Seeking that farewell.
Sky dyed a deep lavender, the colours danced towards the city of Ardea that lay beyond. The air was crisp and near silent, save for the crash of water flowing through. If you didn’t focus on it, the noise could easily be forgotten; look up, and you’d be reminded of the melt that provided this plummeting water. The waterfalls fed the lake the populace was situated on, slowly awakening the frigid land that rested dormant for centuries prior.
Though established, Ardea was a paradox. Residents were slowly leaving and the city was losing its members that would otherwise contribute to a tight-knit, vibrant community. Boats were taken from the docks and never returned, individuals here one day and gone the next, not a word spoken.
The permafrost, statuesque shells of ancient beings began to outnumber those alive and working in the city— along with the white cranes that came back, slowly reclaiming their habitat.
2021
