After that conversation, something subtle changed between them. It was not enough for anyone else to notice right away, nor did it alter how they acted around the group. Yet both of them became more aware of things they had once overlooked. The question Liora had asked that night stayed on Arin's mind longer than he ever expected. He tried not to think about it after they parted at the edge of the forest path. But the silence of his room later that night only brought the words back more clearly.
If we remember everything, do you think things will stay the same?
The answer should have been simple.
No.
Nothing ever stayed the same once the past came back completely. He knew that better than anyone. But somehow, saying it aloud felt impossible. He didn't want to lie to her, but part of him didn't want to accept it either.
And that alone unsettled him more than the question itself.
The following days returned to normal on the surface. Work continued, and responsibilities remained. The group still met whenever they could, although adulthood was making those moments less frequent. Everyone began stepping deeper into their own lives and routines that no longer revolved entirely around each other. However, none of them drifted apart. If anything, the distance made their time together feel more meaningful.
One evening, the seven of them gathered by the river at the edge of the forest. It wasn't planned very far in advance. Riven casually suggested it after work, Aira agreed immediately, and the rest followed naturally. By the time the sun began to set, they were all there, scattered across the grassy slope near the water, the sound of the current filling the quiet moments between conversations.
Aira talked about something that had happened earlier that week, exaggerating parts of the story enough to make Kael shake her head in disbelief as Riven argued just to provoke her more. Darin sat nearby, listening more than speaking. Occasionally, he added a dry comment that made Selene laugh quietly beside him.
Through it all, Arin found himself distracted.
Not by the conversation.
Not by the group.
By Liora.
She sat a short distance away, close enough for him to hear her voice clearly when she spoke. Now and then, he caught himself looking her way without intending to. It wasn't on purpose, at least not at first. But once he realized he was doing it, it became harder to stop.
The odd part was that she seemed to notice too.
Not openly.
Not directly.
But every time he shifted his attention to her, her expression changed just a little, subtle enough that no one else would have caught it. A brief pause before she spoke. A moment when her eyes lingered in his direction longer than necessary. Small things.
The sort of things that became impossible to ignore once noticed.
"…you're doing it again."
Riven's voice cut through his thoughts suddenly.
Arin turned to him slightly.
"…what?"
Riven leaned back against the grass, clearly entertained.
"Staring."
Aira reacted immediately, looking between Arin and Liora with keen interest.
"Oh, so I'm not the only one noticing now."
Liora frowned instantly.
"We're not doing anything."
"That's exactly why it's obvious," Aira replied without hesitation.
Kael sighed quietly beside her.
"You really don't know when to stop."
"But I'm right."
"…you usually are," Selene admitted softly, which only made Aira look even more pleased with herself.
Arin stayed silent through most of it, but not because he felt uncomfortable. Arguing against it felt strangely pointless now. Somewhere along the way, the line between denial and uncertainty had vanished, leaving him in a place where he simply didn't know what to call whatever this was becoming.
Liora looked away after a while, clearly trying to ignore the conversation. The slight color that appeared in her expression betrayed her more than words could have. And Arin noticed that too.
That realization lingered with him long after the conversation moved on.
Later that evening, after everyone started leaving one by one, Arin remained by the river for a few extra moments. Not intentionally, he simply didn't feel like leaving right away. The sound of the water calmed him in a way he couldn't fully explain, steady enough to quiet the constant flow of his thoughts.
He heard footsteps approaching before he looked up.
Liora stopped quietly beside him, her gaze drifting toward the river instead of him at first.
"You didn't leave."
Her voice was softer now that the others were gone.
Arin shook his head slightly.
"…not yet."
A brief silence followed.
Then she sat down beside him.
Neither of them spoke at first. The quiet between them had changed again. It no longer felt uncertain or searching. It felt aware, like both of them understood something was forming but neither knew what would happen if they acknowledged it too directly.
"…they're getting more annoying."
Liora finally muttered, though no real irritation lay behind it anymore.
Arin glanced at her briefly.
"…they're observant."
She sighed quietly.
"You said that last time too."
"…because it's still true."
That earned a small laugh from her, softer than usual but genuine enough that it remained in the air afterward. Arin watched her for a moment without realizing it at first. The fading light reflected gently against her features, and for a brief second, something unfamiliar settled inside him. Not sudden. Not overwhelming.
Warm.
Liora noticed him looking this time.
"…what?"
Arin blinked once before looking away slightly.
"…nothing."
"You're terrible at lying."
"…I wasn't lying."
That only made her smile a little wider.
And for some reason—
that smile stayed in his mind longer than anything else that night.
But beneath it all, beneath the quiet moments and the growing closeness and the ordinary life they had slowly built together, something else remained. Something distant, buried just beneath the surface.
The memories.
They hadn't stopped.
They had only been quiet.
And both of them knew that silence wouldn't last forever.