Hours passed.
Slowly.
Quietly.
The kind of hours that didn't feel like time moving forward—
But like it had stalled completely.
—
Izana hadn't left his office.
Not really.
He had moved once.
Maybe twice.
But he hadn't worked.
The papers on his desk remained untouched, exactly as they had been when he first sat down. The dim light above cast long shadows across the room, but he hadn't bothered to turn anything else on.
The silence sat with him.
Heavy.
Unforgiving.
His gaze stayed fixed somewhere ahead, unfocused.
Not seeing the room.
Not seeing anything.
Just—
Thinking.
The words replayed.
Over and over.
"Not everything is about you, Leah."
His jaw tightened slightly.
"…I shouldn't have said that."
The admission came quietly.
Barely above a whisper.
But it didn't change anything.
Didn't take it back.
Didn't undo the way she had looked at him.
That moment—
The way she went still.
The way her expression changed.
The way her voice had gone quiet when she told him to leave.
He exhaled slowly, leaning back slightly in his chair.
His hand lifted briefly, dragging through his hair.
"…It doesn't concern you."
Another mistake.
Another line that sounded worse the more he thought about it.
Because it did concern her.
It always did.
She was—
His.
Not in the controlling way.
Not like before.
But in the only way that mattered now.
And yet—
He still couldn't say it.
Still couldn't tell her.
Still couldn't bring himself to open that part of his past.
His gaze lowered slightly.
"…Not now."
The words were quieter.
More uncertain.
Because he didn't even know when "now" would come.
Or if it ever would.
—
After a while—
He stood.
Not abruptly.
Not with decision.
Just… slowly.
Like his body had already decided for him.
He didn't think about where he was going.
He didn't need to.
—
The mansion was quiet.
Dark.
Still.
Everyone else had long since gone to sleep.
The only sound was the faint echo of his footsteps against the floor as he walked through the halls.
Unhurried.
Familiar.
He passed by doors.
By empty spaces.
By silence.
And then—
He stopped.
Right in front of it.
Their door.
—
Izana stood there for a moment.
Not moving.
Not reaching for the handle.
Just… looking at it.
His hand lifted slightly.
Almost.
Then stopped.
Midway.
His fingers curled slightly before lowering again.
"She told me to leave."
The words were quiet.
Not bitter.
Not angry.
Just… factual.
And he respected that.
Always had.
Always would.
Even now.
Especially now.
—
He could leave.
Go back to his office.
Find somewhere else.
Give her space.
That would be the right thing to do.
The reasonable thing.
The expected thing.
—
But he didn't move.
His gaze remained on the door.
Unwavering.
And after a moment—
He stepped closer.
Not toward the handle.
Not inside.
Just—
Closer.
Until he was standing directly in front of it.
—
A small pause.
Then—
He slowly lowered himself to the floor.
Sitting first.
Back resting lightly against the wall beside the door.
His head tilted slightly, eyes closing for just a second.
The cold from the floor seeped through immediately.
Uncomfortable.
Unforgiving.
But he didn't react.
Didn't shift.
Didn't leave.
After a moment, he adjusted slightly, stretching out along the floor.
Lying down.
Right there.
In front of the door.
—
The hallway was cold.
Colder than the room behind that door.
Colder than it needed to be.
But he stayed.
Facing the door.
Close enough.
Near enough.
—
He didn't say anything.
Didn't knock.
Didn't try to go in.
Because she told him not to.
And that was enough.
—
His eyes remained open for a while.
Longer than he expected.
Longer than he wanted.
Staring at the door.
At the space that separated them.
At the barrier he had created.
—
Eventually—
His eyes closed.
Not easily.
Not peacefully.
But exhaustion caught up.
The weight of the day.
The argument.
The silence.
And slowly—
His breathing evened out.
And he fell asleep.
Right there.
On the cold floor.
Just outside her door.
—
Four hours later—
Leah stirred.
Slowly.
Her brow furrowing slightly as she shifted beneath the covers.
Her throat felt dry.
Uncomfortable.
The kind that pulled her from sleep without warning.
She let out a quiet breath, her hand moving slightly against the sheets as she adjusted.
Then—
She stilled.
Something felt…
Off.
Her eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the dim light of the room.
The first thing she noticed—
The silence.
The second—
The emptiness.
Her gaze shifted beside her.
The other side of the bed was untouched.
Cold.
Too cold.
Leah blinked slightly.
"…Iz?"
No answer.
Of course there wasn't.
She sat up slowly, the blanket falling slightly from her shoulders.
Her eyes scanned the room.
Nothing.
No sign of him.
Her chest tightened slightly.
Then—
The memory came back.
The argument.
Her voice.
"Get out."
Her hands tightened slightly in the sheets.
"…I told him to leave."
The words were barely a whisper.
But now—
Now that she was alone—
They didn't feel right.
Not at all.
Her gaze dropped slightly.
"…Where did you go…?"
The room felt bigger now.
Too big.
Too quiet.
The bed—
Too empty.
Too cold.
Leah let out a small breath, rubbing her arm slightly as if to warm herself.
"…Idiot," she muttered under her breath.
She didn't know if she meant him.
Or herself.
—
After a moment, she pushed the covers back and stood.
Her feet met the floor, and she winced slightly at the cold.
But she ignored it.
Her throat still dry.
She needed water.
And—
Maybe…
She hesitated for just a second.
Then shook her head slightly.
No.
Just water.
—
She walked toward the door, her movements slower now.
Quieter.
Her thoughts still lingering.
Still unsettled.
Her hand reached for the handle.
Paused.
Just for a moment.
Then—
She opened it.
—
The hallway was dark.
Still.
But something—
Something was there.
Right in front of the door.
Leah froze.
Her breath catching slightly as her eyes adjusted to the darkness.
A shape.
A figure.
Lying on the floor.
Her heart skipped.
"…What—?"
She couldn't make it out clearly.
Just—
Someone.
There.
On the ground.
Not moving.
And for a moment—
She didn't know who it was.