The minutes stretched into hours as the residents huddled together in the protective haven of the town hall.
Unfortunately, their security only held for a few hours.
The barriers they constructed, as predicted by Mia earlier, were not strong enough to withstand all the incoming water, which had already flooded the entire city.
As the barriers broke, water surged in like a tsunami, violently wreaking havoc inside the city hall.
The sounds of cries for help and fearful sobs echoed loudly, accompanying the noise of water rushing in and destroying everything Mia had tried to protect.
Mia panickedly gripped Heya's wrist, holding her breath as they were tossed by the waves until Mia felt a pull on her arm.
Heya pulled Mia, and both of them sat on a high platform that kept them away from the calming flood.
Mia looked around; the platform was spacious enough, and several children and women had already been saved, sitting on the elevated surface. Some men were swimming and diving here and there to rescue their family members.
Those who were saved cried in fear and shivered in the cold and overwhelming fear.
All of this was exactly like Mia's dream last night. Exactly. Identical.
Fear gripped Mia's chest.
In her dream, she lost Heya. And if this reality truly paralleled her dream, she didn't want to lose her lover. She wasn't ready.
Mia's heart raced, the echoes of her dream haunting her thoughts. The scene unfolding before her mirrored the nightmare that had visited her sleep the night prior, down to the chilling details.
Heya, sensing Mia's distress, wrapped his arms around her, attempting to provide a comforting shield against the rising fear. The underground city, once a sanctuary, now resembled a submerged realm, a cruel manifestation of Mia's premonition.
With each passing moment, the water level on the platform rose, and Mia couldn't shake the feeling of impending doom. She glanced around at the frightened faces of the other residents, their eyes reflecting a shared desperation. Mia's mind raced as she grappled with the surreal convergence of her dream and reality.
Suddenly, a collective gasp filled the air as the water level ceased its ascent. The platform, though partially submerged, held steady, providing a precarious sanctuary for those clinging to it. The town hall, once a symbol of refuge, was now an island in a sea of uncertainty.
Mia's gaze met Heya's, her eyes pleading for reassurance. Heya squeezed her hand, offering a silent promise of solidarity. As the residents clung to the elevated surface, a new challenge loomed – the aftermath of the flood and the uncertain fate that awaited them in the submerged city.
"Dan." Heya suddenly whispered in Mia's ear in a croaked voice.
Mia turned to look at her lover's face, filled with confusion.
Heya smiled broadly before her hand descended to caress Mia's belly. "Our child's name, Dan."
Panic found its way back into Mia's heart. "Why are you talking like that? Stop saying nonsensical things. We don't even know if our child is a boy or a girl!"
Heya chuckled softly with his hoarse voice, his hands returning to embrace his lover and gently stroking her back. "Our child is definitely a boy, believe me. And you have to promise to name him Dan. Daniel."
Mia shook her head vigorously, her suppressed sobs finally breaking out in her lover's embrace. "No! No, you can't! You have to wait until I give birth to our child and only name him then!"
Heya didn't respond and just held Mia longer to soothe his lover's cries.
In the flood surrounding them now, some lifeless bodies floated, making their saved family members cry hysterically.
The loud cries somewhat drowned out Mia's equally intense sobbing.
Heya released his embrace, but his hands still held Mia's shoulders, who was now crying and pleading to him not to do what he wanted to do. "Don't do it, Heya. I beg of you. You promised not to leave me, not to abandon me."
"I am sorry, baby," he said weakly and caress his girlfriend's face with apologetic gaze.
"You said you won't abandon me!" Mia yelled in desperation, tears keep streaming down her eyes. "You said you will always be with me! Don't you dare leaving me all alone!"
"You have to live well." Heya said again, ignoring the words that his girlfriend yelled to his face, as he closed his eyes.
The sounds of Mia's pleading are still ringing in his ear but he tried to focus on saying the life replacement spell that he learned from Mia a few days ago.
In the darkness of his vision, he saw Mia living happily without him. A little bit lonely, but happily.
Heya doesn't have Mia's youthful power that keeps her young so as he replaced Mia's soul with his, Mia starts to grow older and older.
As he expected, his girlfriend still looks beautiful with her white hair and wrinkled smile.
What a pity that he can't grow older next to her in that imagination.
Heya feels a warm tear dripping down his own eyes as he completed the spell. After this, he won't be able to spend his time with his girlfriend anymore.
The water didn't stop flooding their city. The flood's height continued to rise over time.
After Heya gave Mia the life replacement spell, he quickly embraced his lover in their final hug.
This time, no more cries or shouts were heard because the water had flooded the entire city, and everything was submerged.
Heya felt his lungs filled with water, nausea and pain overwhelming him. His head felt like it was about to explode from the intense pain, but he still held onto his lover's limp body. He believed that after the flood subsided, even though he wouldn't be there to witness it, Mia would continue her life well.
In his final moments, Heya's hands tenderly stroked Mia's back with full love until Heya succumbed to the darkness that forcibly seized his consciousness.