BACK OFF!

The air in the alley was thick with tension.

Dorian instinctively stepped in front of her, shielding her without needing to be asked. "You followed us?" he growled.

Jace raised an eyebrow, completely unfazed. "Relax. This alley isn't exactly a private road. Maybe I came for a walk."

"Right," Dorian muttered. "Because you just happened to be wandering behind a closed bookshop at midnight."

Kayha swallowed hard. "Why are you here?"

Jace's eyes lingered on her, studying. "I could ask you the same thing. You ran from a party like it was on fire, and now here you are… with him."

"Don't," she warned, voice sharper than expected.

He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Don't what? Call it what it is?"

"Back off, Jace," Dorian said.

But Jace didn't even look at him. His gaze remained locked on her, not cruel, not soft either. Just… unreadable.

Kayha hated that.

Hated that she couldn't tell what he was thinking. Hated how her heart was beating fast, not from fear, but from something deeper. Something she couldn't name yet.

"I didn't follow you," he said, finally breaking the silence. "But now that I've found you, maybe you owe me an explanation."

She stepped forward before Dorian could say anything else. "I don't owe you anything."

"Don't you?" Jace asked quietly. "You keep showing up in places I don't expect. And now you're hiding, running from something or someone. What's going on?"

Her breath caught.

And that was the moment she realized: he saw through her. Through the carefully curated calm, through the polite smiles and cold silence. Jace didn't just see her,he watched

But Kayha wasn't ready to bleed her truth in front of him. Not yet.

"Let's go, Dorian," she said, turning away.

He nodded, shooting Jace a warning look before following her.

They disappeared down the alley without another word, but Kayha could feel Jace's eyes on her back long after they turned the corner.

Later that night, in the dusty attic room above the bookshop, Kayha lay on the creaky old bed Dorian had cleared for her.

She couldn't sleep.

Jace's voice haunted her thoughts. Not the words the tone. That low, quiet tone that made her feel like she was being cracked open.

"Why do you keep looking for me?" she whispered into the dark.

And in her chest, something whispered back:Because he's already inside you, and you're terrified he won't leave.

*************

Kayha lay on the thin mattress, the muffled sounds of the city filtering through the dusty attic window. The quiet was a lie ,her mind raced in a thousand directions. Shadows danced on the cracked walls, mirroring the turmoil inside her.

She tried to breathe, tried to silence the noise,the relentless questions burning in her chest. How could her mother betray her like this? How could her life suddenly spiral so far from the quiet comfort of Dorian's bookshop to a cold house filled with secrets?

Her fingers curled tight around the thin blanket, nails digging into fabric as memories washed over her. The forced smiles, the cold dinners, the sudden arrival of her stepfather, everything felt like a lie she'd swallowed whole.

A creak echoed from the stairs below. Kayha's heart skipped. Was someone coming? Her breath caught, but it was only Dorian, carrying a lantern, his face gentle but serious.

"You're still awake," he whispered, setting the light down.

She nodded, voice barely a whisper. "I can't stop thinking."

He sat beside her, careful not to break the fragile silence. "Sometimes, the hardest nights bring the clearest dawns."

She met his eyes, searching for something hope, maybe.

"Tomorrow," Dorian said quietly, "we figure out your next step. But tonight, you're not alone."

And for the first time since she left home, Kayha let the tears come.

Because even in the darkest rooms, light can find a way in.

Kayha lay awake in the dim attic room, the thin moonlight casting ghostly shadows across the worn wooden beams. Her heart pounded like a wild drum, each beat a reminder of the chaos swirling inside her. The night was heavy with silence, but her mind screamed with questions and doubts she couldn't quiet.

She pulled the threadbare blanket tighter, trying to chase away the memories of the day ,her mother's cold demand, the bitter argument, and the overwhelming pressure of a life she never asked for. This small attic, with its creaky floor and dusty corners, was her only refuge, yet even here, peace felt miles away.

Her fingers traced the rough edge of the old window sill as a tear slipped down her cheek. "Why does everything have to be so complicated?" she whispered to the empty room. The weight of expectations, the fear of losing herself, and the mysterious pull toward a stranger she barely knew twisted inside her chest.

Suddenly, the faint sound of footsteps below startled her. Heart leaping, she pressed herself against the wall, breath held tight. Was it Jace? Or someone else from the shadows of her tangled life?

She dared to peek through the cracks in the floorboards, catching the silhouette of a figure moving quietly beneath her sanctuary. A shiver ran down her spine, the night was far from over, and whatever was coming next promised to change everything.

**************

Kayha lay on the creaky bed in the attic room of the bookshop, the shadows curling around her like cold fingers. Her mind wouldn't stop racing, the night had been a whirlwind she wasn't prepared for. Every noise outside felt like a secret waiting to be revealed, every flicker of light a message she couldn't quite read.

She hugged her knees close to her chest, the faint scent of old paper and dust grounding her. The quiet was a sharp contrast to the chaos inside her heart. How could a single evening twist her world so violently? She'd come here seeking refuge, yet sleep was a stranger tonight.

The wind whispered through the cracked window, carrying with it memories she wasn't ready to face. The weight of her mother's cold words echoed in her mind , the demand, the marriage arrangement she had refused, the bitter argument that left her feeling more alone than ever.

Her fingers traced the worn cover of a book beside her, the familiar texture a small comfort. It was here, in this dusty corner of the world, that she could be herself , messy, uncertain, but free.

It was Dorian,he just wanted to check on her.

She felt so...so relieved that she hasn't been discovered by her mother, yet.