Sana drifts in darkness.
Heavy.
Silent.
Endless.
But then—
Something pulls him back.
A faint sensation.
Warm.
Alive.
His fingers twitch.
His eyelids feel impossibly heavy, but slowly… painfully… they begin to open.
Blurry.
Everything is blurred.
Shapes. Light. Shadows.
And then—
A sound.
Soft.
Broken.
Someone… is crying.
Very close.
…Did I die…?
The thought drifts through his mind, distant and unclear.
But no—
There's warmth.
Spreading through his chest.
Through his arms.
Something soft… is holding him.
Holding him tightly.
The pain in his body dulls, just slightly—like it's being pushed away by something gentler.
His vision slowly sharpens.
And then—
He sees her.
Alice.
Her arms wrapped around him, trembling.
Her face buried into his shoulder.
She's crying.
His heart—
slams.
Fast.
Loud.
His face heats up instantly.
W-What is happening…?
For a moment, he freezes.
Then slowly…
carefully…
He lifts his hand.
Hesitant.
Uncertain.
And places it on her back.
Gentle.
Like she might break.
He begins to move his hand softly, tracing slow, comforting strokes.
Up.
Down.
Again.
He doesn't say a word.
He can't.
Time stretches.
The room falls into silence—
except for her quiet sobs.
Each one tightening something inside his chest.
Sana closes his eyes again, not from weakness—but to steady himself.
He focuses only on her.
His hand shifts, moving to her hair now.
Soft.
Warm.
He strokes it gently, again and again.
"It's okay…"
He doesn't say it out loud.
But his touch does.
—
Alice feels it.
The warmth.
The gentleness.
His presence.
Her body feels weak in his arms… like all her strength has been drained away.
But she doesn't care.
She doesn't want to let go.
Not now.
Not when this is the only place that feels safe.
Her fingers tighten slightly around him.
As if he might disappear.
—
Time passes.
Slowly.
Too quickly.
—
And then—
Reality returns.
Her mind catches up.
What… am I doing…?
Her eyes widen.
Her face burns red.
She quickly tries to pull away—
But—
BANG!
The door slams open.
"Alice! Where are you?!"
A man rushes in—
And stops.
Frozen.
His eyes lock onto the scene in front of him.
His daughter.
In another boy's arms.
Still holding him.
Still close.
Too close.
Shock floods his face.
His breath catches.
Who… is that boy…?
Why… are they…?
—
/ POV: Leto /
Leto's world was once simple.
Small.
But warm.
He met his wife online.
No wealth.
No status.
Just two people… choosing each other.
They were poor—
But they were happy.
And then—
She was born.
A tiny girl with shy eyes and a soft voice.
Alice.
His daughter.
His whole world.
The reason he woke up every day.
The reason he kept going.
—
Until the day everything broke.
His wife fell ill.
At first, it didn't seem serious.
But it got worse.
Faster than he could understand.
Faster than he could react.
He tried.
He really did.
But money—
was something he didn't have.
And in the end—
He couldn't save her.
—
That day…
He lost his wife.
And something inside him shattered.
Guilt consumed him.
Like a slow poison.
Toward his wife…
Toward his daughter…
Toward himself.
—
He couldn't face Alice.
Every time he looked at her—
He saw the person he failed to protect.
So he ran.
Not with his body—
But with his heart.
He buried himself in work.
Day after day.
Hour after hour.
Chasing money.
Chasing something he could never get back.
Trying to forget.
Trying to escape.
—
But in doing so—
He abandoned something even more important.
His daughter.
—
One day…
He met a boy nearby.
Small.
Quiet.
Awkward.
His name was Zure.
Leto noticed it immediately.
The way the boy looked at Alice.
Careful.
Protective.
Even at that age.
—
So he approached him.
Zure stiffened instantly.
"G-Greetings… father of Alice…"
Leto gave a small, tired smile.
"Just call me uncle. Are you her friend?"
He gently patted the boy's head.
Zure nodded quickly.
"Yes… uncle."
Leto studied him.
This boy…
…maybe he can do what I couldn't.
"Can you… protect my daughter?"
Zure blinked, confused.
"I mean… I'm busy. I don't have time for her…"
His voice was calm—but distant.
"Can you stay by her side? Be her friend?"
The boy didn't fully understand.
But he saw something in Leto's eyes.
Something heavy.
Something broken.
So he nodded.
Firmly.
"Yes, uncle. I promise."
He clenched his small hands.
"She's… my precious friend."
—
For the first time in a long while—
Leto smiled.
A real one.
"You're a good boy… I'm counting on you."
—
But he didn't realize—
That choice…
That single, quiet decision…
Would slowly push his daughter further away.
And one day—
She would suffer because of it.
—
Back to present
Leto's eyes tremble slightly.
The scene before him overlaps with memories.
His little girl…
Now in someone else's arms.
Not his.
Never his.
—
Something tightens in his chest.
Guilt.
Shock.
Fear.
And something else—
Something he hasn't felt in a long time.
—
Jealousy.