Kaivan only smiled, as always. He needed no recognition, only the quiet truth of being there when it mattered.
"Since then, my life changed. There are things you only begin to see when you've come close to losing everything. Sometimes, tragedy gives birth to miracles."
Moonlight washed over Thivi's face. The girl who usually shone with cheer now seemed deeper, more fragile, more human.
She exhaled slowly, her trembling hand setting the bottle into motion again. No one spoke, watching destiny's dance. The bottle slowed, spun… and landed in front of Felicia.
Felicia sat upright beneath the dim light of the moon. Her gaze was calm, but the fine line on her brow betrayed something heavier. She knew, Thivi's eyes carried not just curiosity, but jealousy.
"What promise did Kaivan make to you?" Thivi's voice was soft, yet heavy with tension. The rooftop shifted, no longer a place of warmth but a silent courtroom. All eyes waited for an answer that might shake the bonds between them.
Felicia turned slowly to Kaivan, drawing in a breath. "That day at the old mall," she whispered, her voice tender yet piercing. "Kaivan said: 'I'll keep protecting you, against everything you cannot fight. In return, protect me from every threat that comes for you.'"
She lifted her gaze to the sky. A small smile curved her lips, though it did little to hide a wound only half-healed. "For me, that wasn't just a vow of protection… it was a bond. Not because I am weak, but because we promised to protect each other." Her words fell like the season's first rain, gentle, yet trembling with power.
Silence returned. Not empty silence, but one heavy with meaning. Kaivan lowered his head. Words pressed at his throat, but he knew: even one could unravel everything. Felicia's gaze was too honest, too deep. So he chose silence. Painful, but safer.
The tension spread quietly. No laughter, no murmurs. Only held breaths and the rhythm of hearts. Felicia lowered her eyes to the bottle and spun it once more, forcing time forward, hiding her truth within the spin.
Under the star-dusted night sky, the bottle turned across the table, reflecting the pale glow of the moon. When it stopped, its tip pointed at Kaivan. The rooftop froze; their laughter drained into a fragile stillness.
Felicia broke the silence. "Kaivan, that book you always carry… what is it?"
The question lingered in the air. That wooden-covered book, always clutched close, as though part of him, now stood at the center of every gaze.
Kaivan smiled faintly. He knew the moment had come. Calmly, he lifted the book and placed it in the center of the circle. "Curious? Take a look."
Zinnia was the first to touch it, opening the first page. "Empty…"
Radit quickly leaned in. "You kidding? I took a photo, and in the picture there were words and drawings! But the moment I looked with my own eyes, they vanished."
Kaivan only watched, silent yet sharp. When Felicia reached out to touch, he stopped her gently. "Don't. It could give you a headache."
Felicia drew her hand back. "Why? What is this book, really?"
Kaivan breathed in. "It's called the Tome Omnicent. Not an ordinary book. It shows information only to its owner, not just what you want, but what you truly need."
Silence spread. The night wind slipped through, as if listening.
"I got it from an old woman. I helped her, and she told me her husband was the previous owner. This book only passes into the hands of those deemed worthy."
Frans raised an eyebrow. "So… you were chosen? Like fate?"
"Maybe. But its pages don't come for free. Every piece of information carries a price. Sometimes I have to do something I don't even understand at the time."
The mood thickened. Under the pale light of the moon, the book looked alive, not just whispering about the past, but hinting at their future.
Frans leaned forward, trying to grasp it. "So, you can learn anything from it? Even the future?"
Kaivan shook his head. "Not like that. It's not about knowing, it's about following. The book gives directions and commands. Without it, I wouldn't be here. We wouldn't have met."
Silence. Even the laughter of the city night seemed far away. The stars froze in the sky. The wind against their skin only deepened the chill rising from within.