The morning after felt deceptively ordinary.
Riven woke to the same creak of his old bedroom fan, the same soft hum of his alarm clock, the same dull gray light seeping through his curtains. But the weight on his chest was different.
He had spoken yesterday. He had stood up. And though every bone in his body screamed with exhaustion from carrying that moment, there was also… something else. Something like pride. Something like freedom.
But freedom came with echoes.
---
The Murmurs
By the time he reached school, the whispers had already begun.
"They said he actually snapped in class."
"Yeah, he told them off. Didn't even flinch."
"Do you think it's true—about him… y'know?"
The words clung to him like shadows. Some were hushed, some weren't even trying. Some sounded cruel, others curious. A few even sounded… admiring.
But they all pressed on him, digging under his skin, making his heart race as though he were still standing in that classroom with all those eyes on him.
---
The Encounter
It didn't take long for the confrontation.
At lunch, Riven found himself cornered by a group of upperclassmen—the same ones who usually stayed out of his way, too cool to bother. But today, they had something to say.
"So it's true, huh?" one of them asked, tilting his head with a smirk. "Didn't think you had it in you."
Riven clenched his jaw. He wanted to stay silent, to walk away, but his feet froze. His chest tightened.
Another boy laughed. "Careful, he might confess to you next."
Laughter again. Louder this time. Familiar, suffocating.
And just when the panic began to rise—
"Is this really the best you've got?"
The voice cut through like glass. Calm, sharp, and unshaken.
Eli.
He had stepped up behind Riven, his arms crossed, his gaze steady on the boys.
"What are you even trying to prove? That you can pick on someone for being brave? Or that you're too scared to admit you could never do what he did?"
The smirks faltered. The laughter thinned. The boys exchanged uneasy looks before muttering excuses and slipping away.
Just like that, the weight pressing on Riven's chest loosened.
---
Quiet After the Storm
When the courtyard cleared, Riven exhaled shakily, his hands trembling. He hadn't realized he was holding his breath.
Eli turned to him, his voice gentler now.
"You don't have to fight this alone."
Riven swallowed hard. His throat burned. He hated that his eyes stung, hated how vulnerable he felt in that moment. But Eli's presence made it impossible to hide behind walls.
"Why… why are you doing this?" Riven asked softly.
"Because someone has to remind you you're worth standing beside," Eli replied without hesitation.
The words hit deeper than Riven expected. He looked away, blinking quickly, but the warmth in his chest betrayed him.
---
The Ripple
That night, Riven lay in bed staring at the ceiling. His phone buzzed with notifications—more than usual. Messages from classmates he barely knew. Some were short, some clumsy, but many said the same thing: What you did today was brave.
And though there were still cruel comments, still shadows lurking between the kind words, Riven realized something important.
For the first time in years, the world wasn't only laughing at him. Some were listening. Some were even looking up to him.
The thought was terrifying.
But it was also exhilarating.
---
The Closing Thought
Before he drifted to sleep, Riven remembered Eli's words in the courtyard.
You don't have to fight this alone.
And for the first time, he let himself believe it.