Chapter One: The Echo of a Dream

                                    

                                          
Rain poured in torrents, cascading down like endless sheets of silver. In the dream, it felt cold against his skin, but Pat didn't care. He was laughing, breathless, as he ran through the downpour, fingers interlaced with Pran's.
"Faster!" Pran called out, his smile bright enough to outshine the gloom. His voice was music, a balm to Pat's weary soul.
Pat grinned, his chest tightening with something more potent than joy—something closer to desperation. He didn't know why, but he couldn't let go. Not tonight. Not ever.
They stopped under a flickering streetlamp, drenched and panting, and Pran turned to him, eyes wide and unguarded. "Pat," he whispered, his voice trembling with a mix of love and something unspoken. "Promise me—"
The sound came first: a sharp screech of tires. Then the crash.
The lamp above them shattered, plunging the world into darkness. Pat screamed, his hands reaching for Pran, but he was already slipping away—into the rain, into the void.
And then there was nothing.
Pat woke with a start, gasping as if the dream had stolen his breath. His hand instinctively reached for the side of the bed, but it was empty. The faint hum of the city's early morning traffic filtered through the windows, grounding him in the present.
He sat up, running a hand through his damp hair, his heartbeat thundering in his chest. The room was dim, the gray light of dawn seeping through the heavy curtains. On the nightstand, his phone buzzed—a subtle reminder of the day ahead.
Pat exhaled sharply, the remnants of the dream clinging to him like a second skin. No, not Pat. Not anymore. He was Min now. Pat was the boy who had loved recklessly, who had lost everything. Min was the man who had rebuilt himself, brick by brick, into something unshakable.
Or so he told himself.
The bathroom light flickered on, illuminating the cold marble and gleaming chrome. Min stared at his reflection in the mirror, his jaw tight, his eyes shadowed with exhaustion. He splashed water on his face, hoping to wash away the lingering specter of Pran.
But Pran was always there, in the corners of his mind, in the whispers of dreams that bled into waking.
"Promise me..." The words from the dream lingered, raw and aching. What had he promised?
Min pushed the thought away, turning the water off with a sharp twist. Today was like any other day. Routine would save him. Routine always did.
The office building towered over the city, its glass façade reflecting the pale sunlight. Inside, everything moved with precision—staff bustling about, hushed phone calls, the steady rhythm of commerce.
Min stepped out of the elevator, his presence commanding attention without a word. A sleek black suit hugged his frame, tailored to perfection, and his sharp gaze scanned the open floor like a hawk surveying its territory.
"Good morning, Mr. Min," his assistant greeted him, falling into step beside him. She was efficient, brisk, and the closest thing he allowed to a confidant.
"Updates," he said curtly, his voice a low baritone that carried authority.
"The board meeting is set for ten," she began, flipping through her tablet. "Your father called twice. He wants an update on the logistics merger."
Min's lips tightened. "Tell him I'll handle it."
"And..." She hesitated, glancing at him.
"What?"
"There's a new intern starting today. The son of your father's old friend."
Min barely acknowledged this, his focus already shifting to the numbers on the report she handed him. "Make sure he's briefed and assigned to the logistics department. I don't have time for hand-holding."
"Yes, sir."
The day passed in a blur of meetings and negotiations. Min's world was one of deals and deadlines, where every decision carried weight and failure was not an option.
But even in the noise, the silences found him.
It was in the brief lull between calls, when his eyes lingered on the rain streaking the windows. It was in the quiet moments after a negotiation, when his chest ached for reasons he couldn't name—or wouldn't.
By the time the day ended, Min felt drained but steady, his mask firmly in place.
The penthouse was dark when he returned, the lights automatically flickering on as he stepped inside. The space was expansive yet sterile, all clean lines and muted tones. It reflected the man he had become—polished, unyielding, untouchable.
Min loosened his tie, pouring himself a drink from the bar. He stood by the window, the city's glittering lights stretching out beneath him, and let the silence settle.
His phone buzzed on the counter. It was Pa.
"Have you eaten? Don't forget, you're still human, even if you don't act like it. Love you."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips, but it faded as quickly as it came. Pa always worried, always tried to pull him out of the armor he had encased himself in.
He took a slow sip of his drink, the burn familiar, grounding.
"Pran," he whispered, his voice barely audible over the hum of the city below. The name slipped out like a prayer, a confession.
In the window's reflection, he didn't see Min—the successful businessman, the impenetrable force. He saw Pat. A boy who had once believed in love, in forever.
And just for a moment, he let himself remember.


Thank You for Reading!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read the first chapter of my story. It means the world to me to share this reimagined tale inspired by characters I adore from Thai BL series. Your support and feedback will help me grow as a writer, so feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts or give it a star if you enjoyed it. Every bit of encouragement helps!
Stay tuned for more chapters, and thank you for being part of this journey with me. 💖
Much love, Ithira.....