“Rain?”

It came without warning, a sudden deluge from the heavens. The clouds, dark and swirling like black smoke, loomed ominously overhead. The wind snaked through the narrow streets, finding it way into homes and slamming against windows that were still left open. The howling wind echoed through the city, its eerie sound reverberated off the walls and down the street, filling the night with a haunting symphony.

“Has the rain really come?” An wondered, gazing out the window.

The rain fell steadily on the roof. The sound was hypnotic, a rhythmic beat that seemed to sync with the restless turmoil within An’s heart.

An sat motionless by the window, eyes unfocused, listening intently to the symphony sent from heaven. Her mind meandered through an endless corridor of memories. It felt as though she had been wandering for days, with the weight of recollections pressing on her. Weary and in need of rest, she found a wave of drowsiness washing over her, pulling her into a realm of dreams. An hoped that this time, she would see something pleasant, something that soothed the wound in her heart. Yet, as sleep enveloped her, the visions that unfolded were far from comforting. The dream – or, better to say, the bittersweet memory – emerged, vivid and haunting, featuring the first day An knew what love was.