They sat there for a long time — the rain whispering against the glass, the only sound filling the silence between them.
Velithra didn't know what to say.Kai looked like he was made of shadows — every blink, every breath weighed down by something invisible.
Finally, she spoke."You don't have to tell me everything," she said softly. "But I just… don't want you to carry it alone."
Kai gave a small, humorless smile. "That's the thing. It's not the kind of thing you can carry with someone. It sticks to you. Gets inside everything you touch."
Velithra frowned. "You talk like you're poison."
He exhaled, almost laughing at the irony. "Maybe I am."
The way he said it — not angry, not self-pitying, just true — made her chest tighten.
She moved closer, sitting beside him on the cold floor. "You're not," she said quietly. "If you were, I wouldn't be here."
Kai finally turned to her. His black eyes, usually guarded, flickered with something softer — confusion, maybe even fear."Why?" he asked. "Why do you care so much?"
Velithra looked at the floor. "Because I see you," she said. "Not the version you want people to see. The real one. The one that still feels everything even when it hurts."
The words hung in the air between them. Kai swallowed hard, his throat working, his hands clenching and unclenching.
"I don't know what to do with that," he admitted, his voice cracking.
"Then don't do anything," Velithra whispered. "Just let yourself be… here."
For the first time that night, he let himself breathe — slow, uneven, but real.
She leaned her head against the wall, their shoulders brushing.He didn't move away.
Minutes passed. Maybe hours. The storm outside began to fade, replaced by the soft rhythm of dripping water and shallow breathing.
Then, quietly, Kai spoke again."When I was younger, I lost someone," he said. "And when I tried to save them, I made it worse. Much worse."
Velithra turned her head slightly, waiting, but he didn't continue.He stared at the floor, voice low. "That's all I can say right now."
She nodded. "That's enough."
Kai finally met her gaze. Something in his eyes shifted — still haunted, but lighter somehow."Thank you," he said, his voice barely audible.
Velithra gave a small smile. "You don't have to thank me for caring."
He didn't reply. He just watched her — the quiet warmth of her presence anchoring him in a way he hadn't realized he needed.
When she finally stood to leave, he almost reached for her hand — almost — but stopped himself.
She paused at the door, glancing back. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
Kai hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. Tomorrow."
As the door closed behind her, the apartment felt too quiet.He leaned back against the wall, eyes closing.And for the first time in a long time, Kai let himself believe that maybe, just maybe, tomorrow could be something better.