Liora stirred awake with a sluggish groan, the weight of yesterday's revelations still pressing against her chest like a boulder she hadn't yet figured out how to move. She hadn't slept properly—her mind a whirlwind of questions, fragmented memories, and a mother's midnight phone call that felt too calculated to ignore. Her pillow was still damp in spots from where her thoughts had leaked through the cracks in the night.
She rubbed her face and sat up, only to freeze when she saw that the guest room door was ajar.
He's awake already? she blinked, pulling the blanket off slowly.
Quietly padding to the hallway, she peeked into the living room and found Reyan standing by the window, sunlight streaking against his tousled hair, casting golden accents against his pale face. Her heart skipped at the sight. There was something strange about watching him like this—so fragile yet grounded, like he had carved a space for himself here. With her. Her lips almost twitched into a smile.
From the kitchen came the familiar voice of her mother. "Oh dear, you're up! Come, breakfast is ready. Reyan just came in."
Reyan turned as Liora walked in. Their eyes met for the briefest second, and something fluttered in her stomach, a mix of nervous energy and a strange sort of joy. She gave a nod, sat across from him, and instinctively looked away.
He cleared his throat. "Morning."
"Morning," she mumbled, feeling the air thick between them, like something had changed without permission.
He glanced at her face again, furrowing his brows. "Did you sleep okay?"
Liora waved her hand, trying to shake off the fatigue dragging her mood. "Yeah, just tired from the journey. I'll be fine by tomorrow, I think."
Her mother placed steaming plates in front of them, chiming in cheerfully, "Don't push yourself too much, dear. And Reyan, eat up. You still look like a withered sapling."
They laughed gently at her dramatic concern, though Liora felt Reyan flinch for a fraction of a second. That remark had touched a memory, she knew. She filed it silently in her mind.
They ate mostly in silence, occasional clinks of cutlery filling the air. It was warm and comfortable in a way that felt borrowed, but no one dared question it.
After breakfast, Liora checked her phone and nearly cursed under her breath. One unread message.
"Project deadline. Submission today. You better not have fallen into a cave out there. —Boss."
"Oh no, oh no..." she muttered, standing up with a jolt. "I forgot about my project!"
She turned to Reyan, her hands flying around. "I need to go to the office right now. Do you... want to come with me? I can show you around my hometown a bit too, and... we can visit a therapist afterward. You okay with that?"
Reyan blinked. "Y-Yeah. Sure. I'd like that."
They both got ready, said a quick goodbye to her mother, and stepped into the taxi waiting outside. The air was crisp and carried the smell of distant bakeries and wet stone. Reyan looked around, unfamiliarity dancing in his expression.
Inside the taxi, his hands gripped the edge of his seat. Liora glanced at him. "You okay?"
He gave a faint smile. "It's just... strange. This is all new. The roads, the smell, the people. Feels like I'm on a different planet."
She chuckled. "Welcome to Valevein. Population: weirdos and warmth."
He laughed softly, turning his gaze back out the window. The breeze slipped through the half-open glass, brushing against his cheeks. For the first time in weeks, he wasn't thinking about the cliff's edge or the violin case he'd left behind. Instead, he thought of her—of the way her eyes sparkled when she spoke about small things like flower stalls and alley murals. He watched the side of her face, wondered how she looked when she cried as a kid. Did her mom hold her close like his did?
"Why are you staring?" Liora asked, breaking his thoughts with a half-smile.
"Ah—no reason." He turned away quickly, feeling the flush rise up his neck.
They reached the office in twenty minutes. Liora asked him to wait in the lobby while she submitted her project upstairs. "Don't get kidnapped," she teased.
He watched her disappear into the elevator, then took a seat near a pot of artificial roses. His fingers fidgeted on his lap. That's when he felt eyes on him.
Three people stood by the corridor—two guys, one girl—clearly around his age. One of the guys stepped forward, cocky grin in place. "Hey, are you Liora's boyfriend?"
Reyan blinked, completely thrown. "Uh... what?"
"Dude," the girl rolled her eyes, smacking the guy's head. "You're scaring the kid."
Kid? Reyan's jaw twitched. "I'm not a kid."
"Whatever. Who are you then?"
"Reyan. From Sahana."
The other guy whistled. "Sahana? The mystical mountain town? That's where Liora's last project was set!"
Meanwhile, upstairs, Liora was getting scolded by her boss but redeemed by the stunning photos she had taken. They spoke with a voice of their own—mountains whispering, streams frozen in reverie.
She secured a short leave, her reasoning clear: she had met someone in Sahana. Someone who needed time. Her boss didn't question further.
As she returned to the lobby, she saw her friends circling Reyan like buzzards over a fresh snack.
"Really, Kirel? Again?" she snapped.
The grinning guy pointed. "Just asking if this guy was your boyfriend. Y'know, clearing the air."
Reyan stood, cheeks pink. "We're not... I mean, we just know each other."
"Ha!" Kirel laughed. "Told ya. She's too much for you, buddy."
"Shut it," Liora snapped. "No one wants to hear your sad puppy stories. Leave him alone."
Reyan blinked. She knows this guy likes her...?
Liora turned to him. "You okay? Did these clowns bother you?"
The girl sighed dramatically. "We're the villains now, huh? She's the one who disappears and shows up with some 'mystery guy.' And we changed?"
Liora shrugged. "Real friends aren't afraid of hard truths."
She grabbed Reyan's hand and pulled him away. "Come on. We've got a therapy appointment to get to."