DOWNFALL -HIERARCHY

Chapter 33: The End

TW!: Mention of d3ath
Narrator's POV:

"Ri-an?" Ri-an was jolted out of his worried thoughts as someone called out his name. The familiar voice pierced through the chaos, and he turned to see who it was.

Ri-an's eyes trembled with a mix of relief and exhaustion as he made his way towards the owner of the voice. As soon as he reached the individual, he placed both of his hands on their shoulders and pulled them into a tight embrace.

The weight of his worry and fear seemed to lift off his shoulders, and he let out a shaky exhale. He held on for a moment, finding solace in the comfort of the person's presence. The person, sensing Rian's fatigue, lightly tapped his shoulder and inquired,

"What happened to you?" Their voice was laced with a mix of concern and curiosity. Ri-an's face sank into the person's neck, and he held onto them tightly, his grip firm. His voice muffled but filled with concern as he confessed,

"I was so worried about you, Nabi." Ri-an murmured, his face buried in Nabi's neck. As the words escaped his lips, he found himself tightening his grip on them, as if seeking reassurance and comfort.

The stress and anxiety he had been carrying since he lost sight of her finally found an outlet, and he clung to the person in front of him as if they were his anchor.

Nabi's voice cut through the tension, and Ri-an's heart leapt with relief as he heard her reassuring words. She reassured him, "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

Her touch was gentle, caressing his back and providing comfort. Ri-an's grip on her loosened a bit, but he continued to lean into her embrace, seeking solace in her presence.

Timeskip
Same Day
@Jooshin Highschool

Ri-an was seated on the edge of the hospital bed in the infirmary, his shoulders slumped in exhaustion. Nabi entered with cotton pads and ointment in hand, ready to tend to his wounds.

Woojin stood by Ri-an's side, arms crossed over his chest, his expression a mix of worry and concern. Both of them looked at Ri-an in a tired silence. Ri-an felt Nabi's gentle touch as she carefully applied the ointment to his cuts and bruises. As their eyes met, a tangible tension filled the air between them. Nabi's focus was on treating his wounds, but Rian couldn't help but notice the small details in her expression, the slight furrowing of her brow, the way her lips pressed together in concentration.

Nabi continued tending to Rian's wounds, her touch gentle yet firm. As she focused on the cuts on the side of his lips, she let out a sigh and inquired, "What did you get yourself into this time?"

Ri-an winced slightly as the ointment stung the sensitive area, but his focus remained on her, taking in her concerned expression. He knew he couldn't avoid her question, and Ri-an lowered his gaze, a mixture of guilt and exhaustion in his eyes.

"It's a long story," he mumbled, his voice a little hoarse. "Just... got into a bit of trouble, that's all."

Nabi finished treating the wound on his lip and paused for a moment, her eyes studying his face critically. She could sense that there was more to the story than he was letting on, but she decided not to press the issue further for now. Instead, she just nodded silently, placing the cotton pad aside and starting to apply a bandaid on his lip.