Beneath the Weight of Silence

Chapter 5 Silent Spark

I swear, I couldn’t even speak. I was just standing there, locked in place, staring at him. Trying to figure out why I was suddenly so affected by his presence. His face. God, his face. He’s so damn handsome it almost felt like my brain short-circuited. Like, how do I even function around this guy? Pull yourself together, Dayen, I remind myself mentally, but it’s not working. I’m stuck in some sort of trance, and it's honestly kind of embarrassing.

"Obviously, it’s a grave," I say, forcing myself to sound casual as I glance down at my mom’s tombstone. The last thing I want to do is start laughing here, right? So, I make a joke, even though inside I’m about to lose it. "You'd be shocked if I were laughing while caressing my mom's grave," I add with an awkward smile, trying to play it off like I’m completely fine. But then, it hits me—holy crap, it’s so hot here. I can’t breathe. I need to leave. I have to leave. This whole situation is suddenly way too much for me.

I stand up slowly, trying to pull myself together as I prepare to leave the cemetery. But then, Light stops me.

Oh my god, no, I think. Please, not right now. Can’t I just go home and pretend this never happened? But I’m being dramatic. I need to chill. Mr. Ravenscroft is just... well, Mr. Ravenscroft. Why is his aura making me feel like I’m losing my mind?

"You forgot your phone," he says, holding it out to me. The moment I take it from him, I realize how ridiculous I’m being. I was about to leave, when he's the one who came to me in the first place. What is wrong with me?

"You look tense," he comments, his eyes scanning me like he knows exactly what’s going on in my head. His smirk is like a challenge, and I can’t decide if it’s making me more flustered or just annoyed. It’s a whole vibe.

"Yeah, I am hot," he says, sounding so unbothered, like he’s just casually stating a fact. Okay, cocky much? "But you didn’t need to show that you’re attracted, Miss." There it is, the confidence like a hundred percent confidence. His tone was playful, but there was something so serious underneath it. And then, right after, his smile... God, it’s like he didn’t even realize he was smiling. Weird, right? I don’t even know what to think about that.

Trying to get my bearings, I say, "Uh, yeah, you look hot in red." It was the first thing that came to my mind, but then I realized he wasn’t even wearing red. He was in a sleek black tuxedo, with a white shirt underneath. I felt like a total i***t. But hey, I’m always a little mysterious, right? Gotta keep him guessing.

He just stares at me for a second, looking confused. And then... he smirks again. Of course he smirks.

"You mean? Shirtless?" he teases, his voice smooth, playful. But I catch the intensity in his eyes, the dark depth of them. There’s something dangerous there. Something that pulls at me in ways I’m not ready for.

"Study first," I say, almost like it’s a command, trying to distance myself from whatever weird energy is pulsing between us. "It doesn’t make sense, Mr. Ravenscroft." I’m already turning away, ready to leave, but I realize something strange—his words and his aura aren’t bothering me the way I thought they would. In fact, I’m not annoyed at all. I’m... interested? Stop it, Dayen. Focus.

I drive myself back to my place, to Playing Good in B—my pride and joy. Yes, I own it. Four branches, to be exact. I opened it when I was 18, just legally old enough to start making my own decisions. My family’s loaded, so they gave me an all-inclusive financial package. I could basically do whatever I wanted with the money in my account, and it wasn’t just about the money—it was about proving I could do this on my own. So, I built my own empire. I’m a boss. And yet... I still feel like there’s something missing.

The weirdest part? After my awkward conversation with Light at the cemetery, I actually feel kind of... good. Energized. It’s like a light switch flipped. I’m feeling more cheerful than I have in years, and I didn’t even know that was possible for me. Usually, I’m just the girl who drifts through life, barely smiling, rarely laughing, stuck in my own bubble of loneliness. But today? I feel different. It’s so weird, and I don’t know why it’s happening, but I’m not going to question it too much.

I walk into my billiard hall, Playing Good in B, and Kailane’s already here. She’s one of the few people I actually know and trust. She’s a good person, but the whole billiard thing kind of messed with her family life. I remember the last time we hung out, she shared bits and pieces of it with us over drinks. I didn’t really get all the details, but it was clear that her obsession with the game wasn’t exactly healthy.

She looks up when she sees me, a sly grin crossing her face. "You look fresh, Ayana. Did a new car drop or something?" They often call me Ayana here and it’s one of my nicknames, I guess.

I laugh, trying to play it off like there’s nothing special going on. "Nothing," I say, shrugging it off. "I just drank nicely last night." I know she’s just trying to mess with me.

She raises an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "With who?" she asks, the smirk turning mischievous.

I roll my eyes. "Just joking, Kailane. Don’t get any ideas," I say, leaning against the table as I grab a cue stick. But she doesn’t let up.

"You’re just a rich girl, Ayana," she teases, pointing to a ball on the table. "Hanging around like it’s no big deal."

I shake my head, a small smile tugging at my lips. Kailane’s got a way of pushing buttons, but she means no harm. I’ve always been a bit of an enigma to people, and Kailane's one of the few who’s smart enough to notice.

She’s already moving to another topic, though. "By the way, Ayana, when are you going to race again?"

I pause for a second, thrown off by the question. Racing. Yeah, that used to be my thing. Fast cars, adrenaline, the thrill of the speed. It’s been a while since I’ve done any of that, and honestly, I’ve been kind of focused on other things—like, you know, running a business and being a boss.

"I don’t know," I say, shrugging nonchalantly. "Why?"

Kailane gives me a knowing look, but she doesn’t press it. Instead, we both go back to our game. But my mind? Yeah, my mind is elsewhere. Still stuck on that damn conversation with Light.