It was dark.

Not the kind of darkness that settled gently, but the kind that swallowed everything beyond the edges of what little light remained. Out in the middle of the ocean, there was nothing to catch the eye—no distant lights, no horizon to hold onto, just an endless stretch of black that blurred into the sky above it.

The solar lights along the yacht did just enough to outline its shape, faint glows reflecting weakly against the surface of the water. It made the space feel smaller than it actually was, like everything beyond those dim lights simply didn’t exist.

Last night, the storm had filled that emptiness.

Tonight, there was nothing.

Lyra sat at the top deck with both legs hanging over the edge, her bare feet swaying slowly above the water. She had changed into shorts and a loose, oversized tee, the fabric shifting slightly with the faint breeze that moved through the air. The warmth from earlier hadn’t left completely—it rested lightly against her skin, dull and constant.

She hummed under her breath, not thinking about the tune, just letting it fill the quiet in a way that didn’t require effort.

Footsteps echoed behind her, slow and uneven, followed by the faint sound of water dripping against the deck.

She didn’t turn.

“Third time?” she asked.

“Fourth, actually,” Ren replied.

She let out a small breath through her nose, something between a sigh and a quiet acknowledgment. “Don’t use up all the water.”

“I won’t.”

The silence that followed didn’t feel empty. It lingered, stretching between them without either of them trying to break it right away.

“They’re gonna abandon us, Lyra.”

There was something different in his voice this time. Not serious enough to be taken at face value, but not light enough to be dismissed completely either.

She turned slightly, just enough to look at him over her shoulder.

“Do you… have a problem with anyone or something?”

“What? No. Not that I know of,” she said, her brows pulling together slightly as she tried to follow his train of thought.

Ren held her gaze for a second longer than necessary, like he was trying to figure something out that he hadn’t fully formed yet.

“Can you swim?”

She stared at him.

“…That was supposed to be funny.”

“It wasn’t.”

The corner of his mouth twitched, but it didn’t turn into anything real. He exhaled quietly, lifting a hand to the back of his neck, rubbing it once like he was trying to ease something that wasn’t physical.

“Put a shirt on,” she said.

Ren blinked, caught off guard by how suddenly it came.

He was still damp from the shower, water tracing slow, uneven lines down his shoulders and across his chest. The air clung lightly to his skin, and he didn’t seem bothered by it until now.

“Why?” he asked, a small grin forming, easier than the moment deserved. “Can’t handle it?”

She was already on her feet before he finished speaking, the movement quiet but immediate. She didn’t look back at him, didn’t give anything away, just turned and walked toward the stairs, her steps steady against the deck.

“…Wait.” 

The word came a beat too late. His hand stayed half-raised for a second before he let it drop.

She kept going.

Ren stayed where he was, his gaze following her as she moved down the steps, the sound of her footsteps fading into the dark until there was nothing left to hold onto. He didn’t move, not right away, his body still caught in the moment as it slipped past him.

It took him a second to realize something about that didn’t sit right. 

That wasn’t how that was supposed to go.

His jaw clenched slightly, more out of reflex than intention.

He lowered himself into the spot she had just left, but it didn’t feel the same. His posture folded inward without him thinking about it, shoulders slightly hunched, his arms resting closer to himself like he was trying to take up less space than before.

“…shit.”

The word slipped out under his breath, barely audible.

He dragged a hand through his damp hair, pushing it back before letting it fall again, his gaze dropping toward the water below.

Why did I say that?

He already knew.

Of course.

A quiet breath left him as he leaned forward slightly, resting his forearms against his knees.

She probably sees guys like that all the time.

The thought settled in deeper than he expected, heavier than it should have been for something so simple.

He glanced down at himself, then looked away just as quickly.

This is exactly why I shouldn’t—

The thought cut off halfway, like he didn’t want to follow it all the way through.

The water below shifted slowly, his reflection breaking apart with every small movement of the surface. Nothing about it stayed still long enough to hold onto.

Lyra walked straight back to her room.

Her steps stayed even as she walked. When she reached the door, her hand closed around the handle a little tighter than necessary before she pushed it open. Her expression didn’t shift, still and controlled in a way that didn’t quite match the moment. 

But her eyes gave it away, something sharp passing through them for just a second, something she recognized too quickly and didn’t want to sit with. She stepped inside and shut the door behind her a little harder than she meant to, the sound echoing faintly through the room.

The silence inside felt different, closer, heavier, like it pressed in around her instead of settling.

Ren stayed outside longer than he planned to, his gaze fixed on the water .as if there was something there he hadn’t noticed yet. 

Eventually, he pushed himself up and made his way back to his room, slower this time, his thoughts not quite settling the way they usually did.

That night passed without another word between them. They retreated to separate rooms, sleep coming and going without ever settling.