Paradoxical Convergence (Book 1)

Chapter 8:Rain

The rain hadn't stopped since the early hours of the morning. It was the kind of steady, relentless downpour that soaked everything in minutes—the type of rain that muffled the city and made everything seem distant and muted. Cecile stood under a narrow awning by the road, staring out at the sheet of water that separated him from his journey to school.

"No umbrella," he muttered to himself, shaking his head in exasperation. "Perfect."

He'd forgotten it in his rush to leave the house that morning, and now it was hanging uselessly on the back of his door, where it wouldn't do him any good. It was typical, really—the one day it rained like the sky had decided to empty its entire contents on Luna City, and he was caught unprepared.

Cecile glanced up and down the road, hoping for a jeepney to appear out of the misty haze. The downpour made traffic even worse than usual, with vehicles creeping along like exhausted slugs. Even pedestrians seemed reluctant to cross the streets, darting under storefront awnings to avoid the worst of the rain.

And then there was the fog. Cecile had never paid much attention to it before. It was a common enough phenomenon in Luna City after a heavy rain. But lately, the fog seemed thicker, more insistent—especially in the late afternoons and evenings when Cecile would be commuting home. It would roll in from nowhere, blanketing the streets in a gray, suffocating mist. It caused more than just visibility issues—it seemed to slow everything down, like it was dragging the city into a quiet, eerie paralysis.

"Can't believe this," Cecile muttered again, rubbing his hands together to warm them up. "Of all the days to forget a stupid umbrella."

Just as he was resigning himself to getting drenched, the sound of footsteps splashing through puddles pulled him from his thoughts. Cecile turned just in time to see Maya walking toward him, a bright pink umbrella held over her head. Her appearance was immaculate, as always—her neatly tailored uniform untouched by the rain, her black hair perfectly in place despite the storm. She caught sight of him and smirked, her expression a mix of amusement and smugness.

"Well, well, look who's caught in the rain," Maya said cheerily, stopping beside him and giving him an exaggerated once-over. "Forget something?"

Cecile sighed, giving her a resigned look. "Don't start."

Maya chuckled softly, spinning the handle of her umbrella between her fingers. "I'm just saying, with your pretty face, I thought you'd be the type to carry an umbrella with—oh, I don't know—frills or something. Maybe lace."

Cecile shot her a dry glare, but Maya's teasing only widened her grin. She had a particular knack for finding ways to poke fun at his appearance. Cecile had always been slender and a little too pretty for his own good—his long black hair, pale skin, and sharp features often got him mistaken for a girl. Maya, with her constant teasing, never let him forget it.

"You're really not helping," Cecile muttered, brushing a few wet strands of hair from his face.

Maya's smile softened slightly, though her tone remained teasing. "Alright, alright. Come on, I'm feeling generous this morning. You can share." She tilted her umbrella slightly, making room for Cecile beneath the bright pink canopy. "Unless you want to show up at school looking like a drowned cat."

Cecile hesitated. He wasn't particularly fond of the idea of walking to the jeepney stop with Maya, not because she was bad company, but because their dynamic had always been... strange. She liked to tease him, and while it never crossed the line into malice, Cecile wasn't exactly a fan of being her target. Still, the alternative was getting soaked through to the bone.