Thank you for reading on ! We provide free access to all our stories, but maintaining this platform requires ongoing costs. To keep the site running and continue offering free content, we display advertisements. You can close the ads anytime, or upgrade to premium membership ($5/month) for an ad-free reading experience while supporting our mission. You can also earn premium for free by completing simple tasks. We truly appreciate your understanding and support!As Lissana entered the training camp, her eyes searched for Tarik, but he was nowhere to be found. Instead, she noticed two boys around ten years old practicing with swords. Approaching them, she asked if they had seen Tarik, hoping for any news of her friend. "You still come here the same as the day you left," one of the boys remarked, a hint of familiarity in his tone. "Do I know you?" Lissana replied, puzzled. The boy's face bore a shadow of sadness.noveldrama"I suppose in the end, you forgot about me." Lissana struggled to remember who he was, the familiarity of his presence tugging at her mind, but her memories were clouded. She felt a pang of regret, unsure if she could place his name. Tarik had changed since she last saw him; four years had passed, and he had grown into someone different yet achingly familiar. She recognized him despite the distance that had grown between them. "Prince, training with the sword starts today," he announced, his voice carrying a weight of authority."Yes, I will join," Lissana replied, her heart racing as she realized he was the only prince in the land of the fairies. "Tarik? Is that really you?" she asked, her voice trembling with disbelief. He turned to her, a smile breaking across his face that radiated joy. "Welcome back!" "Are you truly Tarik?" she asked again, searching his eyes for the boy she once knew. Standing beside him was another girl, listening intently. Lissana recognized her as the princess of the human kingdom, a friend Tarik had chosen to be close to.The realization stung; she had returned to find Tarik with someone else. "You've grown so much," Lissana said, trying to mask her disappointment. "Yes, and I suppose you don't recognize me because you've grown too," Tarik replied, a teasing lilt in his voice. "I don't know. I feel like I'm still the same," she admitted, her cheeks flushing. "You don't need to apologize for the past," he said, his tone softening. "It's behind us now." "But I feel so alone," she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper."Yes, but that helped me understand," he replied, recalling how small Lissana had been when they last met. "It doesn't matter," she said, forcing a laugh to lighten the mood. "Who is that girl with you?" "She helps me train," Tarik explained, and Lissana felt a pang of betrayal. They had promised to learn together, and now he was doing so with someone else. "Now I'm here; you can stop training with her," Lissana said, her tone sharper than she intended. Tarik hesitated, knowing he had spent so much time training, but he didn't want to hurt her feelings."We can train together when I have free time, though I have more responsibilities now." "This means we won't play like we used to," Lissana said, her heart sinking. At that moment, Tarik understood the weight of his words. He had thought of their playful days as something left behind. "It's not possible like before, but I will try to play with you when I can." Just then, the girl with pink hair returned, interrupting their conversation. "Prince, if your next class is late..." "Yes, I'm coming," Tarik replied, gently ruffling her hair."Stay with me; there's so much I want to tell you," Lissana urged, her eyes sparkling with excitement. As Tarik prepared to leave, he felt a tug at his heart. He didn't want to abandon his childhood friend. Lissana watched as he walked away, questioning whether he was still the Tarik she once knew. She lingered at the training camp, pondering the changes in him. "Did you see Tarik?" she asked a nearby girl. "Yes, but he looks different now," the girl replied. "Has he really changed that much?" Lissana wondered aloud."He's still the same at heart, but growing up changes your perspective," the girl explained. Lissana fell silent for a moment, contemplating the truth in those words. "How long will it take for me to catch up with Tarik?" "Hmm... It's complicated, princess. In five years, you'll be the same age as Tarik, and then it will be easier to understand him," the girl said. "But he said he would play with me whenever he had time," Lissana insisted, feeling a mix of hope and despair. "Now he has another friend who seems to be his age," the girl pointed out gently.Lissana's eyes began to glisten with unshed tears as she searched the crowd for Tarik, feeling the weight of their changed friendship.