The night was calm, and the city below the H-Star Building glowed with lights that stretched endlessly. Lila stood quietly, her hands still trembling from the way Tristan had suddenly called her back earlier. Everyone had already gone home, and only a soft wind whispered through the rooftop. Tristan stood a few steps away, his face unreadable, his phone clutched tightly in his hand.
"What did you want to show me?" Lila asked, her voice calm but tired.
Tristan looked at her for a moment, then turned his eyes to the city lights before speaking softly. "It's not something easy to talk about," he said. "But you deserve to know."
He brought out his phone and swiped through a few pictures. Finally, he stopped at one, staring down at it for a moment before showing it to her.
"This," he said, "is Sofia."
Lila's eyes lowered to the screen. There, smiling brightly, was a beautiful young woman — her features soft and full of life. She had long hair that framed her face and warm eyes that seemed kind even through the photograph.
"She's beautiful," Lila said quietly. "Who is she?"
Tristan's voice changed — deeper now, almost filled with something between pain and memory. "Sofia was someone we both knew… me and Adrian. She died years ago. Because of him."
Lila's head snapped up, confusion flashing in her eyes. "Because of Adrian? What do you mean?"
Tristan took a deep breath. "It happened a long time ago, back when we were in university. Adrian had just lost his mom.He was young, broken, and cold — the kind of person who built a wall around his heart so no one could reach him. He didn't laugh, didn't talk much. People called him heartless, but I knew it wasn't that. He just didn't want to feel pain again."
Tristan looked away for a moment, lost in the memory. "That was when I met him. We became friends — unlikely friends. And then Sofia came into the picture. She was sunshine in human form, the kind of girl who could make anyone smile, even someone like Adrian. She was caring, gentle, and always kind. She became part of our small circle — me, Adrian, and her. The three of us were always together."
He let out a small breath, remembering. "But Sofia… she fell in love with Adrian. Everyone could see it, though she never said it aloud. She used to look at him like he was the only person in the world. She would pray that someday he'd notice her, that he'd smile at her the way she smiled at him. But Adrian—" Tristan paused for a second, his voice tightening, "—he didn't see it. Or maybe he did, but he was too scared to admit it. He had feelings for her too, I know that now, but he kept it all locked away. He didn't believe he deserved love after everything he'd lost."
The wind blew softly across the rooftop as Lila listened in silence.
"One day," Tristan continued, his voice heavy, "after a long lecture, we all decided to go to the cafeteria. It was supposed to be a normal day — just laughter, food, and teasing. Sofia sat beside Adrian, smiling at something he said. I remember watching her and thinking how lucky he was, even if he didn't realize it. And then… I did something stupid."
Lila frowned slightly. "What did you do?"
"I confessed my love for Sofia," Tristan said bitterly. "Right there. In front of everyone — in front of Adrian. I told her I loved her, that I'd loved her for a long time. Everyone went quiet, waiting for her answer. But she didn't look at me, Lila. She looked at him."
He swallowed hard. "She looked at Adrian, waiting for him to say something — anything. To stop her, to show her he cared. But he didn't. He just sat there, cold and silent. His face gave nothing away. That silence… it broke her. I could see it in her eyes."
Lila's heart tightened. She could picture it — the crowded cafeteria, the stillness, Sofia's tears hidden behind her smile, and Adrian's expressionless stare.
"That night," Tristan continued softly, "Sofia didn't go home. They said it was an accident — that she fell from the bridge on her way back to the dorm. But I knew. She was heartbroken. She couldn't take it anymore. She loved him too much, and his silence destroyed her."
Lila stood still, her pulse racing. The story was too painful to imagine. "So she died that night?" she asked in a whisper.
"Yes," Tristan said. "And Adrian never forgave himself. He never said it out loud, but I could see it. He changed completely after that. He stopped talking, stopped laughing, stopped living. The Adrian you know now — the one who hides everything behind control and calmness — that began the night Sofia died."
There was a long pause. The city lights reflected in Tristan's eyes as he finally turned back to Lila. "I loved her too," he said quietly. "But I didn't realize until later that Adrian did as well. He just didn't know how to show it. Maybe he thought he'd lose her if he did. Maybe he thought love was weakness."
Lila said nothing. Her throat was tight, her thoughts tangled. The image of Sofia wouldn't leave her mind — the girl with the kind eyes and soft smile, the girl who loved Adrian and died with that love still hidden in her heart.
Back in the present moment, Tristan looked at her with sadness. "I wanted you to know who he really is. Not the man you see now, but the man shaped by guilt. He blames himself for her death."
He gave her a faint, almost broken smile. "I never hated him, you know. I was angry for a long time, but now… I just feel sorry. We both lost her. Maybe I lost her to silence, and he lost her to pain. Either way, she's gone, and neither of us ever moved on completely."
He put his phone back in his pocket. "I've kept you too long, Lila. You can go now."
For a moment, Lila didn't move. Her heart felt heavy, full of emotions she couldn't name — shock, pity, confusion. She looked out over the city lights, the same way Tristan had moments ago, her mind filled with questions.
Tristan turned to leave, his steps slow and quiet. "Goodnight, Lila," he said without looking back.
The rooftop felt bigger now, emptier. Lila stood there alone, staring at the place where Tristan had been moments ago. Her fingers tightened around her bag as her thoughts drifted to Adrian. The man she thought she knew suddenly felt like a stranger — a man carrying a past filled with sorrow and silence.
She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. The wind carried a faint chill, brushing against her face. Somewhere below, she could hear the faint hum of traffic, the sound of life continuing as if nothing had happened. But for her, everything had changed.
When she finally gathered herself, she slowly walked toward the exit. Her heels clicked softly against the rooftop floor as she moved, her mind still replaying the story — the cafeteria, Sofia's smile, Adrian's silence, and the bridge.
By the time she reached the elevator, her eyes were distant. She didn't notice the reflection of her own face in the metal doors — pale, thoughtful, heavy with emotion.
Inside, the elevator doors closed, and she leaned back against the wall, staring at the numbers counting down. She didn't know what to tell Adrian. She didn't even know if she should. But one thing was certain — that night, Lila carried home a secret she never expected to hear.
When she stepped out of the building, the streets were nearly empty. The stars were faint above the skyline, and the air was cold. She wrapped her arms around herself and began walking to where her car was parked.
Every step echoed softly in the quiet night.
She thought of Tristan's voice, of the pain that lingered in his eyes, and of the photograph of Sofia — forever smiling, forever gone.
And for the first time, Lila understood why Adrian's eyes sometimes looked distant, as if he was watching something far away — something she could never see.
That night, as she drove home under the silent city lights, she couldn't shake the haunting image of the girl named Sofia.
The girl who loved him.
The girl he couldn't save.
The girl whose memory now stood quietly between them.