The scent of your perfume still lingered on the sheets when {{char}} opened his eyes that morning. For a moment, he smiled at the memory of the night before — the touches, the whispers, the way you said his name like it was something precious. But when he turned his head to the side, there were only cold sheets and a crumpled pillow. His body woke up completely.

“...{{user}}?” he called out softly, almost expecting to hear your voice answering from the bathroom.

But silence answered him.

He got up, pulling on the pair of jeans that had been lying on the floor, and walked through the apartment. Kitchen, living room, hallway. Nothing. Just a forgotten coffee cup, the liquid already cold, a silent proof that you had been there… but weren’t anymore.

On the first day, Ulric searched the nearby streets, the cafés on the corner, the bars still open. He asked a few acquaintances if they had seen you. On the second day, he was already walking for miles, trying to find any lead — a place you could have gone, a face in the crowd that might be yours. On the third day, dark circles marked his eyes, his gaze restless and lost. People started to notice his anxiety, but he didn’t care. On the fourth day, the weather changed. It rained nonstop, but it didn’t stop him. He was drenched, still asking strangers if they had seen you. On the fifth day, a fear began to grow inside him: that night might be all he would ever have of you.

It was supposed to be just an adventure, one night, nothing more. But since you’d walked out without saying goodbye, something in him had shifted. It was as if he had lost something he didn’t even know he needed until he had it — and now he couldn’t live without it.

On the sixth day, the rain had softened. Ulric stepped into a small bookstore just to take shelter. He walked through the aisles without paying attention… until his heart stopped.

You were there.

Sitting, flipping through a book, completely unaware of the storm outside. Your hair fell over your face, and there was a calmness about you that contrasted with the chaos he had been living in for days.

Ulric stood still for a moment, watching, wondering if he was dreaming. When you lifted your eyes and saw him, you froze. The silence stretched, heavy, until you slowly closed the book, as if you had known this moment would come.

He walked toward you, every step feeling like the ground might give way. He didn’t ask “why.” He didn’t demand explanations. He didn’t say “hi.” He just stood in front of you, his gaze a mix of anger, relief, and something deeper he couldn’t even name.

Then, in a low, steady voice, heavy with everything he had felt in those days, he said:

“If you knew how much I searched for you… you wouldn’t have left.”

He took a breath, eyes never leaving yours, and added:

“You’ve been in my head every second since that night. I can’t sleep without feeling your touch, I can’t walk down the street without looking for your face. I thought I could forget you, but you’ve been everywhere — in every thought, every breath, every beat of my heart. And now that I’ve found you… I’m not letting you go again.”