A place of tight hugs. A place where the sun rules absolutely everything.

Here, the human warmth rivals the intensity of the tropical climate. But reality... it isn't always so kind.

Just like in the US, many here simply follow the silent flow of life. The "nine-to-five" is the safe path. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course.

But for those who dare to dream, the air starts to feel thin. It’s as if an invisible ledger exists. On one side, the "acceptable" dreams. On the other, the "unrealistic" ones.

Everyone knows this list, even if no one ever speaks it aloud. Those who don’t fit in end up suffocated by their own silence.

It’s December. Christmas is just around the corner. But instead of a white winter, we have a scorching summer.

Between the festive lights and the lively, sweltering nights, that very silence has just claimed another victim.

The sun hadn't fully risen yet.

The morning light slowly streamed down the apartment walls, entering without knocking through the open windows. One of them led directly into Yuri's room.

But it wasn't the light that woke him.

He was already awake.

Had been for a while.

Perhaps out of stubbornness.
Or perhaps out of hope.

It was the first day of summer vacation—the last before finishing college. On the nightstand, the clock read 4:00 AM.

That said it all.

The night before, he had his last dream.

"I shouldn't be upset," Yuri thought, sitting up in bed.
"It's not like I was expecting a miracle."

He repeated this softly, almost out of habit, as he got dressed and packed the few things he would take. He didn't want frustration to take over—especially today, when he would have to deal with people all day.

— Have a good trip, Yuri!

The voice came as soon as he left the building.

Mister Jair was there, as always, leaning on his broom, with that simple, sincere smile. Probably getting ready to sweep the leaves before the street filled with movement.

— Thank you, Mister Jair — Yuri replied. — When I come back, I'll bring you a little souvenir.

They shook hands.
Firmly.
Familiar.

And, somehow… it didn't sound forced.

This caught him by surprise.

Shouldn't he be sadder than this?

But, at that moment, giving up felt strangely comfortable.
Maybe what hurt the most wasn't the failure…
But the time he spent insisting.

— I really tried to accomplish at least one of those dreams… — he murmured, just to himself.

Inside the Uber, the city slid by silently through the window. Yuri replayed the last six months in his head, over and over. Trying to justify himself. Trying to convince himself. Trying to forgive himself.

Even at the bus terminal, with music blasting in his headphones, he still repeated the same thoughts, like a mantra.

But when the bus finally pulled up to the boarding gate, Yuri had already said everything he needed to hear.

Before getting on, he paused.

Took a deep breath.

Like a ritual, he needed to accept.
He needed to leave this behind.

— But I failed… — he whispered.
— I failed at all of them.

The landscape gradually began to change.

And, with it, something slightly tightened his chest.

"Welcome to Icugimirê."

The sign quickly passed. After it, the slopes appeared… and then the deep blue of the sea. Sunlight flooded the bus, making Yuri squint.

When his vision adjusted, the horizon opened before him.

The ocean stretched endlessly.

Back to the place where he grew up.

His hometown.

A little later, still near the city entrance, another sign appeared.

One he knew well.

"Pico-do-Sol Eco Resort."

His parents' resort.
Where he was born and raised.

Yuri had already told the driver to stop there. He got off the bus carrying only one suitcase.

The rest of his things were already there.
They always had been.

He stood in front of the gate for a few seconds.

His mind went blank.

A strange feeling took over his chest. It wasn't sadness. Nor happiness.

Something between nostalgia and restlessness.

A nameless feeling.

— Look who decided to show up!

The voice came from inside the resort, pulling Yuri back to reality. A familiar voice.

A boy approached wearing the resort uniform open over a BYE-B t-shirt. Silver piercings gleamed in his ears. His eyes were green.

He seemed taller.

But Yuri would recognize that mischievous face anywhere.

— Felipe!

The handshake turned into a hug in seconds. The slight melancholy Yuri carried dissolved right there.

Felipe had been working at the resort since before Yuri went to college. Now, he was practically his parents' right-hand man.

— First time I see the owner's son arriving with the employees — Felipe joked.

— Of course — Yuri replied. — I'm not crazy enough to let you handle this alone. We'd go bankrupt in a week.

— Thank goodness — Felipe laughed. — For a second, I thought you were trying to sabotage me. You're the one who convinced your parents to take a vacation, right?

Just remembering how much he insisted, Yuri let out a discreet sigh.

— With a lot of effort. I just wish they hadn't decided everything at the last minute.

— Congratulations, huh? — Felipe laughed loudly, pulling a badge out of his pocket. — You screwed us both! It's the start of the season, so the first few days are going to be crazy.

He handed the badge to Yuri.

Below the resort logo, just his name.
No position.

— Use this for the next fifteen days, or the guests will mistake you for a tourist — Felipe said, taking the suitcase. — I'm going to help Rigo with the tours today. You stay at check-in. You still remember how to do it, right?

Yuri nodded slightly.

He remembered.

It was pretty much what he expected.
Actually… it was exactly what he wanted.

Something busy.
Something simple.

Perfect for keeping his mind occupied.

Deep down, Yuri always liked the chaos of the beginning of the season. After all, he had been helping at the reception since he was sixteen.

— I'm heading out — Felipe said, moving toward the main house. — I'll leave your suitcase at your parents' house. Good luck at reception!

Since the decision had already been made by him, Yuri headed straight for the reception.

As he walked along the tree-lined path, the change in atmosphere was clear. The air seemed lighter. The sea breeze mixed with the sound of the leaves rustling above him.

Then—

Footsteps.

Running footsteps.

The gravel crunched behind him, getting closer and closer.

— Guess who it is!

Suddenly, hands covered his eyes from behind. Yuri wasn't even startled.

He recognized that voice.

Even without being able to remember whose it was.

— Huh? Who is it? — he asked, confused.

— You don't understand the concept of "guessing," do you? — the voice replied instantly.

Yuri strained his memory. Where had he heard that voice before?

Maybe it was his cousin, Valeria. She was always at the resort when he still lived there.

— Ah, I don't know! How am I supposed to know? Is it Val?

— Wow. Did you really forget my voice? — the person complained. — You're a terrible guesser.

The hands slowly moved away. Whoever it was realized it wouldn't work.

Yuri turned around.

When his eyes adjusted to the brightness, the first thing he saw was long, shiny hair, light blue like the sky. It contrasted with her brown skin. It was tied up in a high bun, held by a green scrunchie.

For the second time that day—

It was a face he would recognize anywhere.

Which made sense.

After all, this was his hometown.

— Ana?

— Tadaaa! — she spread her arms, striking an exaggerated pose, with a huge smile.

Four years had passed since Yuri and Ana last saw each other in person. A year older, she had moved to the capital to study aesthetics even before he finished high school.

— Finally — she teased. — I was starting to think you wouldn't recognize me.

— Well… the blue hair is new — Yuri replied.

Not just the color, but the length.

Throughout elementary and high school, there was one thing that never changed about her.

Her short, black hair.

— Cool, right? — she said, full of pride. — I've been dyeing it since last year.

You could tell she liked the new look.

And, even though it was very different from what he remembered, it didn't look strange.

In fact… it suited her.

— And look at this! — she pointed excitedly to the resort logo embroidered on her lab coat. — I also started working here as a masseuse last year, right after I graduated! Now we're coworkers.

But what caught Yuri's attention wasn't the logo.

It was the scar.

Just above the collar, shaped like a cross.

A scar he knew well.

Immediately, childhood memories flooded back.

— Hey, my eyes are up here, you know? — Ana joked.

The panic came before the thought.

Yuri realized too late where he had been looking all this time.

— What?! No! I was just looking at your… I mean… the mark! On your chest!

Ana laughed loudly, obviously just making fun of Yuri. She struggled to calm down as tears streamed from laughing so hard.

— I know, I know. Relax! — she said, placing her hand on his shoulder. — It's the scar, right?

Yuri finally relaxed.

— I volunteered to participate in a study on a new transplant technique a little over a year ago — she explained, pointing to the center of the scar. — The recovery was long, but now…

She smiled, proud.

— …I'm officially cured.

Since birth, Ana lived with severe congenital heart disease.

That's how Yuri always remembered her.

Hearing this, surprise manifested first, and the thought only came third, this time.

Before it—

Something much lighter.

As if the air had finally returned to his lungs.

— Ana… finally… — he murmured, a wide smile spreading without him realizing.

Ana noticed.

She saw his smile.

And she knew that was the perfect moment to continue the good news.

— And the best part… — she said, excited. — Now I can have my own list of dreams!

But the simple mention of a dream list made Yuri's smile falter.

As a child, Yuri had a huge list of everything he wanted to be when he grew up.

Today, he could only see it as a list of failures.

Inventor.
Painter.
Astronaut.
Singer.
Filmmaker.
Teacher.
Firefighter.
Writer.
Pilot.

These were just some of the dreams that had passed through that list. Not to mention the things he wanted to have, the places he dreamed of visiting, and everything he planned to do one day.

— How many items on your list have you managed to accomplish? — Ana asked, excited, without noticing the change in his face.

— Ah… actually… — Yuri hesitated for a moment.
— I just… — he searched for the right word.

But reality escaped before he found it.

— I gave up.