She sat in silence, arms folded tightly over her chest, shoulders tense beneath the weight of thoughts that refused to fade. The world around her dimmed as the sun dipped below the horizon, bleeding streaks of red and gold across the sky. It should have been beautifulâshould have offered some sense of peace. But peace was a fleeting concept, one that had long since slipped through her fingers.
Her gaze remained fixed, unfocused, staring at nothing yet seeing everything. Memories played in her mind like an old, broken film reel, jagged and relentless. Faces, voices, echoes of moments both distant and painfully close. To an ordinary being, they would have been too muchâan onslaught capable of drowning even the strongest. But she was not ordinary. She was the ultimate lifeform, built to endure, to transcend weakness. And yet, for all her power, she couldnât will the memories away. They clung to her, etched into her very being, unbreakable and inescapable.
With a slow, measured breath, she reached into her jacket pocket, fingers brushing against the worn metal of a flask. She pulled it free, rolling it between her hands before unscrewing the cap with a quiet click. Lifting it to her lips, she took a slow sip, letting the cool liquid burn its way down her throat. It wasnât enough to numb the past, but for a fleeting moment, it grounded herâreminded her that she was still here, still breathing.
As the wind whispered through the air, carrying the distant hum of a world that kept moving, she tilted her head back, eyes tracing the first stars flickering to life above. The sky had darkened now, deep blues swallowing the last remnants of daylight. Still, she remained, unmoving, lost in the quiet war raging within her mind. Because no matter how much time passed, no matter how many battles she fought, some things refused to be forgotten.