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Methon had barely sat down when loud knocks echoed through the door.

"Open the door!"

Another knock followed.

"Police!"

Valindra's eyes widened.

"Oh no..."

Methon looked at her.

"What happened?"

She bit her lip.

"I'll explain later."

"What do you mean later?"

Another loud knock interrupted them.

"Hurry!"

Valindra grabbed his wrist.

"We have to leave."

Before he could ask another question, she pulled him toward the back window.

The room had a small emergency exit leading to the narrow alley behind the lodge.

Without thinking twice, they climbed down and started running.

The cold midnight air hit their faces as they disappeared into the empty streets.

After running for several minutes, both finally stopped beneath an old streetlight.

Methon bent forward, trying to catch his breath.

"Now..."

He looked at her.

"...are you finally going to tell me why we were running from the police?"

Valindra burst into laughter.

"You laugh at a time like this?"

She nodded.

"I forgot to tell you."

"My family filed a missing complaint."

"They probably think someone kidnapped me."

Methon stared at her.

"You couldn't have mentioned that earlier?"

"I was going to."

"You never stop talking."

"I know."

They looked at each other...

And suddenly both started laughing.

It was the first time Methon had laughed from his heart in months.

The road ahead stretched endlessly beneath the moonlight.

They had nowhere to rush.

So they simply walked.

For hours.

Valindra talked about everything.

About childhood memories.

About college.

About dreams.

About music.

About the stars above them.

Methon mostly listened.

Sometimes he smiled.

Sometimes he asked questions.

For the first time since Ilana left...

Silence no longer felt heavy.

After a while, they reached a quiet riverside.

Moonlight reflected beautifully on the flowing water.

Valindra walked onto a large wooden log that stretched over the edge of the river.

She carefully sat down.

"Come."

Methon shook his head.

"No."

"Why?"

"I'll fall."

She laughed.

"Exactly."

"That's the fun."

"I don't enjoy falling."

She smiled.

"That's your problem."

"You've become afraid of everything."

He slowly walked toward her and sat beside her.

The river flowed peacefully beneath them.

Valindra looked at the sky.

"You know..."

"People always say the destination matters."

"I don't believe that."

Methon looked at her.

"I think the journey is the most beautiful part."

"Destinations end."

"But journeys..."

"They stay inside us forever."

He remained silent.

She continued,

"People come."

"People leave."

"Dreams break."

"Hearts heal."

"But life..."

"Life never stops moving."

She looked at him and smiled warmly.

"So don't stop living because one person stopped loving you."

Those words stayed inside Methon.

For the first time...

Someone wasn't trying to fix him.

She was simply teaching him how to breathe again.

The night continued.

The river kept flowing.

And somewhere between broken memories and endless conversations...

12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr50aIFXhRe

A lonely man quietly began finding his way back to life.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfMSe0MZNAw

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Methon had barely sat down when loud knocks echoed through the door.

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