The small garden was limited in space but it had enough room to create a magical ambiance. There was 4 streetlamps placed around the circular-shaped garden, and surrounding it were all sorts of flowers, all of which created a mixed fresh and elegant fragrance in the air, more noticeable when the breeze sets out a gentle blow with the wind.

Nick took an inhale enjoying the smell. He looked up at the sky, the moon was shining bright as ever, but no signs of stars can be seen. “I guess the moon and I have something in common tonight,” he whispered to himself. “Alone!”

He made his way deeper into the garden and found a spot where he could sit silently, away from everyone inside the hall. He knew he should just leave, but oddly, something seemed to have been stopping him. He couldn’t explain what it was precisely, but it gave him a weird but familiar sense of feeling. Just as he got closer to the marbled bench he had found, a figure appeared, sitting alone as well.

Oh sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Nick said when he could see the figure fully.

She quickly stood up and looked at Nick. “Oh it’s…it’s okay,” she smiled at him.

Nick stared at her, feeling as if he knew the woman that stood in front of him. He looked at her for a second, trying to recount where he could have seen her. “Have…have we met?” he asked with curled brows and question marks and curiosity filled him.

“I don’t think so,” the woman exclaimed followed by a soft chuckle.

Nick suddenly felt hypnotized by her. She had a creamy complexion that can still be seen even in the dark, accompanied by a long flowing brown hair, as her long pink dress swayed gently with every movement she made. He couldn’t stop staring at her, she seemed familiar to him but he couldn’t put his tongue on what exactly it was.

“Do I have something on my hair or my face?” the girl chortled lightly place brushing her hand against her cheek, a response to Nick’s gaze.

“Oh, uhm…no…no you don’t…have anything on your face or whatever,” he said. “I’ll uh…I’ll leave you alone now”

“No!” she called out after him. “I mean uhm…you can stay…if…if you want, I don’t mind having company,” she smiled at him once again.

“Okay,” Nick smiled at her as he made his way to sit beside her. He could smell the soft aroma of her fragrance and Nick couldn’t help but feel entranced at the presence of his new acquaintance. “My name’s Nick, by the way,” he introduced himself.

“My name’s Rinoa,” she replied back

Nick let out a small chuckle, “As in Final Fantasy, Rinoa?”

“Pardon me?”

“Oh uhm…there’s a game called Final Fantasy and it’s divided into different parts, one of the part has a character named Rinoa, same name as you,” he informed, feeling somewhat foolish that he had brought up the subject of video games.

“Oh,” Rinoa softly smiled

“So what are you doing out here all alone?” Nick asked

“Running away from in there,” she responded while taking her glance inside the hall to see people casually mingling, some were laughing while others had serious looks on their face or just forcefully smiling to be polite with whomever so they were talking to. “How about you? What brought you out here?”

“My date’s finished with me,” he said bluntly

“I beg your pardon?”

Nick bit his lip, as he knew he shouldn’t have said what he said. “It’s…it’s a long story that revolves around the whole deal of perfect images and those childish stuff”

“Oh, yeah I know what you mean,” she nodded her head in agreement while looking down on the ground.

The two of them continued their talk under the moonlight, enjoying each other’s company. Finally, Nick found easiness even for just that moment, and he felt relieved. A night that started out as if he was walking around in a daze lost and alone, ended up with him being engaged in a person unlike any other that was in the room feet away from where he was settled.

He couldn’t help but feel entranced with Rinoa, as some mannerisms reminded him of her. It was as if she had come back as someone else with a different image and he found her again. Once again, he was able to plaster a real smile on his face, a reflection of what he felt inside. For once, he didn’t miss Riley’s presence. In that moment, he felt he found someone that closely resembled her, even in the littlest bit of way and it helped ease the pain that often strike his heart and fill the empty void he often felt.