We sat in silence for about five minutes. No one spoke. No one moved. The only sound was the distant patter of footsteps from the hallway and the faint hum of the rain outside.

My phone buzzed softly in my pocket, the screen flashing that dreaded notification—10% battery remaining. Even on ultra-battery saving mode, it had finally hit its limit. Not bad, considering how cheap it was. I sighed as I thumbed the power button to shut it off. No point in draining it further. It had only been a flashlight for me lately, and I didn’t need it for that anymore. Not when I could cast spells now.

“Ten percent…” I whispered to myself with a dull voice. “Damn.”

Another two minutes crawled by. The rain outside shifted from a gentle drizzle to a steady downpour. The faint tapping on the roof became a constant rhythm, filling the silence with its soft sound. ‘Always rainy in Kinowa,’ I thought, rising from the bed. I wandered over to the window, resting my hands on the sill. For a moment, I let myself imagine I was back home. The gray clouds, the familiar sound of rain. It all felt right.

But it wasn’t home. Not even close.

I blinked away the thought and turned around, leaning my back against the window frame. My gaze fell on Seker, slumped over at the small desk, his head resting on his arms. The dried blood on his shirt had gone dark brown, and his bruises looked even worse under the dim light.

“You went after your mom’s boyfriend?” I asked, crossing my arms. “Or the gamblers who took the money?”

Seker raised his head, wincing as he sat up straighter. He rubbed the back of his neck, letting out a tired breath. “The latter,” he muttered, his voice scratchy.

“I guess they weren’t happy to see you,” I said, stepping away from the window.

He let out a hoarse chuckle, his head falling forward to rest on the desk again. “Yeah, I guess, huh.” he mumbled into the wood. His laugh ended in a small cough, and he winced as he pressed his hand against his ribs.

Leo clicked his tongue, leaning against the side of the table with his arms folded. “What’d they hit you with? Rocks?”

“Felt like it,” Seker grumbled, shifting in his chair to ease the pressure on his bruises. “They’ve got fists like bricks. I swear, one of them had hands the size of a shovel.” He winced as he stretched his shoulder, rolling it slowly. “Still stings. Sons of b—” He cut himself off with a hiss of pain.

“That’s what you get for poking the wrong hornet’s nest,” Leo said, tilting his head to look at him. “You at least get the gold back? The stuff your mom’s deadbeat boyfriend lost?”

Seker shook his head slowly, eyes locked on the floor. “Nope. That’s what stings the most.” His jaw clenched, and he wiped at his mouth with his sleeve. “Not the beating. We’re broke now. No gold, no medicine. Nothing.”

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Leo sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth, letting it out as a low whistle. “What a mess,” he muttered, his hand running through his hair. He stared at Seker like he couldn’t decide whether to be mad or sad. “Your stepfather needs a serious wake-up call.”

Seker sat up slowly, his eyes sharp despite his battered face. “He’s not my stepfather,” he said firmly, each word precise and deliberate. “They’re not married.” His eyes narrowed as he added, “And I pray they never will be.”

“Yeah… yeah, fair point,” Leo muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. He glanced toward me, eyes awkward and uneasy. “About earlier… I messed up.” He scratched at his cheek, looking everywhere but at me. “Lost my cool. I’m… you know. My bad.”

I waved it off with a shrug. “No big deal,” I replied. “You’re a good friend. Most people wouldn’t care as much as you do. Seker and Aiden are lucky.”

Leo raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a grin that was half pride, half smug. “Damn right they are,” he said, tapping his chest with two fingers. “It’s hard being the perfect man everyone admires. But, hey, I manage.”

“Pipe it, Leo,” Seker groaned, throwing a lazy glare his way. “I still remember getting jumped by those two thugs ‘cause of you.”

“We were ten,” Leo shot back, dragging the words out. “Ten. Let it go already.”

“Thirteen,” Seker corrected, pointing at him with a shaky finger. “I remember because that’s---”

“Small price to pay for friendship,” Leo cut in, giving him a cocky grin.

The door creaked open, and Aiden stepped inside, shaking the rain off his cloak. His gaze swept over us before landing on Seker. “Got a healer downstairs,” he announced, tossing his wet cloak onto his shoulder. “He’s waiting for you, so let’s go.”

“Thanks,” Seker grumbled, pushing himself up from his chair with a grunt. He stumbled once but caught himself on the desk. He took a breath, rubbing at his ribs.

“You good?” Aiden asked.

“Yeah, I am. But---I’m kinda broke, though,” he admitted, his eyes darting to Aiden. “No gold to pay him.”

Aiden waved it off, already turning back toward the door. “I covered it,” he said over his shoulder. “Don’t worry about it.”

“I’ll pay you back,” Seker muttered, limping toward the door.

Aiden glanced back, eyes half-lidded with exhaustion. “Pay me back by not being an idiot,” he said, jabbing a thumb toward Leo. “Like him.”

“Oi!” Leo barked, his head snapping toward Aiden. “Don’t drag me into it! He’s the one who acted like an idiot. Not me!”

“Sorry for the trouble, Axel,” Aiden said, stepping out into the hall. “See you.”

“No problem.” I replied. “Take care.”

The door creaked shut behind him, and finally, I was alone. Silence.

I let out a long breath, rubbing the back of my neck before walking over to the bed. I sat on the edge, my hands dangling loosely between my knees. My gaze wandered to the rain-streaked window, watching as the gray clouds churned overhead.

The quiet was nice. Finally. No bickering. No problems. Just the steady rhythm of rain tapping against glass.

I leaned back, letting my head hit the pillow. My eyes drifted shut, but sleep didn’t come easy. My mind stayed active, playing back the events of the day. Their problems, their mistakes, their fights. None of it really involved me, but somehow, I’d been pulled into it. Again. I hated this feeling.

“Acting like a complete idiot, huh…”