The walk to Eli's house felt longer than usual.
Riven kept glancing at Eli's face, searching for fear, regret, anything. But Eli walked straight, shoulders set, jaw firm — like someone finally stepping toward a battle he'd been avoiding for years.
Riven, on the other hand, felt his heartbeat in his throat.
When they reached the gate, Eli paused.
"You don't have to go in with me," he whispered.
Riven shook his head. "And leave you to face this alone? No."
His voice wavered, but his determination didn't.
Eli let out a soft breath — half relief, half gratitude — and pressed Riven's hand once before pushing the gate open.
The moment they stepped inside, the air felt different.
Cold.
Heavy.
Thick with tension.
Eli's father was waiting at the base of the stairs, arms crossed, face carved with disappointment.
"Eli Navarro Castillo."
His voice echoed like the crack of a whip.
Riven instantly straightened, instinctively prepared to step back — but Eli moved subtly in front of him, protective without being obvious.
"Where were you?" his father demanded.
"Out," Eli answered calmly.
"Out," his father repeated, anger simmering. "All night? Without telling anyone? Do you know how unacceptable—"
"I'm safe," Eli said. His tone was even, respectful, but there was steel beneath it. "I just needed space."
"And who gave you this 'space'?" Mr. Castillo's gaze slid past Eli…
…straight to Riven.
Riven felt something inside him flinch.
The man's eyes hardened.
Cold.
Judging.
Knowing.
"So it's true," he said quietly. "You were with him."
Eli inhaled sharply. "Dad—"
"You skipped curfew. You ignored my calls. You disrespected this family for that boy?"
Riven felt shame like a punch, even though he had done nothing wrong.
He lowered his head. He didn't want to make things worse.
But Eli stepped forward.
"Don't talk about him like that."
Mr. Castillo's eyes widened slightly — not from shock, but from disappointment.
"You're throwing away your future," he said. "Do you think the world will be kind? Do you think you can just… live like this without consequences?"
Eli's voice dropped, quiet but firm.
"I'm not throwing anything away. I'm choosing what matters to me."
"That boy does not matter."
"He does to me."
Silence.
Heavy, sharp silence.
Riven swallowed hard, guilt twisting his stomach.
This was his fault.
He caused this.
He never meant to pull Eli away from his family.
He stepped forward hesitantly.
"Sir… if you're angry, be angry at me. Not at Eli. I didn't mean to—"
But Mr. Castillo cut him off with a cold look.
"You?" he said sharply. "You are the reason my son is changing. You are the reason he is choosing the wrong path."
Riven's breath faltered.
Eli grabbed Riven's wrist behind him, a silent reassurance.
"Dad, stop," Eli said. "You don't know anything about him. You've never even asked."
"I don't need to ask," his father replied. "I see everything I need to see."
Eli stood straighter.
His voice didn't shake.
But Riven saw his fingers trembling.
"Then I'll say it clearly," Eli said. "Riven is important to me. Whether you accept that or not — that's up to you."
Mr. Castillo stared at him long and hard before turning sharply away.
"Do what you want," he said coldly. "But don't expect this house to tolerate… whatever this is."
Eli stiffened.
Riven's chest ached.
And then — the final blow:
"From now on, your choices are your own consequences."
The words dropped between them like a stone.
Eli let out a slow, controlled breath.
"Understood," he said quietly.
His father didn't reply.
He simply walked away, leaving a trail of cold air behind him.
Riven stood frozen.
Eli turned to him and offered a small, soft smile — but there was sadness behind it.
"You okay?" Eli asked.
Riven shook his head. "No."
His voice cracked. "Eli… I'm sorry. I didn't want this. I didn't want you to risk everything because of me."
"Hey," Eli whispered, reaching out to cup Riven's cheek, gently lifting his gaze. "Stop blaming yourself. I made this choice because I wanted to. Because you matter to me."
Tears gathered in Riven's eyes.
Eli wiped them before they could fall.
"This isn't the end," Eli said. "It's just the beginning."
But somewhere inside Riven, fear bloomed again.
Because beginnings…
always came with storms.