chapter 2-"Echoes of yesterday"

Reign sat by Liliana’s bedside, the soft afternoon light spilling through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the room. In her hands, she held an old photo album, the pages yellowing with time, yet still holding the memories of a life lived side by side with her best friend. The photos, worn at the edges from years of handling, felt like fragments of a past too precious to let go of.

She opened the album to the first page, a photograph of a much younger version of them, both smiling wide and carefree. The picture had been taken on the day of their school’s annual fair, long before life became complicated. They were around ten years old—so full of energy, so full of dreams. Reign's arm was around Liliana’s shoulder, and they were both covered in brightly colored face paint from a fun carnival game they'd insisted on playing, despite their mothers' protests.

Reign smiled as she recalled that day. They’d spent hours running from booth to booth, daring each other to try the scariest rides, sharing cotton candy and laughing so hard they had to catch their breath. It was the kind of day that made time feel endless, where nothing mattered except the joy of being together.

“I remember this,” Reign whispered to Liliana, although she knew her best friend couldn’t hear her. “You insisted we get matching face paint. We looked like complete clowns, but I didn’t care. We had the best time.”

She turned the page, and another picture caught her eye. This one was from their summer vacations, where they would spend the entire day at the lake, swimming, building sandcastles, and pretending they were adventurers in a far-off world. There was a photo of the two of them, arms around each other as they stood in the shallow water, the sun setting behind them, casting a golden glow over the lake. Their faces were beaming, unburdened by anything.

In that moment, Reign felt a surge of nostalgia, longing for the simplicity of those days. Back then, their biggest concern had been whether they'd have enough time to play before it got dark, or which new adventure they would embark on the next day. Life had seemed so much simpler, so much brighter.

Reign gently traced Liliana's smiling face in the photo, her fingers lingering on the edges of the picture. "I miss those days," she murmured. "Before all of this... before everything changed."

She paused, taking a moment to breathe in the stillness of the room. The silence felt heavy now, the kind that wasn’t comforting but rather laced with unspoken thoughts. Her gaze drifted to Liliana, still and silent in her bed. It was hard to reconcile the vibrant, lively girl in these photos with the one who lay there now, motionless.

Reign closed the album softly, a lump forming in her throat. "But we’re still here, Lili," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "We’re still together, right? No matter what happens... we’ll always be together."

She gently brushed a strand of hair from Liliana's face, her eyes lingering on the peaceful expression that had once been so full of life, full of laughter. It felt like a lifetime ago when they were those carefree girls, unafraid of the future, always by each other’s side.

But now, the bond that had once been unbreakable felt fragile, frayed at the edges by time and circumstances beyond their control. Yet, in her heart, Reign knew one thing for sure—she would never let go of their friendship. No matter how different things had become, Reign would always be there, just as she always had been.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***