Kieran stood beside the girl, the quiet hum of the city washing over them. Despite the tension that had filled the alley just moments ago, there was an eerie sense of calm between them now. The moon cast pale silver light across her delicate features, highlighting the faintest hints of curiosity and something deeper—something unspoken.
She turned toward him, her gaze just slightly off from meeting his. "I don't know your face, but I can feel it," she murmured. "The way you move, the way you breathe... You're unlike anyone I've ever met."
Kieran's throat tightened. He wasn't sure why, but the way she spoke unsettled him in a way no battle ever had. "I'm nothing special," he replied, though the words felt hollow even to him.
She tilted her head slightly, considering. "I think you are."
The words lingered between them, thick with meaning neither was ready to address. He had spent so long running, keeping himself detached from the world, yet here was this stranger who, in mere moments, had seen him in a way no one else had.
"Where do you live?" Kieran asked, his voice quieter now, hesitant as though afraid of where this conversation might lead.
"Not far from here," she said. "Come with me."
Kieran hesitated. He had spent so long avoiding attachments, never staying in one place for too long. But something in her presence pulled him in, an unfamiliar gravity he didn't understand.
"Alright," he finally said.
Without another word, he extended his arms, his wings unfurling with a soft rustle. The girl, unafraid, reached for him. Her hands were delicate, but her grip was firm as he lifted her effortlessly into the night sky.
She gasped softly, not in fear, but in wonder. The wind whipped through her dark hair as she pressed against him, trusting him completely despite the fact that they had just met.
Kieran glanced down at her. Most people would have been terrified, but she wasn't like most people. She held onto him with a quiet confidence, as though she had known all along that he would catch her.
After a few minutes, they landed on the balcony of an expansive villa, its elegant architecture standing in contrast to the chaotic city below. The estate stretched wide, bathed in soft golden lights, its high walls shielding it from the outside world. It was the kind of place that belonged to someone important, someone untouchable.
Kieran set her down gently, but she didn't let go right away. "You could stay here," she said, almost too quickly. "At least for tonight."
He took a step back, shaking his head. "I can't."
Her expression flickered with disappointment, though she quickly masked it. "Why?"
Kieran exhaled. "Because I still don't know what I'm supposed to be. If I stay... I might never leave."
She didn't argue, only nodded as if she already knew his answer before he had spoken it. "Then will I ever see you again?"
He hesitated, then turned toward the city. "Maybe."
With that, he leaped from the balcony, his wings carrying him away before she could say another word.
As he ascended, feathers slowly emerged from his body, drifting into the night air like scattered fragments of light. His wings unfurled in their full glory, catching the moon's glow. And then, for just a moment, he smiled—a smile so radiant, so effortlessly charismatic, that even the moon itself seemed dim beside him.
But she couldn't see it.
She only felt it, sensed it in the air around her, in the way her heart clenched at the weight of something beautiful slipping away.
Just as he ascended into the night sky, her voice rang out, raw and desperate. "Kieran!"
He faltered for just a fraction of a second, but he didn't turn back.
"I'll wait for you!" she cried, her voice echoing into the night. "No matter how long it takes, I'll be here!"
Kieran clenched his jaw, forcing himself to keep going. He couldn't allow himself to stop. Not yet.
Back in her room, the girl lay on her bed, unable to sleep. The silence of the villa, which had always brought her comfort, now felt strangely hollow. Her thoughts kept circling back to him—his voice, his presence, the quiet strength he carried. She had never seen him, but she could feel his essence, something impossible to define.
She turned onto her side, gripping the sheets. Who are you, Kieran? And why do I feel like I've known you forever?
She replayed their conversation in her mind, searching for meaning in the way he spoke, the way he hesitated before leaving. It wasn't just that he was lost—he was afraid of something. Afraid of staying. Afraid of what he might become if he allowed himself to belong somewhere.
The realization settled heavily in her chest. She barely knew him, and yet, she felt his pain as if it were her own.
Meanwhile, Kieran sat perched on the rooftop of a nearby building, his sharp gaze locked onto the villa. His wings were tucked in, his expression unreadable.
He shouldn't be here. He should be moving forward, not looking back. He had told himself that attachments only made things more complicated, that he had no place in anyone's world.
And yet, he couldn't stop watching her.
The villa's golden lights flickered through the windows, casting long shadows across the empty balcony where he had left her. He imagined her inside, lying awake just as he was, caught in the same quiet storm of emotions he refused to name.
A sigh escaped him, barely audible against the night wind. What am I doing? He clenched his fists, forcing himself to look away.
He had to leave. He had to keep moving.
But even as he disappeared into the night, something told him he would be back.