Dove's POV

After bidding my goodbyes to Twilight, I drove towards the Hope records. I still had a little work left to finish before I take leave for a few days. Also, since I don't know when exactly I'll be back so I'll have to let Charles know about it.

When I reached the Hope records I went straight to finish my work first. It would only take an hour or two for me to finish my work. In the meantime, I hope I don't run into Vinter cause I'm in no position to confront him about what I'm going to do next. If I see him I'll only feel guilty for not letting him know about the decision I took, or worst-case scenario if Vinter finds out about my prolonged leave he might figure out about my plan of breaking our soulmate bond.

~~

After finishing my work, I went to Charles' office. When I entered his office I saw Vinter was already present there. I sighed as I realized that what I feared just happened.

"Charles, can I talk to you for a minute alone?" I asked. He nodded as he got up from his seat. I stepped out of the office as Charles followed me outside.

"What is it, Dove?" Charles asked.

"I just wanted to let you know that I'm finished writing the lyrics of Raining Blaze's new song, so now I will be taking a few days leaves. I'm going on an important trip, and I don't exactly know when I will be back," I told him.

"Well, don't worry about it. Since you are done writing the lyrics, you can go on your trip carefree. It sounds important though. When exactly are you leaving?" He asked.

"Right now," I replied. He nodded.

"Well, see you then," he replied.

"Thanks, Charles. I almost thought you won't allow me to take leave for a such long time," I said. Charles raised his hands in defense.

"I won't do such a thing. It would be my loss if I try to stop you or force you in any way possible since I was the one who requested you to take this job. It would be my loss after all if you will leave Hope records because of inconveniences," Charles spoke. I smiled.

Talent is cherished in this world, and well-refined talent rules this world. The only reason I'm important to these people is that I have a talent no one can beat. What selfish world is this?

"I'll get going then," I said. He nodded and waved at me.

When I reached Micah's car which was parked outside the Hope records I saw a lean figure standing beside my car. Walking closer I realized it was Vinter, since his back was facing me I couldn't recognize him.

He was leaning against my car and playing some game on his mobile. I sighed as I auto unlock the car doors. He turned around to look at me, and I gave him a blank stare.

"Where are you going?" He asked. I opened the driver's seat door.

"Not your business, Harris," I sat inside the car. But he immediately opened the door of the passenger's seat and got inside the car with me.

"Wherever you are going, I'm going with you," he said. I rolled my eyes.

"Get out Vinter. It is my business, I don't want you prying in my business-"

"Are you going to break our soulmate bond?" He asked.

"Who told you that?" I asked.

"I heard you were telling Charles that you are taking leave for a few days, and you don't know when you will be back, so I just took a guess," he said.

"You were eavesdropping on my conversation with Charles?! Vinter have you heard of the term 'privacy'?" I asked. He shrugged.

"I'm sorry for eavesdropping, but I just got curious. I'm going with you though," he stubbornly said. I rolled my eyes as I step on the gas all of a sudden which jerked the car before it started moving at the high speed. I did so to scare him.

"This would be your biggest mistake, Vinter. Trying to get in my way..." I said as I continued taking sharp turns without slowing down. I drove the car recklessly.

"Try me," he mumbled, barely giving any reaction to my actions. This man knows how to get on my nerves, doesn't he?

But how long will he keep up with his calm posture? There will come a time when he'll beg me to stop the car and let him out— cause I can drive even more recklessly than this.

Fifteen minutes passed by and I still received no reaction from Vinter. It is very frustrating when I don't receive the reaction that I desired from others.

I pushed the brakes as the car halted. I looked at Vinter— more like glared at him. He just gave me an innocent smile.

"Why are you being so stubborn?" I asked. He shrugged.

"I just want to go with you, Dove," he replied.

"Do you even know where I'm going?" I asked.

"Somewhere to break our soulmate bond maybe," he replied. I sighed.

"So what are you going to do? Stop me?" I asked. He shook his head.

"No... but I will try to make you change your mind. I won't give up till the very last minute," he spoke. I let out a deep sigh.

"Man! You are so stubborn, and trouble," I said.

"Why a trouble?" He asked.

"You are a pop star, wherever we'll go we'll constantly have paparazzi on our back because of you-"

"I'll put on a disguise. No one will know it's me, I promise," he immediately said. I raised my eyebrows at him.

"You seem pretty confident about whatever you are doing," I said. He grinned.

"I will be trying my best. Can we just stop by a store I know for a few minutes? I just need to buy a hoodie and a pair of jeans," he said.

"Only if that store falls in the same route as where I'm going," I said as I pressed on the gas again.

"Where exactly are we going?" He asked.

"Towards the west."

"That's all?" He asked.

"That's all I know so far."

Vinter fetched his mobile phone out and turned on the GPS. He grinned when he saw something.

"Looks like my store is in the same direction. Let's go!" He cheered. I gave him a blank stare and shook my head.

After a few minutes of driving, we reached what Vinter called a store, but in actuality, it was a huge shopping mall— a good thing the shopping mall was owned by the Harris estate.

"I'll be back in a while," Vinter said. I know Vinter loves shopping so it will take him hours to finish buying what he wants.

"You have 20 minutes, Harris. If you are not back by then I'm ditching you here," I said.

"I'll be back by then. Don't worry," he said with a smile as he dialed a number and went out to talk to someone. He went inside the shopping mall and disappeared.

While Vinter is gone, now I can think carefully about what to do when I reach the lake. I don't understand why Vinter is tagging along even after he knows that I will break this soulmate bond no matter what, if he tries to get in my way I'll force him to go back.

I hope I'll be able to persuade the senile old lady when we reach the lake. First I'll have to search for that village and that old lady's family. If I successfully persuade her family, there is a high possibility to convince the old lady. But even to reach her family I'll have to find that old lady first and follow her. All this is too complicated.

Vinter came back within 20 minutes which surprised me cause the Vinter I know would take at least 4 hours to finish his shopping. He had multiple shopping bags in his hands, and he had his clothes changed. He was wearing a normal hoodie, with its hood pulled over his head, pair of glasses, and a mask. He was looking suspicious but I'm used to such disguise since Belphegor goes around like this all the time.

He kept the bags in the trunk of the car and took a seat beside me on the passenger seat.

"All done," he said.

"Why would you buy so many things?" I asked.

"We don't know when we'll come back, and I can't wear the same clothes every day..." he paused as he picked up something from the back seat. "... I got this for you."

He wrapped a scarf around my neck. It was a pretty knitted grey scarf. He styled it a bit and smiled at me.

"I knew it would look good on you," he said.

"Why would you buy me this?" I asked.

"Just cause I wanted to," he grinned cheekily. I rolled my eyes as I turned the car engine on.

"Weirdo," I mumbled.

"Oh! I bought a few more stuff for you. But it's kept in the trunk, I'll give it to you later," he said.

"You think you can bribe me by gifting me this designer clothing?" I asked. He shook his head.

"I wouldn't dare to," he spoke.

"Why do you always conclude that my actions always have some ulterior motives?" He asked.

"You tell me, Vinter. You are trying to win me from Twilight, don't you think I have the right to doubt you?"

"Fair point. But you are forgetting that I'm also doing this all to make it up to you for what happened in the past," he spoke.

"You have changed a lot, Harris. Though I'm not quite sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing."

"Well only time will tell us that," he said.

I didn't speak anything further, but he made small talk here and there. He asked me if he could drive at least 20 times and I rejected him each time. He was behaving as if everything was normal like I was not on the way to breaking our soulmate bond, and it was pissing me off so badly. I want him to give the reactions that I'm expecting.

I looked at him as he was busy playing some game on his mobile. His amethyst eyes were focused on the screen, he had removed his mask temporarily and his hood was down to make his hair a bit messier. Vinter actually for once looks like a normal guy in his late twenties and not a pop star who is known for his extraordinary fashion sense.

"You look so... normal," I said. I looked ahead on the road, the entire road was deserted. The road was not properly constructed, and it looked like not a lot of people travel through it. I took the road which was not taken by many people, just following my intuitions I followed where the path was leading me.

"What do you mean by that?" Vinter asked. "And do you even know where we are going?"

"I mean you aren't wearing the usual suit and all. It makes you look like a normal guy with a normal job, not the infamous pop-star Vinter Harris," I replied.

"Yes, I know very well where we are going," I lied.

"Yeah well, I have rarely ever worn clothes like this. It's new for me too," he spoke.

"Watch out for a lake that is shaped like an infinity symbol," I told him. He nodded.

I kept dreadfully driving on the road full of gravel. I only occasionally drive so I'm out of shape as a driver, and also driving frustrates me cause I can't observe the surrounding at my own pace. But since this was a faraway place, and I didn't know the exact address I had no other option but to drive here on my own.

"I saw something!" Vinter exclaimed as he pointed to his right. I turned my car to where he pointed and followed the direction. He was right, it was the very lake we were looking for. I didn't expect to find it so soon, but good for me I don't have to drive more.

I parked the car near the lake, and we both got out of it. I stepped closer to the water as Vinter followed me closely behind.

"I never knew a place like this existed," Vinter mumbled. The lake was beautiful as the water was what we call pure and clear. The entire area was filled with nicely trimmed grass, and in the center of the lake just like what Bethany said, there was a huge tree. Since it was pretty late in the evening, there were fireflies surrounding the tree. It was an ecstatic view.

"So this is where all the connections of souls exist huh? Truly heaven on Earth," I spoke.

♤♤♤

~You drew stars around my scars
But now I'm bleedin'~

It's the birthday of the man who inspired me to write this story... but now I can't even wish him a happy birthday cause I lost that right and I don't even want to wish him happiness ever :)