circumstances.
Reki loved this story and the idea that two people completed each other and brought each other happiness. So, he had looked forward to turning sixteen when the bond would be created, and he'd get to know his better half.
When he turned sixteen, though, Reki began doubting that story because everyone around his age had met his or her soulmate in person.
Except for me.
All the other students around his age could use telepathy with their soulmates, could share thoughts, memories with each other and read each other's minds, and had other individual talents. Most soulmates were inseparable and brought out the best in each other. It sounded so incredible!
However, Reki could do none of those things. He felt the presence of his soulmate and the connection through the bond that connected them, but he couldn't communicate with him telepathically or share memories or thoughts with him.
At the beginning, he had barely noticed him. He was the complete opposite of him. He had always been quiet from the start, and his emotions had never been running wild like his own. He had never gotten angry or had lost his temper, had never lost control of his feelings. His emotions had always been calm, so Reki's first impression had been that he was emotionless or cold.
Since his soulmate had never reached out to him or his feelings had never accidentally been so overwhelming, they had swapped over to his side and had affected him in any way; he had started to think that his soulmate didn't care for him or the bond at all. He only realized at a later point that he had misjudged him because quiet and calm people had always been a mystery to him.
So, Reki had quickly learned that he wasn't capable of doing any of those extraordinary soulmate skills at the same age, so he had just assumed that it was his fault that he couldn't use those skills. If everyone else could do it, something had to be wrong with him, right
He had noticed that his parents had been worried, too, that he hadn't met his soulmate yet. Even so, they knew he had a soulmate because there was a soul mark at the back of his right hand. It was a mark in the form of a symbol all soulmates possessed. Usually, they looked like polar opposites. It was a hint about your soulmate: his whereabouts, personality, physical appearance, talents.
Those marks stood out because it was the only mark that shone in bright colors that you couldn't find anywhere else on your body. Reki's mark was a snowflake, shining in ice blue and white, shimmering brightly. It could change color from bright white to dark blue and grow bigger and smaller depending on his soulmate's state. That's why his parents had known that he had a soulmate.
When Reki had complained to his parents that he couldn't use telepathy, his parents had assured him that some soulmates couldn't do it because they had exceptional circumstances. It was unusual but not impossible.
For example, his mom explained to him that distance was one factor. Telepathy only worked at a certain distance, so there were limits. If you lived on two different continents, it was impossible to use telepathy until you met each other.
Reki wondered about that a lot. His mom's explanation made sense. Yet, he still asked himself if there could be a different reason behind it?
Maybe his soulmate didn't like him or even thought he was annoying. He often was too lively and a bundle of energy that many people couldn't keep up with. So, maybe his soulmate felt his emotions, excitement, cheerfulness, and energy more strongly than what he received from his quiet soulmate's side?
Maybe he irritated him or even bothered him with his outgoing personality. Since his soulmate always kept quiet and didn't show any emotions as openly as he did, he wouldn't know...
And what if his soulmate didn't believe in soulmates at all? Maybe he was the logical and reasonable type who wasn't capable of believing in abstract things like soul mates, emotional balance or souls intertwined by fate?
But when some time had passed, he noticed that his soulmate's emotions slowly came through the bond as well.
He had only seen some snippets of his soulmate's life if his emotions got really intense. Which was rare and only happened when he was snowboarding. While snowboarding, he was thrilled, so his overwhelmingly happy feelings reached him through the bond, too, and he saw some moments of his life.
So, over time, he learned what he looked like and that he was happiest when snowboarding with his dad. He felt the intense emotions then and realized that they shared the same passion for a sport, even if it wasn't the same one. Kindred spirits.
It took him a while to realize that his soulmate was just quieter but not emotionless at all. He learned that his emotions were not as easily accessible and openly resonating through the bond as his own did.
Reki's emotions were always openly reflected on his face, open and honest. He had never been able to hide them. His soulmate was different, though. When not skateboarding, he always imagined him with a poker face which didn't give away his genuine emotions. His emotions were hidden inside of him and rarely reached the surface or their bond.
However, if Reki concentrated on the bond, he sensed his emotions, too. They were humming quietly in the background, but he still felt them.
Sometimes, if he got hurt while snowboarding, the pain reached him, too. But it reminded him that his own pain caused by his skating stunts would be transmitted through the bond as well, so his soulmate felt them, too.
That was a side effect they both could have done without.
If you had more experience, you could control the bond more efficiently and keep your soulmate's emotions on his side of the bond.
Technically, you could also block the bond, but your soulmate's presence would disappear completely, which was a scary feeling if you grew up with the presence of someone else as a part of you. It was the same as ripping an arm off your body and felt as painful, so it was a taboo that was only used as a last resort.
They both often got injured since they were both doing a risky and dangerous sport, so his parents had shown Reki how to control the bond. A bond usually was a great thing, but if his soulmate got hurt, it could affect him, too. The injury wouldn't be copied or show up on his body, but the pain would. So, if his soulmate broke his arm, Reki's arm wouldn't be broken, but he'd still feel the pain regardless.
The problem was that they were both pretty reckless when it came to their passion and were injured all the time as a consequence. They both always tried dangerous stunts and drove at insane speeds, so it was only a matter of time until they'd have the next injury.
So, he learned to control the bond so that he could still feel his soulmate's pain at the moment it happened, but it wouldn't affect him afterwards. If you had control over the bond, you could manage that the pain didn't reach your side of the bond or push it back.
That was before they both learned that there was another technique his parents hadn't told them. He noticed the first time when he had been seriously injured.
He had tried a dangerous stunt one of the skaters at "S" had shown him. Only, it had gone seriously wrong because it was far beyond his skating abilities. Of course, he hadn't tried it at the "S" grounds. He hadn't had any intention to get laughed at because there wasn't a single skating trick that could be made on the first try.
So, he had tried it alone at a skating park near his home. His jump had been fine, but the landing not so much. He had lost control after his reckless jump and had hit the ground hard, which wasn't unusual. He got hurt all the time while skating, after all. But this time, he had fallen from a much greater height, so his injuries had been more serious. He had even lost consciousness for a moment after hitting the ground.
For a moment, he had just lain there crying out in pain because his arm had at least been sprained, and he had had scratches on his arms, and his knee had probably been bruised, too. He had felt the pain everywhere. His mom would be so mad if he returned home in that state.
However, he had never found out how badly his arm had been injured. While he had sobbed, he had suddenly felt a warm and comforting sensation, as if someone had hugged him or wiped his tears away. He had immediately felt better and had calmed down again. After sitting up and resting for a moment, he had grabbed his skateboard and started walking home.
Only then, he had noticed that he had picked up his skateboard with his injured arm. And that the pain had entirely disappeared. His arm had felt warm for a second before the pain had disappeared. Instead, he had seen a pale scar afterwards, running over the injured part of his arm that and looked like an already healed wound as if new, paler skin had replaced the damaged one. That had been amazing. He had instantly known that his soulmate had done that.
He was so incredible!
When he had told his parents excitedly about it, they had looked at him with concern, much to his confusion.
"Reki, it's great that you and your soulmate grew closer, but we cannot heal wounds, not even those of our soulmate. We're not magicians or possess superpowers. This isn't one of your superhero shows.", she had reminded him, suddenly very serious.
" A soul bond is about balance, about giving your soulmate what he needs or is lacking. Completing each other.", his mom had tried to explain to him patiently. When Reki had looked at her, not understanding what she was referring to, she had elaborated further.
"If your injury is gone, your soulmate transferred your injury over to him. It means that he has a sprained or broken wrist now along with the pain, of course, while you are unharmed except for that faint scar." She had pointed to his arm.
"What? Are you serious? How do I undo it?", Reki asked in horror, eyes widening.
"You can't.", his dad had added thoughtfully, walking up to them. "It was your soulmate's decision. He wanted to help you. It's a good thing because it's proof of your close bond. You have a soulmate who loves you and cares about your well-being." Reki had looked doubtfully at him, wondering if he had been right
"You have a wonderful soulmate, although he's as reckless as you. You should appreciate him more.", his dad had told him. "Transferring an injury is a selfless act. You practically sacrifice your well-being and health for someone else."
"And remember, if you get injured, your soulmate feels it, too. He doesn't receive your injury unless he transfers it voluntarily, but he still feels your pain every time you get injured. Be careful. Injuries and shared pain can also cause mental injuries, not just physical ones. Especially if the pain is extreme and comes out of nowhere.", his mom had reminded him sternly.
"Transferring an injury is dangerous. If you lose control, you can hurt yourself and your soulmate.", his dad had added while looking at him. "I'm impressed he can even do that. Usually, only adults can do that. It requires years of experience and perfect control of the bond, usually."
That means my soulmate is amazing! Maybe I can do that -
"I know what you're thinking. Don't do it. Don't even try doing the same. It's too reckless.", his mom had warned him.
Reki had been forced to suppress a smile. The way his mom had looked at him, he had seen that she had read his thoughts, knowing perfectly well what had gone on in his mind. It was scary as hell every time she did that...
But, of course, that warning hadn't kept Reki from trying. He had plenty of time to try since they were both injured on a regular basis.
After a while, he had realized that those healing abilities (they called it healing, but it was just a transferral of wounds) they possessed were advanced skills only experienced adults could usually do. None of the other kids could do it.
That's when his classmates had stopped teasing him, and his depressing thoughts had ended, getting more cheerful again. Apparently, he had a great soulmate, and they shared an incredibly close bond. Or they wouldn't be able to pull that off.
He also noticed some changes in his behavior eventually. Reki didn't like to admit that, but he had always been impulsive and had the bad habit of lashing out at people and getting into fights. Or rather beefs. He was easily provoked and challenged people to beefs spontaneously without thinking things through. Only later, he realized that that had been a bad idea, but then it was too late, and he couldn't withdraw anymore without losing face.
Yet, after a while, his impulsive outbursts got rarer, and he became calmer and more level-headed with time. Eventually, he noticed that this was his soulmate's influence. Always when he got mad, he calmed him down because he felt something resonating through the bond. It felt like a fresh breeze on a summer evening that cleared his head and reminded him to calm down.
His soulmate seemed cold at first. His emotions were always calm and silent, always keeping a clear head and never overwhelmed by his feelings unless he was snowboarding or got hurt. His emotions were just quieter and didn't draw attention, remaining in the shadows. They just weren't as expressive as his own. His calm presence felt like a constant soothing melody in the background humming
You're not alone.
He just felt a bit bad because he never did anything for his soulmate. He always helped him, but what could he even do? Sometimes, he felt loneliness coming from his side of the bond and tried to cheer him up. It usually worked but was that all he could do?
He noticed his kindness and his other emotions because his soulmate sometimes reached out to him if he was worried about him, especially if he was sad or awfully quiet and had withdrawn into himself. Reki wasn't feeling down often, but if he was, the emotions were as intense and extreme as the positive ones he was feeling, so his soulmate was worried about him. If he helped him, his feelings were full of compassion and comfort, so he immediately felt better.
Since then, Reki had finally understood that his soulmate was quiet and calm but possessed a kindness and a good heart that he kept hidden inside. He regretted that he had initially thought that he was cold. Not everyone showed emotions so openly like him.
To him, it was just strange that someone would never get overwhelmed by his emotions when he did all the time. The concept of emotions rarely reaching the surface of the bond but instead being hidden from sight, practically invisible, was new to him.
But he'd try his best to make his soulmate feel comfortable enough to reveal his true feelings more often. He was sure that they'd grow even closer over time.
If we only lived closer…