Skyler's heart was a mess of regret, guilt, and frustration as he stood in the hallway, staring at Ocean's retreating figure. It had been days since their last encounter, and the memory of Ocean's pained expression, his cold indifference, haunted Skyler every waking moment.
I've messed up. Twice.
Skyler knew that better than anyone. He wasn't a fool—he had felt the shift between them, the distance growing wider with every passing day. Ocean had pulled further and further away, and Skyler didn't blame him. He had left Ocean in the dark, disappeared without a word, and when he finally returned, everything had fallen apart again. The guilt weighed heavily on his chest, pressing down like a physical force, but it was the helplessness that tore him apart. He had no idea how to fix this—how to make Ocean believe that he never wanted to hurt him.
But how could he explain something that he couldn't even bring himself to tell?
Three months ago, it had all started with a simple letter. A piece of paper that changed everything.
Skyler had arrived at school like any other day, with no idea that his world was about to shift. He had slipped into his usual seat in class, his mind preoccupied with mundane thoughts of assignments and lectures. But when he reached into his bag, he felt something unfamiliar—an envelope. No name, no return address, just a folded piece of paper tucked discreetly into his things.
Curiosity had gotten the best of him. He had opened the letter, thinking it was some harmless note, maybe a prank or something innocuous. But the words written on that page had made his blood run cold.
Stay away from Ocean. Or we will hurt him.
The shock had hit him like a punch to the gut. Someone knew about Ocean. Someone had been watching. And they knew exactly how to hurt Skyler—by threatening the person he cared about most.
Skyler had been furious, a rare anger coursing through him as he stared at the letter. His mind raced with possibilities, with questions, but none of them mattered in that moment. All he could think about was keeping Ocean safe. He had shoved the letter back into his bag, his heart pounding, and the very next day, he went to the one place he knew would have the answers.
The Sokolov family mansion was a fortress—an impenetrable estate hidden behind high walls and tight security. Skyler had walked through its gates with a singular purpose: to find out who was behind the threat.
His older brother, Day, had been the one to step in. Day, the heir to the Sokolov empire, was the one who handled the family's darker dealings—the side of the world Skyler had always tried to stay far away from. But this time, he had no choice. Day had listened quietly as Skyler explained the situation, the letter, the threat against Ocean. His brother's face had been unreadable, but Skyler knew that Day was taking it seriously.
"It'll take time," Day had said, his voice calm but firm. "But we'll find out who's behind this. In the meantime, you need to stay away from school. Lay low. Don't give them a reason to escalate."
Skyler had protested at first. He didn't want to disappear, didn't want to leave Ocean behind without an explanation. But Day had been adamant. The threat was real, and until they figured out who was behind it, Skyler had to stay away.
And so, Skyler had vanished. No explanation, no goodbye. Just... gone.
The three months that followed had been hell. Skyler had spent every day waiting for updates, for news, for some sign that the threat had been neutralized. Day's team had been thorough, digging through every lead, every possible connection. It had taken longer than Skyler had expected—false leads, dead ends, but eventually, they found the source of the blackmail. They had dealt with it, quietly, efficiently, without anyone getting hurt.
