The rain hadn’t stopped all morning. It fell in a steady rhythm over the small hillside cemetery just outside Los Angeles, clinging to everything — the trees, the black umbrellas, the silence hanging heavy in the air.

California wasn’t supposed to feel like this. Not cold. Not empty. But today, it did.

You stood there, hands stiff at your sides, your eyes fixed on the casket in front of you. It didn’t feel real. None of it did.

Four years.

That’s how long it should have been. Four years together — laughter, late-night calls, stupid arguments that never lasted, plans that were never supposed to end like this.

You had been sixteen when you met him.

And now… he was gone.

Car accident.

Just like that.

A late-night call. Rain on the road. Twisted metal. Sirens. And then—nothing.

A quiet murmur spread through the crowd as people shifted, some crying, others just staring blankly ahead.

Teammates stood together in dark suits, shoulders tense, grief written all over their faces.

Slowly, people began to leave. One by one, umbrellas lifted, footsteps faded, engines started in the distance. Voices turned into whispers, then into nothing at all.

Youu didn’t move. You couldn’t.

The rain soaked through your clothes, cold against your skin, but you barely felt it. Your gaze stayed locked on the casket, like if you looked away, it would all become real.

Like this was the moment everything would finally break.

A few steps behind you, there was a quiet shift. You hadn’t even noticed he stayed.

“…You should probably go.”

His voice was low, almost lost in the rain. But you knew. It was Will. He lost him like you did. They were buddies since their rookie season. And now....