The sky was painted in dark hues, thunder rumbling in the distance as the first droplets of rain kissed the earth.It was heavy with storm clouds, dark and suffocating, mirroring the madness brewing inside Roseanne. The air was thick, humid—an omen of the storm that was about to unfold.
But Roseanne didn't move.She had been waiting for hours.Every minute blended into the next as the rain dripped off her hair like forgotten tears.
She stood outside Zephyr's university building, waiting.
Her long dress clung to her damp skin, her shoes soaked through from standing on the wet pavement for hours. She shivered as the cold seeped into her bones, but she barely registered the discomfort. It didn't matter.
Nothing mattered except him. Zephyr's perfect features swam in her mind like ink on wet paper – an image that had formed itself long ago.
She had memorized Zephyr's schedule by heart—every class, every meeting, every path he took through the campus.At 5 PM sharp, Zephyr always left the campus. He never lingered, never wasted time on unnecessary conversations. His world was structured, clean, and devoid of people like her. People like her who, well, didn't fit. People like her who clung onto their fading dreams and made a mess everywhere. But today, she was going to change that.
Today, he would notice her.
The drizzle turned into a downpour, soaking her completely. Strands of her hair stuck to her face, her dress clung to her trembling body, and her fingers felt numb. A gust of wind ripped her hair back, whipping her face and smacking the cool wetness down her skin like it was a razor. It stung badly, and she blinked rapidly against tears but didn't budge. The flashes of pain made her a little anxious, but her resolve stayed steady, with her firmly rooted and unwavering even when fear began bleeding in. Still, she waited.
Her hands trembled, not just from the cold, but from anticipation.
Would he scold her for standing in the rain? Would he grab her wrist and drag her out of the storm with that sharp, commanding voice?
Would he finally acknowledge her?
She needed him to.
Her mind repeated the same thoughts over and over.
If I suffer enough… if I push myself enough… he'll look at me.If I break myself completely, he'll have no choice but to acknowledge me.
The rain grew heavier, drenching her completely. Strands of her hair stuck to her face, her vision blurring as she blinked against the water streaming down her cheeks.Rain thrashed against her face wildly - each powerful gust bruising her cheeks with an onslaught of air and rain.
Then—he appeared.
Zephyr walked out of the building, tall and composed, his black umbrella shielding him from the storm, his sharp suit still pristine. His eyes were cold, uninterested—the same as always. Even in the chaos of the downpour, he remained untouched. Untouchable.
Zephyr stepped through the downpour as if walking in an altogether dry summer.
Roseanne took a deep breath and stepped forward.Her heart pounded as she stepped forward.
"Zephyr!" she called out, her voice hoarse from the hours of silence.
He barely spared her a glance. He kept walking.
Her stomach twisted painfully, but she refused to give up. .
No.
He couldn't ignore her.
She moved faster, her heels splashing in puddles, her soaked dress weighing her down.Droplets stinging against her parched face were blurring everything. Zephyr never budged, not even when she almost bumped into another person waiting for him – another harmless student entirely unknown to the icy spell wrapped tightly around Zephyr.
"Zephyr, wait!"
His steps didn't slow.
Something inside her snapped.
She ran in front of him, blocking his path, forcing him to acknowledge her. "I've been standing here for hours waiting for you!" she cried, her lips trembling from the cold. "Can't you even look at me?"
She shouted over the rain, desperation lacing her words. "I—"
Zephyr's expression remained indifferent, but something flickered in his eyes—annoyance. "Move," Zephyr said flatly, his voice devoid of emotion.
She froze.
His gaze was cold, sharp—uninterested.
"No," she whispered, clenching her fists. "Not until you talk to me. I—"
The world tilted.
Before she could finish,her vision blurred,the world around her spun . Her body suddenly felt too heavy, too weak. The pounding in her head grew unbearable, and before she could react, her legs buckled beneath her.
She was falling.
The last thing she saw before the darkness swallowed her was Zephyr's startled expression.