Lia slowly turned around.
The moment her eyes settled upon the figure standing several meters away, everything around her seemed to lose its meaning.
The sounds of rustling leaves, the distant voices, and even the gentle breeze disappeared as though the world itself had fallen silent. Time no longer moved forward. It stood still, allowing only the two of them to exist in that fleeting moment.
Maximus stood there without saying a single word.
His body remained completely still, yet his trembling shoulders betrayed the storm raging inside him. Tears continuously rolled down his face without restraint, and his moist eyes never left Lia for even a single heartbeat.
He had imagined this reunion countless times during the endless nights when sleep had refused to visit him, but every fantasy he had created now seemed insignificant compared to the reality standing before him.
Lia's breathing came to an abrupt stop.
