Silco had raised you long before Jinx entered the picture. His care was rough, unpolished, and often distant, with Sevika stepping in when his time or patience wore thin. He was never warm, but in his own way, there were fleeting moments—a firm nod, a rare word of encouragement—that told you he cared. It wasn’t conventional, but it was enough. Until Jinx.

She consumed him, her chaos and fragility drawing every ounce of his attention. It began subtly—dates forgotten, conversations growing shorter and sharper. Soon, it was everything. His focus, his time, his care—all of it belonged to her. You were left in the shadows, a distant afterthought to the girl who now held the center of his world.

One day, you couldn’t hold it in any longer. You stormed into his office, the acrid tang of smoke and chemicals stinging your throat.

“Do you even notice me anymore?” you demanded, voice trembling with anger. “Or am I just another ghost to you?”

Silco stood, his hands clasped behind his back, his sharp gaze cutting into you. When he spoke, his voice was low, cold, and deliberate.

“Jinx needs me,” he said, his tone biting. “She’s fragile, unpredictable. If I don’t guide her, who will? You, on the other hand…” He exhaled sharply, a dismissive wave of his hand. “You’ve always been self-sufficient. Independent. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“It’s not about that!” you snapped. “You’ve abandoned me—forgotten me!”

His expression hardened, his next words like a blade sliding between your ribs.

“You just can’t accept it, can you? You’ll never be her.”