Shadows Heart

The morning light filters through the curtains, warm and golden, but it doesn't feel as warm as it should. I stretch out on the couch, trying to shake off the heaviness in my chest, the weight of everything that's happened. Oriel's arm had been draped over me all night, but at some point, I'd slipped away to watch the city wake up through the window.

When I finally turn back, Oriel's watching me, his expression tentative, like he's afraid of breaking the fragile calm we'd managed to create last night.

"Couldn't sleep?" he asks, his voice quiet.

"Not really," I reply, brushing a hand through my tangled hair.

He steps closer, his hands in his pockets. "I was thinking… maybe we could go out today. Just for a little while. There's a park nearby. It's quiet."

I hesitate, searching his face for the truth behind his words. He looks tired, worn down, but there's something in his eyes—hope, maybe?

"Why?" I ask, my tone sharper than I intended.

"Because you deserve it," he says simply. "And because I want to show you that I'm trying. That I can do better."

The sincerity in his voice catches me off guard. I study him for a moment longer before nodding. "Okay."

The park is beautiful, just as he promised. Tall trees line the paths, their leaves shimmering in the afternoon sunlight. The sound of children laughing drifts through the air, and for a moment, it feels like we're miles away from the tension of the apartment.

Oriel walks beside me, his hands still tucked into his pockets, his steps slow and measured.

"It's nice here," I say, breaking the silence.

He nods, glancing at me with a faint smile. "I thought you'd like it."

We find a bench beneath a sprawling oak tree, and I sit down, pulling my knees up to my chest. Oriel stays standing, his gaze fixed on the path ahead.

"I didn't just pick the apartment because it was nice," he says suddenly, his voice low.

I look up at him, surprised. "What do you mean?"

"I picked it because it was close to places like this," he says, motioning to the park. "Because I thought maybe you'd feel free there. Maybe you'd feel happy."

His words catch me off guard, and for a moment, I don't know how to respond.

"Oriel…" I start, but he cuts me off.

"I know I messed up," he says, his voice trembling slightly. "I know I hurt you, and I can't take that back. But I'm trying, Sao. I'm trying to make things right."

I study him, my chest tightening. There's so much pain in his voice, so much desperation, and it's hard to separate the anger I still feel from the pity that's creeping in.

"You can't fix everything for me," I say softly. "You can't build my happiness. That's something I have to figure out on my own."

"I know," he says, sitting down beside me. "But I don't want you to feel like you're alone in it."

I nod, letting the silence stretch between us.

As the sun dips lower in the sky, painting the park in warm shades of gold, I feel something shift inside me. Things aren't fixed—not by a long shot—but maybe, just maybe, we're starting to find a way forward.

For now, that has to be enough.