On the escalator down, the air between them chilled, like a draft from an air conditioner. Kaivan thought hard, yet found no answer. Felicia, meanwhile, sank into a quiet ache. She wasn't looking for information about her lineage, she wanted recognition, something real. And Kaivan, knowingly or not, had overlooked it.
They walked through the lower floor of the mall until they reached a small software shop, its walls lined with well-organized shelves. Dim neon lights cast a warm yet somber glow, washing away the last remnants of the mall's brightness.
A young man behind the counter greeted them cheerfully, his smile widening as they entered.
Kaivan stepped forward with steady strides, though his mind was still tangled. Felicia followed a few steps behind, her gaze shadowed with lingering hurt.
"Do you have OCR and TTS software?" Kaivan asked, his voice flat but clear.
"Oh, Optical Character Recognition and Text to Speech? Yes, we have them," the clerk said with enthusiasm. "OCR ranges from one million to two and a half million. TTS is from five hundred thousand to one and a half."
Without hesitation, Kaivan nodded. "I'll take the two-and-a-half and the one-and-a-half."
The shopkeeper blinked in surprise, then broke into a wide smile. It was rare to see a customer decide that quickly, and behind that smile, it felt as if he understood that today, Kaivan was searching for more than just software.
Kaivan turned to Felicia, who still stood a few steps behind him. "Felicia, give me back my bag. I need to take out some money," he said calmly, though there was something in his voice that hinted at more than a simple transaction.
Felicia held his gaze for a moment, then shook her head. She knew Kaivan could use the Tome Omnicent to peek into her thoughts at any time. Kaivan exhaled softly. "Then… just take out my wallet for me," he murmured, gentler this time, an attempt to ease the tension hanging between them.
Felicia stepped closer, slowly opening his bag. But the moment her fingertips brushed against the Tome's surface, a surge of dizziness hit her.
"Kyaah…" she gasped. Her body swayed.
Kaivan moved fast, catching her before she fell. His arm circled her trembling body, holding her steady. "You touched it without noticing, didn't you?" he whispered, concern sharp in his voice. "Are you okay?"
Felicia lifted her face, meeting his eyes from a distance far too close. Her heart pounded, part dizziness, part feelings she refused to name. But she pushed herself away, gaze firm and cold. She wouldn't let him see her weak.
Kaivan let her go. He knew it wasn't the right moment to push closer.
Silently, he took the bag and paid for the software. The shopkeeper, unaware of the tension that had just settled between them, accepted the money with a satisfied smile.
They left the store in wordless quiet. The bustling mall around them felt distant, like a blurred backdrop behind a quiet drama of two hearts out of sync. Felicia walked three meters behind Kaivan, keeping a careful distance. Disappointment and frustration tangled inside her, while Kaivan struggled to find a way to mend a wound he didn't understand.
In front of a small ice cream kiosk, Kaivan stopped. The soft colors of vanilla cones sparked a small idea. He bought two, then turned as Felicia approached.
"Do you want this?" he asked, offering one.
Felicia shook her head, voice flat. "No. You can have it."
Kaivan gave a faint smile and lifted his other hand. "This one's new. I bought two."
Felicia hesitated. Her eyes softened. Slowly, she reached out, but chose the cone he had already bitten into. "Thanks," she whispered, licking the melting edge. The cold sweetness couldn't hide the faint warmth blooming inside her, shy and fragile.
That afternoon, on the mall's quiet front steps, the two of them sat side by side. Around them, the silhouettes of the mall and swaying green trees blended with the gentle breeze. The sky was brushed with the first hints of soft orange, framing a silence that felt strangely intimate.
Felicia continued licking her vanilla ice cream, while Kaivan stared straight ahead, holding his half-melted cone. The atmosphere was calm, filled only by the wind and distant footsteps echoing from inside.
Kaivan took a breath, steadying himself.
"Felicia," he said softly, his voice almost drowned by the evening air. "I'm sorry… I wasn't sensitive enough about you."
Felicia didn't answer at first. She turned slightly, watching him with an unreadable expression.
"That's cheating… You must've read the Tome Omnicent, right?" she whispered.
Kaivan shook his head gently, a quiet smile crossing his lips. "You saw it yourself, I didn't open it."
Without another word, he pulled out a tissue and carefully wiped the melted ice cream from her fingers and the corner of her lips. His movements were patient, tender, enough to make her fall silent. A small moment of breathless stillness settled between them.
Felicia's gaze softened. She knew he wasn't relying on the Tome to understand her. Maybe that was what she appreciated, what she needed. But the storm inside her hadn't fully calmed; it lingered like a quiet wave brushing the shore.
She looked at him, taking the tissue from his hand. The ice cream in her other hand was melting, dripping silently like the emotions she struggled to hold together. Yet in her eyes, something gentle had begun to form.