They reached Kai's house in silence, the kind of silence that does not need words because it is already heavy with everything unsaid. Ryan paused near the staircase and rubbed his temples as if trying to hold himself together.
"You guys go upstairs. I need to make a few calls," he said quietly.
Kai didn't respond. He simply stood there, still and distant, as though his body had arrived, but his soul was somewhere far away.
Alina gently held his hand and guided him upstairs. He followed without resistance. Inside his room, everything was perfectly in place — the bed neatly made, the curtains half drawn, the faint scent of his cologne still lingering in the air. Yet the room felt different tonight. Empty. Colder.
She made him sit on the bed and stepped away to change. When she came back a few minutes later, Kai was sitting on the edge of his bed, completely still, as if someone had paused him in the middle of a thought he could not finish. The room lights were on, but nothing about him felt awake. He was there physically, yet lost somewhere far beyond reach. She walked closer and slowly sat on her heels in front of him, looking up at his face.
"Kai," she called softly.
No response. His eyes were unfocused, staring somewhere through the wall. He was out of his zone, unreachable.
"Kai… get up. You need a shower," she said gently, her voice firm but caring.
He didn't argue. He didn't nod either. He allowed her to take his hand and guide him to the bathroom.
Once inside, he stood under the shower area while Alina reached up and turned the knob slowly. Water began to fall from above, softly at first. The first drops touched his hair, flattening the strands against his forehead. Then the stream grew steadier, sliding down his face, tracing the curve of his cheeks, dripping from his jaw. It soaked his white shirt gradually, the fabric clinging to his chest and arms.
He looked up at the shower, eyes fixed on the falling water, almost as if he expected it to wash everything away — his sadness, his worries, the unbearable heaviness inside his chest. If only water could clean the mind the way it cleans the body.
He closed his eyes and let every drop fall against his skin. His breathing was slow. Controlled. As though he was trying to feel something — anything.
Alina stood a step away at first, watching him quietly. Then slowly, she moved closer until there was no space left between them. The water began to drench her too, soaking her clothes, her hair sticking to her neck, but she didn't step back.
Gently, she lifted his hand and brought it up near his face. Then she cupped his face with both her palms. Her thumbs moved slowly over his cheeks, wiping away the water that kept falling. Her touch was tender, deliberate, almost protective. She cleaned his face as if he were fragile glass.
Then her hands slid down to his palm — the same palm that had been holding the soil. Carefully, she turned his hand under the stream and began rubbing it softly, her fingers brushing away every last trace of dirt. She did it patiently, almost reverently, as if she understood that he wasn't just holding soil earlier — he was holding onto something he wasn't ready to let go of.
When she was sure his hand was clean, she turned off the shower. The sudden silence felt louder than the water. She reached for the towel hanging nearby and placed it gently over his head, rubbing his hair slowly, drying each strand with care. Then she wiped his face, dabbing gently around his eyes, his cheeks, his jaw.
Without warning, he took the towel from her hands and placed it over her head, too. He began drying her hair as well, his movements slow and quiet. They were both still damp, both shivering slightly, both standing too close.
Then, without speaking, Alina pulled the same towel over both their heads. The fabric covered them partially, creating a small, private world beneath it. Slowly, Kai leaned his forehead against hers.
They leaned in until their foreheads rested against each other, sharing a silence that required no words and no tears. There was only the quiet warmth of their shared presence as they both closed their eyes, letting the world outside fade away. In that fragile stillness, it felt as though the weight of their grief had finally paused, granting them just enough space to breathe again.
After changing into his night clothes, Kai returned and sat on his bed. He still looked distant, like someone who had stepped out of his own body.
Alina walked toward him and once again sat on her heels near his legs. She took his hands in hers — his long fingers, cold and still. She held them gently, trying to pass some strength into them.
But her own emotions were rising too fast. She stood up abruptly and walked out before he could notice the tears forming in her eyes.
In the study room, she finally broke down. She pressed her hand against her mouth to stop the sobs, but they escaped anyway. Seeing Kai like that had shattered something inside her.
Her phone rang. It was Maya. Maybe this was exactly what she needed. She answered the call, her voice trembling. Maya already knew. She understood the situation.
"Maya… I don't know how it all changed like this," Alina said between tears. "Everything was so perfect. He was smiling just a few days back. He was laughing. And now… everything changed in the blink of an eye." She wiped her tears, but they kept falling.
"That smile… it vanished, Maya. I've never seen him like this. Never. It's the worst. It's really the worst."
Maya listened patiently and then spoke softly, "Alina, this wasn't in our control. We can't fight nature. It happened. But right now, he needs you. If he is weak, you become his strength. Don't cry in front of him. Be strong for him. With time, things will settle. Maybe not the same, but better than this. Just stay with him."
Those words steadied her breathing. She inhaled deeply and wiped her face. She couldn't fall apart. Not now.
When Alina returned to his room, Kai was sitting on the bed, his back slightly supported against the headboard. He looked tired, drained. She entered with a glass of milk in her hand.
"See what I brought for you," she said softly, trying to sound cheerful.
She sat beside him. "You know, milk promotes better sleep because of tryptophan, magnesium, and protein. It helps with muscle relaxation and neurotransmitter regulation," she said in one breath, attempting to lighten the mood. "I actually memorized that just to show off in front of you."
There wasn't any reaction on Kai's face.
"Well, why should only you get good sleep? I deserve it too," she added playfully. "I read that it also helps curb late-night hunger and improves sleep quality."
She lifted the glass to her lips dramatically. "Umm… It's good. Not bad at all."
Still nothing.
Then she narrowed her eyes slightly. "Fine, Mr. Arden. You don't even have the guts to drink this. If it were me, I would have finished it by now. You always try to prove you're better than me. Why not today? Let's see who's better."
She extended the glass toward him challengingly. For a second, there was silence. Then he slowly took the glass from her hand and drank it. All of it.
Her eyes widened theatrically. "Wow. Great. Well done. You again proved that you can go to any extent to prove me wrong."
She smiled faintly and stood up. "Okay, my job is done. I won't disturb you with music tonight."
She had barely taken a step when she felt a hand wrap around her wrist. She froze.
"Don't go," he said quietly.
Her heart skipped. It was the first thing he had spoken in hours.
"I'm not feeling sleepy," he added.
She turned back and gently held his hand. "Don't worry. I'm here."
She straightened the pillow on the bed, but before she could guide him to lie down, he got up and walked toward the couch. Of course. He still couldn't sleep in the bed. She didn't question it. She took the pillow from the bed, turned off the lights, and went to the couch. She adjusted the pillow and helped him lie down comfortably. He lay there quietly.
Alina sat on the floor beside the couch, near his head. Her fingers moved slowly through his hair, gently rubbing, soothing. She began humming softly under her breath, a quiet tune — barely audible, but warm.
Her hand kept patting his head rhythmically. After a few moments, his hand reached out blindly and found hers. He held it tightly.
She intertwined her fingers with his. She continued humming, continued stroking his hair. Gradually, his breathing slowed. His grip softened. And finally, still holding her hand, Kai drifted into sleep.