The car moved silently through the dark streets. When Yugh finally arrived home, it was nearly 10:00 PM. From the outside, the house was completely dark. Everyone must be asleep already, he thought to himself. 🕙
Using his spare key, he unlocked the door and entered the quiet house. He went straight to the bathroom, intending to wash his face and hands, to find some calm. As the cool water ran over his face, his mind felt momentarily still.
It was then that he felt a sharp sting near his right wrist. He turned off the water and examined it. Though hard to see clearly, there was a small, fresh abrasion; a scrape from the scuffle earlier. He understood. He fetched the first aid kit, applied some antiseptic, and tried to dismiss it. 🛡
That physical wound was nothing compared to the deeper, more troubling ache within him.
He went to his bedroom and lay down on the bed. Even after turning off the light, darkness invaded his mind. The moment he closed his eyes, the evening's events replayed with vivid, intrusive clarity. Anisa on the ground, her eyes wide with terror and brimming with tears. The sound of her choked cries. That moment of desperate helplessness. 😑
"Why did I get so agitated?" he questioned himself. "I thought I hated her, didn't I? Then why did my heart pound like that when I saw her in trouble?"
He tossed onto one side, then the other. Sleep showed no sign of coming. He couldn't forget her face, her fear-stricken eyes. 😣
"It wasn't anything special because it was you…"
He had said those words to her, but he found he couldn't fully believe them himself.
That night, Yugh lay in bed, turning from side to side. His body was at rest, but his mind was in complete turmoil. And so, for him, it became a long and profoundly restless night. 😔