The town was small, nestled between rolling green fields and dense forests, a place where the world felt untouched by time. Life moved at a gentle pace, measured by the rising sun and the laughter of children echoing through the meadows. Among them, two souls were bound by an unspoken thread—Alex and Emily.
From the moment they could walk, they had been inseparable. The townspeople often whispered with fond smiles, saying they were born in the same breath of wind, destined to chase each other through this life and the next.
Emily was light itself—her golden hair cascading down her back, eyes shimmering with a curiosity that never faded. She had a way of turning the most ordinary moments into magic, as if the world revolved just to keep her entertained. Alex was the storm to her sunshine—silent, watchful, and fiercely protective. Where Emily danced through the fields, Alex followed. Where she tripped, he caught her.
"Alex, catch me if you can!" she called out one afternoon, her voice carried by the wind.
Alex, standing beneath the shade of an old oak tree, sighed. His lips curved into a small smirk, the kind that only appeared when he was with her. "You know I always do."
And he did. Always.
They were still children, blissfully unaware of how fragile time could be, how promises could be nothing but whispers against the storm.
That evening, they lay side by side on their favorite hill, the sky above them bleeding into shades of violet and deep blue. The stars twinkled lazily, watching over them like silent sentinels.
"Promise me something, Alex."
She turned to him, her bright eyes reflecting the moonlight.
"Anything."
"That we'll always be together. No matter what."
Alex hesitated only for a moment. Then, without a second thought, he linked his pinky with hers.
"Pinky promise," he murmured.
Emily smiled, her fingers tightening around his. Neither of them knew how cruel fate could be.