Kavetham/Haikaveh - Heavy Angst

Chapter 3 - new environment

Alhaitham's POV

On the day Kaveh vanished,  Alhaitham went around the entirety of Sumeru, inquiring if anyone had seen the architect. Despite his efforts yielding no results, he resolved to continue the search the following day.

This cycle continued on for days, and despite his every effort, no results materialized. Initially, upon reading Kaveh's note, Alhaitham suspected that Kaveh might have been deceitful about his journey to Snezhnaya. He couldn't fathom that Kaveh would truly depart Sumeru; he thought that Kaveh might simply be hiding from him him. However, as days went by, a gradual realization emerged: Kaveh might indeed have left Sumeru behind.

Each morning, as Alhaitham sits at the dining table, he is greeted by loneliness, as Kaveh is no longer here. When he was still here, they would argue about the smallest things. Even though Alhaitham found it irritating at the time, he now misses the bickers they used to have. He was reminded of the blonde's amusing facial expressions from the times when he had been left speechless. Thinking about these few moments, Alhaitham could not help but smile.

However, a subtle tide of disappoint surged within him as he stared at the chair, adorned with intricate carvings, that Kaveh once occupied. He tried brushing it off by having his breakfast before carrying on with the rest of his day.

As he carries on with his daily tasks, memories of Kaveh persistently invade his thoughts. He finds himself perplexed by these recurring memories, considering that their relationship had been no more than that of roommates – or at least, that's what he had believed. In recent days, these memories of their shared experiences have been playing on a loop in his mind. This influx has even impeded his ability to concentrate on his work, leaving him with a sense that something within him is amiss.

Kaveh's POV

On the other hand, Kaveh had just arrived in Fontaine, yet his transition to this new environment was far from smooth. Despite looking fine on the outside, he found himself struggling with its unfamiliarity, his mind troubled by the challenges of adapting to this unknown territory.

Fontaine was an entirely distinct world, a realm apart from Sumeru. Here, different faces, captivating scenes, new technologies and cuisines awaited. The sole companion by Kaveh's side at that time was his suitcase, Mehrak. Apart from that, everything else remained new and unfamiliar to him.

At first, Kaveh wasn't used to such loneliness. He longed for the presence of his former roommate, Alhaitham, yet he forced himself to push those thoughts aside, not wanting to burden him any further. Much like Alhaitham, each morning greeted Kaveh with the solitude that would accompany him throughout the day. The pangs of isolation were especially pronounced in the stillness of quiet hours, serving as a reminder that he was alone.

Despite these challenges, Kaveh was determined in his pursuit of earning money. Whether it meant finding a part-time job to earn his keep or searching for opportunities in blueprint design that aligned with his architectural skills, he was committed to repaying his debt. Each day, he scoured job listings, crafted resumes, and attended interviews. His not only fueled by his desire to stand on his own feet but also by the promise he had made to himself – to settle the debt he owed to pay back the kindness Alhaitham had given him.