Rayan's Perspective
The words burned through him like acid.
You'll never be enough.
He folded the letter quickly, slipping it beneath the mattress as though hiding it would erase the sting. But the words kept echoing, louder and louder until it was all he could hear.
Kael's voice in the dining hall blurred into background noise. His steady movements, his calm demeanor, everything about him felt distant—too distant.
That night, when Kael reached out to touch him, Rayan flinched.
It was a small thing. Barely noticeable. But Kael's hand froze midair, his eyes catching the tremor in Rayan's body.
"Rayan," Kael murmured, voice careful, controlled. "What is it?"
Rayan wanted to say nothing. Wanted to press his face into Kael's chest and let the warmth swallow him. But the letter was carved into his mind.
Instead, he whispered, "Do you… go somewhere at night?"
The silence that followed was suffocating. Kael's gaze sharpened, unreadable.
"…Who told you that?"
