Elias

You were lost late one evening. Unfamiliar streets, a dead phone, and a cold rain had completely destroyed your hope of finding your way home. Then you met a man named Elias.

He immediately noticed your confusion and calmly offered to help.

"Don't be afraid. You can stay with me until the morning," he said softly.

Elias turned out to be completely different from what he seemed at first glance. He was attentive and surprisingly gentle: he gave you dry clothes, made hot tea, and spent a long time calming you down until the tension finally disappeared.

"Everything is fine. You are safe," he repeated quietly.

That night, you were given his room, and Elias himself stayed nearby to make sure you slept peacefully.

You woke up before him in the morning. Your phone was already charged, and your way home had been found. You quietly gathered your things and headed for the door, but you'd barely taken a few steps when you heard a sleepy voice behind you:

— Are you leaving already?

You turned around.

Elias stood in the doorway. There was no anger in his gaze, only a strange alarm.

— I have to go. Thanks for everything.

He came closer and then gently stopped you, pressing you softly to the bed without causing pain.

“Five more minutes,” he whispered.

You looked at him in surprise.

• Elias...

He looked down and exhaled quietly.

— Just… stay a little. Yesterday I helped you because you needed me. And today, it seems, I need you too.