Liv stepped inside without fully realizing it.
The door closed behind her, and for a few seconds, she just stood there, letting her breathing settle after the conversation with Kai that still lingered in her head. The way he looked at her, the way he caught things he shouldn't have noticed — it was too close, too precise to ignore.
Liv lifted her hand, pressing lightly against her temple, trying to quiet the tension, as if that alone could put her thoughts back into order.
She needed space. A pause. Something without pressure.
"He won't stop," she muttered under her breath.
And the moment her hand dropped — something shifted.
Not the room. The presence.
Liv turned sharply. This time, she wasn't wrong.
Leon was already there. A few steps away. Calm. As if he had been waiting all along, with no intention of hiding.
Silence settled between them. Not from shock. But because too much had been left unfinished.
"You." Her voice was quiet. But steady.
She stepped closer, closing the distance without hesitation, her eyes locked on him.
"You were the one who entered this room before."
Not a question. A certainty.
Leon didn't answer. He didn't need to.
Liv's breathing shifted slightly.
"And that night," she continued, her tone lower, deeper, "the bullet… You were the one who redirected it."
A brief pause. Leon gave a small nod.
No explanation. No defense. Just acknowledgment.
Liv let out a short, dry laugh.
"So you've been around this whole time," she said, her voice calm but sharper now, "watching everything… without ever showing yourself."
She stopped just in front of him.
"Why?"
One word. Straight to the point.
Leon stayed silent. His expression didn't change. And that — was enough to trigger everything.
Liv stepped closer, until there was almost no space left between them.
"Three years, Leon. You disappeared without a trace, without a single explanation — and I was the one who had to live with that."
Her breath tightened, but she didn't look away.
"I went to that grave. Not once. Again and again. For three years I stood there… believing you were under it."
Her voice shifted. Barely noticeable. But enough.
"And now you're standing in front of me… like none of that ever happened."
Leon finally moved. One step closer. Liv didn't back away.
"Liv —"
"Don't." She cut him off instantly. "Don't use that tone."
Silence stretched between them. And everything she had buried for years began to crack.
"You know the worst part?" Liv said quietly. "I never really stopped waiting."
The words fell without drama. But they hit harder because of it.
Leon didn't deny it. Didn't explain.
Liv shook her head slowly.
"You didn't die," she said, colder now. "You chose not to come back."
That wasn't a guess. It was a conclusion. And it hurt more than anything else.
Leon exhaled slowly.
"I didn't have a choice."
The same words. And this time — Liv didn't accept them.
"Everyone always has a choice."
Her answer was sharp. Final.
The air between them grew heavier, tighter, until Liv moved first.
Her hand grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him closer, as if she needed to prove he was real, alive — not something that would disappear again.
Her breathing was no longer steady.
"You don't get to come back like this," she said quietly. "You don't get to return… and ruin everything."
But she didn't let go. Her grip tightened instead. And that — was the contradiction.
Leon didn't stop her. Didn't pull away. His hand lifted slowly, hesitating for a fraction of a second before gently touching her wrist.
The contact was light. Almost nothing. But enough to freeze everything.
For the first time in three years — they touched.
Not because of a mission. Not because of instinct. But because they were still there. Still real.
And that — it was the most dangerous part.
Liv's breath caught. Her eyes shifted slightly.
"Don't do that," she whispered.
Leon didn't pull his hand away immediately. That brief delay was enough.
Liv let go and stepped back, restoring the distance between them. Her expression turned cold again. Closed. Like always.
"You're still not going to explain."
Leon shook his head slightly. "Not yet."
Simple. But enough.
Liv nodded once, as if accepting it — even though she clearly didn't.
"Then don't come like this," she said, her voice steady again. "Don't walk into my life halfway."
The words hung between them.
Leon watched her for a few seconds. "I won't stop."
Quiet. Certain.
And for a moment — that hurt more than his disappearance.
Then something on Leon's wrist vibrated faintly. A short signal. Almost silent. But enough to change him.
His focus shifted. Not because of her — but because of something else. Something urgent.
Time was up.
Liv noticed. And somehow, that made everything feel more real.
"You were never really here, were you?"
Her voice came out softer. Bitter.
Leon looked at her again. But now — there was something different. More urgency. Less time.
"We're not done."
"No," Liv replied quickly, colder than before. "If you leave again…" She paused. Her eyes locked on his. "…don't come back."
Silence.
Leon looked at her for a few seconds. Then gave a small nod.
And that — was worse than rejection.
The next second — he was gone.
Just like before. Just like three years ago.
Liv stood in the middle of the room, unmoving, the warmth still lingering faintly in her hand.
And that — it was the most dangerous part.
Because now she knew — Leon wasn't just alive. He had never really left.
And this time — Liv wasn't sure she could survive losing him again.
---