Irene stepped out of the building slowly.
The night felt different now.
Heavy.
Like something was about to happen.
She stood near the entrance for a while, replaying everything in her head — his silence, the rooftop, that hug.
Her face warmed again.
Her phone buzzed.
Bella.
I left already 😏 Brandon insisted. Don't judge me.
Despite everything, Irene smiled.
She typed back quickly.
Wow. Abandoning me for romance? I see how it is.
Bella replied instantly.
Shut up 😭 Are you going home?
Yeah. I'm heading out now.
Be safe. It looks like it might rain. Call me when you get home.
Irene read the message.
Her fingers hovered over the screen.
Before she could reply—
Her phone went black.
Dead.
She blinked at it.
"Seriously?"
She pressed the power button again.
Nothing.
A low sigh escaped her lips.
Fine.
She would just grab a taxi.
She stepped toward the roadside and raised her hand as a few cars passed.
One.
Two.
Three.
None stopped.
The wind picked up.
Cold air brushed against her bare arms.
A faint rumble echoed across the sky.
Thunder.
She glanced upward.
Dark clouds swallowed the stars.
Great.
With no other option, she decided to walk toward the bus station.
It wasn't too far.
At least that's what she told herself.
Her heels clicked softly against the pavement.
The air grew colder with every step.
And then—
The first drop fell.
Then another.
Within seconds, the sky opened.
Rain poured down suddenly, violently.
Irene gasped softly as her blue dress began to cling to her skin.
Her hair lost its perfect shape.
Water soaked through her boots.
She wrapped her arms around herself but kept walking.
"It's fine," she whispered.
"It's just rain."
But the cold seeped deeper.
Into her skin.
Into her bones.
By the time she reached the bus station, she was shivering.
And empty.
No bus.
No shelter except the thin metal roof that barely blocked the rain.
The street was almost deserted.
The world felt distant.
Meanwhile—
Yuan Mi stood at the rooftop door.
Empty.
She wasn't there.
His brows tightened.
He took out his phone and dialed her number.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
"The number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable."
His jaw clenched.
Unavailable?
He moved quickly now.
Down the stairs.
Through the lobby.
Outside.
Rain hit his face instantly.
But he didn't slow down.
He called again.
Nothing.
His chest tightened in a way he didn't understand.
Why wasn't she answering?
Back at the bus station—
Irene hugged herself tighter.
Her teeth chattered softly.
The rain grew heavier.
Lightning split the sky.
Thunder cracked loudly.
She flinched.
She hated thunder.
Her parents used to hold her when storms came.
Tell her it was just noise.
That it would pass.
Another loud strike.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
"It's okay," she whispered to herself.
"It's okay."
Then—
A small sound.
A faint whimper.
She opened her eyes and looked toward a nearby alley.
There, trembling under a broken box, was a small dog.
Its leg looked injured.
It tried to stand but stumbled.
Her heart twisted.
Even in the cold.
Even shaking.
She moved toward it.
"Hey… hey… it's okay."
The rain soaked her completely now.
She crouched down slowly.
The dog whimpered again.
She removed her purse strap and gently guided it closer, creating a small cover from the rain with her body.
"It's okay… I won't hurt you."
Her voice was soft.
Fragile.
The dog looked at her.
Then slowly wagged its tail.
As if it understood.
As if it trusted her.
She smiled faintly.
"You're braver than you look."
Lightning flashed again.
Thunder exploded louder than before.
She gasped and instinctively sat down fully on the ground, pulling the dog close.
Her whole body trembled now.
Cold.
Fear.
Exhaustion.
She tried to steady her breathing.
But her head began to feel light.
Too light.
The world around her blurred slightly.
Her fingers felt numb.
She blinked slowly.
Why was everything spinning?
The dog barked suddenly.
Sharp.
Alert.
She lifted her head weakly.
Through the curtain of rain—
She saw it.
A tall, dark figure walking toward her.
Steady.
Unhurried.
The rain didn't seem to slow him.
Her heart skipped.
That silhouette.
That presence.
It felt familiar.
Too familiar.
Like something from a dream.
Her dream.
The prince.
She tried to focus.
To see his face.
But her vision faded at the edges.
Her body swayed.
The last thing she saw—
Was that figure reaching out toward her.
Then—
Darkness.