She always fell asleep after, and Eske could see the sheets drawing the curve of her body. It was one of the most beautiful sights for him. His fingers were in her hair, playing with it as she slept on top of him. Her head rested against his chest, making him feel safe and warm. A sense of peace, like a lullaby composed by the number nine.


    He would have loved to hear it all day long alongside the sight of Nona''s face, which made his heart beat faster each time, as if it was the first time they were alone together.


    The thought gave him an oddly pleasant feeling, a kind of warmth spread through his entire being, making every part of himself tingle with delight. But now Nona had to wake up and get ready for the end of the world.


    ''Meow.''; he mimicked a cat jesting: ''Baby,''


    She moaned, protesting.


    ''Nona, my love, it''s time to get ready.''


    She woke up from sleep, kissing him softly and said, ''I''m awake.''; kissed him more deeply than before. She didn''t want to leave this bed, and neither did Eske. He couldn''t take his eyes off her lips or stop feeling her soft hands entwined around his neck. ''It tastes like peppermint.''


    Eske chuckled: ''You say that each time.''; he smiled at her teasingly. And even though there was nothing new about their conversation, it still seemed special to him. How wonderful life could be when you''re in love even after all this time. ''Don''t look at me like that. We really need to get out of bed.''


    Her lip pouted, which was enough to make Eske feel his heart was about to burst. He wanted to kiss her again. To make love to Nona until both of them forget everything except how good it feels to be together. They lay side by side, looking into each other''s eyes. ''Don''t do that to me. Come on, get up.''; he said, patting her leg.


    ''You are cruel, Mr Eske Otto Schrodinger.''; she said, leaving the bed.


    ''Hey, Nona!''; he called after her.


    She turned to face him. ''Yes?''


    ''I love you.'';


    She blushed, smiling sweetly, and replied: ''And I love you.'';


    As she walked away from the bed, her naked skin was covered by black particles that turned into a light fabric revealing setim-liked leggings covered by a transparent drapped coat. She almost looked like a renascent goddess painting. At this moment, Eske felt as if he''d been granted a miracle. A vision of her standing here in front of him made him feel as if he had found a piece of heaven even though he didn''t believe in god.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    He sat up and tried not to stare too much at her bare feet. She was breathtaking. He gathered his clothes and dressed quickly, trying to ignore the fact that he could smell her perfume lingering on his shirt.


    ''Are you ready, my love?''; she asked.


    ''Yeah.''; he answered, holding her hand. He took her wedding ring from the bed table and placed it on her annular finger. He grabbed her by the wrist, turning it slowly so she could see her tattoos: ''This is our address, 1-5-9-2-6-5-3-5-9. Nona?''


    ''1-5-9-2-6-5-3-5-9''; she repeated.


    ''These are our initials. E.S. and N.P., so you don''t forget where home is.''


    ''Eske Schrodinger and Nona Perenna.''; she said, giving him a confirmation smile. ''I''ll be fine, my love.''


    ''Wedding ring?''


    ''Love of my life, I got this. Trust me.''


    ''Come back home safe. I''m not asking.''; Eske whispered as he kissed her hand.


    ''I will.''; she promised, replying to him back with another kiss. Then she opened the windows, summoning a white hover from her black particles. She stood over the gadget, and as if a floating skateboard, Nona flew directly to the city''s heart.


    At that moment, from every screen, stream, podcast, and radio, a message was heard from all around the world: ''Greetings, citizens of the world. I''m Chloe, speaking on behalf of Pi timeline. Don''t be afraid.''; an immaculate young face appeared on every device worldwide, speaking in each language correspondent of its location.


    ''Your timeline has been selected to be eliminated. Your governmental choices, lack of mutual respect, and disinterest in protecting your world and preserving a future for your children have made your reality an eligible danger to our world. Here at Pi, we work hard to give a better world to all our citizens. With no countries, religion, greed or hunger. We are children of a healthy planet Earth. We are the dream that came true. We regret that you have not felt the righteousness to protect what is most needed - time. The deletion of .604241965 will be completed within the next hour. The only thing we can assure you of is that there will be no pain. There will be no regret. Your loss will be clean. Many of you are in other timelines, and all you have built in this reality will be archived and preserved in our database. Nothing is really lost. Enjoy your last moments with those you love the most. Thank you for your sacrifice. Until we meet next time.'' The screen repeated the message, and the stoic staged voice could be heard under the silent scream of a time-space vortex swallowing the world slowly. At the same time, tornados, thunders and earthquakes ravaged the globe in each corner.


    It was something truly beautiful to be seen. Eske opened a door and left .604241965 behind. With the promise his wife will not miss their daughter''s birthday party.