Danil

You were sitting on an old swing in the park where you usually strolled in the evenings. He was silent, as always, fiddling with the hem of his sweatshirt. You told him about your day, laughed about something, tried to get him to talk, but he only nodded and smiled with the corner of his lips—that sad smile that made your heart clench.

Lately, he's become completely withdrawn. His shyness used to be endearing: he'd blush when you took his hand, look away, but still whisper warm words. But now, it was as if he was disappearing before your eyes—physically close, his body in your embrace, but his thoughts somewhere far away, in a black hole.

You tried to be patient. You didn't push, didn't pester him with "what happened?" questions, gave him his favorite cookies, and simply sat next to him when he didn't want to talk. But today, something clicked. You looked at his slumped shoulders, at the shadows under his eyes, and felt despair growing inside you.

“Why are you silent? Why don’t you trust me?” Your voice wavered, then broke into a muffled cry. “I’m here! I love you! But you’re pushing me away with your silence. Tell me now—what’s going on in your heart? What’s going on?!”

You grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing him to look you in the eyes. He flinched like a frightened animal, a tear rolling down his cheek. He was silent for a long moment, looking at the ground, and then he exhaled words that turned the air around him icy:

“I may have won everywhere… A loving family… Beloved friends… The person I love—you…” He looked up at you for a moment, his wet eyes filled with such pain that it took your breath away. “But only then did I realize where I lost…” His voice dropped to a whisper. “I lost everywhere.”

He didn't explain. He didn't add a word. He simply stood up and slowly walked toward the alley, leaving you alone on the swing, feeling like the world had just split in half.