The river had long since calmed, its waters carrying away the whispered wishes of the festival night. But under the lantern-lit sky, two souls stood still—no longer drifting.
They didn't rush into words. They walked side by side, the silence between them laced not with tension, but gentle hesitation. Reyan's gaze lingered on the path ahead, occasionally flicking toward her, as if making sure she was real. That she hadn't disappeared with the dreamlike flicker of lantern light.
"I didn't mean to vanish like that," he finally said, voice low.
Liora glanced at him, eyes soft but firm. "Then tell me why."
He hesitated. "It's hard to explain. Everything's... changed. I've changed. Meeting you felt like something I didn't deserve. I was—" He looked away. "I was planning to die, Liora. That day. At Sahana Mountains."
The words hung in the air like a chill breeze, stealing hers away for a moment.
He met her eyes, vulnerability cracking his walls. "Can you give me time to explain? Properly?"
She nodded slowly. "Only if you promise not to disappear again."
"I won't," he whispered.
That night, they exchanged numbers—quietly, like a vow—and parted with the gentlest goodnight, each carrying the strange weight of hope.
*Next Morning *
Liora awoke to sunlight slipping through pale curtains. Her body was tired, but her heart was restless.
She reached for her phone and stared at his name. Should she text first?
Her thumbs hovered for too long before she typed:"Don't sink darker."
She paused. "Because I feel it too."
She hit send, biting her lip. She didn't know what he was thinking—but she knew he'd feel this.
Reyan stood before the mirror, shirt half-buttoned, the violin case leaning beside the door.
He stared at his reflection—pale, eyes sunken, yet clearer than before. Last night, he had spoken words he never thought he'd say out loud. Today, his hands trembled for another reason.
His mind drifted backward. The cliff's edge. The wind howling like his thoughts. His shaking knees. And the voice that had stopped him—not spoken, not heard, but felt.
Then the phone buzzed.
He reached for it.Liora.
"Don't sink darker. Because I feel it too."
His breath hitched. His vision blurred—but not from sadness.
She knew.
Without needing to explain, they were already connected by the invisible thread of shared ache.
He texted back:"Okay. Let's meet sooner."
#Festival – Their Day Together#
The streets of Sahana burst to life. Banners fluttered above; strings of marigolds framed alleyways. The scent of fried sweets lingered in the air. Liora spotted Reyan first—leaning awkwardly beside a pastry stall, dressed in black but blinking up at the decorations like he wasn't used to brightness.
They approached, both offering a shy smile, and though it was awkward at first, it was Liora who broke the ice.
"You're not escaping again," she said, looping her arm through his and dragging him toward the main street.
They walked past stalls of handmade trinkets, watched dancers spin in bright cloth, tasted street food that left powdered sugar on their lips. Reyan smiled—shy, but real.
Then came the music stage.
A local group played folk tunes. A violin rested nearby, unattended. Liora nudged him. "You play, right?"
Reyan paled. "Not in front of people."
"Now's the time."
He hesitated—then stepped forward.
The bow trembled at first, but then came a melody. Soft, aching, beautiful. The crowd grew quiet, heads turning. When he ended, stunned silence broke into applause. Liora's hands were the first to clap. Her eyes sparkled.
"You're incredible," she whispered.
#Evening#
They sat beneath the orange glow of the descending sun, overlooking the cliffs.
Reyan's voice softened. "My mother… she was the kindest person I knew. Always humming when she cooked. Always warm, even when I messed up."
He smiled faintly. "And Dad… strict, but honest. The kind of man who didn't talk much but remembered my favorite chocolate even when he was tired. He'd drive three hours after a night shift just to see me perform once."
Liora listened, chin on her knees, eyes misted.
"But then… it all ended."
His voice cracked. "I saw it happen. The screech. The crash. The way their car spun like a broken toy. I still hear the sound. I still see my mother's eyes…"
His words faltered. He gripped his arms, shivering.
Liora moved closer, gently placing a hand on his. "It's okay. I'm here."
He didn't speak for a while. Then:
"I kept seeing the light afterward. Your emotions, your warmth—it kept me alive. But I never let go of the guilt."
He went on, quieter. "My aunt… she didn't want me. Blamed me for everything. Spread things at school. Said I was cursed. People distanced themselves. Teachers stopped asking me questions. Classmates laughed, pitied, ignored me. Not once did anyone ask me if I was okay."
Liora clenched her jaw. Her eyes narrowed. "She did that to a grieving kid?"
He nodded slowly. "After a while, I started believing them. That I really was… broken."
His voice began to shift—softer, distant. Like he wasn't talking to her anymore.
"And then I'd hear the whispers. The rumors. The looks. The silence. It got too loud. Everything got too loud. I—I couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. I…"
Liora's breath hitched.
She could feel it.
A sudden, sharp wave of fear and grief—not hers. His.
She turned to him. He was trembling, arms hugging himself, rocking slightly.
His eyes were unfocused.
He mumbled fragments. "They… they said I should've died… I saw it… I saw the flames again… I saw—"
His voice became slurred, incoherent.
Liora's chest tightened. Her body screamed with his emotions, sharp and stabbing. She reached for his hands, but they were ice cold.
"Reyan," she said softly. "Reyan, look at me."
He didn't. His head shook like trying to fight off invisible demons.
Tears pricked her eyes.
Not again. She wouldn't let him spiral this time.
She grabbed his face gently but firmly, forcing him to meet her eyes.
"You're here," she whispered, voice shaking. "You're not alone anymore."
But he just stared, eyes wide with panic, breathing shallow.
Suddenly, he said something that froze her:
"I remember now. It wasn't an accident."
Her eyes widened. "What…?"
Reyan's lips parted, but his body gave in—collapsing forward, unconscious.
Liora caught him, her breath stolen.
Around them, the sun dipped fully behind the mountains, casting the world into shadow.
And for the first time, Liora wasn't sure which of their hearts had broken more.