Seraphina stood quietly as the last echo of Adrian's footsteps disappeared beyond the trees. She thought she would feel relief. Instead, she felt clarity. The difference mattered. For years, she had imagined this moment as something dramatic. She had imagined tears, accusations, and questions that would never find satisfying answers.
The reality was much simpler; some endings did not need noise, they only needed honesty. She closed her eyes for a brief moment before turning toward the garden gate.
"Seraphina." Adrian's voice stopped her.
She looked back. He had not come closer; he remained several yards away, as though he understood there was a distance between them that could no longer be crossed.
"There is one thing I still need to understand," he said.
She waited.
"When you previously answered my question, you mentioned that love disappears slowly." He said.
"Yes." She replied.
He drew a careful breath. "What finally ended it?"
