Choosing to Regret

Moriel sat at his lover's bedside, his hand wrapped around hers. He looked down. Once olive, her skin was now as pale as his. Moriel could've helped prevent this. He could've concocted something to bring her back, to banish this horrible sickness. He should've done something the first time she fell ill. He was more than willing and thought about doing it in secret after she asked him not to. If life were to let her go and death wanted to take her, she wanted to go. This is what she told Moriel, and he listened, despite hating the idea. He'd do anything for her, even if that meant letting her die. But, what if he hadn't listened... Maybe she'd still be here, by his side. Eternally. They would've been happy together. She wouldn't have left him alone in this great, cruel world. But he knew she'd be angry if he forced her to stay. Moriel didn't—he couldn't understand the peace that enveloped his love as her life faded away. The way her eyes closed, like she was sleeping. She looked happy. He didn't want to take that away...

Note:

I only had 650 characters to work with when I first wrote this, and best believe I used every single one. It's been adjusted slightly now to be easier to read.

About the characters:

Moriel is a vampire who craves true immortality. He wanted to outlive death itself at any cost. In trying to do so, he experimented on himself with different blood types. When he began to age again very, very slowly, he stopped. Later, he met a woman named Cypress, and they fell in love. She was an immortal being, and they were basically made for each other. 75 years into their relationship, Cypress grew incredibly sick. She recovered after a few years, but the illness came back after some time, hitting her harder than before. This time, it took her life, and Moriel was left behind to live on without her. This sent him into a state of depression and muteness for at least 10 years.