In Silence, Only the Memory of You Remains. [Haikaveh]

CHAPTER THREE

It had been about two weeks since the last meeting at Alhaitham's house, and Kaveh was gradually settling into the new schedule that came with losing his voice so suddenly.

In truth, it wasn't as bad as he'd expected it to be. At first, the silence was terrifying, and it made him feel as if someone had forcibly taped his mouth shut. But as the days went by, and he began to get used to it, the quiet became less of a threat and more of a constant companion, something he could learn to live with. It forced him to find new ways to communicate and to think more carefully about how he expressed himself. It still felt strange, like a part of him was missing, but it wasn't unbearable.

He'd spent the last few days tinkering with Mehrak, adding new functions to help him respond to simple questions. It wasn't perfect, but it was something to start with. Still, despite his best efforts, he couldn't shake his frustrations at work. Being unable to voice your thoughts was extremely painful, especially as an architect. It wasn't long before Kaveh began missing the back-and-forth of conversations, and the lively discussions that sparked creativity and pushed his ideas further.

Even though he wasn't allowed to start any new projects yet—something that gnawed at him every day—working on the ones that were still pending felt like walking through mud. He couldn't engage with his work the way he used to, and instead of feeling inspired, he felt like he was just going through the motions, just fulfilling the agreements made with the clients.

Kaveh wasn't the kind of person who could just sit back and let things happen. He wanted to feel passionate about what he was doing, to pour his heart into every detail. But now, with every idea trapped inside his head and no way to express it, he felt like he was losing a part of himself. And he hated it more than anything.

Alhaitham, on the other hand, seemed to be following his routine as Acting Grand Sage without much visible change. He would leave early in the morning for work, sometimes without even saying goodbye, and the blonde would just put up with it, as always. Despite having little interaction, Kaveh had become more observant, and even with that expressionless face of his, Kaveh started picking up on a few odd details in the scribe's behavior. All of a sudden, he started coming home more often to have dinner, and he talked a lot more, which was unusual. He would even start the conversation on his own sometimes, asking him how his projects were going or if he had eaten anything throughout the day—things that, in the past, he wouldn't have bothered asking.

Kaveh wasn't sure what had prompted said changes, but he couldn't help but feel a small flicker of happiness at their improved relationship. Without his voice, their interactions had somehow softened, the constant bickering had lessened, and while Kaveh knew he shouldn't feel too content about this—it was the result of a serious condition, after all—he couldn't help but feel a bit nostalgic. It reminded him of how things had been between them before the fallout, before everything became so complicated. It was nice.

The scribe, attentive to Kaveh's behavior, also noticed certain differences in his habits. The blonde had become more expressive than before, smiling broadly when he was happy and scrunching up his face when something in particular bothered him. It was curious to see him wandering around the house silently, but now instead of shouting, he would now get Alhaitham's attention by tapping on things, the strength of the sound depending on his mood. Just as expected, the range could go from gently knocking on the table during dinner, to nearly kicking the door down when Alhaitham refused to clean up the dishes.

There was a surprising warmth in these interactions. The way Kaveh's expressions lifted up the atmosphere had a calming effect on Al Haitham, giving him a subtle comfort in their quiet communication. Still, he tried to avoid getting too comfortable with it—he wanted Kaveh to regain his voice soon, after all.