The slam of the door reverberated through the house like a final verdict. Kelvin stood motionless, his heart pounding, his hand half-raised toward the door as if he could pull Dave back with sheer will.
On the other side, Dave strode down the path, his steps sharp and uneven, his breath coming out in short bursts. His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides, knuckles whitening. "How dare he?" he muttered under his breath, voice tight with anger. "Always acting like he knows what's best, like I'm some fragile thing he can control" His words broke into ragged whispers, curses slipping out between heavy breaths. He didn't even realize he had strayed deeper into the trees, away from the safe path, his fury guiding his feet.
Back inside, Kelvin forced himself to turn away from the door. A soft groan from the corner pulled his attention—Maelis, lying pale and shivering on the couch. His jaw tightened, and he pushed his emotions down, moving to her side. He cleaned her wounds gently, his movements firm but careful, wrapping them in fresh bandages.
"This will sting," he murmured as he pressed the cloth against her skin, though his eyes softened when she whimpered. He crushed herbs into powder, mixed them with water, and coaxed her to drink.
"Rest now. I'll handle the rest," he said, brushing a damp strand of hair from her forehead.
When she finally settled into uneasy sleep, Kelvin sat back in the chair, staring at the wall. His chest ached with the echo of Dave's slammed door, the silence that followed. Minutes dragged, his unease gnawing at him until he couldn't ignore it anymore. With a low growl of frustration at himself, he rose, grabbed his jacket, and stepped outside.
The moon filtered weakly through the canopy as he walked, his legs taking him to Dave's doorstep. He knocked but no reply.
" Dave come on, don't be childish. Open the door" he said but still no reply, turning the doorknob he was surprised the door was not even locked.
Walking in he searched bit couldn't find Dave. "Dave..." He called out as he looked around but there was no one home, he got worried, his heart beating fast
Where did he go if not his house? Maybe he go see valerian, he guessed as he head out but that taught did sit well with him.
His senses stretched sharp and searching. He followed instinct more than reason, weaving through the trees.
Then he stopped.
Just ahead, at the base of a tree, lay a crumpled figure. Blood streaked across torn fabric, staining the ground beneath. Kelvin's heart lurched into his throat, his body going cold.
"Dave…" he whispered, the name catching in his throat as he staggered forward.
Few minutes back.
The night dragged on in suffocating silence. Dave paced the narrow stretch of the forest path, his breath fogging in the cool air, his fists clenching and unclenching. His chest ached with frustration, the echo of Kelvin's words stinging sharper than any wound.
"Does he think I'm weak?" Dave muttered under his breath, kicking at the damp earth. "Does he think I'll just stand here, waiting for him to decide everything for me?" His voice cracked as the anger swelled. "I'm not a child… I'm not."
The trees loomed like dark sentinels, their branches shifting with the wind, and though Dave's anger burned, a thread of unease tugged at him. He rubbed his arms, shivering, as if someone were watching.
A snap of a branch. Too close.
Dave spun, his eyes darting, but there was only shadow. His breath quickened, and the trembling in his hands betrayed him. "Kelvin…" he whispered involuntarily, though he had no reason to think Kelvin would be here.
The silence deepened—thick, heavy. Then came the rush of movement, too fast to track. A force struck his side with brutal precision, and the air tore from his lungs. He hit the ground hard, a cry swallowed by the earth. Pain burned across his ribs as claws dug into him, tearing through flesh. He gasped, but before he could scream, a hand gripped his throat.
Dave's world spun, blurred, and the anger that had carried him moments ago dissolved into terror. He fought, thrashing, but his strength faltered. His vision filled with jagged shadows, glowing eyes, and the sickly grin of his attacker.
Blood pooled warm against the soil, the metallic scent filling his nostrils. His limbs twitched with the effort to rise, but each time he was slammed down again, harder, until the fight bled out of him.
His last thought before darkness claimed him wasn't of anger or fear—it was of Kelvin's face, unreadable yet steady, the only anchor he knew.
And then—silence.
Present time.
Kelvin's knees nearly gave out as he dropped beside the crumpled form. His hands trembled, hovering, afraid to touch. Dave's shirt was soaked through, the blood stark even beneath the pale wash of moonlight.
"Dave… oh gods, no, no…" His voice cracked as he pressed a hand to Dave's chest, desperate for any sign. A faint pulse fluttered weakly against his fingers, fragile but there. Relief hit him like a blow, his eyes burning.
"You're alive," he whispered hoarsely, as though saying it aloud could keep it true. He stripped off his jacket in a rush, pressing it against the worst of the wounds, his hands firm though his own body shook.
Dave stirred faintly, lips parting, a broken sound escaping—half a groan, half a whisper. Kelvin bent close, desperate to catch it.
"K–Kelvin…" The name was little more than a breath, but it was enough to split Kelvin's heart wide open.
"I'm here. I've got you," Kelvin murmured, his voice fierce, almost angry with the weight of his own fear. He slid an arm beneath Dave, careful but hurried, lifting his battered form against his chest.
The forest felt hostile now, shadows pressing in from every direction, as if mocking his helplessness. His eyes darted around, searching for any sign of the attacker, but the night was silent again, deceptively calm.
Every step back toward the house was a battle—Dave's weight heavy in his arms, his blood seeping warm and relentless. Kelvin's jaw clenched, his teeth grinding as guilt carved deep into him.
This shouldn't have happened. If he hadn't doubted. If he hadn't—
"Hold on, Dave. Just hold on."
By the time the house came into view, Kelvin's muscles ached, but he didn't slow. He pushed through the door with his shoulder, heart hammering.
Inside, the firelight flickered warmly against the walls, the peaceful illusion shattered the moment Maelis stirred from the couch. Her eyes widened as she took in the sight—Kelvin, bloodied, cradling Dave's limp body.
Her lips parted, shock etched across her face. "K–Kelvin? What happened—?"
But Kelvin's glare snapped to her, sharp enough to cut. "Not. A. Word." His voice was cold, unlike anything she'd ever heard from him.
He laid Dave carefully on the couch opposite, his hands already moving to tear strips of cloth, to press against the bleeding. His movements were frantic but skilled, every part of him focused.
Maelis sat frozen, her heart pounding, a hundred questions dying on her lips as the air thickened with the raw intensity of his desperation.
For the first time, she realized—she was no longer the center of Kelvin's world.
Dave was.