He ordered the box and spent the next three days filling it. He didn't put in expensive things. He put in the "aktualna darila" of their shared history: a pressed flower from his mother’s garden, the old key to his first car that his father had helped him fix, and a handwritten letter detailing every reason why he needed to go, and every reason why he would always come back. The next Sunday, he placed the box on the kitchen table.

"Preveri aktualna darila," Jakob said softly, his voice finally steady. "Check out the gifts."

Jakob chuckled. "Gifts," he muttered. "The gift of disappearing."

It was 11:58 PM on a Tuesday, and the blue light of the laptop was the only thing keeping Jakob awake. He was staring at a blank spreadsheet labeled "The Plan," which was currently anything but a plan.

As he scrolled, a specific box caught his eye. It was made of olive wood, with a map of the Adriatic coast etched into the lid. He realized then that he shouldn't be looking for a way to leave ; he should be looking for a way to stay —at least in spirit.