Chapter 6: The Last Night of Freedom

The cool mountain air caressed Ana's face as she climbed through the underbrush, with Zane guiding her by the hand. Their steps were light, hurried, as if time itself might slip away. Behind them, the silhouette of the town blurred into the distance, the faint glow of the houses barely visible. But up here, at the top, it was just the two of them and the endless sky.

Ana squeezed Zane's hand tightly, feeling the warmth of his skin against hers. She had escaped from home that night, tired of the shouting, the constant fear, the overwhelming feeling that her life did not belong to her. And he, as always, was there to pull her out of the darkness.

"We're almost there," Zane whispered with a mischievous smile.

Finally, they reached the peak. And then Ana held her breath.

Before them, the sky stretched wide like a black velvet mantle scattered with diamonds. The stars shimmered intensely, reflecting in their eyes as if dancing just for them. The full moon bathed the mountain in its silver light, illuminating the outlines of trees and rocks with an almost magical glow.

"It's beautiful," Ana whispered in awe.

Zane dropped onto the grass and patted the ground beside him. "Come on, we have to enjoy the view before the sun rises."

Ana lay down next to him, feeling the cool grass beneath her and the warmth of his body beside her. They remained in silence, gazing at the vastness of the universe, feeling small yet more alive than ever.

"If I could live in just one memory… it would be this one," Ana murmured, closing her eyes for a moment.

Zane turned his face toward her, watching her with a tenderness he rarely showed. Then, gently, he brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Then let's make this night last forever."

Ana smiled, and for the first time in a long while, she allowed herself to believe that—if only for one night—freedom was real.