Adrian arrived at the meeting spot earlier than planned.
He stood near the café entrance, quietly watching people pass by. Cars moved along the road, voices echoed from inside the café, and laughter could be heard from nearby tables—but none of it reached him. His hands were in his pockets, his shoulders slightly lowered, his eyes empty.
He didn't look angry anymore.
He looked tired.
A few minutes later, Jake appeared from the other side of the street. His steps were slow, and his expression was unusually serious. When their eyes met, neither of them smiled.
They exchanged a few simple words and walked into the café together. After ordering drinks, they sat at a table near the window.
Silence settled between them.
Not the awkward kind.
But the heavy kind.
The kind that made every second feel longer.
Jake stared at his cup for a while before finally speaking.
"So… um… I'm sorry for your loss."
Adrian didn't answer immediately. He looked outside through the window, watching the lights of passing cars.
"It's fine," he said after a moment. His voice was calm, almost emotionless. "Heroes die."
He paused, then slowly turned his gaze toward Jake.
"Anyway… why did you want to meet me?"
Jake hesitated. His fingers tightened slightly around the cup.
"Actually… I'm going to another country," he said quietly. "And I probably won't come back. My father says this country is too dangerous."
For a brief moment, Adrian's eyes widened.
Then they returned to their usual dull state.
"Oh…"
Jake took a few slow sips of his coffee, as if he didn't want the moment to end too quickly. The noise of the café felt distant, like it belonged to another world.
After a while, he stood up.
"Anyway, I have to leave. My flight is early… goodbye."
Adrian slowly stood up as well.
"Goodbye."
Jake walked toward the exit, his figure gradually disappearing behind the crowd. Adrian remained there for a few seconds longer, watching the empty doorway.
He felt nothing during their conversation.
No anger.
No shock.
No strong sadness.
It was as if his heart had already broken too many times.
He had been filled with so much despair that no more darkness could enter him.
later that night, Adrian found himself unable to sleep.
Without thinking too much, he put on his jacket and stepped outside.
The streets were quiet. The cold night air brushed against his face as he walked slowly under the dim streetlights. His footsteps echoed faintly on the empty road.
He didn't know how long he had been walking.
By the time he realized it, he was far from home.
As he turned around to head back, something unusual caught his attention.
In the distance, a massive building was burning.
Flames rose violently into the sky, lighting up the darkness. Thick smoke spread across the air.
Adrian's expression changed.
Without hesitation, he lifted off the ground and flew toward the fire, his instincts telling him that someone might still be inside.
Adrian flew closer to the burning building, the heat growing stronger with every second. Flames crawled up the walls like living creatures, and thick smoke filled the air, making it hard to breathe.
Then he heard it.
A faint scream.
It was coming from the second-highest floor.
Without hesitation, Adrian shot upward and crashed through a shattered window, landing inside the building. The hallway was filled with smoke and falling debris, the fire alarms screaming endlessly. The floor beneath his feet creaked as if it could collapse at any moment.
He moved quickly, opening doors one by one, searching through dark rooms where flames had already taken over.
Then he heard it again.
"Help…"
The voice was weak.
Adrian turned sharply toward the sound and rushed down the corridor. As he reached the door from where the voice was coming, he pushed it open—but before he could fully enter, a part of the wall beside the door suddenly collapsed.
Without thinking, Adrian smashed through the broken wall and stepped into the room.
The flames illuminated the figure standing there.
For a moment, he froze.
His eyes widened slightly.
The person in front of him was someone he never expected to see here.
It was one of his closest friends.
Riley.