Author's Notes: I can't believe how long it's been…Well, actually, I can. Either I didn't feel like writing, or revising, or didn't have the time to do so, but the fact remains that this is the most inconsistent story I've written. I wish I could promise I'll hurry and finish it, or even promise I'll try, but it would be a lie.

This is not an easy story to write for many reasons, starting from the fact that I don't even like what it's become anymore… Someday I will take this project and rewrite it completely, using everything I've learned. But in the meantime, I must warn you that I may not continue. Perhaps I'll surprise you with a new chapter every now and then, but I can't make any promises on how fast I'll post. However, I do have other CCS projects I'm excited about, and you'll probably see one of them soon.

I'm really sorry if I'm letting you guys down, you've been amazing through this whole experience. I hope you'll forgive me for my lack of enthusiasm over this story, and for the time it may take to finish it.

You may have noticed I've changed my penname…well, to tell you the truth, I wasn't thrilled to be "cherry blossom2"…I chose this new name for many reasons and didn't want to change it until I finished this story, but…Well, I'd explain again, but I'd just be repeating myself. Still, every single chapter of "When the Truth Breaks the Silence" will be signed by the same name it started with, even if the display on ff.net is another.

Nothing else to add…read along…

"I'll Say Goodbye for the Two of Us: When the Truth Breaks the Silence"

Part Twenty-Six: "Silence"

By cherry blossom

Syaoran's POV

It took a while for my eyes to adjust to the light, but when they did I had to bit my tongue to prevent myself from yelling. Shock was sure turning into something of a custom.

We were once again in the island where we had found Sakura. But it was different. The island of the past had been bright and heavenly-looking, a true paradise, at least in appearance. Now, even though the physical structure of the isle hadn't changed, there was something not quite right about it. Everything was still the exact same way it used to be, down to the last tree, but the sunshine that poured on to us made it all seem dissimilar. It shone coldly, deadly between the rustling leaves of the trees. Sakura shivered. I knew she was probably thinking what I was.

"That was too easy…" she whispered as she looked around. I noticed her gaze fell upon the blue-green sea. There was something unnerving about it too, though I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

Silence fell between us as we were each lost in our own thoughts. I tried to force my mind to come up with a plan to get us out of here, but it seemed to have a will of its own. All I could think about was what happened every time our skins touched…

"What do you think we should do next?" Sakura suddenly said. With apparent difficulty, she tore her gaze away from the sea and looked at me instead.

"Hmm…" I mumbled helplessly. I knew she was expecting a simple plan, like the one that had got us out of that room. How was I to tell her it had been plain luck what had saved us?

Sakura, however, didn't seem disturbed by my lack of response. Her eyes wandered through the scenery around us once again.

"I can't think straight, Syaoran…" she whispered sadly. "This place holds too many unhappy memories for me…"

"Sakura…"

"And it's that feeling again," she continued blankly. "As if this whole place was trying to swallow me…"

"Sakura, what…?"

Her deep sigh cut me short. If she had heard me at all, she was ignoring me.

"I feel suffocated," she ended simply, and closed her eyes as if by that simple gesture it would all magically go away.

At that very moment, there was nothing I wanted more than to put my arms around her and assure her everything would be all right. But I felt a burn at the mere thought of it, and I really didn't know how much longer I could take it.

Instead, I put my hands on her waist (which was securely covered by her light cotton sundress) and pulled her as close as I dared.

"We'll make it, Sakura," I assured her softly. "I promise we'll get through this."

She gave me a small smile and nodded. It was disheartening how unconvinced she looked.

"Listen, I'm not Eriol and I can't get us out of here with a wave of my hand. But I'm positive we'll return home once we deal with him," I reasoned. "So all we have to do is find him."

Sakura nodded. "Yes, but where should we look?"

"Well…" I began, unsure. "The coast seems pretty clear. I think we should probably look for him…in the forest, maybe?"

"I don't have a better plan," she replied, shrugging her shoulders.

Once again, to avoid the possibility of holding hands, I put my hand on the small of her back. In silence, we began walking towards the forest, unaware at the time that it would be the last time we'd walk the island together.

***

If the coast had been eerie, the forest was worse. The trees were so close to each other, and their tops so thick, hardly any light came in. The darkness around us wasn't complete, but it was enough to prevent us from seeing what laid a couple of steps ahead.

"Syaoran!" Sakura exclaimed suddenly. "Why don't we use your Lazing Board to know where he is? I know he's not a Card, but it might work!"

I slapped my forehead. Of course! How could I be so stupid? I concentrated and conjured the Board. Over the years, I had learnt how to do it, so as not to have to carry it always with me.

Nothing happened.

I tried again, this time concentrating all my energies on making it appear…

…but nothing happened.

I cast a worried look at Sakura. Either my Lazing Board had been destroyed, or my magic wasn't working. None of the options seemed too appealing, but I was more concerned about the latter, which, of course, felt suspiciously the correct one.

"Why am I not surprised?" asked Sakura, shaking her head. I bit my lip.

"Well, we'll have to trust our instincts, I guess," I offered lamely as I resumed our walking, gently leading Sakura.

A few more minutes passed before I realized the burning sensation in me was rapidly increasing. And this time it had nothing to do with Sakura's touch. Was it possible that it increased as we neared him? If it was, then we were definitely on the right track.

I must have been wearing a pained expression, for Sakura suddenly stopped walking and faced me.

"What is it, Syaoran? I know there's something wrong with you!" she accused, narrowing her eyes. I put on my most placid expression.

"What do you mean? I'm fine!" I replied, but she shook her head disbelievingly.

"Did the talk we had have absolutely no effect on you? Didn't you hear a thing I said?" she demanded.

I winced, but this time it was more due to the look in her bright evergreen eyes than to the pain.

"I would have thought," she continued, the softest trace of anger in her voice, "that you wouldn't hesitate to tell me the truth. What are you trying to do?"

I lowered my eyes. She was so right about everything. I guess I had kept the unpleasant information away from her out of habit. But I had to tell her now.

"Well?" she asked.

"I…Sakura, ever since I woke up I've been having this weird sensation…" I began reluctantly. "It's a like a burn, but cold at the same time…does that make any sense?"

Surprisingly, Sakura nodded vehemently and muttered something that sounded like 'plenty'.

"Well, it was bearable most of the time. But it increased every time you…I mean, every time I…well, every time our skins touched."

I closed my eyes so as not to see Sakura's horrified expression, but to no avail, for when I opened them again she was still wearing it.

"That's not all," I continued softly, dreading it, but determined to do things right this time. "It's also been increasing steadily since we took this route."

"Then we shall take another!" she announced immediately. She was about to take my hand and lead me backwards when she remembered what I had just said. Instead, she imitated me by placing her hand on my back and pushing me. I didn't budge.

"The problem is, Sakura," I said slowly, "that I think it burns because we are nearing him. Which means this is the path we have to take…"

"It doesn't mean anything!" she contradicted me in a strained voice. "He may be doing it because he knows you'd react that way!"
I shook my head sadly. "I know what I feel. And I know you feel it too, Sakura…"

She sighed and squeezed her eyes shut. I took the opportunity to grimace in pain as much as I pleased while she couldn't see me.

"Then I'll have to go on alone…" she stated firmly.

"No way!" I replied at once. "I've been holding up fine, and will continue to!"

"But Syaoran-"

"You can't dissuade me," I said firmly. "And you can't force me to do so either. We will continue together even if I have to take you kicking and screaming all the way. And you know I'm capable of that."

A solitary tear escaped Sakura's eyes. I yearned to wipe it away, but I didn't dare touch her.

"Besides…" I continued in a whisper, "you know we have to face this together. It's the only way we will defeat him…"

"Why does it have to be so difficult?" she asked. Her voice was so soft the words didn't seem to stir the air. "I'm sick and tired of this situation…"

"It will all be over soon, Sakura."

I don't know what possessed me to say those words, but there was an undeniable certainty in them.

The certainty that – for better or worse – it was all drawing steadily, inevitably towards the end.

***

Sakura's POV

So many thoughts whirled through my mind, it was the same as not thinking at all. My head felt like a no-exit maze of worries. Worries about Syaoran and about the destiny that was awaiting us as well.

The truth was that, no matter how much he insisted he was fine, Syaoran was getting worse every step we took. He was unnaturally pale, breathing heavily and walking unsteadily. And the worst part of all was that there was nothing I could do to help him. I couldn't even hold his hand for comfort.

As we got deeper and deeper into the woods, I noticed an increasing coldness began to take over us. And it wasn't just something to be felt exteriorly. It was a chill that got under your skin, that froze the blood in your veins, that brought a heavy, oppressive feeling to your heart.

The air around us was still and silent, and filled with tension. I felt as if a million eyes were watching our every step. As if every part of the scenery around us was quietly, patiently waiting. Along with the cold, a sharp, blinding, irrational animal fear began to take over me. Every breath seemed like a tremendous effort…it was suffocating.

"This way," Syaoran suddenly said. He took a turn to the left and winced as he did. I licked my lips nervously. I hated feeling so helpless. I wanted to do something – anything – but there was just no solution.

I'm not sure how much longer it went on. Personally I think it's ridiculous to measure time in hours, minutes and seconds. Whoever said time was impersonal was definitely wrong. Time goes by differently for ever person, for every situation, for every feeling. I don't think there's anything more subjective than it.

Our walk through the forest is, thus, impossible to time. To me it felt both like an eternity and a mere second. Maybe time stood still then, so it really was just a second that lasted an eternity. I guess I'll never really know.

As we continued, the silence got so thick, so sharp, I could almost hear a buzzing in my ears. Is that the real sound of silence? It made sense back then. And just when I thought I couldn't take it any longer, it happened. It was so unexpected, so abrupt that for a moment I thought I was imagining things. But the next moment I knew it. I didn't even need Syaoran's pain to pin-point it for me. I knew we had reached our final destination.

A huge castle stood proudly in the very heart of the forest. It looked ancient, neglected and it was completely deteriorated. Ivy had grown all over its walls and towers, breaking in through the dusty windows. Despite all of that, one could tell it had been magnificent once. The structure was firm, the constructing materials of good quality, and the style was majestic, impeccable.

However, I noticed immediately there was something terribly wrong with it. I gazed at it, absorbed in it, but I couldn't find what was disturbing me. There was something horrible about it, but I just couldn't make out what it was. Reluctantly, I tore my gaze from it and looked at Syaoran. He, too, was so immersed in the sight of it, his face showed no signs of his rising pain.

"This is it," I whispered timidly, afraid to break the silence. He looked at me.

"I can tell…but how can you?" he asked softly. I shook my head.

"I've been here before…I've never seen the outside of this castle, but I'm sure I've been here before…" I answered. Syaoran raised an eyebrow. I shook my head again. The words I spoke where as much of a shock to me as they were to him.

For a moment we only stared at each other. We both knew we had to enter that castle and face whatever was waiting for us inside. I feared what would happen to Syaoran if he set foot inside it. He feared what would happen to me if something did happen to him. I sighed.

"Maybe I should go in alone…" I offered lamely. Syaoran bit his lip.

"I was going to say the exact same thing…" he replied, and adopted a thoughtful look. "I guess there's no getting round the fact that this castle inspires a horrible feeling to both of us. That's why we want the other to stay as far away from it as possible…"

I nodded. That was exactly how I felt.

"Unfortunately," he went on, "I think it's best if we stay together. Splitting up is never a wise move and this won't be an exception. So, either we both try to find another way to get off this island, or…" He stopped himself.

I squeezed my eyes shut for what seemed like the hundredth time. Getting the hell away from the castle was very tempting, but I knew it wasn't really an option. There wasn't really a choice to be made. Syaoran was only pretending there was.

"You know what we have to do…" I stated, and opened my eyes. I looked at the construction again. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Syaoran closing his eyes in a similar way as I had just moments before.

"For better or worse…" I continued, talking both to him and myself. "It's the only way."

Syaoran opened his amber eyes and our looks met. They looked as beautiful as always, fiery and passionate. There was unquestionable fear in them, but also sheer determination. I knew, in that precise moment, he'd be with me till the very end.

So I smiled at him. And it was an honest smile, too. It may have been weak, but it was a truly grateful one. No matter how desperate our situation was, no matter the terrifying evil that was waiting for us was, I still had to thank every god I knew for having Li Syaoran by my side. As long as he held my heart it would all be all right.

"I love you," I whispered, yearning for his touch as I never thought I would be. He came as close as he could, keeping our skins safely apart.

"I love you too," he replied gazing into my eyes unblinkingly. Tears filled my own as my worst fear crossed my mind.

"Promise you'll never leave me," I pleaded with a thin voice. Syaoran had never yet broken a promise, and if there was any one I needed, that was it.

"I promise," he said softly. For a second the world faded away and there was nothing but his loving amber eyes…

But the magic was broken when his look clouded over.

"It is time."

***

It wasn't long until we found a door. It was right in the middle of the front part of the castle. It was very tall, incrusted with precious stones of every colour imaginable. I didn't know much about jewels, but I was able to make out diamonds, rubies, sapphires, amethyst and jade pieces. All of them were shinning oddly.

"How do you reckon we should open it?" Syaoran asked me. There wasn't a visible doorknob or anything like it. I bit my lip, conscious that Syaoran was watching my every move, and dreadfully placed my index finger over a rather large diamond in the centre of the door.

Slowly, noiselessly, the door opened. I avoided Syaoran's eye. He refrained from asking me any questions. I took a deep breath and stepped inside.

At once I felt the horrible memories coming back to me again. It was dark, so I couldn't see much, but just the feeling of breathing the stale air was a deadly reminder of the terrible experience I had been through. For a moment I froze. It can't have been more than one second, but it was all it took to let me know just how weak I was, just how dim our chances were.

"Come on," Syaoran whispered from behind. I moved aside so that he could enter too. Once he did, the door closed itself, just as I knew it would. Only when the exterior light had vanished completely I noticed we weren't in total darkness. Candles were spread all around the room, their flames faintly illuminating our surroundings.

The room we were in belonged to another time. It was filled with the most beautiful antiques I've ever seen. Golden-framed mirrors, long wooden tables with matching chairs, attractive paintings on every wall… Yes, it was as if time had been stopped here. I knew better than to waste time admiring the objects, but I couldn't help myself. After a few moments, I managed to tear my gaze from them, took a deep breath and turned right. Syaoran followed me wordlessly. He knew better than to question me about it.

We walked through a hallway and reached a spiral staircase. Every step I took now was an agony, a thread of unpleasant thoughts and memories flowing harshly into my brain. I could hear Syaoran's ragged breath behind me. He didn't utter a single noise, but I knew he must be screaming inside due to the pain. I wanted so desperately to do something – anything – to ease his pain, but it was out of my reach to do so.

Suddenly, I found myself before a wooden door. I looked behind and saw Syaoran catching his breath, holding onto the hand rail of the staircase. Had we just walked up the stairs? I couldn't recall doing so. The last thing I remembered was standing before them, admiring the polished wood… Deciding to ignore that particular mystery, I concentrated my attention on the door.

It was fairly simple, compared to the rest of the castle, at least. It had an old golden doorknob and an inscription carved into the wood above. I couldn't recognize any of the symbols.

"Is this it, Sakura?" I heard Syaoran speaking softly. I turned around to look at him and had to bit back a scream. He looked terrible! He was deadly white, his eyes looked blurry and unfocused and held a desperately painful look. I felt a pang of angst and regret cross me.

"Oh, Syaoran…" I whispered as tears filled my eyes. "Please, stop here…You're hurting yourself too badly…"

"I'll go on as long as I can carry myself, Sakura," he said shortly. "I thought we had already discussed it."

I lowered my eyes. "I'm sorry, I just…" I stopped myself because I didn't want to start crying all over again. I felt Syaoran's hand on my back and looked into eyes. His expression had softened.

"Sakura…" he whispered. "Let's just get going." I nodded, wishing the lump in my throat would just disappear. If I could only kiss him for just one second…

"Come on," he repeated softly. I nodded again.

Turning around, I placed my shaky hand over the doorknob. As scared as I was of turning it, I knew I had to. This was the moment I had been waiting for. It would all be over soon. The nightmare would finally end. One way or another, it would stop hurting so badly inside. I began turning the golden knob.

Yes, this was it.

And my fait was awaiting me just seconds away…