On a sunlit afternoon, the scent of fresh blossoms wafted through the air as wedding bells chimed from the hilltop overlooking the small village of Eldertown. Ethan stood at the foot of the hillside, paralyzed by the sight of the love of his life, Clara, adorned in a flowing white gown. She was radiant, surrounded by friends and family, laughter ringing out like the bells themselves. Their joy felt like a bittersweet melody to him, tugging at the heartstrings deep within.

Despite the warmth of the day, a chill spread through him as he remembered their past—those days of restless nights spent together beneath the stars, dreaming of a future they would never share. He recalled the countless moments they had laughed, cried, and battled through mud and storms, forging an unbreakable bond marred only by the cruel hands of fate that had driven them apart. Now, seeing her there, he felt a poison coursing through his veins, the regret of decisions unmade and words left unsaid.

Ethan wanted desperately to believe he could move on, to follow the path of time like everyone else, but the weight of his love for Clara anchored him firmly in place. He watched as she laughed, her face lit with happiness, her eyes sparkling in a way that made the world around him fade away. Nothing mattered in that moment except the unmistakable truth that burned in his heart—he had always loved her, and he always would.

As the ceremony began, he found himself unable to look away. He imagined the long road they could have walked together, the sunsets they could have shared, and the whispered promises under the night sky. Yet here she was, stepping into a future he could only dream about, surrounded by umbrellas that echoed the clear blue of the heavens above.

Just as the officiant began to pronounce them husband and wife, a wave of memories crashed over him. For every tear shed over a lost opportunity, for every moment stolen by darkness, one truth remained: his love for Clara, unyielding and eternal, transcending the bitterness of the pill he unwillingly swallowed. As she looked his way, a fleeting glance that held worlds, he knew.

In that instant he whispered to himself, “If everything that went before didn’t matter, I always loved you, and I always will.” And as the bells rang louder, drowning out the noise of the celebration, he realized that no matter where life took them, Clara would forever be a part of him, and his love would echo through the corridors of time, unwavering and strong.