The night was long and cold.

  The fire burned low again, and the forest had gone quiet — too quiet, as if the trees themselves were listening. The pale stranger had wandered off into the woods, saying nothing, leaving only the girl and the young man by the glowing embers.

  She was asleep, wrapped in her cloak, her staff resting near her chest. Its green gem pulsed faintly, like the beat of a quiet heart.

  The young man sat upright, back against a tree. His suitcase lay by his side, unopened — always unopened. The firelight caught the old leather corners, and for a moment, he stared at it, as though it might say something.

  And then he closed his eyes.

  He was back home.

  But not in the way one returns — more like how a scent brings a memory, half-faded and full of echoes.

  The sky above was a dull gray, heavy with cold clouds that never rained. He stood at the edge of a city — his city — filled with glass towers, glowing signs, and iron walkways humming with electricity. People passed him by, hundreds of them, faceless in coats and cold stares. No one stopped. No one looked up.

  Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!

  In his dream, he stood in front of a tall building — the kind he had once worked in, where windows never opened and the lights never went out. He held the same suitcase, just a little newer, the leather not yet worn.

  He remembered the weight of it then.

  Not just the contents — but the life it carried. Schedules. Numbers. Decisions he didn’t believe in. Days that blurred into each other until he forgot the last time he had truly spoken to someone without needing a reason.

  The wind blew, sharp and dry, tugging at his coat. Above him, a screen flashed endless newsfeeds and noise. He looked up.

  And there — for just a second — he saw her.

  Not the girl of the forest, but a girl. Younger. Laughing. Her hair whipped by wind, eyes full of light. He couldn’t remember her name, but he remembered her voice when she once asked:

  “Do you even want this life?”

  He never answered her.

  He opened his eyes.

  The fire was almost out, and the moon hung low in the sky. Beside him, the girl stirred but did not wake. The stranger had not returned.

  The young man stared into the glowing coals, their warmth fading. Slowly, he reached for the suitcase and opened it just a little.

  Inside: a photo. Folded. Worn.

  He looked at it for a long time, then tucked it away again.

  When he finally lay down to rest, he whispered to no one in particular, “I left everything behind.”

  And in the stillness, the forest whispered back.