Night has always been my quiet place.
The world slows down.
Voices fade.
And everything feels… softer.
But tonight—
Nothing felt soft.
I couldn't sleep.
Again.
I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling, listening to the faint sound of the wind brushing against the walls outside. It wasn't loud, but it was enough.
Enough to remind me.
Of him.
"…Why are you in my head like this?" I whispered under my breath, turning to my side.
No answer.
Just silence.
I shut my eyes.
Tried to force sleep.
Tried to ignore the way my heart wouldn't settle.
Then—
The wind changed.
It slipped through the window.
Slow.
Intentional.
Not like before.
My eyes opened immediately.
I sat up.
My breath catching slightly as the air in the room shifted—lighter, yet heavier at the same time.
Like something unseen had just entered.
"…You're here," I said quietly.
I didn't know how I knew.
I just did.
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
And then—
"I wondered how long it would take you to notice."
My heart skipped.
I turned quickly toward the window.
And there he was.
Standing just inside the room.
Like the night had brought him with it.
The moonlight fell around him, outlining his figure in silver. His presence filled the space without effort, calm… steady… but impossible to ignore.
He looked the same.
And yet—
Closer.
"How did you get in here?" I asked, my voice lower than I expected.
Not scared.
Just… aware.
He tilted his head slightly, his gaze never leaving mine.
"The wind doesn't need doors."
Of course it doesn't.
I swallowed softly, swinging my legs off the bed as I stood.
"You shouldn't be here," I said, though my voice didn't carry the weight it should have.
Because the truth was—
I didn't want him to leave.
"And yet…" he stepped closer.
One step.
Slow.
Careful.
"…you're not asking me to go."
My breath caught.
He was right.
The space between us felt smaller now.
Too small.
"Maybe I just don't know what you are," I replied, trying to steady myself.
"Or what you want."
His gaze softened.
Just slightly.
"I told you," he said quietly. "I've been waiting for you."
"That doesn't explain anything," I whispered.
Another step.
Closer.
Now I could feel it.
The air around him.
Cool… but not cold.
Like standing too close to something powerful without fully understanding it.
"It will," he said. "In time."
Time.
I didn't know if I liked that answer.
My fingers tightened slightly at my sides.
"Why me?"
That question had been sitting inside me since the river.
Since the moment everything changed.
He didn't answer immediately.
Instead…
He lifted his hand.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Like he was giving me time to pull away.
I didn't.
His fingers hovered just inches from mine.
Not touching.
But close enough that I could feel it.
That strange pull again.
"You feel it too," he murmured.
Not a question.
My heart was racing now.
"…I don't understand it," I admitted.
"You don't have to."
His fingers brushed against mine.
And everything stilled.
The room.
The air.
The noise in my head.
Gone.
It was the same feeling as the river.
But stronger.
Closer.
Like something inside me had been waiting for that exact moment.
I inhaled sharply.
Not pulling away.
Not moving.
"What are you doing to me…?" I whispered.
His eyes held mine.
Steady.
Deep.
"Nothing you don't already carry," he said softly.
That didn't make sense.
But somehow…
It felt true.
The necklace around my neck grew warm again.
Stronger this time.
His gaze dropped to it.
And for the first time—
Something changed in his expression.
Recognition.
"…So you still have it," he murmured.
My breath caught.
"You know what this is?" I asked quickly.
His eyes lifted back to mine.
And this time…
There was something more in them.
Something heavier.
"Yes."
Silence.
And then—
"You were never meant to be hidden this long."
My heart stopped.
Hidden?
"What does that mean?" I asked, my voice barely steady now.
But instead of answering—
He stepped even closer.
Close enough that I could feel his presence completely now.
And then he whispered—
"It means…"
His voice softened.
Lower.
Closer.
"…you're not as human as you think you are, Baby."
Everything inside me went still.
And yet—
For some reason—
I wasn't afraid.
If anything…
I felt like I was finally getting closer to the truth.
And maybe—
To him.