Sorry this took so long! The sem just ended and we only have a week as a break before the next one begins... To say I'm tired is an understatement but time flies still! I'm actually excited for the subjects I'll be taking soon (I got a slot for Theatre - Scene Design!).

ANYWAY, thanks for sticking with me! And welcome to all the new readers and followers!

Fae's Flower, as always, you have my heart.

RavenCurls, thanks for catching up!

OperaSinger1882, I see you! Welcome to the world of ATS!

*raining hearts and virtual donuts for everyone (sorry if I forgot to mention someone)*

Day 493

August, 2019

It was a clammy Summer afternoon. The erratic downpours of the season excited the trees of Goldhaven Park and they seemed to glow with the Emerald City skyline. Fiyero just got off work and decided to take a stroll through the public grove. His office building was nearby, and he badly needed the fresh air.

It was a Monday and he had a terrible day. There was a problem in the Accounting Department, and he almost lost a deal with one of their company's biggest clients. It was a good thing one of the accountants—Sarima—had thought of a brilliant idea to salvage the mishap. He would've thought of one himself, if he wasn't so hungover from his visit to the pub the night before. But he was completely sober now. That is to say, his body was—his mind… Nothing that a breath of fresh air can't fix, or so he thought.

The park was lively. There were kids coming in from school screaming at the top of their lungs in the nearby playground. The trees danced with the warm breeze, and the water on the Great Lake silently rippled, creating an expanse of glimmering light.

Fiyero walked to the edge of the grove and set his foot on one of the trees' thick roots. He was going to find a better viewing spot, he decided. So he climbed, one branch after another. He settled himself on one of the lower branches and let his legs dangle below him. It was a good enough spot, and he peacefully watched the scene before him—framed by the broad leaves of the tree. It was a good thing their company only required them to wear smart casual, he thought. Otherwise, his futile attempts at escaping his vicious thoughts would've escalated with him worrying about ripping his slacks.

But now, he was content. He watched the birds soar not so far from him. He smiled as he watched the children play in the distance. He saw a man squatting in front of the slide as he waited for a toddler to come down. Then, he watched a little boy in a red shirt holding a book run away from a girl wearing a green blouse, as the latter chased after the former. It reminded him of… No. He mentally scolded himself. "Stop it," he told himself aloud. "It's been four months!"

It's been almost four months since he and El—she; he couldn't bring himself to say her name anymore—had decided to cool off, so to speak. They had another heated argument (the latest of many preceding arguments) that resulted in raised voices, slamming doors, and ultimately, Fiyero walking out of her apartment. He didn't know if she cried; he didn't know how she felt. But he never got to talk to her again after that fateful night. He never let himself dial her number, either.

There were several days when he would try to type in a text, but he always ended up erasing it before it got sent. There would also be nights when he would have a huge urge to pick up his phone and call her, but he would just put it down before he even got to hit dial. Maybe she doesn't even want to talk to you, he told himself several times. Maybe she hates you, especially after what you said; he mentally kicked himself. He blamed her stubbornness; he blamed hisnegligence. And he blamed all the wrong timings and misunderstandings that occurred in the span of their entire relationship.

It wasn't like she made an attempt to talk to him again, anyway. Maybe she didn't want to.

Or maybe she felt the same way he did. He didn't know whether or not to be happy at how similar they are at times.

He rationalized his words and actions everytime he denied himself contact with her. But deep down he knew: he really wanted to see her again. And it was his fault that he couldn't.

You're over her, he silently reminded himself. You. Are. Over. Her.

Then suddenly, his spot didn't seem good enough anymore. So he climbed higher.

"You ended it," he whispered to himself. "You're over her," he kept repeating as he took one step after another. He didn't want to see the park anymore. He only wanted to see the sky, and marvel at the clouds and the birds that flew by. He didn't want to see any more faces or any more things that would remind him of her. Not the park, not the kids, not the verdant Emerald City skyline.

"You're over her," he repeated.

He looked at the branch he now stood on and how high he was from the ground. It reminded him of a picnic he once had in a similar setting. It seemed so long ago…so much has changed since then. He shook his head. For a moment, his expression resembled wistfulness but reverted back in a flicker. His brow furrowed as he determinedly continued his climbing. "It's over," he reminded himself. And he mentally scolded himself for remembering such a thing. It was further proving how pointless all this was, especially when he knew there were better things to do than what he was doing (though he would never admit that).

He stood on his toes and reached for a far branch that he could use to hoist him up higher. But when he was finally about to touch it, the tree swayed and the leaves swished in front of him in a blur. They moved so quickly the gaps between the leaves almost disappeared, and he was surrounded with a smooth emerald canvas. The same shade as…No!

In an instant, everything seemed to slip away from his grasp and he was floating in mid-air. He was falling. A face flashed before his eyes, the same face he'd been trying to erase from his memory the past few months. For a moment, time seemed to stop; yet the clock continued to tick.

Then everything went black.

We're officially in the second half! Considering the structure of the story, it's a spoiler in itself. Nonetheless, this second half is going to answer a lot of questions.