The train hummed softly, its rhythmic motion filling the silence. Golden light poured through the windows, casting long shadows that flickered as they passed through tunnels. Outside, the skyline stretched endlessly, a world untouched by ruin.
Inside, a girl sat beside a boy, notebook in hand, scribbling words neither of them would remember.
[This is the story of the man who gave me time.]
A quiet scoff.
"That sounds like something out of a cheesy love story," the boy said, leaning closer to glance at her writing.
"Yeah, yeah. Shut up," she muttered, tucking the notebook against her chest.
Their laughter faded into silence, the kind that only felt comfortable between two people who had known each other forever.
Like a drop of gold in a sea of flames, the sun had begun to set. The girl sighed, stretching her arms before resting her head against his shoulder. He didn't move away, but instead leaned in closer. After a pause, he lifted his hand, shielding her eyes from the light.
She didn't thank him. He didn't expect her to.
Somewhere, in the distance, a clock ticked.
***
The sky stretched wide above the school rooftop, clouds drifting as the last bell of the day rang below.
"You're skipping class again," she muttered, dropping her bag next to his as she sat down.
"Technically, it's already over," he replied, lying flat on the concrete, arms folded behind his head. "Besides, you found me, so who's really skipping here?"
She wanted to argue, but couldn't help but admit that it was true.
For a while, they just sat there, watching the sky turn from bright blue to soft orange. The wind carried distant shouts from the field below—soccer practice, maybe. Somewhere in the halls, a teacher was scolding someone about missing homework.
"What do you think you'll be doing ten years from now?" he asked suddenly.
She turned to him, raising a brow. "That's random."
"I'm just curious. What's your plan?"
"I don't know. I guess I'll just go wherever life takes me," she said, stretching her arms.
He gave her a look.
"Fine," she sighed, leaning back against her hands. "I want to do something that makes me happy. I don't care if it's big or small. I just want to feel like I lived for something."
A pause.
"What about you?" she asked.
"I don't know yet," he admitted, eyes fixed on the sky. "But I do know I want to be with you for as long as I can."
She glanced at him, startled by the honesty in his voice. "That was cheesy," she said after a moment.
"Yeah, yeah, shut up," he muttered, mimicking her usual response.
She laughed, nudging him with her foot. He caught her ankle before she could pull away, smirking as he tried to hold on.
"Let go, dumbass!"
"Make me."
The struggle lasted for a few seconds before she managed to kick free, nearly falling backward in the process. He was still laughing when she flicked his forehead in revenge.
"Idiot," she muttered, but she was smiling.
Somewhere in the distance, a clock chimed.
She didn't notice.
He did.
***
"You promised." Her voice was quiet, but the weight of it made him hesitate.
The school courtyard was filled with the sounds of celebration—students throwing their caps, shouting into the evening air, clinging to the moment before life would scatter them in different directions.
"We were supposed to go to the same university," she continued, hands clenched at her sides.
The boy exhaled, looking at her. "I know, but—"
"But you changed your mind."
A pause.
"They offered me something better. It's still not that far. We'll see each other."
"That's not the point." She looked away, blinking rapidly, frustration simmering beneath her voice. "Every time I look at you, it feels like you're slipping away. Like one day, I'll turn around, and you'll be gone."
Tick, tick, tick, tick.
The sound of a clock.
Soft, but growing louder.
He reached for her hand, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'll never leave you behind."
Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick.
"May I?" he asked.
She nodded.
Their lips met.
The world stopped.
Somewhere in the distance, glass shattered.
A flash of white swallowed the sky.
The ground trembled beneath them, sending them stumbling apart. She reached for him, heart hammering, but the space between them stretched wider, the air itself splitting—
Just an inch more. An inch.
And then—nothing.
No sound. No light. No memory.
The city was gone.
And so was he.