CHAPTER -14: Fracture lines

The building was nearly empty when Ayan stepped out, his shoes clicking against the polished floor like gunshots in the quiet.

He had almost made it to the exit when the voice came—low, even, like it had been waiting for him.

> "You run a lot."

He stopped.

Slowly turned.

Kairo stood a few feet away, hands in his pockets, posture loose, but his gaze… steady.

Ayan's eyes narrowed.

> "Don't you get tired of this?"

Kairo didn't blink.

> "No."

The answer was too simple. Too sure.

Ayan's jaw tightened.

> "Then you're more pathetic than I thought."

Kairo moved closer—not fast, not aggressive. Just enough to shrink the space between them until the air felt charged.

His voice was calm, almost curious.

> "Why does it bother you so much?"

> "It doesn't."

> "Liar."

The word slid between them like a blade.

Something sharp flickered in Ayan's eyes, but his face stayed carved from stone.

> "You think you know me?"

Kairo's lips curved—small, almost humorless.

> "No. But I think you're scared I could."

Silence fell like a noose.

For one breath, Ayan's mask cracked—a flash of something raw in his gaze before the ice slammed back into place.

He stepped past Kairo without a word, his shoulder brushing his sleeve like a spark against a storm.

Kairo didn't stop him.

But as he stood there alone, a quiet certainty settled in his bones like fire under skin.

He was getting closer.

And Ayan knew it.

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