He Went Mad After I Left

"Celeste, this graduate program abroad will last for two years. Your flight leaves in three days. Are you sure about this?" The voice on the other end of the call belonged to a faculty member from Avalon Academy. Celeste nodded firmly. "Yes. I want to dive into my studies as soon as possible. The sooner, the better." The teacher acknowledged her decision. "Alright. Take these next couple of days to prepare and say goodbye to your family and friends." Friends. Celeste let out a bitter laugh. Other than Orion, she didn't really have any. ***** A week ago, Celeste had received an address from one of Orion's close friends. It led her to an upscale club. It had been a year since she last saw Orion, and now that she was about to meet him again, her heart pounded with anticipation. Her delicate hand gripped the door handle tightly. Just as she was about to push the door open, she heard Orion's voice from inside—casual, teasing. "She's been my little shadow since we were kids. She can't survive without me. You guys have no idea—once, I ignored her calls 28 times in a row, and she absolutely lost it!" Someone in the room jeered, "How bad was it? She didn't do anything drastic, did she?" Orion chuckled darkly, sounding smug. "I finally answered the 29th call, and guess what? She was crying her eyes out, saying she thought I'd been kidnapped!" The room erupted into laughter. "You tell me—what the hell is Celeste thinking all day long?" Orion lowered his voice deliberately. "And the best part? The reason I wasn't picking up? Well… I had someone riding me in the passenger seat." Silence. Two seconds later, the entire room broke into knowing, raucous laughter. Celeste's hands clenched around the door handle, her knuckles turning white. Even her breathing felt unsteady. She remembered that night vividly. Orion had told her he was flying to Windmere, then later claimed he was just attending a closed-door conference nearby. She had been worried and kept calling him, only to be ignored over and over. So this was the real reason. It wasn't that he was too busy. He just wasn't available. Orion was four years older than Celeste. She had been calling him "brother" for twenty years. But they weren't actually related. According to their families' plans, she was supposed to start calling him "husband" this year. Then, a year ago, Orion had disappeared without a trace. There had been no warning signs, no indication of what was coming. One night, Celeste went to bed as usual. The next morning, she found herself completely cut off—blocked on every platform. This was the first time in a year that she had heard his voice again. And every word was like a dagger to the heart. Celeste closed her eyes and involuntarily took a step back. But just then, creak. The door swung open from the inside. "Celeste?" A voice called her name. "Is that you?" For a brief moment, hope flickered in her eyes as she turned around. But her expression quickly darkened. It wasn't Orion. It was his childhood best friend. His friend looked at her, completely unfazed. "Come on in. Orion was just talking about you." Before she could react, he grabbed her wrist and yanked her inside. "Yo, Orion, you totally called it! No matter where you go, Celeste always finds you. Haha!" Orion sat with one leg crossed over the other, his shoe propped against the coffee table. Hearing his friend's attempt at small talk, he didn't respond. Dressed in a dark button-up, he was half-shrouded in the hazy glow of cigarette smoke. His chiseled face, one she had adored for over twenty years, flickered between light and shadow. After a whole year of separation, standing face-to-face again made Celeste's hands twist nervously together. She didn't even dare to look up at him. The room filled with amused snickers. Orion stayed silent, dragging in another puff from his cigarette before exhaling slowly. Finally, his friend couldn't take the silence any longer and broke it. "Orion… man, your little—wait, no, I mean, Celeste is right here. Aren't you two gonna talk?" Still, Orion said nothing. Celeste hesitated before murmuring, "Orion…" "How'd you find me?" His voice was cold, laced with impatience. "Were you following me? Not bad, huh? Got some guts now, don't you?" One of the older guys in the group, feeling sorry for Celeste, spoke up, "Orion, come on. You guys grew up together. If there's some misunderstanding, clear it up. Don't let the poor girl waste her effort."