"There are battles no one sees—wars fought not with swords, but with silence."
---
The rooftop was quiet long after Riya's sobs had faded. Lena stayed crouched beside her, one arm still around her shoulder, both of them staring at the concrete, unable to look at each other. Aarav stood by the door, his fists clenched, jaw tight, like he was holding himself together by sheer force of will.
The air was thick.
With guilt.
With things unsaid.
With hearts breaking in slow motion.
Eventually, Riya pulled away. Her voice was dry, hollow. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to— I don't know what I was trying to do."
Lena didn't reply. She couldn't. Because part of her still felt the echo of that moment when Riya ran—when she almost—
Riya wiped her eyes, avoiding everyone's gaze. "I'm tired."
"You should rest," Lena said softly.
"I wasn't talking about sleep," Riya whispered. Then, without another word, she walked back through the rooftop door and disappeared.
Aarav stayed back. Silent. Watching Lena.
"You okay?" he finally asked.
Lena didn't answer for a long time.
"No," she whispered. "I'm not."
And she walked away too.
---
Classes blurred over the next few days.
Riya stopped showing up altogether. Rumors sparked—sickness, family issues, transfer papers—but no one really knew. Lena didn't ask. She didn't want to know, not when the truth might shatter her further.
Aarav kept his distance.
Not because he didn't care. But because Lena needed space. And maybe—maybe he was afraid.
Afraid that if they got too close, they'd both fall apart again.
But silence didn't make the feelings fade.
In fact, it made them stronger.
---
It wasn't until Thursday that Lena saw him again—alone—behind the art block, where the world always felt a little softer.
"I never told you why I came back," he said, his voice carrying over the wind.
Lena turned.
"You don't have to."
"I want to."
He met her eyes.
"I came back for you."
Her breath caught.
"I had to know if it was real. What I felt. What you felt. I kept telling myself I imagined it… that we were just two broken kids who crossed paths at the wrong time. But then—" His voice broke. "But then I'd see your handwriting in my notebook. Or I'd smell paint and think of you. I'd hear a song and remember your humming. I couldn't escape you, Lena."
Lena's fingers trembled. "Then why did you leave in the first place?"
Aarav looked down. "Because I was scared. Because Riya told me you didn't care. Because I thought I'd ruin you."
"You didn't ruin me, Aarav." Her voice was soft, but firm. "You just left me wondering if I ever mattered."
He stepped closer. "You mattered more than anything."
And for the first time, Lena didn't look away.
She let him see her.
All of her.
The pain.
The doubt.
The longing.
She stepped forward—and rested her forehead against his chest. His arms moved around her like instinct.
And in that moment, nothing else existed.
No Watchers.
No secrets.
No invisible wounds.
Just them.
But the peace didn't last.
Because somewhere beneath the surface, another storm was gathering.
---
That night, Lena stood in front of her mirror, touching the fading mark on her shoulder—the shimmer that appeared every time she disappeared.
But tonight, it was different.
The mark pulsed.
Like a heartbeat.
And her reflection—just for a second—smiled back at her.
Even though she wasn't smiling.
Her breath caught.
She stepped back.
The mirror stilled.
But something inside her screamed that it wasn't over.
Something was changing.
She wasn't alone.
Not anymore.
---