Shadows Heart

The crane feels like it's burning in my hands. Janus's handwriting, so familiar, dances before my eyes, but the words barely register.

"I'm sorry I missed you. I'll be back again soon. Don't give up on me."

Don't give up on him? How can I, when he was here, when he was so close that I could've reached out and touched him?

And Oriel—Oriel knew.

I glare at him through the tears clouding my vision. He stands there, his arms crossed, his face a mix of anger and something else I can't quite name. Guilt, maybe? Regret?

"You knew," I say, my voice trembling. "You knew, and you didn't tell me."

"Sao, I was trying to protect you," he says, his tone sharp but defensive.

"Protect me?" I snap, my voice rising. "Protect me from what, Oriel? From seeing someone I love? From knowing that he still cares?"

"From the pain of him leaving again!" he shouts, stepping closer. "I didn't want you to go through that."

"And you thought lying to me was better?" I yell back, clutching the crane tighter. "You thought keeping me in the dark would somehow make it easier?"

He opens his mouth, then closes it again, his jaw tightening.

"I can't believe you," I say, my voice breaking. "You had no right to make that decision for me. None."

The apartment, so warm and inviting just minutes ago, feels like a prison now. The intricate molding, the vintage stove, the sunlight streaming through the windows—it all feels fake, like a trap I didn't see coming.

"I'm not moving in here," I say firmly, standing up.

Oriel's eyes narrow, and his entire posture shifts. He steps closer, his voice dropping to a cold, dangerous tone I've never heard from him before. "Yes, you are."

I stare at him, my heart pounding. "No, I'm not."

"You don't have a choice," he says, his eyes locking onto mine. "You're staying, Sao. End of discussion."

I shake my head, my curls falling into my face. "You can't force me to stay here, Oriel."

He leans in closer, and for a moment, I don't recognize him. "If you don't move in, I'll make sure you never see Janus again," he says, his voice low and icy. "Not now, not ever."

The words hit me like a slap, and my knees nearly buckle under the weight of them.

"You wouldn't," I whisper, my voice barely audible.

"Try me," he says, his tone unrelenting.

Tears spill over again, and I sink back onto the bed, clutching the crane so tightly that it crumples in my hands. Janus's words feel hollow now, tainted by Oriel's threat.

"You're a monster," I whisper, my voice trembling.

His face flickers for a moment, something soft and uncertain breaking through the cold mask, but it vanishes as quickly as it came.

"This is for your own good, Sao," he says, his voice quieter now.

"My own good?" I snap, glaring up at him. "You don't care about what's good for me. This is about you. About keeping me here so you don't have to feel alone."

"That's not true," he says, but his voice wavers.

"Yes, it is," I say, standing again despite the trembling in my legs. "You don't care about what I want, Oriel. You only care about controlling me."

The words hang in the air between us, heavy and sharp, and for a moment, I think I've finally gotten through to him.

But then he shakes his head, his expression hardening again. "You'll understand someday," he says quietly. "You'll see that this is what's best for both of us."

"I'll never understand," I say, my voice breaking. "And I'll never forgive you for this."

He doesn't respond. He just turns and leaves the room, the sound of the door closing behind him echoing in the silence.

I collapse onto the bed, the crumpled crane still in my hands. The apartment feels suffocating now, the walls closing in around me.

Janus promised he'd come back, and I believe him. But right now, that promise feels so far away, and all I can feel is the weight of Oriel's threat.

I don't know what to do. All I know is that I can't stay here. Not like this.