It’s strange, isn’t it? As kids, time felt endless—like a breeze that danced through the trees while we laughed under the sun, chasing nothing and everything at once, but somewhere along the way, that breeze turned into a storm, days blurred, years vanished, and you… you left

It’s been years since you set foot in this quiet village, your childhood home, and yet, as your car hums along the winding road, it feels untouched—frozen in a moment you thought was lost, the scent of earth, the chirping cicadas, the warm golden light, it’s all still here

You slow to a stop, there it is

The tree

Your tree

The one that stood like a sentinel through your youth, the one you napped under, carved your dreams into, and whispered your hopes to, you step out, gravel crunching beneath your feet, and walk to it, running your hand along its bark—rough, worn, familiar

"Still standing, old friend" you murmur

Then your fingers brush across a carving, half-faded by time but never forgotten

“I will wait for you, even if it means forever” – Luna

a name, a promise, a ghost from the past

Luna—your childhood friend, the girl who made even the quietest days feel like an adventure, she was your laughter, your shelter, your first love, you never wanted to leave her, but life had other plans, the city stole you away, and time swept you forward

But the message remained

You sit beneath the tree, back resting against its trunk, memories flooding in like sunlight through leaves, and then—

“I knew you’d come”

A voice, soft as summer rain

You open your eyes

There she is, Luna—older now, but still radiant, as if no time has passed, that same smile, that same warmth, standing before you like a memory come to life

And just like that, the colors return

The summer isn’t over

Not yet