After a while, the pouring rain slowed to a gentle drizzle. The street shimmered under the streetlights, the scent of wet earth lingering in the cool air.

“We should head back home, I guess,” I said, glancing at Ewan as he sneezed into his sleeve.

“This soon?” he asked, his lips forming a slight pout. “I want to spend more time with you”

I giggled at his reaction. “Yes, next time,” I reassured him.

As we walked side by side, our hands brushed occasionally—just light, fleeting touches, but each one sent tiny sparks up my arm. Should I just grab his hand? Would that seem too desperate? But then again… he kissed me earlier. Maybe I should wait for him to do something first?

Before I could decide, I took a deep breath and reached out—but the moment was ruined by the shrill ring of his phone.

Ugh. Seriously?

I shot him a side-eye glare, arms crossed, as he answered. He barely spoke for a few seconds before cutting the call short and looking at me with a sheepish grin.

“Sorry, It was my mom. She wants me home soon since she’s heading out, and my sister will be alone.” he said

“Oh,” I nodded, trying to hide my disappointment. “Then go ahead, I can go home by myself.” I waved my hands in a ‘shoo-shoo’ motion, pretending to be unbothered.

“You sure?” He studied me, hesitant.

“Yeah, of course!” I reassured him with a smile.

“Then…” He hesitated for a second before holding out his phone. “Give me your number, Sofia.”

I took his phone with a smile and quickly typed in my number, saving my contact name as ‘Future Wife’ with a giggle.

He chuckled as he saw it, his eyes twinkling. “Future wife, huh?” He reached out and pinched my cheek making me giggle even more.

Feeling bold, I pulled out my phone and handed it to him. “Your turn!”

But the moment he took my phone, everything changed

His smile faded. His fingers trembled as they hovered over the screen. Then, without warning, the phone slipped from his grasp, crashing onto the wet pavement.

“Ewan?” I stepped forward, alarmed. His expression twisted in pain as he clutched his head, staggering backward. His breathing turned ragged. His free hand pressed against his chest, as if something inside was suffocating him.

Was he feeling dizzy? Did he have a headache?

I instinctively reached out to grab his arm, but—

He pushed me away.

I stumbled back, shock rippling through me. The sting of rejection hurt more than the push itself. My voice caught in my throat as I watched him, eyes wide with confusion.

“Ewan?”

But he didn’t respond.

His breath hitched, his entire body trembling. Then, suddenly—

He ran.

He bolted down the empty road, his feet splashing through the puddles, his figure disappearing into the dimly lit street.

I could only stand there, frozen.

What… just happened?

He ran.

The world blurred around him, but the pain in his chest only sharpened. His heartbeat pounded against his ribs like a wild drum, erratic and desperate. He could barely catch his breath.

The streetlights flickered above him. Shadows stretched unnaturally long on the pavement. His vision swam. His head burned. His heart ached.

It hurt. It hurt so much.

He clutched his head, then his chest, back and forth, as if trying to hold himself together—but nothing worked.

His fingers dug into his scalp. Images—flashes of things he didn’t understand— struck him like lightning.

The warmth of blood staining his hands.

He collapsed onto the cold pavement, his breath coming in sharp gasps. The only movement around him was the tiny, winged termites fluttering near the flickering streetlight, drawn to the false warmth. They swarmed mindlessly, oblivious to the fact that their obsession with the light would lead to their own downfall.

Just like him.