The rain had been falling since morning, turning the dusty streets of Kalanza into mirrors that trembled with every drop. But on the old wooden bridge, where the river whispered secrets beneath the planks, a young man named Tari stood waiting.

He didn't usually wait for anyone. Tari wasn't the patient type. But tonight was different.

Tonight, Amira had asked him to meet her there — the place where they first argued, first laughed, and first understood each other without needing too many words.

The sky was dark, but the lanterns on the bridge glowed like tiny fire spirits. Tari leaned on the railing, trying not to think about the message Amira had sent earlier: "We need to talk."

Those four words frightened him more than any storm.

Footsteps approached. Soft, careful, familiar. Tari Amina said pulled her shawl close to her shoulders He turned. Even under the dim lantern light, she looked like a calm flame - bright, steady, impossible to ignore.

"You came," he said.

"I always do." She managed a small smile. "But I won't be in Kalanza much longer."

His heart dipped. "What do you mean?"

Amira took a slow breath. "I got the scholarship... the one in the city. I leave in a week."

Tari stared at the river, as if the moving water could slow down time. He had known she would leave one day - she had dreams bigger than their small town — but knowing didn't make the moment easier.

"I thought you'd be happy," she whispered, searching his face.

"I am," he said. "I just... don't know what the bridge will feel like without you."