The first few days felt manageable.
Not easy.
Just… manageable.
They texted.
A lot.
More than usual.
Like both of them were trying to fill the space as quickly as it appeared.
Kai:You would hate it here. It's way too loud.
Velithra:I already do.
Kai:I knew it.
Small things.
Simple things.
Normal things.
At night, they called.
Sometimes for hours.
Sometimes just a few minutes.
"Did anything interesting happen today?" Kai asked one night.
Velithra thought about it.
"No."
"Same."
They stayed on the line anyway.
Not talking much.
Just listening.
Because silence over the phone felt different.
Not as comfortable.
But still better than nothing.
Time started to shift.
Kai got busier.
New place.
New people.
New routines.
Velithra stayed in the same town.
Same streets.
Same field.
The difference started to show.
"Sorry, I couldn't call earlier," Kai said one evening.
"It's fine."
"I had to—"
"You don't have to explain."
But he did anyway.
Because he wanted her to understand.
Because he didn't want it to feel like distance meant disinterest.
Velithra listened.
She always did.
But after the call ended—
The quiet felt a little heavier than before.
She noticed it more during the day.
Walking alone where they used to walk together.
Sitting in the field without someone beside her.
Reaching for her phone—
Then stopping.
Not because she didn't want to text.
But because she didn't want to interrupt.
Kai noticed things too.
Moments where he instinctively turned to say something—
Then realized she wasn't there.
Laughing at something—
Then wishing he could see her reaction instead of typing it.
Time zones didn't help.
Schedules didn't help.
Sometimes their messages crossed.
Sometimes one replied hours later.
Not on purpose.
Just… life.
"Sorry, I fell asleep," Kai texted one night.
"It's okay," Velithra replied.
And it was.
But also—
It wasn't.
Because each small delay felt like something stretching.
Not breaking.
Just… stretching.
They still tried.
That part never changed.
But effort didn't stop distance from existing.
One night, they stayed on a call longer than usual.
Neither wanted to hang up.
"Say something," Kai said quietly.
"You say something."
"I don't have anything."
"Me neither."
A pause.
"This is harder than I thought," he admitted.
Velithra didn't answer right away.
Because she felt it too.
"Yeah," she said.
Not dramatic.
Not overwhelming.
Just true.
Another silence.
Then—
"We're still trying, though," Kai added.
Velithra nodded, even though he couldn't see it.
"Yeah."
That mattered.
Not that it was perfect.
Not that it was easy.
But that they hadn't let go.
Not yet.
Even if distance was starting to reshape everything—
They were still there.
On opposite sides of it.
Trying to reach across.