Youth [MikhAiah] [Book #1]

19

—🐶🦊🐰🐼🐱—

As soon as Maloi locks eyes with the figure standing at the door, her world tilts. Her breath catches in her throat, and her legs, which moments ago felt sturdy beneath her, buckle under the sudden weight of shock.

"Maloi!" Aiah's voice cuts through the thick silence just before her arms instinctively wrap around her friend's waist, preventing her from collapsing. The room is eerily still, the sound of Maloi's sharp intake of breath the only thing cutting through the tension.

Mikha—clad in casual clothes, her signature cap pulled low over her face—shifts awkwardly by the door. Her once commanding presence now feels out of place, almost diminished under the weight of her friends' stares. There's a ripple of disbelief in the air, so palpable that it sends chills crawling up Aiah's spine.

Sheena stands frozen, her hand clutching a glass of water she had been sipping from. The glass hovers inches from her mouth, her wide eyes bouncing between Aiah and Mikha. Stacey is no better, her lips slightly parted as if about to speak, but no words come out.

Seconds feel like hours before Stacey, voice trembling with confusion, breaks the stillness. "Bakit... bakit nandito yung prinsipe?"

"KINIDNAP MO BA YUNG PRINSIPE?!"

Her questions hangs in the air, heavy, almost unreal, like the dawning of something far too overwhelming to process at once. Mikha's eyes flick to Aiah, seeking some form of silent support, but Aiah can only manage a weak smile in return. She's holding Maloi up, and she feels the weight of her friend like an anchor keeping her grounded.

Mikha steps forward hesitantly, her movements uncertain, as if she's navigating uncharted territory. "Uhm... surprise?" she murmurs, her voice lacking the usual strength and confidence that comes with her title.

Aiah lets out a soft, shaky laugh, the absurdity of the situation almost too much for her to handle. She glances at Mikha, eyes wide with panic and a plea for help, but Mikha looks just as lost as the rest of them. The usual masks they wear—their normal lives, their games—have crumbled in this one moment.

"I can explain," Aiah begins, her voice wavering. She struggles to find the right words, her heart pounding so loudly in her chest it feels like everyone else should hear it too. "We were going to tell you... pero... it's complicated."