[7:45 AM] Living Garden Lake
After settling matters with the three bullies who had long tormented him, Akasa walked alone through the forest, which was slowly being wrapped in a thick morning mist. He needed space—time to cool a mind still tangled in chaos.
The sting in his chest had not faded. The way they had spoken of his mother—so casually, so cruelly—cut deeper than any physical blow. He had nearly lost control. Nearly crossed a line he might never return from, if not for the solemn vow he had made to her: to always choose kindness, no matter the cost.
Anger and sorrow churned together in his chest as he continued walking, barely aware of his direction. Tree after tree passed by, yet the storm inside him refused to settle.
Unbeknownst to him, the white veil hanging between the trees grew denser—far thicker than before. The world shrank to a gray cocoon, visibility dropping to less than fifty meters. Not dark enough to be night, yet close enough to make direction feel uncertain.
Everything blurred. Nothing remained but walls of white, as if the world itself had been swallowed by living mist.
𓂃˖˳ Akasa slowed ˳˖𓂃
Something about the fog felt… out of place.
The cold air pressed against his skin—dense, damp, and piercing—creating a sensation eerily similar to being trapped inside a dream. This was no ordinary mountain mist.
Questions echoed endlessly in his mind, yet his feet carried him forward. He followed the quiet path as if drawn by something he could not yet understand.
Before long, the trees began to thin. Open grassland spread wide before him. Akasa stepped out of the forest.
And there it was.
A tranquil lake lay ahead, its surface clear as glass.
The gray sky reflected upon the water, blending seamlessly with the soft mist drifting above it. The place felt peaceful—inviting. Perfect for calming a restless heart.
Akasa approached and sat down at the lake’s edge.
Fragments of what had just happened resurfaced, pressing against his mind, stirring his emotions once more. He had nearly lost himself—nearly become someone he did not recognize—consumed by the pain in his chest.