The storm had grown worse overnight.By morning, the streets were slick and flooded, the world muted under a gray sheet of sound.
Velithra sat by the window, her phone in her hand.She'd texted Kai three times.No response.
He was never the type to ignore her — not without reason. And that silence… it gnawed at her.
She finally stood, slipping on her shoes and hoodie. The rain hit her face as soon as she stepped outside, cold and relentless. She didn't care.She knew where he lived. He'd walked her home enough times for her to remember the turns.
Each step through the puddles felt heavier. The closer she got, the more the pit in her stomach grew.
By the time she reached the small apartment building, her hands were shaking — not from the cold, but from something sharper.Fear.
The stairwell smelled faintly of damp concrete and cigarettes. She climbed fast, her breath uneven, her heart pounding.
Then she stopped.His door was slightly open.
"Kai?" she called softly. No answer.
She pushed the door open, her chest tightening.The room was dark — blinds half-drawn, a single lamp flickering.Sketches were scattered everywhere, torn pages, broken pencils, and water pooling from his soaked shoes near the door.
And then she saw him.
Kai was sitting on the floor against the wall, his hoodie clinging to his skin, hands buried in his hair. He looked… lost. Like something inside him had finally broken through.
Velithra froze in the doorway, unsure whether to step forward or run."Kai," she whispered.
He didn't look up right away. When he did, his eyes were glassy, haunted — like he wasn't entirely here.
"Velithra?" His voice cracked. "What are you doing here?"
"I— you weren't at school. You didn't answer."Her voice trembled. "I was worried."
He gave a low, bitter laugh. "You shouldn't be."
She knelt down in front of him. "You keep saying that. But I am."
He looked away, jaw tightening. "You don't get it."
"Then make me," she said quietly. "Help me understand."
For a long time, he didn't speak.The rain hammered against the window, the air between them heavy and electric.
Then, softly —"There are things about me you don't want to know."
Velithra didn't flinch. "Try me."
Kai's throat worked, but no words came out. Instead, his hands trembled again — not from anger, but from something raw and fragile.
Without thinking, Velithra reached out and touched his wrist.Just that small gesture.Warm skin. Cold rain. A pulse that raced too fast.
He looked at her then — really looked — and something inside him cracked open.
For the first time, Kai didn't try to hide.And for the first time, Velithra realized just how much it hurt him to be seen.