Chapter Thirty Four:

Release

Valencia was lazily looking out the window when another hunger pain ruthlessly wracked her body. "Nnng…" She bit her lip, nails digging into the windowpane. She hadn't eaten in over a week, and she was so hungry…

"Valencia!" Kisuke suddenly rammed into her, knocking her over. She fell backwards, somersaulting a few meters before she landed on her back.

"K-Kisuke?" She stuttered. She looked around. Oh no. She hadn't done it again, had she?

"I did it again, didn't I?" She whispered quietly. No, no, no. Her heart spiraled into an abyss of black despair…

"Don't worry, I stopped you! You didn't kill anyone," Kisuke reassured her.

"What does that matter?!" She cried hoarsely, half sobbing. The tears ran freely down her face. "How does that help?" She whispered softly. "Kisuke, there is nothing you can do. Eating souls is at the center of my being. I am a hollow! None of your experiments can change what I am!" Valencia wailed. She staggered towards him, and grabbed his jacket collar. "Please," she begged, staring into his eyes. "You have to release me, before I- before I can kill someone again!" Her voice broke, and she buckled down to sobs.

"Release you?" He asked. "You don't mean-"

"Yes, I do. You have to kill me," she whispered. Her eyes shone with unshed tears, as she gazed desperately into his own undecided hazel ones. "Kisuke. Please, for me…"

"No!" He whispered. "Not to you, Valencia. I love you, don't you understand at all?!" He hissed.

"Kisuke!" She sobbed. "You have to! I don't want to be a monster anymore." Her voice wavered, unsteady, threatening to break into sobs again. "Please. I don't want to, but, I could go to any shinigami, who could release me, if you can't. I can't be here any longer. I'm extremely dangerous! You're in danger just being by me! I could go after you next time, and what if- what if I kill you?!" She was desperate. He had to help her. "I'd rather that you released me. I'm scared of death- I've evaded it too long- and I want you there by me. I'm scared Kisuke. Please help me."

"Don't you have any idea what this means?" He yelled. "Do you realize it?" He grabbed her face and kissed her fiercely. He pulled back, panting. "Don't you understand what this means? I might never see you again. Out of all the six billion people in the world-" he gestured widely around him- "what are the chances that I would meet you again? Never! Not even when I die and am reborn and die again and live again, just like you, may we ever meet, for all eternity! It might not mean much to a time and space bender like you, but for the rest of us mortals, eternity is forever. There is no going back!" He stopped.

"Kisuke, I am not moving on this. I will find you-"

"How?" He interjected. "I will find a way! I swear I will find you! In the next life! And anyways, you won't remember me at all!"

"How is that supposed to help me? Forget you? Never!"

"Kisuke, please. I can't live with myself. Please, if it is the only thing I willingly ask of you ever, please do this one thing for me. You've done it thousands of times before." She tried smiling weakly at him. "Kisuke, for me."

That's when a strange light came in his eye. "Valencia…" He touched her face, sweeping a stray strand of hair behind her ear, then sighed. "For you."

"Tonight then." she insisted. She sensed victory, and she had to know it for sure.