The sky was turning gold when the last bell rang.Students flooded out of the building, laughing, shouting, their footsteps echoing against the pavement.Velithra stayed behind, sitting by the window, pretending to organize her books while her pulse thrummed unevenly in her chest.
She didn't know why she felt nervous — or maybe she did, but didn't want to admit it.
When the halls finally quieted, she packed up and walked toward the back exit. The air smelled of wet leaves and faint rain, the same scent that lingered on Kai's clothes last night.
He was waiting outside, leaning against the wall near the old courtyard. His hood was down this time. The low light caught the dark strands of his hair, the sharp lines of his face, and those black eyes that always seemed to hold more than they should.
For a moment, he just looked at her — really looked — and she felt the same strange pull she'd felt before.
"You came," he said softly.
"Of course," she replied, trying to sound steady. "You said you needed to talk."
He nodded, gaze shifting to the ground. "Yeah. I just didn't think you actually would."
Velithra frowned. "Why wouldn't I?"
"Because people don't stay," he said simply. "They ask questions until they realize the answers hurt."
She stepped closer. "Then maybe I'm not like most people."
He gave a small, almost pained smile. "That's what scares me."
Velithra hesitated. "What do you mean?"
Kai sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. His voice dropped, quieter now."There's a reason I don't talk about my past. I used to think it didn't matter anymore. But lately, it's been… catching up to me."
Velithra felt her heart twist. "You don't have to—"
"I do," he cut in, eyes lifting to hers. "You deserve to know what you're getting close to."
There was something in the way he said it — careful, restrained, as if each word cost him a piece of himself.
He took a step closer, their breath nearly mixing in the cool air."When I said I lost someone… it wasn't just loss. It was my fault."
Velithra froze. "Kai…"
He looked away, his voice low and steady. "I tried to protect them. I thought I could fix everything. But I made a mistake — one that can't be undone."
The silence that followed was sharp, almost painful.
She didn't speak. She couldn't.The only sound was the faint rustle of wind through the trees.
Then, quietly, Velithra reached out. Her fingers brushed his sleeve — barely a touch, but it made him flinch like it burned.
"Kai," she said softly, "you're not the same person you were back then. You're here now. That means something."
He met her eyes again, and for the first time, she saw tears there — faint, restrained, but real.
"You shouldn't forgive me so easily," he murmured.
"I'm not forgiving you," she whispered back. "I'm just… seeing you."
Something in him broke then — not loudly, not violently, just a quiet surrender.He stepped forward, close enough that their shadows merged in the fading light.
And though neither of them said another word, it felt like the start of something that could change everything.