The night had softened into something almost unreal, as if the world itself had decided to rest for a while, leaving only the sea, the sky, and the quiet breathing of two souls lying side by side on the cool sand, untouched by everything else that existed beyond that shore.
The waves moved gently, brushing the edges of the island like a lullaby whispered to the earth, and above them the sky stretched endlessly, painted in deep blues and scattered silver, waiting for something magical to unfold.
Zhan and Lu lay there without speaking, their shoulders barely touching, yet the silence between them was not empty, it was full, heavy with something neither of them could name.
Zhan turned his head slightly, his voice low, almost blending into the wind
"About what you asked earlier… about who I am… just ask-"
His words faded.
Lu glanced at him.
He was asleep.
For a moment, Lu simply stared, confused, then amused, then… strangely at peace.
The cold wind grew sharper, slipping through the fabric of their clothes, biting softly at the skin, and without thinking, Zhan's hand found Lu's, his fingers curling around it instinctively, as if they had done it a thousand times before.
He pulled him closer.
Carefully. Naturally.
As if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Zhan wrapped his jacket around Lu's shoulders, holding him just a little tighter, shielding him from the night as his own eyes drifted back to the sky...and that was when it began.
A streak of light.
Then another.
And another.
The sky broke into motion, stars falling like shattered pieces of something divine, painting the darkness with trails of fire and silver.
Lu's eyes fluttered open.
For a second, he didn't understand what he was seeing.
Then-
"Zhan…!"
His voice was filled with a kind of wonder that didn't belong to this world.
"Zhan, are you seeing this…? It's a meteor shower…!"
Zhan looked at him, not at the sky, not at the stars but at him.
A soft smile formed, quiet and distant.
"Yeah…" he said gently, his voice carrying something ancient within it, "isn't it beautiful… bhavatah iva eva…?"
Lu frowned slightly.
That word again.
That language.
It slipped past his understanding like water through fingers.
But before he could ask-
He stopped.
Because Zhan wasn't looking at the meteors.
He was looking at him.
And for some reason, that felt heavier than the sky itself.
Lu turned back, watching the stars fall, his eyes reflecting their light, slowly growing heavier.
His voice dropped into a whisper, barely audible even to himself
"Still… beautiful… just like the sun…"
His eyes closed.
Zhan watched him fall asleep, his expression softening in a way no one had ever seen before.
Carefully, he lifted him into his arms, holding him close, too close, almost as if letting go was not an option.
As he walked back, step by step, the sound of the waves faded behind him, replaced by something quieter, something heavier.
His voice dropped into a whisper, one that carried centuries within it
"Harsh… this is the farthest I've come…"
His grip tightened slightly.
"I don't want it to end like before… so don't go looking for the truth… it will destroy you…"
The resting area was dimly lit, shadows stretching along the walls as the others waited.
Shaan. Lian. Alex.
All of them turned the moment Zhan entered.
And froze.
Lu, asleep, wrapped in Zhan's jacket, resting in his arms like he belonged there.
Zhan stepped forward calmly
"He's already asleep…"
Lian nodded, stepping closer, gently taking Lu from him
"We'll take care of him from here… thank you."
Alex squinted slightly, crossing his arms
"He's not my type, don't worry-" smirked at Zhan...
Three pairs of eyes turned toward him.
Alex coughed.
"…just saying."
Shaan stepped forward, his voice quieter now
"Where were you…? It's freezing outside."
Zhan didn't hesitate
"There was a meteor shower."
That was all it took.
Alex grabbed Shaan's arm instantly
"MOVE! WE'RE MISSING IT-"
"Why am I even coming-"
"BECAUSE YOU LOVE ME-NOW RUN-"
He was joking, but shaan...
They disappeared before anyone could stop them.
Outside, the sky was empty.
Completely empty.
Alex stood there, breathing heavily, staring upward.
Nothing.
"…blank," he muttered, forcing a laugh, "just like my life-, never, never I get to see them..."
Shaan looked at him, something in his chest tightening
"Alex… I'm sorry."
He hesitated, then added softly
"It's not about the meteors… or the stars… or even the moon… it's the sky that matters…"
Alex blinked.
"They're just decorations… but the sky… it's enough on its own…"
A pause.
"…just like you."
Silence.
Alex slowly turned.
"…like me?"
Shaan froze.
"…forget I said that."
"LIKE ME-?"
"SHUT UP AND WALK-"
Teachers spotted them soon after and dragged them back, muttering about safety and rules, but as Shaan was being led inside, something caught his eye-
A shadow.
Deep within the trees.
Still. Watching.
"Sir… what's that-"
"Inside. Now."
Too fast.
Too urgent.
Too afraid.
That fear stayed with him.
It followed him into the night.
Into his thoughts.
Into his sleep-
Except sleep never came.
The silence grew louder.
He opened his eyes.
Everyone was asleep.
The room felt… wrong.
Too still.
Too quiet.
He sat up slowly.
The urge clawed at him from the inside-
Go outside.
Just one look.
He stood up.
Each step toward the door felt heavier than the last.
The air pressed against him.
His heartbeat echoed in his ears.
Loud.
Louder.
LOUDER-
His hand reached for the handle-
Tap.
Something touched his shoulder.
His body froze.
Slowly-
His eyes dropped.
A shadow.
On the floor.
Not his.
It moved.
Crawling.
Four limbs.
Too long.
Too twisted.
Its head-
Tilted.
Far too much to be human.
His breath caught in his throat.
Don't look back-
Don't-
Something climbed onto him.
Slowly.
Its weight pressed against his back.
Cold.
Rotting.
Its face.…right above his ear-
Tilting-
Tilting-
Tilting-
A whisper.
Right into his skull-
"Brother…"
His eyes widened.
"You shouldn't go outside-"
A pause.
Breath.
Right against his neck-
"IT IS DANGEROUS-"