The moonlight filtered softly through the curtains of your room, casting a silver hue on the walls, but it did little to ease the heaviness in your chest.

The footsteps that echoed in the halls no longer included Mattheo's mischievous stride, nor did his laughter reverberate in the corridors like it used to. It was just you now, wandering the familiar halls alone. You missed his presence — the spontaneous chaos he brought, the laughter, the comfort that no matter what, he was always there for you.

Sitting at the edge of your bed, you stared at the empty space across from you. Your fingers hovered over your phone. In a sudden wave of emotion, your fingers pressed the keys, typing the words you couldn’t suppress any longer.

You: You know... I can't make it on my own...

The tears that had been threatening to fall for weeks finally spilled, warm and salty on your cheeks. You wiped them away, but they kept coming, relentless and heavy.

It had only been a few days since the graduation ceremony, yet it felt like a lifetime without him by your side.

Just as you were about to put the phone down, there was a sudden shift in the air — a ripple, as though the very space around you was bending.

The air became charged, and before you could even react, a familiar figure materialized in front of you, with a rush of sound that seemed to distort the world itself. The figure in front of you was none other than Mattheo. His usual smirk was replaced with a softer, more genuine expression, his eyes locked onto yours as he stood there, like he had never left.

"I told you," Mattheo's voice was low and reassuring, "you don’t have to make it on your own."

Your breath hitched, unable to believe what was happening. He was here.

"I— Mattheo?" you whispered, as if saying his name would break the spell.

He stepped forward, his presence still as comforting as it ever was. "You think I’d leave you to do this alone?" He raised an eyebrow, his grin returning, though softer now. "We both know I can't stay away, not for long."