Rain had been watching from a distance, his brow furrowed as he saw Zeke walking away from Eliza earlier. He had heard the argument, seen the tension between them, and it gnawed at him. Eliza, the girl who meant everything to him, was hurt. And Zeke—well, Zeke had just lost his cool.
When he saw Zeke again, walking through the halls of the academy, his expression closed off, Rain couldn't hold back any longer. He had to confront him. Not just because of Eliza's feelings, but because Zeke needed to get his act together.
"Zeke," Rain called out, his voice sharp, making Zeke stop in his tracks.
Zeke turned slowly, clearly not wanting to face anyone, least of all Rain. "What's up, Rain?"
Rain took a few steps closer, his gaze fixed on Zeke. "What the hell was that back there? With Eliza?" His voice was laced with frustration. "You yelled at her. You know she doesn't deserve that, right?"
Zeke looked away, avoiding his gaze. "I didn't mean to... I just—I've been dealing with a lot, and I snapped. I didn't want to, but it happened."
Rain scoffed, crossing his arms. "That's the problem, Zeke. You can't keep using 'I'm dealing with a lot' as an excuse to push her away. Eliza cares about you. She doesn't deserve you shutting her out every time you're frustrated."
"I didn't mean to hurt her," Zeke muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just don't know how to fix it... how to stop messing everything up."
Rain rolled his eyes. "God, Zeke, you're a donut, you know that? You're overthinking it. All you have to do is show her you care. You don't have to fix everything. Just don't shut her out."
Zeke's gaze flicked to the floor, clearly struggling with the weight of his emotions. "It's not that simple, Rain."
"Of course, it's that simple," Rain shot back. "You're just making it complicated. You care about her, right?"
Zeke nodded reluctantly, still not meeting his eyes.
"Then apologize to her tomorrow. Let her know you're sorry, and stop being an idiot. It's not rocket science." Rain's tone softened a little, but there was still that underlying seriousness to it. "You can't keep running away from the people who care about you."
Zeke took a deep breath, as if weighing Rain's words. After a long pause, he finally nodded. "Yeah, I'll apologize. I'll try."
Rain's eyes flicked to Zeke's face, watching the twitching of his eyelids. He couldn't help but smirk. "By the way, you look like you're glitching every time you blink. You know that? Like some bad video game character." Rain chuckled, his amusement barely held back.
Zeke shot him a glare, the frustration clear in his eyes. "Shut up, Rain."
But Rain was already laughing quietly, not bothering to hide it. He didn't care how serious the conversation had been—seeing Zeke glitching like that made it too hard not to laugh. His teasing had always been a way to lighten the mood, especially when things felt heavy.
Zeke rubbed his eyes, trying to focus, but Rain could see the exhaustion settling in. The poor guy was clearly running on fumes. So, Rain decided it was time for some intervention.
"Look," Rain said, his tone shifting. "You need to sleep. You're not going to get anywhere like this. Take these." He pulled out a small bottle from his pocket, the label clearly marked as strong sleeping pills. "It'll help you rest and clear your head. Get some sleep, and you'll be able to apologize to Eliza properly tomorrow."
Zeke eyed the pills warily. "I don't know, man. I'm not really a fan of..."
"Take it," Rain insisted, his tone firm. "I don't want to hear any excuses. Just take it, and get some rest. You need it."
Zeke hesitated for a moment before reluctantly taking the pills from Rain's hand. He swallowed them with a grimace.
"You better not screw this up tomorrow, alright?" Rain said, looking him dead in the eye. "This isn't just about you, Zeke. You've got to think about how Eliza feels too."
Zeke just nodded, clearly too tired to argue anymore. He turned and started heading back to his dorm, still looking like a shell of himself. Rain watched him leave, his expression softening. He didn't want to see Zeke mess things up any further, but he knew that, in the end, Zeke would figure it out.
And tomorrow, after he woke up, Zeke would apologize to Eliza. Rain made sure of that.
---
After the Announcement
The bell rang, signaling the end of the class. Students began to shuffle out of the room, murmuring excitedly about the upcoming exam. But Rain stayed behind, his eyes on Zeke. He knew the moment Mr. Alden had announced the monthly exam, Zeke's mood had shifted, even if no one else could see it. The weight of the announcement had settled onto him, but Zeke tried his best to hide it, the way he always did.
Rain watched as Zeke packed his things slowly, avoiding the conversations going on around him. He wasn't surprised. Zeke had always been good at putting on a brave face, but Rain knew better. He'd seen how Zeke's mind worked—how it constantly battled with itself, how he struggled with his own power and the past that haunted him.
After all, Zeke had shared everything with him—the truth about his abilities, about the curse, and about his struggles with his family. Rain was the only one who knew the full extent of what Zeke carried on his shoulders. And because of that, he couldn't help but tease him a little. It wasn't just about pushing his buttons. It was a way to bring Zeke back to himself, to remind him that things didn't have to be so heavy all the time.
As Zeke began to leave the classroom, Rain slipped up beside him, grinning.
"Well, well, well. The big exam's coming up, huh?" Rain said, voice dripping with playful mockery. "How are you feeling, Zeke? Ready to get thrown onto an island full of monsters?"
Zeke glanced at him, annoyance flashing in his eyes. "Don't start, Rain," he muttered, clearly not in the mood.
Rain's grin only grew wider. "What? You think this exam's gonna be a walk in the park? You're gonna love the monsters. They're all real feisty this year."
Zeke rolled his eyes, but Rain could see the tension in his shoulders, the way he clenched his jaw. He knew Zeke was probably still processing everything Mr. Alden had said about the exam. Surviving on an island filled with monsters. It was one thing to read about it, but another to actually face it head-on.
Rain had no doubt Zeke could handle himself—he was strong, and his powers, though not something he liked to use, were formidable. But what Rain didn't know was how Zeke would manage the emotional toll the exam would take. The monsters would be nothing compared to the mental and emotional stress of being isolated in that environment.
"Seriously, you're gonna love it," Rain continued, his voice a mix of teasing and amusement. "Monsters, danger, isolation. It's basically your dream come true, right?"
Zeke shot him a deadpan look, clearly fed up with his teasing. "You're a pain in the ass, you know that?"
Rain chuckled, nudging him playfully. "Come on, don't be so dramatic. You've got this. It's just an island, full of things that want to eat you. What's the worst that could happen?"
Zeke's eyes narrowed. "I swear, if you say something like 'just blink and freeze time,' I will punch you."
"Me?" Rain said, feigning innocence. "I'm just here to support you, buddy. I'm not the one with the weird power. But hey, if you want to take a nap during the exam, I'm sure no one will mind."
Zeke scoffed, but Rain could see the faintest hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Despite his gruff exterior, Zeke wasn't immune to his teasing. It was part of their friendship—Rain could always bring Zeke back from his brooding thoughts with a well-timed jab or a sarcastic remark.
"Shut up, Rain," Zeke muttered again, but there was no real heat in his voice. "I'll manage. It's not like I've never faced monsters before."
"I know, I know," Rain replied with a wink. "But this time, you'll be facing them alone. No blinking to stop time and make it all easier, huh?"
Zeke gave him a pointed look, his expression unreadable. "I'm not using that power, Rain," he said firmly, almost too firmly.
Rain raised an eyebrow. "If you say so. But let's be honest—those monsters won't stand a chance against you if you did."
Zeke shook his head, clearly done with the conversation. "You're impossible."
"Yeah, I get that a lot," Rain replied, his grin widening. "But hey, I've got your back. Just don't make it worse by doing something stupid."
Zeke paused, then gave a small nod. "Thanks," he said, though his voice was low, almost like he hadn't meant to say it aloud.
Rain wasn't one to get all sentimental. Zeke's gratitude didn't need to be spoken. It was already understood between them. They had been through enough together for that kind of understanding to exist without words. Rain was, after all, always there—whether Zeke wanted him there or not.
"Don't mention it," Rain said with a shrug. "Just don't screw this up with Eliza, okay?"
Zeke looked at him, his brow furrowing slightly. "What?"
Rain smirked. "You know what I mean. Apologize to her, will you? And don't screw it up like last time."
Zeke grimaced. "I know, Rain. I'll handle it."
Rain gave him a pat on the back, his grin wide. "Good. Now, go on. Get out of here and figure out how you're gonna survive the island. I've got important things to do—like making sure Eliza doesn't get eaten by a monster."
Zeke rolled his eyes, but there was a hint of amusement in his expression. "I'll take care of myself. And you stay out of her way, okay?"
Rain's expression softened, and his smile faded, just for a moment. "Yeah. I'll always make sure she's safe."
Zeke didn't say anything to that. He just walked off, leaving Rain alone in the hallway. Rain's gaze lingered on Zeke for a moment longer before he turned and headed in the opposite direction.
Tomorrow, everything would change. The exam would test them all in ways they hadn't expected. But for now, all Rain could do was wait—and make sure Eliza was safe.