It was a dark night, with the sky covered in clouds that seemed to weigh like lead over the field. Krista lay in her bed, unable to sleep, her body tense and her soul in turmoil.
She had just closed her eyes, but the nightmare returned to torment her with the same intensity as always. She saw Ymir, her figure blurry, moving away, disappearing into the shadows like a dream slipping through her fingers. Then everything turned black, and she found herself running in the void, calling out for her, but her voice seemed trapped in her throat.
Krista woke with a start, her heart pounding in her chest, her hands trembling. Sweat chilled her skin, and the warm air of the room couldn't calm the cold that had invaded her. Breathing heavily, she got out of bed and ran to the window. She looked outside, but the sight of the stars didn't comfort her as it usually did.
Suddenly, the sound of light footsteps reached her ears. Ymir, with her usual enigmatic smile, appeared in the shadow of the door.
"Krista," she said in a soft but firm voice. "I heard you."
Krista turned, a hint of confusion in her eyes. "I couldn't sleep," she replied, trying to mask the tremor in her voice.
Ymir stepped closer, her gaze intense. "Nightmares, huh?" she asked, a tone in her voice that Krista knew all too well wasn't just a question. She knew her too well.
Krista nodded, wordlessly, as Ymir moved closer and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Come with me," she said, almost without thinking, but with that confidence she always managed to convey.
They walked together into the cool night air, moving in silence across the field. Ymir led the way, not speaking, but with a protective gesture that Krista couldn't ignore. The moon, barely visible behind a veil of clouds, cast a soft light, making Ymir's face shine almost magically.
"Look," Ymir said, stopping. Krista raised her eyes to the sky and saw a myriad of stars shining like diamonds. The vastness of the sky seemed to offer a calm that, for a moment, made her feel lighter, as if the weight of fear and memories could finally dissolve.
Ymir turned toward her, the smile lighting up her face. Krista, enveloped in silence, felt for a moment as if the world were just the two of them, as if that night were a refuge far from everything that had ever hurt her.
"Are you feeling better?" Ymir asked, her voice low but full of attention. Krista felt her closeness, the warmth radiating from her skin, the strength that seemed to calm her.
"Yes," Krista replied, but in reality, she felt more confused than ever. Her eyes met Ymir's, and for a moment, the world stopped. The stars above them seemed to shine more brightly, but what caught Krista's attention was not the sky, but Ymir's face. The way she looked at her, as if there was something more beneath her smile. Something deep and intense that Krista couldn't decipher, but that made her feel more alive than ever.
Who's gonna stop us from waltzing
back into rekindled flames?
If we know the steps anyway
Ymir moved closer, a barely perceptible gesture that made Krista's heart tremble. Her hands were close, almost as if they wanted to touch her, but then, suddenly, she stopped. She didn't touch her.
She cleared her throat, as if she wanted to say something, but didn't. "Don't worry," she finally said, with her calm, unshakable demeanor. "I'm here."
Krista looked at her, her heart beating faster. In that moment, she realized how beautiful Ymir was, how strong and kind at the same time. And how, at that exact moment, she wished for something more.
But Ymir didn't move. There was only silence, which spoke louder than a thousand words.
Ymir smiled again, but this time, there was something different about it. Not a smile of protection, but a smile that seemed to want to say something that Krista couldn't quite grasp. She looked at her more intensely for a moment, as if she wanted to reveal her heart, but then slowly walked away, the smile still on her face.
