Love has its end, and there is no return date

The Serene Chants Temple hummed with sutras and clamored with a crowd. Kneeling on a prayer mat before the Buddha, Madison prayed with profound depth. *I, Madison, vow to journey to the sacred land, to guard the holy mountain, and never again to set foot beyond the Tibetan Plateau.* Walter observed her humble attire. *The Sacred Peak of Zagrama is humanity’s last pure land. To set foot there requires abandoning all attachments—renouncing every earthly passion and tie.* Though her eyelids fluttered, her gaze held a serenity born of utter detachment. *In this life, I will not marry, I will not bear children. I am willing to lay down my attachments and take monastic vows!* Pity filled his eyes. *The air on the holy mountain is thin, the cold perpetual, the conditions harsh beyond measure. Once you enter, you must guard the sacred land until your life’s end.* *Madison, are you certain?* She nodded solemnly. *I am willing to guard the sacred land for a lifetime. Until my very last breath!* Seeing her resolve was firm, Walter did not dissuade her further. *Fast and purify for three days; bathe and burn incense. Then, I will have the local Tibetans escort you into the holy mountain.* The Sacred Peak of Zagrama was a Buddhist sanctuary, forbidden to outsiders. To go and guard it meant complete isolation from the world. She and Louis would never see each other again. … Madison had lost both parents in her youth, growing up instead within the walls of Serene Chants Temple. When she was five, her parents had taken her up the mountain to pay respects to the Buddha—only to encounter enemies bent on revenge. Murdered by the villains, they left her hiding beneath a statue, where she narrowly escaped. Walter, seeing her alone and helpless, had taken her in. The year she turned eighteen, Madison met Louis and fell for him at first sight. He had fled to the Tibetan Plateau to escape an arranged business marriage, entering religious life as his refuge. One night, Madison pushed open the door to the meditation chamber. Louis sat on a prayer cushion, his fingers turning a sandalwood rosary, sacred verses whispering from his lips. His glacial detachment, the rigid control in his posture—it all kindled a reckless hunger in her. Summoning her courage, she settled herself astride his lap, her pale, jade-like fingers gripping his chin. Her red dress, thin as cicada wings, hinted at the alluring curves beneath. After a lifetime of obedience, she suddenly wanted to break the rules, just this once. "Mr. Louis, your worldly ties are not yet severed. Reciting sutras won’t bring you peace!" His expression remained cold and remote as a mountain glacier, a silent warning. His gaze darkened. "This is a sacred place. You’re defiling it. Have you no shame?" Madison leaned forward, her graceful curves on display as she wrapped herself around his waist with a reckless new allure. "People have emotions and desires, joy and sorrow. Why should that be shameful?" She was eighteen, every fantasy amplified by a lifetime behind temple walls. Having grown up there, she had always yearned for the world outside. Not a ripple of emotion crossed Louis’s face; his eyes stayed utterly still. Madison pressed on, her voice a low murmur. "You don’t want to be a sacrifice to a business marriage. You don’t want to strain family ties, so you choose to run away." "Only a coward runs. The strong face adversity—they hold their own fate." He had fled to this pure sanctuary, thinking he could escape the mundane world. Then his lips found her ear, his warm breath on her skin, and everything spiraled out of control. Candlelight shuddered against the walls. The very room seemed to tremble with the heat they generated.