Velithra spent the next hour pacing her small room, each step heavier than the last. She had agreed. She had actually agreed to let him come.
Her reflection in the mirror stared back at her like a stranger. No matter how she brushed her hair, it still fell unevenly; no matter how many times she changed, everything felt wrong. Too plain. Too much. Too little.
Why had she said yes?
The sound of knuckles against her front door snapped her out of her spiral.
Velithra froze.
For a long moment, she just stood there, heart thundering, palms clammy. Then, almost on autopilot, she walked down the narrow hallway and pulled the door open.
Kai stood there.
The sunlight caught in his black hair, strands glowing faintly like ink spilled into gold. His eyes—dark, unreadable—lifted to meet hers, and for a moment, he didn't speak. He just looked at her. Not in judgment, not in pity, but as though he was memorizing something only he could see.
"You're ready," he finally said, voice low, almost casual.
Velithra's throat felt dry. "Not really."
That drew the faintest curve at his lips, though it wasn't quite a smile. "Good. Me neither."
She blinked, thrown off balance. "You… you weren't ready?"
"Does anyone ever know what they're doing the first time?" His gaze lingered, soft but steady. Then he glanced away, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Come on. Let's get out of here."
Velithra hesitated, gripping the edge of the door. Something inside her screamed to retreat, to keep the safety of her small, silent world. But something else—a quieter, desperate part—leaned toward him, drawn by the strange gravity he carried.
She stepped outside.
The door closed behind her with a click that felt louder than it should.
Kai didn't say where they were going. He just started walking, and without meaning to, Velithra fell into step beside him. Their silence wasn't awkward—it was charged, heavy, like words waited at the edge of both their lips.
At the corner of the street, he finally glanced at her again.
"You don't have to pretend with me," he said simply.
Velithra's chest tightened. She wanted to ask what he meant, but deep down, she already knew.