The café door swung shut behind her, leaving the bell ringing into silence.

For a moment, Devansh just stood there — heart pounding, rain pressing against the glass like a thousand tiny hands urging him to move.

Then he did.

He grabbed his coat, left a few bills on the counter, and stepped into the storm.

The rain was colder than before — sheets of silver cutting through the night. The streetlights blurred, the world reduced to reflections and ripples. He turned left, then right, calling softly even though he knew it was useless.

“Liora!”

His voice disappeared into the sound of rain.

She was fast. Too fast.

But something told him she wouldn’t have gone far.

So he kept walking, following nothing but instinct — the pull that had brought him to that café in the first place.

Minutes passed.

His hair was soaked, breath fogging in the cold.

Then he saw it — a faint figure sitting on the back steps of the bookstore beside the café, her shoulders trembling.

He slowed down, careful not to startle her.

“Liora.”

She didn’t move. Didn’t even look up.

When he got closer, he saw her face — wet from rain and tears alike, her eyes still faintly red but dimmer now, almost human again.

“Why didn’t you run farther?” he asked quietly.

“I did,” she whispered. “My heart didn’t.”

He knelt in front of her, unsure whether to smile or ache.

Her hands were gripping her knees, knuckles pale from the cold.

“I told you to go,” she murmured.

“I did,” he said softly, “and then I came back.”

She looked at him finally — really looked.

And something in his gaze made her flinch, not from fear, but from the weight of care she didn’t know how to hold.

“You shouldn’t be near me right now,” she said, shaking her head. “I could still—”

“I know.”

“Then why—”

“Because I’m not leaving you like this.”

The rain softened, as if listening.

He reached for his pocket and pulled out the same napkin he’d used earlier. The blood had dried into faint brown stains. He held it up, quietly.

“I meant what I said,” he murmured.

“If it helps you live, take it.”

Her lips parted, disbelief flickering across her face. “You can’t just offer that.”

“I can,” he said simply. “And I am.”

She shook her head. “You don’t know what it means.”

“Then tell me.”

Liora stared at him — at his eyes, his steadiness, his soaked hair plastered to his forehead — and something broke inside her. The centuries she had spent hiding, starving, fearing herself, all suddenly felt small beside one man’s quiet acceptance.

“I could hurt you,” she whispered.

“You won’t.”

“I might.”

“Then I’ll forgive you.”

Her breath caught — like the sound of glass cracking under weight.

The world narrowed to that small space between them — rain misting in the air, her hand trembling near his.

“Liora,” he said softly, “don’t starve because you’re afraid to be seen.”

For a long second, nothing moved.

Then she did — leaning forward, voice breaking.

“Close your eyes.”

He obeyed.

Her lips brushed his wrist — cold at first, then warm where her breath lingered. And then, just barely, the sting — a sharp, fleeting touch of fangs.

The rain seemed to hush.

It wasn’t hunger. It wasn’t pain.

It was a pulse shared — two lives momentarily aligned.

The world outside vanished.

When she finally pulled away, she was trembling, eyes full of tears.

“I didn’t take much,” she whispered. “I couldn’t.”

He smiled faintly. “You took enough.”

She pressed her forehead to his shoulder, silent, as rain dripped from her lashes.

And in that quiet, Devansh knew —

this wasn’t about saving her.

It was about reminding her she could still be human.

-------

Author note: Hey guys! Another storytime!😅 So, I wanted to share a little thing that happened earlier this year… I got an email from this organization—they actually offered me a spot with them! 😳 They even mentioned a 50-50 deal and a possible comic adaptation.

Of course, I wanted to know more, so they sent me a big PDF. I read halfway through it, and then… I had to say no. 🙈 My brain just works like this: emotions are meant to be felt, not bought or sold. So yeah… for now, I’m out.

Honestly, it felt kinda wild getting an offer like that 😅, but I’m super happy sticking to my own way of doing things. Thanks for reading, for commenting, for just being here ❤️ You all make this journey so worth it!