The ticking of the clock drowned out the silence in the room. With her eyes closed, Sakura breathed steadily, meditating. She loved to do this before bed. She felt calm then, ready to drift off into a land of peace.

The scent of the candle reached her nose, pleasantly teasing her nostrils. There was also incense burning next to it, deepening the aroma wafting through the room. Nothing could disturb it.

At least almost nothing.

Again, her gift made itself known. Or perhaps a curse?

The flame went out. A penetrating chill pierced Sakura's body. She did not move from her seat, sweeping the room with a watchful gaze. Through the tightness in her heart, she knew someone was approaching. She kept looking around.

There was no one to her right. From the left as well. So she checked behind her and then saw a young man in the corner of the room. He stood with his head raised, but his face was blurred. His long hair cascaded down his back. The aura surrounding his figure was permeated with sadness and despair. Sakura's eyes glazed over of their own accord. He had too much influence over her, but she was in the habit of helping lost souls. She did it and decided to do it now.

Simply escorting them to the end of their adventure with life was a duty she placed on herself.

"What brings you to me?" she asked, and at the sound of her voice the figure shuddered.

The man wanted to say something. His lips moved, but no word came out. After a moment, he disappeared.

The connection had been severed.

The noises of people talking around her rang in her ears. Sakura had trouble sleeping the night before, so trying to listen to Ino was going hard for her. Her friend talked and talked, dwelling on her job and the new boyfriend she's been seeing for two months, and she couldn't focus on any of that. Everything was distracting her.

"Sakura, are you listening to me?"

"Hm, what were you saying?"

"Of course not." Ino sighed, "What's keeping you so busy that you can't even focus for ten minutes, huh?"

"It's nothing. Don't worry, I'm listening to you again."

She smiled wryly, poking her fork into the cake. The blonde watched her vigilantly until she suddenly drew in the air sharply, slapping her hands on the table and leaning toward Sakura.

"Is it that again? Did you see something?"

Laughing, she dispelled the nervousness that wanted to get under her skin and show the whole world that Ino was right. Only once, three years ago, Sakura told her friend that she sometimes happens to see ghosts, but she didn't dwell on the subject further because Ino said it was too scary for her. That's why she kept everything she experienced over the past months exclusively to herself. And she no longer liked to mention the strange dead people appearing once in a while in her room.

"No. I couldn't sleep at night, that's it. I didn't get enough sleep, Ino."

"Ah, well, you should have said that right away. So listen, like I said he's really sweet and lovable, although sometimes I feel like he does some things in the perfect order. Why do you think..."

The blonde continued to elaborate and Sakura would have listened to her had it not been for the fact that unexpectedly the temperature in the cafe dropped to so low that chills jumped all over her body.

Here we go again.

Never before had a soul sought out Sakura. They would appear in the comfort of her home; sometimes she would talk to them, sometimes she would watch them appear and disappear quickly, and most often she would stare at them for a few minutes, not speaking, and after a while she would perform a rite of passage; however, not a single ghost went beyond the confines of her apartment.

"Jesus, it is so cold. God, I forgot to take a sweater with me, ahhh."

Sakura was watching Ino rubbing her arms to warm up when she noticed him - right behind her friend. The same young man stood, this time with his face visible. Two wrinkles adorned his face, in no way taking away from his beauty.

Black irises bore into her eyes. The man raised his hand and pointed at her, then spluttered. The connection was too weak. To be able to talk to him Sakura would have to prepare a few things. Did she want to do that? No, she didn't like to do it when the soul was so overwhelming. Was she curious about what he wanted from her? Yes, and it was for this reason that she got up from the table.

"I'll be getting going, Ino. Thank you for meeting."

"Sak— Where are you going?"

"I'll explain everything to you later!"

She ran out of the cafe, with one thing on her mind.

Sakura rushed into the apartment with a bang, almost forgetting to close the door behind her. She was too preoccupied with what has; may have; happened. The unknown future.

She hurriedly took off her shoes, sending another message saying sorry to Ino, as she was still extremely embarrassed that she had run off their meeting like that, then entered the room. She took a white chalk and thirteen candles from the desk. She drew a five-pointed star in a circle on the floor and lit the wicks.

She sat on the ground, placing both hands on her knees and closing her eyes. With meditation, she calmed her body. Sakura breathed steadily, picturing the unknown man in her mind. His silhouette took shape, and the air temperature began to drop.

After a few more breaths, Sakura felt this strong sensation in her chest and already knew.

Again he stood in front of her, this time much more conspicuous. His lips twisted in a grimace of sadness poured cold sweat over her. A bitterness and despair passed through her entire body; one that did not belong to her. She was overwhelmed by an incredible need to save someone she probably didn't know either.

She decided, however, to focus on the person in front of her and asked:

"What is your name?"

The spirit opened its mouth, making sounds not of this earth, "Ita... ch… i..."

The connection was still too poor for Sakura to understand him completely.

"What do you want from me?"

She tried further.

"Sasuke. Uchi... ha Sasuke. Find him." he began to blurt out.

"Why?"

"... Help... He..."

"He needs help? Who is he to you?"

The man did not answer.

"I need to know more so that..."

It was not even given to Sakura to finish, because he disappeared once again

The stars reflected in the window. Sakura watched them with concern, wondering what she should do now. She had a couple of options - wait for Itachi to appear once more and send him on his way to finally have eternal peace; break contact herself on his next visit and not bother with his request; or do as he asked and find this boy and help him.

But what was the point of helping this person? What if this situation overrode her? After all, she didn't know what this lost soul expected of her, or what kind of person the bland Uchiha Sasuke was.

Rising from the bed, she stopped at the window, leaning against the sill. Tiny lights in the sky illuminated the night. Sakura believed that each star was a soul that had gained solace and decided to adore the endless darkness, giving the living a little pleasure in this tragic world. If only she had been faster, Itachi would have flown that way too.

However, even though he was no longer alive, he continued to be too heavy; too burdened with guilt.

No matter what, Sakura wouldn't wish it on even her enemies. That terrible pull, the burdens that you can't break free and fly away from.

That's why she made her decision.

With a piece of paper in her hand, she had been circling the area for a good ten minutes. She managed, with the help of a friend, to find the address where the boy lives, but spotting his building was more difficult than it seemed.

She also googled a few other pieces of information - Uchiha Sasuke was Itachi's younger brother, their parents had moved to South Korea five years ago to develop their business there, and the fact that Sasuke had studied at a private school but had not continued his education through the accident in which his brother had died. She did not have the heart to read about Itachi's death.

Sakura turned into the nearest alley and lost faith and strength. Still, she was sustained in her search by this request. Some would think she was crazy; others would think she was insane; and a third would look at her and laugh if they heard who asked her to do it.

However, she persevered through the alleys, looking at the numbering. Finally, she reached her destination. She smiled to herself, eagerly moving in that direction. She climbed the stairs, passing two flats and finally stopping in front of a door with the number one hundred and seventy-two.

Without a second thought, she knocked. There was an echoing sound on the other side. Sakura listened for footsteps, but did not hear a single sound. Perhaps he had moved out or didn't live here at all?

After another two minutes of waiting, she wanted to resign, giving up, but just at that moment someone pulled the door handle and she was met with the sight of a tall young man with black hair reaching his ears and black, tired eyes.

Her thoughts had never gone that far, so Sakura now stood trying to think of something; even if it was to sound strange.

"Hey!"

"Who are you?"

"Oh, right," she held out her hand, "Haruno Sakura." However, Sasuke didn't squeeze it. It became awkward "I hope I'm not interrupting. I know it's the middle of the week, but it was the only day I had—"

"What are you doing here?" he interrupted her in a husky voice.

"It just so happens that..." she hesitated, sensing that Sasuke knew she wasn't here by chance and was up to something, so she decided to finally say her excuse, "I'm looking for Itachi. I met him a while ago and was supposed to see him, but unfortunately I moved and couldn't contact him anymore. I knew he had a brother and I managed to find you."

"My brother is dead."

She noticed that his eyes had settled into a haze and he retreated slightly inward, as if running away from the subject. Sakura made a sad face, perfectly trained by her theater classes at school. She couldn't let him close the door and send her home.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't know."

"How were you supposed to know, huh?" he snorted, clenching his jaw.

"You're right." she pulled a piece of cake from her bag, bought from a nearby patisserie "Perhaps you'd like to talk? I wasn't expecting this information and—"

"No."

She hadn't even had time to form the rest of her statement when the sound of the lock snapping reached her ears. This was going to be harder than she thought it could be. This boy's grief and suffering was immeasurably similar to Itachi's. They were both suffering so much and no one could help them. That was why Itachi turned to her.

Sakura knocked once more, hoping to convince him.

"Sasuke, please, I care..." but it was totally pointless.

She leaned her forehead against the door, heartbroken. That first meeting had been one big tragedy.

She stood there for a good minute as the air thickened and she felt that soul-crushing sensation. Turning around, she noticed Itachi right beside her, not looking at her, but at the wooden door. Sadness covered his black irises. Sakura reached out her hand towards him, but of course she couldn't catch it.

"I'm sorry."

She didn't know just what for.

A tear flew down her cheek.

Sakura couldn't give up. An invisible thread clung to Sasuke and wouldn't let go. It kept pulling her back to this mysterious, hurt boy. And for that reason alone, she once again found herself in front of his door.

Full of hope, she knocked, waiting for him, but all she heard was:

"Go away!" shouted loud enough for her to hear through the thick wood.

She drew calming air in through her mouth and took out a small dinosaur figurine she had bought on the way, because some energy compelled her to do so. She placed it on the doormat, knocking once more to pass on:

"I left you something at the door. Have a good day, Sasuke!"

Sakura would return to his door whenever she could find a day off from work and study. She brought him stranger and stranger things that she associated with him - well, it was more Itachi who pushed her to do it. He was watching over her.

Approaching Sasuke's flat, Sakura took out a basket of black tomatoes she had found at the market. Once again, she didn't count on him opening it for her. She assumed it might be a while before he decided to do so; or it might never happen.

Stopping for the twentieth time in front of the same door, she knocked.

"I leave—"

Sasuke pulled on the door handle, standing in front of her. Sakura stared at him in shock as he swept his eyes around her.

"If I let you in that one time will you leave me alone afterwards?"

The suggestion seemed awful - she was supposed to help him, as she had promised Itachi, and after one meeting she didn't think it would do anything, but if this was the only option to finally talk to him, she decided to take it.

"Yes."

"Great."

Sasuke stepped aside for her, and Sakura walked past, removing her shoes. She heard the lock closing, then followed the boy into the kitchen. There were locked windows everywhere, so the breathiness of the place made her dizzy. The darkness didn't help either. The lowered blinds didn't let a single ray of light through.

They reached a small room. A mountain of unwashed dishes clattered in the sink, leftover food stood on the table. Sasuke picked them up and wiped the countertop, giving space for Sakura's vegetables.

"What do you want to find out so badly that you've been pestering me for a month?" he asked unpleasantly, pulling back the blinds a little.

She bit her lip, sitting down at the table.

"I would like to know... what happened to Itachi."

She stepped onto dangerous ground.

"He died in a car accident." Sasuke sat down with her, "Three months ago."

"You miss him."

"I've grown accustomed to his absence." He cut off quickly, dodging the subject.

The temperature began to drop. Sakura straightened up, searching him with her eyes. He had joined them. Itachi was behind Sasuke.

"He's lying. He's lost." he whispered. She couldn't take her eyes off him "I feel guilty. Help him and set me free."

The temperature returned to normal. Sakura sat with her mouth open, staring into the distance. She continued not knowing how she was supposed to help them.

"Are you okay?"

Sasuke's question snapped her out of her trance.

"Of course." She smiled to allay his doubts; after all, he couldn't think she was abnormal "I was just thinking, wouldn't you like to go for a walk somewhere today?"

"I don't like to leave the house."

"We don't have to go anywhere far. Just a short walk."

She tried still further. He needed to get out of this place; it was what was holding him down and not allowing him to move on. Sasuke needed to change his surroundings; Sakura had needed that once too.

"What do you mean, Sakura?" he raised his voice unexpectedly, "You appear out of nowhere, claim to know my brother but didn't know he was dead, and now you're harassing me."

Sakura became tense. Black irises pierced through her.

"I... it's just," she swallowed her saliva, "when I heard your brother was dead I wanted to help you. I know what it's like to experience grief and I don't wish anyone to be alone through it." she decided to share a little information from her private life to sound more convincing.

"I'm fine by myself." But Sasuke totally brushed her off.

"I see," she pulled out a piece of paper and slid it across the table to him, "If you ever want to meet me again I'll leave you my number."

Picking it up, he looked at it for just a second, then took out another which was under the first.

"Are these some kind of jokes?" he stood up angrily from his seat, handing her the card to the psychologist "My parents sent you?"

"I swear I don't know your parents."

Sasuke breathed heavily for a moment. He couldn't come to terms with the state he was in, Sakura knew that, but she hadn't anticipated his reaction. He defended himself with anger and not letting in the thought that he needed someone. He was running from death and it was chasing him, not letting him escape.

There was no point for Sakura to stay here even a minute longer. Therefore, she took her things and left his flat.

Irritation and nervousness were getting under his skin. Why was a total stranger the first person to really care about his problems? Why did his family and friends leave him alone after two shouts that they should do so, even though they knew he was in pain, and why did she persistently come to his flat for a month and leave things that so deceptively reminded him of his brother?

And why couldn't he push her eyes out of his mind?

A puff of smoke escaped her lips as she sat on the balcony covered by a blanket with a coffee and a cigarette in her hand. She rarely resorted to such stimulants, knowing full well the possible consequences of her actions in the future, but stress had taken hold of her and she could find no other solution for the moment.

Sakura took a drag, shaking off the accumulated ash onto the ashtray.

It was just beginning to dawn, so the only sounds that accompanied her were the chirping of birds. People were slowly waking up from their dreams, having no idea that right next to them a certain pink-haired girl hadn't slept all night because of a certain boy.

She smoked her cigarette to the end, stepping back inside. There was music coming from the radio, but it didn't drown out the sound of the phone. She had received a message.

Sakura walked over to the table, unlocking the screen where a text message at the top - 'Are you free this afternoon?' - from an unknown number.

Or a perfectly familiar one.

The jumper warmed her this chilly autumn. She was standing in the living room of Sasuke's house, waiting for the boy to get dressed. They hadn't exchanged a single sentence since she'd arrived. He simply let her into the flat and disappeared into the room.

She swept her eyes around the rooms, noting that it was quite dirty. She didn't blame him for this, however. She herself, when her mother died two years ago, had not been able to pick up a single paper or cup from the floor for three months. She lost the will to live that day. She only regained it a year later when her mother contacted her.

"I thought we could watch this new film in the cinema,"

Sasuke emerged suddenly from the room, dressed in black trousers and blouse. Sakura smiled softly at his suggestion.

"Sure. What's it about?"

"You'll see."

He took his coat off the coat rack and they walked outside, crossing two blocks. The cinema was practically next to where he lived, in an alley where no one was around. Sakura already knew why he had chosen this place.

Stepping inside, they were greeted by a young girl. Sasuke bought the tickets, and she looked at the movie poster, gasping at the large image depicting a man with wounds - a movie about the apocalypse.

"Why exactly this one?"

"It's gory and interesting, I heard so. Do you like those? If you don't, you don't have to go."

"No, of course I like it! Let's go."

She wanted to grab his sleeve but, as if foreboding, Sasuke accelerated towards the hall.

Meeting Sasuke had become routine at some point. Sakura would get a message first thing in the morning asking if she wanted to meet up and a few hours later she would come over to see him.

The first two weeks they went out twice to a small cafe on the corner of the street where he lived. There they talked, or more like she talked, about studies, work and friends. Sasuke didn't have much to share on these topics, because from what she understood he didn't go to college, neither to work, and most of his friends forgot about him after he stopped going out with them; which upset her a lot. How could someone treat another person like this, who recently lost his brother?

After that time, Sakura found out that Sasuke really didn't like to leave the house. She spent the next month mostly at his place. She would often come over after school, where she would have to go back there again the next day, so she would study while he read in silence without disturbing her. Surprisingly, knowledge entered her head faster at his side.

Later, Sakura came to terms with the fact that she liked his presence, even a lot. At some point, she was no longer doing it for Itachi, but for herself.

She experienced his smile for the first time while cooking together. Sasuke mostly bought ready-made food - absolutely unhealthy and not conducive to anyone, so she decided to take matters into her own hands and did the shopping, coming to him ready to make the best dinner he would ever eat in his life.

"You didn't have to."

"I know, but I wanted to."

They set to cooking, which was not without a few problems, of course. And one of them was not putting the lid on while mixing the mixture. Chunks of dough ended up on the countertop, the wall and their faces.

They looked at each other, and then, unexpectedly, the corners of his mouth lifted up and a short laugh came from his throat. Sakura remembered that day most of all.

After that, making meals together was the norm. So was coming to each other's flats. And planning various things together.

Sakura helped Sasuke clean the house, he helped her with a project for college. She presented him with offers from psychologists at his request, he came to see her and spent the whole night by her side when she found out that her childhood cat had died. And so on and so forth.

They themselves did not even know the exact date; the day their friendship tightened. They became inseparable.

Itachi hadn't visited Sakura for a year, so she thought he had freed himself; he was at peace knowing his brother was happy and under the care of a psychotherapist. This is what he wanted - to see his brother enjoying life again.

Sakura carried out his request.

The family meeting was an unplanned event. Sasuke sat at the table, eating soup and listening to his mother's conversation with his cousin.

If he could, he would be sitting at Sakura's right now. They would probably turn on some movie and prepare snacks together. They would have spread out the couch in the living room and gotten under a blanket. She would hesitantly put her hand on his chest and he would move her closer, showing in a way that she shouldn't think about such things any longer. If only he could...

"Tell me, Sasuke, who's that girl you post on Instagram so often?" Izumi snapped him out of his reverie.

He looked at her, wondering about the answer. They were friends, that was clear, but why, when he looked at her did he feel something else? Was it the right thing to do? Shouldn't he still be reliving his brother's death? He missed him a hell of a lot, but since he was spending time with Sakura his problems and longing were diminishing, was that a good thing?

"Do you like her?" she asked another question, probably impatient.

"Yes." on that he didn't need to think.

"And do you love her?"

"What—? No... it's not like that," he lowered his gaze to the spoon "It's complicated."

"Be that as it may. How did you two meet?"

"She came to me. She was looking for Itachi."

"Itachi?" she quipped "And for what?"

"She met him on a trip to Italy, and then they lost touch. She didn't know he was dead."

"On a trip to Italy? Is that what she told you?"

Sasuke pulled his eyebrows together.

"Yes, why would I lie to you."

"Ask yourself more why she lied to you. I was with him on that trip and no pink-haired girl with a face like that was there."

He felt nauseous.

The rain caught her unexpectedly. Sakura was jogging through the streets, with her bag over her head. There was more water in her shoes than on her clothes.

She kept going, barely able to see what was in front of her. At the next bend, she stopped for a second; something told her - intuition; and she looked more closely at the surroundings. There were three people in front of her, and one reminded her only of him.

It had been so long since Sakura had seen him. He had spent a month at his parents' house.

"Sasuke-kun!" she called out cheerfully, walking up to him and pawing at his hand.

He, however, broke free from her grasp, which worried her.

"Why did you lie to me?"

She bit her lip.

"I lied to you? What are you talking about?"

Sasuke's piercing irises, which had once evoked warmth in her, pelted her with an icy stare.

"Tell the truth, have you met Itachi?"

Sakura trembled at his words. It wasn't what she'd expected after months spent together at the dinner table, on walks, in bed. She thought this little lie would never come out.

"I... not really." She decided to speak the truth; finally.

"Why did you lie to me, Sakura?!"

He raised his voice, and she took a step back. The rain was falling on their heads, their hair sticking to their foreheads.

"It's more complicated than you might think." she said in a low voice.

"Can't you answer right away?" he snorted "You know what, I don't want to hear your explanations. I don't want anything to do with you."

She felt tears under her eyelids. She couldn't lose him, not like this, not when he meant so much to her.

"Please, Sasuke, listen."

She reached her hands towards him again, but he pulled back. An invisible wall formed between them, and the temperature began to drop. Sakura shook herself. How could Itachi be standing here again, in the world of the living? After all, she thought, he was at peace.

"I'm waiting!" he shouted, impatiently.

"I met Itachi," she began to explain, "He showed up in my room a year ago. He was looking for me. His ghost." Sasuke blinked rapidly "He told me to find you. He's even standing here right now, next to you!" she pointed to a spot, though he couldn't see it anyway; Itachi spoke up, and Sakura listened intently "He says he's feeling fine and that he's happy with where you are today. He says he loves you..."

Raindrops mingled with tears. Sasuke turned his back to her so she wouldn't see him crying.

"Why are you telling me this? What is your purpose?" he asked in a breaking voice.

"I'm telling the truth!"

Suddenly, Itachi sent her a grateful smile and disappeared, flying upwards. Sakura fixed her gaze on Sasuke - he had come to terms with his brother's death. And began to walk away.

"Please believe me, I beg you!"

But he was no longer listening.

Her eyes were burning from crying. Three days, that was how long it had been since their last meeting, and she felt awful.

Sasuke must have thought she was a terrible person. He probably hated her now. She assumed he would never speak to her again. Because what would have to happen for him to want to see her again? To him, she was a not normal girl who claimed to have spoken to the ghost of his brother.

Moving from the bed, she picked up a packet of tissues and her phone. She needed to text Ino to see if she could replace her at work next week, as she wasn't up to it.

Unexpectedly, a message came to her - 'I believe you. Please come back to me.'