--- Chapter Two: Two Cracks In A Wall

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Chapter Two: Cracks in the Wall

Raveena wasn’t used to people noticing her. She had mastered the art of blending into the background, moving through life like a shadow—present but unseen. It was safer that way. If no one saw her, they couldn’t hurt her.

So when Damien started sitting with her in the library, she didn’t know what to do with him. At first, she ignored him, thinking he would get bored and leave. Most people did. But days passed, and he kept showing up. Not just in the library, but in the cafeteria, in the hallways, in the moments when she least expected company.

He never tried too hard to talk to her, never asked her personal questions or pried into things she didn’t want to share. He just… existed near her, as if that was enough. And maybe that was why she found herself letting him stay.

One afternoon, as she sat at her usual table by the window, Damien slid into the seat across from her, his movements unhurried, as if he belonged there.

“You always read this much?” he asked, nodding toward the novel in her hands.

Raveena barely glanced up. “It’s better than reality.”

Damien smirked, resting his chin on his fist. “That bad?”

She hesitated. Most people would take that as an opportunity to pry, to dig into the mess that was her life. But Damien’s voice held no pity, no forced curiosity—just simple interest. That made it harder to brush off.

“That complicated,” she admitted finally, flipping a page in her book.

He studied her for a moment, then leaned back in his chair. “Fair enough.”

And just like that, he let it go. No follow-up questions. No pressure to explain.

The silence between them stretched, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Damien pulled out his own book, flipping through the pages lazily. Raveena tried to focus on hers, but her eyes kept drifting toward him, taking in the way his dark hair fell over his forehead, the easy confidence in his posture. He wasn’t like other people at school. He wasn’t trying to impress anyone.

That made him dangerous.

She had spent years building walls, making sure no one got too close. Letting people in only led to disappointment.

So why did she feel herself loosening, just a little, around him?

After a while, Damien closed his book with a soft thud and stretched his arms over his head. “Alright, Raveena. I think I’ve earned a fun fact about you.”

She frowned. “What?”

“A fun fact. You know, something random.” His lips quirked up in amusement. “Like… I don’t know, do you have a weird talent? A guilty pleasure? Something that makes you, you?”

Raveena narrowed her eyes, unsure whether to be annoyed or amused. “Why?”

“Because I’m trying to figure you out.”

Her stomach did something strange at that. She quickly shoved the feeling aside.

“You’re wasting your time,” she muttered, returning to her book.

“Maybe,” Damien said, unfazed. “But I’m patient.”

He said it so easily, as if he already knew she wouldn’t shake him off.

As if he had decided she was worth the effort.

For a long time, Raveena had believed that no one would ever try to understand her. That people took one look at her quiet nature and assumed she had nothing to say.

But as she glanced at Damien, she had a terrifying realization.

He wasn’t looking away.

And even worse, she didn’t want him to.

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