when the world went quiet
654 Words
Emily didn’t realize she was about to faint.
It didn’t come suddenly, not like in movies. It started softly—like the room pulling away from her inch by inch. The edges of her vision blurred, sounds stretching and thinning until they felt far away.
She was back in the living room.
F4’s house.
She remembered sitting on the couch, her hands wrapped around a glass of water Leo had insisted she drink. The boys were scattered around her—close enough to feel, but careful not to overwhelm her.
“You’re pale,” Leo said gently.
“I’m fine,” Emily replied, though her voice sounded distant, even to her own ears.
Kai was standing near the window again, watching her reflection instead of the street outside.
“You don’t look fine,” he said.
Emily tried to laugh. It came out wrong.
“I just need a second.”
She stood.
That was her mistake.
The floor tilted violently, like the house itself had shifted. Emily reached out for something—anything—but her fingers met air.
“Kai—” she whispered.
The world went dark.
She came back to sound first.
Voices—urgent, overlapping.
“Emily.”
“Hey—hey, stay with us.”
“Get water. No, wait.”
Her body felt heavy, like it didn’t belong to her anymore. When she opened her eyes, the ceiling was unfamiliar. White. Too bright.
She blinked slowly.
Kai was kneeling beside her, one arm braced behind her shoulders, holding her up just enough to keep her comfortable. His face was closer than it had ever been, stripped of every mask he wore at school.
Fear sat plainly in his eyes.
“You fainted,” he said quietly. “Don’t try to move.”
“I didn’t mean to,” Emily murmured.
“I know,” he replied.
Jace hovered a few steps back, unusually silent. Rowan stood near the doorway, arms crossed tight, watching her like he was analyzing something fragile. Leo returned with a glass of water, crouching down beside her.
“Small sips,” he said.
Emily obeyed.
Her head throbbed. Her chest felt tight, like it was holding too much at once.
“I saw things,” she whispered suddenly.
Kai stiffened. “What things?”
She swallowed. “The stairs. The kitchen. Someone calling my name.”
Silence fell.
Rowan spoke carefully. “Was it a dream?”
Emily shook her head. “No.”
Kai closed his eyes briefly, like he’d been expecting this.
Her vision blurred again, but this time from emotion, not dizziness. “Why does it hurt?” she asked. “Why does remembering feel like losing something all over again?”
Kai’s voice was barely audible. “Because memories don’t come back gently.”
He shifted, adjusting her weight without thinking, his arm tightening around her just slightly. The closeness made Emily’s heart race again—but this time, it felt familiar. Safe.
Too safe.
“You used to faint back then,” Leo said quietly, almost to himself.
Kai shot him a look.
Emily turned her head weakly. “Back then?”
Leo froze.
Rowan stepped in smoothly. “You need rest.”
Kai nodded. “We’re taking you upstairs. Guest room. Just for a bit.”
Emily didn’t argue. She didn’t have the strength to.
Kai lifted her carefully, like she weighed nothing. As her head rested against his shoulder, another memory flickered—strong arms, familiar warmth, the same heartbeat.
Her fingers curled into his shirt without her realizing it.
Kai felt it.
He inhaled sharply.
“You’re safe,” he whispered, more to himself than to her. “I promise.”
Emily drifted in and out of consciousness as he carried her up the stairs.
The house held its breath.
Because something had changed.
The past was no longer knocking.
It had stepped inside.
Intenseeeee
- Writer
