Ariel woke up suddenly, his breath uneven and his heart pounding hard against his chest.
For a long moment, he lay still, staring up at the ceiling as the remnants of the nightmare clung to him like a shadow.
It was only a dream.
A dream pulled straight from his past.
"Hmm…" He lifted a hand and wiped the sweat from his face, swallowing thickly.
"Why am I still dreaming about this?" he murmured.
Thirst burned his throat. Pushing himself out of bed, Ariel stepped out of his room and into the dimly lit living space. The apartment was quiet, wrapped in darkness—until his eyes caught sight of a strange figure sprawled on the couch.
His heart skipped.
Fear shot through him, sharp and sudden. For a split second, his mind jumped to the worst conclusion—
Then the figure turned on a flashlight.
"Oh my gosh!" Ariel nearly screamed. "You scared the hell out of me, Kai!"
He clutched his chest, breathing heavily.
Kai—his male best friend and someone who frequently ended up sleeping over at Ariel's place—burst into laughter.
"Relax," Kai said, still laughing. "You're way too jumpy."
"It is serious, and you know that," Ariel replied, shaking his head as he walked to the kitchen cabinet. He grabbed a glass and filled it with water. "I thought you were a ghost."
"Couldn't sleep," Kai said with a small grin. "So I decided to watch a movie. Figured I'd drift off eventually."
"Whatever," Ariel muttered after drinking. "I'm going back to bed. I've got a lot to do in the morning."
Dragging his feet, he returned to his room, exhaustion settling deep in his bones.
Morning
"Don't tell me you're going to miss the submission again!" Naomi's voice rang sharply through his phone. "It's almost the deadline!"
"I won't," Ariel replied quickly. "I just need to eat breakfast, then I'll head out."
"You better," she warned before hanging up.
Ariel dressed in a hurry. He couldn't afford to miss the deadline—not when submitting the company's name was the first step toward securing his internship.
It had been seven years since the incident.
Seven years since the night his stepfather had broken something inside him.
Back then, the only person Ariel had been able to tell was Naomi—his best friend since high school. She had stayed by his side when everything else felt unbearable.
People whispered that they were dating, but only a few truly understood the weight of their bond. Naomi had cared for him constantly, without conditions, without hesitation—regardless of the difference in their social standing.
Ariel had always felt lucky to have her in his life, even before Kai came into the picture.
Both Kai and Naomi were fiercely protective of him, always paying close attention whenever something involved Ariel. Naomi, in particular, had made a quiet promise long ago.
No matter the circumstances, she would always be there.