౨ৎ | Eternal bonds

౨ৎ | 𝐜𝐡 𝟔

The next morning, Maya awoke with the soft glow of dawn spilling into her hotel room.

Her mind still lingered on her encounter with Vito, but today she had a different destination in mind—the Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia.

It was a place she had read about, full of mystery and history, and she hoped the quiet ruins would inspire her art and bring her some clarity.

After a quick breakfast at the hotel, she grabbed her sketchbook and other essentials, eager to capture the essence of the ancient site.

The streets were still quiet as she made her way through Delphi, the town slowly coming to life around her.

The cool morning air carried the scent of pine and the faint echo of cicadas in the distance, calming her as she approached the sanctuary.

***

The morning sun cast a soft glow over the Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia, its light filtering through the scattered columns and ruins.

The serenity of the place felt like a world apart, ancient and untouched. Maya had come early, hoping to capture the essence of the ruins in her sketches.

The quiet, broken by only the occasional rustling of leaves and distant bird calls, offered the perfect backdrop for her thoughts.

She settled on a low stone near the remains of the Tholos, pulling out her sketchbook and starting to sketch the circular columns.

Her pencil moved with ease as she traced the lines of the stones, trying to bring life to the image on the page.

The tranquility of the morning began to work its magic, and she felt her mind clear—until she heard footsteps approaching.

Looking up, she saw him—Vito. He stood near the entrance of the sanctuary, a quiet figure against the backdrop of ruins.

His dark eyes found hers, and for a moment, they simply stared at one another, the weight of the previous day's encounter still lingering between them. But today, something felt different—less unsettling, more... familiar.

"Back to explore more of Delphi's secrets?" Vito asked, his voice carrying an almost teasing note, though there was a certain heaviness behind it.

Maya smiled, though her heart picked up its pace at his presence. "It seems we're drawn to the same places," she replied, a touch of humor in her tone, though the coincidence felt oddly significant.

Vito moved closer, his gaze shifting to her sketchbook. "May I?"

Maya nodded, handing it to him. He thumbed through the pages, pausing at the sketches she'd done in the museum, his expression softening slightly as he took in the details.

"You have a gift," he said, handing it back to her. "Capturing the spirit of what you see."

"Thank you," she replied, a hint of warmth rising in her cheeks at his praise. "It's how I try to understand the places I visit."

There was a brief silence, not uncomfortable but charged with something unspoken.

Vito glanced around the sanctuary, his gaze distant for a moment.

"This place... it holds memories beyond what we can grasp. Stories that stretch across time."

Maya looked at him curiously, sensing a depth in his words that she couldn't quite reach.

"And you? Do you feel connected to these stories?"

He smiled faintly, though it didn't reach his eyes.

"More than I care to admit."

There was a sadness there, a weight that tugged at him, as if the past held more than just stories for him.

They walked through the sanctuary together, side by side, their conversation flowing easily.

Maya found herself drawn to him, despite the guarded air he carried. Vito, for all his mystery, seemed to understand the world in a way that intrigued her.

He spoke with knowledge beyond his years, and yet there was something vulnerable about him, something she couldn't quite place.

As they reached a quieter part of the sanctuary, near the base of an ancient altar, Vito paused.

"What brings you here, really?"

he asked, his voice softer now, as if he was searching for more than just a casual answer.

Maya hesitated, unsure how to put it into words.

"I guess... I'm searching for something. I thought it was
just inspiration, but it feels like more than that."

Maya paused for a short while, looking over at the distance,"Like I'm chasing something I don't fully understand yet." she added.

Vito nodded, as if he understood exactly what she meant. "The search really does never end," he said, almost to himself, his gaze fixed on the distant mountains.

"We're always reaching for something, trying to fill the void."

They stood in silence for a moment, the sound of the wind rustling through the ruins.

Maya felt a strange pull toward him, as if they shared a connection beyond the brief moments they'd spent together.

There was a familiarity in the way he spoke, as if he'd known her for much longer than the few hours they'd crossed paths.

Vito turned to her, his eyes searching hers.

"Be careful what you seek, Maya. Sometimes, the answers we find aren't what we expect."

She met his gaze, feeling a flutter in her chest. "And what about you? What are you looking for, Vito?"

For a moment, his expression flickered—an almost imperceptible trace of pain crossed his features before he quickly masked it with a smile.

"Maybe I'm running from something instead."

Maya's heart softened at the vulnerability she saw in him. They had only just met, but there was something in Vito that resonated with her deeply, a sense that they were both searching for something that neither of them could fully name.

As the sun began to lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the sanctuary,

Maya realized just how much time had passed. But she didn't mind. In Vito's company, the hours seemed to slip away like sand through her fingers, and for the first time in a long while, she felt at ease, as if the pieces of her journey were beginning to fit together.

They lingered a little longer, the chemistry between them growing stronger with each passing moment, but as the day moved on, there was a quiet understanding that this was only the beginning of something deeper.