Shadows Heart

Oriel's been hovering lately. I've always been used to him being intense—he's not exactly the kind of person who knows how to back off—but this feels different. He's quieter, sharper, like he's always watching me, waiting for something to happen.

At first, I thought it was because of Janus leaving. None of us are handling it great, but Oriel… he's taken it personally. He acts like Janus's absence is a betrayal, like him leaving was some kind of proof that the world can't be trusted.

I try to tell myself it's just Oriel being Oriel, but it's getting harder to ignore.

"Where were you?"

His voice startles me as I step into the common room. He's sitting in Janus's old chair, one leg draped over the other, his fingers drumming against the armrest.

"I was in the library," I say cautiously, setting my sketchpad down on the table.

"For three hours?"

I frown. "How do you know how long I was gone?"

Oriel shrugs, but his eyes don't leave me. "I notice things."

"Okay, well, I was reading," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. "Is that a problem?"

"No," he says quickly, but there's something in his tone that makes me uneasy. "It's just… you didn't tell me where you were going."

I blink at him, confused. "I don't need to tell you every time I leave my room, Oriel."

He leans forward, his gaze narrowing. "You could've said something. What if something happened?"

"Nothing happened," I say, crossing my arms. "I was fine."

"You don't know that," he mutters, his fingers curling into fists on the armrest.

"Oriel, what's going on with you?" I ask, my frustration bubbling to the surface. "You're acting like—"

"Like what?" he interrupts, standing up suddenly.

"Like you're scared," I say, my voice softer now. "Like you're afraid I'm going to leave too."

Oriel's jaw tightens, and for a moment, he looks like he's about to argue. But then he turns away, running a hand through his hair. "You don't get it," he says quietly.

"Then explain it to me," I say, stepping closer.

He doesn't turn around. "You're all I have left, Sao. You and I… we're the only ones who know what this feels like. If you leave…" His voice trails off, but I can hear the fear behind his words.

"I'm not going anywhere," I say firmly, reaching out to touch his arm.

He flinches but doesn't pull away. "You say that now, but people always leave."

The tension hangs heavy in the air as he finally turns back to me. His expression is hard to read—somewhere between anger and desperation.

"Janus left," he says, his voice bitter. "And he's not coming back."

"You don't know that," I say. "He promised he'd come back."

Oriel laughs, but there's no humor in it. "Promises don't mean anything."

"They do to Janus," I argue.

For a moment, he just stares at me, and I can feel the weight of everything he's not saying.

"Maybe you believe that," he says finally. "But I don't."

That night, I sit in my room, staring at the sketchpad on my lap. I try to draw, but my hand won't stop shaking. I can't stop thinking about the way Oriel looked at me earlier, like I was a thread he was afraid might snap.

I don't know what to do. I've always known Oriel had… feelings for me. But now, with Janus gone, it feels like those feelings are pressing down on me, suffocating me.

I want to believe I can help him, that I can be enough to keep him steady. But deep down, I'm starting to wonder if that's possible.

And if I can't, what happens then?