"Kaivan," he said quietly but firmly. "She's walking off again."
Kaivan didn't answer. He spun around and bolted outside. His footsteps struck the ground with urgency, as if running was the only way he knew to atone for something he could never undo.
As he crossed the yard, he saw Felicia standing on the porch. Her reddened eyes met his, filled with silent questions.
"Kaivan, what were you trying to tell me back in the basement?" Her tone was calm, though worry flickered behind her gaze.
Kaivan slowed for a moment. "Later, Felicia. I do want to talk, but… later, okay?"
He ran again. Felicia watched his back disappear into the trees. A small smile touched her lips, but a faint hint of disappointment glimmered in her eyes. She sighed and returned to cleaning, though her mind lingered on him.
In the distance, Kaivan spotted Thivi. She was heading toward the wooden shed behind the villa. Her figure looked small beneath the tall trees, her steps slow, weighed down by something invisible.
Kaivan quickened his pace, breath uneven. More than anything, he needed to reach her before things went too far.
"Thivi!"
She didn't turn, but her shoulders trembled. Her hands shook as she held her arms tightly.
Kaivan pushed through fallen leaves, his steps soft on the damp earth. His breath hitched, less from exhaustion and more from the tight knot in his chest. Ahead of him, Thivi kept walking. Her small shoulders trembled with every passing breeze, reflecting the storm inside her.
"Thivi!" he called again, voice low and desperate.
Her steps halted. Her body froze.
Kaivan reached out and gently took her wrist. His touch was warm, hoping to calm her. But Thivi stiffened, like a frightened deer cornered by an unseen terror. Her eyes were vacant, clouded by wounds that hadn't healed.
"Where are you going?" Kaivan asked softly but firmly, searching her expression for even a trace of the bright girl she used to be.
Thivi lowered her head. Her shoulders shook violently. Tears finally spilled, rolling down her cheeks and over her parted lips. When she spoke, her voice cracked, as though each word sliced her from the inside.
It was barely a whisper carried by the evening wind, fragile and aching. "I'm filthy, Kaivan… I don't want to be…"
Kaivan said nothing. His chest tightened painfully. His jaw clenched, holding back a surge of anger, not at Thivi, but at the cruel reality that had made her believe she was someone unworthy of love. Thivi wasn't weak, nor easily shaken. But this time, her wound was too deep.
Kaivan finally spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's alright... don't think about that anymore." He pulled Thivi gently into his arms, warm, steady, as if trying to gather the scattered pieces of her trembling heart.
Thivi stiffened at first, but slowly melted into him. Her small hands clutched his clothes, and her soft sobs broke through, her breathing rising and falling in fragile, uneven waves.
"Why... why do I feel like this?" she whispered. "Why am I disgusted with myself?"
Kaivan's hand moved slowly along her back, each touch gentle, as though he were soothing a storm that refused to quiet.
"It isn't your fault," he murmured. "Don't let those thoughts poison you. I'm here, Thivi. I care about you... just like I care about the others, Felicia, Zinnia, Isabel, Radit, Frans, Ethan, Raphael..."
Thivi froze again.
She pulled back slightly and looked up at him. Her eyes were wet, her lips trembling. Pain, doubt, and something fragile yet fierce flickered within her gaze.
"No... I don't want that..." she whispered. Her voice was faint, like a child afraid of losing something precious before it even became hers. "You like everyone..."
Kaivan blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"
Thivi inhaled deeply, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. Her eyes steadied, something broken within her shifting, reshaping, trying to heal.
"Kiss me," she said.
The world seemed to halt.
Kaivan froze, every muscle locking in place as his heart hammered wildly.
Thivi stepped closer. Her hand reached out, gripping his arm firmly.
"Kiss me if I'm special," she repeated, her voice steadier this time. "I don't want to be just another name among them. I want to be… the only one."