She reached the edge of a black-water lake, its surface a perfect mirror for the stars. This was the place where they used to sit, back when life felt simple. She had crossed internal oceans and climbed mountains of regret just to stand here again, hoping to find the version of herself she’d left behind.
She stepped off at a station that smelled of pine and damp earth, far from the concrete labyrinth she called home. The lyrics of a half-forgotten song hummed in her head: I’ve been running through the jungle, I’ve been running with the wolves. Selena Gomez, Marshmello - Wolves (Lyrics)
The path ahead wasn't a road; it was a memory. She began to walk, her boots crunching over dried leaves. As the moon rose, heavy and silver, the forest began to breathe. It wasn't silent. There was a rhythm to the wind, a low-fi heartbeat that matched the steady pulse of her own stride. She reached the edge of a black-water lake,
The city lights were a blurred, neon smear against the window of the midnight train, but Elena didn't see them. She only saw the reflection of her own restless eyes. For months, she had been running—not away from something, but toward a feeling she couldn't quite name. It was a pull in her chest, a phantom ache that whispered of a connection lost in the noise of the world. She stepped off at a station that smelled