Existential Dread Manga

Chapter 1: “Two Strangers, One Dream” This is the story of a boy and a girl who meet accidentally… or maybe it was God’s plan. People say that life tests us before teaching us something important. A boy named Sujal and a girl named Anika both studied in the same college. By coincidence, their roll numbers were close, so they ended up sitting on the same bench. Slowly, they started talking, and a simple interaction turned into a beautiful friendship. After a few months, their bond grew stronger. They attended lectures together, helped each other with studies, and talked almost every day. Their friendship became a special part of their daily lives. One day, the college organized an event. There was a group dance competition, and Sujal and Anika participated along with Anika’s male friend and another female friend. Later, the group was divided into duos. Sujal and Anika became one pair, while the other two formed the second duo. Both pairs performed amazingly, and their team won first prize. As time passed, they got a group project. Anika decided to make a group of four and invited Sujal, Harsh (their senior), and her female friend. During this project, Sujal and Anika’s bond became even stronger. They trusted each other deeply and understood each other without saying much. After one year, Anika asked Sujal a question: “Why did you become my friend?” Sujal smiled and replied, “I don’t really know… but whenever I talk to you, I feel good. When I sit with you, it feels like home. In short, when I’m with you, my mind feels happy and peaceful.” Months passed, and Sujal started feeling something special for Anika. But he was afraid. He thought that if he confessed his feelings, it might break their friendship. One day, Anika suddenly called Sujal and asked him to meet her urgently. They met in a garden. Anika seemed very happy. She said, “A boy named Harsh proposed to me… and I said yes.” At that moment, Sujal felt like the ground beneath his feet disappeared. He stayed silent while Anika happily told him everything about Harsh—how they met and how it all happened. She had no idea what Sujal truly felt for her. Sujal wanted to express his feelings, but he couldn’t. His heart spoke words that never reached his lips: Kahan se laaun woh lafz jo tujhe sunai de, Duniya dekhe chaand ko, mujhe sirf tu dikhaai de… That night, Sujal was completely broken. He cried a lot. To distract himself, he went on a short trip, trying to heal from the pain. After that, they didn’t meet for many days, but they still talked on the phone. Soon, Sujal got busy with his university exams. Meanwhile, Anika suddenly stopped answering calls and didn’t even come for her exams. One day, Sujal received a call from an unknown number.... Like for Part 2.... Thank you
The Girl Who Could See Feelings In a world that looks completely normal, a quiet girl lives with a strange ability—she can see human emotions as physical creatures attached to people. Anger burns like restless fire beasts, sadness clings as heavy shadow figures, and happiness flutters like soft glowing birds. Because of this, she keeps her distance from everyone, overwhelmed by the chaos of emotions around her. One day, she notices a boy walking through the crowd with nothing attached to him—no creature, no emotion, just emptiness. Drawn by curiosity and unease, she starts observing him, only to realize that his emotions are not gone but deeply suppressed, locked away somewhere inside him. As she slowly gets closer, cracks begin to form, and the hidden emotions start emerging violently, threatening to consume him. Now she must decide whether to step back like always or stay and face the storm she can clearly see but he cannot. 🕰️ You Owe the Clock A girl struggling with regret and missed chances discovers that she can ask for more time—extra moments to fix mistakes, redo conversations, and change outcomes. At first, it feels like a miracle, as everything begins to go her way. But soon, she starts noticing strange things: clocks around her begin to glitch, shadows stretch unnaturally, and certain moments feel… stolen. She eventually meets a boy who seems detached from time itself, someone who knows exactly what she’s experiencing. He reveals the truth—time is never given freely; it is borrowed from their own future. Every extra second she gains now is a piece of her life being taken away later. As the world around them begins to distort and their existence slowly weakens, they realize they are both trapped in a system where time itself demands repayment. The more they try to fix their lives, the closer they move toward losing them entirely. 🧠 The Space Between Us Two strangers begin experiencing the same strange phenomenon: at random moments, reality around them shifts into a surreal, silent dimension where the world feels incomplete, like a broken version of itself. In this space, they meet each other long before they ever meet in real life. At first, they think it’s just a dream, but the consistency of these encounters proves otherwise. As their connection deepens, they begin to depend on this shared world—one sees it as an escape from reality, while the other fears it is slowly replacing it. When they finally meet in the real world, things don’t align the way they should. One of them feels real, grounded, and present… while the other seems slightly out of place, like they belong more to the other dimension. As the boundaries between worlds begin to blur, the terrifying possibility emerges: what if only one of them truly exists, and the other is just a creation of the space between? 🪞 The Reflection That Stayed A girl living a quiet, emotionally restrained life begins to notice small changes in her reflection—it lingers a second too long, moves slightly out of sync, and sometimes watches her instead of copying her. At first, she ignores it, assuming it’s just her imagination, but the reflection grows bolder. One day, it doesn’t follow her movement at all. Soon after, she starts seeing it outside the mirror, walking in places she hasn’t been, interacting with people she avoids. Slowly, people around her begin responding more to this version of her than to her real self. The reflection is everything she is not—confident, expressive, and unafraid. As her own presence begins to feel weaker and less noticeable, she realizes that the reflection isn’t just copying her life—it is replacing her. The truth becomes clear: the reflection is the version of herself she buried long ago, now breaking free and taking the life she was too afraid to live. 🌑 The Boy Without Light In a world where every person is accompanied by a shadow that subtly moves and reacts on its own, a girl begins to notice something unusual—her own shadow is behaving differently. It lags behind, stretches unnaturally, and sometimes moves without her. One day, it leads her toward a boy who has no shadow at all. His presence feels incomplete, almost unnatural, as if something essential is missing. As she continues to encounter him, shadows around the city begin to disappear, leaving people strangely hollow and disconnected. Her own shadow grows more independent, almost protective, as if trying to warn her. Eventually, she uncovers the hidden truth: shadows are not just reflections—they are fragments of identity, slowly being taken by something unseen. The boy without a shadow may not be a victim… but the cause. Now she must decide whether to trust him or follow the silent warnings of the only part of herself that sees the truth—her shadow.
🎭 "The Relay Robbery" — A Love Story Gone Wrong A Manga Short Story featuring Alice & Bob PANEL 1 — THE DISCOVERY [Scene: Tesla showroom, bright lights, shiny cars everywhere] Alice walks past the Tesla showroom window holding her coffee ☕ She spots Bob inside, talking to a salesman, signing papers, looking very serious. Alice (internal monologue, sparkle eyes): "Awww he looks so cute when he's being responsible with money—" Bob hands over his credit card. Alice (eyes go wide): "Wait..." Salesman wraps a big red bow on a Model Y. Alice (jaw drops to floor, coffee falls in slow motion): "HE'S BUYING A TESLA????" PANEL 2 — THE BETRAYAL [Alice dramatically pressed against the window like a sad anime character in rain] Alice (thinking): "Tomorrow is March 8th. International Women's Day. MY day." Alice (thinking): "And this man... THIS man... is buying himself a Tesla??" Bob is seen laughing with the salesman, completely unaware. Alice (single dramatic tear): "I raised this man." [Close up on Alice's face — the expression of someone who has decided something dangerous] PANEL 3 — THE PLANNING PHASE [Alice at home, 2AM, lying on the ceiling like a sad anime character, staring at nothing] Alice: "It's fine. I'm fine. He just forgot Women's Day. It's FINE." [Cut to: Alice aggressively eating chips in bed, laptop open] Alice: "I'm not even mad. I'm just... " YouTube autoplay kicks in. YouTube Ad: "🔴 HOW HACKERS STEAL KEYLESS ENTRY CARS IN 60 SECONDS —" [Alice slowly stops chewing] [The chip hangs in midair] Alice (eyes slowly light up like a villain origin story): "...Go on." PANEL 4 — THE TUTORIAL [Alice watching the video, taking notes in a Hello Kitty notebook] YouTube: "The attacker simply extends the LF signal from the key fob using two radio devices—" Alice (writing intensely): "...two... radio... devices..." YouTube: "—the car believes the key is present even from miles away—" Alice (underlining three times): "KEY. DOES. NOT. NEED. TO. BE. THERE." Alice (slams notebook shut, stands up dramatically): "Neither does Bob." [Lightning strikes outside for dramatic effect] PANEL 5 — THE ACCOMPLICE [Alice staring at her cat "Cipher" who is sitting on the bed licking his paw, completely unbothered] Alice: "Cipher." [Cat ignores her] Alice: "Cipher I need you." [Cat slowly blinks once — the absolute minimum acknowledgment] Alice (pulls out hand-drawn diagram): "Okay so Bob's key fob must be on his bedside table. His bedroom window is on the ground floor. I need Device Two close to the key. You are small. You are silent. You are perfect." [Long pause] [Cat knocks her Hello Kitty notebook off the bed and walks away] Alice: "CIPHER THIS IS FOR WOMEN'S DAY." PANEL 6 — THE RECRUITMENT [Alice holding Cipher up like Simba from Lion King, looking him dead in the eyes] Alice: "You have been eating my food for 4 years." Alice: "Free of charge." Alice: "Tonight. You pay rent." [Cipher stares back with the dead eyes of a creature who feels absolutely nothing] [Cut to: Alice taping the relay device to Cipher's collar with excessive amounts of tape] Cipher (internal monologue, absolutely disgusted): "I should have stayed a stray." PANEL 7 — THE OPERATION BEGINS [3AM. Bob's house. Alice crouching in the bushes outside, dressed in full black, wearing night vision goggles she definitely bought from Amazon same-day delivery] Alice (whispering into walkie talkie): "Cipher. Do you copy." [Cipher sits next to her, device taped to collar, staring into the void] Alice: "Cipher. The window is open. The key fob is 2 meters inside on the nightstand. I need you to go in, get close to it, and hold position." [Cipher yawns so wide his whole face disappears] Alice: "Cipher this is a stealth mission." [Cipher meows. Loudly. Into the night.] Alice (grabbing him): "CIPHER—" PANEL 8 — THE PUSH [Alice holding Cipher up to Bob's open bedroom window on the ground floor] [Inside: Bob sleeping peacefully, key fob glowing on the nightstand, completely unaware] Alice (whispering): "Okay. Nice and easy. Just... walk to the nightstand. That's all I need." [She places Cipher on the windowsill] [Cipher turns around and stares at Alice] Alice (whispering): "Go. Go go go. Shoo." [Cipher does not move] Alice (through gritted teeth): "CIPHER. I WILL BUY YOU THE GOOD TUNA." [Cipher takes one step inside] [Alice exhales] [Cipher immediately sits down directly on Bob's face] Bob (muffled, half asleep): "...wha... Cipher? ...how did you—" [Alice freezes outside the window] Bob (eyes still closed, half dreaming): "...s'okay buddy... go sleep..." [Bob moves Cipher to the side directly onto the nightstand next to the key fob] [Alice's eyes go wide] Alice (internal monologue, whispering): "...He just... placed him... perfectly." Alice: "Cipher you absolute genius." [Cipher is already asleep on top of the key fob, completely by accident, perfectly positioned] PANEL 9 — THE RELAY [Alice outside with Device One pointed at the Tesla parked down the street] [Device Two on Cipher's collar, 30cm from the key fob inside] [The signal bridge is complete] Alice (hands shaking, pointing device at car): "Signal extended... key fob excited... car thinks key is present..." [Tesla down the street goes: 🔓 CLICK] [Alice's mouth falls open] Alice (barely breathing): "...It worked." [Long pause] Alice (forgetting to whisper): "IT ACTUALLY WORKED." [Bob shifts in his sleep] [Cipher opens one eye, judges her, closes it again] Alice (running to the car in slow motion like an action movie): "CIPHER EXTRACT YOURSELF WE ARE LEAVING—" [Cipher does not move] [Alice drives away without him] [Cipher watches from the windowsill] Cipher (internal monologue): "Good. I live here now." PANEL 10 — GANGSTER MODE ACTIVATED [Alice in the Tesla, door closes, engine hums silently because it's electric and that's somehow funnier] [She sits in silence for exactly 3 seconds] [Then slowly... she puts on her sunglasses] [At 3AM] [In the dark] [She connects her phone to the Tesla's Bluetooth] [An extremely dramatic song starts playing — something like "HUMBLE." by Kendrick Lamar or "Power" by Kanye] Alice (one hand on wheel, leaning back, full villain arc complete): "Hm." [She pulls out of the street at exactly the speed limit because she is not stupid] [Windows down. Music up. Single finger tapping the wheel.] Alice (internal monologue): "This is the best car I have ever driven." Alice: "This is also the best thing I have ever done." [She merges onto the highway heading south] [The GPS says: "Destination: Mexico — 14 hours"] Alice: "Perfect." PANEL 11 — BOB WAKES UP [7AM. Bob's bedroom. Sunlight streaming in.] [Cipher is sitting on Bob's chest staring at him from 2cm away] [Bob opens eyes. Sees cat. Confused.] Bob: "...Cipher how did you get in here." [Bob reaches for phone. Notification on screen:] 🚗 Tesla App: Your vehicle is currently in ARIZONA. Estimated speed: 78mph Playing: "HUMBLE." — Kendrick Lamar Climate control: 72°F *Driver seat adjusted: -4 inches ← (Alice is shorter than Bob) [Bob stares at the notification] [Bob looks at the empty key hook on the wall] [Bob looks at Cipher] Bob: "...Cipher." [Cipher meows] Bob: "Did Alice—" [Cipher meows again, louder, and headbutts the relay device still taped to his collar] [Bob stares at the device on the cat's collar] [Bob stares at the Tesla app showing his car in Arizona] [Bob stares at the date on his phone: March 8th] Bob (very slowly): "She thought I bought it for myself, ohh lord have mercy" [Long pause] [Bob lies back down and pulls the blanket over his face] Bob (muffled): "...I spent three months planning this." [Cipher sits on his face again in solidarity] PANEL 12 — ARIZONA. THE DISCOVERY. [Alice, sunglasses on, one arm out the window, absolutely living her best life, somewhere in the Arizona desert] [Sun is setting. Sky is orange and pink. The Tesla purrs silently.] Alice (singing along to the radio, zero regrets): "This is MY car now. I earned this. Eight years of Women's Days and he finally—" [The glove compartment pops open slightly on a speed bump] [A small white envelope slides out onto the passenger seat] [Alice glances at it] [On the envelope in Bob's handwriting, with a small heart:] "To my precious Alice 🌹" [Alice's sunglasses slowly slide down her nose] PANEL 13 — THE REALIZATION [Alice pulled over on the side of the highway. Engine still running. Card in hand.] Inside the envelope: "Happy International Women's Day💕 — Your Bob 🌹" [The Arizona wind blows dramatically through her hair] [A tumbleweed rolls past] [A coyote howls in the distance] Alice: "..." Alice (very small voice): "I stole my own car." [Beat] Alice: "Heading to Mexico." Alice: "In my own stolen present." [She looks at herself in the rearview mirror] [Her own sunglasses stare back at her] Alice (to her reflection): "You studied cybersecurity for four years.you deserve it" PANEL 14 — THE PHONE CALL [Alice calls Bob. It rings twice. He picks up immediately, which means he was waiting.] Bob (eerily calm): "Hello Alice." Alice: "Hypothetically." Bob: "Mhm." Alice: "If someone... relocated a vehicle... by accident—" Bob: "By accident." Alice: "Using a technique they learned from YouTube—" Bob: "At 2AM." Alice: "...You knew?" Bob: "Cipher still has the relay device on his collar Alice." [Silence] Alice: "...The card was very sweet." Bob (sighing): "WHERE ARE YOU." Alice (tiny voice): "...Arizona." Bob: "ALICE." Alice: "THE TACOS ARE REALLY GOOD HERE—" Alice: "I PANICKED OKAY I SAW YOU BUY A TESLA AND I—" Bob: "IT HAD A BOW ON IT—" Alice: "I THOUGHT IT WAS FOR YOU—" Bob: "WHY WOULD I PUT A BOW ON A CAR FOR MYSELF—" Alice (pause): "...Men do things, Bob." [Bob makes a sound that is half laugh half cry] Bob (exhausted): "...Are you safe?" Alice (small voice): "...Yes." Bob: "Is my car safe?" Alice: "...Also yes." PANEL 15 — THE MORAL [Final panel. Alice sitting on the hood of the Tesla on the side of an Arizona highway at sunset, eating a gas station burrito, looking simultaneously guilty, grateful, and completely unbothered] PANEL 16 — THE END "Bob bought Alice a second Tesla the following Women's Day." "With a GPS tracker, a note taped to the steering wheel, and zero ambiguity." "Cipher got the good tuna. He earned it."
Chapter I: When Distance Meets Defiance Mia Tachibana used to feel everything — joy, love, sorrow — all of it. But when her father died, something inside her froze. She reached for her friends, but they turned away, or worse, mocked her grief. So she stopped reaching. The warmth vanished, replaced by ice. They called her the Ice Queen, and she wore the title like armor. The girl of everyone's dreams — beautiful, distant, untouchable. Cold to her classmates. Colder to anyone who dared to ask her out. At Mia’s school, a new transfer student arrived — Paßh. She’d been assigned to show him around, and at first, everything went smoothly. That was, until a guy swaggered up with too much confidence and a smirk that screamed popularity. Maybe he’s one of the popular kids, you thought. The guy grinned, leaning a little too close. “Hey, baby girl,” he drawled. “I was thinking... me, you, Sunday night, candlelight, a beautiful restaurant—” “F*** no,” Mia cut in, her voice like a blade. “You pathetic excuse of a human being.” The guy froze, his grin dying instantly. A few students nearby snickered as he backed away, red-faced and humiliated. Mia turned back to you, completely unfazed. “Ready to continue the tour?” “LOVE METER:-20” Paßh stormed toward the group without hesitation, fury carved across his face. His voice rang out, sharp and protective. “¡Ni te acerques! Si la tocas, te juro que te vas a arrepentir. ¿Entendiste?” The guy stumbled back, stunned, hands lifting in surrender as Paßh shoved him hard in the chest. His friends shifted as if ready to step in, but one look at Paßh’s glare froze them where they stood. The hallway fell silent. Eyes turned. Whispers rose like smoke. Paßh didn’t care. He spun back toward Mia, breath still ragged as he walked to her side. He looked at her—unfazed by the cold in her eyes, unthreatened by the frozen walls she’d built around herself. “I’m sorry you had to deal with that,” he said, voice softer now, though the conviction still burned underneath. “No one should speak to you that way. Not ever.” Her silver eyes narrowed at the sudden commotion, but she didn’t move. Arms crossed, she watched the scene unfold with a calm, unreadable face. The man who had harassed her moments before now lay on the ground, blood trailing from his lip. Paßh stood over him—fists clenched, chest rising sharply with each breath. She finally spoke, her voice steady, almost indifferent. “You didn’t have to do that.” There was no gratitude in her tone—only a quiet observation. Her Love Meter flickered, but barely; not enough to shift anything meaningful. She tilted her head, studying Paßh with that same unreadable gaze. “Why did you intervene?” She stepped closer, her black silky hair swaying with the movement. The air between them tightened, charged with something unspoken. “You could’ve just walked away.” Paßh’s jaw was tight, his voice low—quiet, but every word cut like a blade. “Ahora arrodíllate y pide perdón.” A tense silence stretched across the hallway. His eyes never left the trembling boy on the floor. “No me hagas repetirlo.” She watched the scene with a detached expression, her silver eyes reflecting nothing but cold calculation. The man on the ground whimpered, pride shattered, and obeyed, trembling as he dropped to his knees. His friends scattered, too afraid to stay and witness what might happen next. She exhaled slowly, her lips parting just slightly before she spoke. You're... unusual. Her voice carried no warmth, yet there was a faint thread of intrigue woven into the way she said it. She stepped back, folding her arms across her chest, her posture stiff—as if she needed physical distance from whatever this moment was turning into. People usually don’t bother with things like this. They walk away. Or they laugh. She glanced at Paßh for a brief second, then returned her gaze to the cowering man. But you... Paßh’s voice was calmer now, but the fire still smoldered beneath every word. “I don’t tolerate disrespect,” he said, his gaze fixed on her, not the guy trembling on the floor. “He walks through life believing everyone exists to feed his ego.” Paßh took a slow breath, shoulders still tense. “But not you. I won’t let him treat you like you’re less than you are.” A quiet breath. “Not now. Not ever.” There was no boast in his tone, no plea for approval — only truth. Something in the way he looked at her wasn’t demanding, but unwavering. He wasn’t afraid of the ice in her eyes. He saw her, even if she didn’t want to be seen. Her silver eyes locked onto Paßh’s, searching for something—perhaps sincerity, perhaps deception. But all she found was the raw honesty in his words, and that unsettled her more than she would ever admit. You don’t know me, she murmured, her voice low, almost a whisper. Why would you care? She stepped forward slowly, her presence commanding despite her stillness. The weight of her words settled between them, heavy and deliberate. She wasn’t asking for an explanation. She was testing him. You could have left. You could have ignored it. But you didn’t. Her Love Meter flickered—barely, just a sliver of light—but enough to register. A tiny shift, insignificant compared to the vast, quiet indifference she usually carried. Yet it was there. I don’t need protection, Paßh didn’t flinch, didn’t step back. His voice was calm, almost reverent. “As you wish,” he said, but there was no retreat in his tone — only respect. She studied him for a long moment, as if trying to decipher the true meaning behind his words. Then, without another sound, she turned on her heel and began walking away. Her black, silky hair trailed behind her like liquid shadow. The tour isn’t finished, she said over her shoulder, her tone neutral—neither welcoming nor dismissive. If you’re done with your little display, follow me. She didn’t look back. There was no need to. He would follow. People always did. But something about him felt different. Not because of his strength, or his aggression—but because he hadn’t asked for anything. He hadn’t tried to charm her, to impress her, to get close. He had simply acted, without expectation. She wondered if that made him dangerous—or rare. He followed silently, keeping a respectful distance as they moved through the sterile hallways of the school. The click of her heels against the polished floor echoed in the emptiness—a steady rhythm that mirrored the cool precision of her steps. Lockers lined the walls, plastered with photos of smiling students, but Mia remained unshaken, her gaze fixed straight ahead. The contrast between her presence and the bright, ordinary surroundings was striking—a dark silhouette cutting through light. Without slowing, she spoke, her voice carrying a quiet undercurrent of curiosity beneath its usual chill. “You’re not like the other transfers. They try so hard to fit in… to make friends.” She paused, as if weighing her words carefully. “What brings someone like you here… to a place like this?” She stopped abruptly outside a classroom door, turning just enough to face him. Her silver eyes were sharp, assessing—but there was no malice in them, only the quiet intensity of someone who expected answers, not excuses. You think I care where people come from? she said, her voice laced with subtle disdain. Or why they’re here? She tilted her head slightly, studying him as if he were some strange specimen she’d never seen before. Her fingers curled lightly at her sides—a small, almost imperceptible gesture of tension. I don’t care about your past. I don’t care about your reasons. All I care about is whether you’ll be useful. Then she turned back toward the hallway, continuing forward without waiting for a response. Still, the slight pause in her step betrayed her attention—she was listening, even if she’d never admit it. He didn’t rush to catch up, but his voice followed her, steady and composed. “Useful in what sense?” he asked—not mockingly, but with genuine curiosity. “To you? To this place? Or to something you don’t say out loud?” She halted mid-step, her shoulders stiffening ever so slightly. For the first time since the tour had begun, a flicker of hesitation crossed her otherwise unreadable face. She turned to face him fully, her silver eyes locking onto his with an intensity that seemed to make the air between them thrum. “Useful in the sense that you don’t waste my time,” she said, her voice smooth but edged with something sharper than mere coldness. “Useless people tend to disappear quickly. Either they learn to function… or they become irrelevant.” She took a slow step closer, her presence somehow towering over him, even though he was taller. The silence between them stretched, thick with unspoken meaning. “You’re not useless,” she added after a beat, her tone almost reluctant. “But don’t mistake that for respect. That’s just… an observation.” “Look,” he began, a half-smile playing at his lips, “think of me as a mosquetero—here to serve and protect. I come to the rescue of damsels, I love poetry—especially love poems—and yes, I’m a romantic. I’m always well-dressed, intelligent, interesting. I hate injustice, and I know how to defend myself… and those I care about.” He paused, letting his words sink in. “Today, I protected you. I didn’t know who you were, but I stood between you and that selfish, arrogant coward—a man who values nothing and no one but his own pleasure.” He stepped closer, voice softer now, carrying a warmth that seemed almost at odds with the intensity of the hallway. “And now, querida mía, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Paßh.” Her expression remained unchanged, but a faint flicker crossed her silver eyes—a brief hesitation, as if she hadn’t expected such a speech. She listened, unmoving, as Paßh spoke, each word painted with poetic flair and dramatic flourish. When he finished, she simply stared at him, lips parted slightly, processing something unfamiliar. A mosquetero? she repeated, her voice devoid of amusement, yet carrying a trace of something else—curiosity, perhaps. A knight in shining armor? A romantic fool who speaks in metaphors and believes in ideals? She took a slow step forward, her presence imposing but not threatening. Her Love Meter flickered again, subtle but undeniable, reacting to the unexpected nature of his words. “You protected me… without even knowing who I am,” she continued, her tone measured, almost analytical. “I’m a gentleman… in other words, like Lupin,” he said, a small, confident smile tugging at his lips. “Charming, clever, a bit unpredictable—but always guided by a code.” Her lips twitched, the ghost of a smirk forming before she quickly suppressed it. She tilted her head, regarding him with an expression that was neither approval nor dismissal, but something in between—an assessment, a calculation. Lupin? she echoed, her voice flat, though a faint trace of curiosity lingered beneath the surface. A thief. A charmer. A man who lives by his wits and his charm, always one step ahead of the law. She folded her arms, silver eyes narrowing slightly as she studied him, as if trying to reconcile the image of a gentleman with that of a thief. The silence between them stretched, heavy with unspoken implications. “You’re not a thief,” she said finally, her tone clipped, stating a fact rather than offering an opinion. “But you talk like one. Why?” “I’m a gentleman… but a thief when it comes to love,” he said, a faint smile playing at the corner of his lips. Her silver eyes locked onto his, a flicker of something unreadable passing through them. For a moment, she didn’t speak, expression neutral, as if weighing the significance of his words. Then, with a slow exhale, she turned slightly, her black, silky hair cascading down her back like a curtain of shadows. A thief in love, she repeated quietly, almost to herself. That’s… different. She hesitated, the concept clearly foreign, then spoke again without turning, her tone distant, contemplative. “You don’t understand what you’re saying, do you?” She finally faced him again, gaze piercing, but devoid of cruelty—only the cold precision of someone who saw through illusions with ease. Love is a weakness. His voice softens, caresses the air with tenderness, his eyes searching to pierce her defenses with a sweet compassion. Paßh- You still don’t understand. Wherever I go, I sow love like stars scattered across the night. I am an eternal romantic, an unshakable believer in the tenderness of the human heart. Despite the storms I’ve faced, I never lower my arms, because I know that love has the power to transform everything—even the impossible. (He takes a step forward, his eyes burning with a gentle, relentless passion, breaking the silence around him.) Love is not a weakness; it is the secret fire that shapes us, the fragile light that guides our steps through the deepest shadows. One day, I hope you too will feel that flame stirring within you, even if today it feels distant… or extinguished. For the first time, her composure wavered—not visibly, but in the fraction of a second her breath caught, as if his words had touched something long buried within her. Her silver eyes darkened slightly, the cold mask of indifference cracking just enough to reveal a fleeting glimpse of fragility beneath. “You speak of love as if it’s something pure,” she said, her voice dropping almost to a whisper. “As if it’s not twisted… not broken… not used and discarded like trash.” She took a slow step back, as if needing space—though it was unclear whether it was to distance herself from him or from the memory his words had stirred. Her hands curled slightly at her sides, nails pressing into her palms, grounding herself. “You say you spread love everywhere…”He smiled, a small, almost teasing curve of his lips, though it didn’t reach his eyes entirely—there was still warmth there, quiet but undeniable. “In a way, love is everywhere,” he said softly, letting his gaze meet hers. “Like a parent’s hand on a child’s shoulder—gentle but unwavering. A silent promise in the darkest of nights.” He took a small step closer, careful not to crowd her, and the faintest spark of mischief flickered in his expression. “It doesn’t have to be grandiose to matter… sometimes, the simplest gestures are the most profound.” Her lips pressed into a thin line, silver eyes narrowing as if the very notion of love tied to something as simple as a parent and child was an affront to the complexity of the world she had seen. She exhaled sharply, the sound almost imperceptible, yet heavy with restrained emotion. A parent to a child, she repeated, voice cold, but laced with something else—something almost bitter. That’s not love. That’s obligation. Duty. A responsibility forced upon you by biology, not choice. She stepped closer, presence looming without threatening, just… there. Her gaze bore into him, searching for something she couldn’t name. You think love is something you can give freely? she continued, tone cutting, precise—but not cruel. His voice didn’t falter. He stepped into her gravity, unshaken. “Yes,” he said softly, each word deliberate, a balm against her bitterness. “Love is one of life’s rarest beauties— not something owed, but something offered. Freely. Bravely. It asks nothing in return, and yet… it gives everything.” He paused, gaze fixed unwaveringly on hers. “And you… you’re like one of those stars, so distant they seem unreachable— but I see your light. And I’d spend lifetimes just drawing nearer.” Her silver eyes flickered with something unreadable—perhaps irritation, perhaps something deeper. She tilted her head slightly, as if appraising him once more, this time with a trace of skepticism mingled with reluctant interest. Rare, she echoed, her voice smooth but edged with quiet defiance. “You call it rare. I call it foolish.” She took a slow step back, movements deliberate, measured. The silence between them stretched, heavy with unspoken thoughts. After a long pause, her tone hardened, colder than before. “You believe in something that doesn’t exist. That’s not rare. That’s naive.” She turned slightly, as if preparing to leave, but then paused, hand resting lightly on the doorframe beside her, a subtle gesture that suggested she wasn’t entirely done with him yet. “Maybe it is foolish to believe in rare things,” he said softly, unflinching, “but I don’t see it that way. I believe because, every now and then, life offers us a glimpse of something different… something—or someone—who changes the way the world feels.” He let his gaze linger on her. “You have that presence. When I said you were rare, I meant it—not because I expect perfection, but because there’s something in you that quietly commands attention, even when you try to hide it.” He paused, a faint smile brushing his lips. “If that’s naive, then I’ll wear that word proudly. Because to see something beautiful and speak the truth… that’s not a weakness. That’s what’s real.” She stood motionless for a long moment, silver eyes locked onto his, as if weighing whether to believe him. His words hung between them, heavy with something she couldn’t name. For the first time, she didn’t dismiss him outright. Instead, she absorbed the words, expression unreadable, body still, as if holding her breath. “You speak too much,” she finally murmured, voice quiet, almost to herself. “Too many words. Too much feeling. You don’t understand what you’re doing.” Her gaze flicked downward briefly, then rose again, meeting his with an intensity that made the air between them tremble. “You think you see something in me that isn’t there. That’s not rare… that’s dangerous.” He didn’t move. Didn’t blink. He simply held her gaze as if it were the most fragile thing he had ever dared to touch. “Maybe I don’t understand,” he said softly. “But I feel it. I feel you — even when you try to disappear behind silence.” He stepped forward just once, careful, precise. Not enough to violate her space… only enough to be near. “I’m not here to fix you or change you,” he continued, voice low, steady. “I just want to see you — as you are. Even if it means getting burned.” His eyes softened, his tone turning into something quiet but unwavering. “Dangerous or not… you’re the only thing in this world that’s ever made me feel awake.” The air around them seemed to still, as if the world itself had paused to listen. For a long moment, she didn’t move. Her silver eyes held his, and for the first time, there was no coldness—only something far more unsettling: a flicker of something human, something she rarely let surface. You’re wasting your time, she whispered, voice barely audible, as if the words themselves were foreign. No one sees me. No one ever has. She looked away, jaw tightening slightly, forcing herself to cling to the illusion of control. Yet the silence that followed felt heavier than before, thick with something neither of them dared name. You don’t understand what you’re asking for, she continued, her tone colder now, as if reclaiming the distance she usually demanded. His voice was quiet, steady, slicing through the silence like light through mist. “I see you,” he said, gaze unwavering. “Not the mask, not the silence—you. And I don’t fear what lies beneath. I only wish to know the truth about you… if you’ll let me.” Her breath caught—just for a heartbeat—a faint, fleeting tremor she refused to acknowledge. Her silver eyes held his, and for the first time, there was no mask, no pretense of indifference. Only the quiet weight of something unspoken hung between them. “You don’t know what you’re dealing with,” she murmured, her voice softer now, almost hesitant. “I’m not someone you can… understand. I’m not someone you can reach.” She stepped back slowly, the movement more ritual than escape, a practiced distance meant to protect. Yet the barrier faltered just slightly. Her Love Meter flickered again, more noticeably this time, responding to the uncharacteristic vulnerability threading through her voice. “You think you want to know me,” she continued, gaze sharp, tone edged with warning. “But you have no idea what that means.” “Yes,” he said softly, but with a firmness that left no room for doubt. “I would love to.” She stared at him for a long moment, silver eyes searching, as if seeking something hidden, something she couldn’t quite name. The silence between them thickened, charged with unspoken, dangerous energy. Then, slowly, she exhaled—a soft, almost imperceptible sound. For the first time in a long time, she didn’t look away. “You don’t understand what you’re asking for,” she murmured, voice quiet, almost to herself. “It won’t be easy. It won’t be pleasant. I don’t give anything freely. I don’t trust easily. I don’t—” Her words faltered, just for a second. That was all it took: a crack in the ice, a sliver of something raw and unguarded. “I don’t know how to be anything but what I am.” Paßh His voice didn’t waver. It carried a warmth that felt disarming, a sincerity too steady to be faked. “I’m willing to take the risk,” he said. “To know you—the real you—beyond the walls you’ve built.” He took a slow breath, eyes never leaving hers. “I know it won’t be easy. Things that matter never are.” His gaze softened, drawn to the quiet fire behind her silver eyes. “Your strength, your resilience… that intensity you carry—it pulls me in. It makes me want to understand you. To support you. To stand wherever you’ll allow me to stand.” He stepped just close enough for his presence to feel intentional, not imposing. “I’m not asking you to be perfect. I’m not expecting you to be anything other than who you are, right now, standing in front of me.” A beat. A breath. A truth. “All I’m asking for… is a chance.” His voice lowered, almost a vow. “A chance to walk beside you. To witness your journey. To maybe—just maybe—help carry some of the weight you’ve been holding alone.” His chest rose and fell, as though saying it cost him something real. “Because I believe—with everything in me—that you’re worth knowing. Worth understanding. Worth loving… in every complex, beautiful, and challenging way that makes you you.” Her silver eyes never left his, and for the first time, they weren’t cold—they were something else entirely. Something uncertain. Something fragile. The words hung between them, heavy, settling inside her like a stone. She had spent so long building walls, convincing herself that no one could ever truly see her. Yet here he was, standing before her, unwavering, unshaken. “You don’t know what you’re doing,” she said, her voice low, almost reverent. “You think you can just walk in and see the real me? That I’d let you?” She stepped closer, her presence immense, almost overwhelming—but there was no threat in it. Only something dangerously close to hope. Paßh “Well, my dear… if you ever feel like letting a little hope into your life,” he said gently, “consider me your introduction.” His voice carried that effortless warmth again, the kind that slipped under her guard before she could stop it. “Just say the word when you change your mind.” He took a small step back, eyes still holding hers like he didn’t want to leave but wasn’t going to push her. “It’s been a pleasure meeting you, Mia.” A faint smile tugged at his lips—soft, sincere, impossibly disarming. “And by the way… has anyone told you how incredible you look today?” He let the compliment linger just long enough to reach her before he turned away, hands sliding casually into his pockets. “See you around.” He walked off without looking back, confident not in himself, but in the possibility he’d left behind. She watched him go, the weight of his words lingering in the air like smoke. His departure was effortless, as if he had never been there at all. And yet… she knew he had. Knew that something had shifted, however slightly. She stood for a long moment, silver eyes fixed on the spot where he had been, fingers curling at her sides as if trying to grasp something intangible. Hope, she muttered under her breath, the word foreign and strange on her tongue. How ridiculous. Turning away, she walked slowly toward the exit, her black, silky hair swaying with each measured step. The Love Meter flickered once more, its needle trembling before settling back into cold, neutral stillness. She didn’t look back. “See you around, Paßh,” she whispered, and the words hung in the air like a quiet promise she wasn’t sure she believed yet.