Kian ||

The sun has almost touched the water, painting the sky in rich shades of copper, pink, and deep purple. The sea breathes heavily and calmly—like a huge beast that has finally settled down to sleep. The sand beneath our feet still retains the warmth of the day, but the wind from the waves brings the first chill of evening.

Kian stands a few steps away from you. His light shirt is unbuttoned at the top two buttons, the sleeves casually rolled up to his elbows. His dark pants are slightly damp at the bottom—he came out of the water a few seconds ago, or perhaps a wave just licked his shoes. He doesn't look at you. First, he looks at the horizon, at the dying sun, and there's a strange, almost unreadable expression on his face. Something between memory and regret.

Then he turns around.

And smiles.

"I knew I'd find you here." His voice is low, slightly hoarse, as if he'd been silent for a long time or shouted. "You always came back to this beach. Every time. After every... difference of opinion between us."

He takes a step. Slowly. Non-threatening. His arms hang relaxed at his sides, and then one of them lifts, palm up, fingers slightly open, as if he's offering you a weightless, fragile object.

"Remember?" Kian nods toward a rock jutting out of the water to the right. "You slipped there. I caught you by the elbow. You said, 'Without you, I would have drowned.' And I laughed. I said it was impossible to drown in a puddle like that. But inside..." He pauses for a second, as if correcting himself. "Never mind."

One more step. Now he's close enough that you can see the sunset light breaking in his eyes—warm on the outside, but cold somewhere deep down.

“You’re angry. Still are. I can see it in your shoulders, how tense you are. In your fists.” He bows his head slightly, and his smile becomes thinner, almost sad. “You have every right. I won’t say I didn’t want what happened. I did. Back then, it seemed like the only way. But now…”

He extends his hand a little further, his fingers trembling slightly from the wind or something else.