5. Pause

August 2026,

Poziarne, Soare-Luna Kingdom

Alyanna

There are some memories in life that we remember more vividly than the rest.

I looked at the painting in front of me.

This was a face I had painted several times in the last five years. Each time I did, I realized that time had done nothing to dull my memories of him. I still remember how his blue-grey eyes turned bluer when he looked at something he loved—when he looked at me. I remember the angle of the bridge of his nose, the exact shape of his lips, and the slight indentation beside his cheeks whenever he smiled. I remember the sharp angle of his jaw so vividly that I could draw it in my sleep. And that one lock of hair that curled on his forehead whenever he didn't style his hair after a shower. Damn that lock.

It hadn't taken me a lot of time to complete the painting. Just a few days. But they were on