One Hundred Years Too Late: The Immortal’s Regret

Julian and I are immortals.

On the night of our one-hundredth anniversary, he suggested we play Truth or Dare.

I lost. Dare! Come on, what do you want me to do?

Julian looked at me, his voice flat and calm. Eve, lets take a break. For a hundred years.

I froze.

He gave me a helpless, indulgent smile, the kind he always used when I was being stubborn.

"Theres this girl. Shes been chasing me for three or four years. Shes incredibly persistent, and I dont want to break her heart. So, I agreed to be with her."

"And what about me?" My fingernails dug so hard into my palms that they drew blood.

He brushed it off like it was nothing.

"Mortals only live for about a century anyway. Once shes gone, Ill come back to you."

"Besides, shes pregnant. Youve always loved kids. When the baby is born, you can be the godmother. Isn't that perfect?"

The sheets beneath us still bore the messy creases of our recent intimacy.

I let out a bitter, hollow laugh.

He had no idea.

Monsters like us are completely sterile. We can never conceive.

"When did you sleep with her?" My voice shook.

Julian raised an eyebrow.

"Which time?"

It felt like a cold hand had reached into my chest and squeezed my heart to pieces.

I gripped the white sheets, twisting the fabric until my knuckles turned white.

Julian chuckled softly.

He casually tugged open his collar. On his collarbone were two distinct, fresh bite marks.

I never had the habit of biting him.

Julian gently traced the marks, a look of lingering satisfaction on his face.

"Too many times to count, honestly."

"She kept saying she wanted to be with me for the rest of her life. You have no idea how beautiful she looked when she was trying to hold back her tears."

"I just couldn't resist."

A wave of intense nausea hit me.

The thought of him touching me after being with someone else made my stomach wrench.

I bolted to the bathroom, throwing up until my throat burned.

Julians voice drifted in from the bedroom, cold and mocking.

"Why are you acting so disgusted?"

"Shes only twenty. Youre over a hundred and twenty, Eve. If anyone should be disgusted, its her."

I snapped my head up, my eyes bloodshot as I glared at him.

Being immortal was my ultimate nightmare.

Mortals envied our eternal youth, but they didnt know the price. No family, no friends, constantly running, constantly hiding.

Living like sewer rats.

I used to have Julian by my side to survive it.

But now, I wouldn't even have him.

I took two steps back, my voice incredibly raspy.

"Julian, were done. Officially."

He assumed I was agreeing to his "hundred-year break" proposal. His tense face instantly relaxed.

"Thats my girl."

He reached out to hug me, but I flinched away.

"Im not waiting a hundred years for you," I said. "We are over. Forever."

Julian let out an annoyed sigh.

He reached over and patted my head patronizingly, like he was soothing a pet.

"Eve, stop playing games."

"You only survive in this world because of me. With your terrible disguise skills, you wouldve been dragged into some underground lab for experiments a long time ago."

His eyes drifted to the dense scars on my arms from old needle marks.

"Have you forgotten what they did to you back then?"

My chest tightened, and I quickly covered my arm. My fingers trembled uncontrollably.

Julian and I were both products of a failed immortality experiment.

Exactly a hundred years ago today, I was strapped down to a freezing metal operating table.

I couldn't move. I could only watch as a strange, glowing blue-green serum was injected into my veins.

My body swelled up like raw dough. Even moving a finger was agonizing.

I thought I was going to die.

Until a massive, roaring fire swept through the facility, burning everything to ashes.

The lab became a graveyard of concrete and steel.

A young Julian had carried me out on his back, walking one painful step at a time under the setting sun.

He had whispered:

"Dont be scared, Eve. I burned all the bad guys!"

"From now on, youre with me. Ill protect you forever!"

The boy's promise felt so real back then.

But "forever" turned out to be far too long...

A loud crack of thunder shattered my thoughts.

Outside, a heavy storm had begun to rage.

Julians expression suddenly changed.

He stopped arguing with me, grabbed his phone, and bolted for the door.

I grabbed his sleeve.

Seeing my tear-stained face, Julian hesitated for a brief second. A flash of guilt crossed his eyes.

But then, he peeled my fingers off his arm, one by one.

He broke my last shred of hope.

Julian gave me a helpless smile and kissed the corner of my lips.

"Shes not like you, Eve. Shes fragile. Shes terrified of thunderstorms and shell cry if shes left alone."

"Use this time to calm down. Weve been together for a century. You can't just throw that away."

Bang

The door slammed shut in my face.

Hot tears spilled from my eyes, dripping onto the floor, mimicking the sound of the rain outside.

I stood there for a long time.

Then, I reached for the doorknob.

I left the villa behind.

The rain was pouring hard. I struggled to hold my umbrella against the wind as I walked down the street.

I didn't even know why I was following him.

Maybe it was just habit. Or maybe it was sheer denial.

As I turned the corner of the block, my heart stopped.

Under the awning of the local diner we always visited, Julian had Chloe pinned against the brick wall, kissing her passionately.

They were kissing so deeply, oblivious to the storm.

I could hear their heavy, breathless whispers.

"Its pouring outside. Why did you run out? Do you know how dangerous that is?"

I instinctively spoke up. "I"

But a weak, tearful voice cut me off.

"I dont care! Why were you at her place instead of being with me?"

"You promised youd never see her again. You lied to me..."

Chloe sobbed, looking incredibly fragile and hurt.

Julian, who rarely lost his cool, panicked. He awkwardly wiped away her tears.

I gripped the handle of my umbrella.

My heart ached with a dull, throbbing pain.

So, those worried words he said earlier weren't meant for me at all.

After ten minutes of their passionate makeup session, Julian finally let go of her lips, his hand resting on her waist.

As he turned, our eyes met.

Before I could say a word, Chloes eyes welled up with tears.

She pretended to hide behind him, but then glared at me defiantly.

"Babe, Julian already broke up with you. Keep your distance!"

"Otherwise, Ill tell everyone you're a homewrecker!"

So, she knew who I was.

I stared at her pretty, innocent-looking face, and everything clicked.

Her name was Chloe, and her family owned this diner. She usually helped out here.

I couldn't eat spicy food, but Julian loved it.

So, I had endured stomach aches just to accompany him here, week after week.

And while I was suffering from heartburn, these two were secretly messing around behind my back.

I forced a bitter smile.

Julian looked slightly uncomfortable.

"Eve, look..." He made a move to come over to soothe me, but before he could take a step, Chloe shoved him back.

She sobbed dramatically:

"Fine! Go to her then! Go to your side chick!"

"You two are the real soulmates. Ill just leave!"

"And the baby... you can forget about the baby too!"

With that, Chloe turned and ran into the pouring rain.

She looked so weak, yet so dramatic.

Julian panicked, grabbed her arm, and pulled her back into his embrace.

He began to coax her endlessly.

"Babe, dont say such stupid things."

"Youre the only one I love. Ive been bored of Eve for years. She doesnt compare to you."

"Fine," Chloe pouted proudly, pointing a finger at me. "Then tell her to get lost!"

Julian looked over at me, his gentle expression instantly turning into irritation.

He said coldly, "Eve, go home."

The rain was freezing, splashing against my skin.

It was impossible to seek shelter here anymore.

I bit my lip and opened my umbrella to leave.

But Chloe grabbed my hand, tilting her head with a sweet, mocking smile.

"Hey, I dont have an umbrella. Can I have yours?"

Julian stood silently behind Chloe, doing nothing.

His silence was his consent.

I was shaking all over. I violently shook Chloes hand off, turned around, and walked away.

But Julian finally moved.

He leaned in close to my ear, his voice dropping into a threatening whisper.

"Eve, youre an immortal. Your body can handle a little rain."

"But Chloe is different. Shell get sick."

"Be mature for once. Stop throwing a tantrum."

I let out a cold laugh.

The man who once swore to protect me from every storm in the world was officially dead to me.

I slowly lowered my umbrella, dropped it on the ground, and walked straight into the heavy rain.

As if things couldn't get worse.

Just as I walked a few yards away, a car lost control on the slick road and sped straight toward me.

Crash

I couldn't dodge in time. I was thrown into the air and slammed hard onto the asphalt.

Julian seemed to realize something was wrong and looked over.

A pool of bright red blood began to spread on the dark road.

I lay there alone, like a broken doll. Lifeless.

Julian took a step toward me, his lips tight.

But the next second, Chloe covered his eyes from behind.

She whispered seductively in his ear, "Babe, Im wearing that thing you like tonight."

"The white lace one..."

Julians response was swallowed by another kiss.

In his mind, it didn't matter.

An immortal wouldn't die anyway. Why care if she got hit by a car?

Chloe smiled with pure satisfaction.

My body felt shattered.

Unbearable pain tore through me, but it was nothing compared to the agony in my chest.

Even though immortals don't die, we are still human. We still feel pain.

As the sound of their soft whispers faded, my heart died.

The panicked driver ran out of the car, his knees shaking, trying to call 91

I struggled to crawl up.

I stopped him.

If the police got involved, my fake identity would be exposed.

Under the terrified gaze of the driver, I limped away into the dark.

I didn't know how long I walked.

By the time the rain stopped and the sun came up, the streets were getting crowded.

People pointed and whispered:

"Oh my god, look at her. Shes covered in blood!"

"Her clothes are a mess. Did she get beat up by some wife for sleeping with her husband?"

"Probably got kicked out of some guy's house, haha..."

By the time I regained my senses, I was inside a hospital.

The doctors and nurses were horrified by the blood, but after a quick examination, they looked even more shocked.

"This makes no sense... why don't you have any actual wounds?"

I froze.

I was so out of it that I forgot my body heals itself instantly.

I dragged my exhausted body back to the villa, only to run into the happy couple at the entrance.

I accidentally bumped into Chloe.

Before I could even apologize, Julian shoved me hard.

I fell to the cold ground, my head spinning.

A familiar voice sounded, filled with uncertainty. "Eve?"

My heart sank.

Predictably, Chloes mockery followed immediately.

"Are you kidding me? Is this actually Eve?"

She walked around my disheveled self, looking at me like I was a piece of trash.

"How did you turn into a homeless dog overnight?"

"How pathetic."

I struggled to stand up.

"I don't need your pity!"

I gritted my teeth and swung a hand to slap her, but Julian caught my wrist mid-air.

He glared at me, his grip so tight I could hear my bones pop.

He shielded Chloe behind his back.

A lump formed in my throat.

My mind flashed back to the summer when I was twenty.

In a dark alley, Julian had easily taken down a creep who was harassing me, slamming the guy's face against the brick wall.

"Apologize to her," Julian had snarled.

The creep had begged for mercy, kneeling and bowing.

I had laughed and asked Julian, "Hey, why are you so good to me?"

The young boy's face had turned bright red.

"Because... youre my family."

"Just family?"

He had nodded, then shook his head, completely flustered.

I still remembered how cute and innocent he was back then.

Chloe let out a dramatic gasp, her eyes turning red as she squeezed out a few tears.

Julians voice was ice-cold. "Apologize."

I kept my mouth shut.

Chloe bit her lip, acting terrified. "Babe, it's fine if she doesn't want to."

"I... Im okay..."

She shed a couple of perfect tears.

Julians frown deepened.

He held a medical report in one hand and used his other hand to force my head down, forcing me to bow to Chloe.

"Apologize to her. Don't make me say it again!"

During the struggle, the paper in Julian's hand fell to the ground.

My breath hitched.

The report read: *Pregnant, six weeks.*

No wonder. No wonder he was acting like this.

"Im sorry," I whispered.

Chloe smirked. "What was that? Speak up, I can't hear you."

My head was forced lower, my vision blurring.

"Im sorry. I shouldn't have bumped into you."

"It was my fault."

"I was wrong."

Chloe looked satisfied.

Julian finally released his grip on the back of my head.

He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up, and scoffed.

"Why are you crying?"

Was I crying?

I wiped my face and felt the cold moisture on my fingers.

Julian picked up the report, rubbing his temples in frustration.

"You see this? Chloe is actually pregnant."

"This baby is a miracle. You need to stop picking fights with her."

"I know you love kids. I can convince Chloe to let you be the godmother. That way, your dream can come true too."

Chloe pouted. "No way."

Julian smiled indulgently, stroking her hair.

"Fine, fine. Im just saying it to quiet her down. Our baby belongs only to us."

They walked past me, hand-in-hand, leaving me alone in the empty hospital lobby to be swallowed by the whispers of strangers.

Julian was wrong.

I was never the one who wanted kids. He was.

He craved a family more than anything.

Over the decades, I had seen him stare longingly at children playing in the park.

What was he thinking back then?

Probably that I was broken because I couldn't give him a child.

But he was wrong. It wasn't just me who was sterile.

His resentment had built up over the years, forming a bitter knot in his heart.

And I had been too blind to see it.

Lost in thought, I walked aimlessly until I stopped in front of a run-down brick apartment building in the old industrial district.

This was the very first place we bought together.

The furniture inside was exactly as it was decades ago, covered in a thick layer of dust.

I washed off the dried blood and changed into my favorite bright red dress.

I stood in front of the mirror.

My reflection was still youthful, looking exactly the same as it did a hundred years ago.

For a second, I saw Julian hugging me from behind in the reflection, burying his face in my neck.

"Eve, whats for dinner tonight?"

I had asked him back then, "I didn't have a name before. Why did you call me Eve?"

He had laughed softly against my shoulder.

"Heh, its a secret."

I smiled at the memory, but the smile quickly faded.

I picked up a decayed wooden box from the closet and walked out without looking back.

My phone buzzed twice.

It was a text from Julian.

[Bring the keys of the villa back. Chloe wants them.]

[Im busy right now, so shes waiting for you at the gate. Don't make her wait.]

How efficient.

In just two days, a person could change so completely.

It made me feel like a century had passed in a flash.

I sighed.

I needed to give him the wooden box anyway, so I might as well go.

When I arrived, the entrance of the villa was blocked by moving trucks.

Chloe's belongings were being carried inside, filling up every corner.

Meanwhile, my clothes, shoes, and personal items were tossed onto the muddy driveway like actual trash.

I clenched my fists, shaking with anger. "What right do you have to throw my things away?"

Chloe looked down at me from the porch.

With Julian gone, she didn't bother pretending anymore.

She sneered:

"I threw them out. What are you going to do about it? Hit me?"

She picked up one of my silk nightgowns with two fingers, pinched her nose in disgust, dropped it in the mud, and ground her heel into it.

I stepped toward her, suppressing my rage.

"Stop right there."

Chloe didn't look scared at all. Instead, she whipped out a yellowed notebook and waved it in front of me.

The sun was hot, but I felt a sudden chill run down my spine.

She smiled maliciously.

"So, immortals really do exist."

"Eve, guess what will happen if I turn this journal over to the authorities?"

My mind went completely blank.

I looked at her, silently begging.

Chloes grin widened.

She pointed her manicured finger at the muddy nightgown on the ground.

"Put it on, and Ill keep your little secret."

The nightgown was so filthy you couldn't even see its original color.

I slowly bent down.

My hands shook as I picked it up and walked toward the house.

"Where do you think you're going?" Chloe grabbed my shoulder, pointing at the driveway.

"I want you to change right here."

What...?

I stared at her in disbelief.

This was outside the villa. There were dozens of moving guys walking back and forth, their vulgar gazes already lingering on me.

Chloes voice was cold. "You have two minutes, or I'm calling the cops."

I gripped the dirty fabric.

My head spun, and memories of being strapped to that cold operating table flashed before my eyes.

Trembling, I began to unzip my dress.

I let it slide down.

Chloe immediately pulled out her phone.

The sound of her camera clicking and her cruel laughter filled my ears.

My face was completely pale. I barely registered what was happening.

"Are you happy now?" I whispered.

Chloe smirked.

With pure malice, she said, "I lied. I'm posting this video online right now."

My eyes flared with anger.

I lunged forward and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her violently.

"You"

"Ah!"

Two voices sounded at once.

Chloe suddenly fell backward onto the ground, clutching her stomach in agony.

I stood there, stunned.

Just then, Julians car screeched to a halt. He sprinted over and knelt beside Chloe.

He tried to lift her, but his hands were instantly covered in bright red blood.

She was miscarrying?!

Julian roared in fury, glaring at me like a wild beast.

I panicked. "No... it wasn't me..."

"She fell on purpose! I only shook her!"

Julians face was terrifyingly dark.

He stood up, towering over me.

"Youre saying she framed you?"

"Would she kill her own baby just to frame you?!"

I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

He already believed I was a murderer. Nothing I said would matter.

Chloe sobbed in pain.

Julian gently lifted her into his arms, comforting her.

"Dont cry, babe. Its going to be okay."

"I called 911. They're coming. Don't be scared."

My heart went completely cold.

There was a time when I was terrified of being discovered, and Julian would wrap his arms tightly around me, whispering:

"Don't be scared, Eve."

"I'm here. Ill always be here."

"I won't let anyone find out your secret, even if it kills me."

But those days were long gone.

Chloe pointed a trembling finger at me, screaming through her tears.

"Julian! She killed our baby!"

"Call the cops! I want her to pay! I want her in jail!"

Julian stiffened slightly.

His voice sounded strained. "Chloe, lets get you to the hospital first. Ill make her apologize later."

"But calling the police... lets not do that."

Chloes eyes widened in outrage.

"Julian! Ive been with you since high school! How can you protect her?!"

She struggled out of his arms, grabbed a fallen pocketknife from the ground, and pressed it against her own throat.

"Either she goes to jail, or I die right here!"

Blood began to bead at the tip of the blade.

Julian looked lost for a moment.

He stared at me, his eyes filled with a complicated darkness.

Eventually, he took the knife from her hand.

The wail of police sirens echoed from down the street.

I suddenly burst out laughing.

Like a madwoman, I began smashing everything around me. Even the old wooden box was shattered into pieces.

The officers rushed in and immediately pinned me down.

Before they threw me into the back of the police car, I looked back at Julian. I was completely calm.

"Julian, you are so incredibly stupid."

"Pathetic."

Julian froze.

His eyes fell on the papers that had slid out of the shattered wooden box.

As he read the bold letters on the top sheet, his pupils shrunk to the size of needles.