Time didn't actually move faster.
But it felt like it did.
The days began to blur together—not because they were forgettable, but because each one carried the same quiet weight.
Nothing big happened.
No dramatic moments.
Just small things.
And somehow—
those were the ones that mattered most.
Kai started noticing details he never paid attention to before.
The way Velithra tucked her hair behind her ear when she was thinking.
The way she paused for half a second before answering something serious.
The way she looked at him—not quickly, not accidentally—but like she was choosing to.
Every time.
Velithra noticed things too.
The way Kai laughed when he forgot to hold it back.
The way his voice softened when he said her name.
The way he always slowed his pace just slightly so they stayed in step.
None of it was new.
But now—
they were aware of it.
"You're staring again," Kai said one afternoon as they walked.
Velithra blinked. "I am not."
"You are."
She looked away, trying to hide the small smile forming.
"Maybe I just have nothing better to look at."
He raised an eyebrow. "Wow."
She glanced back at him.
"You're not complaining."
He smirked slightly.
"Fair."
They reached the same corner they always passed.
The one where they usually slowed down without realizing it.
Today was no different.
"Do you ever wish we had more time?" Velithra asked suddenly.
The question wasn't heavy.
Just honest.
Kai thought about it for a moment.
Then nodded.
"Yeah."
She looked ahead, her expression calm but quieter now.
"Me too."
There was no point pretending otherwise anymore.
Time mattered now.
It wasn't something distant.
It was something they could feel.
But neither of them let it take over the moment.
That was the difference.
Before, it would've made everything feel fragile.
Now—
it just made everything feel important.
Kai nudged her lightly with his shoulder.
"Then we'll just have to use it better."
Velithra glanced at him.
"How?"
He shrugged.
"By not wasting it thinking about losing it."
She let that sit for a second.
Then smiled.
"That actually made sense."
"Sometimes I'm smart."
"Rarely."
He laughed.
And just like that—
the weight lifted again.
They kept walking.
Same path.
Same rhythm.
But now—
each step felt like something they were choosing.
Later, they stopped at the field again.
They didn't even question it anymore.
It had become part of them.
Velithra sat down first.
Kai followed, stretching out beside her.
The sky was clear.
Calm.
Endless.
"Do you think we'll remember all of this?" she asked quietly.
Kai looked up for a moment.
Then back at her.
"Not everything."
She frowned slightly.
"That's not very reassuring."
He smiled faintly.
"We won't remember every detail," he said. "But we'll remember how it felt."
Velithra thought about that.
And somehow—
that felt more important.
She lay back beside him.
Closer than before.
Not hesitant.
Not unsure.
Just comfortable.
Kai turned his head slightly toward her.
"We're doing pretty well," he said.
"At what?"
"This," he answered simply.
Velithra smiled.
"Yeah."
They were.
Because even with time moving forward—
Even with everything getting closer—
They weren't holding back anymore.
They weren't waiting.
They weren't pretending.
They were just—
living it.
And that made every day feel like it mattered a little more than the last.