The sky overhead flickered like a broken mirror— patches of violet dawn and pixelated blackness bleeding into one another. But beneath its unsteady canvas, time seemed to slow.
Jay sat beside Alicia on a cracked bench that hadn't been there moments ago. Maybe it had always been there— just waiting for the two of them to finally sit down.
A breeze rolled by, carrying no scent, only memory. Alicia's hair moved gently with it, brushing his shoulder. She didn't apologize this time.
"...Feels unreal," Jay murmured.
Alicia smiled faintly, eyes not quite meeting his. "Maybe it is. But I think I'm done running from what's real… or not."
He didn't answer. But his hand found hers.
The silence that followed wasn't empty. It was heavy with everything left unsaid— with memories of battles, lost time, flickers of who they used to be.
