Arista's POV
The trip didn't feel loud the next morning.
It felt slow.
Like the world had decided to breathe with us instead of against us.
I woke up before my alarm, staring at the ceiling while Meera snored dramatically on the other bed. Sana was already awake, scrolling on her phone, and Advi was sitting cross-legged on the floor, tying her shoelaces.
"Why are you awake so early?" I whispered.
She shrugged. "My brain refuses peace."
Same.
After breakfast, the teachers announced free exploration time within the resort campus. Everyone scattered like birds finally let out of a cage.
I walked with my friends at first, laughing at nothing, but somewhere between the fountain and the garden path, I slowed down.
Kaelor appeared beside me like it was planned.
"Escaping?" he asked.
"Not really," I said. "Just… walking."
"Good," he replied. "I'm bad at small talk anyway."
That made me smile.
The path was quiet. Green. Too peaceful for overthinking—yet my mind still tried.
"I didn't know you liked places like this," I said.
"I didn't know either," Kaelor admitted. "I usually avoid quiet. Makes thoughts louder."
That hit closer than I expected.
"Do they bother you?" I asked gently.
"Sometimes," he said. Then glanced at me. "Less lately."
I didn't ask why.
I didn't need to.
---
From a distance, I saw Meera arguing with Zoe about directions, Sana filming everything, and Advi waving at someone dramatically.
I laughed softly.
"They'll never change," Kaelor said.
"I hope they don't."
He looked at them, then back at me. "You're different with them."
"How?"
"Lighter," he said. "Like you forget to guard yourself."
I swallowed.
"I forget to breathe sometimes," I said instead.
He stopped walking.
So did I.
"Arista," he said, quieter now, "you don't have to be strong all the time."
Something inside me trembled.
I nodded, even though I didn't fully believe it yet.
---
In the afternoon, Games were announced.
Board games. Cards. Casual competitions.
Kaelor joined our table without being invited. Meera raised her eyebrows at me like she'd just won something.
We played until laughter hurt my stomach.
At one point, Kaelor leaned close and whispered, "You're terrible at pretending you're not competitive."
"And you're terrible at pretending you don't enjoy this," I shot back.
He grinned. "Fair."
After dinner, everyone was tired in a happy way.
I sat on the steps outside, hugging my knees, watching the sky darken.
Kaelor sat beside me again. This time closer.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah," I said honestly. "I just feel… calm."
"That's rare," he said.
"Is it bad?"
"No," he replied. "It's dangerous."
I frowned. "Dangerous?"
"Because you start wanting it."
I looked at him then.
He was serious.
And suddenly, I understood.
That night, lying in bed, I realized something scared me more than chaos.
Comfort.
Because comfort made you forget how to leave.
And somewhere down the line, I knew—
This trip wasn't just a break from school.
It was the beginning of something quietly irreversible.
Kaelor, Am I actually falling for you?