Kaivan burst out of the restroom, leaving behind the last traces of his despair. His footsteps pounded through the long corridor lit only by dim, tired lamps. Outside, rain hammered the windows like a somber rhythm echoing along the walls. At the far end, his friends waited anxiously in front of the operating room.
Radit, who had been pacing nonstop, shot Isabel a worried glance. "Why won't Kaivan ask the Tome again?"
Isabel exhaled softly, her voice calm yet firm. "He said he feels like the Tome is controlling him. He doesn't want to be a puppet."
From the corner, Zinnia spoke up in a hesitant whisper. "But without the Tome, how do we know what to do? How do we fight Vella and save Teh Kira?"
Silence fell. Each of them sank deeper into uncertainty. Without the Tome, their path felt swallowed by darkness.
Suddenly, Kaivan appeared at the end of the corridor, breath ragged, shirt clinging to him with sweat. But his eyes were steady now, filled with resolve.
"Who brought a motorcycle? I need to borrow it. Now."
Ethan, startled, fumbled inside his jacket and pulled out a key. "Where are you going? It's pouring outside, your sister's still in surgery!"
Kaivan strode toward him, hand outstretched. "The key," he urged. Ethan hesitated but eventually surrendered it.
"Are you sure about this?"
Kaivan drew a trembling breath. "Teh Kira will survive… but she'll fall into a coma." His voice was flat, yet unbearably heavy.
Without waiting for anyone to respond, he spun around and ran toward the exit. Their calls were swallowed by the roaring rain. He kept running, pushing through the wind and cold as he reached the parking lot.
Raphael watched Kaivan's fading silhouette. "He read the Tome again… didn't he?" he murmured.
No one answered. They simply stared as his figure vanished behind a curtain of rain. The night wept over the hospital grounds, the lights shimmering across the flooded pavement.
Kaivan mounted Ethan's motorcycle, gripping the handlebars tightly. The helmet remained loose in his hand. He was ready to leave, following the last guidance the Tome had given him.
Then a voice broke through the storm.
"Kaivan, wait!"
Felicia's cry cut sharply through the rain-soaked air.
Kaivan turned. Through the open visor, his gaze met hers. Her long hair clung to her face, drenched by the downpour. She was out of breath, as if she had sprinted through every hallway just to reach him.
She grabbed his arm, holding the bike still. "Where are you going?" she asked, voice trembling with fear, anger, and desperation. "Please. Don't go alone. I'm coming with you!"
Their eyes locked in the storm. Kaivan could see the shine of tears in hers, though he couldn't tell whether it was rain or grief.
Felicia tightened her grip, as if refusing to let him disappear.
Kaivan inhaled deeply, steadying the frantic beat of his heart. He reached out and brushed her cheek, gentle, afraid to break something fragile. Her face, even soaked in rain, seemed to glow in the night.
"Listen, Felicia…" His voice cracked, heavy with held-back sobs. "I'll go. And I'll come back. But this time… I have to do it alone."
Felicia shook her head violently, tears spilling down her face. "I can't let you go by yourself, Kaivan! I know how you feel, but I can't lose you too!"
He took her hand and placed it against his cheek, feeling the cold tremble in her fingers. His eyes reddened, hidden behind the veil of rain.
"Felicia… please. I don't want to lose someone I love ever again. I can't go through what happened with my mom… not again."
The words struck Felicia like a blow to the chest. She froze, her hands trembling. She knew how deep Kaivan's wounds ran. Losing their mother was a scar that never healed, always tearing open when memories resurfaced. Seeing Kaivan on the edge of that same despair, she felt the pain all over again.
Felicia lowered her head, tears spilling freely. "Kaivan… did you read the Tome of Omnicent again?" she whispered.
Kaivan nodded faintly, unable to speak. The tears he had been holding back finally escaped, hidden beneath the roar of the rain. He knew opening the Omnicent Tome meant danger. He knew Felicia feared losing him, but this time, he had to trust his instinct and the Tome's final guidance.
Gently, Kaivan loosened her grip. He brushed her cheek one last time, wiping away tears and rain alike. "I have to go now," he murmured. "Please… look after the others. Wait for me. I'll come back. I swear."
Felicia's breath hitched, but she nodded at last. She let him go, even though her heart screamed to hold onto him. Kaivan put on his helmet, started Ethan's motorcycle, and sped off without looking back.
The bike sliced through the flooded streets. Kaivan pushed the throttle hard, as if outrunning the weight in his chest. Rain hammered against his visor, blurring his sight, but he didn't care. Only one destination filled his mind: the old woman's house, the place where a sliver of hope might still be waiting.
Behind him, Felicia stood frozen, her body trembling not from the cold, but from fear. Tears mixed with the unending rain as they streamed down her face. She didn't know if Kaivan would truly return. All she could do was wait, pray, in that painful, echoing silence.
Heavy rain swallowed the city that night, roaring like a warning cry from the heavens. Felicia ran toward the operating room doors, breath ragged, clothes soaked. Her long hair clung to her pale face as water dripped from her chin. Frans, who had been anxiously pacing, rushed to meet her.
Felicia struggled to steady herself, forcing calm into her voice despite the panic clawing at her chest. Frans studied her expression, seeing the fear etched into every line.