After long battles, endless changes, and efforts to restore the broken, peace came with unexpected strength. The days turned identical, as did the nights. Only the birds occasionally interrupted the silence, yet even they seemed less significant. The warmth of the spring sun on their faces felt soft, but the cold in their hearts remained.
Melania sat by the fireplace, which was as still and stable as ever. Her eyes were fixed on the flame, but her thoughts wandered. She no longer yearned for change, nor did she seek out conflict. Time seemed to lose its meaning. No longer did she search for answers to questions that once were paramount.
Ariyka, too, had become quieter. She no longer ran around the house gathering flowers or rejoicing in each new day. Even her laughter seemed to fade slowly, like a candle left without a breeze. She sat nearby, staring at the ground, speaking less and less. Her eyes no longer sought new adventures, and her heart no longer craved what once seemed obvious.
Endar tried to maintain the rhythm of their former lives. He wandered through the forest, but each step felt heavier. Even the birds’ songs, which once filled him with strength, now sounded like an unavoidable, dragging note. He often returned to the river, standing by its banks, but even the water that flowed no longer held the same meaning for him. Its motion no longer gave him the sense that things were changing. He stopped feeling its power because that river, too, was calm and unchanging, like everything else.
“Is this it?” Melania whispered one day, not noticing her daughter collecting stones by the shore. “We got what we wanted, and all we feel is emptiness.”
Endar sighed, walking closer. “We have peace, but its price… remains unknown.”
Day by day, this peace began to feel like a fog, clouding their souls. Even Ariyka felt it—the joy of feeling part of something bigger faded. Now, everything they did seemed like 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 had 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.