Mai sat by the window of her small room, her fingers tracing the intricate patterns of a traditional Hmong tapestry. She felt a chill run down her spine, as if someone was watching her. The night was eerily silent, save for the occasional rustle of leaves outside.

Kou appeared beside Mai, his presence as ethereal as the mist surrounding them. His eyes held a sorrowful longing, and his touch was as cold as the winter breeze. "I have waited for you," he murmured, his voice a soft echo in the night.

Mai stepped closer to Kou, her heart torn between fear and an inexplicable connection. "Why are you here?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper. Kou gestured towards the tree, where the faint outline of a heart carved into the bark bore their initials.

Mai felt a surge of emotions, memories of a love that transcended time flooding back. Yet, the realization that Kou was no longer among the living filled her with dread. "You cannot stay," she said, tears brimming in her eyes.

Kou smiled gently, understanding the truth of her words. "I will always be with you, my love," he whispered, as his form began to fade into the morning light. Mai watched him go, her heart aching yet comforted by the knowledge that love could never truly die.

Mai walked back towards her home, the tapestry clutched tightly in her hands. Though the world had returned to its normal rhythm, she carried with her the memory of a love that lingered beyond the veil of life and death. "Until we meet again," she whispered to the breeze, a smile touching her lips as she stepped into the warmth of the rising sun.