The Cloudscent Journal is so pleased to present to you our fourth issue, ISSUE V: AEVUM.

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Aevum, or the temporal space between time and eternity, redefines what we know as believable spatial dimensions of time. There is no eternity in the real world, after all. Nothing tangible lasts forever; here, everything has an expiration date. The relationships we build, the homes we live in, and the things we touch. However, the word "aevum" refuses that thought. It constitutes that there is an eternity and that aevum, the transition from tangibility to intangibility, is what crosses the line from what we know as temporary to infinite. Time, in this space, doesn't run out. Instead, it stretches.

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This issue captures the everlasting nature of time in the space known as aevum. It explores the nature of infinity in generational lines, memory, and the impossible. In the human world, those are often the forgotten permanences amongst temporal movements. Generations move down and down the timeline, while memory lingers in the air like a ghost. The impossible, built by pure human imagination, never expires because it never comes to life. 

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"Fatherbird" by Aldrin Badiola opens this issue by exploring the desire for the impossible, tangled with generational struggle and human connection. Then we move on to an exploration of the time between death and what comes afterward in Ben Ramakrishnan's "In Requiem," capturing a philosophical epitome of aevum.  "Prelude to Earth's Survival" by Maria Otuaga continues the discovery in what lies in the beyond before we move to the powerful explorations of memory and the mind in Clarisse Kim's "Pool Day" and Isaiah Adepoju's "May 29." 

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Whalefall by Jamie Lu starts the prose section's focus on the impossible, before Trans-gress by Elizabeth Kohlhaas brings back the beyond by intermingling with the boundaries of humanity. Parable of the Boy Scouts of America by Jeremy Mauser and minutes before the end of a cricket match by Anshi Purohit continue the exploration of memory and time before we explore the invisible in Srishty Sharma and Adesoyin Aderanti's photographs, closing this issue on a powerful, pensive note. 

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Ultimately, this issue explores the infinite space constituted by aevum and captures what The Cloudscent Journal has always hoped to pursue -- the pushing of boundaries, space, and time. Art makes the impossible happen, and aevum gives us hope that it will always stay that way. I hope that as you read and explore ISSUE V: AEVUM, you will also understand the place eternity has in the human world, and of course, that you enjoy reading the beautiful works that our amazing editorial team gathered over the past few months. Our 34 contributors each have something to share, and I am so proud to be able to give them a home. 

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Lastly, thank you to all the readers that have supported us thus far. You have taught us what is imaginable and the infinite possibilities of art as a world. We hope you enjoy reading our fifth issue; it's the least we can do.

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Warmly,

Vivian Huang

Editor-in-Chief