Left Behind at the Station
Leon Moore
"
…
The next day, I booked a flight to Emerald Rise.
Standing on their streets, surrounded by strangers and unfamiliar faces, I felt like I could finally breathe again. 'So, as it turns out, it isn't so bad to travel alone after all.'
I pulled out the travel itinerary I had carefully prepared and explored the place like any ordinary tourist.
When I got tired, I'd stop and listen to people around me tell their stories.
Only then did I realize—everyone in this world carried their own burdens.
Around a corner, I unexpectedly ran into Elias.
I froze for a moment, then walked right past him like a stranger.
He grabbed my arm, so I turned back.
His eyes were red. He stared at me with that familiar, desperate tenderness until I frowned and tried to pull my arm away.
Slowly and carefully, he let go—then gave me a smile that he probably thought looked gentle.