Side Story (4) - Chapter 1 (Raze Focus)
The first touch of snow fell softly from the sky, blanketing the park in delicate flakes that melted upon landing. It was chilly. Solace wore a cozy, off-the-shoulder sweater, her dark, green-streaked hair framing her face softly. Raze walked beside her in a green jacket with leaf embroidery, his teal-tinted hair tousled and damp from the snow.
They strolled through the quiet park, the world softened by winter's embrace. They slowed as they reached a bridge arching over a small lake, its surface glossy and dark, with hints of ice forming along the edges. Raze leaned over the railing, exhaling a deep sigh he hadn't realized he was holding. The sound was quiet but carried a weight Solace couldn't ignore. She looked over at him, her gaze curious yet gentle.
Raze noticed her lingering glance and managed a small, dismissive smile. "It's nothing," he murmured, then hesitated. "I mean… it's just… I feel a bit… relieved."
"Relieved?" Solace tilted her head, intrigued.
Raze nodded, eyes still on the water. "They accepted you in the group, right? I know the past months have been… hectic, but it feels like Zenith's case is finally cooling down. Like we can finally… breathe. Don't you feel it, too?"
He turned toward her, noticing that her hands were tucked tightly into her coat pockets. Assuming she didn't have gloves, he reached out, taking her hands in his own and holding them tightly, offering a warmth she hadn't asked for but didn't pull away from. For a moment, their breaths mingled in the cold air, soft and visible between them.
"Solace… did I ever tell you how thankful I am for our connection?" His voice was quiet but sincere. "How we started talking after that first tournament a year ago… how you offered me a new perspective on things? You're one of the few things in my life that hasn't felt… chaotic. I always thought being a big brother to Rax grounded me, but you… you brought me something else."
Solace's expression softened, her gaze steady, silently urging him to continue.
Raze swallowed, glancing down at their reflections on the lake's dark surface. "Despite your… gray and silver-lined morals… our relationship has brought me stability," he said. "Something I think I've always been craving but never knew how to find."
The quiet stretched between them, filled only by the soft sound of snowflakes meeting the earth. Solace held his gaze, her expression gentle, offering a comfort beyond words. Raze looked away, his voice growing softer, touched by memories he usually kept hidden.
"As I've told you… my upbringing wasn't stable. I got involved with the wrong people, made bad decisions… I'm surprised my parents didn't kick me out sooner." He let out a small, bitter laugh, his eyes darkening as he stared at his reflection. "I've come a long way since then, but… sometimes those memories still haunt me."
For a moment, he was lost in the water's dark depths, in his own troubled reflection. Solace squeezed his hand gently, grounding him. Her touch reminded him that he wasn't alone in facing his past anymore.
"Thank you for trusting me with this," she said softly, her voice grounding him. "I know what it means for you to share this part of yourself. You don't always have to carry it all alone, Raze."
He met her gaze, finding calm acceptance there. For the first time in a long time, he felt the weight of his past lift just a little, as if her presence allowed him to share the burden he'd been carrying for years.
Solace's eyes softened, and her guarded expression fell away. She didn't need to say anything; her presence alone spoke volumes. In that moment, Raze felt understood in a way few people had ever made him feel.
"You know," she began quietly, "I understand what it's like to feel… untethered. For the longest time, I couldn't trust anyone." She looked away, her gaze distant, a shadow crossing her face. "Except for Kade. At one point, he was there for me—a constant in a life that never felt steady." Her voice softened. "But even then, he kept me at arm's length."
She paused, glancing up to meet Raze's gaze, as if to steady herself. "You remember what I told you a few months back, don't you?" she asked quietly. "How he always seemed irrelevant to the organization… always doing his own thing, focused on his own goals."
Raze nodded, his grip on her hands firm and reassuring. "I remember," he said, his voice low, encouraging her to continue.
Solace took a shaky breath, her voice tinged with a hint of bitterness and sadness. "You said you'd help me locate him. But with everything that's happened—with Lynx, Zenith, Sable—finding Kade has slipped further down the list." She hesitated, glancing away, as though voicing her fears would make them real. "The terrifying realization is… I don't even know if he's alive anymore. That thought… it bugs me every day."
Raze's brows furrowed, a flicker of guilt crossing his face. "I haven't forgotten, Solace," he murmured. "But I get it. I know how much this weighs on you."
She gave a small nod, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly at his words. "And… you know what happened to my twin. You know what almost happened to Sable…" Her voice grew faint, her gaze dropping as if the memory alone was too heavy to hold. "I don't want that to happen again… not to Kade."
Raze's expression hardened, a fierce determination settling over him. He lifted her hands, holding them tightly as he met her gaze with unwavering resolve. "Then we won't let it happen," he said, his voice firm. "We'll find him, Solace. I promised I'd help you, and I'm still here. We'll make sure he's safe—whatever it takes."
A spark of hope flickered in her eyes, fragile but real. She looked at him, her vulnerability bared, the unspoken fears she'd carried finally shared. "Thank you, Raze," she whispered. "Sometimes… just knowing someone is willing to fight beside me makes it easier to keep going."
They stood together, the weight of their promise settling between them, steady and unbreakable. The snow continued to fall around them, softening the world in a quiet embrace, as if granting them a moment of peace amidst the storm that lay ahead.
Raze met Solace's eyes, sensing a depth there he hadn't fully understood before. She returned his gaze, silent for a moment, then offered a faint smile, though it didn't reach her eyes.
In a quiet gesture, Raze lifted her hand and pressed his lips softly to her knuckles. The kiss was warm and brief, but it carried a quiet promise—a vow of trust, of being there for one another, of understanding each other in ways others never could.
Solace smiled—a small, genuine smile, her own promise reflected back at him. They lingered, snow falling gently around them, knowing that whatever lay ahead, they would face it together.
As he lowered her hand, he looked at her, his gaze unwavering. "I'm here," he whispered, his voice steady. "Whatever happens, I'm here."