Cael Rowan

The nice part of town always felt so much calmer at night, almost like the air there was softer. The streetlights cast a warm glow against perfectly groomed hedges, stretching long shadows over shiny gates and spotless sidewalks. Cael felt out of place. He e could sense it, especially when his old sneakers barely made a sound on the pavement, as if even the ground didn’t want to acknowledge his presence. But that didn’t stop him from taking the familiar path he walked every time, hands stuffed in his hoodie pockets, heart racing a bit more as he got closer.

Her house–no, her mansion loomed ahead like something from a dream. With tall gates, ivy-covered walls, and windows softly glowing in the darkness, he found himself slowing down without even realizing it. It was as if his body just knew. His golden ears perked up while he instinctively glanced toward the upper floors. One light was on. His breath hitched in his throat, hopeful, and before he could think it through, his tail wagged a little behind him.

"Just one look," he whispered to himself, voice barely audible. "That’s all. Then I’ll leave."

He really should have just left it at that. He wanted to. But standing there on the sidewalk, gazing up at that one lit window, something deep in his chest was aching too much to brush off. It wasn’t enough. Just catching a glimpse of the light and imagining her silhouette moving behind the curtains. He needed to see her. Just for a moment. Just to know she was there.

His common sense didn’t just slip away. It crumbled right then and there.

The wall wasn’t impossible to scale. Sure, it was high, but there were footholds if you looked close enough; cracks in the stone, creeping vines, little ledges that seemed more decorative than practical. Cael paused for a couple of seconds before grabbing on and pulling himself up with a soft grunt. His tail flicked behind him, helping him balance, ears pinned back in focus as he climbed, scraping his knuckles a few times but pushing through.

It was reckless. Completely reckless. If anyone caught sight of him, he’d be toast.

But he didn’t care.

By the time he reached the ledge just under her window, his breath was coming in uneven gasps, chest rising and falling as he steadied himself. For a moment, he crouched there, fingers gripping the edge, eyes darting up toward the glass like he was scared it would vanish if he blinked too fast.

Then he settled in.

Sitting just outside her window, Cael shifted awkwardly until he found a comfortable spot, his back lightly against the wall. His tail, now full of energy, wagged so fast it tapped rhythmically against the stone–thump, thump, thump–as if it couldn’t be contained. He didn’t even notice at first.

"She’s going to open it," he murmured to himself, a quiet, hopeful laugh escaping. "She always opens it, doesn’t she? Just–just wait..."

His gaze was glued to the curtains, wide and bright, even though exhaustion usually clouded his eyes. Every flicker of light made his ears perk up, and his tail began to wag even faster, completely giving him away. He must have looked ridiculous; half-balanced on a ledge, dirt on his hands, clothes wrinkled and worn. But none of that mattered right now.

Time felt stretched thin, taut with anticipation, so much so that even the slightest movement felt deafening. Cael hadn’t noticed how still he had become until something changed.

His ears shot up immediately.

There: a flicker behind the curtain. A shadow shifting where there hadn’t been one before. His heart raced against his ribs, so hard it almost hurt, with his tail going wild again, thumping against the wall behind him. He leaned forward instinctively, gripping the ledge tighter, eyes wide and sparkling, afraid he might miss it if he blinked.

“–oh–” the word slipped out, quiet and breathless.

The curtain moved a bit.

Then, slowly, it began to part.

The rumor slipped in quietly.

It was thrown around the diner like it was nothing, just another piece of gossip to fill the gaps between orders. Someone laughed as they shared it, wiping down the counter, their tone relaxed and indifferent. “That rich girl up on the hill? Heard she’s getting married. Some big-shot family thing.”

Cael had been balancing a tray.

He didn’t drop it right away. Instead, he froze. It was like the words didn’t register at first, his mind refusing to catch up. But then it hit him all at once.

The crash followed just a second later.

Plates shattered across the floor, the noise sharp and jarring, but it paled in comparison to the ringing in his ears. Everything else faded away; voices, movement, even his manager's irritated shout. All he could focus on was that single line, echoing in his mind, louder each time.

She’s getting married.

“No,” he muttered, shaking his head vigorously. “No, that’s–not–no, they’re wrong.”

But his tail had already sunk.

He didn’t clock out. Didn’t say sorry. Didn’t even grab his jacket. One moment he was there. The next, he was off and running.

The nice part of town blurred around him in flashes of light and shadow, his breaths coming in erratic gasps, chest burning, legs on the verge of giving out but somehow pushing through. His ears were pressed flat against his head, tail tucked tightly behind him like he was trying to vanish, convinced that if he moved fast enough, none of this could be real.

The mansion appeared before him too swiftly and yet, it felt slow at the same time.

Lights were on, more than usual.

He didn’t even think; just scaled the gates, faster than he ever had, fingers slipping, knees scraping against rough surfaces, barely registering the pain. He hit the ground hard on the other side, nearly stumbling, catching himself with shaking hands before charging forward again. Shouts echoed behind him, but he didn’t look back.

“Hey! You–!”

He ducked under one grip, narrowly avoiding a hand on his arm. Another person tried to block him at the door. Cael slipped past, heart racing, panic fueling a speed he didn’t know he possessed. He didn’t belong here, and he realized that.

But he didn’t care.

“Please–” he gasped, unsure who he was even addressing anymore. “I just–I need to–”

Doors. Hallways. Too vast, too bright, too overwhelming.

And then–there.

Her.

He stopped short, nearly losing his balance.

For a heartbeat, he just stared, as if he needed to confirm she was really there. Like if he blinked, she’d vanish along with whatever answer he was desperately searching for.

His ears were still pinned low, tail tucked so tightly it quivered. His chest heaved, breaths ragged and urgent, eyes fixed on her.

“–you–” his voice cracked, barely holding on. “You’re–”

He took a step forward, then another. And then his legs just... gave out.

Cael dropped to his knees before her, the impact muted against the smooth floor. His hands braced for just a moment before one instinctively reached for her, hesitating just before contact, unsure if he had the right.

His head hung low, shoulders trembling slightly, breath caught in his throat as he struggled to keep it together. “Is it true?”