Dark Side Chronicles: Moonlit Stories

track 1: speak to me/breathe

tyler's perspective

Tyler sat alone in his dimly lit apartment, surrounded by the haunting echoes of the past seven years he shared with Kayla. Feeling numb and away from those flashbacks he was having.

The room seemed to pulsate with the melancholy notes of a song that had once been their anthem, their shared heartbeat. 

He gazed out of the window, where the rain tapped gently on the glass, mirroring the tears that had fallen on their final night together before they parted ways.

Seven years – a lifetime in the rhythm of their shared history. Tyler traced his fingers over the worn photographs scattered across the coffee table, each frame a testament to the love that once flourished between him and Kayla.

They shared 7 years of happiness, sadness and companionship.

He recalled the laughter, the stolen kisses, and the whispered promises of forever that seemed to hang in the air like a delicate fragrance. He imagined a big white wedding, Kayla in a beautiful gown, then the sweetest honeymoon in Italy. He imagined their life, living in a big house, having 2 kids and a dog named "Fluffy". He imagined them sharing date nights together, them having dinner together every night with wine and then they would watch some shitty tv show before heading to bed. He imagined them growing old together. He imagined grandkids visits.

But somewhere along the way, the plans had changed. Their dreams diverged, drifting like separate currents in the river of life.

Tyler wanted stability, a traditional path that led to a quiet life in the suburbs, while Kayla yearned for adventure, spontaneity, a life lived on the edge of uncertainty.

As the music enveloped him, Tyler's mind wandered through the bittersweet landscape of their last conversation. The words hung heavy in the air, a sadding symphony of farewell. They had sat on the edge of their shared bed, eyes locked in a mixture of sorrow and understanding. Kayla's tears had mirrored the rain outside, and Tyler's heart ached with the weight of the decision that had been made."I still love you," she had said, her voice trembling with sincerity. "But we're drowning each other, Tyler. We're holding each other back from becoming who we're meant to be."

Tyler nodded, his throat tight with unspoken emotions.

He understood the truth in her words, even if acceptance felt like swallowing shards of glass. The love that had once been their anchor had become a chain, binding them to a version of themselves that no longer fit.

Tyler knew they haven't been truly happy for at least a year. He knew it was the same and the relationship was just a feeling of stability for them. He also knew Kayla's expectations and dreams. They wanted different things. He wanted Kayla to be happy, he wanted Kayla to accomplish those dreams. Kayla dreamed about traveling the entire world, to know every culture, to be drowned in knowledge about the world. Kayla wanted to climb mountains, she wanted to try every food in the world, she wanted to swim on every beach.

Tyler deep down imagined Kayla in Japan, dressed in the cultural gown, or Kayla in climbing equipment. But never as a loving mother, not that she was gonna be cruel. Just resentful about the lost dreams.

Tyler respected Kayla for putting her foot down and chasing those dreams. Even if that meant having his heart broken.

Now, alone in the quiet aftermath of their farewell, Tyler grappled with the waves of sadness and nostalgia that threatened to pull him under.

The lyrics of the song spoke to him, echoing the silent conversations that lingered in the spaces between the notes.

He knew he had to find a way to breathe again, to redefine his existence without Kayla by his side. The journey ahead was daunting, but as the music continued to play, he found solace in the shared memories that would forever be a part of him. The love that had ended in quiet sorrow would always be a chapter in his story, a testament to the beautiful tragedy of a love that couldn't withstand the changing tides of life.