It was a Tuesday morning when the first crack appeared.
Not in the sky, not in their bond—but in Karthik's voice, trembling slightly as he answered the teacher's question during English period. It was subtle, but Ananya noticed. She always did.
His hand trembled as he closed his notebook. His gaze was distant, his smile thinner than usual. And when class ended, he walked out without waiting for her.
Ananya followed.
"Karthik!" she called, jogging up the corridor.
He slowed, turned halfway. "Yeah?"
"You okay?"
"Yeah," he said too quickly. "Just a headache."
She didn't believe him.
---
They sat together at lunch, as always. But Karthik barely ate. He poked at his food, eyes flickering between the canteen walls and the floor.
Ananya nudged him with her elbow. "You're either thinking about aliens or drowning in your own thoughts. Which is it today?"
He gave a weak chuckle. "Maybe both."
She watched him. "Want to talk about it?"
He shook his head, eyes tight. "It's nothing, Ananya. Really."
That word again—nothing. She'd learned that nothing sometimes meant everything in Karthik's world.
But she didn't push. Not yet.
---
After school, they parted ways at the gate. Ananya lingered a moment longer, watching him walk away, shoulders hunched, like he was carrying a weight no one else could see.
That night, she messaged him.
Ananya: Still thinking about aliens? Or are the demons louder today?
There was no reply for a long time.
Finally, a message blinked in.
Karthik: I don't know what's wrong with me. Everything feels… off. Like I'm slipping back.
Her heart ached reading that.
Ananya: You're not slipping. You're just tired. We'll get through it. Together.
Karthik: What if I become that dark version of me again?
Ananya: Then I'll be the light again. I'm not going anywhere.
---
The next day, she brought him a paper crane.
He blinked at it. "What's this?"
"Hope," she said. "And a reminder that even something fragile can fly."
He smiled—not fully, but enough.
---
At assembly that week, their school announced an interschool essay competition. The theme? "The Light That Found Me."
Karthik scribbled the title in his notebook absently, then paused.
He looked over at Ananya, who was busy sketching something in her diary. Probably him, again—drawn in some exaggerated chibi style.
He smiled softly.
Maybe the light had already found him.
---
End of Chapter 118