𝓢𝓮𝓮 𝓜𝓮

Chapter 46

-ˋˏ☀︎𝕁𝕒𝕞𝕖𝕤 𝕂𝕖𝕟𝕥.ೃ࿔☀︎

I lay flat on the cold gym floor, staring up at the ceiling, the weight of everything pressing down on me. I wasn't here to work out, but somehow, I found myself lying here, unable to muster the energy to do anything else. My arms were spread out, chest heavy. The room was quiet except for the distant hum of the air conditioning.

"Are you practicing for your funeral or did you just discover horizontal thinking?" Aurora's voice broke through the silence, her footsteps coming closer, "because I'm sorry to break it to you, but that's not what it means."

I blinked, confused for a second, before slowly turning my head to see her standing over me, arms crossed, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"What?" I muttered, my voice low.

She stepped closer, nudging my leg lightly with her foot, "why are you lying on the floor like that? It looks like you're either planning your dramatic exit or you're just giving up on life."

I let out a small, tired laugh, "actually, I'm preparing for a very needed vacation."

She rolled her eyes, but couldn't fight the smile that followed as I continued, "where should I go this time?" I tilted my head, pretending to mull it over, "I'm thinking Europe."

"Oh, Italy is one of the top 3 countries on my bucket list to visit," her eyes sparkled with amusement as she looked down at me, "I'd also suggest Africa, I mean is your life even worth calling it a life if you haven't been to Egypt at least once?"

"Egypt?" I echoed, turning my head toward her, a smirk pulling at the corner of my lips.

She hummed, that faraway look flickering in her eyes as if she was already there, "yeah, I've been living there for, what, five years now? You wouldn't believe how beautiful the beaches are. The sand is this soft golden color, and the water— God, it's like nothing I've ever seen. Clear and blue, almost too perfect to be real."

I narrowed my eyes, watching her get lost in the memory, her voice growing softer, more wistful as she spoke.

"And don't even get me started on the food. Everything's rich, full of flavor. It's like each dish has a story to tell—spices you can't even name but can't stop thinking about. Honestly, you'd probably never want to leave once you tried the street food alone."

She paused, her eyes widening a little, "and the pyramids—" she cut herself off, nudging my foot with hers again, "if you don't mind, I'm invading your vacation now."

Without warning, she dropped down beside me, lying on the cold floor like it was the most natural thing in the world. Her shoulder brushed against mine, making me take in a deep breath as she went on, clueless, "don't you think it's fascinating? How the pyramids are still standing after all this time, even after the reestablishment?" She tilted her head at the ceiling, asking herself more than me, "no modern technology, no cranes, nothing. How the fuck did ancient Egyptians build those things?"