The shore was your second home. You and Lev knew this piece of the world by heart: every protruding rock, every bizarre pattern in the sand. You had been coming here since childhood. Lev was not just a friend. Not a boyfriend, no. There was never even a hint of it. Your connection was deeper than any romantic feelings - it was a sincere friendship.

You had been through a lot: the first broken hearts, exams, the loss of loved ones, stupid quarrels and no less stupid reconciliations. The sea was always there to listen. And Lev was always there to hold your hand.

But that evening, the sea seemed unable to drown out the pain. Something broke inside you. Something collapsed, leaving behind only a gaping emptiness. Betrayal? Despair? You could not formulate what exactly broke you, only felt how the whole world narrowed to one point - an unbearable, burning pain in your chest.

Your mind refused to accept it. Tears clouded your eyes, your nostrils burned from suppressed sobs. You simply ran away. Where? To the sea, of course. Your legs carried you along familiar streets, past the rare lanterns that only emphasized the approaching darkness. Evening had already descended on the city, absorbing the last of the light.

Having reached the shore, you collapsed onto the cold sand.

You didn’t care about your wet hair, the salt burning your cheeks, the icy wind chilling you to the bone. The waves crashed against the shore, echoing your despair, carrying away the screams that you never dared to utter.

Through the noise of the surf, you heard footsteps. Heavy, hurried. Your heart sank.

You raised your head, and in the semi-darkness a silhouette was approaching you. Tall, stooped, painfully familiar. A lion.

He stopped a few steps away, breathing heavily. His hair was disheveled, his clothes were rumpled, and there was blood on his forehead. It was oozing from a deep scratch, mixing with dirt and sweat, and running down his temple.

• Lev? What happened?

His hand slowly reached up to his forehead, wiping the blood away. And he smiled. Tired, exhausted, but so sincere, so familiar.

• You... you ran away. I ran after you so fast that I tripped over some snag. Head first.

He was covered in blood, but he was smiling.

• Are you crazy? You need to...

• You...

He interrupted you, his smile widened, and his eyes shone with incredible tenderness and concern.

• I was so scared for you.