Ghoth's POV
My mind kept replaying the same question in different forms.
Why did I even agree to this?
A simple decision at first. Just accompanying Sapphire, just being there so she wouldn't be alone while she took time off for two weeks. That was how I justified it when she first asked.
It sounded harmless enough. Even responsible, in a way.
But now, sitting in the aftermath of my own thoughts, I couldn't help but feel a quiet sense of regret creeping in. Not because of her. But because of me.
Because I wasn't expecting this… pressure. This awareness. This constant feeling of being too aware of her presence even when she wasn't doing anything at all.
I leaned back slightly, rubbing my face with one hand.
"This was a bad idea…" I muttered under my breath.
But even as I said it, I didn't fully believe it. Because another thought immediately pushed itself forward. She's going to be alone for two weeks. The moment that thought formed, the weight of my earlier "regret" shifted. It wasn't so simple anymore.
Sapphire wasn't the type to ask for help easily. Even when she smiled, even when she acted like everything was fine, there was still something in her that felt… independent in a way that bordered on isolation.
She could handle herself, sure.
But two weeks alone?
No familiar company. No one she really relied on here. Just wandering around, trying to enjoy her break on her own.
I exhaled slowly. So that's why I came. That was the real reason I diasked her if I can accompany her.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I didn't like the idea of her being alone for that long.
Even if I was now paying the price for it in silence, in discomfort, in thoughts I couldn't fully control.
"She's fine," I told myself quietly.
"She'll be fine even without me hovering around."
And yet, I knew that wasn't the full truth either. Because if I really believed she didn't need anyone, I wouldn't be here in the first place.
I stayed by the window for a moment longer, watching the faint movement outside, letting the breeze settle my thoughts.
The contradiction sat heavily in my chest.
Regret… and responsibility. Distance… and concern. Wanting space… and not wanting to leave her alone.
I closed my eyes briefly. "Just two weeks," I whispered.
I had been uneasy for a while now, though I couldn't exactly explain why.
We were alone in the same room.
Just the two of us.
And somehow, that made everything feel heavier than usual.
Sapphire's presence wasn't loud or overwhelming, but it was constant in a way that I couldn't ignore. The faint sound of her breathing, the subtle movement whenever she shifted on the bed, and even the scent of the soap she used when she bathed earlier lingered in the air.
It was clean. Soft. Almost comforting. But at the same time… it made my thoughts drift in directions I wasn't fully proud of.
I turned to my side, trying to settle myself, trying to focus on sleep. But my mind refused to cooperate.
The silence between us wasn't uncomfortable, but it wasn't exactly peaceful either. It felt like something was suspended in the air, unspoken and unacknowledged.
After a while, she broke it.
"Are you sure you're okay? You've been quiet for a while. Are you sick or something?"
Her voice was gentle, concerned.
The silence between us wasn't uncomfortable, but it wasn't exactly peaceful either. It felt like something was suspended in the air, unspoken and unacknowledged.
After a while, she broke it.
"Are you sure you're okay? You've been quiet for a while. Are you sick or something?"
Her voice was gentle, concerned.
"Yeah… I'll do it later."
I turned away slightly, pretending to get comfortable, but every few minutes I found myself shifting again. Restlessness crawled under my skin, subtle but persistent. Sleep wasn't coming, no matter how many times I closed my eyes.
Behind me, I could already hear her breathing deepen. She had fallen asleep, completely at ease.
That realization made the room feel even quieter.
And somehow, even smaller.
I lay there staring into the dim space, trying to clear my mind. Trying to think of anything else. Anything at all.
But the awareness of her being right there… so close… made it difficult.
Eventually, I sat up slightly, careful not to make too much noise. I looked over my shoulder.
I exhaled slowly and turned away again, lowering my gaze.
"Get a grip," I muttered to myself under my breath. But it wasn't that simple.
The tension I had been ignoring for hours finally reached its peak, and I found myself overwhelmed by it. Not just mentally, but physically too. My body reacted before my thoughts could fully catch up, making it even harder to stay still.
I buried my face in my hands for a moment, trying to steady myself, trying to force the feeling down. I kept telling myself it would pass if I just waited long enough.
And after a while… it did.
Not instantly. Not cleanly.
But eventually, the intensity faded into exhaustion instead.
I quietly got up, careful with every movement, and went to the bathroom. I washed my hands and splashed water on my face, trying to reset my thoughts completely. The cold water helped ground me a little.
When I returned, the room felt slightly different. Quieter. Heavier in a calmer way.
I lay back down and finally, sleep started to take over.
Next morning
"Ghoth… are you awake?"
A soft voice pulled me out of sleep.
Sapphire.
She was close. Too close.
My eyes slowly opened, still heavy with sleep, and the first thing I saw was her face leaning slightly toward me, as if checking whether I was really awake.
For a second, my brain didn't fully register the distance between us.
And when I turned my head slightly, our faces ended up almost colliding.
She quickly leaned back.
"Whoa! Careful," she said, letting out a small laugh. "You almost hit me."
I blinked a few times, still trying to wake up properly.
"Sorry…" I muttered.
There was a brief silence. Then she smiled lightly.
"You look kind of good when you just woke up, you know."
That sentence landed in a way I didn't expect. I wasn't sure how to respond to that.
So I just pulled the blanket a little higher and looked away.
"Can you wait outside for a bit?" I asked quietly.
She tilted her head slightly, then nodded. "Sure. I'll go downstairs first and check if there's food around here."
Her tone stayed light.
When she left the room, I finally exhaled properly. The silence returned. But this time, it felt different.
I stayed there for a moment, staring at the empty space she had just occupied.
The faint trace of her presence still lingered in the air.
Then I looked down, trying to gather myself again, forcing my thoughts back into order.
"Calm down," I told myself quietly.
"Just… calm down."
And after a while, I got up and prepared to follow her.
Acting like everything was normal. Like nothing unusual had happened in that room at all. Even though part of me knew… something had definitely shifted.