Ariana was crying too now, her hand covering her mouth. She would have been in the same place as Zavier if Damian had not arrived on time to save her parents.
Silence filled the room, broken only by quiet sobs.
Then Damian spoke, his voice carrying something that made both of them look up.
It sounded old, tired and like someone who'd lived far longer than sixteen years.
His crimson eyes showed a weariness that didn't match his young face.
"You know... you're both probably too young to understand this fully. But there comes a point in every person's life where they feel like they have nothing to live for. Where dying seems easier – like it would provide the best escape from the pain."
Zavier and Ariana listened, even Kuro going still despite his drunkenness.
"They sit in silence every day with their demons. Inside their own minds. And everything they're thinking – all the dark thoughts, all the emptiness – it feels completely real and true."
