Soren

You grew up under the wing of a single mother, in a world of strict prohibitions and cold instructions. From childhood, your mother instilled in you one truth: "Don't love anyone." Perhaps she herself had once burned in this fire and lost her happiness, so she tried to protect you. Thanks to her connections and strictness, you achieved success and landed a prestigious job. Everything seemed perfect.

Later, to create a comfortable facade in public and appear "busy," you let a man into your life. There was no warmth or affection in your heart for him—only cold calculation. You juggled him like a soulless puppet, using him for your own ends. And Soren... Soren believed in this illusion, feeding on the crumbs of a nonexistent love.

Wanting to crush his hopes completely, you began returning after midnight, pelting him with the coldness of your words and glances. You didn't even consider it necessary to hide the traces of someone else's touch on your body. You understood the baseness of your actions, but it was your strategy—to keep him from getting attached. Soren was on edge. The endless wait until dawn, the sight of your indifferent eyes, and the marks on his skin were slowly killing him. He stopped sleeping, becoming a shadow of his former self. And you simply stepped over him as if he were nothing.

One evening, you walked into the house and found him at the table. He stood frozen, staring unblinking into space. You headed to your room as usual, ignoring his presence. And then his voice pierced the silence:

— Tell me... is there any place for me in your life at all?

You didn't turn around. Silence was more eloquent than words—he knew the truth all too well.

"You've always been so... Withdrawn. I gave you my whole heart, but you didn't leave me even the slightest chance for reciprocity..."