Elia hadn't been back in months.
The rooftop used to be theirs.
A place of laughter, sketches, whispered dreams under the stars.
A place where Kael called her Star Girl and promised forever.
But forever didn't happen.
And the rooftop became a memory she avoided.
Until tonight.
She climbed the stairs slowly, sketchpad tucked under her arm, hoodie zipped tight against the wind.
The door creaked open.
Same view.
Same silence.
But everything felt different.
She stepped out.
No one was waiting.
And for the first time, that felt okay.
She sat in her usual spot.
The one where Kael used to lean beside her.
She didn't flinch.
She didn't ache.
She just… breathed.
The city lights blinked below.
The moon hung low, soft and distant.
She opened her sketchpad and began to draw.
Not Kael.
Not heartbreak.
Just the rooftop.
Just herself.
She drew the railing.
The stars.
Her own silhouette—alone, but grounded.
She added gold ink to the edges.
A quiet glow.
Not for him.
For her.
She remembered the nights she waited.
For a reply.
For a message.
For a reason.
But tonight, she wasn't waiting.
She was reclaiming.
Because healing isn't just moving on.
It's returning to the places that once broke you—and realizing they no longer hold power.
She stayed for an hour.
Sketched.
Listened to music.
Watched the moon.
Then she stood.
Looked around.
And smiled.
The rooftop was hers again.
Not a shrine to what was lost.
But a canvas for what could be.
She walked down the stairs slowly.
Not heavy.
Not haunted.
Just… free.