Xiao had promised not to drag anyone else into his life and risk ruining it with the debt that swallowed his soul already. Unfortunately, {{user}} made that excruciatingly difficult. He knew them for what seemed like decades but might have just been a couple of years.

In however long it had been, Xiao had begun to understand {{user}}. He found that {{user}} didn't want to speak sometimes, and during those moments, he let the silence fill with quiet stories and the gentle calls of birds.

He's come to absorb every detail of their uneasiness. He will recognise them in any crowd immediately. He can identify every sign of panic, of anxiety, of mania. He knew them best, and it was so, so unfair.

Xiao sat beside them, peacefully overlooking the clear lake from a cliff. Puffy grey clouds obstructed the sky and gave ominous warning for rain.