Arista's POV
That night didn't end when I reached home.
It stayed.
In the quiet.
In the way my body finally unclenched once I shut my room door and leaned against it like I'd been holding my breath all day.
I replayed everything—too clearly.
Kaelor's voice when the lights flickered.
The calm in his eyes.
The way he didn't rush me, didn't touch me, didn't demand anything.
Just stayed.
I changed into my hoodie and sat on the bed, hugging my knees.
Why did that feel so rare?
Why did safety feel so loud?
Down the hall, Sarvin was humming softly while doing his puzzle. That familiar sound grounded me. Home was stable.
Atleast Predictable.
But School wasn't.
And Kaelor… Kaelor had quietly become part of that instability without ever causing harm.
That scared me.
Next Morning at School,
Festival week officially began.
Banners. Noise. Chaos.
I stepped into the hallway and immediately felt it—that shift people talk about when something invisible changes.
Meera glanced at me longer than usual. Zoe nudged Sana. Advi raised an eyebrow like she was about to interrogate me later.
"What?" I asked.
"You look… lighter," Zoe said.
"I slept," I lied.
They didn't buy it.
Kaelor's POV
She wasn't avoiding me.
That mattered.
Most people pulled away when they felt too much. Arista didn't.
She walked past me in the hallway, met my eyes, and nodded—small, but deliberate.
Something settled in my chest.
Arista's POV
During rehearsal, Derek kept hovering.
Too close. Too attentive
"You okay after yesterday?" he asked.
"I'm fine," I replied, sharp enough to end it.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Kaelor watching.
Not interfering. Not reacting.
Just observing.
And somehow, that restraint meant more than any dramatic defense ever could.
After Lunch —
Kaelor found me again.
Didn't announce himself.
"Event head's calling for final approvals," he said. "You coming?"
"In a minute."
He nodded, then paused.
"You don't have to carry everything alone,"
he added—not as advice, not as pressure. Just a fact.
I swallowed.
"I know."
And for the first time, I really did.
------
As the stage lights tested on and off, a strange feeling crept in.
This week wasn't just about performances.
Something was building.
Derek's eyes held too many secrets.
Kaelor was too careful, too controlled.
And I—
I was standing at the center again, pretending I didn't feel the pull of everything converging.
I exhaled slowly.
Whatever this was…
It wasn't temporary.
Kaelor's POV
She didn't know yet.
But the storm she sensed?
I'd been watching it approach for years.
And this time—
I wasn't walking away.
---