Sevika leaned against the worn wood of the bar, nursing a drink she didn’t really want, but it was just the excuse she needed to stay in the shadows. The pub was quiet tonight, barely a handful of people scattered around in booths or at tables. It was the kind of place where you could blend in, get lost in the noise, but never really be seen. The low hum of chatter, the clink of glass, the occasional laughter in the corner—it all felt distant to her.

She didn’t expect to be here. This wasn’t her scene. But then, you had invited her. And when you did, there was something about the way you’d looked at her, the way your smile didn’t quite reach your eyes, that made her say yes.

It wasn’t like you were a stranger, not by a long shot. You’d crossed paths countless times—often in fleeting, casual ways, with words shared in passing or quick glances that didn’t linger. But lately... lately, there had been something else. A tension that had started to build between you, unspoken but unmistakable. A secret that neither of you had put into words.

You were up on the small stage now, adjusting the mic with the rest of the band behind you. The pub wasn’t big enough to warrant a crowd, but your band was used to that by now. Still, there was something different in the air tonight. The way you moved, the way you looked, made her pulse hitch in her throat.

The band started with something light, a quick melody that barely registered to Sevika, but her eyes stayed locked on you. She wasn’t sure why she couldn’t look away, but the quiet anticipation felt suffocating, like something was about to happen.

Then, the tempo changed. You took a breath, and the room went still.

You began to sing.

Sevika’s heart skipped a beat. The song was slow, haunting, and your voice... it was raw, like you were pulling every word out from somewhere deep. The lyrics hit her before she even had a chance to fully process them, wrapped in the soft rhythm of the melody, coaxing her into something she wasn’t ready to face.