The silence after Adrian left felt unbearable.
Luna stood still, his words echoing again and again—
"You were never as innocent as you think."
"…What did he mean?" she asked quietly.
Ethan didn't move. His expression remained unreadable. "He's trying to manipulate you."
Luna let out a hollow laugh, shaking her head slightly. "Then why didn't you deny it?"
He didn't answer.
That was enough.
Something inside her shifted.
"You knew," she said slowly.
"No," Ethan replied—but this time, his voice lacked certainty.
Luna's chest tightened. "I trusted you…"
"I didn't lie."
"You just didn't tell me the truth."
Silence fell—sharp, suffocating.
Luna turned away, pressing her hand against her forehead. The pain came back suddenly—stronger, deeper.
Fragments flashed.
A dark room.
Raised voices.
Tension in the air.
"You shouldn't involve her!"
"She's already involved."
Luna gasped, her body trembling as the voices echoed in her head.
"Luna?" Ethan stepped forward quickly.
"Don't," she said, her voice shaking.
He stopped instantly.
"I heard something…" she whispered. "Voices. They were talking about me."
Ethan's expression darkened. "What did they say?"
She hesitated, fear flickering in her eyes. "…That I was already involved."
Silence.
Ethan didn't respond.
And that silence—
Terrified her.
"…You know what that means, don't you?"
No answer.
Her chest tightened painfully.
"I wasn't just around it…" her voice trembled. "…I was part of it."
"No," Ethan said firmly—but it sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than her.
"You don't even believe that," she said, her voice breaking slightly.
Her thoughts spiraled uncontrollably.
"What if he's right? What if I'm the reason everything happened?"
"Stop."
"What if—"
"Luna!"
His voice cut through sharply.
She froze.
Her breathing turned uneven, her mind slipping further into chaos.
"I don't know who I am anymore…" she whispered.
That wasn't fear.
That was breaking.
Ethan stepped closer, slower this time, careful.
"Look at me."
She didn't.
"Luna."
After a moment, her eyes lifted.
Fear. Confusion. Something fragile reflected in them.
"You are not what he says," Ethan said firmly.
"How do you know?"
"I know enough."
"That's not an answer."
Silence again.
Heavy.
Then Ethan did something unexpected.
He stepped closer—close enough that she couldn't look away—and gently held her face.
"Then listen carefully," he said quietly. "No matter what you remember…"
His voice softened.
"You're not alone anymore."
Her breath hitched.
"And you're not going through this alone."
Something inside her cracked.
Not pain—
Relief.
Tears filled her eyes before she could stop them.
"I don't want to remember…" she whispered.
"I know," he said softly. "Then don't rush it."
His voice was calm. Grounding. Steady.
"I'm here."
Luna closed her eyes slowly.
And for the first time since everything started—
She leaned toward him.
Not because of the contract.
But because she needed something real to hold onto.
Far away, in the dim glow of a screen, Adrian watched silently.
"They're getting closer…" he murmured, a faint smile forming.
"Good."
Because the closer they got—
The more it would hurt.