"He's such a mystery… yet somehow always slips out of moments like this."
Zinnia shrugged, taking another sip of her drink.
"That's Kaivan. Still, I'm curious about that girl, Thivi, right? Maybe there's a story waiting there."
Radit, still laughing softly, speared another piece of meat.
"He just couldn't stand our teasing. Classic Kaivan."
Outside, Kaivan inhaled the cool night air. The scent of food still lingered in the breeze, a warm echo of the lively café he had just left. His steps were calm, yet his thoughts remained heavy with the quiet enigma of the Tome Omnicent, clutched firmly in his hands. Streetlamps spilled soft light across the empty sidewalk, turning each footstep into a gentle echo that followed him into the night.
Inside, the laughter faded into a thoughtful hush. Zinnia stirred her drink, brows drawn together.
"I never asked what that book really is," she murmured. "Maybe just a notebook?"
Frans, seated across from her, gave a small smile, though curiosity glimmered in his eyes.
"It looks like some old, impressive tome," he said, sketching its shape in the air. "Sometimes I get chills just seeing it, like it has its own aura."
Radit, who had been idly spinning his spoon, finally spoke.
"Then we'll just ask him later. There's no way he'd hide something like that if it wasn't important."
At the place shown by the Tome Omnicent, Kaivan arrived at a park bathed in the soft glow of dim lamps. In the stillness of the night, a young woman sat gracefully on the edge of the walkway, her expression shadowed by quiet sorrow. Her jet-black hair cascaded over her shoulders, gleaming like silk beneath the park's faint lights.
Kaivan paused for a moment, watching her from a distance. Around them, the air was calm, broken only by the gentle rustle of leaves stirred by the wind.
With slow yet steady steps, he approached. From his pocket, he drew out a tissue, his movements tender, filled with quiet sincerity. "Why are you crying, miss?" he asked softly, his voice carrying the hush of the night breeze. "Maybe this will help."
The woman slowly lifted her face. Her tearful eyes met Kaivan's steady gaze, and for a heartbeat, time seemed to stop, allowing space for the emotions lingering between them. With a delicate motion, she accepted the tissue from his hand. "I'm sorry," she murmured, almost inaudible. "I… already have a boyfriend."
Kaivan blinked, surprised by the unexpected reply. Still, he remained calm, offering a faint, understanding smile as he opened the Tome Omnicent in his hands. Letters shimmered faintly across the pages:
Approach her until you become close, while she is still burdened with sorrow.
In his heart, Kaivan murmured, Alright, I'll try again. Maybe this is part of a deeper clue. But before he could move, new words shimmered on the Tome's page:
She's lost her boyfriend's trust. Foolish.
Kaivan closed the book gently and looked back at the woman. He knew the next step had to be taken with care. Quietly, he walked toward a nearby drink vendor and returned with a bottle of water.
"You've cried so much, you must be dehydrated. Here, drink this," he said softly, offering the bottle with quiet sincerity.
The woman accepted it with trembling hands. After taking a sip, Kaivan asked, his voice steady yet tender, "So… why are you out here, crying alone?" His sharp, gentle gaze traced the contours of her face.
"I feel like I've failed," she said after a pause, her voice carrying a melancholic weight. "And I'm just… confused about everything."
Kaivan nodded slowly, sensing there was more hidden behind those words. With a small, reassuring smile, he introduced himself. "I'm Kaivan. And you?" he asked, extending a hand.
The woman looked at his hand without moving. "Felicia," she replied simply, her voice low and even
.
Silence settled again, but now it felt like a calm pause rather than an empty space. Kaivan lowered his hand gently, not wanting to push. He smiled, hoping to soften the moment. "Well, Felicia, is there anything I can do to help?" he asked, his tone sincere.
Felicia shook her head slowly, her long hair swaying lightly in the night breeze. "No need. I told you, I have a boyfriend," she said, though her tone was softer than before.
Kaivan nodded, understanding that he needed to give her room. Yet he couldn't ignore the sorrow clinging to her like mist. Deep inside, he felt the urge to protect something fragile hidden behind her sadness, something beyond the Tome's instructions.
"Here's my phone number," he said quietly, holding out a small slip of paper. "If anything happens, don't hesitate to call me." His words were steady, warm, as though he wanted her to truly understand his goodwill.
Felicia stood a few steps away, her slender figure framed by the faint glow of the lamps. Her dark hair flowed freely, stirring in the breeze. Her beautiful face, sculpted like a goddess, seemed serene. She accepted the paper without a word, her long fingers curling around it as her crimson eyes searched Kaivan's, their depth impossible to read.
"Thank you," Felicia finally said, her voice cool. She looked away for a heartbeat, then back at Kaivan, as if trying to weigh the honesty in every syllable he spoke.
Why is he so kind? We barely know each other, she thought.
Kaivan gave her a faint smile and turned, walking away with slow, deliberate steps. The soft rhythm of his shoes against the pavement blended with the whispering wind, forming a quiet melody that became part of the night.
Felicia remained where she stood, her eyes following Kaivan's retreating figure as it grew smaller in the distance. She let out a gentle sigh. "This guy is really strange," she murmured, almost too softly to hear.
Meanwhile, Kaivan finally arrived in his room , simple, yet filled with a quiet warmth. A soft glow from the desk lamp bathed the space in gentle light, wrapping it in a familiar sense of comfort. He placed his bag on the chair, then settled at an old wooden desk that bore the marks of time. Resting there with an almost dignified presence was a dark-covered tome: the Omnicent.