Some connections are too deep to be defined by the name

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsdZzWSTakn

Elias stared at the message on his screen.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPPILNW2o4m

"It's was good."

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDFKmn7r48r

Just three words.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdA8DX5vrRr

Most people would have demanded more after four months of silence. An explanation. A reason. Something.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgx0o2WRGLR

But Elias wasn't most people.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUJgZdBf6NB

He leaned back in his chair and smiled faintly.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1BEEAaRbXp

"Good," he typed. "I was hoping the mountain hadn't gotten tired of you."

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdNgBcdSZT

The message sent.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGuzN8fPk1

Several minutes passed before the reply came.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE9uaDcBqxP

"The mountain didn't."

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWXm08Qz4R

He could almost hear the unspoken words.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5hMAI1JdMj

My body did.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebJtIZVsmi

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNEaf2UmLlX

---

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpDYMVQf4K6

The truth was something Rei hadn't told him.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ44kaBBg1f1

Not because she wanted to keep secrets.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6vLnJdkr5b

Because she didn't know how.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ezmi9OMDZ

The mountain had been peaceful.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8fq9eVJMt5

The waterfall had been beautiful.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZsWI87Xc7

The silence had healed parts of her she hadn't realized were wounded.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDObM9wyODt

But during those months, she'd gotten sick.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO0RGi1CA9a

At first it was small.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOgJBewr0X

Fatigue.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiTNp2OcccG

Headaches.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Ol7fUYP2Y

Days when simply getting out of bed felt impossible.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5d5MMrMJ4W

She had convinced herself it was nothing.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFsygTJuoiV

Then it became something.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQBfvfHN2wp

There were weeks when the cabin felt less like freedom and more like isolation.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZzzzEYd12

Days spent staring at the ceiling while rain tapped against the roof.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrOgseQxwEV

Nights when the waterfall sounded distant and lonely.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvGDSgErVDQ

And through it all, she never messaged Elias.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwaKOu9nyTN

Not because she forgot him.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzxpA0LLORe

Because she couldn't bear being seen as weak.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2krhhqXIzR

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKkxIXpd565

---

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJWWBDwtVf

Back in the city, Elias's phone buzzed again.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7NbyGUKGHp

Another message.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJGyu3U8k8U

A longer one this time.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZrFLiCS1qI

Rare for her.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2i6aYF1Ka4

"I got sick."

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXq4pXE7fYJ

His expression changed immediately.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgVdrDngRjg

The coffee suddenly tasted bitter.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq1voPVKdkz

He read the words twice.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡARCsEsoGhS

Three times.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlomzbAxrP2

Then once more.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4mMOVfR40f

No dramatic explanation.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEEWkhxJPfi

Just the truth.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUca0IbdOxI

"I'm okay now," another message followed. "Mostly."

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAQRfI0AwHT

Elias closed his eyes briefly.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgcQPqLBQw

For months he had imagined a hundred possibilities.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaIeoqUhd1L

None of them felt as real as those two sentences.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd2zIuqQVnw

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4R2pz3JAll

---

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR8wiYOf91p

His fingers hovered over the keyboard.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡchsq3q2utg

Why didn't you tell me?

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6rc910pfbH

Were you alone?

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3TB8oknK52

How bad was it?

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0xaYCnqGk0

Did anyone help you?

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZvz0GEzTFR

The questions crowded his mind.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpnD43YX2e7

But he deleted every one.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkljweMFmV5

Instead he typed:

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWOhPjJwZFd

"That must have been hard."

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpBg7rYFvDC

A pause.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLblqWMhIU0

Then:

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw8aiwnFnRk

"I'm glad you're still here."

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmK47bP7jsa

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSFChn33NMI

---

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJLObRKQN6i

Rei stared at the screen.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeAG7iS8kw4

For a long moment she couldn't move.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6178J5TO7q

No anger.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYIFFYsv9lq

No accusations.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ0zFNMO6fj

No guilt.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBlwIb51B4K

Just concern.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkpV4G1UEyr

Simple and honest.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeeeYoCvELQ

The kind she wasn't used to receiving.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwJMZ8Z7OjC

Outside her cabin window, city lights flickered in the evening light.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaUs7uGExmw

Except this conversation.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYG2CIvfCUQ

She swallowed hard and typed:

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJcUSqHcaPg

"I thought you'd be angry."

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc9Pk2d7jsC

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQrIEsPXFg

---

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw5GH1Lrok9

Elias laughed softly.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcx7iTV43Ny

A tired, genuine laugh.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzSJsRTFufU

"For what?"

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3toxKwPtT

"Disappearing."

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcYSMXWCf4j

The reply came almost instantly.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUG9GB89xf

"Rei."

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeJEerz2E6D

A moment later:

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡffvSTVdxOL

"I was worried."

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0V3ZgaE8re

"That's different."

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCCT7JXToNU

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpjGCaYfg5e

---

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWSVN6Rb0uI

The words hit harder than she expected.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡufZGQlseie

For months she had carried the weight of silence.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKC4sbWkXlo

The guilt.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiP5nVYlhHj

The uncertainty.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEvqNq1AuBZ

The fear that she had ruined whatever existed between them.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSsFr0bx33p

Yet here he was.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡINuSsKA2YG

Not asking for repayment.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsVb8lmii1G

Not keeping score.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTgPIv2LJCS

Just sitting across a distance of months and miles, talking to her as if she had simply stepped outside for fresh air.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0dwVvQuK4

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDZghyw2eCt

---

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtKq6g8PW9K

The conversation slowed after that.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPNAqGUAWnQ

Not because either wanted it to end.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7RuTazo0Y

Because neither needed to fill every silence.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe96nEPHmZB

Eventually Elias sent one final message.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcFmny8kewV

"Get some rest tonight."

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAdd1HXNWm8

"And next time you decide to disappear into the wilderness for four months..."

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPQYTSMdnN

A pause.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWuCwG0pneR

Then another text appeared.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZnsTK9Qs34

"...at least let me know the dragons didn't win."

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXstHzSUfZ

For the first time in a very long while, Rei laughed.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAreKClGEkt

A real laugh.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvA1pZvkJof

The kind that felt like sunlight after a long winter.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDsncJDq96h

And as she looked at the screen, she realized something.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ21BGFPmSfc

The mountain had helped her heal.

7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzw4PbENMZf

But somehow, without demanding anything in return, Elias had waited long enough for her to find her way back.7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7YQTI875GI

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