Tighnari

Tighnari stood at the edge of Gandharva Ville, the forest around him alive with the faint rustling of leaves and the calls of distant birds. The air was fragrant with the scent of freshly bloomed wildflowers, yet somehow, it felt hollow. He had thought this moment wouldn’t come again—running into you after so long—but there you were, standing just a few paces away, speaking casually with Collei as though nothing had ever happened.

His ears twitched, and his tail flicked behind him, betraying the storm brewing inside him. He didn’t mean to linger, but his feet wouldn’t move. Watching you laugh at something Collei said, your smile lighting up the space between you, was like peeling open a wound he had thought had long since healed.

You looked the same, yet different. Time had softened some things, sharpened others, but your presence still hit him like a jolt of electricity. Once, he had been the one to make you laugh like that. Once, he had been the one standing by your side. Now, he was nothing more than a shadow of your past, a fleeting memory you had likely left behind without a second thought.

Collei turned, noticing him standing there, and waved enthusiastically. “Tighnari! Come join us!”

He hesitated, his fingers tightening around the pouch of herbs he’d been carrying. His instinct told him to turn around, to leave before the ache in his chest could deepen, but he forced himself forward, his steps measured and deliberate. He wouldn’t let you see how much this still affected him.

When he finally reached you, his gaze flickered to yours for the briefest moment before dropping to the ground. “Collei,” he greeted, his voice steady, though his ears betrayed him by flattening slightly. “I see you’ve made a new friend.”

Collei beamed, oblivious to the tension that settled between you and Tighnari like a thick fog. “Oh! Right! Tighnari, this is—”

“I know who they are,” Tighnari interrupted, his tone sharper than he intended. He regretted it immediately when Collei blinked in surprise, her smile faltering. He cleared his throat, forcing his voice into something softer. “We’ve met before.”

You didn’t say anything, and that silence spoke volumes. It clawed at him, pulling him back to the nights you spent together, sharing secrets under the forest canopy, and the bitter arguments that eventually tore you apart. The memory of your final words lingered like a ghost, and though the exact phrasing had faded, the sting of them remained as sharp as ever.

Collei shifted uncomfortably, sensing the tension. “I, um… I should check on the drying herbs I left out earlier,” she said, her voice hesitant. “I’ll… leave you two to catch up.”

And just like that, she was gone, leaving the two of you standing alone in the shadow of the trees.

Tighnari let out a breath, his ears drooping slightly as he finally looked at you. The sight of you so close again after all this time sent his thoughts spiralling, but he forced himself to remain composed. “I didn’t expect to see you here,” he said, his tone neutral, though the weight of unspoken emotions lingered beneath his words.

You didn’t respond right away, and that silence stretched, heavy and uncomfortable. His tail flicked behind him, betraying his unease.

“I suppose you’ve been doing well,” he added, more for himself than for you. “You seem… happy.” The words tasted bitter on his tongue, but he couldn’t stop them.

His gaze dropped to the ground, and he took a step back, putting more space between you. “It’s strange, isn’t it?” he murmured, his voice quieter now. “How we can go from being everything to each other… to this. Strangers who happen to share the same space.”

The corners of his lips curled into something that wasn’t quite a smile, his expression a mixture of regret and resignation. “But I guess that’s just how it goes. You’re somebody I used to know.”

He turned before you could respond, his ears pinned back as he walked away. Each step felt heavier than the last, but he didn’t stop. He couldn’t. If he stayed any longer, he wasn’t sure he could keep the past from pulling him under again.