"…are all of them dead?"
Ezra was stunned by the question, the words hanging in the air longer than they should have.
But the more he looked at the boy's eyes—really looked—the more he understood why he was asking.
Not for confirmation.
For something else.
Something heavier.
Which made Ezra frown slightly.
"Yes…yes, they are," Ezra answered slowly, drawing in a quiet breath before letting it out, his voice steady even if it didn't feel that way inside.
He heard it then.
A choked sob.
Small at first.
Then breaking.
The boy covered his eyes with both hands, his shoulders trembling as the sound of his crying filled the room, raw and unrestrained.
"It's all my fault…I did this…I…"
The words came out broken, uneven, barely holding together as guilt poured through every syllable.
Ezra's expression tightened.
'…I know that tone,' Ezra thought, something in his chest pulling painfully as he listened.
He was familiar with it.
Too familiar with his chest hurting.
