That evening, the sky was filled with heavy clouds, ready to pour at any moment. The air grew colder, carrying the promise of rain. They walked side by side as always, light conversation weaving between their unhurried steps. There was a comforting silence, as if the world itself had made space only for the two of them.
The first drop fell from the sky. Sera tilted her head upward and let out a small laugh.
"I should've brought an umbrella," she murmured, half-regretful, half-amused.
Without saying a word, Liam paused briefly, then opened his umbrella. He lifted it slowly, angling it so that Sera was fully covered. Even so, part of his shoulder still grew damp under the drizzle.
"You're getting wet," Sera said softly, her voice laced with concern.
Liam simply shook his head, a faint smile resting on his lips.
"It's alright. As long as you don't get cold."
The words were simple, yet they sank gently into her heart. Warmth blossomed inside her, accompanied by a trembling she couldn't quite name. She wanted to protest, to tell him to stand closer so they could both be protected. But her lips chose silence. All she could do was clutch the strap of her bag tighter, trying to hide the sudden rush in her chest.
They continued walking. The sound of raindrops drummed softly against the umbrella, while the city lights blurred behind the curtain of rain, creating a dim glow that felt like a dream.
"So this is the reason you keep taking this umbrella with you?" Liam smile softly to her and nod.
"Yeah,"
Then, without meaning to, the umbrella shifted slightly, and their shoulders brushed beneath its small shelter. Neither of them moved away. It was as if something unseen urged them to remain close. The moment was natural, effortless—like the rain itself had narrowed the distance between them.
At last, they reached Sera's rented house. They stopped and looked at each other for a lingering moment. Hesitation flickered, but they both managed small smiles.
"Thank you… for walking me home. Your clothes are wet," Sera said gently.
Liam nodded, his gaze lingering longer than usual, as though he wanted to say something words could not carry.
"It's fine," he answered quietly, yet full of meaning. "As long as you're dry, I don't mind getting wet."
The girl stepped inside, but before closing the door, she turned once more. He was still standing there, umbrella in hand, his eyes fixed on her, as though making sure she was truly safe before leaving and wave his hand to her.
Something tightened in her chest, stealing her breath for a moment. She bit her lip, whispering so faintly that only the rain could hear:
"Why does it feel like you've always been here… since long ago?"
That night, after their steps had parted at her door, the world felt quieter. The rain still lingered in the air, leaving behind the scent of wet earth mixed with the warmth of the umbrella they had shared. Sera entered her room, but her heart remained on the street they had just walked together. The way he always keep her save under the umbrella. Even a dropof tge rain, he won't allowed to touch her.
Sleep refused to come. Each time she closed her eyes, she saw him—the calm figure walking beside her, the simple smile that somehow quieted the storm within her chest. The fading rain outside her window still echoed in her ears, as though the earth itself was replaying the melody they had just shared.
And when at last exhaustion pulled her into slumber, the dream arrived.
Sera found herself in a blindingly white room. Light poured from every direction, making it impossible to tell time or place. In the midst of the silence, there was only one sound: the steady, mechanical beeping of a machine, sharp and unyielding, like the heartbeat of someone being kept alive by something beyond themselves.
In front of her lay a man. His face was blurred, indistinct, yet her heart knew instantly who he was. It was him—the man who had walked beside her in quiet steps, the man who had quietly filled the empty corners of her heart.
A fragile hand reached out toward her, trembling and weak, on the edge of losing all strength. Without thinking, Sera clasped it tightly, holding on as if the world itself would collapse if she let go. A faint warmth seeped through his skin, but it only made her tears fall harder, without her permission.
Then came the voice, hoarse and breaking, almost drowned by the distance between them.
"If another life truly exists… will you find me again?"
Her chest shook. Her lips trembled with a sob she fought to contain. And from somewhere deep inside, strength rose, giving her the courage to answer. Her words left her mouth, soft yet full of promise.
"Yes… I will always find you."
But time granted no mercy. The machine's beeping stopped. The sound stretched into a long, piercing tone that split the silence. The hand she held slipped away, its warmth fading, leaving behind only coldness and loss.
Sera woke with a stifled cry, her breath catching as though the air itself refused to enter her lungs. Her heart pounded chaotically, each beat echoing the fragments of the dream that still clung to her. Blinking rapidly, she scanned her surroundings until the familiar outline of her room emerged through the shadows. The silence of the night greeted her, but the damp trails of tears on her cheeks betrayed how real it had all felt within her heart.
She pressed her trembling hands over her face, as if hiding from a truth she could not name. The memory of the man's fading voice, the weight of his hand slipping from hers, still pulsed inside her like an open wound.
"What… does all of this mean?" she whispered into the darkness, her voice breaking. Yet no answer came—only the echo of her own heartbeat and the lingering ache of loss.