Dragon's Shadow (Raihan x OC)

Unraveling

Senna's POV:

I couldn't stop thinking about Raihan.

His words, his steady gaze, the way he looked at me like he was waiting for something—waiting for me to figure it all out. Every time I thought I had a grip on my feelings, they unraveled, slipping through my fingers like sand.

"When you're ready, I'll still be here."

What did that even mean? Was it a challenge? A promise? Or something more?

I had left Hammerlocke in such a rush, trying to put distance between us, but no matter how far I went, Raihan was still there—haunting my thoughts, making my heart race in ways I couldn't control.

I needed to focus. To clear my head. But no matter how hard I tried to distract myself with training or exploring the region, my thoughts always circled back to him. To us.

It had been days since my last encounter with Raihan, and I hadn't spoken to anyone about it—not even Leon. I wasn't ready to admit that something had shifted between us, that the rivalry had morphed into something far more complicated.

But as I stood outside the stadium in Postwick, staring up at the sky, I knew I couldn't run from it forever.

Leon joined me, his usual smile in place, but there was something different in his eyes. He had always been able to read me better than anyone, and I knew he had sensed that something was off.

"You've been quiet lately," Leon said, leaning against the fence next to me. "Everything alright?"

I hesitated, my chest tightening with the weight of everything I hadn't said. Leon wasn't just my brother—he was my mentor, my biggest supporter. But talking to him about Raihan, about how this rivalry had turned into something I didn't understand... it felt like too much.

"I'm fine," I muttered, but even I could hear the lie in my voice.

Leon raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "You know, Senna, you don't have to hide everything. Especially not from me."

I clenched my fists, trying to hold back the flood of emotions threatening to spill over. "It's nothing. Just... things with Raihan are complicated."

Leon's smile faded, replaced by a look of understanding. "Complicated how?"

I swallowed hard, the words stuck in my throat. How could I explain the pull I felt toward Raihan? The way every battle with him felt like more than just a test of strength, like it was pushing me to confront something deeper?

"It's not just about battles anymore," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "I don't know what's going on between us, but... it's messing with my head."

Leon was quiet for a moment, then he nodded, his gaze softening. "Raihan's always been intense. But if there's more to it than rivalry, you'll have to face it eventually."

His words hit me harder than I expected, and I looked away, my chest tight with confusion.

"I don't know if I'm ready for that," I admitted, my voice shaky.

Leon placed a hand on my shoulder, his touch steadying me. "You'll know when you are."

Later that night, after hours of tossing and turning, I got a message.

Raihan: Hey, been thinking about our last conversation. Still want that rematch whenever you're ready. But maybe we should talk first.

My heart skipped a beat as I read the words over and over again. Talk? What did he want to talk about? My mind immediately jumped to a hundred different possibilities, each one more confusing than the last.

Part of me wanted to ignore it, to pretend like everything between us was still just about battling. But the other part—the part I was scared to acknowledge—wanted to see him. To finally confront whatever this was.

Before I could overthink it, I typed out a response.

Senna: Fine. We'll talk.

I hit send, my heart racing. There was no turning back now.

The next day, I found myself back in Hammerlocke, standing outside the stadium where it had all started. My pulse quickened as I spotted Raihan leaning against the entrance, his arms crossed, his expression unreadable.

He glanced up when he saw me, and for a moment, the air between us felt heavy with everything we hadn't said.

"You came," he said, pushing off the wall and walking toward me.

I crossed my arms, trying to steady my racing heart. "You asked me to."

Raihan chuckled softly, but it lacked the usual teasing edge. "Yeah, I did. Because I think we need to clear the air."

I raised an eyebrow, my chest tight with anticipation. "Clear the air about what?"

He looked at me, his gaze more serious than I had ever seen it. "About this. About us."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut, and I felt my breath catch in my throat. Us. He had said it—finally acknowledged what had been simmering beneath the surface for so long.

"There's no 'us,' Raihan," I muttered, though my voice wavered. "We're just rivals."

He stepped closer, his eyes locked on mine, and for the first time, I didn't feel the weight of competition between us. Instead, it was something else—something deeper, more intense.

"Is that really what you think?" Raihan asked, his voice low.

I looked away, my heart pounding in my chest. I wanted to deny it, to brush him off like I always did, but the truth was staring me in the face, and I couldn't run from it anymore.

"I don't know," I admitted, my voice barely a whisper. "I don't know what this is."

Raihan reached out, gently tilting my chin so I would meet his gaze. His touch was soft, but it sent a shock of electricity through me, making my pulse quicken.

"I think you do know," he said, his voice quiet but full of meaning. "You just don't want to admit it."

The air between us was thick with tension, and for a moment, I felt like the world had disappeared. It was just me and Raihan, standing on the edge of something I wasn't sure I was ready to face.

But I couldn't deny the pull any longer.

"I'm scared," I whispered, the words slipping out before I could stop them.

Raihan's gaze softened, and he took another step closer, his voice barely above a whisper. "So am I."

The silence between us stretched on, but it wasn't the uncomfortable silence of before. It was something else—something that felt like the calm before a storm.

For the first time since we met, I didn't feel like we were enemies. I didn't feel like we were battling for control.

I felt like we were standing on the same side.

"I don't know where this goes," I admitted, my heart pounding in my chest. "But I don't want to keep pretending like it's just about battles."

Raihan nodded, his gaze steady. "Neither do I."

There it was—the shift. The unspoken truth finally out in the open, leaving us with nothing but the weight of our words and the uncertainty of what came next.

But for the first time, I wasn't afraid of that uncertainty.

Because no matter where this went, I knew Raihan would be there—waiting