Auren awoke with a smile spreading across his face—one that had not visited it in years. The soft morning light crept into his room, and the walls shimred like a galaxy—stars trickling slowly like a river, planets moving in a soft, dreamy dance. He stretched contentedly, rubbing his eyes.
"I should switch the the today…" he murmured, glancing at the cosmic walls. "Let's see… blue—like her eyes…" He smiled to himself. "And a little bit of pink… like the flower in her hair." He placed a hand on the wall. A gentle vibration of magic replied, and in a mont, his room changed. The galaxy dissolved into a crystal-clear waterfall, backed by a quiet forest of shining pink flowers and trees. Mist twirled around the falls, and sunlight glinted off every surface.
Auren stepped back, eyes wide. "YEAH! This is pretty! I hope she sees this soday!" He spun once in a small dance, his heart full of joy.
"Good morning, Mom!" he called, sliding down the stairs on his bag and plopping into the kitchen with exaggerated flair. "Hey, Mom, can I get so extra cash today? I an, after groceries, maybe I'll get myself a juice… You know, just because."
Lisa, who stood at the stove, cocked an eyebrow, grinning. "Why are you smiling so much this morning?"
Auren leaned against the counter with a silly grin. "By the way, Mom… your na? I think I forgot it," he said with an innocent face.
Lisa blinked. "What's wrong with you?"
Auren tilted his head. "No, seriously. Say it. Your na?"
Lisa smiled, rubbing her hands clean. "Ummm, let think… It's Lisa."
Auren widened his eyes with over-the-top admiration, like a star twinkling. "Oh wow! Miss Lisa, you're sooo lovely. Could you lend a bit of extra money today? For crucial things," he blinked one eye, "you know..."
Lisa erupted in laughter. "You're behaving crazily, Auren. What's wrong? Did you get yourself a girlfriend or sothing?"
Auren blushed in an instant, scrubbing the back of his neck. "Wha—what?! No! Nothing remotely like that! I swear!"
Lisa raised an eyebrow with a sly smile. "Mhm. You're hiding sothing. Here—" she handed him the money, adding a little more than usual. "And this bit extra… give that to her."
"Mooommm!" Auren groaned, grabbing the money. "It's nothing like that!" And before she could tease him further, he darted out the door, face red, muttering, "She's impossible…" Phew! Usain Bolt.
Lisa stood at the window, shaking her head and smiling warmly. "Auren… I hope you spend every day like today." Later, she entered his bedroom to tidy up and ca to a standstill in wonder. The room's decor took her breath away—the waterfall, the rose-colored blossoms, and the serenity. "Wow… now I know you have a girl," she whispered with a hand on her heart. She breathed a soft sigh of relief. "Whoever you are… thank you," she said with a voice full of love.
anwhile, Auren was already in town, skipping along the luminous market streets, flailing his sack like a kite. Carrot Man saluted from behind his store, beaming. "You're looking good today, young man!"
"Thanks!" Auren grinned broadly. Those passing by saw the change in him—a lad who once trudged with his head down now walked with spring in his step and light in his eyes. He gathered a few items, whistling. When he passed the Juice Crystal Shop, he paused, mind racing.
"Hmm… what would Rose like? Sweet? Citrusy? Sparkly?" He finally chose a bottle of Starlight Peach Pop with a star-shaped top.
Back ho, ti dragged. Auren checked the clock repeatedly, counting minutes.
"Already evening?" he sprang up.
He dashed to his room.
Drink—done. Shirt—adjusted. Mirror—awaiting. "Okay, okay, everything looks fine..."
"Okay. Breathe. It's just a cliff. It's just Rose. It's just my first… real friend…"He grinned again.
And with that, Auren raced out, heart full of light.
Hope—on the rise.Friendship—in bloom.Cliff—in wait.
Auren ascended the twisting mountain path, his footfalls quick with almost frenzied lightness, yet his heart pounded a wild tattoo of excitent against his chest. The sky above was already ablaze, brushed in bold strokes of fiery orange and lavender bruise—twilight had begun its cinematic dissolve into night.
The path beneath his feet glittered—not with light alone, but with crystal-glowing blooms, their petals tenderly pulsing like small, hopeful hearts, guiding him forward. Lightning bees, filmy as spun gold, drifted by, trailing shimring paths in the falling air. He smiled, his hand brushing the flowers as he walked.
"What will she wear today?" he asked the sky.
His cheeks flushed, and not from the climb.
"Perhaps that yellow skirt again? Or sothing new… sothing surprising?"
His pulse quickened with a euphoric flutter.
"What did she bring today? Sothing sweet? A surprise for ?"
He scratched his head. "Why are you thinking so much, Auren? Calm down. Take a breath. Ummm… calm down, calm down..."
"Will she smile when she sees ? Will she—"He froze mid-step, the excitent catching in his chest.
"Hey, Auren. Again—calm down, calm down…" he told himself, trying to shake off the nerves.
"What if she didn't co?"The question cut through him, sharp and bitter. He shook his head fiercely, trying to reject the doubt.
"No. She'll co. She promised. She must."
He reached the final incline, the familiar rim of the cliff ahead—the very sa sacred spot where they had t under starlight and understanding.
But as he stepped onto the edge of the cliff…
It was empty.
The wind, which had monts ago felt like a friend, now felt cold and distant. The city below glittered like a galaxy spilled across the earth—vibrant, beautiful, and suddenly aningless. This text is hosted at novęlfire
There was no Rose.
Auren stood motionless. The wind played through his hair, not playful now, but cold and vacant. The bottle in his hand—Starlight Peach Pop—felt impossibly heavy, a weight of hope unfulfilled.
He walked slowly to their corner and slumped down. The ground, which had once felt like a throne, was now only stone. He laid the bottle beside him, a silent offering.
"Maybe… she's just running late."He forced a weak smile, clinging to a fading hope. "She will co."
He stared out at the drifting parks in the distance, now seeming slow and mournful. Sky-trains rushed overhead like glowing serpents, indifferent to his vigil. The crystal roads of Crimson Town sparkled far away, unreachable.
Minutes passed. Then more.
The city humd on. The sun bled its final light into the clouds.
Auren's fingers traced the bottle cap over and over. His eyes flicked behind him again and again… hoping to see her silhouette appear, backlit by the fading glow.
But no one ca.
Still, he did not leave.
He could not.
He stayed on the cliff, a lone figure holding fast to the last threads of belief, his heart slowly, painfully, learning what it ant to ache.
And then…The wind said sothing.
Or perhaps, it was simply his soul, whispering the na he had tried so hard to hold onto…
"Rose…"
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