The night carried a weight, different from the usual dark.
It was the kind of weight that came from thoughts, stubborn ones that wouldn't just disappear. They stuck around even when her eyes were shut, echoing even louder in the quiet.
She stood by the window, looking out at a sky that didn't have a single star. It was just a blank, dark space, like something had gone missing...or maybe it was just hiding.
A gentle breeze came in through the curtains, brushing against her skin like a whispered secret she couldn't quite catch.
"Why does everything feel so far away?" she wondered aloud, more to herself than anyone else.
There was no reply.
Just silence.
But silence had its own way of talking.
It spoke through old memories.
In the way her heart would clench when she thought about what had shifted and changed.
In the way things that once felt so close now felt like they were miles away.
For a moment, she closed her eyes.
And then—bam—
Flashbacks hit her.
Laughter that used to fill up every space.
Conversations that could have gone on forever.
Moments where not a single word was needed, and everything just felt complete.
And now?
Everything felt like a story that was paused mid-action.
Not finished.
Not moving forward.
Just... hanging somewhere in the middle.
She opened her eyes again, staring at her reflection in the window. She looked the same.
But she didn't feel the same.
"Maybe it's not the world that's changed," she murmured,
"maybe it's me."
The thought lingered.
Not shouting.
Not overpowering.
Just quietly there—like a truth she wasn't quite ready to face.
In the distance, a small sound cut through the stillness.
A notification.
Behind her, her phone screen lit up.
For a moment, she just stood there.
Because sometimes...
you already have a feeling about what you're going to see,
and you're not sure if you're ready to actually see it.
The room seemed to get colder as the seconds ticked by.
And yet, something deep down told her—
This moment was important.
More than she knew.