Yuvaan tugged at the collar of his sherwani, grimacing.
"Kiara… I swear this thing is itching me to death," he muttered, scratching his neck like an annoyed child. "I'm going to freshen up before I turn into a monkey in front of my wife."
Kiara laughed, rolling her eyes.
"Go, Yuvaan. Please. Before you ruin the wedding photos with your scratching."
He gave her a dramatic salute and disappeared into the washroom, the sound of running water starting almost immediately.
Left alone in the softly lit room, Kiara walked toward the window to adjust the curtains—
but paused.
A cold prickle ran down her spine.
The balcony door was slightly ajar, the sheer curtains fluttering like pale ghosts.
A strange stillness settled in the air.
Kiara frowned.
"The wind…?" she whispered, though her voice sounded unconvinced even to herself.
Curiosity tugged at her.
She stepped forward, sliding the door fully open.
The balcony was veiled in fog.
Thick. Slow-moving. Almost… deliberate.
Kiara's breath hitched as she inhaled a little of it—cool, oddly heavy, brushing the inside of her lungs with a strange chill.
For a heartbeat, her vision blurred.
She blinked hard.
The fog thinned.
Then cleared completely—
revealing nothing.
No intruder.
No figure.
No sound except her own soft exhale.
Kiara steadied her heartbeat and rubbed her arms.
"Chill, babe…" she murmured to herself.
"It's your special night. Not some horror movie. Focus."
She turned back toward the room, shaking the uneasiness off her shoulders as she slid the balcony door shut.
Inside, the warm glow of candles waited for her, soft and inviting.
She took one last steadying breath—
and walked back inside.
---
But Down Below the Balcony…
Unseen by Kiara, at the base of the mansion—
A shadow stepped forward.
A young man.
Tall.
Dressed in a dark hoodie.
His face remained hidden, but the moonlight caught two details:
A fire-shaped birthmark curling over the side of his neck
—like flames rising from his skin.
And his eyes.
Fiery red.
Burning with a heat no human should possess.
Burning with anger.
Or longing.
Or something much darker.
He watched Kiara's silhouette through the balcony railings, unmoving.
A cold wind stirred around him—yet the air near his body shimmered like heat.
"Kiara…"
he whispered, voice rough, dangerous, almost broken.
Then he disappeared into the shadows.
Yuvaan stepped out of the washroom, water droplets glistening along his bare chest, his white button-down shirt unbuttoned, clinging slightly to his damp skin. The room seemed to pause for a heartbeat as Kiara's eyes took him in. Her cheeks flushed pink, and she quickly looked away, pretending to adjust the folds of her lehenga while her heart raced.
Yuvaan shook his head, sending his long, wet hair tumbling over his shoulders, a playful smirk curling on his lips. He reached out, brushing a strand of hair from Kiara's face. "You're staring… you know it," he teased softly, his voice low and warm.
Kiara's lips parted, ready to protest, but before she could, Yuvaan pulled her close. His hands rested gently on her waist, and she leaned into him, feeling the familiar comfort of his warmth.
Then—
A sudden, electric jolt surged through Yuvaan's body. His eyes widened, and he stumbled back with a sharp gasp. Kiara's hands flew out instinctively, trying to steady him, but the moment he reached toward her again, another shock, sharper this time, ripped through him. He yelped, staggering back.
"Yuvaan! What—what's happening?!" Kiara cried, her hands hovering just inches from him, trembling. Her heart pounded, terrified and confused.
"I… I don't know," Yuvaan groaned, sweat beading at his temple. "Something… I can't… touch you…"
He tried once more, reaching for her hand, but a surge of energy knocked him to his knees. His hand had burned where it touched the invisible barrier, red and blistered. He grimaced, glancing down at it, the wound not healing, a cruel reminder that his powers were gone, and now he was fully human.
Kiara froze, horror flooding her. Her hands shook as she whispered, "I… I can't… I can't even touch you…"
Yuvaan lifted his gaze, eyes full of pain yet still tender as they found hers. "Kiara… it's okay. It's not your fault. I… I just…" His voice cracked slightly. "I just want to be close to you, but… it's… impossible right now."
Her chest tightened. The thought that the man she loved, the one who had sacrificed everything for her, could be hurt simply by trying to hold her, tore at her. She slowly sank to the floor beside him, careful not to touch him, her hands hovering just above the space that separated them.
For a long, tense moment, they just sat there, eyes locked, hearts aching, feeling the cruel distance that the loss of his powers had created. The air around them felt impossibly heavy, charged with both longing and fear.
Yuvaan exhaled shakily, voice soft but determined. "Kiara… one day… one day soon… we'll fix this. I'll get close to you again… I promise."
Kiara swallowed hard, tears brimming as she nodded, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. "I… I know, Yuvaan… I know you'll… we'll get through this… together."
For now, though, they simply sat there, inches apart yet worlds away, each aware of the fragile barrier, each feeling the ache of love constrained by fate.