After long battles, endless changes, and attempts to restore the broken, peace arrived with unexpected force. Melania, Endar, and Ariyka lived in a small house by the river, where time seemed suspended. The sun shone, and a gentle breeze swayed the grasses. They spent their days in silence, resting from it all.
At first, this peace was desired, but it soon filled them with emptiness. Melania often sat on a stone by the water, watching the flow, yet feeling no joy in its beauty. Endar spent much time with Ariyka, but even he felt distant, as if subdued by the peace itself.
Day by day, this tranquility became apathy. Initially hard to believe, it became evident: without constant trials, without struggle, they were losing themselves. Ariyka, although happy, too sensed something was wrong—her once unbound energy faded into the void of calm.
Endar often stood by the river, gazing at the slow-moving water, which no longer carried the sense of motion or purpose. Melania sat beside him, their gazes never meeting. Everything seemed too perfect to be real. They were no longer fighting against the wind or new threats, and it left them empty.
“Is this all?” Melania whispered one day, not noticing her daughter collecting stones on the shore. “We got what we wanted, and all we feel is emptiness.”
Endar sighed, walking closer. “We got peace, but its price… remains unknown.”
Day after day, this peace began to feel like a fog, clouding their souls. Ariyka felt it too—the joy of feeling part of something bigger faded. Now, everything they did seemed a mere echo of the past. The absence of movement left a void in their hearts.
Melania and Endar realized they had become accustomed to constant struggle, and even the peace they longed for had become their new enemy. But perhaps it was time to learn to live in this peace, or else the apathy would remain with them forever.