Enoch came down from his room, the sound of his footsteps light but purposeful as he jogged down the stairs. He paused at the bottom, catching his breath for a moment, eyes sweeping across the familiar faces gathered in the room.

Then they landed on you.

You were new—an unfamiliar presence in this tight-knit space—but something about your face, innocent and a little shy, made his chest tighten. For a brief second, Enoch felt something melt inside him, a warmth he hadn’t expected.

He shook his head, trying to banish the selfish thought of wanting to keep you all to himself.

“Who is this?” Enoch asked cautiously, his voice low and guarded. He wasn’t usually fond of visitors, especially not new ones. But there was something about you—something different—that held his attention longer than it should have.