To Cael, Soren's words felt like nails driven deep into his chest one after another with each syllable tearing through him without mercy.
For so long, he had believed himself untouchable.
No matter how many people feared him, cursed him behind his back or looked at him with resentment, none of it had ever truly reached him as he always stood above it all.
But Soren was different.
Soren's voice did not need to be loud to destroy him.
The pain in his eyes alone was enough.
For the first time in his life, someone managed to break past every wall Cael had built around himself and leave him standing there completely helpless, miserable and lost. He could still hear Soren's trembling voice echoing in his mind and the more he remembered it, the tighter his chest became until even breathing started to hurt.
Cael opened his mouth slightly as if he wanted to say something, wanted to stop him somehow but no words came out.
What could he even say now?
An apology?
