The most precious soul
It was a cold winter’s evening. I was walking along the riverside, thinking about the fate of life. I was worried about my future and mourned my past. Some mistakes felt like heavy burdens, making it hard for me to breathe.
Up until a year ago, I was a doctor. But then something happened- something I could never have imagined. It shattered me completely.
One year ago...
“Hi, how are you?” A sharp, heavy voice called from behind me. I froze for a moment, then turned to see who was there.
He was the one closet to my heart, the one who meant everything to me. Without him, I felt as though I couldn’t breathe. He was the one who was my entire life, the one who brought peace to my soul. Without him, everything felt empty.
“Oh, you’re here”, I said with a faint smile, my heart easing as I looked at him.
He lifted one eyebrow, a faint smile playing on his lips, and said softly, “Why did you imagine someone else?”
“No, no... it wasn’t what you thought,” I said quickly, trying to make it clear to him.
“Oh, why are you worried? I was only joking", he said calmly. Noticing the worry on my face, he quickly reassured me, making sure I understood his words were lighthearted.
“You didn’t answer my question about your health. You know I worry about you- about everything that concerns you.” He held my hand gently, his words soft and steady. His eyes locked onto mine, searching deeper, as though he could see straight into my soul.
He was so close I could feel the warmth of his breath against my skin. My heart pounded wildly, each beat echoing the storm of emotions inside me.
He smiled, gently releasing my hand before stepping back. My breathing grew uneven, racing as though I had just finished a marathon, my chest rising and falling with the weight of emotions I couldn’t control.
“Calm down, dear... calm down.” he whispered softly. His voice steady and reassuring. I stepped back, my breath still uneven, but his familiar habit of soothing me began to ease the storm inside.
“You know your closeness makes me uneasy,” I said with a heavy breath, my voice trembling as I tried to make him understand.
“But it isn’t fair,” he whispered, his voice trembling. “I can’t stop myself from reaching for you.... you are my weakness”. His expression grew solemn, the smile fading into seriousness. Though his words were meant to soothe me, I could sense the weight behind his gaze- as if he carried truths, he wasn’t ready to share.
“But you... you don’t even allow me to come close,” he said, his voice heavy with longing. “And yet, I can’t help myself- you are my weakness”.
“Enough,” he said, his voice heavy. “Make yourself easy first- that’s what matter to me. My useless wishes can go to hell. You’ve made my closet one uneasy.” His face was filled with sadness, as though in that moment he had lost everything dear to him.
He is the owner of Imperium Exchange, the world’s largest trade center- a citadel of commerce where nations bowed and fortunes rose or fell at his command. He was the sole heir of the Valerius dynasty- a lineage whispered about his boardrooms and feared in trading halls. The Valerius family had built Imperium Exchange brick by brick, turning it into the world’s largest trade center, a fortress of commerce nations bent to its rhythm. And now, all of it rested on Rafael Valerius’s shoulders.
Rafael Valerius was the man of dignity and power, the sole heir of the Valerius dynasty, and the master of Imperium Exchange- the world’s largest trade center. His presence commanded silence, his decisions shaped nations, and his empire stood as a monument to generations of ambition.
On the other hand, I was nothing more than a surgeon- a doctor whose name carried little weight beyond the sterile walls of the operating theatre. In front of Rafael Valerius, heir of Valerius dynasty and master of Imperium Exchange, my reputation was no more than dust, an insect crushed beneath the heel of his empire.
He was the man of dignity and power, the one whose decisions rippled across nations. And I... I was a shadow, insignificant, trembling in the presence of a man who could command yet falter at the nearness of my gaze.
To the world, he was untouchable, a titan whose empire bent nations to his will. Yet even Rafael, with all his wealth and dominion, bowed in respect before me. The world’s greatest titan lowered his head, not to kings or nations, but to me. In his eyes, I was the most precious soul in his world- more valuable than empires, more enduring than crowns. He bowed not to nations, but to me, and in that reverence, I saw the truth: that even the strongest man alive could be undone by love.
He loved me more than the world, more than himself. I was his obsession the one truth that eclipsed the empire he commanded.
He stepped back, moving with a sad face, as though the weight suddenly become too heavy to bear. Rafael Valerius- the man of dignity and power- looked fragile in that moment, his sorrow more commanding than all the crowns he wore.
When I saw him walking away, sorrow etched across his face, I could not bear the distance. I ran towards him and embraced him from back, holding him as though my arms alone could keep the empire’s master from slipping into the shadows of his own sadness.
Feeling my presence on his back, he smiled warmly, a rare softness breaking through the sorrow on his face. His hand found mine and held it strongly, as though in that grip he could anchor himself against the weight of empire and loneliness of power.
Then he turned back and looked at my face with a mischievous smile, a spark of playfulness breaking through the sorrow hat had weighed him down.
He gathered me into his arms and moved towards the room, each step heavy with unspoken emotion. I felt the strength of a man who ruled empires, yet the tenderness of one who feared losing the only soul more precious than his world.
I could not stop him, so I hid my face against his chest in embarrassment. His embrace was overwhelming, his presence too powerful, and in that moment my shame melted into the warmth of his heartbeat.
He smiled at my action and moved forward, his warmth breaking through the silence like sunlight piercing a storm. In that simple gesture, I felt the tenderness of a man who carried empires yet found his joy in me.
