The morning sun rose over the mountains, painting the forest in shades of gold and green. Mist drifted through the trees, and the waterfall thundered steadily in the distance.
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Rei spent another peaceful morning exactly as she had the day before.
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She swam beneath the waterfall.
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She sat on warm rocks beside the crystal-clear pool.
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She wandered through the forest trails.
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And for the first time in a long while, she felt completely free.
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When she finally returned to the cabin, she wrapped herself in a blanket and glanced at her phone.
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A thought crossed her mind.
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She unlocked it and typed only three words.
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I'm alive.
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No explanation.
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No photo.
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No mention of the waterfall or the hidden cabin.
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Just those simple words.
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Moments later, her phone vibrated.
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I know, Elias replied almost immediately. You told me yesterday. Along with the udon update.
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A second message followed.
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But thanks for the confirmation. I like hearing it twice.
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Rei smiled despite herself.
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Then another message appeared.
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What are you up to today, Rei? Besides being mysterious and avoiding me?
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She looked out the cabin window toward the forest and typed:
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Repeating the same as yesterday.
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---
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Hundreds of miles away, Elias leaned back in his chair and laughed quietly.
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Repeating the same as yesterday? he replied. So another day of mystery, secret places, and possibly more udon?
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He hesitated.
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There were a thousand questions he wanted to ask.
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Where was she?
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Why had she disappeared into solitude?
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Would she ever tell him?
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But he stopped himself.
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Rei had always valued her freedom, and somehow he understood that.
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Well, if you're repeating yesterday, then I guess I'll wait my turn. But don't stay away too long. I'm starting to get used to your messages.
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The message was sent.
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He waited.
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No reply came.
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---
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One day became a week.
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A week became a month.
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Then three months passed.
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The seasons slowly shifted in the mountains.
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Summer sunlight gave way to cool autumn mornings. The leaves changed color, covering the forest floor in shades of gold, orange, and crimson.
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Through it all, Rei remained in her secret place.
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She woke with the sunrise.
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Swam beneath the waterfall.
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Read books beside the cabin window.
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Walked endless trails through the forest.
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And sometimes, on quiet evenings, she thought about Elias.
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Meanwhile, in the city, Elias carried on with his life.
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He worked.
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Met friends.
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Lived normally.
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Yet every morning, almost unconsciously, he checked his phone.
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And every night, he found himself staring at the last conversation they had shared.
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He never flooded her with messages.
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Never demanded answers.
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Never asked where she was.
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He simply waited.
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Because somewhere deep down, he believed she would return when she was ready.
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---
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One cold autumn evening, Rei sat on the porch of her cabin.
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The waterfall roared below.
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The sky blazed with sunset colors.
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Three months.
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For three months she had lived without schedules, obligations, or expectations.
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Yet now, as she watched the fading sunlight, she realized something.
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She missed someone.
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Not the city.
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Not the crowds.
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Not the noise.
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Just one person.
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A man who never forced his way into her solitude.
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A man who respected her silence.
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A man who waited.
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She picked up her phone.
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The screen glowed softly in the gathering darkness.
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Her thumb hovered over the keyboard.
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For a long moment, she didn't know what to write.
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Then she smiled and typed:
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Still alive.
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Far away in the city, Elias's phone lit up.
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For a second he stared at the notification as if he were imagining it.
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Then a slow smile spread across his face.
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Three months of silence.
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And somehow, that simple message was enough.
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Good, he replied.
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I was starting to think the dragons stole your secret place after all. ✨📖10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKbD8OYDujb
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