The storm had passed, but the air still carried the weight of st night’s downpour, thick with the st of wet pavement and damp earth.

  The sky ale, washed-out gray, the kind that made everythih it feel muted, as if the world itself was holding its breath.

  Puddles dotted the cracked asphalt of the park’s pathways, refleg the faint light that filtered through the clouds.

  The trees, heavy with rainwater, occasionally released their burden in soft, rhythmic drips that echoed faintly iillness.

  It was the kind of m that felt both fresh and heavy, as though the storm had scrubbed the world but left behind the residue of its chaos.

  I walked ahead as Nora followed behind, the quiet ch of damp gravel beh my feet the only souween us, her presence familiar but unusually silent.

  Normally, she would have been making some offhand remark, scoffing at the idea of ing out to the park right after a storm, pining about the mud or the wet grass. But today, she said nothing.

  When I arrived at the park, I expected to find Yuki huddled somewhere small, arms ed around herself like she was trying to disappear. That was how she always was, quiet, nervous, like she didn’t belong in her own skin.

  I had seen her like that so many times before, her small frame folded into the er of a wall or perched on the edge of a bench, her dark eyes darting around as if she were stantly searg for a that did.

  She had a way of making herself seem smaller than she was, as if by folding in on herself she could avoid being seen altogether. It was a habit that ached my heart a little every time I noticed it.

  But today, she wasn’t where I thought she’d be. The usual benear the old oak tree was empty, its wooden pnks dark and slick with rain.

  I sed the park, my eyes skipping over the familiar ndmarks, the rusted swihe trodden sidewalk, the patch of wildflowers that always seemed to bloom no matter the season.

  For a moment, I wondered if she had ged her mind, if she had decided not to e at all. The thought sent a flicker of uhrough me.

  She had been trembling then, her arms ed tightly around herself, as if trying to hold herself together.

  I could feel the fragility ihe way she seemed on the verge of breaking. I didn’t know what I could’ve done back then. She didn’t let a single word slip from her mouth, about what happened for her to end up like that.

  Then I saw her. She was standing by the edge of the pond, her bae. Her figure reflected against the dull shimmer of the water. She wasn’t huddled in on herself this time.

  Instead, she stood perfectly still, her arms hanging loosely at her sides, her head tilted slightly as if she were listening to something only she could hear.

  The wind tugged gently at the hem of her coat, a faded bck piece that hung a little too big on her frame, and her hair, dark and unruly, swayed in the breeze.

  There was something different about her posture, something that made me pause. She didn’t look like she was trying to disappear. She looked like she was waiting.

  I hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to call out or approach quietly. In the end, I chose the tter, my footsteps soft against the wet grass. As I drew closer, I noticed the way her shoulders tensed, just slightly, as if she had sensed my presence.

  But she didn’t turn around, nht away. Instead, she stayed perfectly still, her gaze fixed on the pond’s surface, where the faint ripples from the rain still lingered.

  “Yuki,” I said softly, my voice barely above a whisper.

  She turhen, slowly, as if pulling herself out of a dream. Her eyes met mine, and for a moment, I saw something ihat I couldn’t quite pce, something raw… something primal, like a cra the armor she always wore.

  But just as quickly, it was gone, repced by the familiar nervousness, the faint smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

  Something about the way she stood made the hair on my arms rise. It wasn’t like her. It wasn’t how she moved, how she held herself.

  Nora tensed beside me, her eyes narrowing slightly as she took in the se.

  “Hey,” she said, her voice quiet but steady. “I wasn’t sure if you’d e.”

  “Of course I came,” I replied, stepping closer. “Are you okay?”

  She didn’t answer right away. Instead, she turned back to the pond, her gaze drifting over the water as if searg for something.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  Her voice was too smooth, too certain. It didn’t match the storm that had raged through her only a night ago, the way she had shaken in my arms, barely able to form words.

  I didn’t believe her.

  Nora didher. I could tell by the way she crossed her arms, her stance shifting slightly as if preparing for something she didn’t like.

  Yuki turo me then, and for a moment, it felt like the world around us dimmed. Her eyes, dark and searg, locked onto mih a weight that made my chest tighten.

  “You were really worried about me st night, weren’t you?” Her lips curled, just slightly. “I could feel it.”

  A strange chill ran down my spine.

  “Of course I was,” I answered, hesitating for only a fra of a sed. “You nearly colpsed iorm.”

  Yuki’s expression didn’t ge much, but something about it felt deeper, more knowing. She took a slow step forward, the wet grass barely making a souh her feet.

  “I liked it,” she murmured. “The way you held me.”

  Nora stiffened beside me, her fingers curling into the sleeves of her sweater.

  “Yuki…” I started, but I didn’t know what I was going to say.

  She tilted her head. “I didn’t think anyone would ever care about me like that.”

  There was something uling about the way she said it, not sad, not grateful, but almost… testing. Her bnk purple eyes just stared. Like she was trying to pull a rea from me.

  My throat felt tight. “You’re not alone, Yuki. You know that, right?”

  She smiled. Not the usual hesitant, fragile one, but something softer. More deliberate. “Because of you?”

  Nora let out a sharp exhale. “Alright,” she muttered. “That’s enough.”

  Yuki’s gaze flickered toward her. Her smile faltered as she frowned just slightly. “Enough of what?”

  “You’re ag weird,” Nora said bluntly, her voice edged with something I couldn’t quite pce. Maybe . Maybe irritation. Maybe both.

  “You met with brother behind my back, that to a storm, and now you’re standialking like-”

  “Like what?” Yuki pressed, taking another small step forward.

  Nora didn’t back down. “Like you’re trying to make him feel bad for you. Like you want something out of it.”

  Yuki blinked. Her expressions muted, as if she was studying Nora’s face.

  “You’re thinking too much,” she said, almost amused. “I was just thanking Markus for what he did for me.”

  Nora’s jaw tightened. “You’re not fooling me.”

  “Enough, both of you,” I said, steppiween them before this could spiral into something worse. I looked at Yuki. “Tell me the truth. Are you really okay?”

  She looked at me for a long moment, and for the first time, something in her expression cracked. Just a little.

  “I don’t know,” she admitted.

  Then she looked up at me again, her eyes catg mih a straensity. “I feel like I finally have a purpose.”

  There was something ione, a quiet resignation maybe. I could see it in the way her hands fidgeted at her sides, the way her gaze flicked away from mioo quickly. But before I could press further, Nora interrupted.

  “Markus,” she said, her voice sharp but with a hint of a whine creeping in. “ we talk for a bit?”

  I g her, notig the way she was biting her lip, her eyes wide and pleading. It was a look I’d seen before, one she used whenever she wanted my undivided attention.

  “Nive me a minute,” I said, trying to keep my tone even. “Yuki’s been through a lot… I just want to make sure she’s okay.”

  Nora’s face fell, and for a moment, she looked like she’d been spped. “What about me?” she asked, her voice crag slightly. “I’ve been here for you, Markus. Always. And now you’re just… ign me?”

  The weight of her words hit me harder than I expected.

  “Nora,” I started, but she shook her head.

  “I’m serious, Markus.” Her voice wavered, but her stare was unwavering. “Every time she shows up, every time she gets like this, you run straight to her.”

  Yuki watched in silence, her expression unreadable, but I could feel the way her presence pressed into the space between us.

  Yuki finally spoke, her voice quiet but sharp enough to cut through the tension.

  “You’re afraid, aren’t you?” she said, looking at Nora with something close to amusement. “Afraid that he’ll care about me more than he does you.”

  Nora’s gre darkened. “Shut up.”

  “Why?” Yuki tilted her head. “Because I’m right?”

  “Because you’re twisting everything,” Nora snapped. “You’re making it sound like some kind of petition, like Markus is someoo be won over. But he’s not. He’s my-”

  She stopped herself, lips pressing into a thin line.

  I swallowed hard.

  “This isn’t a fight,” I said, f steadiness into my voice. “Nora, I do care about you. And Yuki-” I turo her, meeting those dark, knowing eyes. “Whatever’s going on, whatever ged… you o be ho with me about it.”

  Yuki held my gaze for a long moment, then sighed. “I don’t know if you’d like it if I told you everything.”

  That wasly reassuring.

  “Try me,” I said.

  Yuki’s gaze lingered on me, her expression unreadable. Then, with a soft breath, she turned away, letting her firail through the air as if reag for something uhe pause stretched long enough to make my chest tighten before she finally spoke.

  “I think I’d rather talk alone,” she murmured.

  Beside me, Nora stiffened. “Alone?” she echoed, her voice sharper than before.

  Yuki tilted her head slightly, gng at her. “Just for a bit.”

  Nora crossed her arms, shifting closer to me as if staking her cim. “No,” she said ftly. “Markus doesn’t have time for-”

  “It’s fine,” I cut ily. “I’ll just hear her out.”

  Nora didn’t look at me. Her fingers ched the fabric of her sleeve, her lips pressing into a thin line. She wasn’t just annoyed, she was wary of her.

  I turned back to Nora, whose eyes were shining with uears, her lip trembling just slightly. Without thinking, I stepped closer tently taking her hands in mine.

  “Nora,” I said, softer this time, “Look at me.” She hesitated, but her gaze met mine, filled with fusion and hurt.

  I gave her hands a small squeeze and added, “You know you’re the most important to me? Let me help her a bit, okay? Just... just let me listen for a bit.”

  Nora’s expression softened, but I could see the battle in her eyes. Still, the tear that had been threatening to fall finally slipped down her cheek.

  Without hesitation, I ed my arms around her, pulling her into a hug like I always did, what little fort I could.

  I felt her tremble slightly against me, and I gently patted her back, the way I used to when she was younger, when things were simpler.

  “You don’t have to worry,” I murmured, my voice low and steady. “I’ll always sider you first, just this o me help her out.”

  I felt her stiffen for a moment, and then she rexed, her hands slowly pressing against my chest as she g to the fort of the embrabsp;

  The tension in her body slowly started to fade, though the hurt in her eyes didn’t quite go away. Her face struggled for a moment, fighting with her thoughts, then gave a relut nod, as though every movement required an effort of will.

  “Five minutes,” she muttered. “Just five minutes, I won’t accept if you’re with her any lohan that.”

  I gave her a small nod back before following Yuki as she led me further into the park. The trees hung low with the weight of the ret rain, their branches whispering as a breeze passed through.

  Her gaze kept darting back, ensuring Nora wasn’t following us. She stopped near ay spot, surrounded by rge trees older than time. It was quite a hidden area, somewhere even Nora would struggle to find.

  I exhaled, waiting for her to speak.

  Yuki turo face me, her dark eyes sing my face like she was itting every detail to memory.

  “You’re always so kind to me, Markus,” she said softly.

  I shifted, caught off guard by the sudden tenderness in her voice. “You make it sound like a bad thing.”

  “It’s not,” she admitted. “It’s just... dangerous.”

  I blinked. “Dangerous?”

  Yuki stepped closer, and I caught the faint st of rain still ging to her. Her fiwitched at her sides before she slowly, hesitantly, reached forward.

  “You make me feel whole,” she whispered, toug the fabriy sleeve. “Like I’ve been missing something all this time, and now-”

  Her grip tightened.

  “Now I don’t want to let go.”

  A shiver ran down my spine. I tried to step back, but her fingers curled into the fabric, holding me in pce.

  “Yuki,” I started, trying to keep my voice even, “you’re sg me a little.”

  She smiled.

  Not the nervous, hesitant smile I was used to. This one was different.

  “I know,” she said.

  My breath hitched as she suddenly pulled me forward. I stumbled, my bance breaking as she moved with a strength that shouldn’t have been there.

  I barely had time to react before my back met the trunk of an oak, the impact rattling through my spine.

  Her hands, delicate, trembling, were now pressing against my shoulders, pinnihere.

  Yuki’s grip tightened, and her body pressed closer, as though trying to fuse with mine. Her breath was hot against my neck, shaky with a quiet desperation I wasn’t prepared for.

  “Markus,” she breathed, her voice barely above a whisper, “I need you. I don’t care about anything else... I don’t want anyone else. It’s always been you.” Her hands trembled on my shoulders, her touch so intimate, I felt it everywhere.

  I tried to pull away, but she didn’t let me. Her eyes, dark with a quiet storm, bore into mine, pleading, desperate, as if she couldn’t survive without this moment, without me.

  “I’ll fight my fate,” she said, her voice steady despite the underlying panic. “I’ll try to be better. I’ll do anything... but I ’t live like this, Markus. I won’t.” She swallowed hard, her hands sliding down my arms befripping tighter again, her fingers digging into my skin.

  I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. Her presence was overwhelming, ing, and I didn’t know how to react to this... to her.

  “I have to go,” she tinued, her voice breaking now, just barely. “I’ll be gone for a while... a long while. I don’t know when I’ll be back, but you o know this.”

  She pulled me in closer, almost f me to look at her, her face so close to mine I could feel her warmth, smell the rain in her hair.

  “I’m terrified, Markus,” she fessed, her voice fragile. “Terrified that one day, you’ll fet me. That you’ll find someone else, someoer, and I’ll be nothing but a memory. I ’t lose you. I ’t...” Her words trailed off into a choked sob, but she quickly regained trol.

  The quiet sob echoed in my chest as she leaned into me, pressing her forehead against my own, the distaween us almost ent now.

  “Promise me,” she said, her voice demandi pleading, as if her life depended on it. “Promise me that when we grow up, you’ll marry me. Only me. No one else, Markus. I won’t let you go.”

  My breath caught in my throat as my mind scrambled for something to say, but the pressure of her body against mine made it almost impossible to think straight.

  “Yuki, this isn’t...” I stammered, trying to pull back, but she was relentless, her fingers noed around the bay neck, holding me in pce.

  “You’ll find someone else,” I tried to suggest, but she cut me off, her faches from mine, her eyes bzing with a mixture of fear and something darker.

  “No,” she said, her voice raw, the certainty in her words cutting through me. “That will never happen. No one will ever be enough. It’s always been you, Markus. And it always will be.” Her lips brushed against mine, just a soft touch, but it felt like a promise... a plea.

  I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. I aralyzed by her, her touch, her words, and the weight of her desire pressing down on me.

  I felt the world shift under my feet. The grouh me seemed to vanish, and all that remained was Yuki, her grip, her presence, her desperate energy ing me.

  The air was thick, suffog, and every time I tried to move, her touch kept me grounded. Her lips, trembling against my skin, weren’t the pyful nibbles I had known; no, these were hungry, almost insistent, like she was trying to mark me, g me.

  Her teeth grazed my neck, and I froze, panic rising in my chest. My heart hammered, but no words came out. It felt like the space between us was shrinking, and I was being drawn into a whirlpool of dark, uling energy.

  Her eyes, those bnk violet eyes, stared at me with an iy that was almost... uling. They were empty, yet so full of something I couldn’t name, something that pulled at me, tangled my thoughts, made it impossible to look away.

  I felt trapped, caught in the web of her gaze, her touch, her presence.

  And then she spoke, her voice softer, but somehow more dangerous. “Say it,” she whispered, her breath warm against my ear.

  The pressure was unbearable, like I was being crushed from all sides. She was too close, too insistent, and the pull she had on me was something I couldn’t expin.

  “Yes,” I breathed out before I could stop myself, and I didn’t know why I said it, whether it was the pressure, my own weakness, or something else entirely. But when those words left my mouth, something shifted in her.

  Yuki’s face lit up with an almost manic joy, and before I could process what was happening, she kissed me.

  Her lips crashed into mine, g, seizing, and I could feel the iy of her emotion, a huhat wasn’t just for affe but something deeper, darker.

  I couldn’t pull away, not when her hands locked around me like s, not when her body pressed against mine, burying me in her.

  It felt like being prey to something vast and unknowable. Like a tipede, curling and twisting arous legs biting into my skin, coiling tighter with every movement. There was no escape from the grip she had on me.

  She was dev me. Slowly, pletely.

  The kiss deepened, and all I could think about was how small I felt in this moment, how powerless, as though I had no trol over anything. Every part of me screamed to break free, but the force of her touch, the sheer will in her, held me captive.

  I gasped, my chest tightening as I struggled to find air, but the more I fought, the more her presengulfed me.

  Every iny skin seemed to burn where she touched, every sensatioened, like she was marking me, leaving something of herself behind ohat I couldn’t wash off.

  “Markus,” she whispered against my lips, her voice thick with desperation. “Say it again. Promise me.”

  I didn’t know how to respond. I couldn’t think. The promise had already escaped my lips once, but now it felt like a weight pressing down on me, suffog me from the i.

  I wao say no. I wao pull away, to deo push everything about this moment away. But the words wouldn’t e.

  I didn’t know why I said it again, but somehow, I managed. “Yes.”

  And with that simple word, everything shifted. It wasn’t a relief, but a firmation, an agreement to something I didn’t fully uand, something that had pulled me into its dark gravity, and now, there was no escape.

  Yuki’s smile was triumphant, her hold on me unbreakable. She leaned in once more, sealing my fate with a kiss that felt more like an irreversible bond than any kind of affe.

  I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t even move. The world around me blurred into a mess of sensations, her touch, her warmth, her breath. Until it all became one overwhelming force.

  And when she finally pulled away, the weight of her presence didn’t lift. It only grew heavier, like the water had closed over me, and now I was trapped in this murky, dark current, sinking deeper with no way out.

  “I love you.”