It was a rainy evening, a whispering kind of day where the sky seemed to sigh with every drop that fell. At 6:05 PM, I was discharged from the medical facility, the scent of antiseptic still lingering faintly on my clothes. The time was etched in my memory: 16:34. As we drove back home, I rolled down the car window, needing to feel something real after a day that felt like a dream sewn together with jagged patches of reality.
The wind that rushed in was soft, almost comforting, as if nature itself was trying to cradle my bruised emotions. It kissed my face with gentle fingers, and the sky above, once painted in comforting hues of blue, began to unravel into darker shades of sorrow and mystery. The clouds wept silently, and their sadness mixed with mine in a way that made my heart ache.
In the front seat beside me was Brother Zixianxia—my guardian angel in disguise. His expression was calm, but his eyes kept flickering toward me, searching.
"Come inside, little one," he said softly as we pulled into the driveway, the rain beginning to fall harder now. "If you catch a cold, I'm doomed. My dear sister, don't act stubborn."
I rolled my eyes but couldn't help smiling. "Stop acting like a fool, Brother. I'm not that fragile."
As if on cue, Aryan's voice boomed from the other car, "Hey old man! Take care of our precious princess!"
Brother Zixianxia shot back, mock-scowling, "Shut up, you little bunny, or I'll turn you into a tasty stew!"
Aunty Ammu chuckled and broke the banter. "Alright enough! Take her in. I've got some work back at the office, but Zixianxia, stay with them tonight. If I get delayed, I want your word that you'll take care of everything."
"You have it," he replied firmly.
---
But what no one knew, what none of them realized, was that while I appeared calm on the outside, my mind was haunted. The dream—the same dream that had unraveled so much already—clung to my thoughts. It followed me like a shadow, breathing down my neck.
I tried to shake it off. Brother Zixianxia led me to my room and instructed me to change and rest.
"Sleep a while, silly girl," he said, brushing his fingers through my hair. "And don't hide under your blanket with your phone again. I can see your sneaky fingers even in the dark."
"How do you always know?" I muttered.
He gave a teasing smile. "I just do. Now, rest."
Once he left, I snuck a few messages to Abhilipsha and Akankshya. My fingers grew tired, and sleep took me like a warm wave.
When I awoke, the sky had turned black. I got up and moved toward my wide glass windows, feeling drawn to the storm like a moth to flame. I opened it and inhaled deeply. The rain had begun to fall in delicate whispers at first, then turned into a steady drumbeat.
Suddenly, in the hazy blur of water and mist, I saw him.
There, in the ecological park across the street, sat a lone figure under the weeping sky—drenched, unmoving, face raised toward the heavens. His eyes… his face… it was unmistakable. It was Senior Yizhenxia. And he was crying.
My heart clenched. Something ancient and aching stirred in my chest. He wasn't someone who cried. He was a symbol of perfection to the whole school. Yet there he was—vulnerable and cracked open under the sky's mourning.
Without a second thought, I tiptoed out of my room. Alisha noticed me.
"Sista? Where are you going?"
"Shhh. Don't tell Brother. Please. Cover for me. I'll be back in a minute."
She nodded reluctantly and gave the okay sign.
I grabbed an umbrella, rushed through the main door, and ran toward the park. The meadow was soaked, the air sharp with petrichor. The once-cheerful grass now shimmered with silver raindrops, and a fog of gold mist floated in the air.
As I got closer, my breath caught. He hadn't moved. He looked so broken, like a shattered sculpture that no one dared to fix. My hand trembled as I extended the umbrella over him. He didn't even look up at first, but when he finally turned, the vulnerability in his red-rimmed eyes nearly undid me.
We didn't speak.
Not at first.
Then I whispered, "Tears are precious. Don't waste them in the rain."
A faint smile tugged at his lips. He didn't respond, just reached out and grabbed my wrist gently.
"Let's go to shelter," he murmured. "You're sick. I can't have you collapsing on me again."
We ran toward a tent nearby, one the school used during yoga sessions in the park. We ducked under it just as the rain intensified, turning into a sheet of liquid thunder.
He huddled close, and I could feel the tension in his body—the quiet tremors of emotion barely held back.
Then his voice broke through the sound of the storm. "Why do you care so much?"
"Because I see your pain."
He stared at me. "You remind me of someone I lost."
My heart skipped. Before I could ask anything, he shook his head. "No more questions."
Then suddenly he gripped my shoulders. "Why did you come out here? Are you mad? You could've fallen sick again!"
His voice cracked with fear, anger, and something else… something unspoken.
"You stubborn, silly girl. I hate girls like you—reckless, brave, foolish."
I stared at him, trying to find meaning in his contradiction.
"Let's go," he whispered. "Before I say something I can't take back."
And then… darkness.
My world spun.
---
Time: 8:56 PM
I woke up in my bed again, a saline tube attached to my arm. Aryan and Alisha were beside me, talking in hushed tones. My mouth felt dry, but I croaked, "What happened...?"
Aryan shushed me. "You fainted again. Found you in the bathroom. Half dressed. Alisha helped get you decent. Then Brother injected you."
I blinked.
Was it real?
The park?
The rain?
Yizhenxia?
Or was it… a dream?
Alisha said gently, "You've been here the whole time. You didn't go out."
My breath caught. I laughed nervously. "Then... I must be dreaming the future again."
Just then, a knock.
Brother Zixianxia entered.
"You look better," he said with relief. "Feel good enough for dinner?"
We all nodded.
"Mom's not coming today," he added. "Meeting ran late. We're eating here."
At the dinner table, I was quieter than usual.
He noticed. Of course, he did.
"Akio," he said firmly, "Where on earth is your mind?"
"Just thinking about homework," I lied.
"You're not going to school tomorrow. You've been through too much."
"But I want to—"
"You can't go back until Mrs. Ammu comes home. That's final."
We finished our meal in silence. But my mind was screaming.
Was it a dream?
Or a warning?
Either way, I knew deep down...
Something was coming. And this was just the calm before the storm.
---
To be continued...