"This could've all been avoided."

"No, it cannot! We were fated to battle, and it is my destiny to put you down, vile fiend!"

I never wanted it to be this way, but it seems I have no choice.

"We'll see about that. Draw your pathetic blade and face me!"

...

Where am I? I can't see anything, it's too dark.

I stay still, thinking that my eyes will soon adapt to the dark, but that never happened. So I begin walking.

There is no walls, no objects, no anything; it's all just a floor that's the same as everything else. What is this place?

After a few quick moments, I get catapulted a few metres to the side. What the hell was that?

Out of the blue, two large holes begin to form on what I presume to be the wall. It looks like a window to the outside. I stand up to see through the windows but I don't see much.

"It's blurry, but is that a hand?" the gigantic hand seem to be moving closer in an arc, "oh no."

It hit the structure I was in, but I feel a sharp pain on my cheek.

"Sh*t! What's wrong with you?" I scream as my eyes burst open to see who it was.

"What's wrong with me? You're the one who's been spacing out for an entire hour! This is the third time it's happened this week!"

That voice, that face, I know her. Oh, now I know what happened. I was slapped.

"Sorry, it's just something on my mind." but what was on my mind?

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" she brings out a smile and places her hand on my shoulders, seemingly to reassure me.

"I microwaved the sausages in your freezer for five minutes, without defrosting it." I've known this girl for years now, there's no way I won't mess with her a bit.

"You did WHAT!?" She slapped me on the face again. This time, harder.

"I was joking. I ate it while it was still frozen." I try to laugh it off to see if it can cancel out the pain. Before she could swing once more, I grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Damn, you really can't take a joke, can you? I know how much you love those, I haven't touched them." I put on a smile to show that it's the truth.

She quickly turns around, as if to avoid eye contact, "Shut up. We need to go or else we'll be late."

"Late for what, exactly?"

"Memory loss already hitting you, old man?" she says to me mockingly.

"Who're you calling old? We're the same age!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Now hurry up or else we'll be late for the fireworks."

"Fire? works?"

"Yes, fire works very well."

"You cheeky little goblin." now I remember, it's New Year's.

She grabbed my arm then tried to run. I stay put, preventing any movement.

"We have five hours and my house is about a kilometre away. Unless we move slower than a turtle, I think we'll make it in time regardless of whether we walk or not."

"Fine, we'll walk." she agreed with me for once, reluctantly.

After half an hour of walking, we reach my street.

"Look there, it's your house." she points towards a building in the middle of the neighbourhood.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I know what my house looks like. You know, the same house I lived in for 5 years."

She glares at me. I bet she thinks she's scaring me, little does she know she actually looks adorable.

I open the door and drop my bag on the couch.

"So, how about we have dinner before tomorrow?" I ask her. It's been a day so I'm guessing she's hungry.

"Delivery?"

"Not in my house. I'll be cooking."

"Really?" well then, it seems she likes the idea, "I haven't had your legendary cooking for centuries!"

"It's not that good and it's only been three weeks."

"It is legendary and it feels so much longer than that!"

"Alright alright already. Turn it down before someone gets the wrong idea." She looks at me, confused. It seems she doesn't realize what she said can be taken way out of context.

"I'll get to cooking so you just sit back and relax."

"Okay, how long until you finish?"

"Be patient, it'll be done when it's done," I say as I go to the kitchen and grab my knife.

Two hours pass and all the cooking's done.

My masterpiece is finally finished. I should probably call her to dinner now.

"Hey, it's dinnertime."

"YES FINALLY!" she yells out as she rushes to the dining room.

"Lower the volume, will you? Food's on the table, let's eat."

"Sure."

We both sit down on opposite sides of the table. For once, we're actually eating at the table. This is so rare that you can consider it a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Half an hour later, we finish eating dinner and cleaning dishes. 

"That was delicious, great job on the cooking," she compliments me while she finishes drying the last plate.

"Thanks," I accept the compliment, despite it not meaning much to me since I get compliments on my cooking all the time.

"Next time, I'll be the one cooking," she says proudly, "I'll cook even better than you do."

HER? Cooking? Her cooking's as inedible as a rock covered in 7 types of feces! Scratch that, the feces taste better. I can't tell her that so I just turn to her and smile.

"How much time do we have left?"

"About an hour, why?" she says as a rough estimation at most since neither of us has a watch.

"I guess we have time to kill."

"Sure do. What do you want to do?"

"I have no idea. We can just relax for an hour, do our own things."

"Good idea. I'll be watching TV."

"I'll be taking a nap then. Wake me up in half an hour." I say as I make my way to my room. After I jump onto the bed, I try to fall asleep but can't. All I can do is stare at the ceiling. 

A symbol appears into view and everything is once more engulfed in darkness. An unfamiliar voice fills the room. It's coarse, deep, eerie. Its words are unclear but I can make out some.

"Cannot -- changing -- destiny -- kill -- before -- too late --"

What? Altering destiny? Kill what?

I feel a sharp pain on my cheek and everything snaps back to reality.

"Wait, what?" I say as I scan the room.

"You were spacing out again. I might call in a doctor for you, it's worrying me."

"I'm fine. Trust me."

"If you're sure..." she says as she brings her phone out, "It's a minute left until New Year's. C'mon, its time we go to the balcony."

I walk to the balcony to find her waiting for me. We look at our phones for the time.

"Three."

"Two."

"One!"

"HAPPY NEW YEAR'S!"

I put my arm around her shoulders as the first rocket enters the sky. Soon enough, many others follow suit and explode. As the night sky is painted in color, I turn to her. Mustering up the courage to tell her something that's been on my mind, despite me knowing how this will end...

"Silvia, there's something I've been meaning to tell you..."

"Yeah, Valdus?"

"I..."